Kai Wright details his tools, tabs and old-phone habit
The Guardian co-host told The Verge he relies on a wine key, values a wheelbarrow and avoids buying new smartphones.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Kai Wright, co-host of The Guardian’s “Stateside with Kai and Carter,” gave The Verge a look at the tools and habits behind his daily life. The questionnaire sketched a journalist who works across politics and identity while keeping a low-tech streak in his personal routine.
The Verge’s Terrence O’Brien reported that Wright has spent years in audio and journalism, including as host of “Notes From America,” “The United States of Anxiety” and “Indivisible.” O’Brien described Wright as a Peabody Award-winning journalist whose work has included profiles of powerful men, reporting on American identity and coverage of the AIDS epidemic.
In the interview, Wright named a wine key as his most essential tool. He chose a wheelbarrow as an overlooked one, telling The Verge that moving dirt and rocks makes the value of its basic design clear.
Wright also took aim at smartphone replacement cycles. He told The Verge he wishes he could have bought one smartphone and kept it permanently, while adding that he has not bought a new phone in years and instead uses hand-me-down devices from his partner.
A work setup with many windows
Asked about his browser, Wright said he had 10 tabs open in the window he was using at that moment. He also said he had 11 additional windows open, though he did not account for what was in them.
Wright declined to identify his least satisfying gadget by brand. He told The Verge that a coffee machine can become too complicated, saying he wants caffeine rather than an engineering problem.
On creative work, Wright pointed to “The Memory Palace” as something he wishes he had made. He described the podcast to The Verge as a model of concise, humane historical storytelling built around one person telling a strong story.
Gardening, Coltrane and advice
Wright said the creation he is proudest of is his garden. He framed gardening as a cycle of learning, applying lessons and trying again, and said veteran gardeners have told him there is no final point at which the work is fully mastered.
The best advice Wright said he has received was to live honestly. He explained to The Verge that this means trying to be truthful with oneself and making decisions from there.
When Wright feels stuck, he said he listens to John Coltrane records. The last physical media he bought, according to the interview, was a book about gardening.
Wright also offered a proposed tagline for a biopic: “What had happened was…” The Verge included the exchange as part of its Weekend Questionnaire series, which asks public figures about routines, tools and cultural preferences.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.