The gaijin of a Democratic rival as efforts to block government officials from cooperation with the investigation they are a peon Union is bracing for the United Kingdom's exit now that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative Party has done well the national elections as Teri Schultz reports Bracks it was one of the top issues raised at a 2 day summit hosted by the e.u. Which Johnson did not attend e.u. Leaders were not in favor of Britain leaving the block and the years of negotiating a Breck's it deal and delaying its implementation have been frustrating for both sides now that Johnson has been reelected with a pledge to get Bracks it done the e.u. Says it expects that to happen sooner rather than later the E.U.'s current president and his prime minister's son a modern welcome which he calls the clarity brought by the British vote we have all been waiting for a solution and a step forward to get out of this mess and I think now is a real chance to do this European Council president Sean Michel says he expects the u.k. To meet the BRICs a deadline of January 31st for n.p.r. News I'm Terry silts in Brussels at least 8 of the Democratic presidential hopefuls are expected to take part in a forum in Pittsburgh this weekend where the answer questions about their plans for public education organizers include labor unions in the n.w.c. Pay topics expected to include school investment student services special education student debt in teaching conditions stocks closed higher the Dow is up $3.00 points today the Nasdaq gained 17 points you're listening to n.p.r. . Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador now says he expects the u.s. Congress to approve a new North American trade deal with his country and with Canada by December 20th Opas Obrador saying today Mexico's Senate has approved modifications to the agreement by nearly unanimous vote and said there appears to be support it on the part of u.s. Lawmakers as well the latest changes to the deal were designed to convince us Democrats to drop their opposition to the plan which is designed to replace NAFTA the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of a high dose prescription fish oil drug to reduce the risk of heart disease N.P.R.'s Allison Aubrey reports the drug will be made available to patients who have diabetes and other risk factors the drug the c.p.i. Was 1st recommended for people with very elevated triglyceride levels which can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes now the drug will be made available to people who are already taking Staten medications to reduce their cholesterol but can still benefit from the triglyceride lowering effects of the drug the f.d.a. Says the drug safety and efficacy were established in a study of about 8000 people the amount of fish oil in the daily recommended dose of the pill is equivalent of eating about 8 to 10 servings of salmon a day Allison Aubrey n.p.r. News little agency say they've signed off on more than $200000000.00 for 18 different projects will be working to restore the Gulf of Mexico after the 2010 b.p. Oil spill projects described in a report released this week the biggest involves 50 $2000000.00 to study deep sea habitats money comes from a $26000.00 settlement for damages from the oil spill I'm Jack Speer n.p.r. News in Washington support for n.p.r. Comes from Fidelity Investments taking a personalized approach to helping clients grow preserve and manage their wealth learn more at fidelity dot com slash wealth fidelity brokerage services l.l.c. And Americans for the Arts at Americans for the Arts dot org. Good evening fresh air was up next with local support provided by the Durango all of oil company announcing their fresh off the press monthly newsletter featuring new recipes products specials and more Ok did at 640 main avenue in Durango with a wide variety of all of oils balsamic vinegar and gourmet foods more information is online at Durango all of oil dot com This is Fresh Air I'm David Bianculli editor of the website t.v. Worth Watching sitting in for Terry Gross Today's guest is comic actor and writer Wanda Sykes her latest Netflix comedy special not normal was nominated for 2 Emmy Awards not normal is the expression she uses to describe the Trump presidency which she talks about a lot in the special. During the Obama presidency Sykes became the 1st African-American woman to perform at the White House correspondents' dinner she came out right after Obama was elected which was the same time California's Proposition 8 made gay marriage illegal in that state she's now married and she talks about race and her family in the special race means a lot. I think about a lot just because of the makeup of my family I'm there to a white French woman and we have 2 white kids. And they're all white supremacy is on the rise. And I'm a little what a houseful of white people. In her special Sikes also talks about being diagnosed with breast cancer and having a double mastectomy and now going through menopause dealing with hot flashes and belly fat and being afraid she's starting to grow a beard but you don't think there's still you know there's a solution like a lot of women they just take the estrogen just to just take the hormones but see I can't take the estrogen I can't take the hormone because of the type of breast cancer I am in but the irony of it all is it's like when you know because I curse the stuff and when people say to me Hey Wanda you know really would it kill you to be a little more lady like I go yes. One dislikes costarred this year in an a.b.c. Special which will be repeated next Wednesday performing a live episode of the Jefferson's opposite Jamie Fox and she has a recurring role on blackish Terry Gross interviewed Wanda Sykes in August shortly after her Emmy nominations were announced Wanda Sykes welcome to Fresh Air and congratulations on your Emmy nominations Thank you you've been a comic during the Clinton administration and has a. Pietschmann you were a comic during 2 terms of America's 1st African-American president and now you're a comic during the presidency of Donald Trump who some people describe as racially divisive and others describe as just plain racist is being a comic no different than being a comic during the Clinton years or the Obama years Oh it's totally different it's much much harder actually and you would think oh boy there's so much to make fun of but really I can't write anything funnier or more ridiculous than what actually says what he says its sales like a joke. So it's basically you're just repeating what he says I don't want to parody of a parody. You were booed by an audience in Boston telling tell Thanks Terry. I mean he's telling jokes about Trump Oh every regulation is on your enemies Oh it's you. And you know you've been caught I'm racist sexist and homophobic Were you surprised to get booed I mean these are people coming who are paying money to come here you I would imagine most people who come here you aren't surprised to hear what you think of President but you know well you know what that was my fault that was my fault because. It wasn't my show you know and when I say fault I don't mean that you know that I take responsibility for be in boot I take responsibility as being a comic and not reading the room you know it's like I'm in Boston and. It was a benefit for the Cam Neely foundation and you know my friend Dennis Leary asked me to do it and I've performed there before and it's a it's a great charity and it's usually a fun night at the garden but this was right after the election so Dennis goes up and she does some trump jokes and people laugh and then another comic goes up and he does a couple jokes whatever you know some some Trump stuff and people laugh another white guy and so then I go up and I do a you know the 1st joke is you know I get some laughs There's a trump joke and then the 2nd joke was the hey you know this isn't the 1st time we've had a president who's you know races homophobic sexes but this is just the 1st one that we can confirm. And the crowd just turned then and it was like All it did I got it I was like oh shoot that's right I forgot I'm a black lesbian female and they aren't ready for this yet you know it's like white guys sure go ahead come on now you can make fun of because we see it every night on Late Night t.v. White guys making fun of the the president Ok yeah and especially this president fine but they weren't ready for to see a black woman who's happen to be a lesbian also making fun of the president and the in the room it was it was $5050.00 I mean like fist fights broke out in the audience it was serious i'm serious Boston Come on yeah I mean really it was it was nuts it was nuts it was people were doing the you know the how Hitler move they were hurt in words I heard you know then you were here other people you know telling them to you know set up and all that it was it was crazy so what did you do on stage. I I have to try to somehow diffuse this so I pulled out my cancer card you know I was like hey we're here for if but. Is that a cancer and. Well yeah so it's a tight it's a form of yeah is the fight a form of cancer yes and I was like Ok Hey guess what we're here for good cause you know I had cancer and. Then people kind of like settle Dale and then I got him back . I got him back in you know. There was still some rumblings going on in the audience but I. I wrapped up my set and you know and then as I say thank you bye and as I won't was walking off the stage my wife was there and she runs out on the stage and grabs me and you know just gives me. A big kiss and so again half the audience is going nuts you know like applauding and the other half is like wait a minute what was what's going on what happened who was as a white woman kissing her now what is going on. And my wife she's you know smarter than I am so relieved she she throws up the piece on and me still bitter I gave the finger. And that was so awful enough phage for the on a globe or something the next morning pretty pretty pretty funny very much on the finest moments Yeah so yeah Marlon as it were my wife and I had to talk about I like wait a minute you know we were both going to faint or she might. Be I would peacetime. Filleted thing or I couldn't get that index to get that and they think. Oh it's really funny it's like for you personally different under President Trump than it was under President Obama. Yes absolutely. I have to you know you have to think about things now you know when you even like something simple as going into a restaurant you know you go when you see is kind of crowded and you try to get you say Ok we want to table I have to repeat the host I have to read those to see how this is going to go down like boy if this person is you know a truck person we might as well just go to another restaurant Are you concerned because you're black because you're a lesbian because you're a famous comic like me and you eat you can check all the all boxes Yeah yeah so on the scale of annoyed to afraid where are you now Wow Ok I'm more on the in of annoyed because it's not a live in fear is just like you said it's just another annoyance is just you know something that you just got to deal with like Oh really this again so I'm like 10 on the you know annoyance level and annoyance in part because you feel like you have to repeat pull more carefully than you did before because it's such a divisive time right it was so funny people. Who are not from supporters especially white people. Feel like like they want you to know that where they stay in which is hilarious because it's like it's like they're being racially profiled nail you know. So I don't know I don't know why people are quick to tell me all that from that what a piece of water I'm like I wish we weren't even talking about politics I just meant you know it's just so funny 5 where they just feel like Ok let me just get this out right away. So I well I want to play something from an earlier special this is from a 2009 comedy special on h.b.o. That was called to be me and this is something you recorded about how you felt after Obama was elected. 1st Black President I'm so happy because now I can relax a little bit you know I can loosen up I don't have to be so black all the time. To it don't have to be so dignified you know as we did black holes we always got to be dignified because we know we we just said everybody else back a couple of years right well we sure they killed fable flavor like to new was told to end you don't hold us back. But we did it to relax a little bit I can Akon I can dance on camera I could thing I saw on camera for when I was growing up my mother she wouldn't even let us dance in the car you know sit in the car good song come on radio we. Have a love like it was stop a car. Do you want to dance or do you want to rob. You like they sit in my car white people are looking at you was the in my pocket white people I look at and see you like. Oh Dale. That's Wanda Sykes from her 2009 special So did your mother tell you that that why people are looking at you so you got to be dignified Oh absolutely yeah my parents . I don't know. You know another black person my age who didn't hear that. How different is a to be on stage when your job is truth telling and everybody is looking at you and comics aren't famous for being dignified per say they're famous for being like comic truth tellers sometimes harsh comic truth tellers so it's like kind of the opposite in a way and you know what I mean yeah you know maybe that's why I love doing stand up maybe that's it maybe it's that's where I can I feel like I can be free. But but then again there is my mom's voice in the back of my head when I'm on stage and I know there's a line I do think about that so you were the 1st African-American woman to host the White House Correspondents Dinner which used to have a comic. Right a couple hours ago and you were the 1st comic to be there at the White House current correspondents dinner during the 1st year of the 1st African-American president and in one of your. In one of your comedy specials you talk about an hour before you went on stage to perform with President Obama and Michelle Obama in the audience your publicist or manager came to you with a note saying Please do not use the f. Word or the n. Word during your time could at the note come from the White House. That's a good question I didn't I don't know if it came from the White House or if it came from the from the other correspondents kind of yeah I think you have a correspondence I don't. Pretty sure the White House would know better so did you have to change your com or to. Absolutely not I mean there was no intentions on. That room and using the f. Word absolutely not in word Come on. That's nonsense. So you actually got some grief for that dinner because you were making jokes about Rush Limbaugh who was at the time one of the most famous ultra conservative media personalities and he had said he wanted Obama to fail and you said that's like saying he wants America to fail and you hope Rush Limbaugh's kidneys fail so what was your response to that kind of response did you get I'm ahead of my time really I mean I called it all I called it no regrets no regrets nail it was it was a very. Christian think of me to wish that may as kidneys fail No but it was just a funny joke. But that's how you know that's how I felt about the whole thing where he was hoping America fails just because there was a black president so there is no longer a comic performing at the White House correspondents' dinner because a couple of years ago when Michelle Wolfe was the comic and she made a joke about Sarah Sanders and about how Sarah Sanders Burns lies and used for eye makeup to create her smoky eyes. And decided this is just like too much of comics have gone too far we're ending the the whole thing of having a comic we're going to have a historian instead. What was your reaction to that. It was just ridiculous. It's a funny joke and it is based on what you said in truth Sarah Sarah's bees stairs and as others she gets up there and and she lives every single day to the American public she lied and their reaction to this to say no more comics I'm like Well thank you now you know you don't want to favor because because really except in that job and doing you know and going into that room as a comic it's like hosting the Oscars but without all the glam and the red carpet and the nice way it bag and all that stuff you know. We're doing God's work. That's comic writer and actress Wanda Sykes speaking to Terry Gross earlier this year more after a break this is Fresh Air. Smooth. Jazz and Pop are all part reduces but often overlooked because history. Joins me from Barbados and from soon. Next on live from p.r.i. Radio. Stay tuned for awful pop worldwide coming up later this evening at 9 tonight right after 2 hours of ethno trauma transfusion on Cooney Nashua fresh air continues with support provided by Oxford financial planners where Steve Pease and Dave Smiley specialize in helping families and individuals in the 4 Corners achieve financial independence for retirement at their new location now at Sweet 323 in the West building in Durango and online at Oxford f p dot net This is Fresh Air Let's get back to Terry's conversation from earlier this year with writer actress and standup comic Wanda Sykes her latest t.v. Comedy special titled not normal is now streaming on Netflix. So I want to play another clip and this is from your 2900 be me which sounds kind of funny coming from my mouth doesn't it but you've nailed it that only the aisle is very unfriendly. Dale that I will be so this is this this is a clip about how it's getting harder to be black and a lesbian and this is from 2009. It's harder it's heart of being gay then is being a black it is exist some things that I had there were yes some things that I had to do was gay that I didn't have to do is black I don't have to come out black. Was it my parents Dan tell them about my. I had to sit them down Mom Dad I gotta tell ya son. Hope you still love me. Just go see. Mom dad. I'm black. And White he just said oh no Jesus didn't say black no did you say black on black. Was. Funny but not season. Yeah Ok that's a low I get it. But been like you know it. Let's her is how do you think about that I mean how to how did you come up with that. I guess it was the the realization I had to have just as conversation with my parents about being being a lesbian and. I was like Wow Ok this is this is kind of ridiculous and and it was very difficult. And you know what this is after that we have we have Barack Obama as president and I thought about it that I had more rights. As African-American then I did as being a you know a gay American because that night when he won it was very it was bittersweet you know I was so super excited and happy and proud of our country and in the direction we were go and and I'm living in California so in the same time Prop 8 passed so I'm probably says that the only marriage the state would recognize a marriage between a man and woman Exactly exactly so then that passen is like Ok so we move forward but then they take away my right to to be you know to be married so yeah I felt like wow now I can't believe now it's actually harder to to be gay than you know than to be African-American and that just was you know and for that time especially They all that we do have marriage equality but there's still a lot of things that we need protection from you know like jobs and housing. So it is it is still you know a fight out there but I don't know right now no I don't think it is harder today. That's Wanda Sykes speaking with Terry Gross earlier this year not normal the latest comedy special from Wanda Sykes is on Netflix after a break Wanda Sykes will talk about coming out publicly and how she went from working at the National Security Agency and right the n.s.a. To doing standup I'm David Bianculli and this is Fresh Air. And I have a happy. Good. And I have written. The new bars Family Foundation supports w.h.y. Wise fresh air and its commitment to sharing ideas and encouraging meaningful conversation support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Capital One committed to reimagining banking offering savings and checking accounts that can be opened from anywhere Capital One what's in your wallet a capital one and a and from Lifeline reminding consumers that identity theft can happen any time of year including the holidays more at Life Lock dot com slash n.p.r. . Today morning the latest on the impeachment of Donald Trump what to expect as we watch History also what's next for the u.k. Drink in the minor leagues and Asian comedian destroys America good comedy is edgy but if you're going to play of dynamite you better be spot on right I was going to blow yourself up with into a lot of trouble money and latest news Saturday and Weekend Edition from n.p.r. News. Join Scott Simon for Weekend Edition tomorrow morning at 8 right after 2 hours of San Juan sunrise here on k s u t. Support for fresh air is provided by Rothchild general dentistry reminding you that regular brushing flossing and cleaning helps strengthen children's immune systems for increased protection against illness Rothchild general dentistry gentle dental care with the latest technology and holistic options details are online at holistic dentistry Durango dot com This is Fresh Air I'm David Bianculli in for Terry Gross back with more of Terry's interview from earlier this year with comic actor and writer Wanda Sykes her Netflix comedy special titled not normal was nominated for 2 Emmys there and in other stand up appearances she's been doing comedy about President Trump and about being an African-American and a lesbian and married to a French woman they have 2 white children you actually came out during an anti Prop 8 rally right came out publicly right how did you. As the opportunity to do it well I didn't I didn't even know that I was going to do it wasn't planned at all I was in Vegas performing I think Planet Hollywood and I had a show that night and there was the national day of protests and the center. Is there were whole new rallies so it's like Hey listen let's go let's go out and support process so I get there you know a large crowd. The head of the the center she's speaking as she said you know we have someone out here who's an ally and she's a strong voice for the community and I'm going to put on a sponsor she will come up and say a few words now I'm looking around an audience think in Drew Barrymore here. Is pink here what's going on you know I'm looking around for the allies and this is the Wanda Sykes Oh my oh no I'm I'm part of the family that Ally Ok so I go up and it just it just was just happened and I just. You know made the speech and then when I started the March my friends were there were there they will I you know you just came out as a whole and they were like Yeah as I owe I guess I did you know my wife was there and we went on with the March and then when I got home to the back to the hotel room I just said I got to go back to the little room I'm looking at c.n.n. And then I'm on the crawl and I was like oh boy. What I guess I did what did you say that was the official coming out I said I'm proud to be a. Black a woman and gay so once the crawl had c.n.n. What happened next in your life. A lot of text messages. My publicist called say congratulations and that she was proud of me and she said that was the perfect way to do it. What else yeah a lot a lot of just a lot of air support of phone calls and it I mean it took my parents a while to. Jump on board did that is that how they found out or did you already tell them No no I had already had the conversations station with them but I remember my mother specifically asked me not to do that not to be public. While she was you know still alive well what how do you handle that because your life is yours and there's a fight to be fought and you wanted to be part of it but I'm sure you also wanted to respect your mother so what do you honor do you honor like the l.g.b. T.q. Movement do you honor your own sexuality do you honor your wife or do you suppress all that for a while while your mother still alive and honor your mother. I mean it was it was hard and you know deep down deep down I look look at it as I am honoring my mother because I'm a product of my parents and my parents instilled these values and this strength in me. And so for me to deny who I am and to be silent then I think that that's that would be dishonoring them because that's not the person that they you know made me to be so I you know I had that conversation with them from that angle and I you know eventually they they got it and now you know we're we're so close and everything is great they're amazing grandparents. And you know I think nailed their concern is more for my safety than anything else I'm really glad to hear that things are good between you. Think you do you think your mother was more surprised than she might have been because you in the ninety's you were married to a man for several years. I think so yeah I can see how that could be misleading. You know big switch. Did really did religion figure into her response when she didn't want you to come out publicly and when she was really upset that you were getting religion is. You know grounded in everything that they do so absolutely yeah do you go to church a lot when you were young Yes Yes When I was young and you know teenage years there was a one point when they we had just moved and I found a church before they they did and so I was you know so I got them to go back to church and I still I still go to church. That often but there's a church that I love and Los Angeles and. So when I'm you know when I'm in l.a. And I try to make it there. You know I read. The Bible and more more more so spiritual writings and stuff like that. So yeah I you know I. Love. That no I'm. Doesn't mean I'm a vote for Marion Williams them but. She makes some great points she makes. Although she did say she was going to write a check so I don't know. That sex sounds pretty good reparations check. So your wife is French She's a white you have 2 children who are white and you joke about how you're living in a house with white people and you're a minority in your own home so that's that's very funny but I'm sure there's some truth to that too is it unusual for you to be in your own home and be like the racial minority in your own family it is it is feels weird when I think about it but now when it's just the you know just the 4 of us then you know if I don't I don't think I think of it then but it's like when you're like her family is the air or. You know we have a bunch of friends over I do kind of look around and I go and use a lot of white people and that's right. And it's not like I don't like it or it makes me uncomfortable it's just I noticed it you know and it's like Wow Ok sometimes I'll call I'll call a friend like a man what you do when you want to come over and heels what you had so many white people your house I like. Yeah yeah how do you considered motherhood when you were in a heterosexual marriage and when you imagine the possibility of motherhood if you imagined it did you imagine it differently in a straight marriage then you did when you were in as you are now in a lesbian marriage because now you're the mother of 2 children. Before know I didn't want kids I had no vision of having kids at all I when I was little I said I pictured myself with kids but it was never a man all round it was I don't know if maybe he died in my mind or something I don't know but I did see myself kids but there was never a you know. A day at around that was when I was a little now when I was older I'd I was like Oh God no no kids I never I don't want kids and when I met my wife see that was her thing right up front I want kids and I was like whoa can you give me like 6 months to think about it and let's just continue dating and then we'll see and if I know it's not for me then you know then we'll just called it quits and you go on and find somebody who wants to have kids so she agreed so but I said as 6 months even before then. I quickly was like you know why wouldn't you want kids why when you want to start a family with this with this person and the best decision I've ever made what do you love about being a mother I guess it takes you out of yourself you know. Just just a. To be able to just love something so much and just want to be there and take care of them and not worry about worry about just self it's just good to know that I act. Like. Oh I can do this I thought I thought I was little self absorbed but this is wow look at me look at me parenting is. Being caring about someone else you know that it myself yeah it's just it's just beautiful. And they. Yeah I'm just learn a lot about myself so I guess that is kind of like about me again damnit I thought . So your wife gave birth to twins. And you joke in your latest comedy special about how people are always asking you because your 2 children are white how come you didn't choose an African-American donor so that the children would be biracial and would reflect both both of you instead of the donor being white so you joke about that in the special but you must have had pretty serious conversations about that. Actually we we didn't have that many conversations about it I was good with that as I look at you doing all the heavy lifting you're you know you're going to you're getting the shots you're going through this process you're going to carry them you're delivering them of course you want the kids to look like you why not you are go forward and also and also my wife you know why did you kids have a need to look biracial to the mirror like I say we went to women we can't make a baby. That is. So their skin color to me. Wasn't like you know something that. I needed to feel like they're my kids you know they are my kids. They they they identify the French mom in English. Wanda Sykes speaking to Terry Gross earlier this year more after a break this is Fresh Air. I'm going to be inviting you to join me for Cooney notch was an ethno tronic transfusion tonight at 7 together will experience a cosmic mash up of electronica and world music fusion on. A cosmic trance That's tonight at 7 right here on 4 Corners Public Radio. Support for n.p.r. Comes from this station and from Interscope Records with the who's 1st new album in 13 years titled Who the album covers topics including the Grunfeld tower fire musical theft spirituality and reincarnation available everywhere now and from Viking committed to providing carefully curated and culturally enriching journeys sailing Europe's Danube and Rhine Rivers learn more at Viking cruises dot com This is Fresh Air Let's get back to Terry's conversation from earlier this year with actress and stand up comic Wanda Sykes her latest t.v. Comedy special titled not normal is now streaming on Netflix. So let's talk about how you became a comic you started working at the National Security Agency I think you have a top security clearance and you were working as a procurement agent I have a right. Yes top security clearance and I was a contracting specialist or procurement officer yeah so what does that mean I bought stuff basically. Anything from you know I guess surveillance equipment or something to office furniture. Whatever you know service agency so whenever someone needed they would you know and. You know purchase order or if it was detailed I would get. Drawings or you know blueprints and would go out and price it and. Deal with the contractors. You know to do the job or Bill would have a piece of this equipment is that you know that was required what was the security clearance process like for you I'm thinking a lot of comics when they were young would not have wanted to put themselves through that and probably probably would not have gotten a security clearance. Well I mean you know I come from a military family my dad you know he's retired colonel in the Army. He worked for the n.s.a. To deny Well he more the Pentagon by day was Ok Ok yeah so I mean I was never a bad kid so my my Yeah I had a clear past it wasn't it wasn't a problem getting you know getting a getting a clearance The only thing that. Smoke weed in college you know and I was just honest about it and it was like are I don't do that again I'm like cool and that was pretty much it. So how did you think of going into comedy and leaving your job at the n.s.a. I mean they're very different professions Needless to say yeah I always loved comedy we watched a lot of comedy at home growing up. You know we had all those great variety shows. You know mom's Mabel e. Was you know still is like my hero. Missy and her own like the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and and so so comedy was always in it in the in the background and I just got bored at work and I'd looked around and as like this cannot be my life and next 20 plus years. I need to be doing something else and there was a. Radio station a local radio station and they were it was a corps light was sponsoring a talent show and a comedy was a category and it just hit me like you know what I should write some jokes. Never been to a comedy club. Didn't know any professional comedians and I knew some preachers we had a lot of preachers in our family you know they're performers so I was that Ok I. Write write jokes and I did and I auditioned and they put me on the show when it all started for me I fell in love with so the 1st time you were in a comedy club performing what was your material like. Oh God it was basically doing an impression of what a stand up comic does you know like it was just generic jokes I think I did a joke about. The auto shade remember those those big sunglasses cardboard thing you know you that you know when you're window yeah yeah you put your wish i was reading it and it had instructions on the side of it and I'm I who really needs instructions for this because you know is to make sure you remove it before starting your car and I'm like who these that who needs that who's driving around 95 with the you know big sunglasses in the window because it could really cover the whole windshield like you would be able to see yeah I think yeah. Ok. So some of your material now is and is really very personal and some of them things that like women are reluctant to talk about you talk about on stage for example going through menopause was having a belly and part because you're going through men and far as you even named your belly Esther role after the actress How did you decide to do that. You know I don't know it was like when it popped up as I don't like this this fat role I have right here where you know what that come from and. Oh and then I just started give I just gave it a voice one day you know I we were I think I was ordering food and as I you know I said get a salad and then I just picked looked at my good night and it was I I mean some French fries Ok All right you know right and I would just add just it would have conversations with my with my with my good and my friends will crack up I think the 1st time I did I was with my friend Kym Whitley and she. She was just she just died laughing she's another comedian she died laughing and. I think yes the water French fries and I said it and I said that if they don't they don't have fries you know they don't frazzle on the menu it was like yes that's right I says she can't read. And Kim just start laughing so as you like I heard so we yeah and then it just became with things he's like you have to do that one stage she's like girl you have to. People will love s. That you have to then yes so. Put us out there and everybody loves her. Well Wanda Sykes thank you so much for talking with us it's really been great I really appreciate it thank you I appreciate it thank you Wanda Sykes spoke with Terry Gross earlier this year the latest standup comedy special from Sikes titled not normal is now streaming on Netflix and the a.b.c. Comedy special in which she and Jamie Foxx costar in a live t.v. Reenactment of the classic sitcom The Jeffersons will be repeated next Wednesday this is Fresh Air. You're listening to fresh air on k s u t 4 Corners Public Radio Stay with us for an evening of music coming up next at 72 hours of ethno tronic transfusion on Cooney nosh one later tonight at 9 o'clock it's all for pop worldwide followed by World Cafe from 10 until midnight support for fresh air is provided by the toilets in gallery with a wide selection of Native American and southwestern art from jewelry to craft a fine art all suitable for Christmas gifts that can become family heirlooms the top 10 gallery in downtown Durango and online a total of 10 dot com This is Fresh Air This year Bernstein ever Risto became the 1st black woman to win the Booker Prize for fiction she won her 8th novel called Girl woman other by the way in another 1st ever Risto was one of 2 winners of this year's Booker Margaret Atwood was also given the prize for the testaments her sequel to a Handmaid's Tale. Up until now Everest those novels many of which are written in a mix of verse and prose have not been well known in this country our book critic Maureen Corrigan says that all changed with the American publication last month of girl woman other Here's Maureen's review burning Dean ever Risto Booker Prize winning novel girl woman other is structured around the opening night of a play called The last Amazon of the homey it's written by a woman named who's made a name for herself mostly in radical lesbo experimental theater but this new play about African women warriors in the 18th and 19th centuries is debuting not in some fringe theatre space but at the mainstream national theatre in London it turns out to be a hit at the after party one of Amma's friends expresses relief to himself that this new play is a far cry from the agit prop rants of her early theater career as a reader I shared his relief let me explain girl woman other is described as a poly phonic novel about the intersections of identity it's told from the point of view of 12 British women of color who range in age from 19 to 93 the women represent a diversity of classes cultures and sexual identities ever Risto presents their stories in a free flowing fragmented style that she calls fusion fiction. All of which can make girl woman other sound like if not agit prop a call to duty rather than pleasure the opening does little to alleviate this worry given that it focuses on ama and her teenage daughter Yaz both of whom bask in self-righteousness but as the novel moves along something wonderful happens humor materializes as seriously as ever Risto his characters take themselves and the issues like racism that intrude on their lives there's also a witty dimension to their stories many of these women are on to themselves and each other girl woman other turns out to be a nuanced and entertaining novel about women of color in contemporary Britain though some of Everest those characters harbor fantasies of Amazon girl power most are just trying to make it through the battle of daily life take Carroll one of these foot soldiers born in London to Nigeria and immigrants she survives a rough school and a traumatic gang rape to earn a scholarship to Oxford so far this is a familiar 1st generation up from poverty story but listen to this description of Carroll's 1st week at Oxford made all the more arresting by the repetitive rhythm of Everest those run on sentences. She overheard loud reminiscences about the dorms and drugs of boarding school Christmas holidays in Goa gap years spent building a school for the poor in Kenya most students weren't like that but the really posh ones were the loudest and the most confident and they were the only voices she heard nobody talked loudly about growing up in a council flat on a skyscraper estate with a single mother who worked as a cleaner nobody talked Blau dli about never having been on a plane seen a play or the sea or eaten in a restaurant with waiters there's lots more but that incantatory catalogue of all that's left out shines a light on all the people like Carol who are left out to where's that humor I was talking about you may be wondering well it arises in the marathon response of Carol's Nigerian mother to her announcement that she's going to drop out of Oxford Here's a snippet did me and papa come to this country for a better life only to see our daughter giving up on her opportunities and end up distributing paper hand towels for tips in clubs toilets or concert venue's as is the fate of too many of our country women bested Carroll returns to Oxford now an adult she's present at that opening night of amas play so is her old high school teacher who turns out to be a childhood friend of Amma's in this highly designing novel almost everybody is just a couple of degrees of separation apart. When Everest still won this year's Booker Prize along with Margaret Atwood for her novel The testaments a controversy erupted because only one novel is supposed to be anointed most critics think that every novel should have one if forced to choose I'd agree but there's a lot of overlap between Atwood and ever Risto both have such a zest for storytelling both are proudly feminist in their politics what a year to get to such novels I say Do yourself a favor and read them both Maureen Corrigan teaches literature at Georgetown University she reviewed girl woman other by Bernard Gene ever Risto on Monday's show our guest will be actress Charlize Theron who stars as former Fox News anchor Megan Kelly in the new film bombshell She'll tell us about transforming herself physically for the role and she'll talk about growing up on a farm in South Africa during apartheid and being raised by a strong mother I hope you can join us for Terry Gross I'm David Bianculli support for n.p.r. Comes from Capital One committed to reimagining banking offering savings and checking accounts that can be opened from anywhere Capital One what's in your wallet Capital One and a join us again Monday evening at 6 for fresh air right here on k s u t 4 Corners Public Radio stay tuned we've got to walk coming up next this is key u.t.e. . Durango pki u.s.w. Flora Vista and. Springs we can also be heard in Cortez make us so written and online at k.s.u. T. Dot org. Made some dramatic changes on our 4th studio album here's why I guess it was more of an experiment to see if I recorded these songs in the form. To collaborate more on the truth is that yes it did. On the next World Cafe. Stick. Coming up later tonight at 10 o'clock. To me knowledge was up next support is provided by the hearts of space online music service on the web at h. O. S. Dot com And in your favorite app store hearts of space slow music for Fast Times. Hey there I hope you're enjoying this beautiful December evening so far I'm Kenny b. And I think I have just what you need to make tonight even better for the next 2 hours will experience a cosmic mash up of worldly electronica on Cooney nosh wa let's begin the trance this week with music from Candace Pacheco from her record if then else.