The New Yorker Radio Hour – Episode 48 (September 16, 2016)

High-Fashion Hijabs, Jill Soloway, and Bluesman Blind Joe Death

Overview of the Episode

This eclectic episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour, hosted by David Remnick, weaves together three rich narratives: a candid conversation with TV creator and feminist Jill Soloway; a vibrant exploration of high-fashion hijabs and the world of modest modeling with designer Nyla Limas; and an in-depth musical journey into the life and legacy of bluesman John Fahey ("Blind Joe Death"), guided by journalist Nick Thompson and Fahey biographer Steve Lowenthal. The episode unpacks themes of gender and representation, cultural boundaries and expression, and the pursuit of authenticity in art.

1. Jill Soloway: Comedy, Family, and the Politics of Gender

Timestamps: 00:30–17:18

Main Discussion Points

• Personal roots of 'Transparent':
  Inspired by Soloway's own parent coming out as trans in their 70s, leading to self-exploration and the birth of the Amazon series Transparent.
• Media representation of trans people:
  Critical view of pre-existing portrayals: victims, villains, or circus-like talk shows.
• The "male gaze" in feminist thought:
  Soloway reflects on wrestling with expectations of femininity, the desire for power vs. the pressure to appeal for male approval.
• Influences and representation:
  The impact of Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black and the importance of Julia Serano’s Whipping Girl (trans misogyny).
• Casting criticism:
  Soloway addresses the controversy of casting Jeffrey Tambor (a cis man) as Maura:

  "I take that criticism full force and absolutely, positively agree with all trans people who say that cis people should not be playing trans people." (06:50)

• Discussing new show I Love Dick:
  Exploring desire, marriage, and heteronormative taboos; the idea of bringing a "new Dick" (Kevin Bacon as a hypermasculine object) into a marriage.
• Storytelling as activism:
  Conversation with Jeff Bezos about narrative’s power to create social change.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On personal discovery:

  "I think of the phone call as a huge turning point in my life, as a light going on..." (03:03, Jill Soloway)

• On gender confusion:

  "I was always...a feminist warrior and worrier..." (04:18, Jill Soloway)

• On representation:

  "There weren't a lot of other sort of regular positive experiences of just trans people living their lives." (05:43, Jill Soloway)

• On the 'female gaze' in leadership:

  "Whether or not it’s the female gaze or feminine style of leadership, meaning that you stand in the back of your troop and you push them forward." (14:04, Jill Soloway)

• On "boxing" on set:

  "We waste like a half an hour every day... standing in a circle talking about how we’re doing." (15:01, Jill Soloway)

• On progress and backlash:

  "When you say, is it getting better or getting worse? It’s both." (13:04, Jill Soloway)

2. High-Fashion Hijabs: Nyla Limas and Modest Modeling

Timestamps: 17:41–31:17

Main Discussion Points

• Profile of Nyla Limas:
  Designer, model, and founder of Under Wraps—an agency for modest and Muslim models.
• Redefining hijab style:
  Limas’s hijabs feature bright colors, African prints, and unique shapes, challenging "black scarf" stereotypes.
• Intersection of faith, fashion, and modesty:
  Her agency’s requirements for clients — same-sex dressing, privacy, and modesty for models of various faith backgrounds.
• Modeling as empowerment & education:
  Under Wraps brings together Muslim and non-Muslim women, fostering dialogue and breaking down religious barriers.
• Cultural context and controversies:
  Discussion on France’s burkini ban and Western perceptions of "oppression" vs. individual choice.
• Consent and visibility:
  Thurman explores the idea of the hijab as a feminist boundary—self-consent to visibility in public.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On mixing cultures:

  “It becomes like a learning of religions and faith and like a melting pot...” (22:34, Nyla Limas)

• On modest fashion:

  “What’s unique...is how we all interact with each other… we can easily have these dialogues.” (22:34, Nyla Limas)

• On boundaries and empowerment:

  “A hijab is a refusal in some ways to objectify yourself sexually. A refusal to court desire from strange eyes... It’s a boundary between you and the public.” (30:05, Judith Thurman)

3. Good Meeting – Satirical Office Skit

Timestamps: 31:45–36:37

Main Discussion Points

• A recurring satirical audio sketch depicting modern office absurdity and suppressed anxieties.
• Colleagues in a conference room exchange veiled confessions, neuroses, and absurd non-sequiturs amid mundane business chatter.

Notable Moments

• The sketch explodes into surreal office confessions and fantasy, lampooning corporate rituals and mental health struggles.
• Culminates in a fantastical, chaotic quest — “Quickly, everyone on my horse. There isn’t much time.”

4. John Fahey / Blind Joe Death: Guitar’s Outsider Legend

Timestamps: 37:21–54:47

Main Discussion Points

• Origins and early influences:
  Fahey’s obsession as a teen with old blues records, road trips to the deep South, and discovering lost musicians.
• Creating "Blind Joe Death":
  Fahey invents a mythical blues persona as a critique of blues mythology.
• Musical innovation:
  Signature fingerstyle, open tunings, blending blues and avant-garde/classical.
• Struggles and eccentricities:
  Stage fright, alcoholism, friction with 1960s folk movement, abrasive authenticity.
• Rediscovery and late cult status:
  Living in squalor, rediscovered in the ‘90s as outsider music becomes fashionable.
• Lasting influence:
  Producer of Leo Kotke’s influential 6 & 12 String Guitar; continued legacy through biography and rare recordings.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On obsession with blues:

  “There wasn’t any music that spoke to him in the way that this old blues music did...The blues... offered him, really, a window into his own dysfunction.” (41:07, Steve Lowenthal)

• On 'Blind Joe Death':

  “He creates this fictional alias…his goof on sort of the legends and the myths that all these writers make of these old blues guys.” (42:08, Steve Lowenthal)

• On rediscovery and outsider culture:

  “All of a sudden, being a mentally unstable, you know, underground icon…was a viable commercial commodity. So John Fahey all of a sudden is the right guy at the right time. And of course he rejects it…” (51:42, Steve Lowenthal)

• On Fahey’s legacy:

  “This last song is called Dry Bones in the Valley. …the level of feeling and ennui and sadness and darkness I feel is unparalleled in American music.” (53:35, Steve Lowenthal)

5. Memorable and Striking Quotes With Timestamps

• Jill Soloway on the impact of feminist cultural expectations:

  “There are so many things I want. I want power. I want to be brilliant. And then you’re being told constantly, you know, be cute and engage the male gaze.” (04:07)

• Nyla Limas on modesty in fashion:

  “As long as your parts of your body are covered and your clothing is not skin tight...There’s no guidelines on that.” (26:09)

• Steve Lowenthal on John Fahey’s blues passion:

  “The further he moved away from the blues and the more sort of, you know, avant garde and classical elements he would bring into the picture. The music sort of got a little stranger, got elongated.” (43:00)

Summary Table of Major Segments

| Segment | Start | End | Main Themes | |-----------------------------------------------|---------|---------|-----------------------------------------------| | Jill Soloway Interview | 00:30 | 17:18 | Gender, trans representation, feminism | | High-Fashion Hijabs & Nyla Limas | 17:41 | 31:17 | Modesty, Muslim fashion, cultural boundaries | | Satirical Office Skit ("Good Meeting") | 31:45 | 36:37 | Corporate rituals, workplace anxieties | | John Fahey Profile | 37:21 | 54:47 | Innovation in music, outsider artists, blues |

Takeaways

• The power of authentic storytelling — whether through TV, fashion, or music — to remake public understanding and break down stereotypes.
• Gender, modesty, and public space — examined through personal, cultural, and artistic lenses.
• Myth, mental health, and artistic legacy — the story of John Fahey subverts ideas of musical genius and celebrates outsiders and misfits.

For additional detail, anecdotes, and striking visuals, visit newyorker.com for the full-page photo spread on Nyla Limas' hijabs and further commentary on the episode’s music selections.