Announcer tonight on late night with seth meyers, jim parsons, host of the amber ruffin show, comedian and writer amber ruffin author yaa gyasi featuring the 8g band with fred armisen and now, Seth Meyers Seth good evening, im seth meyers, and this is late night. How is everybody doing tonight great to hear. Lets get to the news. Last night was the first and only Vice President ial debate between Kamala Harris and i think a dead Airline Pilot during last nights debate, Vice President mike pence frequently tried to interrupt senator Kamala Harris. Said the moderator, mr. Vice president , if it helps, just think of it as carrying her sentence to full term. After last nights debate, second lady karen pence did not wear a mask on stage when she greeted Vice President mike pence huh, usually when a karen refuses to wear a mask, its at trader joes President Trump released a video yesterday from outside the white house and started out saying, quote, hi, perhaps you recognize me its your favorite president. Said viewers, oh my god, barack what happened . I think he might be allergic to almonds. In a video yesterday, President Trump lauded an experimental antibody therapy that had been used to treat his Coronavirus Infection and said that he would provide the drug to americans for free, because who wouldnt take one look at that guy and think, yeah, ill have what hes having. After the commission on president ial debates announced this morning that next weeks debate will be virtual, President Trump said that he would not take part in the event. So as a proxy, they are just going to throw up a badger whos been separated from her babies President Trump, badger, youve got to let me finish. President trump claimed on twitter yesterday that the Obama Administration spied on his campaign and said, quote, we are entitled to ask the voters for four more years. Please remember this when you vote. Okay, but, and this is kind of off topic but is anyone else surprised trump hasnt discovered emojis yet . He definitely found the caps lock but i feel like some flames would really revitalize his brand. Could we throw up a couple of the hits see . He would love that can we try another i mean, i dont get the connection, but it still looks cool all right, one more. Yeah, see . That hurts more. Today was singer bruno mars 35th birthday. He blew out the candles and made a wish and now, that wish is stuck in everyones head. After a week of online voting, a National Park in alaska yesterday crowned a bear named black bear 747, the winner of its annual fat bear week though if you ask me, any contest where you can eat whatever you want and then pass out for six months, everybodys a winner a christmas decoration website has begun offering coronavirus themed ornaments like mistletoe. And finally, you guys, we wrote this piece back back in september about october surprises. You know, the kind of surprises that could potentially affect the campaign and the idea was there would be a different one every day from now until election day and shame on us. Because, as youll see when we show it to you, because we are still going to show it to you, the best we could do is still not as crazy as the things that have already happened in october. So it was a fools errand but we did the work and, if anything, let it be a historical document that proves how hard it is to write comedy that predicts the future when the future is this unpredictable. So here you go take a look. The 2020 election has been like no other in history so this election, instead of just one october surprise, starting today, there will be an october surprise every single day until the election thats right, surprise lovers, you are going to get surprised off your ass during this octobers surpriseapalooza and it all starts on october 10th the pee tape is real and trumps the one who released it. And thats just the first one. October 11th, its revealed one of trumps companies actually makes black lives matter signs, and theyre made in china. Wuhan, china oh, yeah, thats the stuff. But hold on want a biden surprising . Weve got you covered. October 13th, bidens son hunter was paid 4 million to be on the executive board of wait for it. Maralago trump twist thats right. Hunter biden is on the board despite having no experience running a golf resort for [ bleep ] birds. And the surprises just get surprisier and leon is getting larger. October 14th, steve bannon is revealed to be donald trump, jr. And eric trump in disguise the two of them have been inside him like the puppeteers of jabba the hut. And erics the butt help me these surprises will happen all month long each day will be a new political surprise that wont make any difference in the polls. Youll get surprises like biden has the bone spurs, and rock hard nipples the j. In donald j. Trump actually stands for jamiroquai isnt that virtual insanity . Virtual insanity mexico pays for the wall and leaves a 20 tip biden gets caught at the debate getting lines fed to him by an old friend hiding behind the plant. Cyrano dobamas back. They release a behind the scenes videotape from the apprentice where trump says the n, c, d, q, and p words all in one sentence. Watch this little [ bleep ] you [ bleep ]. Biden whites a 130 check to adult male film star daniel stormy, but its for lawn work and then, it is three days of love on the rocks. Friday october 30th, trump divorces melania saturday the 31st, he remarries marla maples how do you like them aples . And then, on sunday, in a november surprise for the ages, donald trump jr. Marries melania. Its cool because shes not his real mom so dont miss this elections october surpriseapalooza only on every news network on tv. Seth i mean, its good times. But just think of some of the things that have happened that would have perfectly fit in there if they had been written in September Melania gets caught on tape saying [ bleep ] christmas. actually happened. Fully happened the vp debate needs plexiglass because trump got the rona. Happened would have been a perfectly fine joke to write. But then, it just happened you guys, weve got a great show tonight. Hes one of the stars of the boys in the band, now on netflix. Jim parsons will be here and if you watch this show, you know the wonderful amber ruffin. And did you know did you also know she has her own show on nbcs streaming service, peacock . She does its already fantastic amber ruffin will be here. And i mean actually here shes gonna sit at the end of the couch and be our first instudio guest. And, you guys, she is one of my favorite authors she has a new book, transcendent kingdom. Its fantastic yaa gyasi will be here but before we get to all that, the first and only Vice President oh, i have something actually really interesting to tell you guys so we had a live show tonight thats already aired it aired at 8 30 but because we had a live show, i am taping this show in the afternoon. So right now, it is about 4 30 so heres this crazy thing you because you are watching at 12 30 at night have already seen the live show that i havent done so you, to me, are in the future [ light laughter ] thats true. Thats just a true thing like right now, you might know a thing ive done i have no idea about. Woo. Lets all just give ourselves a second nobody thought of it but me. You know, and shoemaker. [ laughter ] happy birthday its shoemakers birthday, everybody. You guys, the first and only Vice President ial debate of this election cycle was held last night in salt lake city, in person, despite the ongoing and out of control coronavirus, which brings us to a segment we call, hey seth hey, what are you doing . You held a Vice President ial debate live and in person . Whats the point mike pence doesnt even look live when hes live. Dude is an inperson zoom meeting. Whenever he started speaking, i started looking for the gallery view button. And, hey, shouldnt he be in quarantine i heard Something Like 35 of his coworkers have the virus although, pence is probably safe, because hes so boring his coworkers scatter whenever he comes in the room run, guys pence is coming. And hes telling everyone how his wife just bought new spoons. And, hey, is this in any way necessary . I mean, the rest of us have been working from home, schooling from home, making tv shows from home i did my show from an attic and talked to a god damn yard sale painting for six months. We have been holding our society together over wifi, but this this is the thing that had to be in person . Why . Everybody seems pretty squared away on who theyre voting for even ken bone already decided. Ken undecided bone the dude who freezes up like one of those fainting goats any time someone says, paper or plastic . And, hey, you feel like its okay to hold a debate in person because you took precautions lets take a look at the plexiglass dividers you used thats it . Is there some kind of plexiglass shortage i didnt hear about theres a better protection between me and the kid who sells me movie tickets good thing the virus only travels in Straight Lines and cant go around things i wouldnt feel safe behind that thing during a paint ball fight. Youd get better protection from a fishnet condom and, hey, after all the trouble you went through, nobody will remember a damn thing that was said thanks to a fly landing on mike pence and its a shame, because before that happened, pence was making some very terrible points. I mean, this is like you planned a wedding for six months and got every detail just right, and then your boob popped out during the vows nobodys gonna remember the cake now. Its the boob wedding. And, hey, this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes, but still, nobody cares about the Vice President you never hear a midwestern mom say, kayla is going to regionals as an alternate the Vice President is just there in case of an emergency. And im sure mike pence hates it, just hates it, that he is literally plan b this has been, hey well be right back with jim parsons. Ok. Lets see what youve got, oculus. Dont look down, dont look down ooh. Shouldnt have looked downnn whoo its ok. Im ok. Lets go. Hey. How do i. . Relax. Get into it yeah ive got it whoa. Rated e for everyone. Dont trip were gonna leave without ya. And we gotta get going. Yea buddy. Did you get the extra napkins . Napkins . Get it at mcdonalds when you buy one of your faves and get another for just a dollar. When you buy one of your faves herethat took a shot at crafting a bolder, smoother tequila and never looked back. Hornitos a shot worth taking. To customizes yourcan gocar insurancetual. Com so you only pay for what you need . Really . I didnt aah ok. Im on vibrate. Aaah only pay for what you need. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Pringles wavy. With a big crunch and totally different flavors, theyre not really pringles. Just like thats not really daddy. Yes, it is. Ok. Pringles wavy. Big crunch. Big flavor. Iwith vicks sinex saline nasal cmist. Tion for drug free relief that works fast. Vicks sinex. Instantly clear everday congestion. boy r hhelping kids. S. dad helping families. women helping pets. vo these are the lives subaru retailers have impacted in our communities, through our support of over fourteen hundred Hometown Charities. In fact, subaru and our retailers will have proudly donated over two hundred Million Dollars to national and Hometown Charities through the subaru share the love event. vo get 0 for 63 months and subaru will donate 250 dollars to charity. Seth welcome back. All this week, fred armisen has been remotely leading the 8g band from the revival drum shop in portland, oregon. Hey, fred nice job we miss you, buddy our first guest tonight is a fourtime emmy award and golden globe winning actor you know from the big bang theory. He stars in the film adaptation of the boys in the band, which is streaming on netflix now. Lets take a look. Hey, what made you stop, the analysts oh, they certainly had a lot to do with it. Mainly, i just didnt think i could get through another morning after ick attack morning after what . Icks. Anxiety. Guilt. Unfathomable guilt the split second your eyes pop open and you say oh, my god what did i do last night . Tell me about it. You know, and then that struggle to survive til lunch, where you have a double bloody mary, that is if youve waited til lunch and then youre lf pisd se again and useless for the rest of the afternoon so you hang on for cocktail time and, by then, youre ready for whatever the night holds which hopefully is another party seth please welcome back to the show, our friend, jim parsons. How are you jim . Hello seth. Im great. How are you . Seth a lot has happened since we last saw each other and we were supposed to see each other remotely in august but you had a storm knocked out not just yours, but a lot of peoples wifi, so its great to finally make it work it is so nice and to have power restored what a Wonderful World seth yes, i would imagine missing out of my show is, sort of, one of the lower things as far as having no power at all. Well, i mean, im fascinated by this 8 30 live show that hasnt happened yet. I mean, you are going to have to take this entire episode off the air depending on what happens. Seth thats true i mean those, 30 days of october surprises. Seth so just know this is very what we are doing right now, were holding on by a thread this might never see television. Yes when can you get plexiglass so that you can have guests back . Seth well, were gonna have so amber ruffin who is a writer on our show is going to be a guest right after you because she is already in the building and she gets tested like i get tested. But shes going to sit on the far end of the couch so it will look oh, that will be fun. Seth it will look if people [ light laughter ] i think as people see it still it will look very passive aggressive oh, without a doubt without a doubt, yes seth so jim, you actually you had covid all the way back in march hopefully you are fully recovered. How was the experience it was frightening. I mean, heres what i say. I feel like we probably must have had a mildish case. You know, we had the fever and the chest pressure and things like that. But i would say at least 50 of my, quote, unquote, pain was just the anxiety and the fear, partly i would still feel that way now to be honest. But it was in march. And here in new york, it was not it was not pretty i went to bed every night wondering i hope i hope we dont have to make an emergency call. Do you know whats crazy i shaved every single day that i was sick and partly, it was because i felt better when i was clean shaven and partly it was because this is so morbid. I thought if i have to get rushed to the hospital i want to look like i am trying. I want to i wanna enthuse people to come to me, and help me, please seth right you would think theyd be okay like, basically, if they saw a little peach fuzz, theyd be like hes already given up. Hes quit hes thrown in the towel thats so morbid i dont mean to make a joke about that but that was my life. So i think it is free reign for me seth did you pick up once you bounced back and made it through the last six months, did you pick up any hobbies . Did you use the time i painted for a while i was doing, like, creative fiction writing and stuff for a while. And i enjoyed all of that. And i have grown tired of all of that apparently, im just an actor. And i miss that pretty desperately. And i i would like to be in a room, with people, and pretend to be other people and fake kiss and fight and things like that seth well, hopefully youll get to do that again soon. I want to ask about both of your projects on netflix right now. The first, the boys in the band. So, this is a very unique experience you got to have this was a broadway show you did in 2018. And not only are you doing it again, on screen, its with the exact same group of people what was that transition like . It was it was really nice but it was really intense in a wonderful way. I had never done anything like that and i its funny doing press for it its just been released and everything so we keep talking about it like we are doing now and it kind of is occuring to me in layers, like that was a really kind of profound experience to spend so much time with those people, and these characters and you know, its its got there is humor in the piece but it is a pretty heavy piece. So its not its not exactly light fare to be living with that long. And i dont know i really i really enjoyed it. And i feel i feel even more now like thats something thatll probably never happen in my life again. I mean, it would thats a lot of things that have to come together so i dont know. Im glad it happened it was it was neat. Seth you moved here to new york cause for those who dont know, the original show took place and it takes place still in the Upper East Side in new york in 1968 you moved to new york in 2001. Same time i moved to new york. I think it was a really fascinating time to live in new york city considering what happened that year did you have what are your memories of that time like oh, it was i thought it was so much fun. I mean, i just ive always loved new york im a very i can be a very anxious person, in general even when i visited before i moved, i knew immediately there was something about the effort it takes to get through new york that for me makes me happier it makes me more relaxed, just the fight to get through a day i dont know it was it was lots of cabs and lots of late drinking but you didnt have to drive yourself home. And, you know, i look back and the weirdest thing to me this sounds so stupid to remember but the way i would just fall asleep at somebody elses place, that would not happen anymore. But back then it was like, thats fine. That makes me feel dirty just to say out loud now do you know what i mean . Seth yeah, it was i mean, because it was before not just covid but i feel like in the late 2000s there was a whole bed bugs issue thats right. Seth there were two or three news stories about bed bugs on local new york news that are still the most terrifying thing i have ever seen like when they zoomed in tight on what a bed bug is i really thought yes, you dont want that. Seth yeah, it was not a good scene at all you also other coast, youre in ryan murphys hollywood. Yes seth and this is youre actually playing, because there are a lot of fictional characters in this show but harry wilson was a real person did you know much about him . No, i didnt know anything which was kind of cool because he was pretty villainous and lecherous in some ways not every way. We exaggerated to a certain degree but he has some stories and i feel like specially in this day and age, i would have i dont know, i feel like i would have had more judgment about him and instead, it was just i kind of discovered as we went. There was this amazing biography about him called the man who discovered who invented rock hudson. And i dont know, it just it really placed his whole life from being young and dying destitute. And it was a great time. It really was. Seth you you were nominated for an emmy. And, of course, you have been to the real thing before. How was your experience as a virtual nominee . In a weird way, like any other zoom meeting, except that i put on a tux it was so bizarre. I mean, youve hell, you hosted but to get that gussied up and you are getting ready and you are looking in the mirror. And this time, though, you dont walk to a car. You dont go anywhere. You just go to your living room. And then you kind of eat and drink and kind of Wander Around when youre not on and then the category happens and they announce a winner and then you listen to the speech and, literally, it was like, and leave meeting, and then you were done with the emmys seth i mean, i that sounds like the dream. I mean, to be a it kind of is it mean, it kind of once the category was over, you always just want to go. Some people like to party more than i do. But anyway seth yes i frequently am just like, oh, can we just be home now . And we were. Magic. Seth well, thats wonderful. Congratulations on on both shows. And thank you so much. It is always go to see you, jim. Its so good to see you too, seth good job seth thank you very much the boys in the band and hollywood are both streaming on netflix right now well be right back with amber ruffin alright, everyone, we made it. My job is to help new homeowners who have turned into their parents. Im having a big lunch and then just a snack for dinner. 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I never said it but. dramatic crying whoa did svenrod just die . Yeah can you do it again . Sure, sure i always loved you. Oh man. Missed it again. Alexa, rewind 10 seconds. Colonel snowman melted bringing us this delicious, oh man. Missed it again. Piping hot meal with all the fixins. Whyd it have to be so pipin hot . Seth our next guest is an emmynominated writer and comedian whose work youve seen on detroiters, drunk history and right here on late night. Shes the host and star of the amber ruffin show. New episodes are available every friday night on peacock. Please welcome back one of my favorite people, the wonderful amber ruffin, everybody. Whoa whoa oh, hi whoa, whoa seth seth oh, amber, how are you . [ laughter ] its weird to be in the same room with someone whos not your husband with no mask on. Seth i know. Look at us weird seth this is but yeah, this is, like, counts as a full affair in 2020 yeah. Oh, yay, finally seth now, obviously were taking advantage of our distance here, but we have both because you are doing a show in the building and im doing a show in the building, we are both getting tested a lot. We should make sure in case anybody is watching and feels like this is if theyre feeling a little squirrely watching, they should know that were very safe. We are tested constantly. How often are you tested im tested two or three times a week seth three times a week. Im three times a week whoa. Seth yeah, are you Getting Better at the self swab . I am a pro at the self swab seth yeah. Because once you have had your mask on all day you got a bunch of snot going anyway self swab is easy. But when that man sticks that thing in your nose seth theyre called a doctor you know, the man with the white coat [ laughter ] i dont know who he is but when he sticks that thing in my nose, thats very bad seth now that guy is in the building, right . This isnt a man on the street oh, yeah, hes right outside the building [ laughter ] hes always like, hey, hey, come here. Okay seth you are too gullible. You have too big a heart i get a lollipop. So ill do it. Seth oh, that was the exchange uhhuh. Seth so amber you are now on friday, you will record the third episode of the amber ruffin show. Yeah. Seth and for those who havent seen it or i should say for those who have seen it, it looks very different than this set but it is taking place right here in this studio. You guys, it is the same hey, hey you guys, this is the same set seth how is it launching obviously, were figuring out how to do a show during a pandemic how is it launching a show during a pandemic . Its perfectly fine look, jenny, our head writer and my little best friend and i talk non stop. Now the only way that could possibly have been solved is if we work over zoom. Seth right i dont know how we would do this show if we didnt work over zoom because you have to say goodbye so that you can use this same computer to write your sketches. Otherwise, we would still be on that first call. We love to talk. [ laughter ] and we do set aside a hour cause we know we are going to be like, oh, my god, do you remember that guy with the red hair . Yes, i remember that guy. And then thats a whole hour gone seth now, one of the things that people might not know about our writers room is that its all of our writers at late night share a room. Yeah. Seth and so and you know, and one of the nice things is of course is the fact that when 50 people share a room theres always good gossip do you miss that about the writers being distant right now . Yes who knows whats going on with these people seth right we dont have enough time together we you know, i miss people showing up and wearing something they dont normally wear seth yeah. And then getting made fun of so terribly that they want to go home but they cant because they work here. Seth yeah, i feel as though we have a very loving supportive environment. But if somebody dresses even a little outside not like what we dress like, but their own what they have established the tiniest bit different, whoa buddy you want to come to work in shorts go on and try it seth now, im not going to name names but obviously Mike Scollins seth someone showed up on zoom in a tank top [ laughter ] one of the writers showed up on zoom in a tank top. And that was, no kidding, five minutes of bits. Seth yeah, five minutes. Solid bits on this poor guy and his and hes in his house. Seth yeah. Hes not even with us seth he should be allowed i should note, i think again it speaks to how supportive we are, the next zoom call mike carnell, another writer, also wore a tank top. In solidarity seth yeah. [ laughter ] its like when adam sandler, like, pees his own pants in that movie. [ laughter ] its like, hey, dont feel bad, kid, we all piss ourselves. I pissed my pants. Seth you mention your i guess jenny is the is she the producer of the show, head writer of the show jenny is the head writer and executive producer seth and she is also a writer for late night. A writer that you introduced to us and you knew jenny back in second city days yeah. Jenny and i did second city denver together which is a real thing that really happened and no one knows about it. But second city denver existed yes, there is a second city toronto is that true . Seth there was for a while yes, there is second city las vegas. And yes, theres second city chicago. But second city denver also existed at one point seth and thats where you guys met and did you guys click right away yeah. We had the best time we all lived in this big building downtown. Friggin just like the first regular paycheck of your life and, like, you live in this nice apartment for free it was horrible. We behaved terribly. [ laughter ] seth you also have a sidekick on the show tarik davis seth tarik davis who i have known for a long time, youve known longer obviously and one of the things, certainly one of the most fun parts about putting together this show i was hiring people i had known in the past are you enjoying working with tarik . Yes, but you misspoke you said that i knew tarik longer than you knew tarik but thats not true. Seth because i knew tarik first. cause we all met when we got to boom chicago. Tarik and i went to boom chicago at the same time that time when we got there, you were there visiting for new years eve seth oh, my goodness so the three of us met each other on the same day. Seth all in the same night there you go look at that and now here we are. Yeah. Seth you mentioned we met in amsterdam. We both worked for a theater tarik, as well, called boom chicago you are now married to a dutchman named jan yeah. Seth which sounds like, you know, a stereotype, but its also true. Yeah, he loves cheese seth he does [ laughter ] how did you and jan do through quarantine we have been doing great but we are like super raggedy. Seth how so . Like, i look like this because several people stopped me and shook dirt off me and like primped me up but naturally im a raggedy dude like, my husband and i both have, like, 14yearold boy vibes. So like its us just, like, drinking and, like, ordering a lot of food. And there is no adult there to, like, clean it up or tell us to go outside or shower its pretty bad. Seth its pretty bad yeah. Seth now, obviously it is very one of the things that i think people are very excited about our show its very rare for a black woman not just to write for a late night show, but now to have her own late night show but the think the real trail blazing is, i think its probably safe to say you are the first black woman to have a talk show who also speaks dutch [ laughter ] do you want to say anything state anything to our dutch viewers real quick [ speaking Foreign Language seth that was great. Thank you. So them, they are like, oh, she her dutch is bad. [ laughter ] seth i feel like i guess we cant be picky. I guess we cant we have to take what we can get hey, so you provided a Great Service not just to our show, but i think to our viewers after the george floyd murder. You opened our show. We were still remote at the time, for a whole week telling stories of your interactions with police. I think it was eye opening to people not just that you had the one story but you had multiple stories. And you pointed out on the last day that you had more to tell. Were you surprised at how surprised people were by that . I guess so. I was surprised. I thought everybody knew that but it makes sense now that i realize they did not but, you know, people went off the hook because, look, people have been saying this. And if folks didnt realize that, then what they have is an unwillingness to believe black people when they say, hey, this [ bleep ] is crazy. So people have been saying it. Now they are getting the hang of it there you go seth you are providing another service as well, which i should note is a little more on the humorous side than what you shared on the george floyd week. Yeah. Seth which is you and your sister who grew up in omaha, nebraska. Basically, you just wrote a series of true stories that she had written down over the years of things that happened to her and the title of the book is youll never believe what happened to lacey. [ laughter ] and its true. Lacey is just, like, very, very tiny shes like exactly this, me, except smaller and cuter so people really think that she is to be messed with, but shes not. So she just writes down everything that is a crazy, hilarious racist story and she has done this for years and years and years. You know if you are a black lady at work, you have to do that for work on a regular basis. But not me, if you do comedy [ light laughter ] but she, you know, had been doing that for years and then we decided to just put all the funniest stories in a book and there were enough for a whole book just the funny ones were enough for a book seth and this is just ones that specifically happened to lacey. Its just racist stories that have happened to lacey that you would never, ever, ever believe. Seth and when is the book going to be out . The book comes out january the 12th and i am 79 sure that that date is right seth either way, people can preorder Something Like that and the date that i think we can both agree on is friday is the airing of a new amber ruffin show. Amber, it is just always a delight to spend time with you thanks for being here. Good, because im always here [ laughter ] seth you are always here but still really nice. New episodes of the amber ruffin show are available friday nights on peacock well be right back with yaa gyasi. Did you know that geicos whole 15 minutes thing. That came from me. Really. My first idea was in one quarter of an hour, your savings will tower. Over you. Figuratively speaking. But thats not catchy, is it . Thats not going to swim about in your brain. So i thought, what about. 15 minutes. 15 percent. 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Again, again xfinity mobile. Your wireless. Your rules. Your way to stay closer together. Click, call, or visit an xfinity store today. Seth our next guest is the awardwinning author of the bestseller, one of my personal favorites, homegoing. Her new novel transcendent kingdom was published last month and is available wherever books are sold please welcome back to the show yaa gyasi. Hi, yaa, how are you hi, seth, im doing well. Thank you so much for having me. Seth it is wonderful to have you. It was wonderful to read this book, your second novel. I am wondering with how wellreceived your first novel was, did you have anxiety about basically presenting a second novel to world i had so much anxiety it was incredibly daunting thinking about writing a new novel after the success of homegoing. And, you know, i felt this pressure to make sure that it lived up to, you know, just just how beloved homegoing was. So i definitely felt intimidated. Seth we talked the last time you were here in person which was, you know, for that book and you were saying how surreal it was to do press for a book tour you were on not just this show but other shows. How surreal is it this time around having to do everything virtually . Unbelievably surreal. Like, nobody could have predicted this moment, obviously. But i think the learning curve for doing virtual events, it took me a while to get the hang of but finally now i think, you know, ive eased into it seth i also want to ask, you know, the last time we talked was about the amount of Historical Research you had to do for your first book and this book, the main character spends most of her time in a Scientific Lab and i was reading it thinking, oh, man, does yaa also know all about science . But this was inspired, hopefully im right, by a visit to your friends lab to watch them work. Yeah, thats right. My best friend tina is a neuroscientist and around the time that i finished homegoing, she was kind of working toward a final thesis an she had a major paper that was due to be published. I tried to read that paper could not understand a single sentence of it and asked if i could go visit her in her lab, really just our of curiosity so i shadowed her in the lab watched her perform surgery on her mice and just found it so fascinating that i knew i wanted to research it a little more so that i could write about it. Seth and this was a case then that you had someone you knew you could show the book to, i imagine, as you were working on it to make sure you were in the right with the science you were writing about yes, i was very fortunate that this friend is incredibly generous and read drafts of the novel. Answered all of my, im sure to her to her, quite simple questions. And just made sure that i was on the right track. Seth feels like it backfired on her that she tried to get you to read something and she ended up having to basically help you write something. [ laughter ] probably so but the book is dedicated to her so hopefully it made up for that a little seth i think it must have made up for it this is a book about a family of ghanaian immigrants living in alabama. This is very autobiographical. As far as that part of it for you, did it feel that way writing it i mean, obviously, you know, it must be both easier and harder when youre closer to your own personal story yes definitely easier and harder to draw from personal experience. This was the first time that i had set anything in my hometown, huntsville, alabama. And it was the first time that i had written about my experience in the church. So a lot of this book is about the main characters relationship to the pentecostalsim of her childhood and how she kind starts to turn away from that faith which is an experience that i had as well. And its strange to be drawing from your own life to kind of create circumstances for fiction. But i found it ultimately to be really freeing in some ways and and also fun. Seth you one of my favorite details in the book is how you know, again for a ghanaian immigrant in the south and i know youve also lived in the midwest, the sort of, you know, predominantly whiter places immigrant communities, when they arrive, they reach out to find, you know, the members of the community that are from the same place as they are. Your parents would do that, yes . Yes my parents, every time we would move, my parents would pick up a phonebook and they would look for ghanaian last names and just call them out of the blue and be like, hey, were in town. And every single time, the person responded with, come on over have a meal. Meet my family. And this was how they started to build community. Seth that is such a wonderful wonderful detail. I want to ask, as well, about this there was so much obviously racial upheaval this summer and it did lead to i think a lot of people trying to read things that would maybe help inform them on the situation were living through so homegoing actually hit the bestseller list, you know, this summer you know, i guess about four years after it came out. What were do you have mixed feelings when that is sort of the trigger for a newfound readership for your book yeah. I mean, it was a little bittersweet. On the one hand, its always really wonderful to have your book meet new readers. But on the other hand, so many of the books that were hitting the bestseller list were books that had been around for, you know, five, ten, fifteen, even longer, years. And it makes you wonder where was everyone when these books came out and so hopefully as people are picking up these books and starting to recognize that the problems that we are seeing here in this country are deeply entrenched and have been here for many, many, many, many, years. Hopefully we can start to see some actual strides toward change seth the book the new book obviously deals with some really difficult issues. You know, loneliness and depression and addiction, yet it does have an optimistic message behind it. Is that what youre hopeful people take away from it yes, definitely i want people to read this book and think about all of the ways that we can take care of one another. At its heart, its a novel about a woman who is trying to help her mother pull through depression and so its very interested in caretaking, in demonstrations of love and affection and just helping your family pull through so hopefully thats something that people take away from this novel. Seth well, thank you again for being here congrats on the book move on to the anxiety about the third one now. [ laughter ] exactly thank you seth it never stops. Thats thats unfortunately the downside transcendent kingdom is available now wherever books are sold but please, support independent bookstores well be right back with more late night. This year, our driveways have brought us all closer together. And been our gateways to the world. For over 30 years, lexus has been celebrating driveway moments. Heres to one more. The lexus december to remember sales event. Experience amazing at your lexus dealer. Acqua di gio profondo, the new intensity Giorgio Armani at macys the fragrance destination cheddar, jalapeno and sour cream onion the spicy nacho stack. I wish i could stack pringles but i dont have hands or a mouth to. Cool, play my dance playlist. Theres a flavor stack for everyone. Sort of. Oh, i will rescue you vicks vapopatch. 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Your shoulder seems to be healing nicely. Im sorry baby. I dont want you to play with that. singing twinkle, twinkle little star. How i wonder what you are. How are you doing . Schedule a video visit with your doctor. Kaiser permanente. Thrive. The teams been working around the clock. Wire, weve had to rethink our whole approach. Were going to give togetherness. Logistically, its been a nightmare. Im not sure its going to work. Itll work. I didnt know you were listening. [ cheers and applause seth every wednesday and friday we release a podcast edition of late night so you can catch up on the go its audio from the show and includes a closer look, comedy bits, and guest interviews plus extra things exclusive for the podcast, like bonus backstage interviews, chats with the late night staff, original comedy sketches, and more. Head to latenightsethpodcast. Com to subscribe and its free, which is great. On the most Reliable Network with xfinity mobile. In a land not so far away. People are saving hundreds they can choose from the latest phones or bring their own. And choose the data option thats right for them. They even get nationwide 5g at no extra cost. And since they are on the carrier rated 1 in customer satisfation, they live happily ever after. Again, again xfinity mobile. Your wireless. Your rules. Your way to stay closer together. Click, call, or visit an xfinity store today