A Treat for the Die-Hards
Every writer, podcaster and storyteller obsesses about how they begin a story. But they rarely pay enough attention to endings. Nothing matters more. Malcolm and Mike Birbiglia solve endings for…
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Is a New Rainbow Coalition of Voters Possible?
Legendary Chicago Mayor Harold Washington is the subject of a new documentary called “Punch 9 for Harold Washington.” In this week’s episode, Ben and Khalil discuss the legacy of the…
On Background: Bad Actors on the Blockchain
For his next book, Michael Lewis wants to find out how investigators manage to trace the murky trail of illicit crypto. Cryptocurrency started with the dream of cash changing hands…
Episode 3: The Imposter
A woman named Esther Reed has been living in New York, but attending college under a different identity: Brooke Henson. When the NYPD tries to learn more, she flees. In…
The Makings of Writer Hilton Als
Today, we’re joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and critic Hilton Als! To begin, we unpack his approach to writing profiles (5:50), inspired by the words of photographer Diane Arbus (6:10),…
The Grey’s Anatomy Liar
What happens when you pretend you’re a medical miracle? Lots of things, as TV writer Elisabeth Finch found out – including gaining a job writing for Grey’s Anatomy. For a…
Turning Garbage Into Food
Matt Rogers is the co-founder of Mill. Matt’s problem is this: How do you turn garbage into food? Before Mill, Matt co-founded Nest, a smart thermostat company. Now, he wants…
We Know How to Solve Homelessness. We Just Need to Do It.
There are roughly 600,000 people experiencing homelessness — “houselessness”– in the United States. Ben and Khalil talk with Dr. Heidi Behforouz about how to address a problem that is immense but…
Not Lost Chat: Wild Sugar (Cheryl Strayed)
Brendan finds the perfect Not Lost Chat guest in author Cheryl Strayed, who not only wrote the bestselling travel memoir “Wild,” but is also a renowned advice columnist. First, they…
Giles Martin, Part 1
Giles Martin may be the son of famed Beatles record producer Sir George Martin, but he’s also an acclaimed producer and composer in his own right. He’s worked on projects…
Episode 2: The Star Man
Detective Jon Campbell wants more information about the woman – at Columbia University – claiming to be Brooke Henson. He enlists the help of the Secret Service to get his…
Actor and Activist Nazanin Nour Wants to Tell a New Story of Iran
Today, we sit with actor and activist Nazanin Nour. At the top, we discuss the ongoing protests against the Islamic Republic (3:35), her transformative work in meetings with the UN…
