Conversations

Anthony “The Mooch” Scaramucci on his childhood, becoming a success on Wall Street and why backing Trump was a colossal error.Anthony grew up on Long Island, part of a large Italian-American community and far away from the world of money, power and influence. When he was accepted into a prestigious university, Anthony’s parents put their retirements savings on the line to make sure he was able to go.After graduating from Harvard Law School, he began his career on Wall Street, then into political fundraising as a way to network and meet new clients.Famously, he would come to global notoriety when he was fired 11 days into his stint as White House spokesman during Donald Trump’s first term as US President.Since then he has distanced himself from Trump and the MAGA movement and built a reputation as a sharp observer of US politics.Anthony's latest book All the Wrong Moves: how three catastrophic decisions led to the rise of Trump is published by Penguin.This episode of Conversations was produced by Jen Leake, the Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores US politics, US history, Italian migration to American, poverty, Pennsylvania, Long Island, sand mining, family, middle class America, working class, elite universities, Harvard Law School, Wall Street, Goldman Sachs, Donald Trump, The White House, getting fired, MAGA, the Republican Party, Barack Obama,

Dr Culum Brown's work on fish cognition has proven fish have long memories, sharks have friends, and sting rays know it's the weekend.Dr Culum Brown is a leading researcher in the field of fish cognition. He's based at Macquarie University where he runs the Fish Lab — the Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution of Fishes Laboratory.His fascination for fish stems from growing up in parts of south-east Asia, where he would spend every possible hour in the ocean with a snorkel.As an adult, Culum's marine biology studies around the world (including the UK and Finland) have revealed many facts which up-end the basis of our common understanding of fish.His research has shown that even the smallest fish are capable of learning and can retain memories for months. Within schools of fish, there is often a strict social hierarchy which can include forms of bullying.His research into Port Jackson sharks has revealed a lot about their social lives as 'puppies of the sea'.He work has also revealed that sting rays have especially good memories and can distinguish days of the week.Learn more about Culum's work at The Fish Lab.First broadcast in 2020.This episode of Conversations explores

Mimi Kwa tells her family’s saga, featuring her dad — the thirty-second child of a wealthy Chinese silk trader, and her mum, who survived decades of undiagnosed schizophrenia, and Mimi's glamorous other life in the intoxicating hubbub of Hong Kong.Mimi presented the news on ABC and Channel Nine, and worked in the newsroom for more than 20 years. Today she has four children with her loving husband, John.This is all a long way from Mimi’s early life in Perth, where she managed backpackers’ rent and cleaning toilets at her father’s sprawling youth hostel from the age of eight.Then she would shuttle over to her grandparents’ house in the suburbs, where her mum, who lived with chronic schizophrenia, would do her best to love Mimi, despite her paranoia.Mimi had yet another life, in Hong Kong, where she would visit her relatives, and stay with her loving, steady, glamorous Aunty Theresa, who adored her.Mimi had to synthesise all these parts to grow herself up and become what she had always wanted to be: on telly, reading the news.And once she succeeded in her dream of journalism, she would need all the strength she could get when she unknowingly ambushed Russell Crowe at the airport.Further informationHelp is always available. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, text on 0477 13 11 14, chat online, or speak to an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporter at 13 YARN (13 92 76).House of Kwa is published by HarperCollins ABC Books.This episode was made on Gadigal country. It was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.It covers Hong Kong, World War II, Japanese occupation, occupation, Perth, Mandarin Gardens, racism, trauma, grandparent carers, mental health ward, ECT, big age gap, Channel Nine, cadetship, Russel Crowe, Gladiator, Romper Stomper, contested will, inheritance, suing family, reconciliation, forgiveness and gratitude.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Mick won three world surfing titles, and famously fought off a great white shark in South Africa. But his life out of the water has been threaded through with devastating loss, after the death of his three older brothers. (CW: loss and grief)Mick Fanning grew up on the Gold Coast in a raucous, loving family of five kids, raised by his mum Elizabeth, a nurse who worked night shift. He and his brother Sean were talented young grommets who dreamed of becoming professional surfers. Then at 16, Mick got a phone call. He was going to be sponsored by Quiksilver, to the tune of $30 000 a year. The money was enough to change Mick's life, and he was able to help his mum out financially for the first time.But just as Mick's star was on the rise, his family suffered the most devastating loss. His brother Sean was killed in a terrible accident on the way home from an 18th birthday party.After being out of the water for a time, Mick started surfing again, and soon began to rise up the ranks. Eventually he would win three world titles. But so many of the career highs were threaded through with grief, as Mick and his family endured the premature deaths of two more of his brothers, Peter and Ed.Peter died unexpectedly, and Ed died after a cut on his leg from a coral reef in Madagascar.In 2015, Mick was catapulted into a kind of fame he never wanted when he punched a great white shark which grabbed his leg rope, live on TV in the middle of a surfing contest at Jeffrey Bay in South Africa.More than a decade on Mick has retired from surfing, and he's leaning into the many joys of raising his young family with his wife Brianna.All Heart is published by Simon and Schuster.Help and support is always available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14. They are available 24 hours a day.This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores surfing, shark attacks, WSL, World Surf League, Margaret River Pro, Bondi, Newcastle, J Bay, grief, masculinity, death, accidents, tragic accidents, losing siblings, sibling loss, great white shark, professional athletes, elite athletes, single mothers, nurses, memoir, writing, books, Australian sporting icons, sporting legends, origin stories, love, relationships, fatherhood, psychics, mediums, Rip Curl, Quicksilver, Billabong, surf brands, learning to surf, Australian surf sports.

Judith Lucy is one of Australia's most loved comedians. Recently after years of tummy troubles, burnout, and a complicated relationship with alcohol, she began her mission to work on her health, in earnest. As well as being a beloved comic, Judith is also the author of four books and the presenter of several television series.For decades Judith has been busying herself with project after project after project, to distract herself from sitting with the truth of where her workaholism, insomnia and dicey relationship with alcohol was coming from.It took Judith a long time to realise she was a chronic workaholic, and to admit she was suffering from burnout, despite the clues being there all along.After feeling unwell for some time, Judith started delving into the multitude of wellness options out there.Well, Well, Well is published by Simon and Schuster.Since recording this interview with Richard, Judith Lucy has revealed she's been diagnosed with breast cancer. In a video message this week, Judith told fans she is in shock but doing ok and fortunately her cancer is not aggressive.We wish Judith all the best for her surgery and any future treatment.This episode of Conversations was produced by Elizabeth Kulas. Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.It explores health and wellness, wellness scams, wellness influencers, psychedelics, mental health, substance abuse, alcoholism, AA, family trauma, adoption, grief, deaths, comedy, gut health, faecal transplant, poo transplant, Australian comedy, relationships, love, betrayal, depression, workaholism, workaholic, bad trip, Gabor Mate, To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The instructions found in endorsed baby books over the last century could be, with hindsight, bizarre or cruel. And were most often given by “experts” with no children of their own. Journalist and broadcaster, Richard Glover tackles the changing landscape of parenting advice.He looks back at his own experience of being parented, which included having his ears sticky-taped while growing up in Papua New Guinea, and draws on modern day grand-parenthood to highlight the marked differences in how we raise our children.Richard has delved into the archives to draw out the strangest, sometimes hilarious and rather heartbreaking pieces of parenting advice given to Australians over the last century. He finds advice on toilet training babies when they are weeks-old, and recalls the rich and practically disappeared language of corporal punishment.Further informationHow to Ruin a Child: A journey into the alarming, hilarious and ever-changing advice given to Australian parents is published by HarperCollins.This episode was made on Gadigal country. It was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.It explores caning, the cane, smacking, discipline, raising boys, raising girls, Truby King, family planning, Marie Stopes, eugenics, empire, blame the parents, sleeping through the night, breastfeeding, birth, childbirth, bonding, cuddling, skin on skin, manipulative baby, Hobbes, Rousseau, routine for baby, awake window.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

RAF pilot Frank Dell parachuted into Nazi occupied Holland after his plane was hit by cannon fire and with the aid of courageous Dutch families and resistance fighters he got out alive.As a teenager, Frank saw the Battle of Britain played out in the skies above his village in the south of England.He joined the RAF and piloted a De Havilland Mosquito on bombing raids into Germany.In October 1944 Frank's plane was shot out of the sky and he parachuted into Nazi territory.Frank witnessed extraordinary scenes as he walked his way through the countryside into occupied Holland.It was there he joined the Dutch Resistance, and his war shifted to the fields, hay sheds and village lanes of the Netherlands.This episode was first broadcast in 2014.Further informationFrank Dell passed away peacefully in 2022 at the age of 98.His family say that Frank had fond memories of meeting Richard and the chance to tell his story on Conversations. A photo of Richard and Frank was included in a memorial sideshow at his funeral.Mosquito Down (by Frank Dell with Brett Piper) is published by Fighting HighThis episode of Conversations was produced By Michelle Ransom-Hughes and the Executive Producer was Pam O'Brien.It explores WWII, RAF, Nazi occupied Holland, Dutch resistance, the Battle of Britain, cannon fire, parachute emergency, support, survival, undercover, Nazi Germany, rescue, history, memoir, bombing raids, De Havilland Mosquito, 1944To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Laurie Lawrence's obsession with winning Gold started when he was a small boy growing up above the Tobruk Pool in Townsville. When he became a coach, he had an epiphany about the nature of victory.When Laurie was a child, he had a chronic lung condition that meant he had to sleep sitting in a chair.Doctors advised his parents that an operation was necessary, and part of one of his lungs was removed.After the operation, Laurie's father took over the management of Townsville's Tobruk Pool, and the family lived in an apartment overlooking the lanes. In 1956 the Australian Olympic team came to the pool to train there.A short time later, Laurie's mother fled the marriage and took her children to live in Brisbane where she ran a boarding house 'full of inebriates'.Laurie grew up to become a teacher, and won a place on the Australian Rugby Team. Then he moved back to Townsville to start a new career as a swimming coach.In 1970, a 13-year-old girl Laurie was coaching named Helen Gray won a silver medal at the Queensland Championships.When she presented him with it, Laurie spat on the medal and threw it over the pool fence. What he did that day eventually saw him ask himself big questions about the meaning of victory in the pool.Learn more about Laurie Lawrence at his website.Read about Laurie resources and programs to keep kids safe in the water: Kids Alive is supported by the Federal Government; World Wide Swim School is for teachers, parents, coaches and swim schools.Laurie has also released a new online interactive baby swimming resource.This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores sports, sporting life of Australia, being competitive, Australian Olympic team, drownings in Australia, why everyone learns to swim in Australia, equitable access to water, winning at all costs, learning to swim, when should my child learn to swim, Australian icons. Rugby Union, Wallabies, Australian sporting icons, water safety, water education, pool gates.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

The legendary actress Jane Fonda on her activism, her hair epiphanies and why older women are often fearless.Jane has lived her entire life in the public eye, as the daughter of acting aristocracy.Her father Henry Fonda was a Hollywood legend by the time she was born.Jane grew up to study acting with Lee Strasberg, and Marilyn Monroe was a classmate.But behind the public adoration, Jane was battling some big personal demons, including bulimia and the legacy of a shocking family tragedy.In her 30s she began re-assessing her life and work, and became a leader of the anti-Vietnam War movement, earning her the nickname of Hanoi Jane from the American Press.After the Vietnam War ended, she remained committed to political activism, so she released a series of work-out videos to help fund change in America.After two more marriages, Jane had an epiphany about her 'third act' of life.She decided to devote it to helping change the world, and now at 88 years old, she is still spending much of her time raising awareness about climate change and other social issues.This episode of Conversations was produced by Nicola Harrison. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores Hollywood, Hollyweird, celebrity culture, activism, climate change, the climate crisis, women's rights, women's empowerment, second wave feminism, intersectional feminism, Dolly Parton, 9 to 5, Gracie and Frankie, tech bros, oligarchs and billionaires, life lessons, old school Hollywood, Hollywood royalty, motherhood, parenting, Donald Trump, blacklist.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Alison Hoddinot was one of the first Australian women to study at Oxford University, but one of her lecturers, J.R.R Tolkein, refused to take on a woman PhD student. Alison was born in Tasmania in 1931.As a young woman she won a scholarship to study at Oxford University.But when she arrived, none of the male professors including J.R.R Tolkien, would take on a woman PhD student.Back in Tasmania Alison became great friends with the poet Gwen Harwood.The two shared recipes, letters, and the challenges of combining work and motherhood.During their friendship Gwen shocked the nation when she used acrostic sonnets to pull a wild hoax on The Bulletin magazine in 1961.First broadcast in 2018Further informationIn 2022 Alison Hoddinot passed away after a short illnessWomen, Oxford and Novels of Crime and Gwen Harwood: Idle Talk - Letters 1960-1964 are published by Brandl and SchlesingerRead more about Gwen and Alison's friendship and their letters

Bryan Brown has played more than 80 roles on stage and screen. Raised in working-class Sydney, his talent, hard work, and unmistakable presence have been his ticket to the world.In our week of stories from our elders, we begin with the life of Bryan Brown.Now aged 79, Bryan has had more film and television acting roles than he’s had birthdays, and is an instantly recognisable figure on screens around the world.From Breaker Morant and Newsfront to Two Hands and Sweet Country, a huge number of classic Australian films feature Bryan, a testament to his talent, popularity and work ethic. Bryan also spent years in Hollywood, starring most notably in Cocktail and Gorillas In The Mist, before ultimately choosing Sydney over a life in America.In the 1980s, working on the American-made series The Thorn Birds utterly changed Bryan’s life. He and British co-star Rachel Ward fell in love and married soon after, forming a romantic and creative partnership that has endured ever since.More recently, Brian has found a new career writing crime novels, including The Drowning and The Hidden.This episode of Conversations was produced by Michelle Ransom-Hughes. Executive Producer was Carmel Rooney.It explores acting, Australian cinema, classic movies, Australiana, Australian kitsch, film history, fatherhood, love, rags to riches, Hollywood, anxiety, mental health, amateur theatre, theatre, Red Dog, men's mental health, love, farming.To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

Prisoner advocate Vickie Roach spent decades in and out of jail but after studying for her masters degree, she helped change the story for thousands of other prisoners.When Vicki was just two years old, she was given a police record, which enabled authorities to place her into the custody of a family she didn't know.She grew up under the strict religious rule of her adoptive mother, whom she clashed with frequently.Vickie left school at thirteen. It was that year she met her birth mother for the first time, and discovered she was Aboriginal.Decades of trouble followed, including numerous prison terms.Vickie's also known periods of stability, such as after winning back her son after a long-running custody dispute.In 2007, Vickie was awarded her Master's degree while serving her final prison sentence at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in Victoria.She was also the sole plaintiff in a ground-breaking legal challenge to the High Court, which returned some prisoners the right to vote.Today, Vickie continues her work as an advocate for the rights of women in prison. Content warning: episode contains mentions of violence, suicide and drug useFurther informationVickie appears in ABC TV's You Cant Ask That - Domestic Violence (survivors) episodeVickie was joint winner of the 2017 Tim McCoy Human Rights AwardAdoption resources and supportJigsaw Australia - search and contactFind and Connect - support for former residents of children's homes, orphanages and institutionsPost-Adoption Support Benevolent Society AustraliaForced Adoption services Government support services website or, contact the Forced Adoption Support Service in your state or territory, call 1800 21 03 13Australian Adoptees NetworkFor immediate support, you can call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 46 36

Author Rebecca Huntley used supervised MDMA therapy to help her with complex PTSD and the legacy of childhood trauma.Rebecca's public life as a broadcaster, an author and a social researcher made her well-known to many Australians.But in private, Rebecca spent years grappling with complex PTSD and childhood trauma.At 50, while walking the Camino, she realised that despite decades of therapy, she was still living with a roiling anger about what had happened to her as a child.She decided to undergo MDMA therapy delivered by an underground healer. Further InformationRebecca Huntley's book Sassafras is published by Hachette.Since 2023, psychiatrist in Australia have been authorised to prescribe MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.You can read about some of the complications of how MDMA is prescribed here.