Tony Award winner J. Harrison Ghee talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about their experience as the first nonbinary performer to win Best Actor in a Musical, living life as your most authentic self, and performing in a hit musical on B

59. Brian Selznick, Big Tree

Jul 5th, 2023 34m 47s

Caldecott winner Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) talks to the Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about how his latest book, Big Tree, started as a Steven Spielberg film, and about the legacy of gay and Jewish children’s book authors.

58. Camille Kellogg, Just As You Are

Jun 21st, 2023 26m 40s

First-time author Camille Kellogg talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about her novel, Just As You Are, a queer rom-com inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Camille Kellogg is a queer writer based in New York City, where she

57. Steven Rowley, The Celebrants

Jun 7th, 2023 34m 21s

Bestselling author of The Guncle Steven Rowley talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about all sorts of things, including working as a gay author and, of course, his newest book, this month’s TODAY Show #ReadWithJenna pick, The Celebrants

56. Emily St. John Mandel, Sea Of Tranquility

May 30th, 2023 40m 41s

Bestselling author of Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman as her final event for the paperback release of her latest novel, Sea of Tranquility. They also talk about why we’re drawn to post-apocalyp

55. Textiles + Sustainability with Preeti Gopinath, Parsons School of Design

May 17th, 2023 37m 4s

From the clothes we wear to the sheets we sleep in, textiles are part of daily life, but have you ever really thought about how they’re made? In this episode, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to Preeti Gopinath, the head of the textiles

54. The Earth Transformed: A History of Climate Change with Peter Frankopan

May 3rd, 2023 35m 48s

Climate change has impacted the world since the beginning of time, which Peter Frankopan (The Silk Roads) details in his newest book, The Earth Transformed: An Untold History. A professor of global history at Oxford University, Peter shares his

53. Electronic Waste + Composting with Christine Datz-Romero, LES Ecology Center

Apr 19th, 2023 28m 55s

Ahead of a Community Recycling Day at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan on April 23, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to Christine Datz-Romero, co-founder and executive director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Christine talks ab

53. Electronic Waste + Composting with Christine Datz-Romero, LES Ecology Center

Apr 19th, 2023 28m 55s

52. What is the Value of a Story?—Jenny Jackson, editor and author

Feb 22nd, 2023 41m 56s

Jenny Jackson, executive editor at Knopf, talks The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman through the book publishing process, from acquiring a title to hitting the shelf. Jenny also talks about her experience on the other side as an author—her upcomi

51. From Falling in Love with Comics to Writing Graphic Novels—Dan Santat, Author + Illustrator

Feb 8th, 2023 37m 32s

Prolific author, illustrator, and graphic novelist Dan Santat chats with The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about his process of writing and illustrating picture books, how writing graphic novels is his way of creating his own movies, and the c

50. Michael Crouch, Audiobook Narrator

Jan 25th, 2023 37m 16s

Audiobook narrator Michael Crouch talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about his shift from musical theatre to voiceover acting, the process of preparing to record an audiobook, and some unique techniques and insights on working in audio

49. It’s Okay to Judge a Book by Its Cover—Elizabeth Yaffe, cover designer

Jan 11th, 2023 30m 51s

To kick off our season of 76West in celebration of our Books That Changed My Life Festival, The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman talks to designer Elizabeth Yaffe about the process of creating that thing you judge most about a book—its cover. E

48. Will Chef Einat Admony Redefine “Balaboosta”?

Dec 21st, 2022 44m 22s

Chef Einat Admony, founder of the beloved falafel chain Taïm, as well as the acclaimed Israeli restaurant Balaboosta, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about where her love of cooking comes from, tricks to feed picky eaters, and her n

47. Will Musician David Krauss’s Trumpet Disappear?

Dec 7th, 2022 44m 14s

David Krauss, principal trumpet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about what the title “principal trumpet” means, childhood as an “indoor kid,” and the little things he learns about music icons whi

46. Will Actor David Krumholtz Commit to Hair Acting?

Nov 16th, 2022 40m 13s

Will Actor David Krumholtz Commit to Hair Acting?David Krumholtz, most known for his roles in Num3ers, 10 Things I Hate About You, The Santa Clause, and dozens of other films and TV shows, is currently starring on Broadway in Leopoldstadt. Dav

45. Will Filmmaker Yair Qedar Generate More Ideas?

Nov 2nd, 2022 35m 16s

Yair Qedar, whose film The Last Chapter of A.B. Yehoshua is featured in the JCC’s 2022 Other Israel Film Festival, talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about the creation of this rare and striking look into the life of one of Israel’s mo

44. Elissa Sussman, Funny You Should Ask

Aug 10th, 2022 44m 42s

Author Elissa Sussman and The Lambert Center's Jason Blitman talk about Sussman's new book, Funny You Should Ask, the importance of Jewish representation in fiction, rules of romance novels, and more. Elissa Sussman is the bestselling author

43. Erika L. Sánchez, Crying in the Bathroom

Jul 27th, 2022 36m 49s

Erika L. Sánchez (I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter) talks to The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman about her new memoir in essays, Crying in the Bathroom, which Kirkus Reviews calls “a rewarding debut memoir in which a sensitive soul finds s

42. Gabrielle Zevin, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Jul 13th, 2022 46m 56s

Gabrielle Zevin (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry) joins The Lambert Center’s Jason Blitman to talk about her latest book, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, which Publishers Weekly calls “a one-of-a-kind achievement.” Gabrielle and Jason talk

41. Sloane Crosley, Cult Classic

Jun 29th, 2022 42m 56s

Sloane Crosley (I Was Told There'd Be Cake, How Did You Get This Number, The Clasp) talks to The Lambert Center's Jason Blitman about her latest novel, Cult Classic. Sloane and Jason chat about the book's themes, beautiful cover art, the word "

40. Combating an Epidemic, with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Susan Lechter, and Dana Wechsler Linden

Dec 30th, 2021 23m 47s

It wasn’t just a perceived need. It was a moral imperative. In looking at the JCC’s burgeoning population of older adults, it became apparent that cards, trips, and discussion groups weren’t just fun, enriching ways to spend time. They were a w

39. Adaptations, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Shirley Silver

Dec 28th, 2021 19m 18s

It took a professionally upsetting and embarrassing incident for Rabbi Joy Levitt to realize how far the JCC, and indeed all Jewish communal agencies, had to go when it came to treating those in its neurodiverse community. But evolve the JCC d

38. The Women’s Seder, with Rabbi Joy Levitt, Eve Landau, and Barbara Dobkin

Dec 26th, 2021 16m 31s

Ma’yan: The Jewish Women’s Project was founded by the JCC in 1993 to serve as a catalyst and a resource for women working for change within the Jewish community. During its existence, Ma’yan promoted Jewish ritual from a new perspective through

37. The Literacy + Math Tutoring Program, with Rabbi Joy Levitt and Judy Gross

Dec 23rd, 2021 20m 49s

One of the JCC’s original volunteer initiatives, the literacy and math tutoring program has only grown in size, scope, and value in the years since its founding. Under Program Director Judy Gross, it has expanded into more schools, added facets