Why do some people make it, while others don’t? How do the facts of our lives differ from our perception of it? And how does our psychology shape how we view ourselves and others?
Attribution, a podcast from The Moving Up Media Lab, asks people from all walks of life to reflect on who and what has contributed to where they ended up. Each episode encourages viewers to feel a little more inspired, grateful, or supported than when you first hit play.
In this “Attribution” episode, host Bob McKinnon speaks with integrative medicine pioneer Deepak Chopra about the importance of focusing on "being" rather than on "doing," as reflected in his new book “Living in the Light.” They also talk about their individual journeys to self-realization and their personal ways of defining success. To ...
While science is traditionally practiced objectively, C. Brandon Ogbunu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University, performs his research taking inspiration from his autobiography. His research questions are often mined from his own experiences, starting with his interaction with police in college, which informed ...
In this episode of “Attribution” host Bob McKinnon speaks with Emi Nietfeld, the author of Acceptance, a memoir from Penguin Press. As a homeless teenager writing college essays in her rusty Toyota Corolla, Nietfeld saw the Ivy League as a way to escape her dysfunctional childhood. Attaining upward mobility meant first crafting the perfect resilience narrative. Nietfeld had to show she was an “overcomer,” ...
The need for genuine connection, parental responsibility in an age of technological and social media saturation, and the importance of helping the young tell their life stories: These are just some of the topics addressed by author Dave Eggers and host Bob McKinnon in this episode of “Attribution.” Eggers has written numerous books including "The Every," "The Museum of Rain," and "A Heartbreaking ...
Andrea Elliott, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, has been documenting the lives of those on the margins of power for many years. Her book "Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City" won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. It chronicles eight years in ...
Kathryn Schulz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer at The New Yorker, is the latest guest on our podcast “Attribution." She sits down with host Bob McKinnon to talk about her latest book, “Lost & Found: A Memoir." Schulz recalls the process of grieving the loss of her father, and her joy in finding the love of her life at the same time. Additional ...
Darryl McDaniels is one of the founding members of the legendary hip-hop group Run DMC. He is also the author of two memoirs, a line of comic books, and the children’s book "Darryl’s Dream," which launched earlier this year. In this fascinating conversation with “Attribution” host Bob McKinnon, McDaniels touches ...
Rev. Esau McCaulley, PhD and "Attribution" host Bob McKinnon have a moving and provocative conversation about issues ranging from poverty and struggle to race and faith. McCaulley is an associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL, and author of the books "Sharing in the Son’s Inheritance" and ...
In this episode of the podcast "Attribution" host Bob McKinnon speaks with guest Alissa Quart about the stories we tell, the myths we need to dispel, and the role of language in helping people overcome hardship. Quart is the executive director of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project and the author of ...
Leidy Klotz is a professor at the University of Virginia who studies how we transform things from how they are to how we want them to be. Klotz has written for The Washington Post, Fast Company, The Globe and Mail, and The Behavioral Scientist. Our host, Bob McKinnon, talks with ...
Maria Konnikova is a New York Times best-selling author, journalist, and professional poker player. Her latest book,The Biggest Bluff, is now out in paperback. Our host Bob McKinnon had a fun and fascinating conversation with her exploring the balance of skill and chance in life. Among the many stories shared ...
Natasha Trethewey is a two-time U.S. Poet Laureate and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for her book of poems, Native Guard. Her latest book is Memorial Drive; A Daughter’s Memoir. It was a moving and deeply personal conversation. She and our host, Bob McKinnon, talked about the debt we both ...
Richard Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution whose research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility. His latest book is Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do about ...
Aaron Sanchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, author and philanthropist. He is chef/owner of Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans, and a judge on FOX’s hit culinary competition series MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. For the many “famous” roles he plays, it was our discussion about the more essential ones of ...
Bob McKinnon is the host of “Attribution” as well as a writer, designer, and teacher who asks us to reconsider the way we see success and the American Dream.
His work has been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, Fast Company, NPR, and PBS.
His own journey out of poverty was captured in his TEDx talk: How Did I End Up Here. Through his writing and this podcast, he hopes to pay tribute and thanks to all those who have helped him and others move up in life.
