Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

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The Michael Lewis Story May 16, 2021

Show notes

Best-selling author Michael Lewis (“Moneyball,” “The Big Short”) joins us this week! His latest book, “The Premonition” (2:40), reveals how the U.S. mishandled the pandemic (5:05) and why the 2009 H1N1 virus was a precursor to 2020 (10:15). But to understand how Lewis tells his stories, we have to understand a bit of his story: how he grew up in New Orleans (20:48) and fell in love with writing at Princeton (26:20), before working as a bonds salesman on Wall Street (29:29). He also shares his approach to creating honest journalist-subject relationships (36:19), his six months covering President Obama (37:12), a favorite poem from his high-school baseball coach (43:02), and the role of luck in his career (48:49).

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Mother’s Day with Writer Jhumpa Lahiri May 09, 2021

Show notes

Pulitzer-prize winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (“Interpreter of Maladies”, “The Namesake”) joins us this week for a special episode. In vivid, writerly detail Lahiri describes being raised in a family “spread out in various places” (5:49), her late mother’s recurring presence in her writing (15:07), the comfort (and pain) of being an observer (19:02), and the vibrancy she found in Rome (33:32), which inspired her new novel (written in Italian, translated in English) “Whereabouts” (14:37). On the back-half of our talk, Jhumpa reflects on the metamorphosis that occurred in her mother’s final days (40:02), how her familial ties (from Calcutta to Rhode Island) informed her early stories (44:38), and, finally, an exhortation on why she writes (48:10). For more: https://talkeasypod.com/jhumpa-lahiri/

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The Freedom Riders Turn 60 (with Dr. Bernard Lafayette) May 02, 2021

Show notes

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Riders, we sit with Civil Rights activist Dr. Bernard Lafayette. In May of 1961, black and white students made history, riding interstate buses into the segregated American south. Lafayette, then age 20, was one of those riders. At 80, he shares his early memories of protest with roommate John Lewis (3:20), the non-violent strategies used to disarm the white mobs of the South (10:50), and traveling from Montgomery, Alabama to Jackson, Mississippi (17:13), only to get arrested several times (21:02). Then, Bernard shares what the Freedom Riders can teach us about organizing in 2021 (25:39) and how he grappled with the deaths of John Lewis and C.T. Vivian (32:09). Plus– a special guest joins us as we close (37:00).

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Joel Meyerowitz: A Life in Photos Apr 25, 2021

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Legendary photographer Joel Meyerowitz has been capturing life itself since 1962. Whether on the streets of New York City, the sand dunes of Cape Cod, or in transit across Europe, Meyerowitz has documented what he calls “visions in passing.” Today, he joins us for a special, virtual retrospective, spanning nearly six decades of his life in photographs. To follow along, please visit: https://talkeasypod.com/joel-meyerowitz/

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Kevin Abstract: New Light, New Machine Apr 21, 2021

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Musician Kevin Abstract (founding member of BROCKHAMPTON) joins us today! With the release of “Roadrunner: New Light, New Machine,” we unpack how Kevin and the group arrived at this new record. Under the comfort of his sunglasses, Kevin talks about falling back in love with music during the pandemic (5:25), despite struggling with success (8:50) and self-acceptance (12:13). He also discusses the radical act of speaking his truth on Papercut (14:15), the power of representation (17:56), and the music video that jump-started BROCKHAMPTON’s ascendency (21:30). Then, before we go, Kevin speaks openly about the mounting pressures to perform (25:48), the joys of collaborating with Dominic Fike on Peach (29:54), the healing nature of “Roadrunner” (36:07), and where he hopes the group goes from here (40:34).

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Songs For You Apr 18, 2021

Show notes

A mixtape for you and yours. These are the songs getting us through this painful, unending week. May they do the same for you. Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3ExjvDZJxv0o1S8SyqCnFY?si=bb24d90af0254d78

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Kathrine Switzer: Marathon Woman Apr 15, 2021

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Kathrine Switzer made history in 1967 when she became the first woman to register and run in the Boston Marathon. She was 20 years old. Today, at age 74, she shares the story behind the story: the months leading up to her historic run as a student at Syracuse University (2:12), the coach that believed in her (4:34), and the night she decided to enter the race (6:00). We also walk through the madness of April 19th, 1967 (13:44), her efforts to ensure women’s marathons be included in the Olympics (24:13), the prejudice that remains against female athletes (28:22), and how she grapples with difficulty as a self-proclaimed optimist (36:42). Then, before we go, Kathrine shares the happiest day of her life with us (40:00). To support our work, become a subscriber at patreon.com/talkeasy

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The Ts Madison Experience Apr 11, 2021

Show notes

Entertainer, activist, and author Ts Madison joins us this week! A trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, Ts shares the stories that made her Ts: flipping through a Playgirl magazine at age three (6:30), exploring her nascent sexuality under a Christian roof (16:28) and the consequences of her curiosity (20:02). She also talks turning pain into comedy (30:36), her time as a sex worker (32:01), and the “duty” of “keeping the door open” to encourage representation for the Trans community (45:44). Then, before we go, she looks back on the night she first felt seen and the liberation that followed (48:40). You can support our work at patreon.com/talkeasy

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We Turn Five Apr 04, 2021

Show notes

This Sunday Talk Easy turns five years old! To mark the anniversary, we’re revisiting some of our favorite passages from the past 220 episodes: Errol Morris on creativity and curiosity (3:05), a short story from Elizabeth Gilbert (17:17), Colman Domingo’s family affair (22:25), Hasan Minhaj (32:02) and Lena Waithe (35:53) on making work that honors where they come from, a history lesson from Dolores Huerta (38:40), a mantra from Alan Alda (44:15), and the words that started this show, by the late Roger Ebert (57:53). Here’s to five more years. To support our work, become a subscriber at patreon.com/talkeasy

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Nathaniel Rich: Stories from a World Remade Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

Journalist Nathaniel Rich (writer-at-large, New York Times Magazine) believes we can do “great good” with nature. But how? In his brilliantly reported new book, “Second Nature”, he explores the potential of environmental innovations (7:52), the weight of living in an era of “terrible responsibility” (11:00), what a methane leak in Aliso Canyon can teach us about us (14:03), and how he found hope in a Japanese doctor studying immortal jellyfish (22:38). We also discuss the spiritual change needed to address our climate crisis (35:41), and why (better) storytelling may be the most effective way out of this mess (42:51).

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