The New Yorker Radio Hour, Episode 7: "The Mayor and the Mormon Church, and Roger Angell"

Date: December 4, 2015
Host: David Remnick (WNYC Studios & The New Yorker)

Episode Overview

This multifaceted episode explores several core themes: the intersection of identity and politics through a Salt Lake City mayoral race and the Mormon Church's stance on LGBTQ+ families; the nature of political engagement among high school students through a mock presidential election; and a moving conversation with legendary New Yorker writer Roger Angell about baseball, writing, aging, loss, and memory. The show concludes with cultural recommendations from Amelia Lester.

1. Comic Cold Open – Scheduling Woes of "Girls" ([00:00–02:32])

• Lena Dunham and Alison Williams recreate a comic exchange—written by Kelly Stout—about the difficulties young women face in making plans, featuring exaggerated self-deprecation and topical metaphors.
• Quote:
  "If you're garbage, then I am like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill." (Lena Dunham, [01:19])

Light-hearted, self-mocking banter sets the tone for the episode, blending humor and cultural references.

2. High-School Political Simulation at Townsend Harris ([02:32–16:53])

Segment Introduction ([02:32–03:12])

• Josh Rothman reports on a senior-class mock presidential election at Townsend Harris High School in Queens.
• Students take on candidates' personas, media roles, and campaign teams, creating an in-depth reenactment of the U.S. election process.

Getting into Character ([03:12–07:42])

• Students impersonate Trump, Hillary, Jeb Bush, Bernie Sanders, Carly Fiorina, and others; they research policies and embrace campaign rhetoric.
• Quote:
  "I'm Donald Trump, but, I mean, everyone here should know that by now, if they've even watched the news. The media loves me, guys."
  (Matthew McAndrew as Trump, [03:12])
• Campaigns create ads, utilize social media, and appear on mock radio shows.

Ideology and Student Dynamics ([07:42–09:25])

• Townsend Harris is competitive, diverse, and mostly liberal, but conservative views exist.
• Students discuss the challenge of honestly representing assigned candidates' sometimes-controversial views, especially on immigration.
• Quote:
  "I agree that there are some good Mexicans, but right now, the ones that are coming into this country are... bringing with them their crime, their drug use, and it's really just not helping our country get better."
  (Matthew McAndrew as Trump, [08:52])

The Art of the Pivot & Campaign Media ([09:25–11:20])

• Students must master candidates’ dodges, including Hillary’s skillful deflection:
• Quote:
  "This is the Hillary Clinton campaign, not the Bill Clinton campaign… But my plan does call for more investment in infrastructure, scientific research, a greater tax relief for the middle class, and a system that can create affordable education."
  (Yasmin Ali as Hillary, [09:31])

Media, Entertainment, and Debate ([11:20–16:21])

• Campaigns blend adversarial questioning with entertainment tactics (best "Facebook page," creative ads).
• Debate tensions rise when a "Trump" character crosses a line by making a sexist comment, leading to real emotional fallout and administrative intervention.
• Quote:
  "You've insulted every woman in this room."
  (Yasmin Ali as Hillary, [13:23])
• Students reflect on the blurring lines between their mock election and real-world politics.
• Results: Jeb Bush wins the Republican primary simulation; Hillary Clinton the Democratic.
• Josh Rothman's reflection:
  "I wish the system they were simulating was a little more admirable and a little less like high school." ([15:45])

Musical Send-off

• Another student-created rap celebrates Carly Fiorina, showing the inventiveness and engagement of the student body.

3. Roger Angell on Baseball, Writing, and Life ([17:53–38:27])

Roger Angell’s Baseball Hall of Fame Speech & Reflections ([18:28–19:45])

• Excerpt from Angell’s 2014 Hall of Fame induction.
• Quote:
  "My gratitude always goes back to baseball itself, which turned out to be so familiar and so startling, so spacious and exacting, so easy looking and so heartbreakingly difficult that it filled up my notebooks in Seasons in a Rush."
  (Roger Angell, [18:47])

Finding a Voice in Sportswriting ([19:45–22:54])

• Challenges of entering sportswriting; early anxiety and unfamiliarity.
• Rooted his perspective as a fan, which was novel at the time.
• Shift in sports journalism culture: writers once shared economic status with players—now, "they're making as much as an oligarch." ([22:47])

Life as a Fiction Editor, Editorial Process ([23:38–26:51])

• Editing is intimate, collaborative, and essential, even for greats like John Cheever and Nabokov.
• Quote:
  "Some of the best fiction writers we had needed heavy, heavy editing... Cheever hated the editing, but then knew that he needed it."
  (Roger Angell, [24:51])
• Anecdote: Harold Ross's delightfully thorough (and sometimes pedantic) editorial queries to Nabokov and Roald Dahl ([27:33]–[28:51])

Aging, Memory, Loss, and Love ([29:07–35:31])

• Angell discusses his acclaimed essay "This Old Man," the experience of physical debility, coping with loss, and finding new love in later life.
• Quote:
  "Old people are like everyone else. We need connection. We need love....Old people have a love life, have intimate connections, have sex lives. And people don't like to admit this."
  (Roger Angell, [35:00])
• Touches on memory as an ongoing process—writing about painful personal events causes them to "go away."

The Writer’s Life: Perseverance, Blogging, and Reflection ([35:31–38:27])

• Considers aging’s impact on writing; enjoys blogging for its brevity and immediacy.
• Quote:
  "I used to love to make paper airplanes...that's like a blog."
  (Roger Angell, [29:58])
• On memory and recurring stories:
  "We’re not trying to change the outcome, but we’re trying to keep [the memory] or to say, 'Was this the way it was?'"
  (Roger Angell, [37:26])
• David Remnick extols Angell's persistent brilliance and influence.

4. Jackie Biskupski: Salt Lake City's First Openly Gay Mayor & Clash with Mormon Church

([39:54–49:52])

Utah Politics and the LDS Church ([39:54–41:49])

• Salt Lake City is a liberal enclave; election of an openly gay woman as mayor is both symbolic and significant.

Jackie Biskupski's Journey ([41:49–44:40])

• Biskupski describes her initial years in Utah, early systemic discrimination against gays, and her role as the state's first openly gay legislator.
• Quote:
  "I can remember when I first moved here that if we went to a club and it was a gay club, they made you sign this paper...and cops would come in and look at the list."
  (Jackie Biskupski, [41:55])
• Faced organized opposition in campaigns, but received crucial support from legislative leaders.

LDS Church Policy Change and Its Effects ([44:40–47:10])

• Recent Mormon Church policy bars children of same-sex couples from baptism until adulthood and after they "disavow" same-sex marriage.
• Quote:
  "There is, without question, a feel to it that sends a message to the children in our community that we're not all equal."
  (Jackie Biskupski, [46:01])
• Biskupski addresses policy timing, possible links to her election, and trust in Church assurances.

Polygamy and Tolerance ([47:10–49:50])

• Discusses parallels between Church policy on polygamy and same-sex parenting; mayor’s personal philosophy stresses non-judgment and child safety over legal enforcement.
• Optimistic note about progress in language and respect from Church toward LGBTQ+ community.

5. Pop Culture Check-in with Amelia Lester ([50:26–53:07])

TV and Book Recommendations

• Amelia Lester pitches "Please Like Me" (Australian TV) as "Larry David meets Lena Dunham in the body of a 21-year-old gay man."
• Discusses reading "The Lost Child" by Elena Ferrante and "Purity" by Jonathan Franzen, and the value of reading more women writers.
• Quote:
  "I generally have a rule where I don't like to read books written by men because I hear enough from them every day at work."
  (Amelia Lester, [52:36])

6. Next Week's Teaser: Homeless River Adventurer ([53:13–54:32])

• Brief excerpt previews a profile of Dick Conant, a homeless man/adventurer who traversed America by canoe, rejecting modern distractions for river life.
• Quote:
  "I got tired of TV and automobiles, so I just took off and jumped in the river."
  (Dick Conant, [39:44])

Notable Quotes by Segment

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------| | "If you're garbage, then I am like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill." | Lena Dunham | 01:19 | | "Turn this country around. We need to stop being losers, guys..." | Matthew McAndrew (Trump) | 04:37 | | "You've insulted every woman in this room." | Yasmin Ali (as Hillary Clinton) | 13:23 | | "My gratitude always goes back to baseball itself..." | Roger Angell | 18:47 | | "This is the Hillary Clinton campaign, not the Bill Clinton campaign."| Yasmin Ali (as Hillary Clinton) | 09:31 | | "Old people are like everyone else. We need connection. We need love."| Roger Angell | 35:00 | | "I used to love to make paper airplanes... that's like a blog." | Roger Angell | 29:58 | | "There is… a feel to it that sends a message... that we're not all equal."| Jackie Biskupski | 46:01 | | "I generally have a rule where I don't like to read books written by men because I hear enough from them every day at work."| Amelia Lester| 52:36 | | "I got tired of TV and automobiles, so I just took off and jumped in the river."| Dick Conant | 39:44 |

Engagement & Tone

• The episode artfully mixes serious journalism, humor, literature, and personal reflection.
• Each segment maintains the characteristic New Yorker blend: intellectual curiosity, urbanity, and warmth.

Suggested Listening Guide with Timestamps

• [00:00–02:32] – Comic opener: Lena Dunham & Alison Williams (funny, sharp cultural commentary)
• [02:32–16:53] – Townsend Harris high-school political simulation: student engagement, media, debate, and reflection
• [17:53–38:27] – Roger Angell: Baseball, writing, aging, editing, memory, and love
• [39:54–49:52] – Jackie Biskupski & the Mormon Church: Progress, religious policy, and Salt Lake City's changing landscape
• [50:26–53:07] – Amelia Lester’s pop culture picks: TV and literary recommendations, gendered reading habits
• [53:13–54:32] – Next week’s teaser: Dick Conant, canoe adventurer

Summary Takeaway

Episode 7 offers a lively, thoughtful mix of youthful political engagement, literary mastery, candid discussions of personal and societal change, and cultural recommendations. Whether dissecting the spectacle of American elections, reliving baseball’s poetic glories, or probing the boundaries of tolerance in Salt Lake City, the New Yorker Radio Hour manages to be as entertaining as it is enlightening.