It Is Your Birthday

Remember the story where Jesus enters the Temple and overturns the tables ? It’s the one that asks uncomfortable questions about money, power, and what doesn’t belong in sacred spaces. When Reverend Billy Talen began preaching in the heart of Times Square against the Disney corporation and Mickey Mouse in the late 90s, many thought he was doing the same thing. But he insists, he wasn’t. More than...

Having a birthday on November 22 means you know that is the day John F. Kennedy was shot. It also means having a few lonely birthdays, at least if you live in the U.S., because it sometimes falls on Thanksgiving. In this episode of It Is Your Birthday , Sayre Quevedo talks about the unique experience of trying to celebrate yourself while the rest of the country is focused on giving thanks, talking...

One of the more memorable cards I’ve received was shortly after a mishap. A timing issue. A misalignment in travel plans—it was the worst (relax, I’m exaggerating). And while the whole experience felt trivial in that moment, the memory stands grand in part because of this card. Admittedly, I don’t remember exactly what the card said, but it was something along the lines of “Sorry, it didn’t work o...

Summer is over, and good riddance. Well, no, not really, who doesn’t like summer? And technically, despite what the fashion police wants you to think, the season doesn’t come to an end for another two-and-a-half weeks. So, wear those white pants .  But as fall lurks right around the corner, how was this summer? Top five or barely a contender? A friend of mine, who probably won’t read this, has a t...

Carmen Cusido is turning 42. According to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy , this year should answer a lot. But for the past few years, having her birthday hover around Mother’s Day hasn’t been the easiest, given that it hasn’t been long since her mother passed away. In our conversation, Carmen shares what it’s like to lose both parents, learning to handle the grief and recover in the wake of...

This April, Violet is turning six years old. It’s been a minute ( and a half ) since I was six, but interviewing Violet about her special day was a treat in itself. Have a listen and you’ll see why.

Avery Trufelman had 33 to look forward to because it was her Jesus year. But 34? What happens at 34? There is no Taylor Swift album for that, sadly, if you’re into that kind of music, I guess? In our conversation, we touched on fashion, the New Testament, and the existential dread that comes with creation. Have a listen and subscribe to Avery’s podcast on the culture of fashion and clothing called...

This episode is a few days late, but thankfully, we’re still in Pisces season, which, if you embody, means you might be empathetic and compassionate. Siddhartha Mahanta is a Pisces. He was kind enough to come on the show to talk about his late February birthday and entering his middle age, life on the other side of 40. Mahanta has spent the last several years working as a journalist in places like...

Mia Lobel has some relatives who have lived up to 109, so her latest birthday, the big 5-0, isn’t all that big in the grand scheme of things. She says it's more of a halfway point—partly because she’s still actively trying to figure out some big life questions, notably what to do about “work.” She’s no stranger to it, she’s built a career in podcasting well before the industry was cool, lucrative...

The average life expectancy for someone born in the United States is slightly more than 77 . But that was decades ago for Sylvia Manheim. During the late summer of 2024, the former switchboard operator turned educator, turned hospital administrator, turned college administrator, turned 99. And while she’s just shy of celebrating her centennial, she’s in good company, one of 1.9 million Americans w...

It’s the holiday season, and if you’re observing, you’re probably struggling, or have struggled, to buy gifts for the special people in your life. But why not just get a gift for yourself? Artist and writer Komail Aijazuddin started this tradition when he was 16 and living in Lahore, Pakistan, to celebrate his birthday. His first gift to himself was a watercolor paint set that played a pivotal rol...

Growing up, you eventually learn that diamonds are forever and that every kiss begins with Kay . But when Zainab Shah was still a student, she took a class on gender, race, and sexuality in contemporary pop culture where she learned the truth about diamonds— how they’re not scarce , the backstory behind De Beers’ marketing campaign and how that campaign shifted with the rise of female purchasing p...

I am not good with money. The world of finance feels like invented chemistry, where the equations make sense only to a select few. Sorry, Jerome Powell (don’t worry; I don’t think he is a subscriber), but every time you make the news, I assume it’s because bad news is coming—something about the markets and interest rates—then my eyes start to glaze over, and then I feel helpless and realize how I...

Klarika works in advertising, and I can’t tell if she reads Inc. Magazine . It’s not something that came up in our conversation about her upcoming 35th birthday. To be honest, I’m not sure why it would. But what did come up in our conversation was the importance of building community in a new place, thinking about confidence and her very own relationship with time, and that’s the first time I hear...

Gates. They are everywhere. Watergate . Bridgegate . Tan-suit-gate . It’s hard to know when the facts of life merit such a distinction, but for Shereen Marisol Merjai , the moment arrived on her 40th birthday. She was at her mom’s house and had one small request for her big day—a homemade cheesecake. And then…the floodgates opened. P.S. On September 5th, Shereen’s new Audible podcast, “How I Get I...

If LaNisa Frederick had her way, she’d reply “grown” anytime anyone asked her about her age. It’s a response she originally read in a Variety interview with Abbott Elementary’s very own Janelle James who said: “I’m grown. I have a 20-year-old son. I’m not ashamed of my age or anything like that. But for women — and everybody knows it and acts like they don’t — it gives an idea of what you are in p...

Earlonne Woods has spent more than half his birthdays in prison. He’s not there anymore, but he doesn’t treat the day any differently; in fact, this year, he’ll be working on his “born-day.” Join us in wishing Earlonne a happy birthday by listening to this episode and tell him and the team at Ear Hustle you listened!

We speak with Al Letson, the host of Reveal, a playwright and TV writer, as he celebrates his upcoming birthday.