Episodes

  • David Sedaris

    David Sedaris
    Jun 18 2026
    Writer David Sedaris tells Rachel he doesn’t mind being humiliated, because he knows it will wind up as great material. David’s new book, “The Land and Its People,” is full of such material. In their conversation, David talks about his latest humiliations as well as the benefits of cleaning while angry and how a British radio soap opera reminds him of how lucky he is.

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    54 mins
  • Dave Eggers

    Dave Eggers
    Jun 11 2026
    Dave Eggers isn’t about rushing creativity. His latest novel, "Contrapposto," has been on his mind for about two decades. And he tells Rachel he believes many artists do their best work in their 80s and 90s. Eggers also reflects on how he’s learned to slow down in middle age, what he sees as the greatest danger of AI, and shares a moment of appreciation he felt watching an apricot tree.

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    47 mins
  • Maya Hawke

    Maya Hawke
    Jun 4 2026
    Maya Hawke is such a natural fit for Wild Card that she had several answers for many of the questions. The self-described “verbose” musician/actor talks to Rachel about her new album “Maitreya Corso,” and reflects on her identification with her character Anxiety in “Inside Out 2.” Hawke also tells Rachel about her “witch-adjacent” childhood with her mother, Uma Thurman.
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    52 mins
  • John C. Reilly

    John C. Reilly
    May 28 2026
    From "Step Brothers" to “Chicago,” John C. Reilly imbues every one of his roles with humor, empathy, and heart. In his latest project, a vaudeville stage show called "Mister Romantic," he searches for connection in a disconnected time. He talked to Rachel about his independent childhood on the south side of Chicago, and being open to endless possibilities.

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    51 mins
  • Noah Kahan

    Noah Kahan
    May 21 2026
    Noah Kahan's breakthrough album, Stick Season, made him known to millions of fans. But he tells Rachel that experience left him feeling like he knew himself even less than before. Noah talks about finding his way back to songwriting with his new album, "The Great Divide.” He also reflects on how depression comes with sneaky superpowers and shares that Oreos and "The Office" are his cures for burnout.

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    51 mins
  • Rita Wilson

    Rita Wilson
    May 14 2026
    Rita Wilson tells Rachel that she was tired of always being cast in the same kind of “nurturing” roles. And so she decided to explore a totally different career – one in music. Her latest album is “Sound of a Woman.” They also discuss the inspiration Rita draws from her immigrant parents and from older women.
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    42 mins
  • Anne Lamott

    Anne Lamott
    May 7 2026
    Anne Lamott says she felt drawn to writing almost like it was a call to become a monk. She has also felt called to teach others how to write, to help them organize their thoughts on the page and to keep their priorities in check. “You’re not going to get self-respect from being published,” she tells Rachel. Her newest book, co-written with her husband Neal Allen, is called “Good Writing.”
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    42 mins
  • Amy Grant

    Amy Grant
    Apr 30 2026
    After decades of releasing new albums every few years, Amy Grant went mostly quiet for the past decade. In the time since her last album of original songs in 2013, she’s survived several harrowing medical emergencies. Now she’s back with a new album, “The Me That Remains.” She tells Rachel she felt she was doing her audience a disservice by not writing about this phase of life.

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    39 mins