Breslin "What's Doin'?"

Ross Barkan is an award-winning journalist, novelist, and essayist based in New York City. He is a columnist for New York Magazine, a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine, and the editor-in-chief of the Metropolitan Review. A Queens Tribune veteran who came up covering local politics and city streets, Barkan brings deep reporting roots to his work across both fiction and nonfiction —...

Ed Madison, PhD, is a journalist, professor at the University of Oregon, and Executive Director of the Journalistic Learning Initiative, a nonprofit bringing journalism education to students in 18 states. He created a suite of AI-powered writing coaches named after legendary journalists — including one named Jimmy Breslin — built to help young writers develop their skills without doing the work fo...

James Rosselli is a rising sports broadcaster and student at High Point University who has quickly gained attention for his energetic play-by-play style and viral on-air moments. Inspired by a lifelong love of sports and early experience in stand-up comedy, Rosselli has developed a distinctive voice that blends preparation, humor, and storytelling. Still early in his career, he is already building...

Billy Stern is a young entrepreneur and publisher who founded The Ditch Weekly , a print newspaper based in Montauk, New York. While still in high school, Stern built a team of student reporters and launched the paper to cover local stories, community events, and life in the Hamptons. The project quickly gained attention for reviving local print journalism and even drew coverage from The New York...

Victoria Gotti is a bestselling author, columnist, and television personality who built a writing career while growing up in one of New York’s most widely known families. The daughter of John Gotti, she became a novelist and a prominent gossip columnist at the New York Post, publishing several books and appearing frequently in television and media. Despite the intense public scrutiny surrounding h...

Dan Barry is an award-winning journalist, author, and longtime columnist for The New York Times. A Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and recipient of the Mike Berger Award for narrative journalism, Barry is known for his deeply human storytelling and his acclaimed “This Land” columns that explore the people and character of America. He is also the author of several books, including “Bottom of the 33...

Carl Hiaasen is a bestselling novelist and longtime Miami Herald columnist known for his sharp satire, environmental advocacy, and fearless political commentary. Over a career spanning more than three decades in newspapers, Hiaasen built a reputation for channeling outrage into incisive columns while also crafting wildly popular Florida-set novels filled with eccentric characters and biting humor....

Mitch Albom is a bestselling author and longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press , best known for Tuesdays with Morrie , which has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide. Albom has built a career that bridges sports journalism, deeply human storytelling, and philanthropic work. Known for his emotional clarity and moral voice, he remains committed to newspaper writing while continuing to p...

Gabriel Tennen, Ph. D., is a historian, educator, museum professional, and author whose work explores urban political power, democracy, and culture in modern America. Born in Manhattan and raised in Queens and New Jersey, he developed an early fascination with New York City’s history and its larger-than-life personalities. His doctoral research examined the 1969 Mailer–Breslin “51st State” campaig...

James Duff is an American television writer and producer, best known as the creator of The Closer and Major Crimes . Originally from New Orleans, Duff built a career in theater and television while navigating the deeply personal challenges of the AIDS crisis, including the loss of his partner, David Camacho. His work and life experiences have been profoundly shaped by themes of resilience, empathy...

Denis Hamill is a journalist, novelist, screenwriter, and TV writer. As a journalist at the Village Voice, he won the prestigious Meyer Berger Award from Columbia University for best NYC reporting. His columns for New York magazine, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, the Boston Herald American, New York Newsday and 24 years at New York Daily News became an integral part of each city's life. In...

Curtis Sliwa is a longtime New York City activist, radio personality, and founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer organization dedicated to public safety and community service. Known for his signature red beret and energetic presence, he has spent decades advocating for safer streets and civic engagement. In 2021, he ran for mayor of New York City, championing grassroots solutions and neighbor...

Ken Sunshine is a public relations consultant, Founder and Chairman of Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis. He’s worked in the political arena as delegate to the Democratic National Convention and Chief of Staff to NYC Mayor David Dinkins, as well as the entertainment business where he headed the PR department of ASCAP. Sunshine currently serves on the board for various NYC committees in education,...

Maureen Dowd, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary, is a columnist for The New York Times and an author of several books, including “Bushworld,” “Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide,” “Notorious: Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion, and Tech” and more. She has covered four presidential campaigns and served as a White House correspondent. Maureen has also...

Welcome to the world and works of Jimmy Breslin. Hosted by Kevin Breslin. Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Jimmy Breslin is the subject of Breslin: “What’s Doin’?” which explores his influence on journalism over the second half of the 20th Century. His columns for the New York Herald Tribune, Newsday and The Daily News and his writing for many other notable publications including New York Magazine,...

Kelsey Russell is known as “the Print Princess” and “the girl who reads the newspaper” on TikTok. A recent Columbia University grad, Kelsey is a co-host of the weekly children’s news program, First Stop News. She uses her social media platforms (@kelscruss) to promote critical thinking, media literacy and to talk about the day’s most important stories. In this episode, Kevin & Kelsey discuss t...

Pete King served 14 terms as a congressman representing New York and earned the reputation of a ‘fighter for the people.’ Ron Swoboda is a former MLB player from 1965 - 1973, most notably as an outfielder for the New York Mets championship team, ‘The Miracle Mets.’ In this episode, Pete, Ron & Kevin talk baseball, NYC and Jimmy’s book Can’t Anybody Here Play This Game? about the 1962 New York...

Matilda Cuomo , wife of the late Mario Cuomo, is a teacher, an American advocate for women and children, and former First Lady of New York from 1983 to 1994. Their daughter, Maria Cuomo Cole , is a Peabody and Emmy-award winning producer of short films, public service announcements and digital content that raises awareness of a variety of social issues —additionally she serves as a Director of The...

In 1985, Jimmy wrote the articles “Torture Charge Could Prod Cops” & “Putting the Cattle Prod to Justice” to help bring justice to Mark Davidson, an 18-year-old from Queens who was falsely arrested over a $10 marijuana sale and then tortured in the police station by stun gun. Along with devoted support from attorney Marvyn Kornberg, this chilling story shed light of the cruel and unjust treatm...

John Jones is the son of Clifton Pollard, grave digger for John F. Kennedy and the center of Jimmy’s column piece covering the assassination titled “It’s an Honor.”  Continuing where episode four’s conversation left off with esteemed writer Colin Miner, John Jones joins in to share more background on Clifton, historical context and the lasting impact of that honor. Article here: https://loa-shared...

Colin Miner is a journalist who has written for The New York Times, Washington Post, Patch, Oregonian, NY Post, NY Sun & more. He has been honored by the New York State Associated Press Association, the Local Cable Ace Awards and has contributed to several regional Emmy, Murrow and AP award-winning newscasts. Miner is currently writing a book. In this episode, Colin and Kevin discuss Jimmy’s a...

Tony Palma served a long, valiant career as an Officer for the New York City Police Department. He was one of the first responders to the murder of famous singer-songwriter, musician, and political activist, John Lennon.  Instead of flocking to the busy scene, Jimmy Breslin went to the precinct and interviewed Palma for his unique firsthand experience of the tragic event. In this episode, Tony and...

Gloria Steinem is a writer, political activist, and feminist organizer. She was a founder of New York and Ms. magazines, and is the author of The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off , My Life on the Road , Moving Beyond Words , Revolution from Within , and Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions . She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Wome...

Andrew Cuomo served as the 56th Governor of New York State for 11 years. Queens-raised and son of the late Governor Mario Cuomo, Andrew learned from a young age the importance of fighting for equality and opportunity. He successfully fought for and delivered progressive accomplishments including marriage equality, the codification of Roe v. Wade into New York State law, the most comprehensive paid...