The Bánh Mì Chronicles

Randy Kim

The Bánh Mì Chronicles: A podcast where queer Vietnamese-Cambodian American host Randy Kim breaks bread with Asian (American) and BIPOC creatives to explore their work, their communities, and future-making impact. Subscribe to my Substack: randykim.substack.com for more content!

  1. 12h ago

    Nayantara Roy on Sisters of a Halved Heart and Complicated Sibling Relationships

    For this week’s episode, I sit down with author and television executive Nayantara Roy to discuss her new second novel, Sisters of a Halved Heart. We go in-depth into the chaotic nature of sibling relationships, what it takes to balance high-level TV development and fiction writing, and the art of telling stories across different mediums. IG: tararoi Website: https://nayantararoy.com/ Bio:Nayantara Roy (also known as Tara Roy) is an author and television executive. By day, she serves as the Senior Vice President of Television at Sandbox Entertainment (and previously worked at Endeavor Content and AGBO), where she acquires and oversees the creative development of original scripted television series.As an author, she wrote the highly acclaimed debut novel The Magnificent Ruins (2024), which was named a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a Washington Post Notable/Best Book, a People Magazine Best Book, and a Gold House Book Club Pick. Her second novel, Sisters of a Halved Heart, was published by Algonquin Books on June 2, 2026.Additionally, Roy won the Rick DeMarinis Short Story Prize in 2018 for her short story "8C," and her plays have been performed internationally, including in the UK and India. She is a 2020 alumna of the CAPE Leaders Program and a jury member for the STARZ #TakeTheLead director's program. Born in Kolkata, India, she currently resides in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

  2. Jul 21

    Why We Tell Stories: Deepening Connection w/ Jitesh Jaggi

    What do your own stories help you learn about yourself? I brought on Jitesh Jaggi, a 5x winner of The Moth, veteran storytelling coach currently based in Chicago who immigrated from India, to explore the events in his life that shaped his storytelling and how he works with the South Asian communities to share their oral history and stories. We get into the challenges of the Chicago storytelling scene and how inaccessible it remains for people of color. We go into depth about what it takes to become an authentic storyteller. Bio: Jitesh Jaggi is an immigrant storyteller, educator, and oral historian from India. A five-time The Moth Story Slam winner, his stories were recently played on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour and on WGN TV’s Day Time Chicago Show. As a storytelling coach, he has taught workshops for the World Health Organization and the University of Chicago, among others. Jitesh’s one-man show “Suitcase Stories” played at the Steppenwolf Theatre and The Second City. Jitesh was a keynote speaker at the International Educators’ Conference- NAFSA and a panelist at the AWP (American Writers’ Program). As an Oral Historian, he collects the stories of the South Asian diaspora living in Illinois since the 1950s and often weaves his own personal tales with those of his immigrant ancestors in his performances. He will share these amalgamated stories as an Illinois Road Scholar for 2026-27. https://ilhumanities.org/speakers/jitesh-jaggi IG: the_pun_dit

  3. Jul 9

    How Does Grief Influence Our Relationships and Decision-Making? w/Dr. Fazlur Rahman

    Fresh off releasing his second book, The Temple Road: A Doctor’s Journey, retired oncologist and professor Fazlur Rahman, M.D. shares his process of writing his memoir. Losing his mom at 7 years old, Dr. Rahman has been navigating his journey through grief, his relationship with his family and community in Bangladesh, his homeland, immigrating to the US and living in a rural town in Texas, and his decades-long medical career working closely with cancer patients and their families. Check out this episode and his latest book available now. Bio: Fazlur Rahman, M.D. was born and brought up in what is now Bangladesh. After his medical education in Dhaka, New York, and Houston, he practiced cancer medicine for thirty-five years in San Angelo, Texas. He is an adjunct professor of biology (medical humanities and ethics) at Angelo State University, a senior trustee of Austin College in Sherman, Texas, and an advisory council member of the Charles E. Cheever Jr. Center for Medical Humanities and Ethics at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. His articles, essays, and stories have appeared in many publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Guardian Weekly, International Herald Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, Newsweek, Harvard Review, Short Story International, Dallas Morning News, and Houston Chronicle. He is the author of Our Connected Lives: Caring for Cancer Patients in Rural Texas and The Temple Road: A Doctor’s Journey. He and his wife, Jahanara (Ara), have lived in West Texas for most of their lives and have raised four children. They love walking in nature and going on wildflower adventures.

  4. Jul 6

    Is Confessions 2 Hailed As One of Madonna's Best Works? w/Tranna Wintour

    The Queen of Pop decided that Pride Month is continuing, so Tranna and I break down the track-by-track of the Confessions II album and whether it beats the first Confessions album. I brought back my favorite recurring guest and amazing trans Internet personality, comedian, and pop culture nerd hailing from Montreal, Tranna Wintour. Fresh off the release of Madonna’s latest album, “Confessions II,” we shared our own experiences listening to this album and how this has stopped the 20-year cycle of disappointing and underwhelming releases (e.g. Hard Candy, MDNA, Rebel Heart, and Madame X). We go over the track-by-track of Confessions II and share our reactions to each of them. Give it a listen whether you are a newbie or a longtime fan. Agree or disagree with us? Share your thoughts on this album or on any Madonna albums here. Bio: Tranna Wintour is a highly-acclaimed bilingual comedian, singer, writer, hostess, and producer. Legendary comedienne Sandra Bernhard described her as “a candle in the window on a cold, dark winter’s night.” A Just For Laughs New Face Canada (2019), Tranna was named one of the queens of Canadian comedy by Fashion magazine. Performing in both English and French, she appeared in a Juste Pour Rire gala in 2021 before starring in Québec’s hit series, Big Brother Célébrités. Her run to the top 4 was hailed as the show’s breakthrough moment and “the best moment on Québec TV in years” by the Journal Métro. Tranna co-hosted the successful CBC Podcast Chosen Family for three seasons, which was named one of Apple’s Best Podcasts for two consecutive years. Her debut album, Safe From Your Affection, is available on all streaming platforms, and she is currently developing an original comedy series with a major Canadian broadcaster. Also, check out her new podcast, The Blank List Substack: Tranna Wintour Instagram: TrannaWintour Website: https://www.trannawintour.com

Trailers

4.8
out of 5
32 Ratings

About

The Bánh Mì Chronicles: A podcast where queer Vietnamese-Cambodian American host Randy Kim breaks bread with Asian (American) and BIPOC creatives to explore their work, their communities, and future-making impact. Subscribe to my Substack: randykim.substack.com for more content!

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