Am I Your Favorite Non-Binary Gardener / Gymnast? with Aly Raisman
This episode is an All-Around winner, because Jonathan is talking with six-time Olympic medalist and captain of the Fierce Five and Final Five gymnastics teams, Aly Raisman. This isn’t a Level 10 conversation about gymnastics, gardening, and more—it’s certified Elite. Follow Aly on Instagram @alyraisman and Twitter @aly_raisman, and learn more about her book Fierce. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Jul 20201h 11min
How Can We Give the Theater World a Revival? with Audra McDonald
This week's Getting Curious is a show like no other, since Jonathan is joined by the iconic Tony, Grammy, and Emmy award winner Audra McDonald. She and Jonathan discuss the critical work she's doing as the co-founder of Black Theatre United, an organization that is advocating for equity in the theater world and the nation. They also discuss how theatergoers can continue to support the performing arts community, during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. (And stick around for the third act to hear Audra's recommendations for what to watch and listen to once you're done with the episode!) Follow Audra on Instagram @audramcdonald and Twitter @AudraEqualityMc, and learn more about Black Theatre United at www.blacktheatreunited.com. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Jul 20201h 10min
How Can Progressives Stick The 2020 Election Landing? with Ben O’Keefe
The 2020 election season has been anything but routine. To coach us through all the ways we can help flip seats, add balance to any check on our democracy, and win big on election day, Jonathan is turning to political strategist Ben O'Keefe. Ben is a human rights activist, progressive strategist, and founder of the impact entertainment company Give A Damn. He is a former Senior Aide to Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign, and currently the Impact Producer on the forthcoming Untitled Stacey Abrams documentary from Amazon Studios. Follow Ben on Twitter and Instagram at @benjaminokeefe and at www.benjaminokeefe.com. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
15 Jul 202058min
Are We Hearing A Crescendo of Anti-Racism in Classical Music? with Dr. Kira Thurman and Ashleigh Gordon
This week on Getting Curious, Dr. Kira Thurman and Ashleigh Gordon join Jonathan to discuss the remarkable work of Black classical composers and musicians through history and today. Dr. Thurman is an assistant professor of History and Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan. Ashleigh Gordon is the co-founder, Artistic and Executive Director, and violist of Castle of our Skins, a Boston-based concert and educational series devoted to celebrating Black Artistry through music. Follow Dr. Thurman on Twitter @kira_thurman, and follow Ashleigh on Instagram @violashe and at www.violashe.com. Keep up with Castle of our Skins on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook at @castleskins, and at www.castleskins.org. Castle of our Skins has an incredible resources page with organizations, ensembles, composers, and more. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
8 Jul 20201h 9min
Are Cicadas The Only Ones Having a Hawt Gurl Summer? with Dr. Jessica Ware
On this week’s Getting Curious, Jonathan is taking the creepy out of crawly with entomologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Jessica Ware. We’re talking periodical cicadas, cockroaches, dragonflies, and more. Dr. Ware is a curator of Odonata and non-Holometabolous insect orders at the American Museum of Natural History, New York and a professor at the Richard Gilder Graduate School. She is also the VP-Elect of the Entomological Society of America, and the President of the Worldwide Dragonfly Association. Follow Dr. Ware on Twitter @JessicaLWareLab and Instagram @jessicaleeware42. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
1 Jul 20201h 3min
How Can We Shablam on Voter Suppression? with Stacey Abrams
Voting rights activist, author, lawyer, and politician Stacey Abrams joins Jonathan to discuss the history of voting rights in the United States, the current state of voter suppression, and how we can work towards fair voting and a robust civic engagement. Abrams served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017, and as minority leader from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, she became the first Black woman to run as a major-party gubernatorial nominee in the US. She is the founder of Fair Fight, an organization that works to ensure every American has a voice in our legal system, and Fair Count, which advocates for accuracy in the 2020 Census and greater participation in civic engagement. Follow Leader Abrams on Twitter and Instagram @staceyabrams, learn more about Fair Fight here and Fair Count here, and find her book Our Time Is Now here. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
24 Jun 202047min
Is Trump An Autocratic Basic B? with Masha Gessen
In Masha Gessen’s return to Getting Curious, the journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker speaks with Jonathan about their new book Surviving Autocracy. They discuss the ways in which Trump has consolidated power since his election, what the stakes are if he continues to trample American institutions, and what we can do to resist his autocratic ambitions. Follow Masha Gessen on Twitter @mashagessen, and learn more about Surviving Autocracy here. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
17 Jun 202052min
How Can Democrats Be Anti-Racist? with Alicia Garza
In this re-release of an episode first recorded in July 2019, Jonathan sits down with Alicia Garza, Co-founder of Black Lives Matter and Director of Strategy & Partnerships for National Domestic Workers Alliance, to discuss the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia’s work with the Black Futures Lab, and how Democratic Party candidates, campaigns, and elected officials need to be—and can be—more accountable to Black constituents. Follow Alicia Garza on Twitter @aliciagarza and on Instagram @chasinggarza, and learn more about Black Futures Lab here. Follow National Domestic Workers Alliance on Twitter and Instagram @domesticworkers. Find out what today’s guest and former guests are up to by following us on Instagram and Twitter @CuriousWithJVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Check out Getting Curious merch at PodSwag.com. Listen to more music from Quiñ by heading over to TheQuinCat.com. Jonathan is on Instagram and Twitter @JVN and @Jonathan.Vanness on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
10 Jun 20201h 5min
