Episode 493

with Talib Kweli, George Saunders, and Jillette Johnson

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello put a spin on some of our listeners’ favorite words and phrases; hip hop performer and activist Talib Kweli recounts stepping away from big-budget rap culture to become an independent artist; bestselling author George Saunders revisits his love of teaching through unpacking 19th century Russian literature; and singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson performs her incidentally-titled song "I Shouldn't Go Anywhere."

Talib Kweli
Rapper & Activist

Talib Kweli is a Brooklyn-based MC who earned his stripes as one of the most lyrically gifted, socially aware, and politically insightful rappers to emerge in the last 20 years. Whether working with Mos Def as one-half of Black Star, running his independent media platform, Javotti Media, releasing landmark solo material, or collaborating with some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop, Kweli commands attention by delivering top-tier lyricism and crafting captivating stories. Kweli also hosts the People’s Party, a podcast “where contemporary issues are discussed with thoughtful, passionate artists and icons who help shape culture”. He is also the co-host of The Midnight Miracle podcast with Dave Chappelle and Yasiin Bey, which was included in Apple Podcasts' “Best Shows of 2021”, and the New York Times' “Best 10 Podcasts of 2021”. Website

George Saunders
Author

George Saunders is the author of eleven books, including Lincoln in the Bardo, which won the 2017 Man Booker Prize for best work of fiction in English. Saunders has received MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, the PEN/Malamud Prize for excellence in the short story, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2013, he was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. In support of his work, he has appeared on The Colbert Report, Late Night with David Letterman, All Things Considered, and The Diane Rehm Show. His stories have appeared regularly in The New Yorker since 1992. Saunders’ newest book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, analyzes the craft of writing through four notable Russian writers and explores what makes a story great. Website

Jillette Johnson
Singer-Songwriter

Pianist and singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson makes melodic, ruminative pop music largely centered around her resonant vocals and classically-influenced piano parts. Her debut full-length album, Water in a Whale, appeared on Wind-Up Records in 2013. Four years later, Johnson released her sophomore long-player, All I Ever See in You Is Me, produced by Dave Cobb in Nashville's famous RCA Studio A to critical acclaim. Now, Jillette Johnson returns with hard-won optimism on her third studio album, It’s A Beautiful Day And I Love You, which carries harmonic and emotional heft akin to Patty Griffin’s Flaming Red or Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark. Twitter • Listen