Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Jelani Cobb has a clarity about his life and what he intends to do with it--combine journalism and history. Known for his writing on America and its relationship to race, Jelani's work is crucial to understanding America in its past and present self. Throughout this conversation Jelani's clarity on who he is and what he wanted to do is apparent. In this conversation he and Sam talk about his dream...

Jenny Slate exudes honesty and feeling, her deep self knowledge is captivating. And this honesty comes through in the work that she does. Whether it's a film about a unexpected pregnancy or feeling stable in a stagnant relationship, the characters she plays have an emotional depth that is rare to see on screen. In this interview she and Sam talk about the types of projects she wants to be a part o...

A.O. Scott--also known by his nickname, Tony--is one of the two chief film critics for New York Times. However, he is also a journalist, author, and former television show host. In this interview he and Sam begin with the controversial NYT "The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far" list that he and Manohla Dargis authored together. Then they dive into the TV vs. Movies debate, the state of fil...

Malcolm Gladwell is a writer best known for his books Blink, The Tipping Point, and David and Goliath. While what he writes about can at points stir up controversy for oversimplification and grandiosity, Gladwell has an infectious curiosity about our world that is far greater than his flaws. On the heels of season 2 of Revisionist History, Malcolm and Sam not only discuss this curiosity, but also...

Patricia Lockwood is a fearless writer and poet. In 2013 she gained popular attention with her piece in The Awl entitled "The Rape Joke." Since then she has established a name for herself, especially through her Twitter. However, she does not restrict herself to 140 characters--her new book "Priestdaddy" is a memoir of her life growing up as the daughter of one of the only married Catholic priests...

Lena Waithe has been making waves in Hollywood since she arrived in 2006 from Chicago — you just didn’t know it. Although a writer at heart, Waithe has also learned how to do just about everything else in this industry. She produced Dear White People (the movie), has a role in Steve Spielberg’s next film, and, oh, yeah, created an upcoming Showtime drama called The Chi, due later this year. Most r...

For the last week of Talk Easy's spotlight on Stone's Throw Records, Sam sits down with up-and-coming musician Sudan Archives, whose real name is Brittany Parks. 22-year-old Sudan is a largely self-made artist who discovered a passion for instrumental music during her high school days. Sudan's journey to Stone's Throw is pretty remarkable: after noticing her ability to play by ear and honing her m...

In a continuation of the May series spotlighting Stones Throw Records, Sam sits down this week with Alexander Brettin, also known as Mild High Club. With two albums under his belt, 2015's Timeline and last year's Skiptracing, Alex has become skilled at making music that defies simple categorization--a local radio station once described his sound as "LA Slack Funk Psychedelia." In person, Alex is b...

This week, Sam continues the May spotlight on Stones Throw Records by sitting down with DJ J Rocc. J Rocc is the founding member of the The World Famous Beat Junkies, an influential west coast DJ crew formed in the early ‘90s. Rocc was one of the first to join Stone’s Throw Records, and here he speaks frequently, but good-naturedly, about the ever-changing music scene. Rocc will also be the first...

This week Sam sits down with DJ and music producer Chris Manak, also known as Peanut Butter Wolf. Chris has been active in the music industry since the late '80s, and founded the LA-based independent record label @StonesThrow Records in 1996. For over 20 years, Chris' label has demonstrated a far-reaching taste in music, representing the many flavors of hip-hop alongside cross-genre and experiment...

This week Sam sits down with singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae. Many will remember Corinne from her 2006 break-out hit "Put Your Records On" which earned her three Grammy nominations. Both in her lyrics and conversation, the way in which Corinne expresses herself is deeply powerful. Shortly after being thrust into fame, Corinne experienced the unimaginable tragedy of losing her husband, Jason R...

This week Sam sits down with actor Martin Starr. Starr got an early start to acting with his role as Bill Haverchuck on the cult-classic, Freaks and Geeks. After this he went on to star in Judd Apatow's Knocked Up and Superbad, and can now be seen on the hit HBO show Silicon Valley. Throughout all of his work, Martin has managed to execute the delicate balance between dry wit and empathy--both of...

This week Sam sits down with fellow podcaster, Anna Sale. Anna is the host of the superb podcast Death, Sex & Money which, in her words, is a show about, "things we think about a lot and need to talk about more." In this spirit, she and Sam talk about her life growing up in West Virginia (14:29), the learning experience that comes with being a new mother (40:02), and her deep appreciation for...

To celebrate the fiftieth episode of Talk Easy we decided to do something a little different, which ended up being Sam sitting down with his mother for an interview. This episode is not only special for how far the show has come, but the glimpse it gives us into the lives of both Sam and his mother. The love and respect that Sam and his mom have for one another is blatant throughout the entirety o...

In this episode Sam sits down with director James Gray, and they dive deep into all aspects of the film industry. They start with the difficulty financing films (5:00). Then, they move onto how directing a movie is an inherent narcissistic endeavor (14:00). They also get into the importance of distribution (17:54), television and it's relationship to cinema (45:55), and the change in movies' role...

This week Sam sits down with comedian Andy Daly. Best known for his critically acclaimed show "Review," Andy's work is centered around a dark portrayal of earnestness. There is a disconnect between this darkness and Andy himself, however--outside of his work he is generally an optimist. In this interview he and Sam talk about his improv work at the Upright Citizens Brigade, how he was a horrible s...

This week Sam sits down with director and actor, Alice Lowe. Known for going outside of the norm, Alice does not let people stand in her way--most noticeably, this can be seen in the fact that she directed and starred in her first movie in just eleven days...all while being seven months pregnant. She and Sam talk about her unconventionality to her desire to upend Hollywood's roles for women on scr...

This week's episode was recorded live at South by Southwest with emerging filmmaker, Janicza Bravo. Janicza's work has been described as "unpredictable" and "bizarre," however these descriptions overlook the nuances and empathy that she puts into her films. She frequently collaborates with her partner, Brett Gelman, who we had on the show back in January (January 17th, to be exact). In this interv...

This week Sam sits down with singer-songwriter Brenton Wood. Throughout most of is career, Wood was cheated out of the money and rights to the songs he wrote. In this interview, he and Sam talk about this and how he's been able to remain happy throughout the years despite it all. Brenton's music is infectious and positive, as he is himself. Plus, you get to hear Sam sing with Brenton a bit--and th...

This week Sam sits down with renowned actor, Philip Baker Hall. Best known for his work with director Paul Thomas Anderson, Hall is a captivating presence on and off the screen. Sam and Philip talked for a long time and got into detail on so much of Philip's life. In this episode we learn more about his work with P.T.A., his falling out with Robert Altman, and his thoughts on death. --------------...

This week Sam sits down with fellow podcaster, Andrea Silenzi. She is the host of the electrifying Panoply show “Why Oh Why,” which explores the intricate worlds of love, relationships, and feminism. She and Sam delve into all of these topics in this conversation, dissecting the difference between behaviors of men and women in relationships, the pressures women face, and the fact that Sam is twent...

This week Sam sits down with director Roger Ross Williams. Williams started out by directing and producing for networks such as NBC, ABC, and CNN, then moved on to directing his own films. As you will hear in the show, Williams rejects settling in one's work and his passion comes through in everything that he does. He and Sam talk about his complex family life, learning how to show emotions, and m...

This week Sam sits down with cult-critic Andy Greenwald. Andy is best known for his writing at Grantland--however he has done a plethora of work outside of this, including his writing for Spin and being a published author. In this interview, Sam and Andy talk about his work while also delving into the personal. They talk about how he met his best friend Chris Ryan, reading TV Guide as a kid, and t...

This week Sam sits down with stand-up comedian, actress, and writer Kate Berlant. The New York Times profiled her as a "magnetic improvisational comic" and this could not be more true. Kate and Sam discuss art's place in the world of Trump, her upbringing as an only child, her new show "555," and the intricacies of improv. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provid...

This week Sam sits down with actress, director, and writer Noël Wells—who is best known for her character Rachel on the hit Netflix show, Master of None—at the Sundance Film Festival. Wonderfully forthcoming, Wells tells Sam a number of honest opinions, including the affects of social media on today’s political climate, coming to terms with oneself, and the benefits of psychedelics. --------------...