Ethan Hawke has appeared in more than 60 films, been nominated for 4 Academy Awards and written 3 novels. And that’s probably all before breakfast. Hawke was 19 when he landed his breakout role in the Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams. Now Hawke is starring in The Good Lord Bird in which he plays John Brown, the bible-toting rebel who devoted his life to abolishing slavery. Ethan Hawke talks to me about fanaticism, creativity and why he never stops until he gets it right. “Now What?” is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Tay Glass and Alexander Wolfe. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta. Photo: Sam Jones.

He’s the best-selling author of books like Motherless Brooklyn. His latest novel is The Arrest. Jonathan Lethem is a storyteller who mixes genres like hard-boiled crime novels, post-apocalyptic science fiction and superhero comics. Growing up in Bohemian Brooklyn in the 1970s, Lethem learned everything there was to know about the music of Bob Dylan and saw Star-Wars twenty-one times during its original theatrical release.  He also collected drawings of vomiting cats. “Now  What?” is produced with the help of Gabe Zimmer, Steve Zimmer, Tay Glass and Alex Wolfe. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.