A Bend in the Road

Have you ever thought about sneezing on Larry King? Well, if you have, then you and Ben Greenman have that in common. Join Roberta Panjwani as she interviews Ben about some of his work and his forays into almost becoming a doctor. For the unfamiliar, Ben Greenman is the New York Times bestselling author of The Slippage and Superbad and the former longtime editor for The New Yorker. Not content to only do that, he’s also Questlove’s long-time collaborator and has written memoirs with George Clinton and Brian Wilson as well.Things we Discussed in the Episode:Ben’s BooksBen in the New YorkerBen in the New York TimesInterview with Questlove and George ClintonPrince InterviewEpisode CreditsA Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.Our Assistant Producer and Editor for this episode is Olivia Esteban.Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias Rosner.Our Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Olivia Esteban.Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.Special thanks to Ben for being with us today.

You know Oprah? Yeah. That Oprah. We don’t have Oprah but we do have the next best thing. Leigh Haber is the editor and former Vice President of Book at O magazine. Join us as she joins host Roberta Panjwani on a deep dive into Leigh’s role as Director of Oprah’s Book Club, what it’s like to interview writers (or as she calls them, Rock Stars) and the power of books to make change and do good in the world. Things we Discussed In the Episode:Oprah's Book ClubColum McCann InterviewDiana Gabaldon InterviewYou Are Here by Karen Lin-GreenbergVictory City by Salman RushdieSalman Rushdie New Yorker ArticleDances by Nicole CuffyA Small Sacrifice for Enormous Happiness by Jai ChakrabartiEpisode Credits:Special thanks to Leigh for being with us today.A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.Our Associate Producer and Editor for this episode is Olivia Esteban with additional edits by Elias Rosner.Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias Rosner.Our Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Olivia Esteban.Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.

What do you want to do? Who do you want to be? These are the questions that Tony Award winning actor Robert Sean Leonard grapples with. Join him and Roberta as they talk about his work as an actor and some of the artists he’s collaborated with. Wondering why that name sounds familiar? You might recognize Robert as Neil Perry from Dead Poets Society, Dr. James Wilson in House MD, or onstage as Edmund on O’Neill’s A Long Day's Journey Into Night.Things we Discussed in the Episode:Dead Poets SocietyHouse M.D.The Invention of LoveArcadiaLong Day’s Journey Into Night The Gilded AgeEpisode CreditsA Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.Our Assistant Producer and Editor for this episode is Olivia Esteban.Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias Rosner.Our Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Olivia Esteban.Logo and Website created by Parker Gaidimas.Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.Special thanks to Robert for being with us today.

Hot off the release of her latest standup comedy special, Plant Based Jokes, comedian and podcast host Ophira Eisenberg joins Roberta to discuss what it’s like to tell stories at The Moth, the riskiness involved with audience interactions, and how storytelling has changed since the pandemic. Ophira is currently the host of the podcast Parenting Is A Joke and as well as hosting the now-concluded Ask Me Another, NPR’s comedy trivia show, with Jonathan Coulter for 9 years.Things we Discussed in the Episode:Ophira’s Website: www.ophiraeisenberg.com Plant Based Jokes: https://800pgr.lnk.to/PlantBasedJokesIDParenting Is A Joke: https://link.chtbl.com/PIAJOphira on the Moth: https://themoth.org/search/results?q=ophiraNPR’s Ask Me Another: https://www.npr.org/programs/ask-me-another/ Episode CreditsA Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer and Editor for this episode is Olivia EstebanOur Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Olivia EstebanLogo and Website created by Parker GaidimasOriginal Music is written and performed by Diane SimsSpecial thanks to Ophira for being with us today

Best-selling author Sarah Weinman loves true crime and loves wondering why we all love true crime. Her books probe these questions and more, bolstered by impeccable research, immensely readable prose and, at the heart of the story, the desire to present the humanity of the subjects, not the perpetrators, of the crimes. Join Roberta as she talks with Sarah from her home in Brooklyn about her books The Real Lolita, Scoundrel, & Women Crime Writers of the 1940 & 1950s and the reasons why we are all so obsessed with true crime. Things discussed in the episode:Sarah Weinman’s WebsiteSerial PodcastNew York Times Crime ColumnEtan Patz CaseFiring Line with William F. Buckley Jr.: “The Edgar Smith Story: Part I,” Firing Line broadcast records, Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Program S0029Dorothy B. Hughes- In A Lonely Place (Amazon)Crime Reads Article: "In A Lonely Place and Postwar America"Robin GiglStephen SpotswoodDanya KukafkaEpisode Credits:A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer is me, Elias Rosner Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Editor is Elias Rosner Our Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Olivia EstebanLogo and Website created by Parker GaidimasOriginal Music is written and performed by Diane SimsThe clip from Firing Line with William F. Buckley is copyrighted by the Hoover Institution.Special thanks to Sarah for being with us today.Transition music via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com

When one shares a story, they can become a part of a healing and empowering experience. Stories are powerful - cathartic, emotive, and full of truths, hidden or not - and our guests this week know that quite well. Nina is a life coach and the author of a new book Creek Music: What a Year in the Woods Taught Me About Seasons, Surrender and Joy. Her son Noah Taylor is a 28 year old café manager, storyteller and an aspiring writer. They are frequent performers at the The Moth StorySLAMS in Philly. Join host Roberta Panjwani as she talks with them about their experiences on the stage, how they got there, and the life events that shaped what they tell and how they tell it.Links for things discussed in the episode:Nina Groop's WebsiteThe MothEpisode Credits:A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer is me, Elias Rosner Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Editor is Elias Rosner Original Music is written and performed by Diane SimsOur Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Sabrina Garcia Logo and Website created by Parker GaidimasThe excerpt you heard at the beginning of the episode is from Nina's new book: Creek Music: What a Year in the Woods Taught Me about Seasons, Surrender & Joy.

Director Maite Alberdi had a great idea for a new film, one that merged her love of film noir with documentaries, so she began working as an assistant to a Chilean private eye. But when the lead detective broke his hip before filming, she wound up making a very different film - a film that earned her a nomination for a 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Join Roberta as she sits down with Maite to discuss The Mole Agent, filmmaking and the importance of community during any season of life.Links for things discussed in the episode:Micromundo ProductionsMaite and The Mole AgentMaite’s new project: The Eternal MemoryEpisode Credits:A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane Sims.Consulting for this episode done by Diane Sims.Our Assistant Producer is Elias Rosner.Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias Rosner.Our Editor is Elias Rosner.Original Music is written and performed by Diane Sims.Our Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Sabrina Garcia.Logo and website created by Parker Gaidimas.We are grateful to Maite Alberdi and Daniela Sandoval and to Micromundo Productions for permission to include audio clips from The Mole Agent.Original music from The Mole Agent composed by Vincent Van Warmerdam. Additional music composed by Jose Luis Perales ["Te Quiero"]

As a youth growing up in Ireland, and in the tall shadow of the Catholic Church, Pádraig Ó Tuama grappled with questions of acceptance and identity.  In part 2 of our interview with the poet and theologian, we dig into those questions and what innate sensibility gave him the fortitude to step into those headwinds, instead of turning away, with a brief stop in the land of knitable television near the end. For those just joining us, Pádraig is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry Unbound - now on its sixth season - as well as a theologian and conflict mediator. This episode is guest hosted by Diane Sims. Links mentioned in the show:Padraig's WebsiteThe TenX9 ProjectCorrymeelaMorton DeutschBilly CollinsSix Feet Under“If You’re Going To Look Like a Wolf They Have to Love You More Than Fear You”Episode CreditsA Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer is me, Elias Rosner Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Editor is Elias Rosner Original Music is written and performed by Diane SimsOur Digital Media producers are Elias Rosner and Sabrina Garcia Logo and Website created by Parker GaidimasSpecial thanks to Pádraig Ó Tuama for talking with us today and to Shannon Hearn for her help. 

What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama as he shares his relationship with art, reconciliation and the ongoing road toward finding ourselves in an episode so big, we had to split it into two. For those new to Pádraig's work, he is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry Unbound - now on its sixth season - as well as a theologian and conflict mediator. Part 2 will be available on October 26.Links mentioned in the show:Padraig's WebsiteThe TenX9 ProjectCorrymeelaMorton Deutsch Billy CollinsEpisode CreditsA Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer is me, Elias Rosner Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Editor is Elias Rosner Original Music is written and performed by Diane SimsOur Digital Media producer is Elias Rosner and Sabrina Garcia Logo and Website created by Parker GaidimasPlease join us again in a week for Part 2 of Diane’s conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama.

Before Curtis Duffy was a world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner, he was a troubled youth, left alone as a teenager after experiencing unimaginable tragedies. That is, until he took a mandatory middle school home economics class, introducing Curtis to the kitchen, his gift and his purpose.Join Roberta as she sits down with Curtis from his new Chicago-based restaurant Ever to talk about those early years and his rise to the top, indomitable work ethic and passion for motorcycles, tattoos and martial arts.Special Event: On Nov 2, 2022 at 7:00pm (EST), the Ridgewood Library will show the 2016 documentary “For Grace,” which chronicles the creation of Curtis’s former restaurant and tells the riveting story of how the chef’s turbulent past shaped the person he is today. A live Q&A with directors Mark Helenowsk and Kevin Pang will follow the screening. This event is offered at the Ridgewood Library and via Zoom. Please visit ridgewoodlibrary.org for details and the Zoom linkFor the curious, here are just a few of Curtis' accolades: Ever was awarded two Michelin stars in the 2022 Guide, Grace (his previous restaurant) earned three Michelin stars, four years in a row (2015-2018), two Michelin stars at Avenues at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago, Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating, AAA’s Five-Diamond rating, and the James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef, Great Lakes Award in 2016.Episode Credits:A Bend in the Road from the Ridgewood Public Library was made possible by a grant from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, a state partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. A Bend in the Road is written, hosted and produced by Roberta Panjwani and created by Roberta Panjwani and Diane SimsOur Assistant Producer is me, Elias Rosner Our Technical Directors and Audio Engineers are Charles Gallo and Elias RosnerOur Editor is Elias Rosner Original Music is written and performed by Diane SimsOur Digital Media producer is Elias Rosner and Sabrina Garcia Logo and Website created by Parker GaidimasCover Photo of Curtis Duffy by Michael Muser We would like to thank Curtis Duffy for spending time with us today and Melissa Harris for helping us to put this interview together.