Best-selling author Sarah Weinman loves true crime and loves wondering why we all love true crime. Her books probe these questions and more, bolstered by impeccable research, immensely readable prose and, at the heart of the story, the desire to present the humanity of the subjects, not the perpetrators, of the crimes. Join Roberta as she talks with Sarah from her home in Brooklyn about her books The Real Lolita, Scoundrel, & Women Crime Writers of the 1940 & 1950s and the reasons why we are all so obsessed with true crime.

When one shares a story, they can become a part of a healing and empowering experience. Stories are powerful – cathartic, emotive, and full of truths, hidden or not – and our guests this week know that quite well. Nina is a life coach and the author of a new book Creek Music: What a Year in the Woods Taught Me About Seasons, Surrender and Joy. Her son Noah Taylor is a 28 year old cafe manager, storyteller and an aspiring writer. They are frequent performers at the The Moth StorySLAMS in Philly. Join host Roberta Panjwani as she talks with them about their experiences on the stage, how they got there, and the life events that shaped what they tell and how they tell it.

Director Maite Alberdi had a great idea for a new film, one that merged her love of film noir with documentaries, so she began working as an assistant to a Chilean private eye. But when the lead detective broke his hip before filming, she wound up making a very different film – a film that earned her a nomination for a 2021 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Join Roberta as she sits down with Maite to discuss The Mole Agent, filmmaking and the importance of community during any season of life.

What power does poetry have to help us navigate the challenges of life? How do we approach art and how does it approach us? Join our guest host Diane Sims for a journey through these questions, and many others, with Pádraig Ó Tuama in an episode so big, we had to split it into two.
In Part 1, Pádraig Ó shares his relationship with art, reconciliation and the ongoing road toward finding ourselves.
In Part 2, we dig into the questions of acceptance and identity Pádraig grappled with as a youth growing up in Ireland, and in the tall shadow of the Catholic Church, and what innate sensibility gave him the fortitude to step into those headwinds, instead of turning away, with a brief stop in the land of knitable television near the end.
For those new to Pádraig’s work, he is an Irish poet and the host of the hugely popular podcast Poetry Unbound – now on its sixth season – as well as a theologian and conflict mediator.

Before Curtis Duffy was a world-renowned, Michelin-starred chef and restaurant owner, he was a troubled youth, left alone as a teenager after experiencing unimaginable tragedies. That is, until he took a mandatory middle school home economics class, introducing Curtis to the kitchen, his gift and his purpose.

Join Roberta as she sits down with Curtis from his new Chicago-based restaurant Ever to talk about those early years and his rise to the top, indomitable work ethic and passion for motorcycles, tattoos and martial arts.

How did one tiny octopus change so many lives?
To combat burnout and depression, filmmaker & diver Craig Foster had taken up diving in the icy waters of South Africa’s Kelp Forest where he met one very special Common Octopus. A year of observing and filming the octopus’ short life later, he sent the film to fellow documentarian Pippa Erlich, who crafted the footage into a meditation on the importance of wildlife and a moving tale about her friend and his octopus teacher.
Join Roberta as she chats with Pippa about the Academy-Award winning documentary, her work with the Sea Change Project, and some of her favorite advice from Jane Goodall.