Lives That Speak

In the latest episode of Lives That Speak, Head of School Bryan Garman talks with two of our alumni coaches: boys' head basketball coach Eric Singletary, class of '93, and head tennis coach Logan West, class of '01. Together they discuss Eric and Logan's time as students, what it's like to coach at their alma mater, the importance of savoring the moment, and what it takes to imbue students with a...

In the latest episode of Lives That Speak, Head of School Bryan Garman talks with Ava Coleman ’11, a writer for Abbott Elementary. Coleman talks about her quick rise in the entertainment industry, why she loves coming-of-age stories, and why the principal on Abbott is also named Ava Coleman. (The podcast was recorded on April 17, before the start of the Hollywood writers’ strike.) Follow Ava on In...

In this episode of the Lives That Speak podcast, Bryan spoke to J. Bradford DeLong ’78, an economics professor at UC Berkeley about his new book, Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century . They discuss technological innovation, the unintended outcomes of development, historical hypotheticals, and the economic lessons learned from the long 20th century. A highly regard...

In this episode of the Lives That Speak podcast, Bryan spoke to Andrea Johnson Razzaghi ’78, on the vastness of deep space, practicing for failure, the scariest seven minutes in engineering, and why you should always stop and smell the science. The director of the NASA Office of JPL Management Oversight at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Andrea has played a significant role in many exciting NASA en...

In this episode of the Lives That Speak podcast, Natalie Randolph ‘98 sat down with Jon Bernthal ’95 to discuss actor training in post-Soviet Russia, creating his Louisiana passion project, and navigating the perils of acting. An actor, playwright, and screenwriter, Jon has appeared in such well-known films as Fury and Ford vs. Ferrari. Currently, he stars in the critically acclaimed King Richard...

In this episode of the Lives That Speak podcast, Bryan spoke to Liz Kleinrock ’05, an anti-bias, anti-racist educator and founder of Teach and Transform. We discuss curriculum development, how teachers can approach uncomfortable topics with their students, and the importance of calling in rather than calling out.  A transracial adoptee, Liz was born in South Korea and grew up in DC before attendin...

This month, the Lives That Speak podcast spoke to artist Sonya Clark ’85. We discuss the power of Sonya’s art, how curators put objects in conversation with one another, and one of Clark’s favorite media: textiles. Clark has added an afro to Lincoln’s pate on the $5 bill, sewn long rows of dreadlocks to a chair, and invited spectators to join her in painstakingly unraveling the Confederate battle...

On this episode of the School’s Lives That Speak podcast, we hear from Baratunde Thurston ’95 , the best-selling author, comic, and host of the podcasts How to Citizen and We’re Having a Moment . With the inauguration of the 46th president, the nation seems poised for positive change. Thurston embraces that thirst for change and explains how to manifest it. Because the stories we tell—through both...

In this episode of Lives that Speak, Head of School, Bryan Garman chats with composer and singer/songwriter Kathryn Bostic about working with August Wilson, celebrating Toni Morrison, honoring her own self-sovereignty, and listening to silence. Kathryn is known for her original work on film, TV, theater, and symphonic music. She was recently Emmy nominated for her score in the 2019 award-winning f...

Bryan Garman, Sidwell Friends' Head of School, chats with David Fischer '90 about the importance of giving a voice to all and the delicate balancing act of nurturing an inclusive organizational culture.   David Fischer is the Chief Revenue Officer at Facebook. He is responsible for Facebook's advertising business and manages the Sales and Marketing teams worldwide.  Prior to joining Facebook in 20...

Head-of-School, Bryan Garman, talks with Anand Giridharadas '99 about the critical role journalism plays in addressing injustice in our modern society and America's need for social and historical introspection. A writer, author, and social commentator, Anand’s writings can be seen on his website the.ink, The New York Times, TIME, and the New Yorker. He is a regular commentator on MSNBC and the aut...

When Daniel Goldman ’94 sat down with Head of School Bryan Garman, they had almost too much to discuss. The MSNBC legal analyst, father of five, and Sidwell Friends lifer has been busy. After a decade as a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, Goldman explained the intricacies of Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to an audience hungry for det...

Head-of-School, Bryan Garman, chats with Dr. Vidisha Patel '81 about some of the effects the current Covid-19 pandemic can have on the mental health of students and parents. She also shares a few ways we can cope as a community. Dr. Patel is currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Sarasota Florida, where she specializes in the problems of young children, adolescents, and parents. In additi...

Director of Equity, Justice, and Community Natalie Randolph ’98 is the latest guest on our podcast, Lives That Speak. Listen as Natalie talks about celebrating her identity, her mentors while she was a student at Sidwell Friends, this year's BSU Production, and more. Read more about this year's Black Student Union production:  https://www.sidwell.edu/about/news/news-detail/~board/homepage-news-pan...

You're listening to “Lives That Speak”, a podcast associated with the Sidwell Friends Magazine. This program highlights the exceptional work of Sidwell Friends School alumni. In our second episode, Bryan Garman, the head of school for Sidwell Friends, sat down with Kim R. Ford, an alumnus from the Class of 1999. Ford is the recently appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Martha's Table...

You're listening to “Lives That Speak”, a podcast associated with the Sidwell Friends Magazine. This program highlights the exceptional work of Sidwell Friends School alumni.  In our first episode, Bryan Garman, the head of school for Sidwell Friends, sat down with Mason Morfit, an alumnus from the Class of 1993. Mason is the President and Chief Investment Officer of ValueAct Capital, a San Franci...