Ira’s Everything Bagel | US Arts and Culture Podcasts

What happens when a troubled life of rebellion, crime, and consequences finally leads to accountability?
On this episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” I talk with David Watson, author of "Forward Only: A Memoir," about an extraordinary and deeply personal journey from childhood upheaval and grief to crime, prison, self-reflection, and ultimately, redemption.
David was raised by his grandparents after his mother gave him to them to raise. He was a good kid and a good student—until the death of his grandfather when David was just 12 years old sent his life in a very different direction. What followed was decades of what David describes as a “catch me if you can” mentality. He was arrested more than 30 times, repeatedly managed to escape serious consequences, and eventually found himself facing federal charges for credit card fraud.
In 2018, David was arrested by the Secret Service and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison. Then, during his first year behind bars, he learned that his mother had died.
That moment—and how he initially responded to it—became part of a much larger reckoning. David began examining the choices, behaviors, and patterns that had shaped his life. He started writing down what he had done wrong and researching what it would take to become an “upstanding citizen.”
We talk about the moment when the light bulb finally came on, why he decided to write Forward Only: A Memoir, what he learned from a business management class in prison—including the true value of a dollar—and why he says, “You can’t buy time.”
David also discusses the importance of his family today and why he founded the Redemption Foundation this year to help others find a different path.
He wrote Forward Only in just six months, but he says he never wanted the book to glorify his crimes. Instead, he wanted readers to connect with the person behind the mistakes—and to understand that change is possible.
This is a raw and remarkably personal conversation about grief, rebellion, crime, prison, accountability, second chances, family, and redemption.
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LEE WOODMAN ON POETRY, PERFORMANCE, SOUND AND THE LANDSCAPES OF THE HEART

Award-winning poet Lee Woodman joins Ira for a wide-ranging conversation about the power of poetry — and why poetry is far more than words on a page.

The author of "Heartscapes" (published by Shanti Arts Publishing and the seventh book in her acclaimed “Scapes” series), Lee talks about the growing connection between poetry, rap and hip-hop, and why she believes today’s performers can be remarkably sophisticated with language and lyrics.

Lee explains why performing poetry can create a different experience than simply reading it, the phenomenon of the crowd, and her lifelong fascination with sound and what she calls “tongue language.” She also gets into the technical side of poetry — rhythm, language, sound and structure — and even discusses the influence of performers such as LL Cool J.

Her own story is equally fascinating. Lee grew up in France and India before moving to the United States at 14. She discusses why she considers herself a “global citizen,” her work at the Smithsonian and Library of Congress, and the transition from nearly 50 years in Washington to becoming a full-time poet.

Lee also explains how her “Scapes” series began, reads a moving poem about her mother, and explores the themes at the heart of "Heartscapes": love, family, nature, loss, renewal and the unexpected moments that give life meaning.

It’s a conversation about where poetry is going, where it comes from — and why it continues to make us think.

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WHAT IF AMERICA HAD BEEN EVEN BIGGER?

What if Greenland, Mexico, the Galápagos Islands — or even parts of Indonesia, Syria, or Russia — had become part of the United States?
Those may sound like alternate-history fantasies, but according to Mark Kawar, they were real possibilities at various points in American history.
In this episode of “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Mark, author of "America, but Bigger: Near-Annexations, from Greenland to the Galapagos," talks about the fascinating history of America’s attempts, interests and ambitions to expand its territory.
Mark explains why he began writing the book in 2019, why Greenland provides such a timely bookend to the story, and how America has continued to expand its influence without necessarily adding new territory. We talk about the difference between annexation and influence, the surprising story of Rio Rico, tiny potential acquisitions in the Caribbean, the United States’ interest in the Galápagos Islands, and the concept of Manifest Destiny in the 21st century.
We also explore countries and territories that at various points might have preferred U.S. annexation or statehood, the unique position of the Marshall Islands, and what American history might look like if some of those possibilities had actually happened.
Would the United States have looked very different if Greenland — or all of Mexico — had become part of America?
Mark Kawar takes us on a fascinating journey through the history of near-annexations, American expansion, territorial ambitions and global influence.
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Jane Fonda: Activism, Controversy and the Woman Behind ‘Hanoi Jane’

What happens when an acclaimed actress becomes one of America’s most controversial activists?
This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” I talk with Marilyn S. Greenwald, author of "Jane Fonda: There’s a Great Deal to Say" (published by Rutgers University Press) about the complicated, fascinating and often misunderstood life of Jane Fonda.
Marilyn takes us behind the scenes of her research, including her journey to Fonda’s personal papers at Smith College, where a significant portion of the archive includes her FBI file. Interestingly, Marilyn initially had no intention of writing another Jane Fonda biography.
We talk about the origins of the “Hanoi Jane” label, Fonda’s activism and why that controversy has remained part of her public identity for decades. Marilyn explains how activism became such a central part of Fonda’s life—what she describes as roughly 95% of her life—and how Fonda’s experiences in France, the cultural “new wave,” her marriage to Roger Vadim, and her return to the United States helped shape her activism.
We also explore Fonda’s marriage to activist Tom Hayden and what she learned from him about being strategic; celebrity activists; the balancing act between Hollywood and political activism; and Fonda’s trip to North Vietnam. Marilyn discusses Fonda’s continuing regret about posing with an anti-aircraft gun, while noting that Fonda has said she does not regret going to North Vietnam.
And there are some surprises. Marilyn shares what she discovered about Fonda’s relationship with veterans and the letters she received, along with an important detail about Fonda’s memoir: she really did write it herself, without a ghostwriter, and personally fact-checked it.
It’s a conversation about celebrity, activism, Vietnam, controversy, personal history and the woman behind one of the most recognizable names in American culture.
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