Writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner jokes that “family is a chronic condition,” but eventually, we all figure out that we are lucky to have it.
She talks to us about this theme in her newest novel and its sprawling exploration of how a Jewish family from Long Island contends with their own intense ...
Actor Minnie Driver talks to us about how she took on the role of one of the most powerful women in history. In the Starz series, “The Serpent Queen,” she takes on the role of Queen Elizabeth I, who reigned over England and Ireland for nearly 45 years in the ...
Annie Baker talks to us about her directorial debut, “Janet Planet.”
Her film explores the intimate relationship between a single mother and her daughter told over a long and hot summer break in Western Massachusetts.
Baker shares her “intuitive” approach to making the film and the ways in which her work defies ...
Singer-songwriter Jewel talks to us about her love of learning and the joy of making art across multiple disciplines.
She recounts her journey navigating a traumatic childhood and channeling its challenges into better understanding herself. She reminds us that “trauma does change us, but we get to choose how it changes ...
Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks to us about the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. He might be one of the most adaptable actors working today.
Whether it’s the recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lincoln, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Dark Knight Rises, Mysterious Skin, 500 Days ...
Novelist Ling Ma doesn’t shy away from taking risks with her writing. Her 2018 debut novel, “Severance,” is an apocalyptic satire that won the Kirkus Prize for Fiction and squarely put her on the map as an exciting, off-beat new writer.
With her newest collection, “Bliss Montage,” Ma has turned her ...
Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the busiest people in Hollywood. His recent films include “Aquaman,” “The Matrix Resurrections,” “Ambulance,” and “Candyman.” But most recently, he made his Broadway debut in "Topdog/Underdog."
In this episode, Abdul-Mateen II gives a masterclass on his acting process. The graduate of the Yale School ...
In her eighth feature film, “Showing Up,” Kelly Reichardt takes pleasure in thinking about “life on the level outside of commerce.” Her films often explore working-class characters living life on the margins. Movies like “First Cow,” “Certain Women,” “Wendy and Lucy,” and “Old Joy” have established Reichardt as one of ...
A compelling novel can transport us into worlds unknown. Novelist Jennifer Egan has mastered this inventiveness of fiction with her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "A Visit from the Goon Squad," and in her newest book, "The Candy House." In this episode, Egan breaks down her writing process behind "Lulu the Spy, ...
“Top Gun: Maverick” is filled with booming jet engines and layered sonic storytelling. It’s been nominated for Best Sound at the Oscars, largely due to the work of Al Nelson, sound designer and supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound. Hear how he and his team spent time on aircraft carriers ...
