Life in Seven Songs

Milk Bar founder Christina Tosi didn’t set out to become a dessert icon. She just knew that if there was one thing she’d like to do every day for the rest of her life, it was baking cookies. That instinct led her from the world of New York City fine dining to the early days of Momofuku, where David Chang pushed Christina to pursue her passion for baking. Since then, Milk Bar has become synonymous with cereal milk ice cream and compost cookies, and Christina herself has won two James Beard awards, written numerous cookbooks, and turned Milk Bar into a cultural phenomenon. In this episode, recorded live at the Charter Workplace Summit in NYC, Christina shares the ingredients behind Milk Bar’s success: a strong work ethic inherited from her parents, a sense of childlike wonder that she’s never lost sight of, and a soundtrack – from Bob Marley to LCD Soundsystem – that reminds her to lose herself, find herself, and keep creating. Here are her songs: The Beatles, “A Hard Day’s Night” Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know” Bob Marley and the Wailers, “Waiting in Vain” LCD Soundsystem, “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” Listen to Christina Tosi’s ⁠full playlist on Spotify⁠. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠lifeinsevensongs⁠.com. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠.

Pacific Standard Time is smart, surprising weekly podcast about California’s future—and why what happens here matters everywhere and to everyone. Hosted by SF Standard culture editor Emily Dreyfuss and enterprise reporter Jesse Alejandro Cottrell. New episodes Wednesday mornings, beginning Nov. 19.

Long before he became the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Preet Bharara was a first-generation Indian immigrant, listening to Bollywood music in his childhood home outside of Asbury Park, New Jersey. It’s no surprise that Bruce Springsteen became one of Preet’s heroes – though it was a surprise when ‘The Boss’ gave Preet a personal shoutout at a 2012 concert. In this episode, Preet talks about his work fighting Wall Street corruption and organized crime, how his family’s American dream unfolded across decades, and his unashamed patriotism in an era when expressing love for America can feel complicated. Plus, Sophie (almost) gets the former prosecutor to sing along to one of their shared seven songs. Here are his songs. Bruce Springsteen, “Thunder Road” Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor, and Shailendra Singh, “Amar Akbar Anthony” Queen, “Another One Bites the Dust” U2, “I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For” Daniel Rodriguez, “God Bless America” Darius Rucker, “Wagon Wheel” Zeshan B, “O Say, Can You See”

Miss Peppermint wears a lot of hats (and wigs): drag queen, first openly trans woman on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Broadway actress, Traitors contestant – and through it all, vocal trans rights activist. She’s also hilarious, fabulous, and unapologetically herself. In this episode, Peppermint dishes on her early queer icons (think Prince and Amadeus), the danger and drama of the ’90s NYC nightclub scene – and why she’s always wanted to be anything but “basic and predictable.” Here are her songs. Prince - 7 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385 “Haffner” Lenny Kravitz - Believe Bush - Glycerine Deborah Cox - Nobody's Supposed To Be Here Stars On 54 - If You Could Read My Mind Ariana Grande - no tears left to cry

Sonia Manzano knows you think of her as Maria on Sesame Street – and that’s exactly the point. Growing up in the South Bronx in a household “ruled by domestic violence,” TV was Sonia’s refuge as a child – but she never saw anyone who looked like her. Years later, when she landed the role of Maria on Sesame Street, Sonia made a choice. She wouldn’t play a character; she would be herself – on purpose. For 44 years, she served as an authentic and beloved role model for millions of kids. More recently, she’s created another iconic Latina heroine through the animated children’s show Alma’s Way — this one inspired by her childhood self. In this episode, Sonia reflects on growing up “at a time when Latin people were absolutely invisible,” the power of seeing yourself reflected in pop culture, and the music that accompanied her journey. Here are her songs. Numero 6 - Bobby Rodríguez y la Compañía Lamento Borincano - Rafael Hernandez When You Wish Upon A Star sung by Jiminy Cricket [aka Cliff Edwards] Please Mr. Postman - The Marvelettes I Wish I Knew How It Feels to Be Free - Nina Simone Bang! Bang! - Joe Cuba Sextet Sing - Joe Raposo, cast of Sesame Street

Jamie Brisick was living the California dream – a pro surfer sponsored by Quicksilver, traveling the world and competing on the ASP World Tour. But beneath the “Malibu Barbie” facade, tragedy was brewing: his brother was descending into a drug addiction that would soon claim his life. Jamie left the world of surfing and reinvented himself as a writer, with his words appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. But sudden tragedy would soon strike again. In this episode, Jamie shares how music became both an escape from pain and a pathway toward healing. His story shows us how sometimes our greatest losses become our most profound teachers – and that life has an extraordinary capacity to “totally blow you away,” even when it seems utterly broken. Here are his songs.

This week, we Willkommen actor and musician Josh Radnor! Josh is best known for playing Ted Mosby on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother for nearly a decade. But that success came at an unexpected cost: an identity crisis that left him feeling trapped in a character he didn’t create. In this episode, Josh talks about his formative role as the MC in his high school’s production of Cabaret, his first “almost kiss” (soundtracked by Aretha Franklin), how psychedelics helped him stay centered amidst the whirlwind of fame, and the chance encounter that launched his second career as a musician in his 40s. Here are his songs. Rocky Mountain High – John Denver Respect – Aretha Franklin Willkommen – Cabaret (Joel Grey, original cast recording) “Cabaret” All I Want – Joni Mitchell Delicate – Damien Rice Tara – Dechen Shak-Dagsay Cmon – Fred Again/Brian Eno Listen to ⁠Josh Radnor's playlist⁠ on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Keeley Hazell has lived a life that would make great television – which is probably why she inspired the beloved character Keeley Jones on Ted Lasso. In her new memoir, “Everyone’s Seen My Tits,” Keeley chronicles her chaotic childhood, her conflicted experience as one of Britain’s famous Page 3 topless models, and her journey to shed internalized shame as she reclaims her narrative. In this episode, Keeley gets real about her internal battle between empowerment and objectification, the time she went to jail at age 14 for punching a cop, and the disastrous interview that launched her journey to become an “unlikely feminist.” Here are her songs. Pulp - Common People Mariah Carey - Hero Eminem - Criminal So Solid Crew - 21 Seconds Fish Go Deep ft Tracey K - The Cure and The Cause Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do Father John Misty - When You Are Smiling And Astride Me Listen to Keeley Hazell's playlist on Spotify. Find the transcript of this episode at ⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs.com⁠⁠⁠. Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ⁠⁠⁠lifeinsevensongs@sfstandard.com⁠⁠⁠.