Episode 481

with Marlee Matlin, Melissa Febos, and Ida Mae

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share listener advice to their teenage selves; actor Marlee Matlin discusses her critically-acclaimed new film CODA and why she's advocating for Deaf actors to play Deaf roles; writer Melissa Febos opens up about her new collection of essays, Girlhood, which looks at the forces that shape the lives of girls and the adults they become; and British blues-folk duo Ida Mae performs the tender song "Raining for You" from their latest album Click Click Domino.

Marlee Matlin
Actress

Marlee Matlin knows her way around Hollywood. She remains the youngest Academy Award winner for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in Children of a Lesser God. Her credits include notable roles on Reasonable Doubts, Seinfeld, West Wing, Law and Order: SVU, and Family Guy. She is the producer of Feeling Through, the first film with a lead played by a Deaf/Blind actor and an Oscar nominee for Best Live Action Short Film at the 2021 Academy Awards. Her most recent film, CODA, follows the story of Ruby, the only hearing person in her family and an aspiring singer. CODA received a record four wins at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Website • Twitter

Melissa Febos
Writer

Melissa Febos is the author of the memoir Whip Smart and two essay collections: Abandon Me and Girlhood. The inaugural winner of the Jeanne Córdova Nonfiction Award from LAMBDA Literary and the recipient of fellowships from The MacDowell Colony, Bread Loaf, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, The BAU Institute, Vermont Studio Center, The Barbara Deming Foundation, and others; her essays have appeared in The Paris Review, The Believer, McSweeney's Quarterly, Granta, Sewanee Review, Tin House, The Sun, and The New York Times. She is an associate professor at the University of Iowa, where she teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program. Website • Twitter

Ida Mae
Music Duo

Ida Mae is an acoustic alt-folk duo made up of husband and wife Chris Turpin and Stephanie Jean. Hailing from Norfolk, U.K. yet heavily influenced by their home base in Nashville, Turpin and Jean draw inspiration from Americana and Deep South blues-rock. Characterized by oscillating guitar riffs and smooth harmonies, their sound seamlessly blends contradiction. Light and gravid; romantic and solemn; modern and vintage; the songs of Ida Mae will pull you in and hold you there. Their work can be heard on their 2019 debut album, Chasing Lights, and their newest release, Click Click Domino. Listen • Website