Now What? With Carole Zimmer

Επεισόδια

• 
  Gloria Steinem-An Exceptional Life 12.09.2026 47λ

  I'm so sad I now live in a world without Gloria Steinem. Unlike many public personalities, Gloria was the real deal: modest, warm, smart, funny. She took her passion for equality, women's rights and human rights to a place that lit up the world. Gloria played a special role in my life: friend and mentor. She was the first guest on "Now What?" That was 11 years ago. We spoke in the brownstone she lived in since the '60s which is filled with objects she brought back from her travels around the world. Sitting in her living room, we chatted about her childhood, politics, feminism and Cathy, the elephant she rode in Botswana to celebrate her 80th birthday. Gloria wanted to live to be 100. She made it to 92. Her spirit lives on in this conversation. This episode of "Now What?" was produced with the help of Nellie Gilles, Allison Bernstein, Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Azar Nafisi 01.09.2026 50λ

  There's a new film out called Reading Lolita in Tehran. It's based on the best-selling book by Azar Nafisi who held a reading group in her home in Iran where female students met each week to read banned books like Madame Bovary and Lolita. Nafisi had gone back to the country where she was born in 1979, right after the revolution that deposed the Shah and installed the Islamic regime. She found herself teaching in a country where people who were opposed to the religious government were often imprisoned and executed. After 18 years, Nafisi and her family packed up their belongings and fled to the U.S. We talk about oppression, freedom and how books saved her life. "Now What?" is produced with help from Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Graydon Carter (Re-Release) 18.08.2026 48λ

  It's the lazy days of August. So, if you missed it, here's a second chance to listen to one of the best "Now What?" conversations of the year. Graydon Carter was the editor of Vanity Fair for 25 years. He's also a world class yenta (and I mean that in the best sense of the word). Graydon knows everyone and he's got dishy stories to tell about the most glamorous people. He was also sitting in the kingmaker seat in the golden days of glossy magazines ruling over a budget that could rival the gross national product of a small country. Black cars followed him everywhere. There were 2 martini lunches at the Four Seasons and hot-ticket Oscar parties. We talk about excess, celebrity and who's outrageous. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Ada Ferrer 04.08.2026 43λ

  Ada Ferrer was born in Cuba. Her father fled the country after Fidel Castro marched into Havana. When Ferrer was a baby, her mother also left the country to join Ada's father in NY. Ferrer grew up between two worlds in a family torn apart by the Cuban revolution. But she was lucky. She got a good education and became a Professor of History at Princeton University. In 2022, Ferrer was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her book about the five centuries of U.S.-Cuba relations. Ferrer's memoir, Keeper of My Kin, explores separation,  trauma and the heartbreak of families broken up by politics. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Siri Hustvedt 21.07.2026 49λ

  Novelist Siri Hustvedt knows a lot about grief. Two years ago, her husband, the writer Paul Auster, died. They had an extraordinary life together as parents, romantic partners, and authors who shared their work. Hustvedt was devastated by Paul's death. In her book Ghost Stories, she explores what happens when someone who has been your partner for more than 40 years disappears and how she remains haunted by his absence. Hustvedt also talks publicly for the first time about a family tragedy: the death of Paul's son and their young granddaughter. In her Brooklyn brownstone overlooking her garden, I talk to Siri Hustvedt about love, memory, healing and the things that make her laugh. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A conversation with Mary Alice Williams and Mary Murphy 07.07.2026 45λ

  I've always loved being a journalist and I'm excited to catch up with two of the best people in the business. Mary Alice Williams was there when CNN made history, becoming the first 24-hour news network. She was appointed CNN Vice president, making Williams one of the highest-ranking female executives in American television. Mary Murphy spent four decades at PIX 11 News reporting on mob hits, drug wars and the terror attacks on the World Trade center. The job of being a reporter has changed with the rise of social media. We talk about the importance of a free press and the contributions women have made to the business of covering the news. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Zayd Dohrn 23.06.2026 45λ

  Zayd Ayers Dohrn was born in a safe house during the decade his parents were in hiding. In 1969, Zayd's mother and father, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, founded the revolutionary group called the Weather Underground. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover declared Bernadine the most dangerous woman in America. In their lives underground, Ayers and Dohrn committed acts of violence like bombing government buildings to call attention to the Vietnam war. They also gave birth to two children. Zayd has written a memoir of those years called Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young. We talk about political ideals and how the role of revolutionary urban guerrilla clashed with the idea of raising a family. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Matthew Zachary 09.06.2026 45λ

  For Matthew Zachary, the subject of cancer is up close and personal. He was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at the age of 21. Having survived the odds, Zachary became a patient advocate, founding a non-profit called Stupid Cancer which supports young adults with the disease. Zachary celebrated the publication of his memoir We the Patients, by sitting down at the piano on the stage of Manhattan's Merkin Hall and playing a concert. The event marked the 30 years that have passed since Zachary's cancer diagnosis. We talk about family, wellness and how to be a healthcare revolutionary. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Kathryn Grody 25.05.2026 46λ

  Kathryn Grody is an actress who has appeared in films like Reds and The Lemon Sisters. She's also been married to actor and singer Mandy Patinkin for more than 45 years. They have two children: Isaac and Gideon. During the pandemic, the family retreated to their house in upstate New York. That's when Gideon began filming the daily lives of his parents and posting the videos on Tik Tok, Instagram and other platforms. These clips of Mandy and Kathryn bickering about what they should eat for dinner and the definition of pizza rats went viral, racking up millions of views. Grody's latest project is a one-woman show called The Unexpected Third. We talk about aging, the consequences of fame and the art of staying alive. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Dr. Ibram X. Kendi 12.05.2026 44λ

  Ibram X. Kendi became a star when his book How to Be an Antiracist landed on the bestseller list. Kendi, who's now a Professor of History at Howard University, gained a reputation as a racial-reconciliation guru. He's also the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship which is known as the genius award. Now, Kendi has written a book called Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age. It focuses on a scary idea called the Great Replacement theory which insists that white people are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants. We talk about conspiracy theories, race and what that X stands for in the middle of his name. "Now What?' is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation With Gina Gershon 14.04.2026 40λ

  Actress Gina Gershon hadn't had what you'd call a traditional Hollywood career. So, it's no surprise that she's written a memoir with an in-your-face title. Alpha Pussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs. Gershon says the alpha pussy part has something to do with the fact that she raises male cats. As a result of her roles in films like Bound and Showgirls, Gershon has become something of a gay icon. The actress has also impersonated Melania in sketches that appeared on Funny or Die. Now, Gershon is writing screenplays. We talk about breasts, ageism and stupid Hollywood executives. "Now What?' is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation With Andrew Yang 31.03.2026 50λ

  In 2019, At the age of 45, Andrew Yang decided to enter the race for President of the United States. He'd never run for any elective office before. Yang hoped his signature proposal of giving every American adult a universal basic income of $1,000 a month would help get him into the White House. Though he wound up with a dedicated group of tech-savvy followers known as the Yang gang, the candidate dropped out after losing the New Hampshire primary. Then in 2022 Yang announced he was joining the race for New York City Mayor. He was the front runner until his campaign lost ground and he wound up losing to Eric Adams. Now, he's written the memoir Hey Yang, Where's My Thousand Bucks? "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation With Graydon Carter 17.03.2026 48λ

  He was editor of Vanity Fair for 25 years during a time that big glossy magazines ruled. Its pages were filled with stories about Hollywood royalty, Brangelina, fashion icons like Calvin, Giorgio and Donatella. Even Graydon's hair became famous for the way it took off on the sides like a winged creature. Graydon knows everyone and has juicy stories to tell. All this at a time when people turned real pages and lavish expense accounts reigned. The Vanity Fair Oscar party became the hottest ticket in town. People would do anything for an invitation. One year someone brought a pig as their guest. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation With Ani DiFranco 03.03.2026 53λ

  Singer Ani DiFranco's career took off in the 90s when she became a big hit with people from the millennial generation, like my son Jon who spent his teenage years listening to DiFranco's song Untouchable Face over and over again. Her lyrics speak to the raw emotions of adulthood, especially when it comes to relationships and identity. And all these years later DiFranco's career is alive and well. She's about to embark on her Spirit of Love tour heading for cities across the country. I attended one of her concerts recently. Her fans are passionate and the energy is electric. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation With Jeanette Winterson 17.02.2026 32λ

  Jeanette Winterson is a writer who grew up in a Pentecostal evangelical family in a little town in the north of England. She was adopted. Her parents were poor. There was no indoor bathroom. Winterson dreamed of escaping that life. When she was 16, she fell in love with a woman. Her parents were scandalized. Winterson left home, slept in her car and managed to get into Oxford. She's fascinated by the ancient fairy tales in The One Thousand and One Nights. Winterson uses these stories as a framework in her new book One Aladdin Two Lamps. We talk about good relationships, ghosts, elves and AI. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Caroline Paul 03.02.2026 44λ

  Caroline Paul is an adventure seeker. She's been a white-water rafting guide and pioneered first descents on unexplored rivers in Borneo. To experience wing walking, she strapped herself to the top of a biplane while it performed maneuvers like loops and rolls. She's also racked up credits as a luge athlete, that crazy sport where you race down steep, icy tracks on small sleds, lying on your back. Now, Paul pilots a gyrocopter, a machine that might remind you of a praying mantis with wings. We talk about how the thrill of flight relates to themes of love and why Paul says it's easier to learn a landing than a human heart. "Now What?" is produced with help from Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Jimmy Wales 20.01.2026 54λ

  When Jimmy Wales was 3, growing up in Huntsville, Alabama, a door-to-door salesman sold his mother a copy of the World Book Encyclopedia. Jimmy fell in love with it. As an adult he had the idea of creating an online encyclopedia that would give everyone free access to the sum of all human knowledge. The result is Wikipedia, which Wales co-founded 25 years ago. Though not without controversy, Wikipedia is a runaway success. It's the world's largest, most comprehensive encyclopedia with more than 1 and a half billion unique visitors a month. That should only happen to "Now What?" I talk to Jimmy Wales about his new book The Seven Rules of Trust and how we can make a difference in a bitterly divided society. "Now What is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  A Conversation with Emi Nietfeld 06.01.2026 55λ

  Until she was 10, Emi Nietfeld led a pretty normal life. It was when her parents divorced that her world fell apart. The parent she knew to be her father transitioned to a woman named Michelle. Her mother was a police photographer with serious psychological problems. In her book, Acceptance, Emi who is now 32, talks about the price she paid for working so hard to overcome circumstances that no child should have to endure. They include stints in a psychiatric ward, living in foster care, stays in a homeless shelter and a suicide attempt at the age of 13. So how did she wind up graduating from Harvard and what lessons can be learned from a childhood where welfare systems fail you? We talk about the notion of self-worth and how hard it is to outrun your past. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.
• 
  "Now What?" Best of 2025 23.12.2025 1ώ 5λ

  It hasn't been a great year when it comes to treating our fellow human beings with dignity and respect. But it's been a great year for talking to extraordinary people on "Now What?" Larry Charles is a true character who wore his pajamas to work and directed Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie Borat. Along with Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman was a hilarious member of the original cast of Saturday Night Live which just celebrated its 50th season. Alison Bechdel, the gifted graphic novelist of Fun Home, has a lot to say about living the life of a gay boomer radical in Vermont. "Now What?" has turned out to be a podcast with a very special community. It's produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta. 
• 
  A Conversation with Gabrielle Hamilton 09.12.2025 48λ

  Gabrielle Hamilton's father always told his five kids they had to do something practical with their lives and whatever they did, they had to be excellent at it. Mediocrity was a family sin. In 1999 Hamilton opened Prune, a 30-seat restaurant in the East Village, to rave reviews. She was honored with a James Beard award for Best Chef in New York City in 2011, followed by Outstanding Chef in 2018. Hamilton was also featured on the PBS series The Mind of a Chef. She realized her dream of becoming a writer with her best-selling memoir Blood, Bones and Butter. Now, she's got a new book called Next of Kin. We talk about dysfunctional families and the pressures of life both inside and outside the kitchen. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.