Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Merry Christmas, everybody! We're closing out 2016 with a very special bonus episode of Talk Easy looking back on the year that was in cultural, politics, and art. To help us work it all out, we've invited back some of our favourite guests from Talk Easy episodes past, including Matt Zoller Seitz, Mackenzie Davis, Zazie Beetz, Wesley Morris, and more. Consider it a gift for the holiday season, and keep an eye out for the return of the show in January. Thanks for listening, and have a wonderful new year. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get your 30-day free trial at www.mubi.com/TalkEasy. For more information about Baden Baden, MUBI’s exciting first theatrical release, check out the website and trailer. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: www.krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at www.talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, comedian Reggie Watts joins Sam to talk about finding comedy and music in improvisation, keeping those creative juices flowing, and finding the space to be creative at all. Plus, Reggie shares his thoughts on racism in America today, and considers the election of Donald Trump. All that, and a whole lot more. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get your 30-day free trial at http://www.mubi.com/TalkEasy. For more information about Baden Baden, MUBI’s exciting first theatrical release, check out the website and trailer. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://www.krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://www.talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Talk Easy, journalist Jay Caspian King joins the show to talk about his career writing and editing at noteworthy publications like Grantland, The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and Vice. Sam and Jay also discuss his 2010 article about his own gambling addiction, his recent aversion to everything fiction and popular culture, and the belief buried beneath the cold cynicism of most people in journalism. All that and much more. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get your 30-day free trial at http://www.mubi.com/TalkEasy. For more information about Baden Baden, MUBI’s exciting first theatrical release, check out the website and trailer. You can purchase Matt's latest, The Oliver Stone Experience, here. Follow him on Twitter @MattZollerSeitz. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://www.krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://www.talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Talk Easy, NY Magazine TV critic and RogerEbert.com EIC Matt Zoller Seitz joins Sam to talk about the state of film criticism. They also discuss director Oliver Stone, whose the subject of Seitz latest book The Oliver Stone Experience, a rollicking compendium of essays, interviews, and analysis that took five years to write. The wide-ranging conversations hits on the legacy of Roger Ebert, raising children, and some advice Matt gave Sam about a year ago that changed his life. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get your 30-day free trial at mubi.com/TalkEasy. For more information about Baden Baden, MUBI’s exciting first theatrical release, check out the website and trailer. You can purchase Matt's latest, The Oliver Stone Experience, here. Follow him on Twitter @MattZollerSeitz. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Talk Easy, emerging actress Mackenzie Davis ("Halt and Catch Fire") joins Sam to talk about...well, yeah, the election. At least for a little bit. After working through some grief and trying to find a way forward, they discuss Mackenzie's work in films like "What If," "The Martian," and "This Awkward Moment." They also dive into her early twenties, managing friendships, and, everyone's favorite subject, death, prompted by her great episode in "Black Mirror." ------------------------------------------------- Always Shine opens at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco this Friday, November 25th. Here are tickets: http://www.roxie.com/ai1ec_event/always-shine/?instance_id=16502 For more information about Baden Baden, MUBI's exciting first theatrical release, check out the website and trailer: http://www.badenbadenfilm.com ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, actress Zoe Kazan joins Sam for a conversation about growing up with screenwriter parents, going off to be an actress, finding the right therapist, the stress of making the film 'Ruby Sparks' with her boyfriend, the pain of being reduced to a single movie trope, and some thoughts on Donald Trump and the election, recorded before the results last Tuesday. All that, plus some thoughts at the top from Sam himself, reflecting on those election results. ------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get a 30-day free trial for MUBI at http://www.mubi.com/TalkEasy ------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, our guest is one of the inspirations for this very podcast. Max Linsky, co-host of the 'Longform' podcast, which features excellent in-depth interviews with many of the best journalists in the field. Max is also the co-founder of Pineapple Street Media, a podcasting and media company, as well as the host of the 'With Her' podcast, the official podcast of the Hillary Clinton campaign. That's right, Max co-hosts a podcast with Hillary Clinton herself. Sam and Max discuss Hillary, journalism, the art of interviewing, the wild story of how he met his wife, and much, much more. Be sure to subscribe to the 'Longform' podcast to hear Max's many interviews with some of the best journalists around: https://longform.org/podcast Then check out 'With Her' to for Max's interviews with Hillary Clinton and others on the Clinton campaign team: https://www.hillaryclinton.com/page/podcast/ Pineapple Street Media: http://pineapple.fm ------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Zazie Beetz is a great rising young actress, who has recently gained rightful attention for her fantastic work in the FX series "Atlanta" and her role in Joe Swanberg's Netflix anthology series "Easy." Zazie sat down with Sam to talk about her unique upbringing, speaking multiple languages, trying to make the world better for women, finding solace in not being important, and overcoming the often crippling anxiety of life. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He's back! W. Kamau Bell, the second ever guest on Talk Easy, makes his triumphant return to talk about this crazy election, the madness of Donald Trump, doing those crazy panels on CNN, and maintaining sanity through his family. But mostly the crazy election stuff. Buy Kamau's new comedy special, "Semi-Prominent Negro," at Kill Rock Stars: http://www.killrockstars.com/kamau/ Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Margaret Brown is the talented documentarian behind "Never Trump," a short doc from the New York Times, about hardcore conservatives who have come out against Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging conversation, Sam and Margaret touch on everything from the state of American politics headed into this election, the power of documentary filmmaking, and finding the right balance between work and living. Watch "Never Trump" on the NYT website: http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004694111/never-trump-but-then-what.html Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.