Critics at Large | The New Yorker

Episode: I Need a Critic: October, 2025 Edition
Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Alex Schwartz, Naomi Fry, Vinson Cunningham
Special Guest: Morgan Spector (actor, The Gilded Age)

Episode Overview

This episode of Critics at Large is another highly-anticipated installment of "I Need a Critic," where listeners call in with their most pressing and personal culture conundrums. The hosts — Alex Schwartz, Naomi Fry, and Vinson Cunningham — are joined by actor Morgan Spector for an expansive, lively, and often moving discussion on creativity, poetry, the value of art, TV recommendations, the pain of middle-aged friendship, and more. The central theme: how art — in all its forms — connects us, helps us process life, and why (even in an era dominated by AI) we still need real, human critics.

1. Launching "I Need a Critic"

00:45–01:50

• The hosts express excitement for the tradition of taking listener questions, calling it a "rapid fire challenge" that reaffirms the value of human, bespoke cultural advice.
• Alex Schwartz notes:

  "There is something wonderful about humans talking to and helping humans. We believe in it." (01:37 – Alex)

2. Special Guest: Morgan Spector Asks—Is My Poem a Poem?

02:50–15:17

Morgan Spector’s Call

• Context: Morgan Spector, star of The Gilded Age, is a personal friend and self-declared "completist" listener. He calls to ask a vulnerable and searching question about poetry.
• His dilemma:

  “How do I know if a poem that I write is actually a poem, or if it’s just, like, some emo scribbling that I’ve done?” (04:47 – Morgan)

Discussing Ethan Hawke’s Take on Art

• Morgan shares a favorite quote from Ethan Hawke on why poetry (and art) matters especially at life’s crucial moments:

  "That’s when art’s not a luxury. It’s actually sustenance. We need it." (06:07 – Morgan, quoting Ethan Hawke)

• Morgan confesses he rarely reads poetry and finds much of it "densely allusive," feeling excluded (“a lot of ignorance I’m bringing to this question.”)

The Critics Respond

Vinson Cunningham:

• Rejects poetry as an "occult system" only for insiders; says if you call it a poem, you’re already thinking in poetic terms.
• On the impulse behind poetry:

  “Poems are evidence of overflow ... you can't force an overflow. ... and then sometimes you have to sing.” (08:49 – Vinson)

• Jumps to the Shakespearean model: sometimes ordinary language isn’t enough, and people must switch to song.
• Encourages that poetry used to be communal, not elite:

  “Classically people weren’t sitting around being well-read in poetry; they sat around a campfire ... and probably said it more often than they ever heard it.” (09:39 – Vinson)

Alex Schwartz:

• Changes the lens:

  “How do you know that what you’re writing is good and not terrible? ... but also, unless you’re planning to send out your collected works for publication, free yourself. If you can get free, get free.” (10:51 – Alex)

• Links Morgan’s anxiety to the pressure of being a high-achieving artist in another field.

Naomi Fry:

• Admits that writing (and especially poetry) is “extremely embarrassing ... there’s nothing more embarrassing than being a poet, and yet ... nothing more noble.” (11:08 – Naomi)

Morgan, pressing for rigor:

• Asks about internet poetry phenomena (e.g., Rupi Kaur):

  “She was treated, I think fairly, with a certain amount of derision ... Why isn’t that a poem?” (11:56 – Morgan)

Alex answers:

• Draws a parallel to visual art post-Duchamp: “someone could sign a urinal and someone could declare it art, and that argument goes on forever.”
• On Rupi Kaur:

  “I think Rupi Kaur writes poems. I don’t think most of them are good poems ... I don’t see ... originality of language ... or freshness of language ... A kind of originality of putting together words to create something new in image and meaning ... and an inherent sense of the musicality of language.” (13:02 – Alex)

Vinson:

• Offers contemporary poetic examples (Diane Seuss, Rainer Diana Hamilton), and explains how poetry is what does what other language can’t:

  “If the poem is helping you to do something that other kinds of language couldn’t do, my contention would be: you got yourself a poem.” (14:36 – Vinson)

Morgan:

• Expresses gratitude and relief:

  “I love that answer. Thank you... You guys are really good at this.” (14:40–14:45 – Morgan)

Notable Quote:

“Just, yeah, why not set yourself free on the ocean of poetry?” (11:24 – Naomi)

3. Listener Questions: Culture Prescriptions & Dilemmas

18:03–47:00 (selected highlights with timestamps)

A. TV to Survive a Broken Ankle: Gabriella from NJ

18:03–22:23

• Gabriella is immobilized and seeking “all-consuming TV.”

• Vinson:

  • “The most bingeable show I’ve watched is The Wire ... it’s got docs, schools, newsrooms, the police, 1000 milieus into which one can sink one’s teeth.” (18:55 – Vinson)
  • Also recommends The Americans.

• Alex:

  • “If you want to understand American culture as it is now ... you can do no better than The Good Wife. A sublime televisual experience.” (20:37 – Alex)

• Naomi:

  • Suggests 30 Rock: “The most pleasurable watching experience ... immersive in a world of characters and jokes ... so impressive on the comedic level.” (21:41 – Naomi)

B. Art Market Obsessions: Carolyn from Bonn, Germany

22:25–27:21

• Carolyn wants fiction/movies/TV about the auction house world, “price vs. value of art,” and “auction as theater.”

• Alex:

  • Lupin (Netflix): Heist at a fancy Louvre auction.
  • First Wives Club: Iconic, comedic auction scene.

• Naomi:

  • A Quick Killing in Art by Phoebe Hoban (about Basquiat):

    "A really interesting depiction ... that question of what is the value of art and also the kind of glamorous surroundings of an art world that preys on its young." (24:14 – Naomi)

• Vinson:

  • Google the story of the Mugrabi divorce — “the Hamptons version of the Wolf of Wall Street, but the tawdriest thing in the world ... not TV, it’s not a movie. But goddamn it, cinematic in scope and scale.” (27:14 – Vinson)

C. Friendship in Middle Age: Lee

27:32–31:44

• Lee struggles with lonely middle age, waning friendships, and wants literature or guidance.

• Naomi:

  • Recommends Sam Gramfelson’s New York Times Magazine essay on male friendship and the podcast Man of the Year.

• Vinson:

  • Points to art-centric family outings as ripe ground:

    "Any dad who is taking their kid to an art thing is desperate for connection... If you're the kind of guy who's gonna take your kid to a thing that has music or art ... that dad is open to talking." (30:19 – Vinson)

D. Audiobooks/Podcasts for Long Kitchen Stretches: Elena

32:19–36:36

• Elena cooks Thanksgiving solo, seeks comforting audio company.

• Vinson:

  • The Archers (BBC Radio): “It’s kind of gentle on the ears ... many, many listeners ... still running ... beautiful. And you will want to know what George did to get in there.” (33:02 – Vinson)

• Naomi:

  • Recommends food writing audiobooks (MFK Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf, Laurie Colwin, Elizabeth David).

    “Anything that has some level of narrative ... but is focused on the art of cookery.” (35:25 – Naomi)

• Alex:

  • Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin (audiobook): “Reviews suggest ... the narrator is very talented.”
  • Fresh Air with Terry Gross: “The archives are pure and solid gold.” (36:05 – Alex)

E. Humanness in Creativity (AI-Anxious Illustrator: Rafe)

36:49–42:24

• Rafe, artist, worried about AI, wants uplifting works foregrounding messy, human creativity.

• Naomi:

  • Wild Thing by Sue Prideaux (new bio of Gauguin):

    "The miracle of artistic creation ... the scandalous tumult that accompanied that life of creation." (38:44 – Naomi)

• Alex:

  • Films: Mr. Turner and Topsy-Turvy (dir. Mike Leigh) — deeply tactile, about artistic practice.
  • The Work of Art (Adam Moss): Artists on their process.

• Vinson:

  • Susan Laurie Parks’ “Watch Me Work” (Public Theater, or YouTube):

    "All these other people, hearteningly, other human beings, trying to do creative things ... They're not famous ... I find it really moving and heartening." (41:27 – Vinson)

F. Blocked Visual Artist: Mariah

42:35–47:00

• Mariah, mid-career, recovering from injury, asks: “How do you get un-stuck? What do you consume to spark ideas?”

• Vinson:

  • Engage with another art form, especially one that doesn’t “give you trouble”:

    “Engaging with music ... suddenly I’ll realize oh, I’m listening to this song, and this one, and this one, because of my deep interest in X ... It’s a way to reawaken the self-consciousness that is part of the sort of toolbox of every artist.” (44:15 – Vinson)

• Naomi:

  • “Go back to something meaningful from your past ... it kind of awakens ... what is interesting to you ... like a meditation.” (45:02 – Naomi)

• Alex:

  • “Copy ... sometimes when I’m really stuck, I look at something I love ... and I just start typing it on the page ... it’s very freeing to just let your brain go.” (46:05 – Alex)

4. Reflections on Art, Advice, and Connection

47:00–48:22

• Naomi:

  “My faith ... in humankind is restored. I’m like, these people are so smart. They want to grow ... to look to culture for meaning. It’s invigorating to me and deeply moving.” (47:10 – Naomi)

• Alex:

  “We believe art matters. It’s the reason we do what we do. We’re here to do that.” (47:48 – Alex)

• Vinson:

  “People are looking for connection. ... It reminds me that we’re so lucky ... to connect in this way.” (47:53 – Vinson)

• The hosts reiterate their openness to future questions and continue to affirm the value of human mentoring in the arts.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On creative courage:
  “Just ... set yourself free on the ocean of poetry.” – Naomi Fry (11:24)

• On what makes a poem:
  “If the poem is helping you to do something that other kinds of language couldn’t do, my contention would be you got yourself a poem.” – Vinson Cunningham (14:36)

• On embarrassment and nobility of writing:
  “There’s nothing more embarrassing than being a poet. And yet ... nothing more noble.” – Naomi Fry (11:09–11:22)

• On art in hardship:
  "That’s when art’s not a luxury. It’s actually sustenance. We need it." – Ethan Hawke, via Morgan Spector (06:07)

Episode Flow & Tone

• The tone throughout is self-deprecating, wry, and warm — consistently welcoming of vulnerability from listeners and each other.
• The hosts frequently reference their own creative anxieties and personal quirks, blending relatable anecdotes with deep literary and cultural references.
• Memorable segments include robust discussions of embarrassment and shame in poetry, the demystification of the art world, and validating the ordinary hunger for art and connection.

Important Timestamps

• 01:49 — Alex on bespoke, human advice
• 04:47 — Morgan Spector’s poetry question
• 06:07 — Ethan Hawke’s quote
• 13:02 — Alex’s critique of “Instagram poetry”
• 18:03 — TV for boring injury recovery
• 27:32 — Friendship drought in middle-age
• 33:02 — Vinson on The Archers for kitchen listening
• 41:27 — Vinson on Susan Laurie Parks’ “Watch Me Work”
• 44:15 — Vinson on changing art forms to get unstuck
• 47:10 — Hosts reflect on meaning and connection

Conclusion

This episode shines as both a celebration of contemporary culture and a group therapy session for the art-curious. By weaving together listener dilemmas, personal insights, and a refusal to bow to the easy answers of AI, the hosts — and their special guest — reaffirm that culture, art, and criticism are human pursuits that help us make sense of both joy and difficulty.

If you aren’t already a listener, these rich, generous exchanges may just convince you to write (or read) a poem, binge a classic television series, revisit that messy creative project, or reach out for connection.