COVID Positive: What ‘Good’ Came Out Of The Pandemic?

Summary

Podcast Summary: "COVID Positive: What ‘Good’ Came Out Of The Pandemic?"

Podcast: All Of It
Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Josh Gondelman, Comedian and Writer
Release Date: March 13, 2025

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Introduction

In the episode titled "COVID Positive: What ‘Good’ Came Out Of The Pandemic?" hosted by Alison Stewart on All Of It, a WNYC show dedicated to exploring culture and its consumers, Alison reflects on the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 quarantine. The episode delves into the profound changes the pandemic brought to daily life, relationships, work, and social interactions. The focus is on uncovering silver linings and positive transformations that emerged during these challenging times.

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Guest Introduction

Josh Gondelman joins Alison in the studio. A comedian and writer known for his insightful humor, Josh brings a personal perspective to the discussion, sharing his experiences and the positive outcomes he gleaned from the pandemic period.

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Personal Reflections on the Pandemic

Alison Stewart initiates the conversation by prompting Josh to reminisce about the early days of the lockdown.

• Josh Gondelman (01:56) shares, “There is a substantial amount that I have blotted out of my memory with a rag. But I honestly think that it was such a hard time and there was so much loss and sadness. And the thing that got me through it was really cementing the fact that my wife and I really do get along.”

Josh emphasizes the importance of his relationship with his wife, highlighting how spending extended time together strengthened their bond during the isolation.

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Finding Joy and Building Connections

The discussion transitions to how individuals found joy and maintained friendships amid the pandemic's restrictions.

• Josh Gondelman (02:46) reflects, “I really try to think about being fortunate to have made it through okay and in good health... I was the same guy I always thought I was. We definitely cooked a little more, baked a little more.”

He credits virtual gatherings, such as Zoom game nights, as pivotal in maintaining and strengthening long-distance friendships, stating, “Zoom Game night is something that I love to do when I'm not allowed to leave the house.”

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Listener Stories: Silver Linings

Throughout the episode, listeners call in to share their positive experiences from the pandemic. Notable stories include:

1. Sarah from Manhattan (06:20) shares, “My son came home during the shutdown, and it was such a beautiful bonding experience. He and I are just so much closer now.”

2. Cindy from Brooklyn (09:53) discusses enduring activities, “A weekly Boggle game online and a book club that started with friends from London. We're still doing it.”

3. Mohammed from Pennsylvania (11:06) talks about taking up new hobbies, “I built a chicken coop and started raising birds. I also learned how to make wine and beer to gift to friends.”

4. Alisa from Brooklyn (12:38) recounts her educational journey, “I went to college in spring 2020, completed my undergraduate in psychology, and recently finished my master's. It was like jumping off a cliff into something I always wanted to do.”

5. Trey (16:08) reflects on reconnecting with friends through dedicated activities, “I started taking long walks and made appointments with old friends to catch up during these walks. It created deeper connections.”

6. Pauline from Queens (17:06) shares her health journey, “I lost about 40 pounds by exploring my neighborhood, exercising, eating healthier, and doing yoga during the pandemic.”

7. Laura from Harlem (22:51) speaks about balancing career and family, “I had a baby during the pandemic, and working remotely allowed me to maintain my career trajectory while being a parent.”

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Community and Mutual Aid

Josh Gondelman (07:07) highlights the emergence of mutual aid networks, stating, “The bubbling up of really robust mutual aid networks is something that is so beautiful and hopefully durable through that period and beyond.”

He emphasizes the importance of investing in local support systems, noting, “Investing in local systems of support for people that need it was a wonderful growth that those networks became more dense and strong.”

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Creative Endeavors and Personal Growth

The episode also touches on how creativity flourished during lockdowns.

• Josh Gondelman (08:09) shares his professional experience, “Working on Desus and Mero remotely was a challenge, but it was incredible to keep the show up and running. At home, creativity shifted to activities like making cocktails and playing Scrabble.”

• Alison Stewart (09:12) mentions her personal project, “I started needlepointing during the pandemic and recently had my project made into a pillow, marking the five-year anniversary of the quarantine.”

Josh adds, “I learned that I am the same guy I always thought I was. I cooked more, baked more, and appreciated being around people.”

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Reconnecting and Maintaining Relationships

Listeners also discuss the redefinition of friendships and maintaining connections.

• Dan from Huntington (18:55) shares his experience with online trivia calls, “Creating trivia Zoom calls with fellow comedians was one of the best things that came out of COVID for me. It was awesome to see everyone's face and reconnect.”

• Josh Gondelman (20:22) echoes the sentiment, “Playing games like Code Names with old friends was a fun way to reconnect. It helped maintain those relationships despite physical distance.”

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Health and Wellness

Personal health transformations are highlighted as positive outcomes.

• Pauline from Queens (17:06) discusses her weight loss journey, “I lost about 40 pounds by exercising, eating healthier, and doing yoga during the pandemic. It was a small shimmer of light in a tough time.”

Josh adds, “I learned how to stay in and sit still, which was a new skill for me.”

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with reflections on enduring positive changes and renewed appreciation for community and personal relationships. Alison Stewart and Josh Gondelman emphasize the importance of these silver linings as lasting benefits from a tumultuous period.

Notable Quote:

"The bubbling up of really robust mutual aid networks is something that is so beautiful and hopefully durable through that period and beyond." — Josh Gondelman (07:07)

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Looking Forward

Alison teases the next episode featuring actor Jason Isaacs discussing the new season of White Lotus and composer Hans Zimmer, indicating a continuation of exploring cultural impacts and creative endeavors beyond the pandemic.

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Contact and Participation: Listeners are encouraged to share their stories and join the conversation by calling 212-433-WNYC or engaging via text and social media platforms.

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All Of It continues to serve as a companion and curator of New York City's rich cultural landscape, fostering a community where diverse perspectives and experiences contribute to the city's greatness.

Transcript

[Ira Flatow]

All of it is supported by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever find yourself playing the budgeting game? Well, with the Name youe Price Tool from Progressive, you can find options that fit your budget and potentially lower your bills. Try [e-mail] progressive casualty insurance company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. Not available in all states. Listener supported WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. This week we're reflecting on the fifth anniversary of when the COVID quarantine began. We've discussed how Covid changed fundamental changes to how we live and of our relationships, our work, our screens. And now we're going to remember how we found silver linings through this really difficult, difficult time. The pandemic caused a lot of suffering. People continue to contract the virus today, and we don't want to overlook that, but we want to hear about any meaningful changes in your life that came from your time during quarantine. Something that gave you joy, big or small. Maybe you discovered a new hobby that you thought you'd enjoy or you found a newfound appreciation for being around people, either strangers or loved ones. We want to hear your stories. Our number is 212-433-WNYC 21243. You can call in and join us on the air or you can send us a text message as well, or you can reach out on social media lovenyc. With me in the studio is comedian and writer Josh Gondelman. You can find his new letters. That's marvelous. On substack. Hi, Josh.

[Josh Gondelman]

Hello. Thank you so much for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

So as we mark the fifth year anniversary of the beginning of lockdown, imagine this five years ago.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

What do you remember from that time?

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, gosh. I mean, there is a substantial amount that I have blotted out of my memory with a rag. But I honestly think that it was such a hard time and there was so much loss and sadness. And the thing that got me through it was really cementing the fact that my wife and I really do get along. I think that was a really beautiful. I just was so lucky that during this horrible time I got to spend it with someone that I just loved to hang out with all day because that is what we had to do.

[Alison Stewart]

It's hard to talk about positive comments during this time, but when you think about it, when you really try to reflect on how we found joy, how we found friendship during a time of pandemics, how do you try to think about it?

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah, I mean, I really try to think about being fortunate to have made it through okay and in good health, while many, you know, many people were not as fortunate. But I do think of it as a time that I, like, cemented friendships with people that live far away because the world got so small that, weirdly, you know, I wasn't seeing people in my neighborhood. It wasn't like, oh, who's around? Let's all hang out. So it was being really mindful. I learned that, like, Zoom Game night is something that I love to do when I'm not allowed to leave the house, and probably not under other circumstances. My wife Maris always says that I'm such an I, not her. She doesn't say in the first person she says about me that I am such an extrovert that she's surprised that I didn't lose my mind more. And I was like, I did lose my mind a lot. It was a really, you know, really hard time, and I don't want to discount that. But, like, yeah, it was really beautiful to be like, oh, I can. As I cooked more, for sure for our household. And that was like a really. That's something that stuck. I definitely was a big, like, bodega sandwich for dinner guy before the pandemic started, and now I'm doing a little better. And it's also, like, some of the precaution things that feel. That felt so maybe over the top before that started. Like, I remember people seeing people who would wear the mask on an airplane and go, like, that's, you know, that's maybe a little much. And now I'm like, oh, I don't want your plane breath all over me. I am gonna do that maybe forever. Like, airplanes and subways are the places where I'm still the most diligent listeners.

[Alison Stewart]

Thinking back during the COVID lockdown, even if it was a difficult time, what is something positive that you've carried with you from that time? 212433, WNYC 212-433-9692. Maybe you found a new hobby, a career change. Maybe you had a child or you met someone. 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. Maybe you wrote a book that you wanted or you learned an instrument. We want to know how quarantine changed you. 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692. This was wild, Josh. Yesterday I got a voicemail. I started needlepointing. I always needlepoint, but I bought a big I love New York Needlepoint at the beginning of the pandemic. And I worked on that through the pandemic, through my sister's heart transplant.

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, my gosh.

[Alison Stewart]

Through my kidney transplant, through my brain surgery. So I've worked on it for five years.

[Josh Gondelman]

Wow.

[Alison Stewart]

I took it to be made into a pillow a few months back.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Got a call yesterday. It's done.

[Josh Gondelman]

Wow.

[Alison Stewart]

I'm going to pick it up tomorrow.

[Josh Gondelman]

What a, like, kind of five year anniversary capstone for this project.

[Alison Stewart]

I can't wait to find this pillow. I don't care if it looks ugly.

[Josh Gondelman]

No, that's amazing.

[Alison Stewart]

It's going right on my couch.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah. That's beautiful. Congratulations.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you pick up any new hobbies or.

[Josh Gondelman]

I honestly, I like, really learned that I am the same guy I always thought I was. We definitely, like, I cooked a little more, I baked a little more. I liked being mindful of doing that. My wife and I watched. We watch a lot of TV in the evenings. We watched all of Cheers. There's art. Arguably too much Cheers, but good for them.

[Alison Stewart]

You know, there's a lot of cheersing going on.

[Josh Gondelman]

Lot of cheersing. Yeah, for sure.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Sarah from Manhattan. Hi, Sarah, thank you so much for calling all of it. You're on the air.

[Ira Flatow]

Yes, hi, I'm from Maplewood, New Jersey. I just wanted to say that my son had gone off to college in 2019 and, you know, teenagers. He was gone, but then there was a shutdown. He came home. It was such a beautiful bonding experience. And he's still living with me today. He helped me over the years. My mom was ailing. She was 94, and he helped me take care of her. And he and I are just so much closer now. And I could cry just talking about it because it was such a beautiful thing.

[Alison Stewart]

Thank you so much for calling. I really appreciate it. Sarah from Maplewood. What were some surprising things that you found yourself able to find joy in?

[Josh Gondelman]

You know, I had a friend who kind of midway through the more isolated period of the pandemic, started doing diaper distribution in her in Brooklyn for families in need. There was like a food pantry situation and she had volunteered and people kept saying, she kept saying, like, what do you wish you had? And everyone said diapers. And so I did distro with her just the one time, but I've been like a regular donor. And I think, I think the kind of bubbling up of really robust mutual aid networks is something that is so beautiful and hopefully it seems durable through that period and beyond. And I think really Investing in local systems of support for people that need. It was a really wonderful growth that those networks became more dense and strong.

[Alison Stewart]

You're such a creative person. Josh, what did you notice about your level of creativity during the quarantine?

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh gosh, I was working full time. I was still working during quarantine at Desus and Mero on Showtime. Rest in peace to the show guys. Still alive, both of them. And you know, I felt like very proud of the team and how our showrunner Suzanne and head writer Mike and Dave were so ingenious about getting the show up and running remotely after only a two week downtime, which was pretty incredible. And just working with this great team of writers and producers and PAs to make the show happen remotely was such a challenge. And hearing what it meant to the people watching to see Desus and Mero on TV and have that feel fun and normal was a real. And then afterwards I would just like we got really into at home cocktails. So it was, you know, the creativity kind of ended when the work day ended. And then it just became like playing Scrabble until we got too sleepy.

[Alison Stewart]

This one says Every day at 12:15pm I hosted a one song dance party on Zoom. It started with a couple of friends and ballooned. At its height it was more than 100 people zooming in from around the world. It was all about finding a little bit of joy. And even now a core group of us still do this dance party daily during the week. We are celebrating our fifth year anniversary on April 6th.

[Josh Gondelman]

That's really beautiful. And I love that people found like glimmers of wonderful things to hold onto. Like this was born out of sadness and a lack of opportunity and fear. But it turned into this beautiful, enduring thing.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Cindy. Hi Cindy, thank you so much for calling all of it.

[Ira Flatow]

Hi. Two things have endured since COVID One is a weekly Boggle game online and the other is a book club that started when we were Zooming with our friends from London and everybody ran. We ran out of things to talk about because we weren't doing anything. So we started a book club and we read a book every week starting with Middle March. We went right through up to the present and we're still doing it. Not every week cause we're a little busier but we're still doing it.

[Alison Stewart]

Love that.

[Josh Gondelman]

That's beautiful. Cindy, thanks for calling Middlemarch a perfect book to choose. With the shutdown starting directly in the middle of March. We also we were a big Boggle household during Quarantine but when it's just two of you, there's, like, only. You have to hope that it's a night where you're kind of playing at the same level. Cause there are only so many rounds of Boggle. You can win or lose to one other person in a row before you're like, that's enough Boggle for the night. I'm gonna watch a couple more episodes of Cheers.

[Alison Stewart]

I've had enough of you.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've had enough of me sometimes.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Muhammad. He's in New Jersey somewhere. Hi, Mohammed. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Ira Flatow]

Sure. Hi. How are you doing?

[Alison Stewart]

Great.

[Ira Flatow]

Okay. Well, my experience is I moved to Pennsylvania right before the pandemic. Like, probably January before the shutdown. And I used to work in New York. So I was commuting from Pennsylvania to New York a couple of days a week. And when the pandemic happened, we shifted to a full remote work environment, and I had a lot of free time on my head. So the first thing I started is I built a chicken coop and I start raising birds. I had chicken. I had goose. Geese, I had ducks. I still have some birds till today. And I haven't bought a single egg since 2019. And the second thing I got into was learning how to make wine and beer. And I make wine and beer and gift my friends. I don't drink, but I gift my friends with wine and beer.

[Alison Stewart]

You sound like a busy guy.

[Josh Gondelman]

That's really lovely. I think you picked the right thing to give to friends out of your two hobbies, too. Outside of 12 Days of Christmas, birds, I think, are a much more fraught gift. But that's really lovely.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Alisa from Brooklyn. Hi, Alisa. Thanks for calling, all of it.

[Ira Flatow]

Hi, thank you so much for taking my call.

[Josh Gondelman]

So nice to hear from you.

[Ira Flatow]

Yeah, totally. So I only can describe the last five years as, like, being reborn. I never went to college until spring of 2020. I decided that I would completely change my life and went to college and kind of plowed through it as fast as humanly possible and got my first undergraduate degree in general psychology. And then I rolled right over into a master's program and finished about three months ago. And I would never have been able to do this at any other point in my life. And so for me, it was taking. It was just like jumping off that cliff into doing something that I always wanted to do. So it wound up being a really incredible experience for me.

[Alison Stewart]

So glad to hear that from you.

[Josh Gondelman]

That's really amazing. Congratulations on your recent master's degree too. You said very recently. Cool.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Josh Gondelman. You're my guest as well. We are thinking back on the quarantine. What is something you've carried with you from that time that was positive? Our phone number is 212-433-WNYC 212-433 after 9692. And we'll get back to you after a quick break. This is all you are listening to, all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is Josh Gondelman. He's a writer and comedian. His substack is called that's Marvelous. We're looking at silver linings that came out of the quarantine. We've been spending all week looking back at the quarantine five years ago. It happened this week. It's so interesting. This one says early on in Covid, my young daughter and I started doing nightly zoom calls with my parents to stay connected, to give us something to do. And definitely for me, who was really struggling as a single parent trapped at home, we were still doing them. Over the last five years, I have probably talked to them more than any other time in my adult life combined.

[Josh Gondelman]

That's amazing. I didn't see my parents in person for a really long time. They're both very cautious and live far enough away that we couldn't just meet up in a park. So it really brought to mind and kept in the forefront of my mind how important that relationship is and how grateful I am whenever I get to visit them.

[Alison Stewart]

This is an odd question. Did you make any friends who were your Covid friends and then maybe now they're not?

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, that's a good question. There were a couple people that we would see around because we could see them outside. So like people in the neighborhood, we would do like food drop offs with each other. Like, oh, we made too many of this and did too much of that. And that has fallen away a little bit. The kind of like it snowed. I made cookies. I was already home. My friend Steph came by one of the not to paint too sloppy a picture of myself, but one of the like moments that was a real glimmer was I my friend Steph and I both ended up baking the same day. It was like there was a little bit of snow one night in like December 2020 or January 2021. And so I made brownies and she made cookies and she came by and we traded and then we did each a Little shot of whiskey on my sidewalk in front of my apartment.

[Alison Stewart]

Perfect. Yeah, that is perfect. Let's talk to Trey. Hey, Trey, thanks for calling, all of it. You're on the air.

[Ira Flatow]

Thanks so much for having me. So my Covid thing that I started doing that's still doing is I love to walk and take long walks in the morning, which was super helpful when we're kind of trapped inside to get outside and get some fresh air. But I would make appointments with old friends, and so they would walk wherever they were in another state, another town, and we would catch up for a full hour while we were walking. And it just made me think, you know, how nice it is to have that dedicated time to really catch up with a friend. Instead of rushing and catching up for over brunch once a year. This was more like once a week, once every two weeks. And this is something that I still do with a few friends, and they've become so dear to me and me to them, and it's really been a lovely benefit of that hard time of.

[Alison Stewart]

COVID Thank you so much for calling in. Let's talk to Pauline in Queens. Hi, Pauline. Thanks for calling. You're on the air.

[Ira Flatow]

Hi, Allison. I grew up watching you on MTV News, and now we've come full circle. You're on wnyc. And, Josh, I love you when you're on. Wait, wait, don't tell me.

[Josh Gondelman]

Oh, thank you so much.

[Ira Flatow]

So I was about 190 pounds. Covid hit. We worked remotely. So I started, like, exploring my neighborhood, walking, exercise, eating healthier, doing yoga, and I lost about 40 pounds. And I have continued to maintain that. And most people probably gained a few pounds during COVID Luckily, I went the other way and actually improved my health. So I always would try to look for the small shimmer of light in that sucky time.

[Alison Stewart]

We are so happy that you're on a health journey.

[Josh Gondelman]

Absolutely. I was gonna say my wife started doing. The combination of what these previous callers did is that she would go for long walks every morning. Kind of when I would start work, she was more freelance, and she did the opposite. Catch up with old friends on those walks. She would listen to an audiobook so that she didn't have to talk to anybody. Cause, I don't know, she gets a lot of talking at home with me. A professional and amateur talking enthusiast.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, I was gonna ask you, you know, you write comedy. You write comedy for people.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

When you started to be able to perform again.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you notice anything different about your comedy?

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah. I mean, People were. Audiences were so enthusiastic and happy to be out, and it was really nice. And I appreciated just the privilege of being able to be in a room full of people and talk to them. And I really had a renewed gratitude for getting to perform.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to a fellow comedian. His name is Dan calling from Huntington. Hi, Dan.

[Ira Flatow]

Hello. Can you hear me?

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah, you're on the air.

[Ira Flatow]

Wonderful. Yeah, I mean, I say comedian. I'm former comedian. I kind of hung the hat up. I think I can go back. No one misses me. But a fellow comedian, Tony Deyo, decided to create like, a trivia zoom call, and he invited, like, 50 comedians because everyone. No one could perform. And it was awesome. And he would divide us up into five and people from LA and Boston and New York. And you'd see some people you knew for 20 years and other people you didn't. And at some point, like Brian Regan would show up, all the writers from Conan, all the writers from Kimmel, and it was Ophir Eisenberg, your own NPR acting other. It was awesome. It was so wonderful to see everyone's face. And you wanted to win. You wanted to win trivia. I mean, that was first and foremost. And we. And after it all. After it all died, everyone back performing. We now do it quarterly, you know, or, I mean, because people are busy again, and we go back like, we should do this more, and then we don't, you know, but now it's like kind of one to four times a year, and it's still exciting to do it. And I think that's the best. One of the. One of the best things that came out of COVID for me.

[Alison Stewart]

Loved it. Dan got a couple laughs out of us, too. I'd say that's great.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah, yeah. Still got it, Tony. Yeah, Tony Dayo's awesome. I was. I'm too competitive for this kind of stuff. We played a little bit. We did code names with or code words with a bunch of old Boston comedy friends who have scattered across the country. So friends in LA and New York and still in Boston, up in Portland, Oregon. And it was a really fun way to reconnect. But I do notice myself, as Dan said, just wanting to win. And I'm like, I can't put other people through my maniac competitiveness.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's talk to Brendan from South Orange, New Jersey. Hi, Brendan. Thank you so much for calling all of it. Oh, he's listening to the radio. Never mind. With Brendan. I want to ask you about. Obviously, TikTok and Instagram became huge during the Pandemic. Did you see anything on Instagram or on TikTok that you tried, you know, Sourdough, all that kind of stuff.

[Josh Gondelman]

Interesting. I did a few Allison Roman recipes from her cookbooks and her newsletter. So those were the ones the Internet got me. And I was like, all right, I'll try this. And always a hit. Always a hit.

[Alison Stewart]

How have you experienced New York differently now that we've somewhat re emerged? We're on our fifth anniversary. We have to look forward. Yeah, hopefully.

[Josh Gondelman]

I have a real renewed gratitude for, again, like I said, performing for people, but just being around people. And I really have been soaking it up. I've been on kind of a flexible schedule lately, unless somebody wants to hire me, in which case I will gladly make it less flexible. But it's been such a treat to really have long catch ups with friends and it just means so much to me to be out and explore, whether it's restaurants or just hang out in the park and really enjoy the green open public spaces in the city. That's been really great. And then again, those places of community care have really been helpful, even if I don't have the time to do it, to donate a little money there on a regular basis of just like, oh, it takes the upkeep of the people here to keep everybody as safe and healthy as possible. And that's really like, really reinvesting in the local.

[Alison Stewart]

Let's try to get a couple more calls in here. Laura's calling us from Harlem. Hi, Laura.

[Ira Flatow]

Hi.

[Alison Stewart]

How are you doing? Great.

[Ira Flatow]

So, yeah, I got a. I had a baby during the pandemic and he was due in January and it allowed me since we were. I was, I'm an architect and we were working remote. I didn't lose any of my, like that career jump many moms lose when they have a young kid. So I was able to just maintain working as like my office stayed remote for an extended period of time and then there was more opportunities to work from home. And then since then, I've now worked for myself and have my own office. So it's like I didn't lose any experience. That can sometimes happen when you are forced to automatically go back after you have a kid.

[Alison Stewart]

Sounds like a good plan for you.

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah. Congratulations on the new office and that. I was gonna say new baby, but I guess that's a four year old, five year old now.

[Alison Stewart]

In our last moment, Josh, what are the good things about. You know what, you can still stay in?

[Josh Gondelman]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I did get better at staying in, staying in that is huge for me. I was terrible at staying in before, and now I'm much better at it. And I'm very. I learned. That is my new skill. I learned how to sit still a little bit.

[Alison Stewart]

Same with me. My guest has been Josh Gondelman. You can subscribe to his substack. That's marvelous. Thanks, Josh.

[Josh Gondelman]

Thank you so much, Alison. Always such a joy.

[Alison Stewart]

Coming up on tomorrow's show, actor Jason Isaacs will talk about the new season of White Lotus and composer Hans Zimmer. Hans Zimmer's gonna be here. And that is all of it for today. I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening, and I appreciate you. I will meet you back here next time.

[Ira Flatow]

WNYC Studios is supported by Carnegie hall, which presents the Cleveland Orchestra with Franz Walsermust performing Stravinsky's petrushka and Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. March 19.

[Josh Gondelman]

Tickets@carnegie hall.org this is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the Science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first and foremost with.

[Alison Stewart]

Important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect.

[Josh Gondelman]

For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.