Salon Talks

When Academy Award-winning writer Aaron Sorkin began to craft the characters in his rendition of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the Broadway stage, he honed in on the town’s unemployed villain, Bob Ewell, and gave him real anxieties inspired by today’s right-wing politics. “I'll tell you where I went to find Bob Ewell, Breitbart,” Sorkin tells Salon. “A lot of Bob Ewell's dialogue was written by commenters at Breitbart. I'm not joking.” Ewell is the victim of poverty, Sorkin explained, and he is able to articulate an anger to Atticus Finch that the other Bob Ewells in the book and movie versions of “To Kill a Mockingbird” didn’t touch on. According to Sorkin, Ewell’s thing is, "You think you're better than me? You look down on me. You think you're better than me?" Sorkin also opens up about the long, difficult, and very engaging process of adapting “To Kill a Mockingbird” for the stage, currently on Broadway until September, and how America’s deeply divided politics—including Trump’s presidency, his supporters and liberals, too—all informed and continue to bring new meaning to his version.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

In her new Netflix comedy show, “Mr. Iglesias,” Emmy Award winner Sherri Shepherd plays a high school principal whose efficient, professional life runs at odds with her chaotic personal one. “It’s like they took a page from my book,” Shepherd shared. “She’s been married twice, she’s been divorced twice, and she’s looking for love.”  The brainchild of comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias, “Mr. Iglesias” is simultaneously an old school throwback to the classroom comedies of the “Welcome Back, Kotter” era, a socially conscious satire of modern education and a loving tribute to the teacher who changed Iglesias’s life. It’s a goal that resonates for Shepherd, both as a parent and a woman whose own life was changed by her second grade teacher back in Chicago.  Shepherd also reflects on “The View,” the show she co-hosted from 2007 to 2014, and says it has forever changed talk show TV for women.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Comedian Louie Anderson says his Emmy Award-winning turn as Christine Baskets on the FX series “Baskets” is the role he was born to play. Basing on her on his own mother, Anderson opened up to SalonTV’s Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks” about his deeply personal connection to Christine and her evolution over the show’s four seasons. “It was very emotional to shoot this character this year,” he said. “I had a lot of gut punches emotionally. A lot of tough things, where I had to ask myself, ‘Was my mom ever this happy?’” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Author Jennifer Weiner has built a built a career writing the kind of female-friendly, relationship-oriented fiction that typically gets dismissed as "chick lit," with bestsellers like "Good In Bed," "In Her Shoes" and "Little Earthquakes."  She's also spent nearly a decade challenging the elitism and sexism of book publishing and criticism. Her new novel, "Mrs. Everybody" is a culmination of Weiner's work as both a storyteller and a truth-teller, a sweeping multigenerational family saga against a backdrop of 70 years of women's history.  On "Salon Talks," Weiner discusses family, Franzenfreude, and why guys should read "women's" literature. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

With his new Netflix film “Always Be My Maybe,” Randall Park has become a full-fledged rom-com leading man. But when he was starting out, the industry didn’t see him that way.  “I came from an Asian-American studies background. I wanted to be an actor because of that,” he recalled to SalonTV’s Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks.” “I wanted to go out there and represent. I didn’t realize how little power I’d have in that at the beginning.” Five years later, Park says, he’s at a place where he can tell the stories he wants to tell in his own voice, including a longtime passion project he wrote with and co-stars in with Ali Wong, “Always Be My Maybe,” now on Netflix. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Actor and former “SNL” writer Paula Pell opens up about acting with her hall of fame-worthy, real-life besties, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch and Maya Rudolph in Netflix’s "Wine Country.” The women escape to Napa for a milestone 50th birthday and Pell's character, Val, a wisecracking vintage shop owner, gets in touch with her vulnerable side when she strikes up a flirtation with a younger waitress.  "It's so nice in this movie, because so much of any writing with gay characters usually was — and sometimes is still is — 'Here's the gay character! Here's the other! We'll tell their story about  gay love or gay divorce!' No, it's a woman who was with the same person many years and is now looking to the future,” Pell said. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta investigates the epidemic level that constant stress is having on Americans’ health today in his latest project, the HBO documentary “One Nation Under Stress,” available now. On “Salon Talks,” he shares his personal tips for controlling stress and regaining control amidst life’s unpredictable stressors. The film goes deep on why Americans are experiencing decreased life expectancy today, and how the root causes are all stress-related, self-inflicted conditions, including opioid overdose, alcohol-related liver cirrhosis, obesity and suicide. “You have plenty of examples around the world of truly capitalistic societies that do not suffer the way the United States is suffering right now,” Dr. Gupta shared. “They continue to have increasing life expectancy, they continue to have decreasing mortality and decreasing levels of stress. The United States is unique in this regard and that's the part that fascinated me the most.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, Facebook and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Emilio Estevez set his latest film “The Public” in a library “to remind people just how vital and important libraries are,” he shared on “Salon Talks.” Estevez wrote, directed and stars in the film, a David and Goliath story about mental illness, homelessness and democracy. “The Public,” was shot in and around Cincinnati on a tight 22-day schedule, with its public library as the centerpiece of the film. Supported by talents like Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Christian Slater, Gabrielle Union, and Jeffrey Wright, the film took seven years to make, and began after Estevez read an LA Times article by a former librarian about how the public library system had become a de facto sanctuary for many homeless people, and librarians the de facto social workers.  Estevez also opened up growing up with a dad Martin Sheen, who took pride in demonstrating for causes, often getting arrested because of it. “When my dad would get arrested, I didn’t really understand it. I understood it fundamentally, but I didn’t always agree with it. I thought, ‘what if you took that same energy and made a movie about what you believed in, couldn’t you reach a broader audience?’” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, Facebook and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Number one NYT bestselling author Harlan Coben has sold millions of books, been translated into 43 languages, and had his works adapted into film and television shows around the world. Yet the New Jersey native, whose newest novel is the twisty thriller "Run Away," never takes success as a sure thing, he shared on “Salon Talks.” "I still get paralyzed every day when I write," he told SalonTV’s Mary Elizabeth Williams. "I've written 31 novels; you'd think I'd be past that. I get mad at myself. I'll be writing and think, 'This book stinks.' Five minutes later, I'll think, 'This book is genius.' There's a lot of self-flagellation. That goes on every day." His advice for aspiring authors is to remember, "We all get paralyzed. You have to fight through that paralysis. Turn that voice off. Don't worry about good or bad it is yet. Anything that makes you write those pages, do it. It may be an art, but you have to treat it like a job. The plumber can't say, 'Today I'm too important to do pipes.'"  About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Chelsea Handler credits President Donald Trump with triggering her “big catharsis” this past year, she explains to Salon’s D. Watkins on “Salon Talks.” Handler’s new memoir “Life Will Be the Death of Me,” her sixth book, offers both hilarious and vulnerable reflections on her Trump-activated midlife crisis. Following Trump’s inauguration, the comedian embarked on a year-old commitment to therapy. She asked herself, “What am I doing? I'm in my 40s. What is my identity? How tied to fame am I? Is this the most important thing? Is this the only thing I'm gonna be known for is having a television show?” Handler details how a year of tuning in awoke the underlying traumas in her life, including losing her older brother Chet tragically during childhood. “I don't want everybody to go through life the way that I did from nine to 40, completely blocking out any sort of trauma,” Handler said. “I didn't wanna address it, I didn't wanna talk about it. That's not the way you should go through life, so I think I finally had something that I could share that I thought would be important.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and YouTube and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, Facebook and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Emmy Award winner Jeff Daniels shares the story of how Aaron Sorkin first approached him about starring as Atticus Finch in his Broadway version of "To Kill a Mockingbird.” Daniels, along with his Broadway co-star Celia Keenan-Bolger, who plays Scout, discuss on “Salon Talks” how they prepared for their roles.  Daniels also opens up about craving roles that test him emotionally. "After 'Newsroom,' I'm of the age where, if I'm not challenged, I just lose interest,” he said. “I was not going to be that actor standing next to some 28 year old making ten million who barely knows his lines and I'm playing his father. All of a sudden, here's Atticus Finch, and you're going up against Gregory Peck on Broadway in this whole new adaption? Let's rise to that."  Daniels and Keenan-Bolger are both nominated for Tony Awards this year. About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, Facebook and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

After more than four decades in the fashion industry, Diane von Furstenberg understands what she's famous for — her iconic wrap dress. "People say I made the dress," she tells Salon. "The dress really made me. It paid my bills, it took me everywhere. I learned about life and I learned about women."  The legendary designer is also an author, a business leader, the official godmother of the Statue of Liberty (thanks to her work launching a new museum in her honor) and a tireless champion of other women. Nearly 10 years after von Furstenberg helped launch the DVF Awards to honor "the women who have had the courage to fight, the strength to survive, and the leadership to inspire," she opens up to Salon about this year’s recipients, which include lifetime leadership award winner, Anita Hill.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Jesse Eisenberg talks to Salon about "The Hummingbird Project,” OCD, "Zombieland, and why he’s very aware that he is a Jesse Eisenberg type. The 35-year-old Oscar-nominated actor has built a career as a nervous guy with a mile-a-minute mind, whether that guy is Mark Zuckerberg or Lex Luthor. And while he tells Salon, "I think of myself as a basic, unremarkable person,” the writer and director gets deep about what he looks for a role and what he hopes his characters teach viewers about humanity.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

In a wide-ranging interview with Salon's D. Watkins, John Turturro talks aging, dancing, acting, basketball and working with Spike Lee. Turturro admits that he’s grown tremendously as an actor over the course of his prolific career, including in his most-recent role where he plays a 50-something divorce looking for love in “Gloria Bell." When asked about his character’s ability to grow, Turturro made real-life comparisons. “People don't change, but they can grow, you can grow,” he explained. For Turturro, it’s more than just a character arc. “You're not a different person. You're born a certain way and then you grow and can make changes within your life.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

“I'm hoping that people's popcorn gets jolted out of their hands and gets thrown in their chest.” This is director Steve McQueen’s vision for audiences of his new heist-thriller “Widows,” starring Viola Davis. The Academy Award winner appeared on “Salon Talks” to discuss his first feature film since winning the best picture Oscar for “12 Years A Slave.” McQueen, who co-wrote “Widows” with Gillian Flynn and produced on the project, calls it a “rollercoaster ride” that most audiences will need to watch a second time to fully grasp every visual moment. “You're propelled into the movie from the get-go,” McQueen told Salon. “That's what I wanted. I want to bring people immediately into the narrative. It's sort of a visualist experience.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Actress Andrea Savage was sick of the two-dimensional mom roles she was getting pitched, so she created her own show that depicts motherhood how it really is: hilarious, difficult and a little raunchy. The result, truTV’s “I'm Sorry,” now in its second season. Savage, known for earlier roles on “Veep” and “Episodes,” joined “Salon Talks,” to discuss the funny real-world challenges of balancing work and motherhood and what’s in store for “I’m Sorry” season two, which starts off with her daughter starting kindergarten. “Your whole life turns to shit when your kid learns to read,” Savage told Salon’s Alli Joseph. “You have to hide everything. Suddenly, the world is dangerous place you weren't aware of.” Many stories on the show have at least a kernel of Savage’s own experiences as a mom. Using her improv comedy background, she takes real "teachable moments" and pushes them to the extreme to make the storylines flow for the show.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Former editor of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair Tina Brown is fed up with the double standards female leaders face. During a sitdown on “Salon Talks” where she detailed her new Wondery podcast, “TBD with Tina Brown," the legendary former editor of Vanity Fair and the New York discussed her own frustrations with how her legacy has been glossed over. Plus, Brown comments on #MeToo and why it’s made women both “stalled and furious.”  About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Grammy Award-winning rapper Killer Mike joins SalonTV’s D. Watkins for an honest and lively conversation around his radical ideas for reshaping America’s perceptions on race, education and activism and his advice on the 2020 election and the current government shutdown.  Killer Mike, who is also a businessman, activist and executive producer of his new Netflix series “Trigger Warning with Killer Mike,” is using his show to confront misconceptions that impact the black community. Over the course of six episodes, he conducts social experiments, such as attempting to only spend money in the black community for three days and helping the Crips launch its own soda line.  Listen to the full episode above to hear more about the Netflix series, Mike’s candid response to his controversial NRATV interview around gun ownership, and why he’s not paying his taxes until Trump reopens the government.  About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and YouTube and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, Facebook and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Academy Award-winning actress Melissa Leo peeled back the layers of her acting process and how she approached films like “The Fighter,” “The Equalizer” films and “Flight” opposite Denzel Washington, plus her newest film, “Unlovable,” directed by Suzi Yoonessi and starring John Hawkes and the film’s screenwriter Charlene deGuzman. Leo also opened up about working with different types of actors and directors and how the key players inform her experiences on set. Creatively, directors like Antoine Fuqua, with whom she worked on “The Equalizer” films, allow Leo to infuse their own spin on characters. “For me, method acting is that one would have a method,” Leo told Salon. “Sometimes you need to use tools as an actor, sometimes you just learn the words, and you're opposite Denzel Washington, and it feels real, and it is real, and you just do it.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Sam Sifton, the New York Times food editor and founder of NYTCooking, joins Salon to deliver his best Thanksgiving dinner tips for home cooks. Sifton’s enthusiasm for the holiday—akin to that of a war-weary career field officer—is wonderfully infectious. Sifton, also author of “Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well,” unpacks how to prepare the bird, why he’s against turkey brining and the best way to carve the turkey. Plus, Sifton reveals his deep frying turkey disaster and why leaving the cook alone is the best thing you can do as a Thanksgiving guest. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Through his roles in movies like "Warrior," "Exodus: Gods and Kings," and "The Gift," Joel Edgerton has cultivated an image as one of the industry's most reliable tough guys. But in real life, the director, screenwriter, and costar of "Boy Erased," has developed a different idea of what true strength looks like.  "I grew up in the eighties, when the bigger your muscles, the bigger a movie star you were," Egerton told Salon’s Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks.” "One of the myths about masculinity is that you're not allowed to show your sensitivity. It's the stereotype of the silent father. As a young man I identified with that. I thought strength was silence and stoicism and only speaking when necessary, and that weakness the opposite. Weakness was being open about feelings, about having words to describe what was going on for you internally."  Now, he says, "I realized at too late an age that those definitions should be flipped. Strength should be expression, and weakness is limiting one's expression." It's that respect for the courage of open expression which drew Edgerton to taking on the film adaptation of Garrad Conley's 2016 memoir of enduring gay conversion therapy as a teenager, “Boy Erased.” Listen to this episode to learn more about Edgerton’s vision as a director on “Boy Erased” and his take why gay conversion therapy is so hard to abolish.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

When Jill Soloway won an Emmy Award for their groundbreaking Amazon series "Transparent" two years ago, they enthusiastically encouraged the audience to "topple the patriarchy." Six weeks later, the election of Donald Trump reminded us all that the patriarchy remains still very much untoppled. In 2018, Soloway is boldly calling out inequity and challenging established norms around power and gender in Hollywood. On “Salon Talks,” Soloway shared their book "She Wants It: Desire, Power, and Toppling the Patriarchy," a memoir, both personal and political, about coming out as non-binary and grappling with what to do when the MeToo movement inspired revelations about the star of their own show, Jeffrey Tambor. Part of toppling the patriarchy, Soloway explained on “Salon Talks,” is wrapped up in how we see gender. “All these misconceptions about gender don’t do anything to help us,” Soloway said. Instead, Soloway is advocating for many definitions of gender. * * * About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Delaney Tarr, a student journalist and graduate of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School who survived one of the most deadly school shootings in U.S. history joins “Salon Talks” to urge you to vote. Tarr explains how she and her peers mobilized and built a movement around ending gun violence and in support of gun reform, known as the March for Our Lives. “I’ve never seen a community so unified in the way that it was after the shooting. It’s not just that something horrible happened, it’s that it’s a shared experience that we’ve all had,” Tarr told Salon. “We get it. We get not only going through this tragedy, but the huge weight of activism, the pressure of it.” Tarr and her fellow Parkland survivors have turned to mobilizing young people to vote in a big way. “We are a huge group of the voting population, but only one in five people in our age demographic votes,” Tarr said. “If we were to change that, than we could sway pretty much every election in our favor. We could control who has the power in this country.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Paul Greengrass, the prolific director of the films “Captain Phillips” and “United 93,” is not shy about calling out the dangers of rising populist politics in Europe and the United States. Greengrass joins “Salon Talks” to discuss his new Netflix film “22 July,” which tells the story of Norway’s most horrific terror attack that left 77 dead in 2011 at the hands of right-wing extremist Anders Breivik.  When talking about the film, Greengrass denounced current right-wing extremism. The Academy Award nominee explained, “Young people in large numbers are being drawn to alternatives. Some of which lie within democratic norms but towards the right-hand edge, but some of which, for sure, lie well outside.”  The fear of ideologies like Breivik’s invading the mainstream is partially what drove Greengrass to make “22 July.” “These arguments that he articulated, and we show in the film, that he used in his trial, and were on the margins in 2012, now are in the mainstream,” Greengrass said. Greengrass emphasized the importance of shedding light on shifting global politics. “This narrative of betrayal and rage is driving everything before it in our democracies and that is very, very troubling.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Actress Rosamund Pike joins “Salon Talks” to discuss her role as the late, intrepid war correspondent Marie Colvin in “A Private War.” Colvin is the admired “Sunday Times” journalist who braved conflict zones to give voice to the voiceless faces of war and even lost an eye while reporting in Sri Lanka. However, Pike, who earned an Oscar nomination for her duplicitous role in David Fincher’s “Gone Girl,” insists that Colvin was more vulnerable than her fierce career leads on. “One thing I really found was she was not fearless,” Pike told Salon. “I found that real courage is when, my goodness, you do have fear, but you feel that the pursuit of what you’re going after is worth quelling it, suppressing it and writing through it.”  Taking on the work of becoming Colvin, who suffered extreme PTSD and alcoholism from the intense violence she witnessed, was the “most intimate” character yet for Pike. On preparing for the combat scenes in the film, Pike said, “You have to take your mind to a very scary place and just see what your body produces. You can’t plan for scenes like that as an actor.”  Pike also spoke to playing a journalist, whose reflections and emotions were contained and solitary. “Some of the loneliest places are when you are by yourself,” Pike said. “Perhaps you’ve had the maelstrom of your brain, flooded with the images you witness, and then you have to go back to a hotel or wherever you’re sheltering—sometimes it’s a bombed out hospital—and file your copy.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Michael Kelly has been nominated for three Emmy Awards for his role as Doug Stamper on Netflix’s “House of Cards.” Kelly joins “Salon Talks” to discuss the show’s final season and why he credits Robin Wright with picking up the pieces and bringing the cast together after the firing of Kevin Spacey. “We had the hiatus when the news broke, and one of the first calls I made was to Robin [Wright]. I said, 'We can't not do this,' and she said, 'We have to.' She sounded more like Doug Stamper at that moment than I did,” Kelly told “Salon Talks.” “With Robin driving the train, everyone agreed it was the right thing to do to continue. It very quickly became how.” It was not an easy turnaround — as Kelly notes, "They'd already had all 13 episodes storyboarded. I was done with my first two episodes." But then, "Robin was the leader. She stepped up and brought us all together and made it happen.” As far as his character Doug goes, following the death of Frank Underwood, Kelly says that Doug is now a man he describes as lost. "For the first time you see this character who's always had a gravitational pull that drove him with his job and the man he served," he says, "and now they're both gone. You see him trying to figure out what the next move is and where he fits in this new world." --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

“Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” author and chef Samin Nosrat is trying to change the food TV show format by appealing directly to home cooks. Based of her James Beard Award-winning cookbook of the same title, Nosrat stars in the new Netflix show “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.” The chef and the series’ director, Caroline Suh, joined “Salon Talks” discuss how the show prides itself on making the basics of home cooking easy and interesting. “For me, I am very much a champion of home cooking and home cooks. There are so many food shows, really beautiful ones, that exist to elevate professional cooking and professional chefs. But there aren't that many that really celebrate home cooking, or are for home cooks especially,” Nosrat said. Netflix’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” travels around the world for each respective topic (salt, fat, acid and heat). Nosrat emphasizes that the show is unique in highlighting the importance of women in the food world. Considering that most travel cooking shows are led by men, it’s a refreshing take. Making sure women were involved in-front of and behind the camera was intentional. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Chris Gethard is, by any metric, a success. He's had his own HBO special called "Career Suicide," he's hosted a popular TV show, and is the host of the "Beautiful/Anonymous" podcast. That's exactly why he's uniquely qualified to talk about failure.  Gethard joins Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks,” to discuss his new book “Lose Well” and why failure is "not that scary." He recalls, "I've had a lot of things work out. I've had some successes. But I promise you that underneath of all that, the other 90 percent has been nothing but dismal failure. You get used to it. This idea that failure wrecks you is a fallacy, and it keeps us locked up. You just have to go out and learn how to do it. We've convinced ourselves it's a bogeyman. It's not. It can be an ally." --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Over his decades-long career, Rupert Everett has played his share of royalty. He's been both King Charles I and George VI; he's played the Prince of Wales and Prince Charming. But as "The Happy Prince," the English actor has created one of his most indelible and deeply personal performances yet.  Covering the tumultuous last days of Oscar Wilde, "The Happy Prince" is a passion project for Everett, who also wrote and directed the film. Everett opens up on “Salon Talks” about how his vision for Wilde came together over the past decade and dives into politics with Salon. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Maggie Gyllenhaal, star of HBO’s “The Deuce,” joins Salon’s D. Watkins to talk about her new Netflix film “The Kindergarten Teacher,” and the common thread between many of her recent roles— “starving” women who are after something much more than the obvious paths that their lives present. “I like it when the art I make, in general, just challenges things,” Gyllenhaal said. “I like playing a kindergarten teacher that’s all f**ked up. I like playing a porn director who totally has her eye on the prize and is clear and amazing. I love that those two things are out at the same time." Listen to hear more about why Gyllenhaal is speaking out on Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation and encouraging others to speak their minds on politics, and how her perspective on sex work changed after starring in “The Deuce.” --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Greg Miller, a veteran national security reporter at the Washington Post and two-time Pulitzer winner (as part of a team on both occasions), is precisely the kind of mainstream journalist who believes in playing stories “down the middle” and avoiding an overtly partisan tone.  He spoke with Salon’s Andrew O’Hehir about what life might be like in an alternate universe where Donald Trump had indeed pivoted to a more mainstream presidential tone, as briefly seemed possible in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 election. That didn’t happen, and to some degree Miller’s painstakingly researched new book, “The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy,” represents an attempt to explain why.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

New York Magazine writer — and former Salon journalist — Rebecca Traister makes the case that women have used their rage to change the course of history in her new book, “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger,” available now. Women have been told that their rage is unattractive, unhealthy, overblown, and shrill, but, Traister argues, those claims are bad faith efforts to scare women into silence. She had the privilege to marinate in women’s anger for the four months it took to write the book, she says, and she slept well and felt healthy — perhaps the healthiest she’s ever been. * * * About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

When she was a young actress starting out in Hollywood a famous agent assessed Lea Thompson's options for her. "She told me, 'Here's your career, Lea: Virgins, whores and mothers.'" Looking back on that moment, she told Salon's Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks” how she got the last laugh. "And then I realized why “Back to the Future” is such a great part — because I got to play a virgin, a whore and mother all in one movie." Yet in a career that's spanned over three decades, Thompson has survived in her notoriously difficult industry by not just being a versatile performer but branching out as a director and producer. It runs in the family — her husband of nearly 30 years is director Howard Deutch, and her daughters Madelyn and Zoey Deutch write, produce and compose. "It's a unique household," she says. And it's taught her a lot about endurance. About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on YouTube and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Should an actor's opinions on politics remain separate from their work? Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Taran Killam, who played Donald Trump on the show before Alec Baldwin, explained to SalonTV why it’s often hard to balance his expression as an American citizen with his expression as an artist. The actor also opens up about his role opposite Kevin Hart and Tiffany Haddish in the film “Night School,” in theaters September 28, and his upcoming ABC television comedy series “Single Parents,” where he plays an overly involved single dad who hasn’t been on a date in five years. The show premieres September 26. ---- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on YouTube and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Khaled Hosseini, author of the beloved novels "Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns," which tell stories set in the country he was forced to flee 38 years ago, Afghanistan, opens up on "Salon Talks" about why refugee stories are the central focus of his writing career. Hosseini's latest project, "Sea Prayer,” an illustrated poetry book, tells one refugee’s story of displacement and serves as a window into the refugee crisis in the Middle East.  Hosseini says he was motivated to write it after seeing the gut-wrenching photo of three-year-old Alan Kurdi, whose small body washed up on a Turkish beach in 2015, after his family attempted to flee Syria. "That photograph, as a father, just bludgeoned me," Hosseini tells Salon.  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Journalist April Ryan has built her career reporting from the White House, where she has covered Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and now Donald Trump for over 20 years. The correspondent and Washington bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks joined “Salon Talks” to set the record straight on her journalism career, which she says is under attack by the Trump administration.  Ryan says Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Trump have changed the White House’s historic relationship with the press. “They don't want us knowing information. They don't wanna be transparent. There used to be a friendly adversarial relationship with the White House. Now, it's adversarial.” -- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Activist DeRay Mckesson played a major role in documenting the Ferguson protests and the movement birthed to hold law enforcement accountable for the victims of police violence.  Even though police officer Darren Wilson was never charged for killing Michael Brown, McKesson became a leading voice of Black Lives Matter, We the People and continues to fight for justice as a lecturer, television personality and author.  He joined D. Watkins for an honest conversation around his harsh critics on Twitter, the future of protest and why he says police aren’t the only way to keep America safe. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

The punishments women receive for not appearing sufficiently deferential are steep. You can be the greatest athlete in the world, but if you're female and a woman of color, you will be penalized for behavior that your male counterparts get away with. Yet activist and “Rage Becomes Her” author Soraya Chemaly has a reassuring message around anger. “There is joy and creativity and immense political power in understanding how to use it."  --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Ian McEwan isn't afraid of the dark. In his 40-year career, the English author and screenwriter behind “Atonement," "The Comfort of Strangers,” “On Chesil Beach" and several more of the modern era's most indelible and haunting works has consistently explored the boundaries of love, sex, religion, death, law and morality. His latest offering, the film adaption of "The Children Act," is no different. McEwan joined SalonTV’s Mary Elizabeth Williams on “Salon Talks” to unpack why he’s drawn to complicated human stories that grapple with what’s legal and what’s moral. Inspired by real events, “The Children Act” stars Stanley Tucci and Emma Thompson. About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

In his science education efforts on programs like “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey”, astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson has typically taken an upbeat, curiosity-driven approach to the topic of scientific discovery. But on “Salon Talks” and in his new book, “Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military,” co-authored by researcher Avis Lang, Tyson takes a darker look at the development and use of scientific knowledge. * * * About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com and YouTube. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

"Follow the money." It's a directive that gained fame during the Watergate era, but decades later, it's harder than ever to find it, let alone follow it. Director Kimberly Reed's documentary "Dark Money" feels like a political thriller, but it's a true, and chilling, look at the way ultra rich and often entirely anonymous groups are spending big bucks to influence your vote. Reed joins “Salon Talks” to discuss her film, which is an investigation into the impact of untraceable corporate money on a local Montana election and the shadowy groups that create smear campaigns and distribute fake news on challengers without a trace. Whatever your political party, dark money is affecting your elections. Reed explains why she is hopeful voters have the power to change the narrative. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper gets candid on “Salon Talks” about Trump, Snowden, distrust of the intelligence community and why he says there’s a “kind of a professional risk or hazard” that those who serve in the intelligence community have. Clapper shares with Salon’s executive editor Andrew O’Hehir why there’s often mistrust surrounding the intelligence community and an aura of mystery behind what goes on there. Listen to the full interview to hear Clapper defend his 2013 testimony on whether intelligence officials collected data on Americans and his take on the Steele dossier. Clapper’s book “[Facts and Fears: Hard Truths from a Life in Intelligence](http://www.amazon.com/dp/dp/B07B1M7QFN/?tag=saloncom08-20),” details his take on events like the raid on Osama bin Laden, the Benghazi attack, the Snowden leaks and Russia’s influence on the election. Clapper has 26 years of experience in the intelligence community under multiple presidents and served as the director from 2010 to 2017. This conversation was recorded live on May 22, 2018. * * * About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Are factual inaccuracies in Trump’s speeches and tweets lies or just non-truthful statements? Is there a difference? ABC’s News chief legal correspondent Dan Abrams offers an articulate, lawyerly defense. Plus, he takes Salon back to 1859 and into a murder trial courtroom with Abraham Lincoln, nine months before he got the Republican nomination, the backdrop of Abrams’ new book “Lincoln's Last Trial: The Murder Case That Propelled Him to the Presidency.” The book tells the story of the only transcript of Lincoln’s law career ever found. Abrams relates lessons from Lincoln’s courtroom to today as U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation presses on and the idea of President Trump’s assessment of truth is continually questioned. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

Most liberals completely misunderstand the complex process of impeachment. Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard Law professor emeritus and longtime liberal, outlines his case against impeaching Trump on “Salon Talks.” Despite the harsh criticism he’s received from fellow Democrats, Dershowitz explains why he’s standing up for civil liberties and the law, even if it means defending Trump, dismissing Mueller's investigation and upsetting Democratic allies. His new book, “The Case Against Impeaching Trump,” is available now. --- About “Salon Talks” Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial

For acclaimed actor Joaquin Phoenix, the acting process is a mystery. The three-time Oscar nominee says the idea of getting into character is something he's never quite understood. Speaking with Salon's Andrew O'Hehir about playing a traumatized veteran in writer and director Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here," Phoenix shares why making unconscious decisions on set is where he finds his characters. --- About “Salon Talks" Hosted by Salon journalists, “Salon Talks” episodes offer a fresh take on the long-form interview format, and a much-needed break from the partisan political talking heads that have come to dominate the genre. “Salon Talks” is a destination for information through conversation. Viewers can expect discussions with A-list actors, artists, authors, thinkers, and newsmakers as we explore the full range of the human condition. The show streams live on Facebook and Twitter and each episode is published in full on Salon.com. Watch SalonTV, streaming live daily on Salon.com, YouTube, Facebook and Periscope. Subscribe to SalonTV on YouTube HERE: https://www.youtube.com/salontv Like Salon on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/salon Follow Salon on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/salon Follow Salon on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/salonofficial