Best Of: Learning From Silence / Comic Roy Wood Jr.

Fresh Air

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4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 January 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

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Summary

Writer Pico Iyer lost everything in a 1990 California wildfire. After being rendered homeless and sleeping on a friend's floor, he was told about a Benedictine monastery. His time spent in silence on retreat there changed him both as a person and as a writer. He spoke with Terry Gross about his new memoir about the experience, Aflame.

Also, comic and former Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. talks with Tonya Mosley about his new comedy special, Lonely Flowers.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	After more than a year of war between Israel and Hamas, a ceasefire deal has been announced in Gaza.
0:07.2	State of the world brings you the latest news as the deal is tested and hostages are released.
0:12.6	Our reporters in the Middle East will provide details, context, and reaction from the region and around the world.
0:18.7	Listen to the State of the world podcast from NPR.
0:23.2	From W.HY.Y.I. in Philadelphia, I'm Sam Brigger with Fresh Air Weekend. Today, Pico
0:29.7	Iyer talks about coming out the other side of the 1990 wildfire that burned down his Santa
0:35.3	Barbara home and kept him trapped for three hours until
0:38.4	he was rescued. After being rendered homeless, sleeping on a friend's floor, he was told
0:43.9	about a benedicting monastery, where they accept a few guests at a time.
0:47.9	So it was a fact of being stripped down to nothing that made a Catholic monastery seductive to me.
0:54.9	His new memoir is called A Flame.
0:57.6	Also, we hear from Roy Wood Jr.
0:59.9	His new comedy special Lonely Flowers looks at why people are so disconnected.
1:04.7	We don't even like talking on the phone.
1:07.5	We get mad if the phone rang.
1:10.6	The phone that was invented for talking
1:12.7	you get mad
1:13.3	oh hell don't
1:14.9	you got to text me first
1:17.8	don't just be calling me
1:19.2	that's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend
1:23.1	This message comes from Wise
	...

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