Rough Draft with Reza Aslan

For the season finale of Rough Draft, we’re welcoming poet Robin Coste Lewis. Robin’s blazing intellect and pitch-perfect way with words are no shocker. Her debut poetry collection Voyage of the Sable Venus won the National Book Award in poetry in 2015, the first time a debut collection by an African-American had won the prize (and the first time a debut had won since 1974). She brings it all in this conversation that touches on growing up in Compton and New Orleans, removing the “I” from her writing, and pursuing beauty. Featuring guest poetry performances from Marquesha Babers and Monique Mitchell! Watch Rough Draft and other Topic shows on the Apple TV app. Go to apple.co/topic [apple.co/topic] to get your free 7-day trial. Follow Robin Coste Lewis @robincostelewis [https://www.instagram.com/robincostelewis/] Follow Marquesha Babers @LADI3LYRIX [https://twitter.com/ladi3lyrix?lang=en] Follow Monique Mitchell @mnqmtchll [https://www.instagram.com/mnqmtchll/] Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series. Hosted by Reza Aslan Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg. Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V. Twitter | @roughdraftreza [https://twitter.com/roughdraftreza?lang=en] Facebook | Rough Draft with Reza Aslan [https://www.facebook.com/RoughDraftwithRezaAslan/] Follow Reza @rezaaslan [https://twitter.com/rezaaslan] Email us at roughdraftpodcast@topic.com [roughdraftpodcast@topic.com] For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast [https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast] See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Mikel Jollett’s memoir Hollywood Park isn’t your typical rock star memoir. The frontman for The Airborne Toxic Event joins Reza for a socially-distanced chat about his genre-defying, rule-breaking book. They discuss Mikel’s childhood in the infamous Synanon cult, the difference between writing a book and writing a song, and Mikel’s love for boundary-pushing memoirs. There’s also a special acoustic performance of his song “Come On Out”! Watch Rough Draft and other Topic shows on the Apple TV app. Go to apple.co/topic [apple.co/topic] to get your free 7-day trial. This talk was originally presented by the 92nd Street Y [https://www.92y.org/]. Follow Mikel Jollett @Mikel_Jollett [https://twitter.com/Mikel_Jollett] Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series. Hosted by Reza Aslan Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg. Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V. Twitter | @roughdraftreza [https://twitter.com/roughdraftreza?lang=en] Facebook | Rough Draft with Reza Aslan [https://www.facebook.com/RoughDraftwithRezaAslan/] Follow Reza @rezaaslan [https://twitter.com/rezaaslan] Email us at roughdraftpodcast@topic.com [roughdraftpodcast@topic.com] For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast [https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast] See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Melissa Rosenberg has written some of the most successful, resonant scripts of the last two decades, from Dexter to Twilight to Jessica Jones. She and Reza chat about finding her own perspective on the Twilight saga, wrapping up Jessica Jones, and navigating harassment in Hollywood. They also play “Team Bella or Team Jessica”! Watch Rough Draft and other Topic shows on the Apple TV app. Go to apple.co/topic [apple.co/topic] to get your free 7-day trial. Follow Melissa Rosenberg @tallgirlmel [https://twitter.com/tallgirlmel] Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series. Hosted by Reza Aslan Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg. Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V. Twitter | @roughdraftreza [https://twitter.com/roughdraftreza?lang=en] Facebook | Rough Draft with Reza Aslan [https://www.facebook.com/RoughDraftwithRezaAslan/] Follow Reza @rezaaslan [https://twitter.com/rezaaslan] Email us at roughdraftpodcast@topic.com [roughdraftpodcast@topic.com] For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast [https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast] See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Steven Canals, the creator of FX’s award-winning show Pose, speaks with Reza about his journey to get the show made. They touch on finding community in Paris Is Burning, framing Pose as a family drama, and writing a show that is fantastical but not a fantasy. Featuring a special guest performance from the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles! Watch Rough Draft and other Topic shows on the Apple TV app. Go to apple.co/topic [ apple.co/topic] to get your free 7-day trial. Follow Steven Canals @StevenCanals [https://twitter.com/StevenCanals] Follow the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles @TransChorusLA [https://twitter.com/TransChorusLA] Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series. Hosted by Reza Aslan Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg. Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V. Twitter | @roughdraftreza [https://twitter.com/roughdraftreza?lang=en] Facebook | Rough Draft with Reza Aslan [https://www.facebook.com/RoughDraftwithRezaAslan/] Follow Reza @rezaaslan [https://twitter.com/rezaaslan] Email us at roughdraftpodcast@topic.com [roughdraftpodcast@topic.com] For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast [https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast] See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Comedian, screenwriter, and all-around awesome person Bess Kalb joins Reza for a socially-distanced chat about her book Nobody Will Tell You This But Me. They talk about diversifying late-night comedy, the similarities between Jewish grandmothers and Persian mothers, and how writing in her grandmother’s voice gave Bess a new understanding of her mom and grandma. Watch Rough Draft and other Topic shows on the Apple TV app. Go to apple.co/topic [apple.co/topic] to get your free 7-day trial. This talk was originally presented by the 92nd Street Y [https://www.92y.org/]. Follow Bess @bessbell [https://twitter.com/bessbell] Rough Draft is a Topic Original Series. Hosted by Reza Aslan Executive Produced by Reza Aslan, David Andreone, Alfredo de Villa, and Safa Samieyazde’-Yazd. Executive Producers for Topic, Ryan Chanatry, Anna Holmes, and Gena Konstantinakos. Production aid from Russell Sperberg. Music and Theme by Jacob Snider. Sound by Sean Oakley. Editing and mixing by Will Stanton, with additional editing by Blake V. Twitter | @roughdraftreza [https://twitter.com/roughdraftreza?lang=en] Facebook | Rough Draft with Reza Aslan [https://www.facebook.com/RoughDraftwithRezaAslan/] Follow Reza @rezaaslan [https://twitter.com/rezaaslan] Email us at roughdraftpodcast@topic.com [roughdraftpodcast@topic.com] For transcripts and full credits, head to https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast [https://www.topic.com/rough-draft-podcast] See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.