Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li

Mahershala Ali discusses his new film Your Mother, Your Mother, Your Mother, in which he portrays a Muslim hitman who must care for his children after his wife’s death. He reflects on the character’s moral complexity and his own experiences growing up with a dancer father. The episode also features Pulitzer Prize-winning writer E-Yun Lee, who explores her novel Music Against the Night about 19th-century piano prodigies. Lee shares how she uses writing and piano to process the grief of losing two sons to suicide, distinguishing between enduring sadness and unhappiness.

Topics discussed

Sponsor: NRDC and Arctic Refuge Mahershala Ali on the complexity of his role Sponsor: Charles Schwab Choiceology Sponsor: NPR Politics Podcast on AI in elections Introduction to the film 'Your Mother' Discussing the character Lateef's contradictions Scene: Lateef's conversation with his imam Ali's perspective on faith and fatherhood Ali's acting process and spiritual beliefs Parenting dynamics and children's hidden experiences Personal anecdotes and on-set improvisation Break and sponsor announcements Sponsors: Schwab, Consider This, and LifeKit Ali's relationship with his mother and conversion to Islam Ali's father and his career in musical theater Ali's early poetry and the 'Prince Ali' persona Closing remarks for Mahershala Ali segment Introduction to E. Yun Lee and her background Why E. Yun Lee wrote 'Music Against the Night' Historical figures John Field and Adelaide Music as a way to endure time and count measures Break and sponsor announcements Sponsor: NPR Through Line on Gaza Raising a prodigy: James's intelligence The responsibilities and awe of parenting a genius How E. Yun Lee's sons learned to read Contrasting the emotional natures of her sons Writing through the grief of losing both sons Themes of patience and mortality in the novel E. Yun Lee's experience with depression and suicide Feelings of helplessness as a mother Growing up in China during the Cultural Revolution Sheltered childhood due to father's nuclear work Military service and political education in China Skills gained from military: shooting and propaganda Current hobbies: gardening and walking Reflections on sadness as part of life Closing credits for Fresh Air Weekend

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Best Of: Mahershala Ali / Writer Yiyun Li

Summary

Topics discussed