Episode 495
with Kaveh Akbar, Danielle Henderson, and Deep Sea Diver
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss the things our audience is resolving *not* to do this year; celebrated poet Kaveh Akbar explains how learning Farsi as his first language shaped his poetic sense of the English language; writer Danielle Henderson (Feminist Ryan Gosling) unpacks her memoir The Ugly Cry and how her iconoclastic grandmother helped forge her own fiercely independent path; and indie rock group Deep Sea Diver performs "Impossible Weight," the title track off their newest album.
Kaveh Akbar
Poet
Kaveh Akbar is the author of Calling a Wolf a Wolf and has received honors such as a Levis Reading Prize and multiple Pushcart Prizes. Born in Tehran, Iran, he teaches at Purdue University and in low-residency programs at Warren Wilson and Randolph Colleges. His latest collection, Pilgrim Bell, explores everything from recovery from addiction as well as making a life as a Muslim in an Islamophobic nation. Website
Danielle Henderson
Writer
Danielle Henderson is a TV writer whose credits include Maniac, Divorce, and Difficult People. A retired freelance writer and former editor for Rookie, she has been published by The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Cut. A book based on her popular website, Feminist Ryan Gosling, was released in 2012. Danielle currently co-hosts the podcast I Saw What You Did with Millie De Chirico about the weird ways we respond to and learn to love movies. The Associated Press calls her memoir, The Ugly Cry, “equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking… as it examines the complexity of identity, family, childhood, and independence.” Website • Twitter
Deep Sea Diver
Seattle Four-Piece
Deep Sea Diver is a Seattle-based four-piece led by prodigious guitarist and frontwoman Jessica Dobson, who previously played lead guitar for Beck and The Shins. Their third full-length album, Impossible Weight, features guest vocals from Sharon Van Etten and Jessica’s trademark radical vulnerability. The band has received acclaim for their festival-ready power and presence, larger-than-life guitar hooks, and their cascading layers that build upon each other until they reach their explosive peak. Instagram • Listen
