The New Yorker Radio Hour

Episode: Senator Elizabeth Warren, and How to Pick a Great Cartoon
Date: April 21, 2017
Host: David Remnick (A)

Overview

This episode brings together three lively segments: a behind-the-scenes look at how New Yorker cartoons are selected with cartoon editor Bob Mankoff, an in-depth interview with Senator Elizabeth Warren about the future of the Democratic Party and American politics under President Trump, and cultural conversations with poet Gregory Pardlo and musician Chilly Gonzalez. The tone shifts from playful and humorous to incisively political to reflective and artistic.

Segment 1: Picking New Yorker Cartoons

[00:20–03:35]

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Inside the Cartoon Selection Process:
  David Remnick describes joining Bob Mankoff, the New Yorker’s longtime cartoon editor, as they sift through a basket of 50-75 cartoons, narrowing them down to 15 finalists for the magazine. The process is harder than it might seem.

• Clichés in Cartooning:
  The team jokes about avoiding common cartoon clichés. Bob and David list familiar themes (“Gallows, Garden of Eden, Gates of Hell, Genie in the Lamp, Guy in Stocks”) and debate whether it's possible to have a cartoon meeting without them.

• Sample Cartoon Jokes:

  • Bears in a diner: “My husband’s snoring kept me up all winter.”
  • Penguins: “I’ve got my own place now, but I still rely on my parents to regurgitate my meals.”
  • Hospital room: Doctor diagnoses “mild food induced coma.”

• Cartoonist Achievements:
  Amy Kurzweil sells two cartoons during the meeting, highlighting both the collaborative spirit and competitiveness of the process.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On cliché themes:
  David Remnick (A), [00:20]: “Do you think we could get through an entire cartoon meeting without any of these cartoons? No, that would be impossible. Just pass the fucking cartoons.”

• On professional existentialism:
  David Remnick (A), [01:41]: “I cannot believe I make a living doing this.”

Tone and Atmosphere

Lighthearted and irreverent, packed with office banter and a playful behind-the-scenes look at a beloved New Yorker tradition.

Segment 2: Interview with Senator Elizabeth Warren

[03:35–24:34]

Main Theme

A probing interview on the Democratic Party’s future, economic inequality, the election of President Trump, and the urgent need for civic engagement—centered around Warren’s new book, This Fight Is Our Fight.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Economic Divides in Politics:
  David Remnick presents a county-level breakdown of the 2016 vote, noting the economic underpinnings of America’s rural-urban split.

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [04:28]:
  “I think it tells us there’s a lot of trouble out there in America and that America is dividing again along economic lines…Our country continues to get richer. But the 90%, how much did they get of the new income growth then?…Nothing.”

• Trump’s Populist Appeal:
  Warren acknowledges Trump’s skill in voicing economic dissatisfaction, but criticizes the scapegoating in his narrative:

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [07:46]:
  “The first is…Donald Trump told a story about what went wrong. And his story is blame it on everybody else. The other…that was the core of Donald Trump’s message.”

• Policy Recommendations and Challenges:
  Warren outlines concrete ways Trump could deliver on promises—like bringing back Glass-Steagall banking reforms or closing tax loopholes to support education.

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [09:40]:
  “Donald, come on. I’ll bring the Democrats, you bring some Republicans. Let’s make this happen.”

• Negotiating with Trump:
  Weighing how Democrats might reach deals without being “rolled,” Warren emphasizes the importance of public pressure:

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [11:33]:
  “He wants an audience. Give him an audience. Whenever you’re negotiating with Donald Trump, if we got a lot of America already on our side, I think that’s how you get his attention.”

• Trump’s Taxes and Russia:
  Warren expresses deep suspicion, linking Trump’s secrecy over taxes to possible illicit foreign ties:

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [12:24]:
  “I want to know what he’s hiding…Is he hiding his business ties?…Who has he borrowed money from?”

  She advocates for a full, independent investigation into potential Russia collusion.

• Why She Didn’t Run for President:
  Warren reflects on her decision not to run in 2016, citing a need for “a little more time” in the Senate and affection for her work.

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [15:42]:
  “Part of it is, like I said, experience. Part of it is I really love the work I’m doing. I love being a senator, and I’m getting better at it.”

• The Immediate Political Fight:
  Warren resists speculating about a future presidential bid, insisting on focusing on present struggles—specifically, defending Obamacare:

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [17:55]:
  “No, what we’ve got to be thinking about is the fight right now.…if we hadn’t been out there fighting, 24 million people would have lost their health care coverage…”

• Activism and Optimism:
  She encourages Americans to join collectives and take daily political action, emphasizing even small acts can reverberate:

  Elizabeth Warren (C), [22:55]:
  “First thing is join up with some others…Second, commit to make a difference every single day. One phone call a day, one phone call a day, one email a day. It’s enough to get your voice in the game.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• David Remnick (A), [06:25]:
  “What bewitches liberals all the time, myself included very often, is this notion that somehow…people are not necessarily voting their interests.”

• Elizabeth Warren (C), [21:35]:
  “Lordy, Lordy, are we sitting in a fancy building in New York? Excuse me. It’s much of the rest of America that feels the anger…”

• Elizabeth Warren (C), [24:16]:
  “Does it have all the effect I want? No. Betsy DeVos still got confirmed...But boy, being in the fight changes the world.”

Tone and Atmosphere

Serious, impassioned, and urgent—yet with Warren’s characteristic willingness to dig into granular policy and personal motivation.

Segment 3: Gregory Pardlo – Poetry and a Strike’s Impact

[26:02–37:57]

Key Story and Insights

• Personal History and the Air Traffic Controllers Strike:
  Pulitzer-winning poet Gregory Pardlo recounts visiting his father at work in the control tower, then narrates his family’s ordeal during the 1981 PATCO strike and Ronald Reagan’s mass firings.

  • On the emotional toll:
    Gregory Pardlo (B), [27:43]: “I do remember people were throwing food at us from the highway…It shocked me because I was so convinced we were on the right side of history.”

  • Family Downturn:
    The strike cost Pardlo’s father his career, leading to material and psychological hardship for the family.

    Gregory Pardlo (B), [31:53]: “We couldn’t pay the light bill, we couldn’t pay the electricity…Yet it struck me as romantic and that we were facing as a family, we were facing this adversity together…”

• A Poem about Fathers and Sons:
  Pardlo reads “Problema 4” from Digest, reflecting humorously and philosophically on authority, rebellion, and the indelible marks of parenthood.

  • Gregory Pardlo (B), [35:37]:
    “His laughter was my first lesson in the human Ponzi scheme of paternalism. The self electing indenture to the promise of material inheritance. Men claiming a hollow authority because simply their fathers had claimed a hollow authority.”

Tone and Atmosphere

Reflective, moving, personal—exploring how individual family histories intersect with national labor and race politics.

Segment 4: Chilly Gonzalez – The Musical Humanist

[38:59–49:03]

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Chilly Gonzalez’ Eclectic Career:
  Interviewed by Andrew Marantz, the Canadian musician discusses his unique blend of pop, classical, and satirical styles, and collaborations with artists like Drake and Daft Punk.

  Chilly Gonzalez (D), [40:44]:
  “People sort of said, your music can be serious…but you have this other side that’s very playful and funny and sarcastic. And it seemed like people were constantly telling me to pick a side, which is the thing… I was always fighting against.”

• Pop Music Masterclass:
  Gonzalez breaks down why songs like Migos’ “Bad and Boujee” are musically effective, connecting pop tropes to the techniques of classical composers.

  Chilly Gonzalez (D), [45:33]:
  “I figure all these musical tools that were used by great composers, they travel through time and they end up in pop songs today…To me, it’s just better to focus on what we have in common between musical styles. That’s what musical humanism is.”

Notable Quotes

• Chilly Gonzalez (D), [42:02]:
  “My ego was so tickled by the fact that Drake knew who I was and liked my song enough to use it. But then…very frustrated that I hadn’t been named or given a full shout out or any credit.”

• Andrew Marantz (F), [48:27]:
  “It’s almost like for most of his career as a solo performer, he was kind of burdened by the breadth and depth of his knowledge…But I feel like he’s reached that point in his career where he knows what a musical humanist is.”

Tone and Atmosphere

Smart and playful, exploring the borderlands between pop culture and high art, with a touch of Canadian self-deprecation.

Segment 5: Paul Muldoon – Poetry, Painting, and Chuck Berry

[49:03–54:11]

Key Discussion Points and Insights

• Cultural Recommendations:
  Paul Muldoon, the New Yorker’s poetry editor, shares three things he’s paying attention to: a George Seurat exhibition at the Met, a new edition of Robert Lowell’s poems, and the legacy of Chuck Berry.

  Paul Muldoon (E), [51:18]:
  “Well, you know, it is Robert Lowell’s centenary year. This is 1917, the year he was born. Lowell is much in the air at the moment, but actually, frankly, he’s been somewhat out of favor.”

• Personal anecdotes:
  Remnick and Muldoon share reminiscences about seeing Chuck Berry perform and the enduring appeal of simple, direct rock and roll.

Notable Quotes

• Paul Muldoon (E), [52:27]:
  “His duck walk was not exactly…It was more like a goose. Still, what a character.”

• David Remnick (A), [53:40]:
  “That’s already jazz, as the read said.”

Tone and Atmosphere

Warmly intellectual, full of affectionate jokes, with a nod to the joys of art, music, and language.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Cartoon Meeting with Bob Mankoff: [00:20–03:35]
• Elizabeth Warren Interview: [03:35–24:34]
• Gregory Pardlo on the PATCO Strike and Poetry: [26:02–37:57]
• Chilly Gonzalez’s Musical Analysis: [38:59–49:03]
• Paul Muldoon’s Cultural Picks: [49:03–54:11]

Conclusion

This episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour artfully interweaves the comedic intensity of the magazine’s cartoon curation, a hard-hitting conversation with Senator Elizabeth Warren about economic inequality, populism, resistance, and the future of progressive politics, as well as deeply resonant artistic reflections on family, music, and poetry from distinguished guests. The program closes with thoughtful, literate banter on poetry and music, encapsulating the breadth and intellectual curiosity that defines both The New Yorker and its radio hour.