Paternal
Paternal is a show about the brotherhood of fatherhood. Created and hosted by Nick Firchau, a longtime journalist and podcast producer, Paternal offers candid and in-depth conversations with great men who are quietly forging new paths in fatherhood. Listen as our diverse and thoughtful guests – a world-renowned soccer star in San Diego, a Oglala Sioux elder in South Dakota, a New York Knicks barber in Queens, a pioneering rock DJ in Seattle and many more - discuss the models of manhood that were passed down to them, and how they're redefining those models as they become fathers themselves.
info_outline
#118 Ian Marcus Corbin: The Science and Philosophy of Community
11/20/2024
#118 Ian Marcus Corbin: The Science and Philosophy of Community
Four years after the worst of the COVID pandemic, is it really possible that America is still trapped in an epidemic of loneliness and isolation? Many of the nation’s experts believe it’s true, so much so that U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy asserting the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. And the crisis is disproportionately affecting men and young people, leaving many Americans searching for community and a sense of belonging. On this episode of Paternal, Harvard Medical School faculty member, philosopher and father discusses the value of maintaining a connection to our communities and developing a clear purpose in life. He also discusses why our society’s commitment to individualism and simple conveniences can make it tougher than ever to avoid feeling lonely, and why young people are struggling to feel like they have agency over their lives.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/34019642
info_outline
#117 John Branch: Donald Trump and the Battle For Male Voters
10/30/2024
#117 John Branch: Donald Trump and the Battle For Male Voters
In one of the tightest presidential elections in U.S. history, is it possible that thousands of disaffected young men might be the ones casting the deciding votes? Donald Trump certainly thinks it’s a possibility, and the former president has made a concerted effort to court these Gen Z men through interviews with a constellation of podcast and YouTube stars of the Manoverse. But what’s really driving these men to turn out for Trump, and will the strategy work? On this episode of Paternal, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter discusses what he learned from speaking with a variety of Gen Z men who have latched onto Trump as their savior. He also breaks down how the Trump campaign has attempted to define their candidate as the ultimate male superhero while attacking Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, bringing different definitions of masculinity to the forefront of the presidential election. Branch is a longtime reporter for the New York Times, and wrote the article “Donald Trump Courts the Manoverse” earlier this year.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/33679237
info_outline
#116 Jason Reynolds: Black Boys Deserve Love Stories Too
10/17/2024
#116 Jason Reynolds: Black Boys Deserve Love Stories Too
Over the past 10 years, has become one of the most prolific and celebrated writers working today. He writes for a young audience that he believes is ready to think about and discuss the hard things in life, and he recently added a MacArthur Genius Grant to his collection of awards earned for depicting the rich inner lives of kids of color, ensuring that they see themselves and their communities in literature. But in his latest book, Reynolds is writing for the first time about boys’ emotions and questions surrounding sex and intimacy. And he’s also thinking about why no one ever asks boys or men about their complex interior lives when it comes to these essential subjects. On this episode of Paternal, Reynolds discusses writing a love story for black boys, what he learned from his father about facing tough challenges in life, and how his father taught him to live a complete life, even on his deathbed. Reynolds’ new book is available wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/33495037
info_outline
#115 Gary Vider: The Con Man and The Comedian
09/18/2024
#115 Gary Vider: The Con Man and The Comedian
is the son of a con man. His father Manny ran a series of schemes in and around New York City for years while Gary was growing up, including dozens of times when father and son conned their way into Madison Square Garden while posing as media members for Sports Illustrated for Kids. Gary met some of the biggest names in sports - - all because Manny had what all good con artists have: The ability to ignore all the possible consequences of his actions. “Most people can’t do it,” Gary says, “but my dad was the master.” But what happens when those actions destroy a family, and leave a son isolated from his father for almost 25 years? On this episode of Paternal, Gary looks back on growing up with a con man for a father, what he learned by trying to reconnect with his dad decades later, and why it took becoming a father himself to question what he really knew or believed about his own dad. Gary Vider is the host of the podcast .
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/33101962
info_outline
#114 Mike Africa, Jr.: Prison, Parenthood, and the Legacy of a Revolution
08/22/2024
#114 Mike Africa, Jr.: Prison, Parenthood, and the Legacy of a Revolution
Once you hear the story of the Black civil liberties group MOVE, it’s almost impossible to believe you had never learned about it before. Dubbed by some as a cult and by others as revolutionaries in the mold of The Black Panther Party, MOVE members railed against racial injustice and inequality in Philadelphia during the 1970s and early 80s, frequently clashing with police. A number of MOVE’s members were either jailed or killed as a result, leaving its younger generation to make sense of the legacy of MOVE and how the group’s actions shaped their lives. On this episode of Paternal, MOVE member discusses his parents’ imprisonment for the murder of a police officer, and how he made peace with the knowledge that he was born in a Philadelphia jail cell. He also discusses meeting his father for the first time in prison, the experience of watching his father walk free after 40 years inside, and the challenges of raising his own kids in the shadow of MOVE. Africa is the author of the memoir , which is available now wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/32687407
info_outline
#113 Michael Ian Black: The Mystery Door To Male Competence (2022)
08/07/2024
#113 Michael Ian Black: The Mystery Door To Male Competence (2022)
After a particularly feverish Twitter rant in 2018 landed him an invite to write a guest opinion on boys and violence from The New York Times, had to ask one simple question: Are you sure you want me? After all, Black is best known as a sketch and standup comic, and a particularly snarky one at that. But and it subsequently went viral, leading Black to eventually pen the 2020 memoir , which offers a candid take on his own boyhood, the death of his father, and why he’s concerned for his own son’s future. On this 2022 episode of Paternal, Black recounts his adolescent experience of desperately seeking all the secrets of manhood, why he tinged his own successful brand of humor with defensive sarcasm, why even the most influential male comics rarely delve into painful vulnerability, and where he failed and succeeded as a father to his two children.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/32466247
info_outline
#112 W. Kamau Bell: Comedy, Cosby, And Raising Mixed Kids (2023)
07/24/2024
#112 W. Kamau Bell: Comedy, Cosby, And Raising Mixed Kids (2023)
Over the past few years comedian and filmmaker has become one of America’s most recognizable purveyors of humor and smart social commentary. And his success is due in large part to his willingness to tackle thorny topics like race, sexual assault, education, and policing, be it as a standup comic, an Emmy-nominated reality show host, or from behind the camera as a documentary filmmaker. On this episode of Paternal, Bell discusses his latest film and his own personal experience of raising his three mixed-race daughters, male vulnerability and dad jokes in his comedy, and how he’s reckoned with the truth about “America’s Dad,” Bill Cosby. Bell’s film 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed is now streaming on MAX.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/32277562
info_outline
#111 Jonathan Rigsby: Behind The Wheel In Uber’s America
07/11/2024
#111 Jonathan Rigsby: Behind The Wheel In Uber’s America
Everyone at some point has ridden in the back of an Uber, but how often do we think about the people behind the wheel, or how they got there? had a master’s degree and a full-time job when he gave his first Uber ride, reeling from a painful divorce and seeking a way to help support his young son. But Uber’s promises of big bucks and a flexible schedule were soon replaced by long nights filled with despair as Rigsby realized he, like millions of other Americans, had been trapped in the cycle of the gig economy. On this episode of Paternal, Rigsby recounts how his divorce led him to the brink of poverty and why he picked up a second job driving all over town, but also what it’s really like to work for Uber, where wages are never quite what they seem and you can still feel lonely when the backseat is full. Rigsby is the author of , which is available wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/32092312
info_outline
#110 Peter Doocy: Fatherhood and Fox News
06/27/2024
#110 Peter Doocy: Fatherhood and Fox News
isn’t the first guest to appear on Paternal as the son of a very famous father, but he’s definitely the only one who can claim to have an “adverserial bromance” with President Joe Biden. As the Senior White House Correspondent for Fox News, Doocy’s made it his job since 2021 to pepper the president and members of his administration with questions about immigration, inflation or international affairs, and in the process has become one of the network’s most recognizable figures - just like his father. On this episode of Paternal, Doocy discusses what it was like to grow up as the son of the affable “Fox and Friends” host Steve Doocy and if the family name ever held him back as a journalist, how he approaches fame, fatherhood and social media, and how becoming a dad himself has changed his opinion of Biden as the country’s most famous empathetic father figure. Doocy is the host of the three-part series entitled “Strike Zone: The Congressional Baseball Shooting,” which is now streaming on Fox Nation.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/31905692
info_outline
#109 The Best of Paternal: Real Advice For New Dads
06/13/2024
#109 The Best of Paternal: Real Advice For New Dads
Paternal celebrates Father’s Day with a special episode paying tribute to all the new dads out there celebrating the holiday for the first time. Three past guests are back on the show to offer their thoughts on the early days of fatherhood and the challenges of becoming a new father, but also on the value of patience, the power a village has to raise a child, and why it’s so important to reconsider what we mean when we think of the word “sacrifice.” Guests on this episode of Paternal include: Author and professor , who penned the 2020 memoir and the 2022 collection of poems and stories, . CNN political commentator and attorney , author of the 2024 release . Author and Wilshire Boulevard Temple Senior Rabbi , who wrote the 2022 book .
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/31727867
info_outline
#108 Michael Andor Brodeur: Men, Muscles, and Masculinity
05/30/2024
#108 Michael Andor Brodeur: Men, Muscles, and Masculinity
Michael Andor Brodeur is a “big man.” That’s the term he uses to describe himself after more than 30 years of lifting weights - some of those spent as a powerlifter, and all of those spent not just trying to get fit, but to get big. But for all the time he’s spent in the gym over the years, he’s probably spent just as much time thinking about the way men think about the connection between men, muscles, and masculinity. On this episode of Paternal, Brodeur discusses the concept of getting big and why some men are so motivated to do so, the connection between how men build their bodies and their inability to express themselves emotionally, how some men use weightlifting to deal with issues like anxiety, grief and addiction, and why the gym is a place where men are free to fail and support one another when they do fail, two things they might not be encouraged to do in other parts of society. is the classical music critic at the Washington Post and the author of the book, , which is available wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/31537987
info_outline
#107 Bakari Sellers: It Might Not Be Okay
05/09/2024
#107 Bakari Sellers: It Might Not Be Okay
When you’re talking to about fatherhood, you’re talking to a man who truly is a link between generations. As the son of a famous Civil Rights activist who befriended the likes of Stokely Carmichael and Martin Luther King, Jr., Sellers feels the weight of expectations from his ancestors and his community. And as the father of two young twins, he feels the pressure of helping ensure the world is better for them than it ever was for him. But what happens when that pressure sometimes feels like too much? And what happens when, despite all the work he and his father have done to make it so, he simply can’t tell his kids everything will be okay? On this episode of Paternal, Sellers discusses why he sees his life as an extension of his father’s journey, how he copes with anxiety, his relationship to anger, and why he thinks the U.S. has reached a nadir after George Floyd’s death failed to produce a racial reckoning so many expected. Sellers is a political commentator for CNN and a former state legislator from South Carolina, as well as the author of the new book , which is available now wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/31207332
info_outline
#106 Saul Austerlitz: Homer Simpson and The History of Sitcom Dads
04/25/2024
#106 Saul Austerlitz: Homer Simpson and The History of Sitcom Dads
If you were a child of the 1980s and early 1990s, you lived through a golden age for sitcom dads. From The Cosby Show to Growing Pains and Roseanne to The Simpsons, fathers of all kinds ruled the airwaves for roughly a decade, providing an entire generation of wide-eyed kids a glimpse into what a father should look like and, for better or worse, what a family can be. But did these portrayals of paternal figures do more harm than good, and how did Friends and Seinfeld land a fatal blow to the fate of sitcom dads? Comedy historian and author joins this episode of Paternal to take a deep dive on the history of the family sitcom, tracing the genre’s roots back to the dawn of television. He discusses how fathers were first portrayed in the 1950s and how they have evolved during each decade thereafter, including iconic sitcom dads on Leave it to Beaver, All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Married With Children, Roseanne, and The Simpsons. Austerlitz is a faculty member at NYU who teaches courses on writing about American comedy and writing about television drama, and he’s the author of six books, including on the history of sitcoms and the success of the hit series Friends. He recently wrote an article in The Atlantic entitled “.”
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/30978613
info_outline
#105 Dr. Dennis S. Charney: How To Raise Resilient Kids
04/10/2024
#105 Dr. Dennis S. Charney: How To Raise Resilient Kids
Paternal listeners email the show regularly with requests to cover various topics on the show. Some are serious and some are silly, but one request just keeps coming: How do we teach our kids resilience? is a leading expert in the study of resilience and has spent decades examining the causes of anxiety, fear and depression. He’s also interviewed prisoners of war, victims of rape and assault, survivors of natural disasters, and frontline healthcare workers about the traits that have helped them overcome trauma, all in an effort to better understand how we can all learn to be more resilient. On this episode of Paternal, Dr. Charney discusses some of the most compelling factors to building resilience in yourself and your kids, including facing your fears, developing social groups, and establishing core values for you and your family. He also recounts a life-threatening experience that tested his own resilience, decades after living a charmed life studying the challenges of others. Dr. Charney is the co-author of .
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/30759353
info_outline
#104 Rob Flanagan: Straddling Acceptance and Hope
03/27/2024
#104 Rob Flanagan: Straddling Acceptance and Hope
Rob Flanagan is a husband and father who lives with his family outside of Boulder, Colorado, and roughly one year ago he and his wife Dana began an ordeal that changed their lives. After a few days of fighting a cold and a slight fever while missing out on attending kindergarten, their daughter Saoirse was suddenly hospitalized and then intubated, and it was unclear if she would ever wake up. On this episode of Paternal, Flanagan recounts the experience of spending days in the ICU with his wife while they awaited word on the health of their daughter, what the doctor’s diagnosis meant for their family, and how he learned to embrace both acceptance and hope on the path to becoming a better father.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/30560328
info_outline
#103 Waubgeshig Rice: The Pressure In My Head (2022)
02/28/2024
#103 Waubgeshig Rice: The Pressure In My Head (2022)
Growing up on the Wasauksing First Nation indigenous reserve in Ontario, journalist and bestselling author learned early in his life about the value of culture and community. But as an Anishinaabe young man schooled in the challenges his ancestors faced as indigenous people in Canada, Rice was also keenly aware of what happens when a community loses its connection to its history, traditions and culture, and how men can easily fall victim to the effects of intergenerational trauma. On this 2022 episode of Paternal, Rice recounts his experience on Wasauksing First Nation and his sometimes conflicted emotions about growing up on the reserve, as well as the challenges his own father faced in trying to reclaim the family’s Anishinaabe identity. Rice - who penned the celebrated apocalyptic thriller Moon of the Crusted Snow as well as the recently released follow-up Moon of the Turning Leaves, and was dubbed “one of the leading voices reshaping North American science fiction, horror and fantasy” by the New York Times - also discusses the emotional strain he experienced after the complicated birth of his first son, and how masculinity and vulnerability are valued on “the rez.”
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/30136468
info_outline
#102 Kwame Alexander: What My Father Taught Me About Love (2023)
02/14/2024
#102 Kwame Alexander: What My Father Taught Me About Love (2023)
Most people know as the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Crossover, the bestselling children’s book about two young brothers hooked on basketball. Long before he was an award-winning author, however, Alexander spent his time writing love poems, in an attempt to impress women and find his voice as a poet and a young man. But three decades and two marriages later, Alexander is a 54-year-old father of two now reconsidering those relationships from his past, and what exactly he knows - and doesn’t know - about love. And in order to do that, he’s thinking more about the marriage his parents modeled for him as a child, as well as what he learned about love and relationships from his father, a hard-nosed Baptist minister who rarely showed affection. Alexander’s book, , is available wherever you buy books, as is his latest collection of poems, . Episode Timestamps: 00:00 - 07:25 - Intro 07:25 - 09:50 - on learning to love from watching our parents’ relationship 09:50 - 19:47 - discussing Kwame Alexander’s father’s version of tough love 19:47 - 24:26 - digging into his father’s jazz collection 26:31 - 32:40 - on the vulnerability required to write about broken relationships 32:40 - 35:36 - on talking to our parents and children about love
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/29938273
info_outline
#101 Tim Alberta: My Father, My Faith, and Donald Trump
01/31/2024
#101 Tim Alberta: My Father, My Faith, and Donald Trump
Longtime political journalist spent more than three years speaking with pastors and churchgoers across the country in a search for answers about what’s happening in contemporary Evangelicalism. Why were so many congregations becoming more political, and seemingly less invested in traditional Christian values? Why were they so motivated by fear? How could so many Evangelicals support Donald Trump, who doesn’t share their beliefs? And what do all these dramatic changes mean for the future of Evangelicals in the United States, including Alberta's three young sons? On this episode of Paternal, Alberta discusses his life as an Evangelical Christian, the influence of his born-again Christian father, what he learned about Evangelicalism from speaking with today’s church leaders, and why some churchgoers confronted him at his own father’s funeral about politics in the era of Trump. Alberta is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the author of the New York Times bestselling book , which is available now wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/29726808
info_outline
#100 Curtis Chin: Lessons From A Chinese Restaurant
01/17/2024
#100 Curtis Chin: Lessons From A Chinese Restaurant
Curtis Chin spent most of his childhood looking for a comfortable place to sit. And that was especially difficult for Chin, who grew up in the 1970s and 80s as one of six kids raised by parents who owned Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, one of the most revered Chinese restaurants in Detroit. Despite its location in one of the roughest neighborhoods in the city, the restaurant sold more than four thousand egg rolls every week and was frequented by celebrities like Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, and Senator Eugene McCarthy. On this episode of Paternal, Chin reflects on the experience of growing up in the sweaty back kitchen of a Chinese restaurant, and reflects on what he learned from his father, a charismatic waiter who happily welcomed local dignitaries from City Hall along with pimps and prostitutes from down the block. Chin also discusses the challenge of being a young gay man during the height of the AIDS crisis, and the legacy of Chung’s, which made an unexpected return to his life long after he thought he’d left it behind. Chin’s memoir, , is available wherever you buy books.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/29519498
info_outline
#99 Best of 2023: Conversations of the Year
12/20/2023
#99 Best of 2023: Conversations of the Year
Paternal closes out the year with a collection of the best conversations from 2023, curating five of the best segments from the past year into one collection. On this episode, Paternal guests discuss a variety of topics including the challenges of raising mixed-race kids, how father-son relationships impacted some of the biggest rock acts of the 1990s, how burnout at work can affect your parenting, dealing with grief after the loss of a partner, and how we can hold all the good and bad of life together in the same hands. Guests on this episode of Paternal include comedian and filmmaker , rock critic and podcast host , author and professor , author and professor , and New York Times bestselling author and poet . Stay tuned for all new episodes of Paternal in 2024. Episode Timestamps: 00:00 - 02:01 - Introduction 02:01 - 05:29 - W. Kamau Bell on discussions with his wife about racism and feminism 05:29 - 10:28 - W. Kamau Bell on raising mixed-race kids 11:31 - 19:47 - Rob Harvilla on father/son themes in 90s rock songs 19:47 - 22:34 - Rob Harvilla on discussing hard subjects with his kids 23:29 - 25:33 - Jonathan Malesic on his experience with burnout 25:33 - 34:16 - Jonathan Malesic on the three criteria for burnout and how men deal with burnout differently that women 35:23 - 40:02 - Matthew Salesses on the death of his wife and the connection to K Dramas 40:02 - 44:51 - Matthew Salesses on coping with grief with his kids 46:12 - 52:22 - Clint Smith on becoming a father and the double-sided nature of parenting 52:22 - 57:17 - Clint Smith on what he’s good at what and he struggles with as a father Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/29171153
info_outline
#98 Paternal Workshop: Sex and Intimacy
12/06/2023
#98 Paternal Workshop: Sex and Intimacy
Award-winning research psychologist and professor Dr. Michael Addis returns to Paternal for the latest in a series of special episodes, this time to discuss the connection between the social construction of masculinity and men’s relationship with sex and intimacy. Men receive convoluted messages about what sex and intimacy are supposed to look like from an early age, but can they really take stock of what they’ve learned and change their behavior as they get older? Dr. Addis also discusses how boys’ early exposure to intimacy and vulnerability can shape their sex lives as men, the metaphor of men’s bodies as performative machines, why it’s so hard for men to discuss sex with one another, and solutions for men looking to reexamine how they think about intimacy and improve their sex life. Dr. Addis is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. He also provides personal coaching and consultation for men at . Episode Timestamps: 00:00 - 06:16 - Introduction 06:16 - 11:39 - The connection between sex and familiarity with intimacy 10:44 - 18:37 - The idea of man as a performative machine 20:13 - 26:12 - On why men don’t talk about sex with other men 26:12 - 33:08 - Solutions for being more comfortable discussing sex and intimacy Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28950738
info_outline
#97 Brandon Stosuy: The Crying Guy
11/22/2023
#97 Brandon Stosuy: The Crying Guy
Back in 2016, began to notice something strange about many of the people around him. Seemingly no matter where he went - jogging in Brooklyn, riding the subway into Manhattan, waiting for a plane at JFK - he spotted someone crying. Stosuy has spent the past seven years thinking about those people and what brought them to tears, and now he’s become known to a number of his friends, thousands of strangers, and even a few famous rock musicians as The Crying Guy. On this episode of Paternal, Stosuy reflects on those first few people he saw in tears in New York and how he turned those observations into a collection of essays from more than 100 people about the last time they cried and why, including death, childbirth, breakups, or simply listening to the right song at the right time. is available now wherever you buy books. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28749598
info_outline
#96 Isaac Fitzgerald: Hope For A Lost Cause
11/08/2023
#96 Isaac Fitzgerald: Hope For A Lost Cause
has a large tattoo on his right forearm of Saint Jude, the patron saint of impossible or lost causes. It might seem like a fitting mark for a man who resorted to drugs and alcohol to endure a childhood full of insecurity and violence, but Saint Jude is also the patron saint of hope. And for Fitzgerald - the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Dirtbag, Massachusetts - hope lies in the communities where others might never expect to look. On this episode of Paternal, Fitzgerald recounts why an unstable home life in rural Massachusetts led him to seek comfort in teenage fight clubs and bars, and why he’s spent years distrusting feelings of security. He also discusses why he sees his father in a different light as an adult, and how a therapist taught him the real meaning of forgiveness. Fitzgerald’s 2022 memoir , is now available in paperback wherever you buy books. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28551620
info_outline
#95 Bill McKibben: The Decade That Changed America
10/25/2023
#95 Bill McKibben: The Decade That Changed America
doesn’t exactly do memoirs. But the latest work from the bestselling author and influential environmental activist is about as close as he’ll get, examining why two crucial moments from his childhood - an anti-war protest followed by the rejection of low and middle-income housing in his otherwise affluent Massachusetts suburb - helped symbolize a dramatic and costly shift to individualism in America during the 1970s. On this episode of Paternal, McKibben reflects on those moments and discusses why the rise of the American suburb did so much damage to the environment and our sense of community. He also discusses the impact left on him by his father, the hope for the future that he sees in his daughter, and why he’s rallying Baby Boomers in the final act of their lives. McKibben’s latest book, , is available wherever you buy books. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28416524
info_outline
#94 Andre Dubus III: Fighting To Get Free
10/11/2023
#94 Andre Dubus III: Fighting To Get Free
Acclaimed author once wrote that he’s drawn to writing about “working class men who work with their hands … men up against it who only know one or two ways how to get free, both of which can hurt other people or themselves.” Dubus knows from experience. He grew up in the 1970s and 80s with a famous but notoriously absent father in the mill towns along the Merrimack River in Massachusetts, always eager to throw a punch if it proved his worth as a man. His experiences led to the celebrated memoir Townie, dubbed by one critic as “the most sensitive and gripping account of male violence imaginable.” On this episode of Paternal, Dubus discusses how he learned to perform masculinity with his fists, the influence of his literary father, how prisoners and police officers alike responded to the violence in Townie, and how his three grown children reacted to reading about their father’s past life as a man fighting to get free. Dubus’ latest novel, , is available now wherever you buy books. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28283816
info_outline
#93 W. Kamau Bell: Comedy, Cosby, And Raising Mixed Kids
09/27/2023
#93 W. Kamau Bell: Comedy, Cosby, And Raising Mixed Kids
Over the past few years comedian and filmmaker has become one of America’s most recognizable purveyors of humor and smart social commentary. And his success is due in large part to his willingness to tackle thorny topics like race, sexual assault, education, and policing, be it as a standup comic, an Emmy-nominated reality show host, or from behind the camera as a documentary filmmaker. On this episode of Paternal, Bell discusses his latest film and his own personal experience of raising his three mixed-race daughters, male vulnerability and dad jokes in his comedy, and how he’s reckoned with the truth about “America’s Dad,” Bill Cosby. Bell’s film 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed is now streaming on MAX. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28154354
info_outline
#92 Israel del Toro, Jr.: You’re Not Gonna Die Here
09/13/2023
#92 Israel del Toro, Jr.: You’re Not Gonna Die Here
When Israel “DT” Del Toro, Jr. was 12 years old, he made a promise to his ailing father that he would always watch over his younger siblings, and take care of his family. When he was a 30 year-old Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, he made a promise to his wife and young son that he would return safely from Afghanistan. But then everything changed with a flash of light and an explosion that literally shook the ground beneath his feet, leaving Del Toro, Jr. severely wounded and wondering if he would live another day, let alone keep any of the promises he’d made to those he loved. On this episode of Paternal, Del Toro, Jr. looks back on a life that took him from a working-class neighborhood in East Joliet, Illinois to the mountains of Afghanistan and eventually to a hospital in Texas, where he fought for the chance to reunite with his young son after suffering burns over 80 percent of his body. Del Toro, Jr. is a retired Senior Master Sergeant and received both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service, and he is the author of the 2023 memoir , available now wherever you buy books. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/28017714
info_outline
#91 Jay Rosenblatt: How Do You Measure A Year?
08/23/2023
#91 Jay Rosenblatt: How Do You Measure A Year?
Roughly two decades ago filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt started a ritual with his daughter Ella that he never expected would lead anywhere but the family archives. But the project that unfolded - an annual series of questions he asked Ella on her birthday until she turned 18 - eventually led to an acclaimed portrayal of a father-daughter relationship, and an Academy Award nomination. On this episode of Paternal, Rosenblatt looks back on the origins of his celebrated short film How Do You Measure A Year?, the questions he asked of his daughter each year, and why the film serves as an intimate example of what it looks like when kids grow up in the blink of an eye. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/27826623
info_outline
#90 Alexi Lalas: Embracing Kids And Critics (2018)
08/09/2023
#90 Alexi Lalas: Embracing Kids And Critics (2018)
Alexi Lalas knows all about opportunity. As a professional soccer player and member of the United States national team during the 1990s, Lalas used the global platform of the 1994 FIFA World Cup to introduce the world to his carefully cultivated image of a rebellious red-headed rockstar with a love for the world’s game, and life’s never been the same since. More than two decades later Lalas is still in the public eye as a television analyst for Fox Sports at this summer’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but fame does come with a price. Lalas constantly battles with soccer fans on social media and has even received death threats from his harshest critics over the years, and some fans have no problem harassing him when they spot him in public. On this episode of Paternal from 2018, Lalas discusses how he tries to shield his two young kids from the vitriol he receives on social media, how the World Cup and the public persona he created back in the 90s changed his fortunes forever, and why he teaches his kids to constantly be aware of their surroundings, always open to the next great opportunity in life. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/27665049
info_outline
#89 Rob Harvilla: Dad Rock Comes For Every Man
07/26/2023
#89 Rob Harvilla: Dad Rock Comes For Every Man
Longtime rock critic has made a lengthy career out of his love for the '90s-era songs that shaped his days as a teenager and college student. He’s the host of the hit podcast “60 Songs That Explain the ‘90s” and he’s built a devoted fan base of equally obsessed music fans while exploring songs from artists like Nirvana, Madonna, REM, and the Wu-Tang Clan. But despite his success, sometimes he just likes to mow the lawn with an old Soul Asylum album in his headphones before he gets back to his life as a dad. On this episode of Paternal, Harvilla discusses fatherhood themes in the songs from some of the biggest artists of the '90s, the origin of the term “Dad Rock” and why you’re probably listening to it, the song he sang to his newborn son, and how he feels about his kids streaming songs at the push of a button instead of waiting for hours to record them off of MTV, like a real music fan should. Harvilla’s podcast is available on Spotify. Learn more about Paternal and sign up for our newsletter at . You can also email host Nick Firchau at with any comments or suggestions for men he should profile on the show. Make sure you subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening, then keep an eye on your feed for new episodes.
/episode/index/show/paternalpodcast/id/27568764