Episode 458

with Cameron Esposito, Ross Gay, and The Lone Bellow

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello relish in delightful things; comedian Cameron Esposito unpacks the ups and downs of making Zoom her comedy stage; poet Ross Gay ponders his fascination with themes of joy and gratitude, while chatting about his essay collection The Book of Delights; and indie folk trio The Lone Bellow share a song they wrote collaboratively while social distancing.

Cameron Esposito
Writer & Comedian

Cameron Esposito is a Los Angeles-based standup comic, actor and writer. In addition to her work as a nationally touring headliner, Cameron has appeared on NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, TBS, IFC, E!, Cartoon Network and HBO Canada. She has appeared in films featured at the Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals. Cameron has been named a Comic to Watch by The New York Times, Variety, The Guardian, LA Weekly, Time Out Los Angeles, Jezebel, Los Angeles Magazine and Cosmopolitan Magazine and was named “Best of 2018” by Time Magazine. Her hilarious and honest memoir, Save Yourself (Grand Central Publishing, 2020), tackles sexuality, gender equality, and how her Catholic upbringing prepared her for a career as an outspoken lesbian comedian. Website • Twitter

Ross Gay
Poet

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry, including Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Books Critics Circle Award. His 2015 poem, “A Small Needful Fact,” about the death of Eric Garner in New York, has crisscrossed the internet and moved people to tears with just fifteen lines of poetry. Ross is a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, a non-profit, free-fruit-for-all food justice and joy project. In his latest book, The Book of Delights: Essays (Algonquin, 2019) Gay applies his literary powers to short lyric essays (or “essayettes”) that celebrate the simple and profound joys of daily living. His positive, yet complex , writing illuminates the world we live in with funny, poetic, and philosophical ways that will stay with you. Website • Twitter

The Lone Bellow
Musical Group

The Lone Bellow is the musical group made up of guitarist Brian Elmquist, lead vocalist Zach Williams, and multi-instrumentalist Kanene Donehey Pipkin. With earthy three-part harmonies and songwriting that’s as provocative as it is honest, the trio invests us in lyrical storytelling and brings our sense of childlike wonder roaring back. On Half Moon Light, The Lone Bellow mixes light and dark to muster a complex ode to memory, a call for hope, and an exercise in empathy. Anchored in the acoustic storytelling that first so endeared the band to fans and critics, Half Moon Light also takes more chances; experimenting with textures and instrumental fillips to create a full-bodied music experience and the group’s most sophisticated work to date. The Lone Bellow is resuming its tour in 2021, with performances in the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest. Listen • Twitter