Now What? With Carole Zimmer

A Conversation with Jimmy Wales

When Jimmy Wales was 3, growing up in Huntsville, Alabama, a door-to-door salesman sold his mother a copy of the World Book Encyclopedia. Jimmy fell in love with it. As an adult he had the idea of creating an online encyclopedia that would give everyone free access to the sum of all human knowledge. The result is Wikipedia, which Wales co-founded 25 years ago. Though not without controversy, Wikipedia is a runaway success. It's the world's largest, most comprehensive encyclopedia with more than 1 and a half billion unique visitors a month. That should only happen to "Now What?" I talk to Jimmy Wales about his new book The Seven Rules of Trust and how we can make a difference in a bitterly divided society. "Now What is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

A Conversation with Emi Nietfeld

Until she was 10, Emi Nietfeld led a pretty normal life. It was when her parents divorced that her world fell apart. The parent she knew to be her father transitioned to a woman named Michelle. Her mother was a police photographer with serious psychological problems. In her book, Acceptance, Emi who is now 32, talks about the price she paid for working so hard to overcome circumstances that no child should have to endure. They include stints in a psychiatric ward, living in foster care, stays in a homeless shelter and a suicide attempt at the age of 13. So how did she wind up graduating from Harvard and what lessons can be learned from a childhood where welfare systems fail you? We talk about the notion of self-worth and how hard it is to outrun your past. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

"Now What?" Best of 2025

It hasn't been a great year when it comes to treating our fellow human beings with dignity and respect. But it's been a great year for talking to extraordinary people on "Now What?" Larry Charles is a true character who wore his pajamas to work and directed Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie Borat. Along with Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman was a hilarious member of the original cast of Saturday Night Live which just celebrated its 50th season. Alison Bechdel, the gifted graphic novelist of Fun Home, has a lot to say about living the life of a gay boomer radical in Vermont. "Now What?" has turned out to be a podcast with a very special community. It's produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta. 

A Conversation with Gabrielle Hamilton

Gabrielle Hamilton's father always told his five kids they had to do something practical with their lives and whatever they did, they had to be excellent at it. Mediocrity was a family sin. In 1999 Hamilton opened Prune, a 30-seat restaurant in the East Village, to rave reviews. She was honored with a James Beard award for Best Chef in New York City in 2011, followed by Outstanding Chef in 2018. Hamilton was also featured on the PBS series The Mind of a Chef. She realized her dream of becoming a writer with her best-selling memoir Blood, Bones and Butter. Now, she's got a new book called Next of Kin. We talk about dysfunctional families and the pressures of life both inside and outside the kitchen. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

A Conversation with Calvin Duncan and Sophie Cull

Calvin Duncan grew up in the ninth ward in New Orleans. His mother died when he was very young. He stole food so he'd have enough to eat. When he was 19, Duncan was arrested for allegedly killing a man during a robbery. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison, spending more than 28 years in Angola, Louisiana's notorious state penitentiary. That's when Duncan began studying law. In 2011, he was released from prison and at the age of 60, Duncan graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School. He's just scored another first. This November, Calvin Duncan was elected Clerk of the Criminal Court in New Orleans. Duncan and Sophie Cull co-wrote The Jailhouse Lawyer. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.