Episode 420

with Jami Attenberg, James Kim, and Federale

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss how they've been staying in touch with their loved ones during lockdown; author Jami Attenberg unpacks the complexities of American families in her new book "All This Could Be Yours;" podcaster James Kim explains how language barriers and silence are used as narrative tools in his fictional podcast Moonface; and psychedelic rock group Federale perform the title track from their album "No Justice."

Jamie Attenberg
Bestselling Author of "The Middlesteins" and "All Grown Up"

Jami Attenberg makes the hard work of writing look easy in The Big Easy. The author of seven novels, her latest book “All This Could Be Yours,” tracks a New Orleans family grappling with their patriarch and themselves as he nears the end of his life. Attenberg’s pitch-perfect characters complement what “Marie Claire” called her “sparkling prose.” Her books “The Middlesteins” and “All Grown Up” were best sellers, and her essays have been published widely in outlets like “The Sunday Times,” “Longreads,” and “The New York Times Magazine.” An inspiration in the writing community, her #1000wordsofsummer challenge is taken up by thousands of writers each year. What Jami Attenberg writes, we read – that part’s easy. Website • Twitter

James Kim
Podcaster and Creator of Gimlet fiction podcast "Moonface"

James Kim is devoted to opening up the lines of communication. He's the creator of the fiction podcast "Moonface," which beautifully explores language and love through the multicultural experience of a mother and son. Starring actor and comedian Joel Kim Booster as Paul and Esther Moon as his mother, "Moonface" puts the listener in Paul's shoes as he struggles to understand both his mother and himself. Kim is a development producer at Gimlet, and previously worked as a producer at The Dinner Party Download, Marketplace, Strangers, and KPCC. If you're looking for an audio experience that helps expand your definition of what it means to be truly heard, then James Kim's lovely and compelling "Moonface" is for you. Website • Twitter

Federale
Cinematic, Evocative, and Stirring Band Returns With Their Fifth Album "No Justice"

Federale has always told stories of breathtaking scope through their cinematic, western-tinged soundscapes – but as they’ve evolved, what began as a purely instrumental project has started to incorporate more and more words. With their most recent album, “No Justice,” all the songs except two contain stunning, precise lyrics, backed by members of the Oregon Symphony. The fifth album by the group feels like a fully realized expression of their music – music that serves as the soundtrack to the most captivating spaghetti westerns that never were. Honeyed voices, rumbling riffs and plaintive whistling all swirl together in the group’s most ambitious project to date. With “No Justice,” Federale has expanded their already wildly expressive sound – and their increased vocabulary serves to only deepen the immersive experience of listening to their music. Website • Twitter • Spotify