“One of the things writing can do is get to the pain, and much of that pain comes from places where there should be love.” Our interview with Salman Rushdie.

This was a great conversation to listen in on - so many great insights to take in

A very beautiful and moving interview. Thank you @samfragoso.bsky.social I knew very little about Terry Gross and I can't recommend this enough. www.searchengine.show/talk-easy-x-...

When I listen @talkeasypod.bsky.social @samfragoso.bsky.social on a Sunday morning, sipping coffee & puttering around, it’s at least one hour where I can pretend I’m living in a world where sincerity, kindness, and empathy reign supreme.

“Sometimes I feel I’m not going to write again, but then it becomes harder to keep quiet than to write it.” Loved this conversation with Arundhati Roy.

beautiful work all around

I don't say this lightly, but Sam's interview with Terry Gross is a fucking delight. Take a break from the shitty world and give it a listen/watch.

This was terrific. Highly recommend, especially for professional question-askers No one preps more to interview a guest than Sam (or Terry!) and it shows here

From @whyy.org in Philadelphia, our talk with Terry Gross. Now on video! An honor to celebrate half a century of @nprfreshair.bsky.social.

From yesterday's @nprfreshair.bsky.social broadcast: Terry Gross, musical lyricist.

Flew to Philly to sit with Terry Gross and celebrate 50 years of @nprfreshair.bsky.social. Go birds. talkeasypod.com/terry-50-yea...

Terry Gross of Fresh does *not* do a lot of interviews, so it is extra special that she talked with the talented #TalkEasy host @samfragoso.bsky.social . You’ll learn a lot and be emotionally moved. Stunning podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t... #podcast

Fifty years ago this month, Terry Gross took over at Fresh Air, changing the world of journalism forever. Gross and a slew of colleagues, competitors, and guests sat down with @petecroatto.bsky.social for this @phillymag.com oral history on the most important public radio show in American history.

wrote on charlie kirk for the newsletter this weekend

“Skarsgård, always great, reaches into the depths of his soul” reviewed the excellent Sentimental Value for GQ

Real talk (reel talk?): BWDR recently lost a partnership that covered nearly half our operating budget, so things are suddenly very tough. If what we do has ever meant something to you, or you’ve ever thought about subscribing, now’s the time—it *truly* makes a difference.

It's been a year in Los Angeles. This week @mayor.lacity.gov sat for a candid conversation to talk about it.

RIP Jerry Adler, a veteran stage manager (including for the original Broadway production of My Fair Lady!) who switched to acting when he was 65 and soon became an indelible character guy (Hesh!) I interviewed him for my Mike Nichols bio; as you'd imagine, he was a bottomless treasure chest of lore.

Talked WEAPONS, accents, and clown school with Julia Garner. No one walked out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0hi...

👀

this is actually the greatest moment ever captured on film

David Mamet exits stage left. talkeasypod.com/mamet

This is fascinating, upsetting, revealing. Worth reading the comments in this thread too.

in which David Mamet walks out on @samfragoso.bsky.social for questioning his stance on the Columbia protests vs J6 insurrectionists

Had a pretty sprawling talk with @jamellebouie.net this week, accompanied by this original illustration from Krishna Shenoi. talkeasypod.com/jamelle-bouie/

pretty sure i was pushing @samfragoso.bsky.social to have @jamellebouie.net on Talk Easy back when we started the show back in 2016, and finally i convinced him!

Quality conversation between @jamellebouie.net and @samfragoso.bsky.social on @talkeasypod.bsky.social . Worth your time. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

ICYMI: @samfragoso.bsky.social's revelatory interview with Percival Everett is now available as a bonus episode in the Pulitzer on the Road Podcast feed! Listen here (or wherever you get your podcasts): podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p....

“All students eventually arrive at this cliff where they realize what they've been dreaming to make doesn't exist in the models placed before them. And that's when true innovation happens.” My talk with Ocean Vuong. www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZqO...

Over at my audio history newsletter, @slate.com podcast host @annasale.bsky.social helps me unpack the legacy of a forgotten inventor of her form. Interview-based shows are way tougher to make than they sound! continuous-wave.beehiiv.com/p/listening-...

Ryan Coogler and I passed in a hallway at NBC the week Fruitvale Station came out. Twelve years later I had the good fortune to write this profile of him and delve into his perspectives on music, religion, history and where Sinners came from: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...

My latest @niemanstoryboard.org newsletter, featuring Ira Glass, @nadiareiman.bsky.social, @samfragoso.bsky.social, @barryyeoman.com, and more... niemanstoryboard.org/2025/05/16/i... #podcasts #longreads #journalism

damn, my boy Sam Fragoso getting the goods

My conversation with Viola Davis. I think it's about as special as these get.

It has.