Brittany Howard, of Alabama Shakes, Talks with David Remnick

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Brittany Howard, of Alabama Shakes, Talks with David Remnick

The New Yorker Radio Hour
Host: David Remnick
Date: September 17, 2019

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Overview

This episode features an intimate and revealing conversation between David Remnick and Brittany Howard, best known as the frontwoman of Alabama Shakes. With her debut solo album "Jamie" about to release, Brittany discusses her musical formation, personal loss, creative evolution, and her experiences of race, identity, and resilience in America. The episode covers everything from her Southern roots to the transformative power of music and art in turbulent times.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brittany’s Musical Roots and Family

• Childhood Soundtrack: Raised in Athens, Alabama, Brittany’s formative years were shaped by an eclectic mix— from Jodeci, Usher, TLC, and Destiny’s Child to doo-wop legends her grandmother played in the kitchen. (01:32)
• Family Influence: Her late sister’s guitar— a Les Paul knockoff— became the forbidden fruit through which Brittany taught herself to play. Her mother kept her sister's belongings sacred after her death, heightening the emotional connection to music. (02:10–02:35)

“It was like precious artifacts, you know? Cause it’s kind of like all we had left.” — Brittany Howard (02:57)

2. Self-Taught Musicianship

• Learning Guitar: Brittany started learning at 11 using Guitar Player Magazine’s tablature section, initially playing upside down before figuring it out herself. (03:09–03:27)
• Discovering Her Voice: Writing songs and making secret recordings in her teens, Brittany kept her singing private until she felt “good enough.” (03:50–04:20)
• First Public Recognition: Brittany’s mother didn’t realize she could sing until hearing her homemade CD at age 17.

3. Forming Alabama Shakes & Early Struggles

• Starting Out: The band formed doing covers of Led Zeppelin, James Brown, and AC/DC, playing dive bars for little pay and hustling for gigs. (05:01–05:31)
• The Dream of ‘Making It’: Conversations with bandmate Zach about the risk of quitting day jobs and pursuing music full-time set the stage for the band’s eventual success. (05:48–06:57)

4. Transition to Solo Artist and the Album "Jamie"

• Motivation for Solo Work: Driven by a desire for creative autonomy and a broader musical exploration, Brittany sought the freedom to shape arrangements without compromise. (07:19–07:58)
• Personal Significance: The album, named for her late sister, is both a tribute and an exploration of loss, resilience, and identity. (07:58–08:55)
• Spiritual Connection: Brittany explains her enduring spiritual bond with her sister. (08:22–08:57)

“I feel like my bond with my sister just walks with me always. ...I think about her daily. Multiple times a day.” — Brittany Howard (08:22)

5. Songwriting and Relationships

• "Short and Sweet": Inspired by new love and the fleeting magic of early romance, Brittany wrote "Short and Sweet" for her now-wife, longing for the freshness of love to last. (09:14–10:56)
• A Happy Twist: Despite uncertainty, the song ends happily, as Brittany married her partner.

6. Band Dynamics and Going Solo

• Creative Stagnation: Alabama Shakes experienced a creative lull, prompting Brittany to pursue solo artistry after discussions and eventual understanding with her bandmates. (11:03–12:39)
• The Future of Alabama Shakes: The group’s fate remains open— “Wherever creativity leads my ship, I can't force it.” (12:47)

7. Collaborations on "Jamie"

• Working with Robert Glasper & Nate Smith: Brittany chose collaborators she deeply respects, citing Glasper’s work with Erykah Badu and his improvisational genius on the track “13th Century Metal.” (12:57–13:46)

“He walks into the key room and just starts playing... They just jam. ...It was incredible. One take and improvised.” — Brittany Howard (13:50–15:15)

8. Art, Politics, and Power of Music

• "13th Century Metal": The track, a product of political anxiety in 2016, channels feelings about the state of the world through a spoken mantra and freeform jazz. (15:15–15:41)
• Music’s Political Impact: Brittany reflects on music’s historic capacity to affect change— citing James Brown, Bob Marley, and John Lennon. (16:01–16:13)

"I think history would say so that it [music] can [change things]. Yeah, I think so.” — Brittany Howard (16:13)

9. Personal Experiences with Racism: "Goat Head"

• True Story Behind the Song: A harrowing family incident of racist violence is recounted in the song “Goat Head.” (16:24–17:23)
• Sheltered Childhood: Brittany’s parents shielded her from overt racism when possible, instilling a sense of unity and equality. (17:31–18:32)

10. Moments of Triumph and Family Pride

• At the Obama White House: An emotional highlight was taking her father to meet President Obama, describing her father “beaming” with joy. (18:44–19:59)
• Giving Back: With fame, Brittany fulfilled a promise to buy her father the truck he’d always wanted. (20:13–20:29)

11. Navigating America in the Trump Era

• Current Fears and Experiences: Brittany describes feeling less safe under Trump, recounting a recent racist incident in Wyoming. (21:05–22:32)
• Artist’s Duty: Despite the darkness, she voices hope, seeing this period as a potential catalyst for long-needed social change. (22:35–23:16)

“I think the most important thing is to be light, to be a beacon of light. Because it is a dark time in American history...” — Brittany Howard (22:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On loss and love:
  “I feel like my bond with my sister just walks with me always. I feel like we're closer than we ever could have been…in the physical world.” — Brittany Howard (08:22)

• On independence in music:
  “I didn’t want to ask anyone, ‘do you like this bass part’...I just wanted to do my vision.” — Brittany Howard (07:58)

• On political and cultural climate:
  “Having a man like that [Trump] in office is very dangerous. ...the most important thing is to… be a beacon of light...” — Brittany Howard (21:05, 22:35)

• On her White House experience:
  “I’ll never forget the big smile on his face. He was so proud. Sorry. Yeah, just like a little boy, just beaming.” — Brittany Howard (18:44)

• On music and activism:
  “I think history would say so that it [music] can [change things]. Yeah, I think so.” — Brittany Howard (16:13)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• Brittany’s early musical influences (01:32)
• The story of her sister’s guitar (02:10–02:35)
• Learning to play and sing (03:09–04:20)
• The formation of Alabama Shakes (05:01–05:36)
• Going solo and crafting "Jamie" (07:19–07:58)
• Dealing with loss and spirituality (08:22–08:57)
• Songwriting and relationships: "Short and Sweet" (09:14–10:56)
• Alabama Shakes band dynamics (11:03–12:47)
• Collaboration with Robert Glasper (12:57–15:15)
• The politics behind "13th Century Metal" (15:15–16:13)
• "Goat Head" and personal stories of racism (16:24–18:32)
• White House memories and family pride (18:44–19:59)
• Reflections on America during Trump era (21:05–23:16)

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This episode offers a heartfelt and honest look into Brittany Howard’s worldview, artistry, and the personal experiences that shape her music. It’s as much a meditation on resilience and hope as it is a celebration of creative freedom.

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Transcript

[A]

From one World Trade center in Manhattan.

[B]

This is the New Yorker Radio Hour.

[A]

A co production of the New Yorker and WNYC studios.

[B]

This is the New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick. Sometimes Brittany Howard's voice is so smooth, it's just a hot knife through butter. And sometimes there's so much gravel in it that she sounds like some of her elders. Like Etta James and Amy Winehouse, Howard has been the front woman of the Alabama Shakes for about a decade now. The group started as a cover band playing around the state of Alabama, and pretty quickly it came to national attention and a handful of Grammys. But after two albums with the Alabama Shakes, Howard has gathered a different group of musicians to release a solo album called Jamie. The album is named after Brittany Howard's late sister, but it's very much about the singer herself, about her passions, her concerns, and her hard upbringing in Athens, Alabama. I'd love to start out by talking about the music that formed you. I know that you listened to music at your. At the kitchen table with all kinds of relatives. When you listen to your childhood, when you hear it through the mists of time, what music are you listening to? What are you hearing?

[A]

Well, I think about, like Jodeci, think about Usher way back when. I think about TLC and Destiny's Child and all the pop groups. And also think about my grandma in the kitchen cutting onions, listening to doo wop music. And think about Prince, think about P. Funk. Just that was my. That was my era of growing up.

[B]

So when's the first time you picked.

[A]

Up a guitar to actually learn how to play it? I was 11 years old.

[B]

And did you buy one or it just. You decided this is. This is the thing I've got to have.

[A]

My sister had a guitar. It was like a Les Paul knockoff. And she had this guitar just like in the closet. And I started sneaking in and grabbing it and learning how to play it.

[B]

Forbidden fruit?

[A]

Yeah, it was like in storage. Cause by this time she had already passed. So it was just like my mom saved a lot of her things and it was kind of like, don't touch her things. But I saw the guitar and taught myself how to play it.

[B]

Your sister died when she was how old she was?

[A]

She was 13.

[B]

She was 13 of a very rare eye cancer that you've survived and she died of. And this new album is very much named for her, Jamie. And when you were growing up, that must have been a horrendous rupture in your family life, psychological life, and you Weren't allowed to touch her stuff.

[A]

It was like precious artifacts, you know? Cause it's kind of like all we had left. But, I mean, I picked it up, and that's what I learned on.

[B]

And you taught yourself?

[A]

Mm, yeah.

[B]

How do you do that?

[A]

Just listen. One thing that really helped me when I was younger is they used to have these magazines called Guitar Player Magazine. And in the back, they got the tabl. In the back, it would have the bar, and the bar represents each string. And then it would just say, like, five. And then eventually I started figuring out what that meant.

[B]

The fifth fret.

[A]

Fifth fret on this string. And at first I was playing it upside down, and then I was like, that didn't sound right. So the tablature taught me how to play chords.

[B]

And at what point did either you recognize or somebody recognize about you? Brittany's got talent.

[A]

Nobody, really. I mean, sure, like, as a kid, I was really into it, but I was really terrible. For a really long time. I was just trying to figure out.

[B]

Just banging away at the guitar.

[A]

Yeah. Just trying to figure out things, just like everybody else. I started writing songs, like, immediately, pretty much. And probably by the time I was 17, I showed my mom a CD I had made of my songs, and she was like, oh, you can sing. She didn't know I could sing. It was like my little secret, you know? Cause I was just, like, ruminating, and I was like, nobody can know until I'm good enough. And then I'll let people know.

[B]

How'd you teach yourself to sing? Who are you listening to that? You say, I want to sing like that. I think your father at one point said that you sounded like Etta James, but that's gotta be much later.

[A]

Don't listen to my dad.

[B]

You still have that cassette of your first songs.

[A]

Oh, God, I don't know where it is. I wish I did.

[B]

I think the Rock and Roll hall of Fame is gonna.

[A]

I don't think anybody should hear it, though.

[B]

Now, like a lot of teenagers, the thing that you wanted to do was get a band together, and you start meeting local musicians, and you meet Zach Cockrell and Heath Fogg and Steve Johnson, which becomes the formation of Alabama Shakes. What kind of places were you playing?

[A]

Oh, not many places. It was really hard to get shows when we were doing original music, but at first we just, like, did covers. Led Zeppelin, James Brown, acdc. And I would just call around trying to get us shows. Or usually other bands would say, oh, I've heard of this band. They're from Athens, Alabama. We should let them open for us. So, you know, we weren't getting paid anything, but.

[B]

What were you getting paid?

[A]

Maybe $200 for everybody.

[B]

Just split?

[A]

Maybe, yeah. Sometimes not that much. That was substantial.

[B]

And at what point, Brittany, do you think, maybe I'll be able to do this for a living? I won't have to play at night and do. You had all kinds of day jobs. You were delivering mail. I think you were doing all kinds of things.

[A]

I remember having a conversation with Zach, you know, the bass player. I remember sitting on my porch, and I said, you know, Zach, what if. What if we got the opportunity to tour? Would you quit your job and go on tour and try to do it? And he was like, nah. He said, nah. You know, he said it'd have to pay really good. And I'm just like, oh, okay. And then I never thought that day would come, but one day it did. Bless my heart. Bless my soul. Didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old. There must be someone of a bull say, come on, Britney. You got to Come on now. You got to.

[B]

So now, after two really big albums with Alabama Shakes, you're doing a solo album. Why did you decide so soon in your career. You're now 30, right?

[A]

Mm.

[B]

That I'm gonna. I'm gonna break off from the group, at least for a while, and pursue this and write this album and do something entirely different.

[A]

I think I just. Creatively, that's just what was coming to me. It was like this different style of music.

[B]

How would you characterize it?

[A]

Just my musical education. That's the way that I would characterize it. Just so many things I've heard that I've liked, and then pull it together into these songs and these landscapes and, you know, the reason I wanted to do it now as a solo artist is just because I didn't want to ask anyone, do you like this bass part or do you like this arrangement? I just wanted to do my vision, you know?

[B]

The album is named for your sister, and she infuses the memory of her. Her time on Earth. It infuses everything about this record you're getting as we all are getting, one year older, one year at a time. How distinctly do you remember her and what are you able to keep of her? As time goes by?

[A]

When you lose someone you're really close to, they never leave. It's hard to put into words, really. I'm not a religious person, but I definitely am a spiritual person. And I think just because someone is not Here, where we can touch them or hear them or feel them. It doesn't mean they're gone. So I feel like my bond with my sisters walks with me always. I feel like we're closer than we ever could have been if we were both here in the physical world. So I think about her daily. Multiple times a day. Yeah.

[B]

What runs through your mind?

[A]

Oh, just when I'm trying to figure something out, I'll just be like, can you help me with this?

[B]

Or she's talking to you.

[A]

I can't hear her. I'm just talking to her, really. Can you help me through this? What do I do? Just little situations like that in my life where I need some extra strength. Yeah.

[B]

There's a song on the album called Short and Sweet. In fact, there's a line toward the end of it that you repeat time is going to kill it. Tell me about that song. Tell me about those lyrics.

[A]

Yeah, that song I wrote when I met my partner about three years ago. And I had wrote it because I'm not going to say I had bad luck in relationships. It was just kind of several ruts. The way the sentiment of that song is like, well, I'm falling in love. I'm getting in a new relationship. I wonder how long this one's gonna last. I was like, how nice would it be if we could just stay in the beginning part of the relationship where we're just really getting to know each other and happy and there's infatuation and there's this excitement. And I was like, it'd be so nice to stay there instead of it going into this place where it's like. And now we're being pulled apart by, like, touring or just growing apart. You know what I mean? It's like that nice beginning. I may be able to dream of you But God, it feels so good to dream that old. Ooh, Something short and sweet.

[B]

I hesitate to ask what. What was the result?

[A]

Oh, we're married.

[B]

So in the end, it's not a tragic song.

[A]

No.

[B]

So far, so good.

[A]

No, everything worked out better than expected.

[B]

So you made it big with this band, Alabama Shakes, and you've got three partners in that band. How did they feel about you going solo?

[A]

At first, when I told them I had really been marinating it on it for a while because I was like, I was not. The songs weren't coming to us, and when we were getting together, it was really hard.

[B]

You felt stuck?

[A]

Yeah, it felt very stuck. And especially me and, you know, me and the guys would be like, what's going on? Like, why can't we get anything done? And I just wasn't receiving anything.

[B]

And. Is it all on you?

[A]

It happened to work out that way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

After Sounding Color, you know, I think.

[B]

You'Re the person people know well that.

[A]

Well, just, like, creatively, it's like, usually the way that things went is I would have ideas and we'd come in and rehearse them, but I wasn't getting any ideas for this. And some of the ideas I had were just. It wasn't the right, like, ingredients. It wasn't working out. So eventually, I mean, probably after like, a year and a half of this, I was like, guys, you know, I think I'm gonna do my own record. And at first it was met with, like, a lot of confusion and disappointment. But then we sat down.

[B]

Were they angry?

[A]

I'm not sure if they were angry. I think they're more, like, surprised. But we sat down and we talked about it for several hours. We sat in a circle, and I was just like, you know, it's been hard. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it was like, well, I'm just gonna go do this. And at the end of the conversation, everybody was like, okay, we understand. We get it. Gave me their blessing to go on and find what I needed to find or create what I needed to create.

[B]

Did they in the back of their minds, or do you get the sense that they felt that was the end of the Alabama shakes?

[A]

Probably, yeah.

[B]

Is it?

[A]

I don't know. Wherever creativity leads my ship, I can't force it. That's the thing. Once I start forcing it, it's not gonna be no good.

[B]

Anyway, now you came up with some new collaborators and some remarkable collaborators like Robert Glasper, who's, in fact, been on this show, whose talents range from, well, all over the place. He has an album of Miles Davis covers, and he's worked with some of the biggest people in hip hop. And now with you, why bring on somebody like Robert Glasper? What did he give you? Or Nate Smith, who's also a jazz musician.

[A]

I have been watching Rob since he made that Miles Davis tribute record. I was like, wow, this dude is so cool. He did a song with Erykah Badu that I really, really like, and I was like, I'm gonna watch his career. Cause that's what I do with musicians. I really respect musicians, and I think their careers matter. I think musicians just. They matter.

[B]

Where does Robert Glasper fit in? Where's his influence? Most powerful on this album? What songs?

[A]

13Th century metal. Funny story behind that one. So before then, Rob, I was just kind of telling him, like, yeah, right here in this section, you know, you can do like this. And right here in this section, I was thinking more like this. But on 13th, you know, he walks into the key room and just starts playing. And Sean Everett, engineer, hits record. And I'm going, what is that? They just jam. Like Nate Smith joins in, and they just jam. Saint before I speak, to be wary of who I give my energy to, because it is needed for a greater cause, greater than my own pride. And that cause is to spread the enlightenment of love, compassion, and humanity. It was incredible. One take and improvised. So I took it and I cut it up and I put that mantra over it.

[B]

Tell me about that mantra. It begins, I promise to think before I speak, to be wary of who I give my energy to. It's a really interesting song lyrically as well, even though it was generated by that first musical experience. Tell me about the lyrics to 13th century metal.

[A]

I know exactly when I. 2016, that's when I wrote it, because we got a new president, and I heard that, and I was. I had some feelings.

[B]

What were your feelings?

[A]

I guess I wrote it all in the mantra. The world seemed like it was like it's just turned upside down and full of darkness. You can feel like the whole world's in a funk, you know?

[B]

Do you think that your music or anyone's music can have an effect on the political world in some way?

[A]

I do wonder. I mean, there's James Brown. He had an effect on the political world. And then there's someone like Bob Marley, and then there's people like John Lennon. So I think history would say so that it can. Yeah, I think so.

[B]

Brittany, your dad is black, your mother is white. And in one of your songs, Goat Head, you asked this question. Who slashed my dad's tires and put a goat head in the back?

[A]

Mm.

[B]

What was that all about?

[A]

That's a true story.

[B]

Tell me about it.

[A]

About 30 years ago. 30? Yeah, about 30 years ago, my dad came home from work, was visiting my mother, who was living in these pretty poor apartment complex. And the apartment complex was next to a co op, so there's, of course, like, tons of goats over there and stuff. Chickens and little cattle and that kind of stuff. So my dad comes over there, stays the night, wakes up the next morning, and someone had taken one of those goats, dismembered it, put it in the back of his car and bashed his windshield out, slashed his tires, rode all over it, don't come back here. You know, all that stuff. It was, you know, blatantly because he was black and they didn't want him seeing my mom. But, you know, she had two little brown bab. And they didn't like that either. And that was not that long ago.

[B]

You said in an interview before you were asked this question, inevitably, how much racism you encountered as a kid. And you said, I didn't really encounter that.

[A]

Mm. Mm. Here's the thing. I did, but I didn't really know it. I mean, because I didn't know why I couldn't go to so and so's house. I didn't. You know, my.

[B]

You weren't as aware of the reason.

[A]

My parents really protected me because they didn't want me walking. Especially growing up in the south, they didn't want me walking around being scared of people or feeling like I couldn't go fishing over here or feel unsafe in my own home. So they sheltered me from ever thinking anything about being black or white.

[B]

Was the town or the neighborhood mixed?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I mean, where we lived, it was kind of like more, you know, I grew up in a trailer park, so you got all kinds of people in the trailer park. You know what I mean? White, black, Latino, everything. Drugs, no drugs, churchgoers. You got everybody in there. So we definitely. My father and my mother definitely taught me, like, we're all the same. Like, for sure, for sure.

[B]

In an opposite mood. I remember watching there was a performance at the White House, and you were at the Obama White House up on that stage. It may be a very different spirit. What was that experience like for you?

[A]

You know, the one thing I remember the most about that experience was taking my dad to the White House to meet Barack Obama. And I'm like, tearing up because he was. It made him so happy. And I'll never forget the big smile on his face. He was so proud. Sorry. Yeah, just like a little boy, just beaming. I've never seen him. I've never seen him smile that big. And that's the one thing I remember. And it still makes me emotional. Even talking about it right now, it still makes me emotional.

[B]

Did he get to meet Obama or just see him from afar?

[A]

Yeah, he met him. He met him. He was worrying me to death about meeting. I was like, dad, you gonna meet him? It's okay. Just relax. And he's like, but I gotta get his autograph. And I was like, but my dad approached him, shook his hand, and handed him a little piece of paper. And he said, Will you sign that for me? And Barack took it. But my dad never got it back. And he was just losing his mind about that little piece of paper. So about a week goes by, and my dad gets a letter in the mail, and it was from the White House. My dad opens it, and Barack has sent him this beautiful piece of stationery and wrote his name. It was amazing.

[B]

So you're speaking of your dad. Your dad, at one point, you were talking about the possibility of making a few dollars or becoming famous. And you said, you know, this was when you were 26. I'm 26 years old. What do I need $5 million for? Maybe I'll buy my dad a truck.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Did you buy your dad a truck?

[A]

Yeah, I bought him a truck.

[B]

Where'd you get him?

[A]

Oh, I got him. It's a 2018 giant truck. I can't remember the race.

[B]

A 2018 giant truck.

[A]

It's a mouse pole.

[B]

It's the best model.

[A]

Yeah, it's the one that costs. That's what I got him. I asked him, I said, dad, do you want a new. Do you want a new house or do you want a truck? And he's like, I'll have a truck, please. He don't care where he lives. He just wants. He loves cars, you know, you just.

[B]

Remembered your dad meeting Barack Obama and being moved by it then and moved by it now. The same country that elected him elected Donald Trump. And we're going through something radically different right now. How do you experience the Trump moment, particularly when it comes to race and racism?

[A]

If I'm being honest, there's part of me that's scared. I don't feel as safe as I used to. I have my reasons, you know, I traveled America last year just for the leisure, looking for a new place to live. And so we stop in this little town. I'm not gonna say the name of the town, don't wanna give it a bad rap. But we pull up in this little town in Wyoming and get out, me and my partner. She wants to take a picture of the post office, this old post office. I was like, okay, so we're just standing on the side of the road. Here comes this big old white truck pulling up, and they throw fireworks at us. And as they pull by, they got a Confederate flag on the back. I'm just like, wow. I mean, I didn't know how to. I mean, I was angry, but then I was like, what am I gonna do? Can't do none of them boys, you know what I mean? I don't even know where I am. And I was so angry, started crying. I was just sitting there trying to eat my steak for dinner and I couldn't even eat it. I was just so upset. And that's kind of how it feels. It's like it feels dangerous. It is dangerous, actually. Having a man like that in office is very dangerous. I mean, look around, man. It's just inciting people to do all kinds of things. They think they have an excuse. So we happen to have a guy who just doesn't watch what he says and doesn't think about consequences of words. So.

[B]

What can an artist do about it?

[A]

Inspire other people. I think that's the most important thing, is to be light, to be a beacon of light. Because it is a dark time in American history and it's not all of President Trump's fault. It's not all his fault. It's a long time coming, to be honest with you, because there's always been these little groups, these little cells of people who want to go back to the good old days, and now they're just exposing themselves because they feel like they have permission to do so. So I think I'm going to try to be positive here and say that I think this was a necessary evil to maybe get to the next place where we could fix some ruptures in our own society.

[B]

Brittany Howard, thank you so much and good luck to you in all things.

[A]

Thank you so much for having me.

[B]

Brittany Howard's solo album Jamie comes out this week.

[A]

I already feel like doing it again. Cuz once you know, then you know and you don't want to go back to where it is that you come from. I just want to stay high with you. Cause where I come from everybody frowns and walks around.

[B]

I'm David Remnick and that's the New Yorker Radio Hour for today. Thanks for listening.

[A]

The New Yorker Radio Hour is a.

[B]

Co production of WNYC Studios and the New Yorker.

[A]

Our theme music was composed and performed.

[B]

By Meryl Garbus of Tune Yards, with additional music by Alexis Cuadrado. This episode was produced by Alex Barron, Emily Bottin, Ave Carrillo, Rhiannon Corby, Jill.

[A]

Duboff, Karen Frillman, Kalalea, David Krasnow, Caroline Lester, Louis Mitchell and Steven Valentino, with help from Meng Fei Chen and Emily Man. The New Yorker Radio Hour is supported.

[B]

In part by the Cherina Endowment Fund.

[A]

Sam.