Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda

Author and activist Letty Cottin Pogrebin reflects on the modern state of feminism and the #MeToo movement – and how she’s brought people together in the Middle East through experiences that change their understanding of one another. (In Part 2 of these conversations on “Bringing Enemies Together” Senator George Mitchell discusses bringing peace to Northern Ireland.)Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Yale Professor Paul Bloom doesn't think empathy is such a good thing. He's even written a book about it called, The Case Against Empathy. However, he does have an interesting theory about what he calls rational compassion. Paul and Alan Alda discuss their views for and against empathy and find out that they have more in common than they thought.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Surprisingly, Renée Fleming has been using her iconic voice to help scientists discover how music heals us. Alan talks with Renée about their mutual interest in science, her new starring role in Carousel, and what it's like to really be present as a performer.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Every day, 10 million Americans watch Judge Judy on TV. Her style is direct and to the point. Her job is to know how to quickly separate fact from fiction. She talks with Alan about justice and what it's like for a judge to have such an impact on the lives of others.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Alan talks with Kate about the awkward, funny, and often misguided, ways people approach the subject when they know someone is seriously ill. New York Times Bestselling author and Duke University divinity professor, Kate Bowler tells Alan how stage 4 cancer led her to write a humorous, and graceful book about communicating with someone who’s received the worst possible news.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Alan Alda talks with world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman about the power of spontaneity in music and acting, engaging with the audience during performances, the impact of amplification in theater, the importance of a core sound in music, teaching and student involvement, the connection between a musician and their instrument, and various topics including empathy, compulsive talkers, delivering bad news, and ending friendships.

Alan Alda talks with comedian Sarah Silverman about how she befriended someone who was hateful toward her on Twitter, and how her new series on Hulu challenges her to connect with people that she doesn't agree with. Her question to us is “Can Americans put down their "porcupine needles" and really listen to one another again?”Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid

Clear and Vivid is a series of Alan Alda’s spirited conversations with people who know how hard it is, and yet how good it feels, to really connect with other people – whether it’s one person, an audience or a whole country. You'll know many of the people in these conversations – they are luminaries in our culture. Some you may not know. But what links them all is their powerful ability to relate and communicate. With his unique blend of humor and insight, Alda explores the ways we can connect better with one another in every area of our lives. Something we need now more than ever. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Stitcher. Visit AlanAlda.com for more details. Follow Alan on Twitter @alanalda and find us on Instagram and Facebook @clearandvivid. Launches July 10th!Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid