The Letter Season 2: Ripple Effect

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.

Jennette McCurdy doesn't give a f*ck. Except that she does. She gives many f*cks. So many, in fact, that she hurts constantly. "This is what it means to be human," Jennette said in an exclusive quote for this podcast description. She said it with her chin in her palm, taking herself seriously.

Podcrushed — the podcast where Penn Badgley reads your middle school story -- explores the heartbreak, anxiety and self-discovery of being a teenager. Hosts Penn Badgley, Nava Kavelin, and Sophie Ansari bring you stories and conversations about middle school - from childhood crushes, to battles with body hair, to schoolyard scuffles. The results are sometimes awkward, sometimes heartwarming, and always relatable. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler. Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

It’s time to travel back to the Jeffersonian – this time, with an insider tour from the squint squad who made “Bones” one of the longest-running primetime dramas in TV history. Emily Deschanel (Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan) and Carla Gallo (Daisy Wick) are besties who met on set and are ready to take you back to the beginning, episode by episode. How did the show start?  Which first-season episode aired out of order? Why did the Angelator become the Angelatron? And shouldn’t Brennan have been wearing gloves or something when she was reconstructing that skull? (The answer is yes.) Emily and Carla will also interview the cast, the crew, the directors, and the producers who made the show so special. Whether you’re a new watcher or already King of the Lab, we promise this rewatch will save you from ever saying “I don’t know what that means” again.

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/