The Jim Motavalli Interview Podcast

WPKN, Jim Motavalli
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Jim Motavalli of WPKN features interviews new and archival - artists, movers, shakers, and more.

  1. The Lives of a Cell: Roxanne Khamsi's New Book Spotlights Pioneering Research That Can Fight Cancer and Help Us Live Longer

    1D AGO

    The Lives of a Cell: Roxanne Khamsi's New Book Spotlights Pioneering Research That Can Fight Cancer and Help Us Live Longer

    Roxanne Khamsi talks to Jim Motavalli about the profound implications of recent cell research. She is an author, speaker and contributing writer for The Atlantic. Her first book, Beyond Inheritance (Riverhead Books, 2026), reveals how we mutate genetically every day of our lives and how the DNA changes that accumulate within us can profoundly affect our health. She has reported extensively on the intersection of genetics and medicine for more than two decades. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The New York Times, The Economist, Popular Science, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Slate, Nature, New York magazine, WIRED magazine and National Geographic. She has appeared on television programs such as CBS News and has guest-hosted the national radio shows On The Media and Science Friday.

    19 min
  2. Terri Thal: The Queen of Greenwich Village

    6D AGO

    Terri Thal: The Queen of Greenwich Village

    Terri Thal (third from right in the photo) was married to Dave Van Ronk (at far right), managed Bob Dylan (second from right) and was a friend of Dylan's then-girlfriend Suze Rotolo (second from left). She has written about that time in her book My Greenwich Village: Dave, Bob and Me. We talked about those times, about her close friend Patrick Sky (not as well remembered as Van Ronk) and about the politics of the era. Dylan said of Terri in his book Chronicles, "Van Ronk’s wife, Terri, definitely not a minor character, took care of Dave’s bookings, especially out of town, and she began trying to help me out. She was just as outspoken and opinionated as Dave was, especially about politics — not so much the political issues but rather the highfalutin’ theological ideas behind political systems."

    28 min
  3. John Sayles: The Filmmaker's Take on the World of Henry Ford

    APR 18

    John Sayles: The Filmmaker's Take on the World of Henry Ford

    John Sayles is a prolific filmmaker who, since The Return of the Secaucus Seven in 1980, hasn't been afraid to take on big political themes. In 17 films and eight novels (as well as short-story collections and screenplays) he looks at a specific moment in the historical record from multiple perspectives. Sayles' latest work is Crucible, a closely observed historical novel that looks at the Ford Motor Company from the introduction of the Model A to the postwar period. It includes the fight for unionization (and union busters), the boss' anti-Semitism, the immigrants' experience, and Fordlandia, the ill-fated attempt to grow rubber (for tires) in Brazil.

    32 min
  4. Robbie Fulks Talks About Life

    MAR 23

    Robbie Fulks Talks About Life

    Robbie Fulks is a native North Carolinian who has bluegrass and country as a default position, but also revels in many other musical styles. A stint at Columbia University in New York probably helped broaden his world view, but there's something of an auto didact about him, too. Music came naturally, as his father played guitar and his aunt banjo, which he started playing at age six. Skipping ahead,  In 1987, he joined The Special Consensus Bluegrass Band, where he showcased his unique guitar flatpicking style. In the early 1990s he performed in the musical Woody Guthrie's American Song. Fulks writes some very funny songs that, as one critic noted, "subvert the country tropes," but his music also delves deep.

    11 min
  5. The Country Blues of Ireland's Murieann Bradley

    MAR 23

    The Country Blues of Ireland's Murieann Bradley

    Murieann Bradley is a 19-year-old acoustic guitarist/singer from Ireland who specializes in the fingerpicking styles of the 1920s, 30s and 40s, citing influences such as Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis, and Elizabeth Cotten. She learned to play largely from her father, a blues enthusiast. After a breakout performance on the BBC's Jools' Annual Hootenanny in 2023, she has toured the world, including a performance at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 28. Her debut album, I Kept These Old Blues, was released on Tompkins Square Records and later reached the top ten of the UK Albums Download Chart. She signed with Decca Records in late 2024.

    16 min
  6. Lab Dog: Melanie Kaplan's Book on Using Canines in Medical Research

    FEB 13

    Lab Dog: Melanie Kaplan's Book on Using Canines in Medical Research

    Melanie D.G. Kaplan talks to Jim Motavalli about her book Lab Dog: A Beagle and his Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research. She explores the ethics and future of animal experimentation through the story of her rescued beagle, Hammy.

    16 min
  7. The Musical Alchemy of Iron & Wine

    FEB 13

    The Musical Alchemy of Iron & Wine

    Jim Motavalli talked to Sam Beam, a/k/a Iron & Wine, a master of brilliant, hushed Americana music and a collaborator par excellence (particularly with amazing women). In the interview, we talk about Beam's work with Fiona Apple, Jesca Hoop, I'm With Her and others, and also about his new album Hen's Teeth (2026).

    17 min
  8. Alex Manos

    JAN 19

    Alex Manos

    Alex Manos says he's the country's number one buyer of classic cars. He buys European and American cars nationwide, and would love to talk about buying your old vehicle.

    9 min
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About

Jim Motavalli of WPKN features interviews new and archival - artists, movers, shakers, and more.

Information

  • Creator
    WPKN, Jim Motavalli
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jim Motavalli