Closer Than They Appear

4.7 (619)
NEWS
SERIES

How do you go forward when the past is breathing down your neck? Carvell Wallace talks to Americans grappling with the state of the union while trying to reconcile his own family's fractured history.If America is an estranged family, this show is our awkward holiday dinner.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 1 TRAILER

Run Up On The Bear

Carvell Wallace and his young daughter talk about how scary it is to confront a bear. Season 1 starts November 15, 2017.

5 min
EPISODE 1

How did I get here? (with Mahershala Ali)

Who or what is in your own past right now that you need to face, but aren’t facing — and why not? Host Carvell Wallace has a theory that maybe this whole nation is just 320 million people who all need to talk with someone they're afraid to talk to. He certainly needs to do that himself. Actor Mahershala Ali joins Carvell to talk about family, America, and grace.

29 min
EPISODE 2

Who is America? (with Shereen Marisol Meraji)

Carvell Wallace turns to Shereen Marisol Meraji from NPR's Code Switch to ask: How can we come together as a country when it seems like so many things are working to keep us apart? Thanksgiving is one of the only days of the year when a lot of us - literally, physically - have to come together with people we might not agree with, whether we want to or not. It's the quintessential American holiday. So who are the quintessential Americans?

35 min
EPISODE 3

If not me, then who? (with Dr. Ayaz Virji)

Going out and talking to people is a little thing, but it's also a big thing. Especially if those people are different from you, or might not like you, or might even reject you. Carvell Wallace talks to someone who's doing just that. Dr. Ayaz Virji is the town doctor in the 1400-person town of Dawson, Minnesota. He, his wife, and their three children are the only Muslim family in Dawson. The 2016 election changed how he saw his neighbors — so he started talking.

31 min
EPISODE 4

Why me? (with Shamrace Mims)

Carvell Wallace goes to his hometown of McKeesport, PA and it's like visiting a small town... but it's also like visiting the remaining survivors of an apocalypse. Carvell talks with his childhood friend, Shamrace Mims. Decades ago, they rode bikes and played Atari. They sat on porches in the late afternoon, throwing rocks and talking rap crews and Transformers. That was of course until Carvell moved. The town changed. And Carvell's path and Shamrace's path... they diverged.

32 min
EPISODE 5

Is this worth it? (with Van Jones and Rabia Chaudry)

Do you love America? No, seriously, Carvell Wallace wants to know: do you love America? Today, he talks with Van Jones and Rabia Chaudry about love. Love for our country, love for the complicated humans in our lives, and love for ourselves. Together, they also explore power, specifically political power, and whether or not we can pursue political power with love.

39 min
EPISODE 6

What can I give? (with Eva Paterson and Aunt Bea)

How do you stand against evil, but not the evildoer? How do you go to war for what's right with love for the people you're fighting? Carvell Wallace talks with legendary civil rights lawyer and activist Eva Paterson. And at long last, he also reconnects with his Aunt Bea — the white woman who partially raised him — for the first time in nearly 20 years.

39 min
EPISODE 7

What's next? (with Alexis Frank)

How do you feel about the future? Do you feel hopeful? Do you feel scared? Can we move forward together as a country? In our Season 1 finale, Carvell Wallace reflects on his journey, connects with his kids about their vision for the future, and gathers insight from Alexis Frank, a 27-year old army veteran who wants to make political change.

31 min
EPISODE 7 BONUS

Closer's coming to SXSW and check out Jetty's new show!

Carvell will be onstage with Antique Naked Soul at SXSW in Austin, TX on Wednesday, March 14, 5-6pm CT. Can’t be there in person? Listen in on TuneIn LIVE. PLUS: subscribe to Jetty’s newest show, Game of Our Lives.

1 min
EPISODE 8

Closer and Antique Naked Soul LIVE at SXSW

Carvell and Antique Naked Soul went to SXSW last week to perform the show live on stage, and talk about their music, its role in the public sphere, and why musicians and podcasters should always work together.

1h 2m
EPISODE 9

Closer Than They Appear LIVE at the Seattle Art Museum, with Sondra Perry

Carvell went to Seattle to record a live episode of the show with visual artist Sondra Perry. They looked at images from her exhibit, “Eclogue for [in]HABITABILITY,” and talked about race, displacement, survival, and overcoming the limits of our imagination. Thank you to the Seattle Art Museum for inviting us!

1h 3m

TRAILER

Run Up On The Bear

Carvell Wallace and his young daughter talk about how scary it is to confront a bear. Season 1 starts November 15, 2017.

S1, E1

•

5 min

4.7

out of 5

619 Ratings

Thank you Carvell

07/26/2020

Jiia2

A truly beautiful show. His interviews and stories are told from a tender place. He is not afraid of being vulnerable and getting to the truth of things. Stripped of any cliches, sound bites, and unproductive criticism his work beautifully captures the movement between hope and hopeless that we all feel these days.
Amazingly real

06/17/2020

31MJ14

Thanks for the great insight you have chosen to share with us. I feel your pain and am learning so much about this place I though to knew. You are the best of what it means to be a human! Love and peace to you!
DON’T SLEEP!

06/01/2019

007pisssd

This show is amazing. I’m learning so much! I’m mainly learning that I’m okay...a lot of my thoughts about how I feel...I’m not alone. Thank you so much Carvell for doing the work.
Appreciate this earnest question...how do we make things different?

05/19/2019

jomopembo

Carvell dives deeply into what keeps us back, what hurts are carried and what comes when bravery brings us to choose truth telling. Have loved the interviews so far. Just stumbled onto this podcast- I rarely hear one that asks me- ‘what about you? What bridge would you build? What wall needs tearing down? What wound needs attention?’

How do you go forward when the past is breathing down your neck? Carvell Wallace talks to Americans grappling with the state of the union while trying to reconcile his own family's fractured history.If America is an estranged family, this show is our awkward holiday dinner.