Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

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Author Hari Kunzru on his latest book, 'Red Pill' Oct 09, 2020

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Hari Kunzru is a novelist and journalist. He is the author of several novels including: My Revolutions, Gods Without Men, and White Tears. His latest novel is called Red Pill. The book's protagonist is an unnamed narrator. He's a writer in Brooklyn, married with kids. In the back of his mind, he can't shake this feeling: something bad is about to happen in the world. He gets a job in Berlin, a residency. The time alone only invites more demons in. It sends him on a journey around the internet, to reactionary message boards and old blogs. Then, it sends him on a journey around the world, into stone huts in Scotland and Parisian hotels. By the end of the book you might start to wonder if his fears were justified. Hari joins guest host Carrie Poppy to talk about where he got the idea for this new book, the dark web, online privacy, and similarities between his real life experiences and Red Pill's narrator.
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Comedian Eddie Pepitone Oct 06, 2020

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Veteran comedian Eddie Pepitone loves turning our expectations on their head. He's a working man's comedian with a set that perfectly melds the impassioned righteous rage of Lewis Black with the more understated observations of a comedian like Steven Wright. These days, due to the global pandemic, he's taken his act digital: live streams, video conferences, etc. His latest special, taped before the shutdown, is called "For The Masses." It's a special that fits the moment: Eddie sees all the scary, horrible and confusing stuff happening in the world, and helps us find joy in the absurdity of it all. It's also very funny. Eddie joins guest host Julie Klausner to discuss how comedy helped prepare him for the tribulations of 2020, fighting his addiction to bad news and his writing process for his new special. Plus, he'll pitch us his version of La La Land 2!
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Happy 100th birthday, Roger Angell Oct 02, 2020

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Writer Roger Angell is our guest his week. Roger is best known for his writing and editing for The New Yorker and most notably wrote about his love of baseball. This week, in celebration of his 100th birthday, we revisit our 2016 interview with him. He shares stories about being a young kid in New York watching Babe Ruth play, which baseball players are the best talkers, editing fiction at The New Yorker. Plus he tells us about why he doesn't write about baseball as a pastime but rather as an experience of watching players grow and evolve.
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Catherine O'Hara, star of Schitt's Creek Sep 29, 2020

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Catherine O'Hara is a comedy legend. Her work embodies a particularly special brand of comic absurdity. She helped launch SCTV alongside other burgeoning comedy greats like John Candy and Eugene Levy. She went on to star in some huge blockbuster comedies: Beetlejuice. Home Alone. Best in Show. At the Emmy awards a few weeks ago Schitt's Creek swept the comedy category. Catherine won a much-deserved Emmy for her lead role on the show. We're taking a moment to celebrate her Emmy win by revisiting our conversation from 2013. When Catherine joined us she talked to us about creating memorable characters with her longtime friend and collaborator Eugene Levy, and her own secret comedic formula.
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Noah Hawley, creator of TV's 'Fargo' Sep 25, 2020

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Guest host Julie Klausner is joined by Noah Hawley. Noah's the creator and showrunner behind the hit television series Fargo. Season 4 of the series kicks off next week and we've got all of your pressing questions about the season up for discussion. We chat about about the challenges of storytelling during a shutdown, setting adequate intentions going into season 4 and working with Chris Rock— this season's lead. Plus, Noah talks to us about how he creates a show that has all of the "feeling" of the Coen Brothers' original film... without any of its characters.
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Musician Frank Turner Sep 22, 2020

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Frank Turner talks with guest host Jordan Morris about his new album, a split LP with punk legends NOFX. They'll also talk aboutthe communal experience of singing around an acoustic guitar, and how The Clash inspired him to make a big life decision as a young man. Plus, Frank tells us about the coolest thing an 11-year old can order from a catalog!
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Bonus: Simon Rich reads from 'Hits & Misses' Sep 21, 2020

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Simon Rich is a novelist and screenwriter who has worked on Saturday Night Live. He created and wrote for the show Man Seeking Woman and Miracle Workers, a very funny anthology series starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi. His latest work can be seen in An American Pickle from HBO Max. The movie is based on a short story Simon wrote in 2013. A while back, Simon was able to swing by and read a few selections from his most recent short story collection, Hits and Misses. They say history is written by the victors. Celebrating the exploits of so-called great men. The Washingtons. The Lincolns. The Paul Reveres. And history is never, ever, written by the horses these great men rode. Until now.
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Pavement's Stephen Malkmus Sep 18, 2020

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The Song That Changed My Life is a segment that gives us the chance to talk with some of our favorite artists about the music that made them who they are today. This time around, we're joined by Stephen Malkmus, the former frontman of Pavement. The band's been called one of the best acts from the '90s. The band broke up in 1999, and Malkmus has kept on, as prolific as ever, dropping 9 records since 2001. His latest record is out now, it's called "Traditional Techniques." When we asked him to dish on a song that made him who he is today, he kind of threw us a curveball. His pick: "Love Will Keep Us Together" by Captain & Tenille.
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Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, PEN15 creators and stars Sep 15, 2020

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Ahead of their second season we'll revisit our interview with PEN15's Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle. They are the stars and creators of the very funny Hulu show. It's about two middle school girls coming of age in the early 2000s. The show deals with sensitive topics like getting your first period or being bullied, but also has tons of heart and humor.
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The Isley Brothers' Ernie Isley Sep 11, 2020

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We're looking back on Jesse's 2015 interview with musician Ernie Isley of legendary The Isley Brothers. Ernie talks to Jesse about the evolving sound of The Isley Brothers, a life-changing gig playing drums for Martha and The Vandellas, and what it was like to grow up with Jimi Hendrix occasionally living at your house.
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