New York Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz

Mike Geier, alter ego of Puddles the Clown from 'Puddles Pity Party'

Mike Geier is the alter ego of Puddles the Clown. At 6'8", Mr. Geier cuts a commanding presence when he becomes Puddles for his theater act 'Puddles Pity Party.' Puddles doesn't speak on stage, but he does sing, and he sings beautifully. This is quite an original show. Puddles has played nearly all over the world, including a headline-act residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. He even made it to the quarterfinals of 'America's Got Talent.' His YouTube videos have attracted millions of viewers. You can't interview Puddles, but you can interview Mike, and that's what I did in October of 2019 before a performance at the Newton Theatre in Newton, New Jersey.

New York Times Crossword Editor Will Shortz

Will Shortz has been editing the New York Times crossword puzzle since 1993. I've been writing crosswords since 2007, and I've been lucky enough to have 39 of my creations published in the Times to date, all of them edited by Will. He is the master of the art, America's King of Cruciverbalism, and with Will at the helm, the subscriber base of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle app has grown to a remarkable 500,000 solvers. That's a lot of folks reading clues and filling in grids, and it translates into an abundant source of revenue for The New York Times. I traveled to Pleasantville, New York to interview Will at the Westchester Table Tennis Center, which he owns. Here we discuss what it takes for a crossword to make it from a constructor's idea all the way to the Arts section of The New York Times. Listen closely and you'll hear the patter of ping-pong and squeaks of sneakers as Will talks about the craft and business of what he does, and why he believes we're currently living in the Golden Age of Crosswords.

Sebastian Maniscalco

The red-hot Sebastian Maniscalco has been a stand-up comedian since the mid-90s. He's toured all over the country and has built a loyal fanbase built on his TV specials, which you can now see on Netflix. Lately, he's been packing arenas like the Boston Garden, the Los Angeles Forum and Madison Square Garden. His book, released in February of 2018, is called 'Stay Hungry.' He was great in the film 'Green Book,' and he plays mobster Crazy Joe Gallo in the Martin Scorsese movie 'The Irishman.' I spoke with Sebastian on October 8, 2019 about his stand-up act, 'The Irishman,' and what he wants to do next. Photo by Manny Carabel/Getty Images.

Danny Goldberg, music manager and author

Danny Goldberg is a music industry veteran. He started Gold Mountain Entertainment back in 1983, and managed Nirvana starting in 1991. He was the CEO of the Mercury Records Group, and president of Atlantic Records. He ran his own Artemis Record label from 1999 to 2006. These days, his management company is called Gold Village Entertainment. Danny's book about Kurt Cobain and Nirvana is called "Serving the Servant" and he talks about that book in this episode of 'Talk to Me.'

Gary Lewis from Gary Lewis And The Playboys

In the mid-Sixties, my sister Jeanne brought home all the Gary Lewis And The Playboys records. We'd stack up those 45s and play 'em nonstop; great songs like "This Diamond Ring,""Count Me In," "Save Your Heart For me," "Everybody Loves A Clown ,""She's Just My Style,""Sure Gonna Miss Her," and "Green Grass." I loved those records. So you can imagine what a thrill it was to sit down with Gary Lewis in October of 2018 and talk about his career in music, his band, his time in Vietnam, what's he's doing today, and of course, growing up in Hollywood with his famous father Jerry. This show was recorded backstage at the Newton Theatre in Newton, New Jersey just before a Gary Lewis And The Playboys concert.