It's been...a year. Between the pandemic and current events, much of 2020 has been about reckoning with both historic issues and new, unexpected ones. But through all the ups-and-downs, Think has been here for you with conversations to make you laugh, cry and of course...think.
Take a look back at some of the best shows from this year, handpicked by Think staffers themselves:
Queen Latifah, Lil' Kim And The History Of Women In Rap
Nilufer Arsala, Think's technical director, says...
"This show also examined some female pioneers of hip hop that may not have gotten enough credit before."
This show was so sound rich and it was fascinating to hear the stories behind the songs and artists I listened to growing up. This show also examined some female pioneers of hip hop that may not have gotten enough credit before.
Music journalist Kathy Iandoli did a wonderful job of crediting and documenting the role that women have played throughout the history of hip hop in her book “God Save the Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop.” The conversation between her and Krys Boyd was both entertaining and engaging. One of my favorites for sure!
James Baldwin Still Has Something To Say
Stephen Becker, Think's senior producer, says...
"...What better time to return to Baldwin, as wise a writer as ever there was who always seems to know how to precisely calibrate thinking and feeling."
This interview took place as the nation was in the thick of grieving and protesting the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans killed by police officers. I remember it as a time full of emotion, but also as a time when many people struggled with how exactly to give voice to those feelings.
What better time to return to Baldwin, as wise a writer as ever there was who always seems to know how to precisely calibrate thinking and feeling. How fortunate we were to talk about Baldwin’s views on the Black experience with Eddie Glaude, Jr., chair of the Department of African American Studies at Princeton and one of the country’s foremost scholars studying race.
A Fictional Character’s Very Real Asian American Experience
Courtney Collins, Think's guest host, says...
"I really enjoyed talking to the National Book Award winner about how his television writing experience influenced the book, which portrays an Asian actor trying to work his way up the ranks of a pretend police procedural."
I loved hosting this show because I found Charles Yu’s novelInterior Chinatown unbelievably immersive and engaging! I really enjoyed talking to theNational Book Award winner about how his television writing experience influenced the book, which portrays an Asian actor trying to work his way up the ranks of a pretend police procedural. A searing commentary on the perpetual foreigner stereotype, Interior Chinatown made for a great read and fantastic conversation.
How Christian Culture Became Western Culture
Madison Hurd, Think intern, says...
"I have been studying a similar topic for my master’s thesis, so I found this show fascinating. Even though Christianity is thousands of years old, its ideals still affect everyone’s life, whether you’re religious or not."
I have been studying a similar topic for my master’s thesis, so I found this show fascinating. Even though Christianity is thousands of years old, its ideals still affect everyone’s life, whether you’re religious or not. Understanding the underlying ways Christian principles are pervasive in culture and society and can provide insight into the way people think, and the best ways to create necessary change.
Mo Rocca Revives The Obit
Ana Perez, Think's assistant producer, says...
"If you need a pick-me up, I highly recommend giving this interview a listen. I hope it gives you as much joy as it did for me."
Mo Rocca has always brought a smile to my face. His quirky persona and sharp wit are apparent in everything that does from CBS Sunday Morning to "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" — this interview included.
His book took a concept we think we know and turned it on its head. Drawing from his own personal experiences, he brought these people (some not as notable as others) throughout our history back to life. If you need a pick-me up, I highly recommend giving this interview a listen. I hope it gives you as much joy as it did for me.
The Wisdom Of Dolly Parton
Paige Phelps, Think's producer, says...
"Krys Boyd asks author Sarah Smarsh about what makes loving Dolly almost part of someone’s personality and Sarah runs with it, taking us down a rabbit hole to examine socioeconomic class, feminism, gender studies, female empowerment, politics and even a darker side of Dolly I didn’t know existed."
I have to admit, this episode was pure joy to produce. Krys Boyd asks author Sarah Smarsh about what makes loving Dolly almost part of someone’s personality and Sarah runs with it, taking us down a rabbit hole to examine socioeconomic class, feminism, gender studies, female empowerment, politics and even a darker side of Dolly I didn’t know existed.
Plus, there are those songs, so many hit songs — she’s written 3,000 of them! I’m pretty convinced everything Dolly’s ever written is programmed to be stuck in your brain for at least a week or two, so fair warning. But remember: it’s stuck there with joy.
A Conversation With Leslie Odom Jr.
Lauren Rangel, Think intern, says...
"When so much of the future is uncertain, this conversation is inspiring, hopeful, and a small break from reality."
I’ve been a longtime fan of the musical Hamilton. Maybe I’m biased, but I loved listening to Leslie Odom Jr. on Think. In this episode, he walks through his successful career as an actor and singer. But, just like the rest of us, he makes mistakes too. Instead of letting failure get to him, he shares how his mistakes led him to a breakthrough. When so much of the future is uncertain, this conversation is inspiring, hopeful, and a small break from reality.
The Accidental Racism In Dermatology
"We’ve heard about how health care often leaves behind or misdiagnoses BIPOC and this was an angle that seems so obvious but is really under-covered."
Micaela Rodriguez, Think's podcast producer, says...
I really liked this show because it’s something I hadn’t thought about much before – how is the care we receive based on our skin color different?
We’ve heard about how health care often leaves behind or misdiagnoses BIPOC and this was an angle that seems so obvious but is really under-covered. Fancy skincare doesn’t have to center people with fair skin tones — we can all moisturize and wear sunblock and more companies should take note and design products that work for different skin tones.
MLK And Malcolm X Were More Alike Than You Realize
Krys Boyd, Think host, says...
"The facts of this history conversation might be familiar to a lot of Think listeners, but Peniel Joseph’s insights are keenly observed and fresh..."
This interview helped me realize how often these two men are reduced to simplified caricatures — the one who sought justice by making trouble, and the one who sought justice by making peace —and how much we miss when we settle for these shorthand interpretations of their lives.
In fact, Malcolm and Martin challenged and influenced one another; perhaps neither man would have achieved as much without the other as foil and catalyst.
The facts of this history conversation might be familiar to a lot of Think listeners, but Peniel Joseph’s insights are keenly observed and fresh, and they offer context to the arguments we are still having over the best way to fight for the dignity and equality of every American.
In Search Of A Fuller Breath
"I was absolutely fascinated by what I learned about how more mindful, anatomically correct breathing can make for deeper sleep, calmer nerves, clearer thoughts and healthier bodies—even a straighter spine!"Krys Boyd
As COVID has made us all more aware of the terrors of struggling to breathe, James Nestor’s curious and open-minded approach to understanding all the things breathing can do for us besides the simple exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen.
I was absolutely fascinated by what I learned about how more mindful, anatomically correct breathing can make for deeper sleep, calmer nerves, clearer thoughts and healthier bodies—even a straighter spine!
Nestor helped me realize how easy it is to breathe wrong, and how much we have to gain from exploring its power to heal body and soul.
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