Straight To It

Charlie Zeitlin
  • 5.0 (23)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Short, 20 minute interviews covering a endless range of fascinating topics.

  1. 8H AGO

    Ep. 78: Sunni Khalid — A Life in Journalism

    Our guest today, Sunni Khalid, is the News Editor at KALW, a public radio station that has been broadcasting for over 80 years in the San Fransico Bay Area. He has reported from over thirty-five different countries at outlets including: TIME, USA TODAY, The Wilmington News-Journal, The Baltimore Sun, and National Public Radio.  We dig into the shift from the heyday of print media to today's fragmented digital ecosystem--from a journalist who has been practicing his craft at each stage.  You will hear about the power of local journalism, Sunni's personal journey, and reflections from his storied career. Enjoy the interview!

    39 min

  2. FEB 1

    Ep. 77: "The Hidden Addiction" — A Conversation with Sam DeMello, Founder of Evive

    In this episode, I interview Sam DeMello. Sam founded Evive, the leading digital health platform for gambling behavior change, serving partners across the nation. They bridge the critical gap in care by reaching the 99.5% of people experiencing gambling harm who never access traditional state-funded support services. Through an evidence-based platform and state partnerships, they have built a national digital infrastructure that makes personalized support accessible to everyone, anywhere, anytime. During our conversation, Sam shares his personal experience with gambling addiction, how it led him to found Evive, and his optimism for stemming the rising tide of addiction in the U.S.gambling addiction, how it led him to found Evive, and his optimism for stemming the rising tide of addiction in the U.S.

    31 min

  3. 12/30/2025

    Ep. 76: The "Open Road" Ahead for the Publishing Industry--A Wide-Ranging Conversation with David Steinberger

    Earlier this month, I was lucky to have an awesome conversation with David Steinberger. David has over 25 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has served as CEO of Arcadia Publishing and the Perseus Books Group, and as both President of Corporate Strategy and President of Adult Trade at HarperCollins. Over the course of his career, David has led the acquisition and transformation of numerous publishers and publishing services companies, with a focus on bringing the power of digital innovation to the world of books. David also serves as Chairman of the National Book Foundation, which presents the National Book Award. During our conversation, we cover what makes a great book, how the publishing industry works, and how Open Road uses data-driven technologies to connect books with readers who will enjoy them. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did! P.S.: I highly recommend listeners check out David's podcast, The Open Book Podcast with David Steinberger.

    33 min

  4. 11/19/2025

    Ep. 75: "Your Voice, Your Vote" with San Mateo Assistant Chief Elections Officer Jim Irizarry

    In this episode, I interview Jim Irizarry. Jim has been working in elections for over fourty years, and currently, he is the Asst. Assessor-Clerk-Recorder & Asst. Chief Elections Officer for San Mateo County. We had an a wide-ranging conversation covering the importance of youth civic engagement, the power of one vote, and the threats he sees to elections in the near future regarding AI. I really enjoyed the conversation with Jim, and I hope you will listening! Show notes: Key words voting, registration, civic responsibility, informed voter, Voters' Choice Act, election challenges, misinformation, youth engagement, democracy, electoral proces Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Voting 03:30 Steps to Register to Vote 06:39 Becoming an Informed Voter 09:32 Innovations in Voting: The Voters' Choice Act 13:33 Challenges in Implementing New Voting Systems 17:56 The Threat of Misinformation in Elections 20:42 Final Thoughts on Civic Engagement

    21 min

  5. 09/19/2025

    Ep. 74: "A big history for a small town" with Palo Alto Historian Steve Staiger

    For the past forty years, Steve Staiger has worked as a historian at the Palo Alto Historical Society. He works in PAHS' archives, helping others research information about Palo Alto, and he promotes information about the city's history. During our conversation, we discussed Palo Alto's founding, Stanford's impact on Palo Alto history, and some of Palo Alto's more curious characters.

    23 min

  6. 08/12/2025

    Ep.73: Won in Translation with Mark Polizzotti, Literary Translator and Editor-in-Chief at the Met

    In this episode, I interview Mark Polizzotti. Mark has translated over sixty books from French to English, including works from authors such as Jean Echenoz, Gustave Flaubert, and Patrick Modiano. Mark leads publishing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is also the author of many books, including Sympathy For The Traitor: A Translation Manifesto and Why Surrealism Matters. We discuss the art of translation, creativity, and why he fears one day there may not be anything left to translate (culturally speaking). Enjoy the interview!

    31 min

  7. 06/25/2025

    Ep.72: "Drinking from a fire hose" -- The ACLU's Shilpi Agarwal on Fighting for Civil Liberties in the Trump Era

    In this episode, I interview the Legal Director of the Northern California American Civil Liberties Union: Shilpi Agarwal. Shilpi, formerly a senior staff attorney, has worked as the Legal Director for 5 years, managing litigation and advocacy. We had a wide-ranging conversation covering the case surrounding the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, the Trump administration's handling of immigration enforcement, and what she recommends listeners do in order to protect civil liberties. I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with Shilpi, and I am sure you will as well!

    31 min

  8. 05/08/2025

    Ep.71: Inside New Yorker Reporting with Micah Hauser

    In this episode, I interview Micah Hauser. Micah is a Story Editor at the New Yorker, where he has worked for the past seven years. We discuss Micah's career at the New Yorker, where he started as a Fact Checker. We cover the fact-checking process and how each New Yorker issue comes together. We also hear Micah's writing advice and what he thinks makes writers great. I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did!

    23 min
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About

Short, 20 minute interviews covering a endless range of fascinating topics.

Information

  • Creator
    Charlie Zeitlin
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    77
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Charlie Zeitlin
  • Show Website
    Straight To It