I Need a Critic: May 2025 Edition

Summary

Critics at Large | The New Yorker Episode: I Need a Critic: May 2025 Edition
Release Date: May 8, 2025

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Introduction

In the highly anticipated May 2025 edition of Critics at Large’s "I Need a Critic" segment, The New Yorker’s seasoned critics—Nomi Frye, Alex Schwartz, and Vincent Cunningham—resume their beloved advice hotline. This episode delves into listeners' cultural dilemmas and questions, providing insightful recommendations across literature, film, television, and more. The hosts also celebrate The New Yorker’s centenary, highlighting their contributions to the magazine’s legacy.

Celebrating a Century: The New Yorker Turns 100

Nomi Frye kicks off the episode by announcing The New Yorker’s 100th anniversary, featuring special themed issues throughout the year. She mentions standout contributions from the hosts:

• Vincent Cunningham penned a piece on the New York Post titled "Why I Love to Love It."
• Alex Schwartz wrote a commentary on New York’s wonders and introduced a portfolio by photographer Gillian Lobb.
• Nomi Frye encourages listeners to explore the centennial issue and subscribe to The New Yorker for the full array of content.

Listener Advisory Segments

The core of the episode features the trio addressing listener-submitted questions. Each segment is thoughtfully timed, with notable quotes highlighted for emphasis.

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1. Emily's Reading Conundrum

Timestamp: [06:57]
Caller: Emily
Question: Struggles with reading complex literary fiction and seeks recommendations for quality, fast-paced books.

Responses:

• Nomi Frye suggests genre fiction, specifically noir authors like Jim Thompson and Raymond Chandler, emphasizing their engaging plots and concise narratives.
  “They will keep you glued to your seat, to the page, but they also won't be like, whatever, shitty airport books.” — [09:03]

• Alex Schwartz recommends short stories, citing Lori Moore and Edgar Allan Poe, advocating for manageable reading sessions akin to watching a movie.
  “Go short. There are some great short stories out there that pack everything you're looking for into a small space.” — [08:20]

• Vincent Cunningham advises biographies and memoirs for their straightforward narratives and engaging real-life stories.
  “When I really don't feel like reading or I don't feel like, you know, dealing with a complex text, I go biography or memoir.” — [10:08]

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2. Chuck's View on Fatherhood in Media

Timestamp: [10:32]
Caller: Chuck
Question: Seeks examples of fatherhood depicted positively in contemporary media, moving beyond the Homer Simpson archetype.

Responses:

• Alex Schwartz recommends Roald Dahl’s Danny, the Champion of the World, highlighting the strong, loving relationship between a father and son.
  “Danny idolizes his father, and his father also thinks his son is truly fantastic.” — [14:38]

• Vincent Cunningham suggests Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead novels, focusing on the deep, meaningful communication between father and son through letter writing.
  “It's a distillation of what parenthood is about, which is transmission of not only values, but experiences.” — [12:53]

• Nomi Frye points to Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, which portrays a single father’s heartfelt but imperfect efforts to support his teenage daughter.
  “He can't really help her, but the father tries.” — [12:22]

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3. Lily's Guilt Over Unread Books

Timestamp: [14:38]
Caller: Lily from Athens, Greece
Question: Feels guilty about not reading all the books she purchases each year and seeks ways to alleviate this guilt.

Responses:

• Vincent Cunningham emphasizes viewing her book collection as a personal library that reflects her interests and desires, rather than a checklist.
  “These books that you own are as much for the future as much as they are for you in the moment.” — [17:21]

• Nomi Frye advises letting go of the "optimizing mindset" and appreciating the value of what she has already read.
  “Why not try to think about all that you are already getting from the books that you are already reading?” — [16:11]

• Alex Schwartz offers a "tough love" approach, encouraging Lily to accept her reading pace and prioritize enjoyment over quantity.
  “Snap right out of it... Who cares? In the end, you gotta just say, here I am.” — [16:53]

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4. Andy's Binge-Watching While Eating

Timestamp: [18:06]
Caller: Andy
Question: Seeks TV show recommendations to watch while eating, transitioning from informational YouTube content to more fictional entertainment.

Responses:

• Alex Schwartz recommends Midnight Diner, a Japanese series available on Netflix, which combines engaging character stories with visually appealing cooking scenes.
  “It's comforting, it's delicious, it's wonderful. It will make you feel less alone.” — [18:59]

• Vincent Cunningham humorously opposes watching food-related shows while eating to avoid conflicting appetites but nonetheless supports the recommendation.
  “The risk there... is the opening up of a gap between the enjoyment that I'm having with my food and the potential enjoyment that is being portrayed on screen.” — [21:02]

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5. Clara's Search for Existential Media

Timestamp: [23:03]
Caller: Clara
Question: Looks for media that explore self-centered existentialism and existential narcissism, particularly in the context of mid-20s anxieties about mediocrity.

Responses:

• Nomi Frye recommends Gustave Flaubert’s Sentimental Education, highlighting the protagonist’s personal struggles amidst the backdrop of societal upheaval.
  “Frederic is thinking of himself and his love life, which is messed up.” — [25:07]

• Alex Schwartz suggests George Eliot’s Middlemarch, emphasizing its exploration of personal growth and the unexpected paths life can take.
  “Life is long and full of surprises... read Middlemarch. Enjoy those amazing characters.” — [26:08]

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6. Mary on Good vs. Bad Acting

Timestamp: [27:43]
Caller: Mary
Question: Seeks to understand the hallmarks of good acting and how to discern it from poor performances.

Responses:

• Alex Schwartz explains that perceptions of good acting are subjective and culturally influenced, emphasizing that good acting should evoke genuine emotion.
  “Good acting excites you.” — [28:23]

• Vincent Cunningham highlights the integration of artistry and the actor’s ability to convey more than just the script, using Kara Young as an example of dynamic performance.
  “She can look at the text and decide, make a lot of interesting choices that just change your conception of what the play or the thing even was.” — [30:57]

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7. Flora’s Quest for Morality Without Religion

Timestamp: [30:58]
Caller: Flora
Question: As a non-religious individual seeking moral frameworks, Flora requests recommendations on ethical systems detached from religious contexts.

Responses:

• Nomi Frye draws parallels between Charles Schulz’s Peanuts and moral communities, emphasizing the consistent behavior and problem-solving among the characters.
  “It's a place where things get worked out between the characters.” — [32:43]

• Vincent Cunningham recommends the film Reformed by Paul Schrader, which explores a pastor’s moral crisis juxtaposed with environmental activism.
  “It’s a really great film and I recommend it wholeheartedly.” — [34:43]

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8. Hillary’s Integration of Pop Culture in Sermons

Timestamp: [35:25]
Caller: Hillary
Question: As a Unitarian Universalist minister, Hillary struggles with incorporating pop culture into her sermons amidst a world filled with suffering and anxiety.

Responses:

• Vincent Cunningham suggests leveraging pop culture irrespective of its emotional tone, citing Melek Thomas who successfully integrated rapper Glorilla’s lyrics into his sermons.
  “Pop culture can be mined regardless of emotional valence... read the signs of the times in whatever way they can.” — [37:16]

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9. George’s Emotional Media for Therapy

Timestamp: [38:42]
Caller: George from the Netherlands
Question: Seeks media that can assist in processing emotions during therapy, aiming for content that allows expression without being overwhelmingly tragic.

Responses:

• Vincent Cunningham recommends the television show I’m Sorry, starring Pamela Adlon, for its authentic portrayal of family relationships and emotional depth without being excessively bleak.
  “It is a beautiful archive of family relationships... you will cry if you allow yourself to.” — [39:35]

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10. Monica’s Need for Life-Affirming Poetry and Music

Timestamp: [40:47]
Caller: Monica
Question: Desires recommendations for life-affirming poetry collections or lyrically dense music albums to find emotional upliftment.

Responses:

• Alex Schwartz recommends Sharon Olds’ Odes, praising its linguistic beauty and celebration of everyday life, alongside TJ Douglas’ album Dying, which offers poignant and comforting music.
  “Embrace it, and I hope more people discover and love this album.” — [41:50]

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Hosts' Personal Dilemmas and Recommendations

In addition to assisting listeners, the hosts share their own cultural preferences and dilemmas:

• Alex Schwartz seeks music to aid his writing process, recommending Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso for his non-distracting lyrical content.

  “He is singing in Brazilian Portuguese. So you're not distracted by knowing what he's singing about.” — [50:13]

• Nomi Frye grapples with finding suitable music to accompany her writing, sharing a mutual love for Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Beach Boys.
  “I love it so much... I just bought the David Crosby autobiography from 1988.” — [51:53]

• Vincent Cunningham discusses his challenges with writing accompanied by music and suggests tunes that flow seamlessly without causing distraction.

  “I used to listen to stuff that I knew so well that it would just kind of slip through my brain.” — [51:18]

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Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Nomi Frye and Alex Schwartz reflect on the value of community through shared cultural experiences and the importance of connecting with listeners. They express gratitude towards their audience for engaging with the "I Need a Critic" segment and encourage continued participation through voice memos.

Nomi Frye concludes with a teaser for the next episode focused on the Pope, while also promoting The New Yorker’s other podcasts.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “Success for us means that we will solve those deeper issues, but to share art with somebody is to offer somebody a companion.” — Vincent Cunningham [03:15]

• “Good acting excites you.” — Alex Schwartz [28:23]

• “We have all of these characters that are living together... it's a place where things get worked out between the characters.” — Nomi Frye [32:43]

• “Snap right out of it. Snap right out of it... Who cares? In the end, you gotta just say, here I am.” — Alex Schwartz [16:53]

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Final Thoughts

This Critics at Large episode exemplifies The New Yorker’s commitment to fostering thoughtful discourse around contemporary cultural issues. By addressing a diverse array of listener questions, the hosts provide nuanced recommendations that resonate on personal and societal levels. Whether grappling with literary choices, navigating moral frameworks, or seeking emotional catharsis, listeners are guided with expertise and empathy, cementing Critics at Large as an indispensable cultural companion.

Transcript

[Nomi Frye]

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[Alex Schwartz]

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[Nomi Frye]

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[Alex Schwartz]

Hi, I'm New Yorker cartoonist and dog dad, Jason Adam Katzenstein. So why am I getting all of.

[Vincent Cunningham]

These ads for cat food? It's ridiculous. One of the hardest parts about B2B marketing is reaching the right audience. I'm the wrong audience for these cat food ads.

[Alex Schwartz]

When you want to reach the right.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Professionals, you should use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, and that's where it stands apart from other ad buys. You can target your buyers by job title, industry, company role, seniority skills, company revenue, all the professionals you need to reach in one place. So stop wasting your budget on the wrong audience. Stop sending me cat ads and start.

[Alex Schwartz]

Targeting the right professionals only on LinkedIn ads.

[Vincent Cunningham]

LinkedIn will even give you a $100 credit on your next campaign, so you.

[Alex Schwartz]

Can try it yourself.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Just go to LinkedIn.com New Yorker that's LinkedIn.com New Yorker terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads. This is Critics at Large, a podcast from the New Yorker. I'm Vincent Cunningham.

[Alex Schwartz]

I'm Alex Schwartz.

[Nomi Frye]

And I'm Nomi Frye. Each week on this show, we make sense of what's happening in the culture right now and how we got here. Hi, guys.

[Alex Schwartz]

Hello.

[Vincent Cunningham]

There we go.

[Nomi Frye]

How's everybody feeling?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Feeling may ish excited for this episode.

[Alex Schwartz]

Are we fired up and ready to go?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Ready to go.

[Nomi Frye]

Ready to go.

[Alex Schwartz]

Ready to go, Vincent.

[Nomi Frye]

So today is our hotly anticipated return to our I Need a Critic episode. We first did this last October, and now we're back, baby.

[Alex Schwartz]

Mm.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, yeah. Essentially, it's our advice hotline, you know, our critics at large advice hotline. And this is honestly, you know, one of my favorite kinds of episodes that we do. I just love to hear our listeners. I love to hear from our listeners. I love to hear our listeners voices, their opinions, their thoughts. It's really, like, thrilling. They're out there.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yeah. I don't want to sound smug. However, we have the best listeners. They have such interesting thoughts and questions, and everyone just challenges my own thinking. And I'm really excited to hear what they have for us today.

[Vincent Cunningham]

A real generous bunch of callers.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah, I know. So over the past few weeks and months, we've been collecting Submissions from our dear listeners about, you know, whatever cultural concerns or questions or dilemmas they have coming up in their lives that they want help with from us today. We all get to hear what you guys sent in and we're gonna try our best to get you some answers. What does success look like for us here in this room?

[Alex Schwartz]

Ooh.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Well, you know, people are bringing to us not only their desires for new art, but really, like, questions of, I don't know, existential, spiritual variety. They're asking questions, deep questions about themselves. Yeah, I can't say that success for us means that we will solve those deeper issues, but to share art with somebody is to offer somebody a companion. And that's all I want to do, be a companion in thinking and looking and reading and seeing. That's it.

[Nomi Frye]

That's beautiful.

[Alex Schwartz]

I think that's exactly right.

[Nomi Frye]

That is what it's all about, you guys. So that's today on Critics at Large. I need a critic. May 2025 edition.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Let's go.

[Alex Schwartz]

Let's hit.

[Nomi Frye]

You guys. Before we start today, let's take a minute to talk about what's going on at the magazine. Because it's a special occasion.

[Alex Schwartz]

The New Yorker is 100 years old. You may have heard some talk, murmurings. Some murmurings, exactly. And to celebrate this momentous occasion, the New Yorker is rolling out a few special themed issues to celebrate the centenary over the year. And hot on newsstands and news feeds, I dare say this very week is the New York issue and all three of us are in it.

[Nomi Frye]

We are. We are all in it. There's a great piece from our very own Vincent Cunningham about the New York Post and why he loves to love it.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I'm sorry, but I do.

[Nomi Frye]

It's okay. We all love it. I think maybe. Maybe not as much as Vincent. Not as much as Vincent. Maybe. Okay, Alex. Our very own Alex Schwartz has written a comment opening the issue about New York and its wonders. And I appended a short introduction to a spectacular portfolio from the photographer Gillian Lobb, who has shot prominent New Yorkers in their living rooms. Incredible photographs. And that's just, you know, that's just us. There's much more to discover in the issue, so I encourage you, everyone, to check it out and you can find it on new yorker.com or buy a hard copy. And we'd be remiss if we didn't take this opportunity to say, subscribe, goddammit, if you don't already.

[Alex Schwartz]

Well, I gently say you might wanna subscribe, because, look, it's the Critics in print. And if you love the critics in audio, you're gonna love the critics in print. I gotta tell you, when I saw that the three of us were. Were united in this issue, my heart leapt.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I didn't even realize it was happening until I. Until I saw the issue.

[Alex Schwartz]

Exactly.

[Nomi Frye]

It was a very pleasant surprise.

[Alex Schwartz]

And we said to ourselves, we must let the listeners know we don't just pod guys.

[Vincent Cunningham]

We also do sometimes scribble.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah, we do scribble. Okay, but now it's advice time. Because we don't just pod, we don't just scribble. We are Also, much like Dr. Drew Pinsky, advice givers.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I would not have been able to drop Dr. Drew's last name.

[Nomi Frye]

I mean, it's Dr. Drew Prinsky, you guys. And we each have a bunch of voicemails that listeners have sent in, and we're gonna take turns playing those. And who wants to start?

[Vincent Cunningham]

I got something good for you. I've got somebody named Emily.

[Alex Schwartz]

Okay.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And she's got a really good conundrum for you.

[Nomi Frye]

We're listening, Emily. Hey, guys.

[Vincent Cunningham]

So here's my situation.

[Alex Schwartz]

I love reading, but I suck at it. I just don't have the wherewithal or energy or patience for prosaic or highly complex literary fiction.

[Nomi Frye]

But I don't want to read shitty books.

[Alex Schwartz]

Do you guys have any recommendations for.

[Nomi Frye]

Quality, fast paced, readable books that aren't.

[Alex Schwartz]

For or written by dummies? Thanks. Yep, It's a pickle.

[Vincent Cunningham]

This is a pickle.

[Alex Schwartz]

Oh, really? I'm like, yes, for sure. You can do it, Emily.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I just mean a pickle as like a personal problem. I can understand. Oh, totally why this is a problem for Emily, but I do think that we have. I'm seeing answers just flit and run across the face of the.

[Nomi Frye]

I feel like we have some answers and I feel like this is something that Emily, you know, we all deal with, especially nowadays. Like, I look back at the halcyon days as a youngster, you know, before the phone kids, before a full time job, you know, like a time when I like, fucking read. Like Thackeray's like Vanity Fair in like a week. You know what I mean? Like, who was I. Whoa. I'm just saying the reading flowed fast and hard.

[Alex Schwartz]

Wow. Again, wow.

[Nomi Frye]

And now that's certainly not as easy as it once was. And so this is a conundrum, Vincent. You're right. That I think we probably all face.

[Alex Schwartz]

Oh, yeah.

[Vincent Cunningham]

It's kind of emblematic of the times.

[Nomi Frye]

It is emblematic of the times for Me, One thing that makes it easier is I go to genre. And by genre, I mean noir, okay? By writers such as Jim Thompson, James M. Cain, you know, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett. They're often not very long. They're filled with thrills. You know, it's like that, like, old joke, old middle school joke. Like sex. Now that I have your attention, like, let me tell you about running for, like, class president. You know? Remember that?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nomi Frye]

So this is kind of like what these books do. I mean, sex and crime and, you know, murder and all of that. All of these good things. They will keep you glued to your seat, to the page, but they also won't be like, whatever, shitty airport books. That's my suggestion.

[Alex Schwartz]

I like it.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I love it. Alex.

[Alex Schwartz]

Well, I'm just gonna say to Emily, don't fight the problem. Work with the problem. If attention span is an issue, have you thought about a short story? Go short. There are some great short stories out there that pack everything you're looking for into a small space. You know, maybe read some Lori Moore. Maybe go to a classic, Birds of America. Read some Lori Moore. You get all that beautiful character development, all that wry language. You get it all, but you get it short. Edgar Allan Poe loved the short story because he thought that the ideal reading experience should just be in one sitting, like seeing a movie or watching an episode of tv. There's no reason to drag it out forever. Go short.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Fair enough. Emily. When I really don't feel like reading or I don't feel like, you know, dealing with a complex text, I go biography or memoir, because they're a parade of names and situations and scenarios and gossip. That's just fun. That's where I would go. Thank you for your offering, and trust me, there are many, many, many behind you.

[Alex Schwartz]

Oh, yeah. So this comes from Chuck. Chuck has a question about fathers. Okay, let's listen.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Dear New Yorker critics, my kids are well into their 20s, and when they were small, I noted that the archetype of a father seemingly was Homer Simpson, and it bugged me. So I'm wondering if there are examples that would present fatherhood in a positive light in this day and age.

[Alex Schwartz]

I love this question. I will just say, because I do think this listener is onto something. There is a kind of under depiction of the father who's maybe more active in the way that a lot of contemporary fathers are.

[Nomi Frye]

So I'm curious.

[Alex Schwartz]

What do you guys think? Does anything come to mind?

[Nomi Frye]

What comes immediately to mind is Bo Burnham's eighth grade from a Few years back where, you know, it's interesting, I think, Alex, what you said about fathers and their role in their children's lives. It often comes to the fore when there's a single dad, right? When there's. When the mother, as it is in this movie, in this particular movie, which is about a girl who's going through puberty, is in middle school in eighth grade, and it's kind of hellish, and she has all of these, like, social media problems. It's kind of gently comedic, but also tragic and not tragic, but, you know, sort of like heart rending in the right ways. And she lives with her father. Her father is the main caregiver. And, you know, it's a touching depiction because he can't really help her, but the father tries.

[Alex Schwartz]

I stopped being scared about whether you were going to be okay a long time ago.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Do you know why?

[Alex Schwartz]

Because of you.

[Nomi Frye]

You made me brave, you know. And it's kind of a very touching depiction of that attempt, which is kind of sure to fail, but does have some value.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I would also recommend the Gilead novels by Marilynne Robinson. The first book is about John Ames. He's a Congregationalist pastor in a small town. And the book is written as a series of letters between John Ames, an older man who has learned that he is going to die, and his very young son. And therefore, it is in some ways, like what fatherhood is really about. It's this distillation of what parenthood is about, which is transmission of not only values, but experiences. He's like, trying to tell this kid where he comes from in a very literal way before he dies, which kind of is what parenthood is.

[Alex Schwartz]

Ooh. I love these recommendations, and I have only one of my own to add, and it's the Roald Dahl book. Danny Champion of the World. Usually Roald Dahlia. The parents he created are horrible, miserable, nasty, don't like kids. And in Danny Champion of the World, he did exactly the opposite. It's about a young boy who lives with his father. As Nomi was saying, you know, often in these cases, there is no mother around. It's this kind of single relationship. And that's the case here. And they have a wonderful relationship. Danny idolizes his father, and his father also thinks his son is truly fantastic. And you see how a young man blossoms under that kind of love in the book. It's not sentimental because it's Roald Dahl, but that is something that I love about it. And the challenges that they go through are from the external world. They're not about disappointment in their own relationship or falling short. And it's just fabulous. And I think it's well worth reading at any age, really.

[Nomi Frye]

So I have a caller. It's Lily. She is from Athens, Greece. I love Athens. Lily, thank you for calling and leaving a message all the way from the cradle of civilization.

[Alex Schwartz]

Fabulous.

[Nomi Frye]

Fabulous. And let's listen to Lily's question. Hello, dear critics, my question is the question that cannot be answered. I think it's a question as old as time, or at least as old as readership. Oh, man, I read a lot of books. Every year I read more books than the previous year. My to be read list, however, keeps growing and growing and growing and never stops. My question is, how do I get rid of the guilt of not reading all the books that I buy every year? Thank you. Wow. I mean, guilt. How does one get rid of guilt? If we knew how to answer that.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Lily, I certainly wouldn't be a writer if I knew how to do that.

[Nomi Frye]

I know.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Are you kidding me?

[Nomi Frye]

And the guilt about not reading enough is very familiar. But I think one thing that I'd say is if we can try to. To let go even just a little bit of this kind of, like, optimizing mindset, I guess, Right?

[Alex Schwartz]

Yes, right.

[Nomi Frye]

I mean, because it is really prevalent in every aspect of our lives. But I think there is something also toxic about trying to reach a goal that is, frankly, unreachable. You know, why not try to think about all that you are already getting from the books that you are already reading? Why not feel good about yourself? I'm speaking to myself as much as I am to you, Lily.

[Alex Schwartz]

Let's face it, Lily, if that didn't work for you, that very accepting, warm hug of a response, I'd like to try a little tough love.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, nice.

[Alex Schwartz]

Lily, I respect you, but I think you're humble bragging just a little bit. Oh, you have a long list of books that you read every year, and each year you read more than the year before. And still you're putting this pressure upon yourself. And I would say, lily, snap out of it. Snap right out of it.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Cut it out.

[Alex Schwartz]

Cut it out. Because you know what? Who cares? In the end, you gotta just say, here I am. This is my time on earth. You know, and that's great.

[Vincent Cunningham]

That's that.

[Alex Schwartz]

That's it.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I think that you should think of the books. Cause the specificity of the question was not reading the books that I buy. And so what I think everybody should really think about is that when you buy books you are amassing a personal library.

[Nomi Frye]

Absolutely.

[Vincent Cunningham]

A concept which I think our mania for the minimal and the useful and the utilitarian has sort of erased from our minds. But you are amassing something that is an archive of your interests and desires as much as you are amassing reading content for yourself.

[Nomi Frye]

That's absolutely true.

[Vincent Cunningham]

These books that you own are as much for the future as much as they are for you in the moment.

[Alex Schwartz]

Beautiful. All right, coming at you. Hot Andy. Andy has a question that is to the point. Okay. And I think we can come up with some answers. Let's hear it. Hey, so I like to watch YouTube.

[Nomi Frye]

Videos while I eat. Mostly just, like, video essays and, like, informational stuff.

[Alex Schwartz]

But I found recently that I like to watch more fictional things while I'm eating. Like, recently, I watched an animated short while I was eating a sandwich, and I was like, oh, okay, this is very relaxing. So are there any TV shows that.

[Nomi Frye]

I could binge while I eat lunch.

[Alex Schwartz]

And dinner, if that makes any sense? Andy? It makes so much sense. You know, all the other questions, I'm like, yeah, like, I have an answer. I think it's a good answer. But there are a lot of other answers. I actually have the answer.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay. For this question.

[Vincent Cunningham]

What to watch while eating.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yeah, I'm really happy with my answer. And it's gonna change Andy's life. And, Andy, I wanna hear back from you about whether it has. It's the show Midnight Diner. Oh, have you guys seen Midnight Diner?

[Nomi Frye]

We have not. I have not.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I have not.

[Alex Schwartz]

So Midnight Diner is a Japanese show. It started in 2009. There are, I think, maybe something like 50 episodes. At some point, Netflix started developing it, and it became a little bit slicker, but still great. But all of it is available on Netflix, the original and the more Netflixified version. It takes place in Tokyo in the Shinjuku district, and it is about a diner that is open every night from midnight to 7am and the chef who runs this diner only has on his menu sake, pork. And maybe one other thing. I can't even remember, but he will make anything that his customers ask for, as long as he has the ingredients. And you get Yakuza guys, you get students, you get people of all stripes who are hanging out and bringing some of their stories to the Midnight Diner. And you get their specific food preferences, which in some cases are quite, you know, maybe particular. And in other cases, maybe something as simple as butter rice, which my husband and I then began to crave at all times. Rice with butter and a little bit of soy sauce.

[Nomi Frye]

Do you see the cooking happen?

[Alex Schwartz]

Yes.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay. Okay.

[Alex Schwartz]

And in the credit sequence, you see the most delicious, sizzling happen. But yes, master is cooking the entire time. And the cooking is very much happening. The serving is happening, the eating is happening. And it's all about a certain kind of nightlife. People coming together, getting to know a little bit of each other and their stories. It's comforting, it's delicious, it's wonderful. It will make you feel less alone and happy to share your meal with these folks.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Interesting.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah.

[Vincent Cunningham]

See I, number one, want to watch that so badly now. So thank you.

[Alex Schwartz]

You're welcome.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Number two, though, uh. Oh, I don't wanna watch. I don't wanna do food on food.

[Nomi Frye]

You don't?

[Vincent Cunningham]

I don't want food on food if I'm eating something and watching something that is food related.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, I love.

[Vincent Cunningham]

The risk there that this entails is the opening up of a gap between the enjoyment that I'm having with my food and the potential enjoyment that is being portrayed on screen. If what I'm watching is making me hungry in a different way than what I have will satisfy now I'm entering into a crisis.

[Nomi Frye]

That's so funny.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Do you understand? So you can make me more or less satisfied with what I have based on what's happening on screen. Therefore, no food related things while I'm eating food.

[Alex Schwartz]

Okay?

[Vincent Cunningham]

The right thing to watch while eating food. This is gonna be trad of me. This is just like.

[Nomi Frye]

Don't say like er or something, just.

[Alex Schwartz]

Hit us with it. We're waiting.

[Vincent Cunningham]

It's sports.

[Alex Schwartz]

Oh. Oh.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Right now we're in the middle of the NBA playoffs. Me and Alex are like, things are heating up. You're supposed to eat while you watch sports. It's the perfect thing. It's been done for centuries.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay. Absolutely not.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Sports are always on.

[Nomi Frye]

Absolutely not. Because the rejected capital R because the activity of the sport versus the passivity, the enjoyable, beautiful passivity of sitting on your ass and eating whatever delicious thing.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Baseball and a hot dog. What are you talking about?

[Nomi Frye]

Well, I don't know. I love food on food. One of my favorite things, especially as a child, was to read about food and eat food. So food on food.

[Alex Schwartz]

Vincent, I think you should feel happy that most people agree with you, just not the two people in this room.

[Vincent Cunningham]

That's fair enough.

[Nomi Frye]

You have more questions? Well, we have more answers. Critics at large from the New Yorker will be right ride back. Bonjour.

[Alex Schwartz]

It's Richard Lawson, chief critic at Vanity Fair and co host of Little Gold Men. The Cannes Film Festival is just around the corner and we're packing our mics to bring you fresh daily updates straight from the French Riviera. We'll kick off on Monday, May 19, sharing our takes on world premieres, giving you the inside scoop on red carpet moments, recapping exclusive parties and more. Follow Little Gold Men and tune in every day from Monday, May 19 through Friday, May 23 to hear all about the biggest moments at Canneso. I'm going to Clara. So Clara wrote in with an email. Clara has just turned 26 as of three days ago. And, Clara, I'm gonna do my absolute best to. To give you voice. Here I go. I need some good media about the self centered existentialism, Existential narcissism, question mark. That people, I question mark, feel in their mid-20s about contending with being average and ordinary and unremarkable and the things we do to cope with that. As an example, the scene I think captures this most is in the TV show Girls when Marnie, mid-20s and aimless, is asked what she wants to do most in the world and randomly decides she wants to be a singer. A decision that gave us her iconic rendition of Kanye West's Stronger. I'm trying to read more of the high school English class classics, so I'd love any recommendations in that category. In listlessness, Clara. In listlessness.

[Nomi Frye]

In listlessness.

[Alex Schwartz]

All right, guys, what do you got? What do you got? I got something, but I want to hear what you got first, Clara.

[Nomi Frye]

I would say Gustave Flaubert's Sentimental Education.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Great book.

[Nomi Frye]

Talk about listlessness.

[Alex Schwartz]

Talk about Frederic.

[Nomi Frye]

Frederic Moreau. Frederic Moreau, who is wandering around Paris.

[Alex Schwartz]

Oh, poor boy.

[Nomi Frye]

Is it the 1830s?

[Alex Schwartz]

It's coming up on 1848.

[Vincent Cunningham]

1848 coming up.

[Alex Schwartz]

Europe is feeling it. Revolution is a boil.

[Nomi Frye]

Revolution is a boil. Revolution is a boil. And yet. And yet Frederic is thinking of himself and his love life, which is messed up. Which is messed up. He has an impossible love object, a married woman. But it is about a kind of youthful listlessness, but also the illusions of youth that turn to disillusion towards the end of the book. I would say, and it is definitely, you said that you're looking for a classic, so I would say that that is definitely a classic that you should dive into.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yep. All right, Clara, so here we go. There comes a time in every young person's life when they must for the first time read Middlemarch. And you have come upon that time. And I want to say to you, congratulations, you're feeling a little Bit droopy. You're feeling like you're not so great, that maybe you thought you'd be somewhere by now, and you're not. You thought you were exceptional. You're seeing the world as big and there are other stars in it. Cool. Now it's time to read Middlemarch, George Eliot's novel from 1872. And this is a book, I think, that really can stand up to a lifetime of readings, as our wonderful colleague Rebecca Mead has made clear in her book My Life in Middlemarch. But it's a great time to read it now, because the premise of your question is that you feel that you're not remarkable, and you have to deal with that. And there are people in this book who feel the same way, who turn out to be remarkable in ways that they did not initially value. And there are people who, when you first meet them, seem to be exceptional and destined for great things, for whom life amounts to not very much. And the message of the book and the message I have for you is life is long and full of surprises. And just because you're feeling not so hot right now, three days after turning 26, and you're feeling that you haven't made good on the promise of life, of whatever you are at the beginning of the road, my friend. So read Middlemarch. Enjoy those amazing characters. You're gonna come out somewhere different from where you started, I promise you.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay, this is a good question, you guys. I don't know exactly what I think about a response, but I love this question, and it's from Mary.

[Alex Schwartz]

Cool. Let's hear it.

[Nomi Frye]

Let's hear it.

[Alex Schwartz]

Hi, critics at large.

[Nomi Frye]

I have a question.

[Alex Schwartz]

How do you tell what's good acting and what's bad acting? I'm a big movie fan, and I feel like I know good acting, or at least I think I do. And then I'll listen to a movie podcast or read a piece of criticism on it and just get met with.

[Nomi Frye]

This was the worst acting ever.

[Alex Schwartz]

So what are kind of hallmarks of good acting technique or how can I get better at determining when someone is.

[Nomi Frye]

Being a good actor? All right, thanks, Alex. I feel like you will have something to say to this, because you. I remember you wrote a beautiful piece about the method and how right you are. Yeah, that.

[Alex Schwartz]

I have something to say.

[Nomi Frye]

Why don't you start? And then we bounce off you.

[Alex Schwartz]

So, Mary, I want you to know something right now, and I want you to get this through your head. Everyone is making it up. What people think is good acting. This Is a product of personal taste, cultural taste. The times we live in, it all depends. It all changes. So, yeah, Naomi brings up the Method. I mean, until the method came along with Lee Strasberg and before that with Stanislavski in the late 19th, early 20th centuries, acting was this very stiff, very formal thing. It was declamatory. It was, you know, I want my voice to carry to the back of the theater and put very briefly the method, through a whole bunch of different methods, brought naturalism into first the theater and then into cinema. And so I think one thing that people often talk about with good acting is naturalism. The idea that you really feel like you were right there with the character, that the person, you know, that you feel that there is no acting. People will say, I couldn't even tell they were acting. And they think that's good acting. It could be, but I think it is fundamentally about what it produces in you. Good acting excites you.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Mm.

[Alex Schwartz]

Vincent, you're. You know, Vincent and I, we were co theater critics for a while.

[Vincent Cunningham]

We were.

[Alex Schwartz]

So what's your answer to this question?

[Vincent Cunningham]

We saw. I mean, I've seen so much acting.

[Alex Schwartz]

You've seen so much acting.

[Vincent Cunningham]

You know, to me, the hallmarks of good acting is a marriage of artistries that the actor is not simply conveying to us text. And also not just off on their own sort of highly mannered thing, but they are seeing what happens when those things come together. Mary, if you live in New York or you don't go see a play that Kara Young is in, oh my God, this woman has been tearing up Broadway. She is the Ferrari of actor. She can be naturalistic. She can be. But then she's like Lucille Ball, somebody who can look at the text and decide, make a lot of interesting choices that just change your conception of what the play or the thing even was. That to me, is what an actor is.

[Alex Schwartz]

Beautiful.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Okay, I've got a really interesting question. It's from Flora, who emailed instead of sent a message. Flora says, I struggle to find morality in the absence of religion. As an Engineer and a PhD student, a system of ethics is of high importance to me both in terms of academic integrity, integrity in my day to day life. However, I do not ascribe to any religion and therefore have no real preconceived notion of what is right and what is wrong. My plea critics is I would like to learn more about moral systems, specifically those not attached to religion and. And about how they intertwine with our modern society. Please advise Books, readings, or any Applicable media Flora is hungry for ethics.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay, this is a big question, and it's actually not the kind of question that I feel like I'm really like. I'm not really the critic to answer this kind of question, maybe because I'm very interested in specificity rather than kind of like large abstract systems, like in my preferences of what I like to read and watch.

[Alex Schwartz]

I guess noony has gone on record on this show as being anti philosophy.

[Nomi Frye]

Exactly. But I was thinking on this and it struck me that a kind of like close to home example of something that I've read that gives me a sense of a community ruled by dependable moral law is Charles Schulz's Peanuts. Okay.

[Alex Schwartz]

I love it.

[Vincent Cunningham]

It's so good.

[Nomi Frye]

We have all of these characters that are living together. They are all children, but these children are often kind of like conduits towards kind of adult concerns. Right. The fact that they kind of work through problems together, whether, you know, I mean, again, Lucy often pulls the football away when Charlie Brown is trying to kick it. You know, again and again, this is kind of like a repeat kind of or repetition of bad behavior that happens. I'm not saying that it's a place where everything is perfect, but it's a place where things get worked out between the characters. And when I think about goodness and not goodness, as in like, the behavior is always good, but just kind of like a general attempt at morality, at least. Right. In a society that kind of like has its own code of how people should act. I think about Peanuts as a kind of comforting force of order in the world.

[Alex Schwartz]

I would suggest that sounds great. Vincent, did you have a thought?

[Vincent Cunningham]

You said divorced from any religious system, Flora, and I respect that. I would also say that my answer to this has a priest in it. So I'm sorry, but first Reformed, the recent movie by Paul Schrader, is about a pastor of a small church. He is shaken into this moral crisis because he meets a fervent environmental activist. Somebody from a sphere that doesn't necessarily have to do with his faith or with his particular mission, throws him into a crisis of action radicalism. How one weighs the pressing moral emergency against an already established moral template.

[Alex Schwartz]

Every tiny insect, the whole world is a manifestation of his holy presence. I think this is an issue where.

[Nomi Frye]

The church can lead, but they say nothing. The US Congress still denies climate change.

[Alex Schwartz]

Where were we when these people were elected?

[Vincent Cunningham]

It's a really great film and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

[Alex Schwartz]

Okay, so this one, this is one that really I want us to Address, and I'm curious to hear answers because I'm not totally sure what to say. It's from Hillary. Hey, critics. My name is Hillary, and I need your advice.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay.

[Alex Schwartz]

You see, I am a minister, a Unitarian Universalist minister, and I bring a lot of pop culture, specifically music, into the worship services and sermons that I write. And I've been running into a roadblock lately because the world, as we know, is such a mess right now. There's so much suffering, so much pain, so much anxiety that so many of us are feeling, and I don't feel like it's okay to bring in pop culture. And so I find I'm starting to.

[Nomi Frye]

Write, you know, more philosophy, heavy theology, heavy intellect, heavy sermons, which are fine.

[Alex Schwartz]

The people like them, but I'm just not feeling it. I'm not feeling the joy as much anymore. I'm not feeling the nourishment. And I'm wondering if you have any recommendations on pop culture sources. It could be a book, it could be a movie. It could be music that I could look to both from my own spirit.

[Nomi Frye]

And also might preach, you know, might preach to these times.

[Alex Schwartz]

It won't make me feel quite so guilty about, you know, just wanting to bop around to Taylor Swift sometimes. So thank you for your time, for your advice and many blessings. You are certainly in my prayers, my friends. Thanks for the wonderful show you put together each week.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, I feel so blessed. That's so wonderful.

[Alex Schwartz]

It's really moving.

[Nomi Frye]

Vincent, I feel like you're the closest to a church perspective. Perspective, yeah. Do you have any suggestions for Hillary?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Yeah, no, I feel Hillary's conundrum. I would say that pop culture can be mined regardless of emotional valence. Obviously, it has an initial frisson that's funny and interesting, but then addressing its actual philosophical content. The preacher, the speaker, the writer is the one who determines the mood, not necessarily the mood of the thing itself. You can drift off that mood, but you can also change that mood. If you want to see an interesting and actually very fun example of this, there is a preacher, ame, African Methodist Episcopal denomination, who I'm aware of because I follow him on Twitter. His name is Melek Thomas.

[Alex Schwartz]

He.

[Vincent Cunningham]

He went viral for bringing the lyrics of the rapper Glorilla into his sermon. Some of you might know her as Glorilla. Yes, Glorilla. Glorilla. Yes. Glorilla has a song called Tomorrow, and she makes this statement that blesses me. She says, every day the sun don't shine. But that's why I love Tomorrow, and I'm talking to some. It's just the most fun thing in the world. And I'm always happy when preachers are trying to like, as we say, read the signs of the times in whatever way they can.

[Nomi Frye]

That was great, Vincent. Okay, so we have a question here from George, who's from the Netherlands.

[Alex Schwartz]

Hi guys.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Well, you wanted something personal, so here we go. I've recently been in therapy and one of the things it has been good and one of the things I'm learning is to not either suppress or repress my emotions.

[Alex Schwartz]

And what I'm looking for in culture.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Right now is things that nudge me along that process.

[Alex Schwartz]

Something that allows me to let loose and feel my feels and maybe cry a little even.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I don't want it to be in a heart wrenching, unbearable, the world has.

[Alex Schwartz]

Gone to hell kind of way.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And I am also not looking for rescue dog videos.

[Alex Schwartz]

I'm looking for a nice cry. Thank you, Lois, for making this lovely podcast.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Have a lovely day.

[Nomi Frye]

Thank you, George.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I love this question.

[Nomi Frye]

I know.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And I have something I think.

[Nomi Frye]

Go ahead.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Someone that has done this for me.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah.

[Vincent Cunningham]

It is the television show from a couple years ago, written, directed, starring the great to me, Pamela Adlon.

[Alex Schwartz]

I was thinking the same thing, Vincent.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And one of the great benefits of this is that you will watch this show which is a beautiful archive of family relationships, triumphs, sorrows, sort of slapstick comedy and just like the absolutely poignant fact of motherhood. And you will cry if you allow yourself to. And then you can read the great piece about it by Alexandra Schwartz in the New Yorker magazine from 2020. I'm flattered, my friend Alex Schwartz. And so you can pair your viewing and hopefully crying with a wonderful companion piece by one of your critics. That's what I got.

[Nomi Frye]

That's a great suggestion.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Boo Yow. Here goes Monica. I think she speaks for so many of us in the sort of issue here.

[Nomi Frye]

Hi critics, my name is Monica.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I'm a big fan of the show.

[Alex Schwartz]

I look forward to it every week.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Thank you, Monica.

[Nomi Frye]

Thank you.

[Alex Schwartz]

I think I speak for many of.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Your American listeners when I say that.

[Alex Schwartz]

I am not having a good time right now.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh yeah, interesting crises abound on national, international, personal, probably integral levels.

[Alex Schwartz]

So I'm just calling in the hopes.

[Nomi Frye]

That you can recommend me a life affirming poetry collection or maybe alternatively a.

[Alex Schwartz]

Really lyrically dense music album. Just something that will help us feel.

[Nomi Frye]

The feelings and maybe find the itty bitty nuggets of light that I'm really struggling to see at the Moment. Thanks. And thanks also for being one of those nuggets of light yourselves, Monica.

[Alex Schwartz]

I.

[Nomi Frye]

Thank you, Monica.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yeah, thank you. I have two things for you, Monica, and I wanna hit you with them. So the first one is the book of poems called Odes by Sharon Olds, which was published in 2016. She is certainly linguistically dense. It's not music, but these are wordy poems, which I absolutely love. She has a use of language. She wields language. And a precision and a playfulness with language that I can't get enough of. And Odes is all about praising things that often go unpraised. For instance, she has an Ode to the hymen she has. Because she's. Let's just put it out there. She's a very sexy poet in a way that is truly awesome. And she also has a deeply religious background, which comes in here and there. But the whole point of Odes is just to praise things that are everyday, that are fundamental, that are part of life. And I think it could really bring some joy to you and help awaken you to life's many delights and beauties. And the other thing I have for you is something that fewer people will know, but I hope more will after I share this. It's an album, and it's actually by a friend of mine whose name is TJ Douglas. The album is called Dying. And the reason the album is called Dying is because TJ is a palliative care chaplain. So they work with people who are dying, and this is just a very regular part of their life. And they released this album coming up a year ago in June of 2024. And I'm just gonna be honest here. When I saw that TJ had this album called Dying, I didn't really wanna listen to it. I was nervous, and I just sort of thought, I don't know if I can go there right now. But I have recently listened to this album, and it is so beautiful and so wonderful. I highly, highly recommend it. I love all the songs here. But there's a song in particular that I love called It Means what It Means. And it just opens with the narrator of the song, Crying on a Train.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I'm crying on the train again.

[Alex Schwartz]

I'm officially that guy. And the way that TJ uses their voice, their music, and the beauty of language, I think will really hit the spot for you. So embrace it, and I hope more people discover and love this album. Dying it's the way the day is.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Breaking it's the way the days go by.

[Alex Schwartz]

It'S the way that it's so hard to live.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And so good to be alive.

[Nomi Frye]

Dad does it for our voicemails and listeners. Even though we couldn't get to all over the course of this episode, we did listen to each and every one. And thank you so much for writing in to us with your questions. In a minute, we'll wrap up with some of our own. This is critics at large from the New Yorker. Stick around.

[Alex Schwartz]

We all have bad days and sometimes.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Bad weeks and maybe even bad years.

[Alex Schwartz]

But the good news is we don't have to figure out life all alone. I'm comedian Chris Duffy, host of ted's how to Be a Better Human podcast. And our show is about the little.

[Nomi Frye]

Ways that you can improve your life.

[Alex Schwartz]

Actual practical tips that you can put into place that will make your day to day better. Whether it is setting boundaries at work or rethinking how you clean your house, each episode has conversations with experts who share tips on how to navigate life's ups and downs. Find how to be a better human. Wherever you're listening to this, I have a dilemma.

[Nomi Frye]

I also have. I mean, it's not a dilemma.

[Alex Schwartz]

Well, hit us with it. Let's get to it.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay. Okay, you guys. So we've been giving advice to others, right? To listeners, our beloved listeners who were calling in with their questions, their dilemmas. But you know, we're also people and we have our own problems. And don't you forget it, listeners.

[Alex Schwartz]

I have a conundrum, okay, it's more of a question. But you two are the perfect people to ask because it's about children and parenting and both of you have preceded me in the parenting zone. So here's my question.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay.

[Alex Schwartz]

As you know, I am the mother of a young son who soonish going to be two and a half. And he's just absorbing culture right now. He is spooning it up and he has a taste for the high. We've done a Beethoven's fifth Symphony obsession.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Great.

[Alex Schwartz]

We've done a Mozart's Magic Flute obsession.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh yeah.

[Alex Schwartz]

And you're watching. You're now in the thick, in the absolute thick of a Nutcracker obsession where every morning he says, I wanna watch Clara's dream. And we get our butts on that couch and. And we watch an 8 1/2 minute clip of Clara and the mouse fight and the nutcracker. And it's all extremely Freudian and he's gotten super into this stuff. But he also whips through so like Papageno shouting the name of Papageno every minute. Two weeks ago. Haven't heard the word papageno. Clara right now is huge. Clara's gonna be over. What's next? What do I feed to him next?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Ooh, ooh. Um. An interest in the high.

[Alex Schwartz]

And it doesn't have to stay there.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And a rapid. A rapid pace.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yeah.

[Nomi Frye]

I remember really loving good old Peppa Pig.

[Alex Schwartz]

I love Peppa Pig. I'm with you.

[Nomi Frye]

I mean, it's so cute. They're like five minutes long.

[Alex Schwartz]

We love the peppas.

[Nomi Frye]

You know, Mr. Potato, Ms. Rabbit, you know, Emily Elephant. Like such a cast of characters, I would just double down on Pepa.

[Alex Schwartz]

All right, great one.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I would get him into someone who I think is one of our mutual enthusiasms. Some of the works of Aaron Copland, because it's so sort of like America based. You can teach about the West. You can teach about topography. I'm thinking of Appalachian Spring. Appalachian Spring as a huge one. I have a particular fetish, of course, for the. Like, the piano blues are my favorite, but that might be a little dark for young Ben. But Billy the Kid, these are good works that are exciting, fresh, kind of thrilling.

[Alex Schwartz]

I think he's more at Peppa, but Billy the Kid is coming up.

[Nomi Frye]

Peppa's. Yeah. Vincent, you have your own question?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Yep. This is. It's an easy, common, almost cliche thing. What are you planning to listen to this summer? I'm just hoping to go to the beach a lot. What's some beach music?

[Nomi Frye]

Maybe beach music. Beach music? How about failing Beach Boys?

[Vincent Cunningham]

I do like the Beach Boys. And maybe I'll get back into them.

[Nomi Frye]

How about the Beach Boys? How about the Dennis Wilson solo album?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Oh, see, I don't know that. I don't know that.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay, well, maybe you try that.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Okay. I'm also. Oh, my God. Haim comes out this summer, and so I can't wait for the new heim.

[Nomi Frye]

You're all ready.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And I think the Bad Bunny that I loved so much when it came out is gonna make a big return this summer.

[Alex Schwartz]

So you should be advising us.

[Vincent Cunningham]

But I always want more.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay, I have a question. As you guys know, I have returned to work on a book of essays.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Oh, yeah.

[Nomi Frye]

I listen to music when I write, Alex. I know we share a love of listening to Bach.

[Alex Schwartz]

We love jsb.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah. But I'm looking for some more.

[Vincent Cunningham]

So did Saul Bellow, by the way.

[Alex Schwartz]

Really?

[Vincent Cunningham]

That was what he did.

[Nomi Frye]

Really?

[Vincent Cunningham]

Shared a house in Tivoli with Ralph Ellison, and Ellison would just hear the Bach just blasting from his room.

[Alex Schwartz]

Wow. Anyway, that is our wavelength.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah. So what would you suggest as listening music?

[Alex Schwartz]

So I love the Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso. Okay. And I think he has one of the greatest voices of all time. But what makes him really good to listen to while you write is that he is singing in Brazilian Portuguese. So you're not distracted by knowing what he's singing about. Since I know you, like. I are not a Portuguese speaker.

[Nomi Frye]

I'm not a Portuguese speaker, unfortunately.

[Alex Schwartz]

So there are many different places. You could start with Caetano. You know, you could go to the best of Caetano Veloso, which is a kind of hits album. But the album that I really have on loop very often as I write is an album called Alfertorio, which Caetano recorded with his three sons. It's a gorgeous album and moves through all the moods. There's somber moments. There are many joyful moments. It's just absolutely beautiful. You feel that you've been on a journey, and I find it to be a perfect writing accompaniment.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I so rarely am able to write with music.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, really?

[Vincent Cunningham]

That. This is painful for me.

[Nomi Frye]

Okay.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I used to listen to stuff that I knew so well that it would just kind of slip through my brain.

[Nomi Frye]

Totally. Yeah.

[Vincent Cunningham]

And so the one thing that I found for like a year or so I could write to was the. The first Crosby Stills.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, I listen to them all the time. That's so funny. I've just been listening to Deja Vu all the time, like, the last couple weeks.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Yeah.

[Nomi Frye]

Yeah.

[Vincent Cunningham]

Guinevere.

[Nomi Frye]

Had green eyes.

[Vincent Cunningham]

I can. I can write to that.

[Nomi Frye]

Guinevere had green eyes like your. I just bought the David Crosby autobiography from 1988, and he was a hawk.

[Alex Schwartz]

Report back.

[Vincent Cunningham]

He's got a life.

[Nomi Frye]

Oh, what a life, what a life it was. This has been Critics at Large. Our senior producer is Rhiannon Corby, and Alex Barish is our consulting editor. Our executive producer is Stephen Valentino. Conde Nast's head of Global audio is Chris Bannon. Alexis Cuadrado composed our theme music, and we had engineering help today from James Yost with mixing by Mike Kutchman. You can find every episode of Critics at [e-mail] Critics, listeners, a huge thank you for sending in your questions. We love episodes like this one because it's a chance for us to. To hear from you. And remember, even if we're not actively working on an episode of I Need a Critic, you can always send us a voice memo asking for advice. We do bank these things for future episodes, so don't be a stranger. Next week, our episode is all about the Pope.

[Alex Schwartz]

Yeah, I'm just gonna say it right now. I'm a conclave, girly, so I'm excited for this one.

[Nomi Frye]

We'll see you for that.

[Alex Schwartz]

Hi, I'm Susan Glaser.

[Nomi Frye]

I'm Jane Mayer.

[Alex Schwartz]

And I'm Evan Osnos. And we host the Washington Roundtable from the New Yorker's Political Scene podcast.

[Nomi Frye]

For me, this is the water cooler. This is a wonderful chance to sit.

[Alex Schwartz]

Down with two of the smartest colleagues in the country and, you know, just kind of compare notes.

[Nomi Frye]

Now, that's so true, because, first of all, we are actually friends in real life. But I can't wait till Fridays to hear what you guys think. Everybody sees the headlines, but you guys fill in the gaps.

[Alex Schwartz]

I also think, though, occasionally we get somebody to come on, and I'm always smarter for it. If you get a great historian who can tell you about a presidential election 50, 60 years ago, often it can help you understand about what's happening today. So if you're looking for weekly insights.

[Nomi Frye]

Into what's going on inside the Beltway.

[Alex Schwartz]

Please join us every Friday on the Washington Roundtable, part of the New Yorker's.

[Nomi Frye]

Political Scene podcast from prx.