Producer, 'Press Play'
PROFILE
Sarah Sweeney
Producer
FROM Sarah Sweeney
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Immigrant in LA recreates Persian recipes of her youth When Naz Deravian was 8 years old, she and her family fled their home in Iran as the 1979 revolution threw their country into chaos. She spent most of her childhood in Canada. As an adult, she lived in LA, and yearned for her mother’s Persian home cooking. She turned her food -- and the memories it evoked -- into an award-winning food blog and new cookbook.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The hidden histories of exclusive LA homes We talk to an author who writes biographies of houses in Los Angeles. He tells us about the fascinating details he has uncovered about the homes of Shirley Temple, David Selznick, and more.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The ‘Hollywood Godfather’ you’ve never heard of You’ve probably never heard of Billy Wilkerson, but he had a huge influence on Hollywood. He started the blacklist during the Red Scare, and there might not have been a Clark Gable without him.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
MacArthur ‘Genius’ Vijay Gupta on trauma, choices, and excellence LA Phil violinist Vijay Gupta recently won a MacArthur “genius” grant. He’s known for launching Street Symphony, a nonprofit that brings classical music to Skid Row, homeless shelters, and the LA County jail. He explains that now, he can finally write his own rules and choose his own excellence. He didn’t have many choices as a kid, raised by Indian immigrant parents in New York.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' tackles mental health In the musical comedy “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” Rachel Bloom stars as a woman with Borderline Personality Disorder. Showrunner Aline Brosh McKenna talks about how humor can be used to address mental illness. She also says that in Hollywood, women are taught to sit quietly and not push back on bad behavior.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Who won the California governor’s debate? Democrat Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox met today in what’s likely to be their only debate before the November election. The latest polls show Newsom with a comfortable 11-point lead over Cox, but that’s narrower than it was before.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Are pop-up ‘experience museums’ worth your time? We look at Instagrammable museums, where you can swim in a cereal bowl, sit on a pizza box throne, and take selfies. You’ve seen these photos all over Instagram. But what’s the value of these museums?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Javier Bardem’s transformation into Pablo Escobar Javier Bardem played the real-life quadriplegic activist Ramon Sampedro in “The Sea Inside,” and psycho-killer Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men.” Now he portrays notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar in “Loving Pablo.”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Stricter gun control among California’s 1016 new laws Governor Jerry Brown has signed more than 1000 new bills into California law. The bulk of them take effect at the start of next year. They include the nation’s toughest net neutrality law, stricter gun control measures, and a few bills inspired by the #MeToo movement.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
True stories of love driving people to literal madness A married woman was convinced her dentist was secretly in love with her and drove him out of the country. A married man squandered his giant fortune on 3000 prostitutes because he wanted them to fall in love with him. These are among the many patients of psychologist Frank Tallis. He explains the mental roots of lovesickness.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Press Play call-in: Kavanaugh and sexual assault As the FBI looks into sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, the nation is starkly and bitterly divided over last week’s hearings. Today, we take your phone calls about how the last few days have made you feel, changed your perspectives.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Brett Kavanaugh, the Senate and political fallout The Senate Judiciary committee voted to move Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination to a full Senate vote. But Arizona Senator Jeff Flake asked that there be a one-week FBI investigation that would delay that vote. Senate Republican leaders agreed to the investigation. We get the latest.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Analyzing the historical Kavanaugh-Ford hearing All eyes are on the Senate Judiciary hearing with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, who accuses Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in the 1980s. Kavanaugh says it never happened. We talk about the guidelines for questioning someone who claims to have been sexually assaulted. And consider the psychological impact of this hearing on other women who’ve been assaulted themselves.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Hanging out with Quincy Jones and his daughter Rashida Quincy Jones has lived a long life, and accomplished more than most musicians. He’s earned tons of awards. He’s dealt with serious health problems. Now his daughter Rashida has made a documentary about him.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What Bill Cosby’s sentencing means for rape victims? “The day has come. The time has come.” That’s what the judge in the Bill Cosby case said today as he sentenced Cosby to a minimum of three years in prison. We find out more about what happened in that Philadelphia courtroom.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
What’s next for Rod Rosenstein and Brett Kavanaugh? We ask what happens if Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein resigns or is fired later this week. We also discuss Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who is facing a second allegation of sexual misconduct. Deborah Ramirez says Kavanaugh exposed himself at a party during his freshman year at Yale. Kavanaugh denies it happened, and calls it a smear.
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Rethinking mobility with “Flipping the Bird!” design jam Love ‘em or hate ‘em, dockless e-scooters have disrupted the cities they land in. Can "game thinking" help us think more creatively, and less reactively, about their potential? That’s the question at the heart of an event this Saturday at noon called "Flipping the Bird!" It’s a collaboration between KCRW, DnA and IndieCade, the international festival of independent games.