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.
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#133 Augustine Sedgewick: A History of Fatherhood, From Thomas Jefferson to Bob Dylan
06/25/2025
#133 Augustine Sedgewick: A History of Fatherhood, From Thomas Jefferson to Bob Dylan
How did Thomas Jefferson’s thoughts on fatherhood influence the American Revolution? What did Charles Darwin learn about evolution from watching his own kids? And why did Bob Dylan tell everyone he couldn’t stand his father? After becoming a father himself, historian and author dove into the past to learn more about these and other hugely influential men, and how being a father and a son shaped their lives and work, for better or worse. On this episode of Paternal, Sedgewick reflects on why he went looking through the past for paternal role models, and why the lives of Jefferson, Darwin, Dylan, Henry David Thoreau and Norman Rockwell reveal problematic habits dads can avoid today. Sedgewick is the author of , available now wherever you buy books.
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#132 Sam Graham-Felsen: Where Have All My Male Friendships Gone?
06/11/2025
#132 Sam Graham-Felsen: Where Have All My Male Friendships Gone?
In the final scene of the 1986 coming-of-age film Stand By Me, the film’s narrator sums up boyhood friendship with the simple line, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve.” And that’s largely true for a number of men who had no trouble developing deep, meaningful friendships with other boys. So why has a lack of friendship among dads become a cliche, or even a running joke? Why can’t guys hang onto those intimate friendships from their past, and what keeps them from making new friends as adults? On this episode of Paternal, journalist and novelist examines how one of his strongest childhood friendships has eroded over the years in the wake of marriage and fatherhood, and why men are reluctant to reach out to close friends when they’re in distress. He also discusses why listening to Joe Rogan offers some men a community in place of real-life friendships, and what men can do to rediscover the old friends they thought they lost. Graham-Felsen is the author of the article , which appeared in the New York Times Magazine in May.
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#131 James Patterson: The King of Paperback Fiction Tackles Fatherhood
05/21/2025
#131 James Patterson: The King of Paperback Fiction Tackles Fatherhood
has sold more than 425 million books over the past 30 years, making him one of the richest and most successful authors in the world. At 78 years old and entering the final stage of his career, Patterson has legions of fans devoted to his brand of psychological thrillers and police procedurals, and he can effectively write about anything he wants, whenever he wants. So what’s the king of paperback fiction doing writing a book about fatherhood? On this episode of Paternal, Patterson discusses the motivations for his new how-to manual The #1 Dad Book and what he’s learned from his own experience as a father, and how to turn kids on to reading. He also reflects on the life of his own dad, who grew up in a poorhouse in upstate New York without ever knowing who his father was. Patterson’s latest, , is available wherever you buy books.
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#130 Paternal Workshop: Your Tween’s Mind, Explained
05/08/2025
#130 Paternal Workshop: Your Tween’s Mind, Explained
You could fill an entire bookshelf with guides on babies and toddlers, or the best strategies for dealing with teenagers. But for Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, one of the most critical stages for child development is the pre-adolescent phase, when kids really begin to push their parents away and first ask the biggest questions of their lives: Who am I? Am I normal? Where do I fit in? On this episode of Paternal, Dr. Ginsburg returns to the show for the first in a series of special episodes devoted to the issues affecting our kids. He dives deep into the idea of brain puberty and what’s happening in the minds of kids in this pre-adolescent phase, why they’re trying harder than ever to break free from their parents, how screen habits figure into their development, and why you should leave your own painful memories of middle school out of the conversation with your kids. is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is also the author of Lighthouse Parenting: Raising Your Child With Loving Guidance for a Lifelong Bond.
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#129 Christopher Blackwell: How A Prison ‘Heal Circle’ Helps Incarcerated Men
04/24/2025
#129 Christopher Blackwell: How A Prison ‘Heal Circle’ Helps Incarcerated Men
has been a lot of things in his life. As a young boy he was a son longing to connect with his father over classic cars and football. As a teenager he was an insecure class clown, and then a dropout. In his 20s he was a drug dealer living in survival mode in a neighborhood riddled with crime and violence. And now he’s an inmate in the Washington Corrections Center, serving a 45-year prison sentence for robbery and murder. But Blackwell is also an award-winning journalist, the co-founder of a non-profit organization focused on prison reform, a mentor to other inmates, and a husband. On this episode of Paternal, Blackwell reflects on how growing up without community and positive male role models led to a tragic robbery gone wrong, and how he’s transformed himself thanks to prison’s “heal circle,” where inmates share their stories and discover a sense of honesty and camaraderie they never had as young men. Blackwell is the co-founder of , a grassroots organization led by criminal legal system-impacted people that works to transform the legal system by providing civic education and empowerment programs for incarcerated people and their loved ones. His first book, , is available for pre-order now.
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#128 Austin Davis: A Young Father Forges the Future of Pennsylvania Politics
04/09/2025
#128 Austin Davis: A Young Father Forges the Future of Pennsylvania Politics
was just a teenager when the trajectory of his life changed forever. A fatal shooting rattled his neighborhood in the working class Pennsylvania town of McKeesport, and spurred him to attend a city council meeting of all white officials who were skeptical of the concerned Black teenager raising his voice. “ The people closest to the pain should be closest to the power,” Davis says. “ I had a stake in that community just as much as they did as somebody who lived there and grew up there, and I wanted to make it a better place.” Nearly two decades later Davis was elected the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, becoming the first African American to ever hold the office and the youngest Lieutenant Governor in the United States. On this episode of Paternal, Davis recounts how the son of a bus driver and hairdresser rose to one of the most powerful positions in Pennsylvania, why becoming a father helped him focus his energy on fixing the state’s childcare problem, and where he finds hope for the future despite extreme partisanship and vitriol among today’s politicians.
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#127 Jake Tapper: Leadership and Vulnerability (2023)
03/26/2025
#127 Jake Tapper: Leadership and Vulnerability (2023)
Jake Tapper has been a leading figure in American media for more than a decade, serving as the chief DC anchor at CNN, the host of the network’s weekday show “The Lead with Jake Tapper,” and the co-host of the Sunday public-affairs show, “State of the Union.” During that time he’s interviewed some of the most consequential and controversial figures in American politics, and in the process learned a few things about why powerful men are so reluctant to admit when they’re wrong, and what it costs them in the end. On this 2023 episode of Paternal, Tapper discusses how he balanced a high-powered career in journalism with a life as a father of two children, how his own father influenced his upbringing in Philadelphia, and the traits that make a successful leader. Tapper’s new book, , is available wherever you buy books.
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#126 Paternal Workshop: Why It’s Hard For Men To Say “I’m Sorry”
03/13/2025
#126 Paternal Workshop: Why It’s Hard For Men To Say “I’m Sorry”
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 a subject that a number of past guests have brought up over the years: Grace and self-compassion. He examines why some men hold themselves to impossible standards when it comes to work, relationships and parenting, and why the inability to forgive yourself is connected to the ability to apologize to others, and actually mean it. 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 .
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#125 Joseph Earl Thomas: Fatherhood, Regardless of Your Expectations
02/27/2025
#125 Joseph Earl Thomas: Fatherhood, Regardless of Your Expectations
Acclaimed author spent much of his childhood watching everyone around him, trying to figure out where he belonged. He grew up attending public school in Philadelphia and constantly scanned the classrooms and hallways to avoid being beaten up by bigger, stronger boys. And throughout his adolescence Thomas was always trying to figure out what a man is and what a man isn’t. Then he realized that he shouldn’t even bother with those expectations. On this episode of Paternal, Thomas recounts what life was like growing in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Frankford, what he learned about violence and vulnerability from his grandfather, his own anxieties as a parent to four kids, and why he’s reluctant to say his life story fits “the hero-story narrative thing” of Black kids finding success in America. Thomas is the author of the 2023 memoir Sink, which was dubbed “an extraordinary memoir of Black American boyhood” by the New York Times. Thomas’ memoir and his 2024 novel are available wherever you buy books.
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#124 Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg: What Type Of Parent Are You?
02/13/2025
#124 Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg: What Type Of Parent Are You?
Authoritarian parents. Permissive parents. Disengaged parents. Lighthouse parents. How would you describe the parents you had as a kid and, more importantly, what type are you now that you’re a parent? The answer could speak volumes about how you interact with your kids when it comes to the rules of the house, how to build resilience, and how much you value expressing emotions. And it will likely determine just how strong the bond is between you and your kids for the rest of their lives. On this episode of Paternal, - a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine - breaks down the different styles of parenting and which one consistently yields the best results for children. He also discusses a pair of challenges often echoed by fathers on Paternal - how to honor your kids’ emotions instead of shutting them down, and why it’s crucial to show yourself some grace in front of your kids. Dr. Ginsburg is the author of three books on parenting including , available wherever you buy books beginning March 18.
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#123 Frank: A Father’s Week Of Life On The Street (2018)
01/29/2025
#123 Frank: A Father’s Week Of Life On The Street (2018)
Meet Frank. He’s a 62 year-old father of four grown kids, and grandfather to seven grandchildren. Back in the summer of 2017, Frank decided to leave his home in San Diego and spend a week in Denver with his son Tommy, but it was no ordinary trip. Tommy is a homeless drug addict who lives in and around Civic Center Park in Denver, and he needs help. But can a committed father really change the course of life for his son, who’s caught in the deadliest drug crisis in American history? On this 2018 episode that is the most downloaded episode in Paternal history, Frank recounts the signs that may have foretold a troubled future for his son, and recounts his experience of living homeless in vivid detail, with endless empathy for his son and his battle against addiction. Special thanks on this episode to Chris Conner and Denver’s Road Home, and Denver Human Services. Special thanks also to Pastor Jerry Herships of Denver. This episode includes a 2025 update on Frank and Tommy, and Frank’s memoir, , is available on Amazon.
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#122 Scott Oake: The Perfect Place To Heal
01/15/2025
#122 Scott Oake: The Perfect Place To Heal
Bruce Oake didn’t speak until the age of two, but once he started, he never stopped. A precocious kid with boundless energy growing up in Winnipeg, Oake was an amateur boxer as a teenager and a talented hip hop artist who adored the ragged, tough guy aura of some of his musical heroes. But by his mid-20s Bruce was firmly caught up in the opioid epidemic and struggling to find a way to get clean, leaving his parents to wonder what they could possibly do to help their son. On this episode of Paternal, looks back on the life and death of his eldest son, and reflects on if he could have done anything differently as a father. He also discusses the idea of addiction as a health issue versus a moral issue, misconceptions about rehabilitation centers, and how a recovery center built in Bruce Oake’s memory gives dozens of men the chance to heal. Scott Oake is an award-winning sports broadcaster who has contributed to “Hockey Night in Canada” since 1989. His new memoir will be available beginning Jan. 21, wherever you buy books. All proceeds will be donated to the Bruce and Anne Oake Foundation.
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#121 Best of 2024: Conversations of the Year
01/02/2025
#121 Best of 2024: Conversations of the Year
Paternal closes out the year with a collection of the best conversations from 2024, curating five of the best segments from the past year into one collection. On this episode, Paternal guests discuss a variety of topics, including why Evangelicals and young men flocked to Donald Trump during the presidential election, why black boys need love stories too, the role the gym plays for men as they deal with issues of grief and addiction, and why anxiety and anger are so prevelant for some men heading into the new year. Guests on this episode of Paternal include author and The Atlantic journalist , award-winning author , New York Times journalist , music critic and powerlifter , and CNN political commentator and attorney . Stay tuned for all new episodes of Paternal in 2025.
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#120 David Robertson: Learning To Live With Anxiety
12/19/2024
#120 David Robertson: Learning To Live With Anxiety
When discovered a mouse living in his minivan years ago, he knew it meant trouble. But what happened next - six weeks of Googling for information about mice, the viruses they carry, and the chances he might die from catching such an illness - was more than something a simple mousetrap could handle. It was indicative of the challenges Robertson faces every day, living with anxiety. On this episode of Paternal, Robertson discusses all the ways that anxiety has affected his life as an award-winning author and a husband and father of five kids. He also reflects on what role masculinity played in him hiding the seriousness of his mental health issues, his thoughts on group therapy and medication, and why he’s chosen to use his platform to openly address mental health. Robertson is the author of the new memoir All the Little Monsters, which will be available Jan. 21 wherever you buy books.
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#119 Charles Bock: A Man In Over His Head
12/05/2024
#119 Charles Bock: A Man In Over His Head
Sixteen years ago, novelist was the kind of guy who would never, ever want to appear on a podcast about fatherhood. He was single and living in New York City as an aspiring writer aching to finish his first novel and somehow get it published. He had no real desire to become a father, and he knew he was too immature to become anyone’s dad. And then he met Diana. On this episode of Paternal, Bock discusses what happens when a man reluctantly becomes a father, and then faces a life-altering sequence of events that leaves him largely on his own to raise his daughter. He also recounts how he balanced grieving his wife's death and full-time caregiver responsibilities, all while his friends questioned if he was up to the task and the mothers in the preschool pickup line kept a safe distance from a father clearly in over his head. Bock’s memoir is available now wherever you buy books.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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 .
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#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.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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.
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#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 .
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#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.
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#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.
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#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 “.”
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#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 .
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#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.
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