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Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
UPDATED WEEKLY

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.

5 DAYS AGO

And In Our Hour of Darkness, Writer Arundhati Roy

“Sometimes I feel that I’m not going to write again,” says Arundhati Roy, “but then it becomes harder to keep quiet than to write it.” Few writers have bridged the personal and political as powerfully as Arundhati Roy. With her first memoir, fittingly titled Mother Mary Comes to Me, she turns to her turbulent relationship with her late mother, Mary Roy, a pioneering feminist who reshaped Indian law. Act I: Let It Be We begin with the imagery that animates the new book (4:10), her tumultuous household growing up (10:00), and how she sifted through those memories while writing The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness (15:40). Act II: She’s Leaving Home Roy reflects on her mother’s impact as a teacher (22:00), navigating her severe asthma as a child (24:30), and the moment she ultimately left home (27:20) for architecture school where she worked on film sets (30:00) and discovered The Beatles. Act III: Revolution Then, finally, how her writing sprung from her past (32:00), the political attacks that followed the success of her debut novel (35:00), bearing witness in the age of authoritarianism (41:00), and the timeliness of her 1998 essay The End of Imagination (1:01:00). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 5m
21 SEPT

Director Francis Ford Coppola Keeps His Dream Alive

Director Francis Ford Coppola doesn’t just want to make movies. He wants to change them. This was true in 1969 when he co-founded Zoetrope Studios with George Lucas, and it remains true today. Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. We return to our talk with Coppola upon the anniversary of his modern-day Roman epic fable Megalopolis, discussing his decades-long process developing the film (6:16) and the inspiration he’s taken from Georges Méliès (17:00) and Jacques Tati (19:07). Then, he reflects on the origin of how he became ‘Francis Ford Coppola’ (23:07), the irrepressible spirit he forged in childhood (26:34), and where he sees himself in films like The Godfather (33:17), Apocalypse Now (35:51), and Gardens of Stone (36:10). On the back-half, we unpack the parallels between the titular city of Megalopolis and Zoetrope Studios (42:35), his capacity to keep dreaming, even in the face of financial ruin (43:30), where he believes America is headed (49:04), and the lasting memory of his late wife, Eleanor (58:08). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com. Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TALKEASY. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 1m
17 SEPT · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

A Voicemail for Terry Gross

Comedian Sarah Silverman has a question for Terry Gross.

5 min
15 SEPT

Seth Rogen’s ‘The Studio’ Takes the Emmys

At this year’s Primetime Emmys, Seth Rogen took home four major awards for The Studio, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. We sat with Rogen around the show’s release back in the spring to discuss his key influences (6:15), from Robert Altman’s The Player to The Larry Sanders Show (13:25), the evolving state of “show business” (15:36), and a life-changing piece of advice from director and producer Judd Apatow (25:00). On the back-half, we dive into his early years writing comedy in Vancouver (25:57), formative memories making Freaks and Geeks (33:19), and how This Is the End, the meta-comedy from 2013, was a precursor to this latest project (43:18) and solidified his enduring creative partnership with Evan Goldberg (58:30). Watch this episode on YouTube. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com. Original air date: March 30, 2025 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 9m
14 SEPT

The Terry Gross Interview

This month marks 50 years of Terry Gross as the host of Fresh Air. What began in 1975 as a local experiment at WHYY in Philadelphia has since grown into a national institution—one that not only transformed public radio, but laid the groundwork for the world of podcasting. To commemorate a half-century on the air, Terry Gross joins us for a rare appearance in the interview seat. At the top, we discuss her Brooklyn upbringing (10:26), early memories of writing (13:00), and her improbable road to public radio (29:38). Then, Terry walks us through the formative years of Fresh Air (33:37) and its seminal conversations with Kurt Vonnegut (40:21), John Updike (46:30), Monica Lewinsky (49:30), Joan Didion (1:00:55), and more. On the back-half, Gross reflects on forty-seven years of partnership with her late husband, jazz writer Francis Davis (1:03:24), their shared affinity for reading and music (1:05:57), the future of public media (1:19:16), and why she continues to have faith in (and love for) the long-form interview (1:31:35). Subscribe to our new YouTube channel. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 40m
10 SEPT · BONUS • LEMONADA PREMIUM ONLY

The Talk Easy Interlude with Cook Samin Nosrat

A rapid fire questionnaire featuring cook and writer Samin Nosrat.

6 min
7 SEPT

Cook Samin Nosrat (‘Salt Fat Acid Heat’) Returns with ‘Good Things’

Eight years ago, cook and writer Samin Nosrat created a kitchen staple with Salt Fat Acid Heat: a New York Times bestseller that later became a hit Netflix series. Nosrat returns with Good Things, a collection of personal recipes straight from her dining table. We discuss the influences that shaped the book (8:30), the ephemerality (and pleasure) of produce (9:30), her complicated San Diego childhood growing up with Iranian parents (17:30), the high expectations placed before her (22:40), and how she eventually found her way to Chez Panisse in Berkeley (32:00). On the back-half, Samin talks about her salad days working in restaurants (46:00), grand openings and closings (42:30), the origins of Salt Fat Acid Heat (47:00), what The Bear gets right about cooking (1:00:25), and how she thinks about time (1:03:00) and ritual (1:07:40). This episode was recorded at Spotify Studios. Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at talkeasypod@gmail.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1h 13m
31 AUG

The Homecoming of Dev Hynes (Blood Orange)

Over the long holiday weekend, Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) released his latest album, Essex Honey. To celebrate, we return to our 2022 conversation with the visionary musician. At the top, we dive into his EP Four Songs (3:15), performing at Madison Square Garden with Harry Styles (4:40), and the process that guides much of his music (6:39). Then, Dev describes growing up in Essex, England (7:04), falling in love with music at his sister’s piano lessons (11:00), his dreams of entering the New York punk culture of Please Kill Me (20:30), early performances with the band Test Icicles (22:08), and how he’s been inspired by the late Octavia Saint Laurent (30:10). In the back half, we unpack Dev’s gift for collaboration (34:22), the 2013 night that changed everything (38:50), a surreal, full-circle performance of Delancey at the Apollo Theater (46:17), music’s unique ability to express emotions (49:50), and where he hopes to go in his art next (54:20). Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com. Get 50% off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com/TALKEASY. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1 hr

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Good sex is all about good communication. And we believe honest conversations are the best way to get there. That’s why we’ve asked duos of all types to open up to each other - no host! - about pleasure, intimacy and what turns them on. Listen to hear intimate chats, sexual revelations and playful moments between friends, lovers and everyone in between.

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SEXUALITY
Lupita Nyong’o knows what home feels like. But where exactly is it? In Mexico, where she was born? Kenya, where she grew up? Or the States, where she’s spent the past 20 years? Like Lupita, millions of Africans are spread out across the globe following family, searching for love, building futures and creating stories. It's these stories – wild and messy, intimate and joyous – that she wants to hear.Welcome to Mind Your Own, a storytelling podcast navigating what it means to belong, all from the African perspective. Join Lupita as she shares tales of her own and dives into the lives of real people finding their way in new worlds of every kind. Production by Snap Studios at KQED, ad sales and distribution by Lemonada Media.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for Season 3 of her award-winning podcast, Wiser Than Me™. Each week, she has funny, touching, personal conversations with iconic older women who are brimming with the kind of unapologetic attitude and wisdom that only comes with age. Julia sits at the feet of some extraordinary teachers this season, and of course her 90-year-old mom, Judith. Tune in to laugh, cry, and get wise. All Hail Old Women! Photo: Ryan Pfluger and August Image

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COMEDY
We all have terrifying questions that we can’t stop thinking about. Did I make the right decision as a parent? Can I share a secret with my mother or father? Usually, these questions go unanswered because it’s too scary to imagine saying them out loud. This podcast is the place where young people and caring adults in their lives can ask the hardest questions of each other. Lemonada Media presents "I Need To Ask You Something," a unique 10-part series that bridges the gap between the things we need to say and the words we’re afraid to hear. Each week, trauma therapist Dr. Monica Band sits down with a young person and their parent, friend or partner to help them create a blueprint for building stronger relationships while healing out loud. Created in partnership with The Jed Foundation.

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HEALTH & FITNESS
To be human is to fail – period. And not just to fail once, but to fail a lot. As the author Samuel Beckett said: “Fail again. Fail better.” This saying means a lot to me and my family – so much so that my daughter got a tattoo of it. Why are we, and so many others, so deeply concerned by failure? And if it’s something we all do so often, why are we so afraid of it – especially those of us here in win-at-all-costs America? In this podcast, I sit down with successful, thoughtful people like Ben Stiller, Bette Midler, Sean Penn and more to talk about failure – or what they labeled “failure,” but what was really an unparalleled opportunity for growth and revelation. I even want to delve into my own hardest moments, when I wrestled with setbacks, shame, and fear. We’ll still fail again. And again. But maybe if we fail better, we’ll feel better -- and maybe if we can all laugh together in failure, that's a start.

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SOCIETY & CULTURE
Get ready to dive into PANTS, with Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey. They met over twenty years ago playing best friends on the iconic, groundbreaking show THE L WORD. Each week, these two real-life BFFs catch up with each other on the big and small things going on in their lives, complete with hilarious oversharing, unqualified advice, and heated debates. PANTS is about friendship, queer life, chosen family and all things DIY. Listen to PANTS and eavesdrop on a friendship that’s as dynamic and entertaining as it is genuine. After all, at this point, you can’t have one leg without the other. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

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SOCIETY & CULTURE

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Sam Fragoso

Host
Arundhati Roy

Guest
Francis Ford Coppola

Guest
Terry Gross

Guest
Seth Rogen

Guest
Samin Nosrat

Guest
Karen Bass

Guest
Josh Brolin

Guest
Julia Garner

Guest
Patricia Clarkson

Guest

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso is a weekly series of intimate conversations with artists, activists, and politicians. Where people sound like people. Hosted by Sam Fragoso. New episodes every Sunday.