
Julia Gets Wise with Joan Baez
From Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus by Lemonada Media
May 27, 2026 · 1h 23m · Season 4 · Episode 10
About this episode
Julia Louis-Dreyfus speaks with Joan Baez about her life as a folk legend and activist, touching on themes of courage and mental health.
Julia is joined by 85-year-old folk legend and lifelong activist Joan Baez, who is still dancing, still showing up, and still refusing to be quiet. They talk about singing before a quarter million people at the March on Washington in 1963, what made Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. laugh, and what real courage feels like from the inside. Joan opens up about her decades-long struggle with anxiety, forgiveness, and dissociative identity disorder. Oh, and she sings. Three times. Afterwards, Julia calls her 92-year-old mom Judy — who, it turns out, was playing folk music on a portable Victrola in Sri Lanka when Julia was young. Follow Wiser Than Me on Instagram and TikTok @wiserthanme and on Facebook at facebook.com/wiserthanmepodcast. Find us on Substack at wiserthanme.substack.com. Keep up with Joan Baez @joancbaezofficial on Instagram. Pre-order the latest book from Julia’s mom Judy Bowles here: https://finishinglinepress.com/product/they-spoke-of-the-river-by-judith-bowles/ Find out more about other shows on our network at @lemonadamedia on all social platforms. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today by hitting 'Subscribe' on…
People in this episode
Host: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Guest: Joan Baez
Topics covered
- activism
- music
- mental health
- courage
- history
Keywords
- Joan Baez
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- activism
- March on Washington
- mental health
- music
- courage
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Lemonada Media
Books & works: They Spoke of the River
More episodes of Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus
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- New Episodes Coming Soon! · April 29, 2026 · 3 min
- Special Episode Available Now · March 25, 2026 · 1 min
- Listen Again: Julia Gets Wise with Catherine O’Hara · January 31, 2026 · 1h 8m
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