RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Are you ready to do this game?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I'm ready.
MARTIN: OK. All right, let's do it.
I'm Rachel Martin. This is WILD CARD, the game where cards control the conversation.
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MARTIN: So you know when you're talking with someone and things go to really unexpected, even profound places and you come out on the other side feeling like something special just happened? You understand that person on a deeper level and yourself, too. So I want to have those conversations all the time, but that can be a little intimidating, right? So we made a game out of it. Each episode, I ask my guest a series of questions that they choose at random from a deck of cards.
Pick a card one through three.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Three.
MARTIN: So even I don't know exactly where the conversation is going to go.
What is proof that somebody really knows you?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Oh.
MARTIN: I talk with all kinds of creative, thoughtful people like comedian Jenny Slate, actor Issa Rae, musician Jack Antonoff and poet Ada Limon. And we get into really big questions about the experiences that shaped them, lessons they're still learning and beliefs that help them make sense of the world.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Look. I have Post-it notes everywhere. Like, what is a good life?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: That slow, slow, slow boredom of where I grew up made my imagination run wild.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: The nice thing about being in my mid- to late 40s - I forgive myself all the time.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: I think I'll be answering that question for the rest of my life.
MARTIN: So we're going to talk about life's biggest questions, but we're also going to have a good time.
What is something you think about very differently today than you did 10 years ago?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Dressing. Like, not salad dressing. I've always loved it, and I'll never stop. I love ranch - dressing my body.
MARTIN: And here's the thing. I hope when you listen, you think about these questions and how they fit into your own life. And maybe we'll all feel a little less lonely in our search for answers. Listen to WILD CARD wherever you get your podcasts. Our first episode is out May 2, and we'll put out new episodes every Thursday. We'll also have regular bonus episodes for WILD CARD supporters. I'm Rachel Martin. Thanks so much for checking out WILD CARD from NPR.
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