Best Lydia Kumar Podcasts (2025)

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15. From Mainframes to AI Agents: William Brown on Transforming Tech and Self 49:26

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21h ago49:26

49:26

William A “Bill” Brown, former Chief Architect at IBM and founder of Application Engineering Services, joins us to explore how AI can drive access, equity, and innovation when guided by human intention. From wiring office networks in 1980s New York to building AI agents today, Bill’s career is rooted in curiosity and continual learning. In this exp…

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Samin Nosrat and the Very Nerdy Socks 1:01:39

2d ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Samin Nosrat has changed the way so many of us think about food, cooking, and connection. You may know her as the bestselling author of Salt Fat Acid Heat, her joyful Netflix series of the same name, or her wildly popular podcast Home Cooking. But in this conversation, she goes far beyond recipes. Samin opens up about growing up as a book-loving ou…

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14. Throw Away the Coffee: Cary Wright on AI, Teacher Well-Being, and Better Lesson Plans 37:49

8d ago37:49

37:49

Cary Wright, a 30-year veteran educator and co-founder of T.E.A.C.H., joins us to share how he’s helping teachers go from overwhelmed to empowered through practical, responsible AI use. From streamlining lesson planning to unlocking data insights, Cary explains how he and his co-founder, Tyler Hunt, are building a future where AI supports educators…

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Regina King and the Wine That Stops Time 47:39

9d ago47:39

47:39

You know Regina King from her decades of extraordinary performances — from her teenage roles on the sitcom 227 and the movie Friday to Watchmen, The Leftovers, The Boondocks, If Beale Street Could Talk, and so many more. But a conversation at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen showed a different side of the Oscar-winning actress: the daughter, the si…

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13. Beyond the Bot: John Sharon on Protecting Human Connection in Schools 32:18

16d ago32:18

32:18

What happens when a centuries-old set of values meets one of the most disruptive technologies of our time? In this episode, we slow down the AI conversation with John Sharon, Assistant Head for Teaching and Learning at Carolina Friends School. With over 34 years in education, John has seen fads come and go and knows the importance of discernment. G…

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Ayesha Curry and the 5 Night a Week Pineapple Fried Rice 49:37

16d ago49:37

49:37

2025 Food & Wine Game Changer Ayesha Curry is such a surprise of a human being. On paper, it's natural to wonder how someone can be an actress, cookbook author, restaurateur, founder of a skincare line and lifestyle brand, winemaker, and co-creator of a foundation that helps kids get fed in a million different ways. But as soon as she starts talkin…

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12. Trailblazing AI Literacy: Connor Mulvaney’s Rural Classroom Revolution 39:53

23d ago39:53

39:53

Montana science teacher and district AI lead Connor Mulvaney joins host Lydia Kumar to share how he turned fishing photos, traffic-light rubrics, and a healthy dose of curiosity into AI leadership in Montana and across the nation. Fresh off announcing aiEDU’s largest Trailblazers Fellowship expansion, Connor shares stories about leading students an…

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Antoni Porowski and the Right Time to Leave a Party 46:55

23d ago46:55

46:55

"Queer Eye" and "No Taste Like Home" star Antoni Porowski joins Tinfoil Swans live at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen for a heartfelt and humorous conversation about identity, vulnerability, and finding meaning through food. He opens up about his path from actor and caterer to TV host and storyteller, the emotional layers of cooking, navigating fa…

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11. More AI, More Humanity: Ben Gordon Sniffen on the Alpha School Model 43:04

30d ago43:04

43:04

In this episode, Guide and curriculum designer Ben Gordon Sniffen pulls back the curtain on Alpha School’s two-hour learning model, where an AI tutor condenses core academics into a focused morning block and frees guides for passion-driven life-skills workshops in the afternoon. Listen in as Ben explains: How 120 minutes of adaptive learning hits e…

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Tristen Epps and the Scrambled Egg Revelation 56:04

1M ago56:04

56:04

Growing up in a military family, Tristen Epps moved around a lot. But no matter where he was living, Friday nights were sacred. He got to dress up, go to a restaurant, not order from a kids menu, and feel like he was getting to know the place he was living — for now. At home, when his mom taught him to scramble an egg, he was mesmerized by the alch…

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Season 2 Trailer – Kinwise Conversations: AI for Educators 1:36

1M ago1:36

1:36

Kinwise Conversations is your weekly AI learning lab for teachers, principals, and district leaders. In Season 2 we dive into real classroom pilots, district-wide roll-outs, and cross-sector insights that show exactly how AI can boost student learning without losing the human heart of education. 🎙 What to expect • Classroom and district innovators …

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10. Priceless Branding: Neuroscience, Emotion & AI with Jim Cobb 35:01

1M ago35:01

35:01

Brand strategist Jim Cobb, founder of The Bloodhound Group and a creative force behind MasterCard’s legendary “Priceless” campaign, joins host Lydia Kumar to unpack how neuroscience, emotion, and generative AI can support branding. Drawing on four decades of advertising experience, Jim explains why 90 percent of purchase decisions start in the unco…

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Chris Shepherd and the Hot Dog Pizza 57:08

1M ago57:08

57:08

Growing up in Oklahoma, school was not Chris Shepherd's thing. Traditional classrooms just aren't the right fit for some brains — but it turned out that restaurants were. In junior college, he picked up a job as a dishwasher at a sushi restaurant and on the day the tempura guy didn't show up, his culinary journey began. The 2013 Food & Wine Best Ne…

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9. AI & Human Potential: A Conversation with Dr. Alison Harris Welcher 36:47

1M ago36:47

36:47

Welcome to Kinwise Conversations! In this episode, I’m honored to chat with Dr. Alison Harris Welcher, strategic leader, educator, and executive life coach, about nurturing human potential, leading with authenticity, and integrating AI thoughtfully into our work and lives. Dive into this inspiring conversation as Alison reveals: The thread of human…

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Run the Jewels and the Tuna Salad Battle 51:43

1M ago51:43

51:43

When Killer Mike and El-P were 10 years old, they both knew they wanted to be emcees, but it took a few decades for them to meet, form Run The Jewels, and go to war against one another over salad. The legendary rap duo joined Tinfoil Swans for a laugh-out-loud (and also cry a little) conversation about childhood meals, musical awakenings, midlife r…

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8. The 80/20 Rule for AI: A Conversation with John ”JK” Kornegay 46:26

2M ago46:26

46:26

Is AI simply a productivity hack or can it supercharge genuine creativity? John “JK” Kornegay, a digital-marketing strategist by day and a sought-after event photographer by night, joins host Lydia Kumar to reveal how he lets AI handle the first 80 % of the work so his human expertise can perfect the last 20 %. From building a mini “team” of custom…

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Wylie Dufresne and the Platonic Pizza Ideal 46:22

2M ago46:22

46:22

2001 Food & Wine Best New Chef and Stretch Pizza impresario Wylie Dufresne joins Tinfoil Swans to talk about his job lording over the ice truck at the New York Renaissance Festival, how team sports inform his work ethic, what the heck molecular gastronomy actually is, and why the pursuit of the perfect pizza dough has him so fired up. Learn more ab…

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7: Closing the Gap: Tanzania Brown on AI, Equity, and Student Affirmation 45:52

2M ago45:52

45:52

Is AI a tool that can finally close the educational equity gap, or will it only widen the divide? Tanzania "Taz" Brown, an educator and curriculum designer whose work is deeply rooted in social justice, joins host Lydia Kumar for a crucial conversation about the reality of AI in our schools. Drawing from her experiences in both under-resourced publ…

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Ana and Lydia Castro and the Tortilla Full of Beauty 58:37

2M ago58:37

58:37

2022 Food & Wine Best New Chef Ana Castro and her sister and business partner Lydia Castro are powerhouse duo behind New Orleans' beloved Acamaya. They're not just redefining contemporary Mexican cuisine — they’re reshaping what it means to lead with vulnerability, resilience, and fierce sibling love. In this conversation they dive deep into their …

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6: Drafting the Future: Mariah Street on Using AI in Law and Legacy Planning 30:35

2M ago30:35

30:35

In this Kinwise Conversation, join host Lydia Kumar as she chats with Mariah Street, an inspiring estate planning attorney blending profound personal empathy with practical AI efficiency. Mariah's powerful journey from personal loss to entrepreneurship reveals how she uses tools like ChatGPT and Zoom AI to streamline her law practice, allowing her …

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Encore: Guy Fieri and the Flying Mustard Jar 43:36

2M ago43:36

43:36

In our debut episode, Food & Wine's executive features editor Kat Kinsman spoke with the one and only chef Guy Fieri. He's become a household name as a restaurateur, cookbook author, host of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, Guy's Grocery Games, Tournament of Champions and more smash-hit shows — and in recent years, as a mega-philanthropist who has rai…

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5: The Unstuck Entrepreneur: How Jen Murphy Uses AI to Reclaim Time and Creativity 36:58

2M ago36:58

36:58

Welcome to Kinwise Conversations! In this episode, I'm thrilled to chat with Jen Murphy, the entrepreneurial force behind a successful Raleigh, NC wedding planning company. Jen shares her fascinating journey from a decade in social work, grappling with systematic challenges in mental health services, to finding a new path that beautifully blends he…

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Karen Akunowicz and the Compliment That Changed Her Life 51:22

2M ago51:22

51:22

25 years ago, James Beard Award-winning chef and Top Chef alum Karen Akunowicz received a compliment from a Food & Wine Best New Chef that changed her entire career path. On this episode, she opened up about her journey from musical theater kid and hardworking diner waitress to acclaimed restaurateur, the power of embracing her queer identity, the …

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4: Beyond Analysis: Dox Brown on AI and Co-Creating Our Human Future 31:09

3M ago31:09

31:09

Dox Brown, a strategist, systems designer, and self-described 'epistemic architect,' challenges us to look beyond AI's practical uses to its fundamental impact on language, knowledge, and what it means to be human. Introducing his concept of 'hollisis,' the dynamic, embodied thinking that AI can't replicate, Dox reframes neurodiversity as an evolut…

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Dr. Jessica B. Harris and the Hardcore Virginia Ham 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

Dr. Jessica B. Harris is a scholar of the African food diaspora, an award-winning and prolific writer, a gifted storyteller and speaker, a teacher, and an icon to many. But what gets lost sometimes is that she's a person, first and foremost — one whose bookishness as a kid made it hard for her to connect with other kids. One raised by two artists w…

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3: Redefining Education with AI: Vera Cubero on Project-Based Learning and Human Connection 40:06

3M ago40:06

40:06

Vera Cubero, Emerging Technologies Consultant for NC Public Instruction, shares how AI guidelines, project-based learning, and durable-skill portfolios can make classrooms more human, especially in rural and underserved schools. A roadmap for teachers who want safe, student-centered AI adoption.By Lydia Kumar

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2: What’s Ours to Hold? Travis Packer on AI, Systems, and the Future of Human Work 31:52

3M ago31:52

31:52

Systems-thinking consultant Travis Packer joins host Lydia Kumar to ask a defining question: What should AI handle, and what must remain fundamentally human? From change rituals to ethical guardrails, learn how to build organizations that thrive beside intelligent tools.By Lydia Kumar

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1: AI with Heart: Celia Jones on Values, Discernment, and Human-Centered Communication 39:43

3M ago39:43

39:43

Host Lydia Kumar talks with nonprofit comms lead Celia Jones about wielding ChatGPT as a research sidekick, confidence boost, and ethics checkpoint, proving AI can deepen, not replace, human connection.By Lydia Kumar

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Trailer: Welcome to Kinwise Conversations 1:51

3M ago1:51

1:51

AI is evolving fast, but how do we use it with intention? In this trailer, host Lydia Kumar introduces Kinwise Conversations, a podcast about integrating AI into our lives and work with care, ethics, and creativity. Hear from real leaders navigating this space weekly starting in June. Subscribe and join us at kinwise.org.…

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Matthew Lillard and the Glorious Dorito Salad 42:18

3M ago42:18

42:18

You have a favorite Matthew Lillard film or TV performance. It might be SLC Punk, the Scream franchise, Scooby Doo, Hackers, She's All That, Twin Peaks: The Return, or the new Stephen King and Mike Flanagan movie The Life of Chuck. He's been working in Hollywood for over 30 years, and has a reputation for being kind to fans. But connecting with peo…

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Encore: Will Poulter, Dave Beran, and The Bear 51:22

3M ago51:22

51:22

Season 3 of the smash hit FX/Hulu show “The Bear” roared to life just days ago, but Will Poulter (the actor who plays fan-favorite Luca) and 2014 F&W Best New Chef Dave Beran had been prepping for weeks. Poulter — like his co-star Jeremy Allen White — staged with Beran at his Santa Monica restaurant Pasjoli to learn how to accurately portray a prof…

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Curtis Stone and the Clandestine Charcuterie Closet 48:54

3M ago48:54

48:54

The first food memory Curtis Stone has is getting in trouble for eating too much butter. Then again, the Australian chef and TV host has never been one for restraint. Once he realized he wasn't going to be a professional athlete, he went to work for Marco Pierre White — notoriously one of the most hard-driving chefs of all time, then hosted 140 epi…

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Hawa Hassan and the Hot Dog Habit 47:16

4M ago47:16

47:16

When Hawa Hassan was five years old, she was living in a refugee camp in Kenya. By seven, she was resettled in Seattle with a few other refugees from Somalia, and waiting for her family to join her. Then the political climate changed, and she came to realize that they were never coming; she was on her own. The thing to know about Hawa Hassan is tha…

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Romy Gill and the Slow Burn Book 45:51

4M ago45:51

45:51

Romy Gill puts in the work — always. Growing up in India, the chef, TV host, and author dreamed of being a cricket player and directed all her effort into that — and into lightly fibbing her way into her neighbors' homes to try different dishes than the ones she ate in her Punjabi household. It's this hunger and curiosity about other people and the…

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Vikas Khanna and the Beautiful Lie That Saved His Childhood 48:15

4M ago48:15

48:15

When Vikas Khanna was growing up in a small town in India, the world was stacked against him. He was bullied by other children for wearing braces on his legs and not being able to play like them. But his grandmother and sister saw him for who he truly was: a lion. They brought him into the kitchen, and he roared to life. An extraordinary life at th…

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Laurie Woolever and the Cone of Silence 56:43

4M ago56:43

56:43

Laurie Woolever has worked for chefs you've definitely heard of, most notably Anthony Bourdain and Mario Batali. Those two men are notorious for their outsized appetites, but in her new memoir, "Care and Feeding," Woolever gets raw and real about her own insatiable need for drugs, alcohol, and extramarital affairs while navigating the grossness and…

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Roy Choi and the Out-of-Body Emeril Experience 1:02:41

5M ago1:02:41

1:02:41

Growing up as an immigrant latchkey kid, Roy Choi spent a lot of time wandering the streets of Los Angeles alone, thinking he'd never fit in anywhere. He had a scar on his face from cleft palate surgery, and he thought of himself as an alley cat, slipping through the world unnoticed and he took in every detail of the way people interacted, especial…

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Byron Gomez and the American Dream 1:00:30

5M ago1:00:30

1:00:30

Byron Gomez and his family arrived in the United States from Costa Rica when he was eight years old, and he was in for the shock of his young life. He spoke Spanish at home, he'd never seen snow or even a winter coat, and he had to find his place in a world that didn't always want him there. But at age 15, he found restaurants. He put in the very h…

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Tinfoil Swans Is Serving Up Season 3: April 8, 2025 2:29

5M ago2:29

2:29

The award-winning Tinfoil Swans podcast from Food & Wine is back on April 8. We're bringing you even more intimate, informative, surprising, and uplifting interviews with the biggest names in the culinary industry and beyond, sharing never-before-heard stories about the successes, struggles, and fork-in-the-road moments that made them who they are …

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Encore: Kevin Gillespie and the Restaurant of a Lifetime 53:37

5M ago53:37

53:37

There's a good chance you know chef and author Kevin Gillespie from his fan-favorite stint on Season 6 of Top Chef or his return on the All Stars Season 20, but the Georgia native's talent can't be reduced to the small screen. His new Atlanta restaurant, Nàdair, is a full-throated love letter to his Scottish heritage — something Gillespie's family …

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Encore: Kylie Kwong and the Five Glass Ghosts 55:26

5M ago55:26

55:26

When chef Kylie Kwong announced that she was going to be shuttering her destination dining spot Lucky Kwong to take on a new role at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, working at the intersection of food, community, and education to honor the people and foods that have made Australian cuisine so distinctive and precious — it made sense. Kwong has alw…

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Pati Jinich and the Bedtime Cookbooks 59:39

9M ago59:39

59:39

With her shows Pati's Mexican Table and La Frontera and cookbooks Treasures of the Mexican Table and Mexican Today, Pati Jinich uses her exceptional empathy, political science background, and fearless curiosity to share the stories of the people living, creating, and cooking all around Mexico, and celebrate our shared humanity. For the Season 2 fin…

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Joel McHale and the Spiced Steak Fantasy 36:29

10M ago36:29

36:29

You may know Joel McHale from his star turns on beloved shows like Community, The Soup, or Animal Control, his standup special Live From Pyongyang, or as host of House of Villains and Crime Scene Kitchen. Chefs know him from their nightmares — or rather as the menacing chef David Fields on The Bear. He's also a very talented cook, especially in the…

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“Bitchy Waiter" Darron Cardosa and the Tipping Conundrum 50:39

10M ago50:39

50:39

Since 2008, actor and writer Darron Cardosa has been setting the internet ablaze with his pioneering blog "The Bitchy Waiter" — which he has since spun into a rollicking book and stage show of the same name. Darron is also one of Food & Wine's most prolific and popular writers, and in this inspiring and emotional conversation, he shares his feeling…

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Bobby Flay and the Review That Made His Career 49:14

10M ago49:14

49:14

Bobby Flay has been a fixture on Food Network since the beginning, written 18 cookbooks, and is pretty much a household name. But the thing that gets lost in the sauce is that he's a James Beard Award-winning restaurant chef who changed the restaurant scene in some bold and groundbreaking ways. He joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about his new book Cha…

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Tom Holland and the Sticky Pork Buns 41:47

10M ago41:47

41:47

When Tom Holland's parents enrolled him in dance classes as a kid, no one could have dreamed he'd end up as an international superstar, internet icon, and entrepreneur — and he still has to pinch himself to believe it. The Spider-Man actor joined Tinfoil Swans to talk about some horrible lamb shanks he'd cooked, his favorite pizza place, getting so…

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Dolly Parton, Rachel Parton George, and the Dumplings That Could Save the World 45:20

11M ago45:20

45:20

Dolly Parton is an American icon for all the right reasons. She's always been unabashedly herself, employing that authenticity, work ethic, humor, talent, and grace to make enduring art — and use her hard-earned platform and cash to support causes dear to her heart. She and her sister, Rachel Parton George, recently co-authored the cookbook Good Lo…

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Yotam Ottolenghi and the Story of Comfort 46:16

11M ago46:16

46:16

Chef and author Yotam Ottolenghi is internationally beloved for his joyful and accessible approach to fresh ingredients in his restaurants, and also in his recipes for home cooks. The self-described "greedy little boy" from Jerusalem shares how he found his way out of academia and into kitchens; the ways he's trying not to be a nervous parent; and …

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Kylie Kwong and the Five Glass Ghosts 54:52

11M ago54:52

54:52

When chef Kylie Kwong announced that she was going to be shuttering her destination dining spot Lucky Kwong to take on a new role at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, working at the intersection of food, community, and education to honor the people and foods that have made Australian cuisine so distinctive and precious — it made sense. Kwong has alw…

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Your Korean Dad Nick Cho and the Banana Peel on the Floor 1:01:30

11M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

Nick Cho is beloved by millions for his empathetic and affirming "Your Korean Dad" videos on TikTok and Instagram, but the real-life coffee expert and entrepreneur is so much more than the character he plays online. Cho joined Tinfoil Swans for a robust conversation on growing up in a place you're not wanted, the fallacy of "good" people vs "bad" p…