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Monologue: Season 1

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A series of open, thoughtful and engaging conversations with notable writers, scientists, comedians, politicians, chefs and more in which their unique perspectives are creatively animated.

Topic’s streaming service brings you exclusive TV and films from around the globe. Try it free. Cancel anytime.Learn More

Topic Studios produces award-winning film, TV & podcasts, supporting creators at the forefront of culture.Learn More

Help Center

Topic is a First Look Media company

Monologue

Documentary•TV-G•3 Seasons | 28 Episodes

A series of open, thoughtful and engaging conversations with notable writers, scientists, comedians, politicians, chefs and more in which their unique perspectives are creatively animated.

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10 Episodes

Sarah Jones: Guided by Voices

S1 | E1

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3 Mins

Where does Tony Award-winning actress and writer Sarah Jones find her characters? From real-life experiences, sure, but also from her imagination. In this installment of Monologue, Jones gives us insight into her myriad talents, which include, among other things, leaving voicemail messages for the rapper Q-Tip.

Todd Solondz: ‘My Movies Aren’t for Everyone’

S1 | E2

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2 Mins

Love it or hate it, chances are you will remember seeing one of Todd Solondz’s films—iconic fare such as Happiness (1998) and Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995). In this month’s Monologue, we learn about Solondz’s rather restrained approach to making his controversial characters.

Lynsey Addario: ‘The Camera Does Act As A Sort Of Shield’

S1 | E3

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2 Mins

Lynsey Addario is known for the sensitive way in which she approaches some of the most challenging human experiences: war, strife, and dispossession. In this short, we learn about how she looks at the world. What does the world look like to an award-winning photojournalist? It turns out that getting behind the camera can be even more nerve-wracking as a veteran image-maker than a neophyte.

Marcus Samuelsson: How Cooking Is Like Conducting

S1 | E4

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3 Mins

The impresario of the Harlem restaurant Red Rooster explains his very musical approach to cooking and creativity.

Masha Gessen: What Words Mean

S1 | E5

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3 Mins

The Russian-born journalist articulates the ways in which truth and language are under assault, by everyone from Vladimir Putin to Donald Trump.

Roxane Gay: 'I’m Really Bad At Saying No.'

S1 | E6

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3 Mins

Saying no to people, whether personally and professionally, can be difficult. Author and cultural critic Roxane Gay ruminates on the challenges of navigating others’ wants and needs while also staying true to herself and her many gifts.

Cory Doctorow: How Writing Fiction Can Influence the Future

S1 | E7

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3 Mins

The future is never far from Cory Doctorow’s mind. Here, the novelist and activist explains how a deep interrogation of computers and computing in fiction writing might help humanity sidestep the worst that technological progress has to offer.

Who gets to call themselves an artist? The term didn’t come naturally, or easily, to East London native Shantell Martin, who says that, growing up, the idea of living life as an artist was not something she could totally comprehend. “You know, I drew as a child,” she says. “We all draw as children. I never knew it was art, because I didn't have artists around me. I didn't have galleries around me. I didn't have museums around me, so I didn't know it was art.” Now, of course, she does.

Mo’ne Davis: Surviving the Sting of a Bad Loss

S1 | E9

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2 Mins

You may remember pitcher Mo’ne Davis from her star turn on the cover of Sports Illustrated in August 2014, after she became the first girl to pitch her team to a win in the history of the Little League World Series. In this episode of Monologue, the 16-year-old Philadelphia native reflects on one of the worst losses of her (still-developing) baseball career.

Sasha Grey: ‘I’m Still Developing As a Sexual Being’

S1 | E10

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2 Mins

In this episode of Monologue, musician, writer, and former adult film actress Sasha Grey discusses female sexual fantasies and dismisses the possibility of easily defining “what women want.”

Credits

Directors

Lewie Kloster, Noah Kloster, Hannah McNally, Josh Kramer, Maya Erdelyi, Tom Crew, Lena Greene, Mark Kaufman, Lauren Schmidt, Keith Stack, Katie Fricas, Andrew Khosravani, Jeremy Jusay, Hillary Barton, Ester Rossi, Lyndon J. Barrois, Aaron Augenblick, Caitlin Fogarty, Ivyy Chen, Mady G., Scott Berglund, Daniel Rowe, Annie Zhao