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Jan 2023
1h 20m

Van Lathan Jr. on ‘Fat, Crazy, and Tired...

The Ringer
About this episode

Larry is joined by journalist, Ringer contributor, and Academy Award–winning producer Van Lathan Jr. to discuss his book ‘Fat, Crazy, and Tired: Tales from the Trenches of Transformation.’ They start their conversation by reviewing some of their personal experiences from the past couple of years and discussing the importance of perseverance when navigating the mental roadblocks in your career. Van then recounts the emotional visit to his father's home in Baton Rouge after his death (11:00). Next, Van dives into the process of writing the book, his history with panic attacks, and the incident that started him on his journey in dealing with those struggles (26:19). After the break they examine the mental health challenges affecting black people in general and the steps Van continually took to overcome his own during the pandemic (46:48). Finally, they speculate on Kanye West's current state of mind and Van shares some advice for anyone who may be going through their own battles with mental health (1:01:37).

Host: Larry Wilmore

Guest: Van Lathan Jr.

Associate Producer: Chris Sutton

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