Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger

Frederica von Stade —“Flicka,” universally—is one of the outstanding singers of our age. She is an American mezzo-soprano. With Jay, she talks about music and life. She even does a little singing, as a bonus. Get to know this remarkable person. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Earlier, Jay spoke with Perry Link about Liu Xiaobo, the great Chinese democracy leader, of whom he has co-authored a biography . For that episode, go here . In the present episode, Jay speaks with Professor Link about being a China scholar—the language, the political pitfalls, and so on. As Jay says in his introduction, it is “a joy” to listen to Perry Link—“a joy and an education.” Get full acce...

Liu Xiaobo was one of the great men of our age. He was a Chinese intellectual and democracy leader. In 2010, while in prison, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He died, still a prisoner, in 2017. Perry Link and Wu Dazhi have written a new biography: “ I Have No Enemies: The Life and Legacy of Liu Xiaobo .” Jay talks with Professor Link, who is very interesting on this subject, as on so many ot...

Kyle Parker , of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is a fount of knowledge. He was key in the formation of the U.S. Magnitsky Act. That got him placed on Putin’s Most Wanted list. He was a guest on “Q&A” in 2018. When it comes to the Ukraine war, he not only has facts, he has perspective. To listen to him is an education and a pleasure, even when the subject is grim. Utterly authoritative, Kyle Pa...

Sanaa Seif is a young woman from Egypt. She is a democracy campaigner. A human-rights campaigner. Egypt has about 60,000 political prisoners. One of them is Sanaa’s brother, Alaa. Sanaa herself has been in prison three times. She is very gentle, very soft-spoken—but obviously made of steel. Meet this extraordinary and compelling young woman. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinge...

Nazanin Boniadi is a British actress who has been seen in many movies and television shows. Among the former, “Hotel Mumbai.” Among the latter, “How I Met Your Mother.” For Jay’s purposes, however, she is a splendid advocate for human rights in the country of her birth: Iran. What she has to say is both informed and moving. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

A sportscast, with Jay’s gurus David French and Vivek Dave. They begin with the new marriage between the Saudis and the PGA Tour. And then they get to basketball — the NBA in particular. Have a listen to two affable and knowledgeable fellows (plus Jay). Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Riccardo Muti is one of the most renowned musicians before the public today. Born in 1941, he has conducted in Milan, Vienna, London, Philadelphia—many places. Since 2010, he has been the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is leaving that position at the end of this season, which is nearing. After a recent concert, Jay sat with the maestro in his studio to talk about music, and l...

Bob McElroy is a powerful individual. He thinks, speaks, and acts powerfully. He has devoted his life to helping the homeless. He has been through all the problems they have. McElroy is the president and CEO of the Alpha Project , in San Diego. He is a “point of light”—so designated by Bush 41’s foundation. Jay wrote about McElroy in a piece on San Diego and homelessness. Homelessness is a problem...

Natan Sharansky has been a world hero since the 1970s. He was a prisoner in the Soviet gulag for nine years. Afterward, he wrote one of the great prison memoirs: “ Fear No Evil .” On May 8, he published an op-ed piece in the Washington Post: “ Why Putin’s repression is worse than what I endured under the Soviets .” With Jay, he talks about the Kremlin’s current political prisoners, and the war on...

In journalism, Cathy Young is “an MVP of this era,” says Jay: “the era of the Ukraine war, and associated convulsions in the world.” Cathy Young is a writer at The Bulwark, in addition to contributing to Newsday, Reason, etc. She has been a columnist for many years. Born in Moscow, she grew up in the Soviet Union, coming to America at 17. With Jay, she talks about Russia, Ukraine, and America—and...

Daniel Johnson is a British writer and editor, now at The Article, of which he is the founding editor. With Jay, he talks about his father, Paul, the great journalist and historian. (For Jay’s appreciation of Paul Johnson, go here .) What a great subject Paul Johnson is. And Daniel knows that subject exceptionally well. Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

John Engler was the governor of Michigan (Jay’s home state) for three terms: from 1991 to 2003. So, on this program, you have two Michiganders, talking about things Michigan and things national. The Republican Party, past and present. The Democrats, past and present. The media, presidents, abortion, American culture—Engler has a wealth of information, and a wealth of highly informed opinions. At t...

When something big happens in Israel, or to Israel, Jay and his listeners want to hear from Haviv Rettig Gur , the senior analyst of the Times of Israel. He knows the ins and outs, the views of the various parties and factions. He is an Israel-explainer par excellence. At the moment, Israeli society is being torn apart. A (rare) domestic crisis is upon the country. What must its external enemies t...

Of course, Jay has George F. Will talk baseball in this episode. The season is upon us. Significant rule changes are in place. Does GFW approve? (Yes, heartily.) Before there is baseball, however, there is a host of other subjects—among them the Ukraine war; higher ed and wokism; the political parties and their dysfunction; President Biden and age; Fox News and opinion journalism... Source Get ful...

Matthew Continetti is a journalist and book-author, a top expert on the American Right. He is the author of “The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism.” These days, the Right is undergoing some serious changes when it comes to U.S. foreign policy and America’s place in the world. With Jay, Continetti discusses this and more. Enlightening. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward...

Hannah Dreier is an investigative reporter, one of the best in America. In past years, she was a correspondent in Venezuela. Jay podcasted with her as that country was spinning out of control. Now, for the New York Times, Ms. Dreier has written a blockbuster report: “Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S.” She and Jay discuss this important piece of work... Source G...

Félix Maradiaga is a Nicaraguan democracy leader. From June 2021 until this month—611 days; about a year and eight months—he was a political prisoner. He and his fellow prisoners suffered terrible things in El Chipote, the notorious prison in Managua. Félix is well-known to listeners of this program. Jay podcasted with him in February 2019 (here); he podcasted with Félix’s wife, Berta Valle... Sou...

In recent days, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay Nordlinger—among others—have been writing about our old friends, our old enemies, the federal budget deficit and the federal debt. (KDW, here; JN, here.) Something’s gotta give, right? We Americans have to act at some point, right? Jay and Kevin jaw it out. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Sol Stern is a veteran writer and policy analyst. He was born in Israel—actually, Mandatory Palestine—in 1935. The Sterns moved to New York when Sol was three and a half. As a young journalist, he was part of the New Left. Disillusionment set in. For more than 20 years, he worked at the Manhattan Institute, becoming best-known for education policy. These days, he says he belongs to what Robert......

Russell D. Moore is an evangelical thinker and leader, the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today. His world, in recent years, has been rocked by politics. With Jay, Moore discusses this, and much more—including his love of country music. Moore lives a minute from Dolly Parton. And his dog’s name is “Waylon.”... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

“Our guest today,” says Jay Nordlinger, “is a writer, a journalist—an unusual one, a distinctive one: her own woman. She is Stephanie Slade, a senior editor at Reason…” She is a libertarian who is religious and pro-life. With Jay, she discusses a number of issues, all of them at the heart of our politics today: the political wars, liberalism, conservatism, economic policy, drugs, marriage... Sourc...

In what has become almost a tradition, Jay does a sportscast in advance of the College Football Playoff, and he does it with his regular gurus, David French and Vivek Dave. In addition to college football, the guys talk NFL, and NBA, and World Cup—and Tiger and Charlie Woods. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

In the 1990s, there was a documentary called “Arguing the World,” about Daniel Bell, Irving Kristol, et al. In this episode of “Q&A,” Kevin D. Williamson and Jay talk the world, or at least a bit of it: Kanye, swastikas, abortion, the media, elitism, anti-elitism, etc. At the end, they talk about books and thinkers—and stars to be struck by. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.j...

Across China, brave people are staging protests. Talking with Jay about this is Jianli Yang, a veteran Chinese democracy activist. He was at Tiananmen Square, in 1989. He was a political prisoner. He is a scholar, a poet—many things. Jay has admired him since they first met in 2001, and Jianli Yang has important, and informed, things to say, always. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at w...