Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Ann Patchett's 2001 novel Bel Canto was a huge hit. She's continued to have success with her later work, including The Dutch House, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But she recently returned to Bel Canto with a new edition annotated by Patchett herself. She and Rachel talk about why she wanted to critique her own work and they also discuss their shifting ideas of God and feeling comfortable being alone.To listen sponsor-free, access bonus episodes and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcardLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Kumail Nanjiani is learning to embrace big feelings, he tells Rachel. Kumail’s projects are all about how we feel our way through living, including his new Hulu stand-up special, “Night Thoughts.” Kumail talks to Rachel about learning to embrace fear and failure, his creative partnership with his wife, Emily, and why the world would improve if everyone could eat his grandmother's biryani.To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcardLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Jamie Lee Curtis never wanted to be an actor. She tells Rachel, despite having famous show business parents, she originally thought she’d become a police officer. Jamie talks about how she unexpectedly wound up in Hollywood, her fight against unhealthy beauty standards in the industry, and why she thinks of her children’s books as “her best thing.” Jamie Lee Curtis is currently  in “Ella McCay.”Take the Wild Card survey: npr.org/wildcardsurveyTo listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Mel Robbins tells Rachel that she was plagued by anxiety, trauma and “relentless self-hatred” when she was younger. Now she has a bestselling book (“The Let Them Theory”) and a massively successful podcast (“The Mel Robbins Podcast”). Her hope is that she can share the tools that have helped her better herself so that other people can improve their lives. To listen sponsor-free and support the show, sign up for Wild Card+ at plus.npr.org/wildcard Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

One of Apple’s top 10 podcast episodes of 2025. Jason Reynolds returns for another Wild Card question about the challenge of setting an example for children. He also speaks with Rachel about the value of being a crier and the advice about rest he got from LeVar Burton.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy