Episode 444
with Dani Shapiro, Chris Garcia, and Casey Neill & The Norway Rats
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal some surprising facts about their parents; author Dani Shapiro explains how a mail-in DNA test revealed a family secret, which formed the basis of her New York Times bestseller Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love; comedian and podcaster Chris Garcia pokes fun at his life choices by channeling his Cuban father; and Casey Neill & The Norway Rats perform “Savages” from their album Subterrene.
Dani Shapiro
Best-selling Author
Dani Shapiro is a literary truth teller. The author of five novels, four memoirs, and a plethora of essays, short fiction, and journalism, Shapiro’s latest memoir Inheritance deals with the aftermath of finding out through a genealogy website that her father was not her biological father. The captivating book details how she grappled with this discovery as a writer who has examined identity and family for years. Shapiro also encourages truth as a renowned writing teacher at various institutions, as well as at her own writing conference in Positano, Italy. In addition to Inheritance, the straight talk continues this year with the launch of her new podcast Family Secrets, a look at how secrets can both shape and liberate us. Website • Twitter
Chris Garcia
Comedian & Podcaster
Veteran comedian Chris Garcia has always incorporated stories about his Cuban-American family into his standup sets. Following his father’s death from Alzheimer’s, he began using humor as a vehicle to process his grief and remember his dad. His willingness to find laughs in life’s hard stuff has brought him solace from connecting with others – as well as a Comedy Central special, a new podcast called Scattered from WNYC about death, family and comedy, and a pilot based on his life in process at FOX Television. For this funny guy, allowing in the darkness let his work and perspective shine the brightest. Twitter
Casey Neill & The Norway Rats
Indie-rock Supergroup
Even in a world with a dystopic tinge, Casey Neill remains strangely hopeful about the future. That contrasting mix of hope and chaos, looking to both the past and future, fuels Subterrene — his magical new album with his band The Norway Rats. The Portland supergroup has convened on their first album in almost five years, fusing Neill’s evocative storytelling with alt-rock abandon and punk grit. Neill describes Subterrene as a “dystopian romance,” following a distinct story arc inspired by vintage sci-fi novels, our current political climate, and Neill’s worldly travels. It’s an album that is defiantly optimistic and sonically bold, and serves to illuminate the most strangely hopeful thing of all — finding true connection with others. Website • Twitter • Store
