This month, Outward explores utopian fiction and dystopian reality TV. First, Bryan and Christina are joined by author Theodore McCombs to discuss Uranians , his new collection of speculative stories, which uses queer difference and divestment from the normal as an engine to drive five fascinating tales. Then they’re joined by producer June Thomas to discuss The Ultimatum: Queer Love , Netflix’s latest take on the dating show, which follows a cast of queer women and nonbinary folks as they try t...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 14 min
This week, Felix Salmon , Emily Peck , and Elizabeth Spiers discuss Felix’s new book The Phoenix Economy: Work, Life, and Money in the New Not Normal. In the Plus segment: monkeys and immigration policy. Podcast production by Jessamine Molli and Patrick Fort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
May 13, 2023•49 min
Get your tickets for Amicus Live on May 24th. On this week’s Amicus, we head to Seattle for a live taping of the show at the Cross Cut Festival with guest Michael Waldman, President of NYU Law School’s Brennan Center. Dahlia Lithwick asks him about his new book, THE SUPERMAJORITY: How the Supreme Court Divided America, and what the ongoing ethics scandals and plummeting public approval for the court mean for our democracy. They also look ahead to next month when the court’s legitimacy may be str...
May 13, 2023•49 min
The persistent stereotype that role-playing, tabletop game players are overwhelmingly white is rooted in race, housing, and history. The suburban homes where people could dedicate a surface to a sprawling, multiplayer board game used to be almost exclusively white. And the knights, wizards, and other fantastic creatures in these games were closely tied to European mythology. But a more diverse world of game playing is rising, with more people of color getting a seat at the creative table. On tod...
May 12, 2023•35 min
Emily Bazelon talks with author author Curtis Sittenfeld about her new book Romantic Comedy . They discuss why ordinary guys get to be with famous women, but usually not the other way around, the fun of writing a fictional version of Saturday Night Live, and how to write witty email exchanges. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ...
May 06, 2023•26 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re doing a very special Mom and Dad Are Fighting crossover with host Jamilah Lemieux. Jamilah sits down with author Virginia Sole-Smith to talk about her new book, Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture . They discuss helping kids accept their bodies in whatever form they take, dealing with our own internalized fatphobia, and more. In Slate Plus, answering a listener’s question on secret snacking. If you liked this episode, check out Making Friends...
May 04, 2023•38 min
On this episode: Elizabeth talks with Chris Balme , author of Finding the Magic In Middle School . He explains what drives tweens, why this period is fundamentally different than high school, and how to guide them through this transition. Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth also open up the mailbag and give some recommendations. Recommendations: Zak: Watch David Byrne sing When Doves Cry at a karaoke bar Elizabeth: Professor Noggin Cards , Binder Rings Jamilah: Florida Man on Netflix If you enjoy this s...
May 01, 2023•31 min
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to David Iserson about “ This, but Again .” The story follows Marcus, who is forced to relive his life over and over again in a never-ending computer simulation. Thanks to a glitch, Marcus already knows everything that will happen—but he can change almost nothing. That is until he meets Sara, who helps him break from the simulation’s script. But that, as you might expect, is not without consequences.After the story, Iserson...
Apr 29, 2023•55 min
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Semafor editor-in-chief Ben Smith to discuss his new book . They also break down Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News and the end of Buzzfeed News. In the Plus: A throwback to the olden days of blogging. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Sl...
Apr 29, 2023•49 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, finding friends as an adult. Slate executive editor Susan Matthews is joined by author, comedian, and musician Lane Moore to talk about Moore’s new book You Will Find Your People . They dig into the necessity of healthy boundaries, letting go of old friendships that no longer serve you, and the importance of deep friendships that require work. In Slate Plus, unpacking celebrity friendships. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy R...
Apr 27, 2023•34 min
David Plotz talks with author Alexandra Petri about her new book, Alexandra Petri’s US History: Important American Documents . They discuss how to transform staid history documents into rollicking parodies, how Petri found her “voice” multiple times, and her grander ambitions for the book. Plus, Petri reads some choice selections. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production ...
Apr 22, 2023•27 min
Spring is in the air, and the Outward hosts are gay like tulips and queer like allergies! First, they discuss a new animated version of the beloved Frog and Toad series of children’s books, which premieres on Apple TV+ on April 28. Then they welcome Daniel M. Lavery to the pod. Danny was Slate’s own Dear Prudence for many years, and now a Dear Prudence book is here to grace our bookshelves. Danny shares his philosophy of advice-giving, talks about what it was like to transition in the public eye...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 24 min
Kate stopped reading in 2016. Since then, she’s tried to find her way back to it but something’s not clicking, and it’s left a book-shaped hole in her heart. Reading used to be something she really enjoyed, took pride in, and loved connecting with people over. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings in Maryanne Wolf, director of UCLA’s Center For Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice and author of the book, Reader, Come Home . Maryanne explains the science behind the ...
Apr 18, 2023•38 min
Kate stopped reading in 2016. Since then, she’s tried to find her way back to it but something’s not clicking, and it’s left a book-shaped hole in her heart. Reading used to be something she really enjoyed, took pride in, and loved connecting with people over. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings in Maryanne Wolf, director of UCLA’s Center For Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice and author of the book, Reader, Come Home. Maryanne explains the science behind the r...
Apr 18, 2023•38 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to writer John Cotter, whose new memoir Losing Music tells the story of a mysterious illness that degraded John’s hearing and caused periods of vertigo. In the interview, John explains how writing became a necessary tool that helped him make sense of his illness and his changing world. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss how creative practices can change drastically as people get older and their lives change. They also expand on a writing...
Apr 09, 2023•54 min
Folklorist and Harlem Renaissance author Zora Neale Hurston made her hometown of Eatonville, Florida famous in her writing, including her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God . But her fame hasn’t saved the town from the pressures that many African American communities have endured: a population fighting poverty, government indifference, and developers that want to scoop up the land to build housing that current residents can’t afford. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Aally...
Apr 07, 2023•28 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by Texas Tribune reporter Roxanna Asgarian to discuss her book We Were Once A Family: A Story of Love, Death and Child Removal in America and its findings on the foster care system. The book covers the tragic Hart family murders in 2018 where two mothers drove their six adopted children off a cliff. In Slate Plus: How Roxanna navigated writing about a tragic family story in a pandemic while being a first-time...
Mar 30, 2023•36 min
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Annalee Newitz about “ When Robot and Crow Saved East St. Louis .” Annalee’s short story follows a disease-fighting robot—and its companions, both human and crow—on a quest to track an outbreak and develop a vaccine before it's too late. The story was published in December 2018, but now, three years after the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic, it offers a look at how public health responses could better reflect the needs ...
Mar 25, 2023•1 hr 19 min
John Dickerson talks with author Chris Miller about his new book, Chip War: The Fight for The World’s Most Critical Technology . They discuss how semiconductor chips became so important, why everyone is so dependent on Taiwan for chips, and what lessons China can glean from what’s happening in Ukraine. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more ab...
Mar 18, 2023•39 min
When you imagine how science and technology will reshape our future, does it excite you, or scare you, or both? Each month, the Future Tense Fiction podcast will introduce you to a short work of science fiction, one that will challenge, surprise and intrigue you. Then host Maddie Stone will talk with the author to explore how their own experiences with technology—from smart weapons, to electronic pets, to virtual reality—informed their writing and their vision. That’s every month on Future Tense...
Mar 18, 2023•3 min
For decades, there has been a stigma attached to remaining unmarried and childless in the Black community, particularly for women. But a growing part of the Black middle class is single, childfree adults. Does the trend threaten the future of the Black family, or is it time to recognize a different model for family life? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by sociologist Kris Marsh, author of “ The Love Jones Cohort: Single and Living Alone in the Black Middle Class .” Guest: K...
Mar 17, 2023•26 min
The Scream franchise returns to theaters this weekend. Since it first debuted in 1996, the racial dynamics of horror films have evolved. And for the first time in generations of scary movies, African American characters are surviving, killing the monsters, or even slaying as horror villains themselves. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Mark Harris, the co-author of The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar , to talk about the evolution of Black hor...
Mar 10, 2023•33 min
On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy . They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play. Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy , Gita’s got some recommendations. Books: Annihilation , by Jeff VanderMeer Vita Nostra , by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko Magic for Liars , by Sarah Gailey Games: P...
Mar 04, 2023•45 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talks with Heather Havrilesky about the divine tedium of marriage. They discuss Heather’s book, Foreverland and the explosive response the book initially got (especially when Heather called her husband “a heap of laundry”). Later in the show, they dig into what to do when your husband is truly being a little bit of a patriarchal jerk. In Slate Plus, a behind the scenes look at what goes into writing the Ask Polly column. Podc...
Mar 02, 2023•37 min
Joey is a young creative living in Australia who can’t decide which hat to wear. Should it be songwriting, skateboarding, acting, or should he focus more on his day job as a retail clerk? Fitting everything in during the week seems impossible and he feels guilty when he can’t cross everything off his checklist. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in journalist Oliver Burkeman , the author of 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals . He explains how he too once wanted to do i...
Feb 21, 2023•43 min
This week, host Karen Han talks to actor, director, and writer Tim Blake Nelson, who just came out with his first novel, City of Blows . In the interview, Tim explains why he decided to reference real life events–like the #MeToo movement and COVID–in a fictional story about Hollywood. He also talks about the challenges of writing fictional prose and offers some useful wisdom about writing in general. After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss the best ways to juggle multiple proj...
Feb 19, 2023•49 min
Emily Bazelon talks with author Rebecca Makkai about her new book, I Have Some Questions For You . They discuss why it’s so easy to suspend disbelief with this type of story, the “cancelled” subplot, and whether we’d be better off without Twitter. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Feb 18, 2023•39 min
Awards season can be a frustrating moment for Black writers in Hollywood, when even their most successful shows and films are frequently overlooked. Rodney Barnes has built a thriving career by telling stories of Black life, from “Everybody Hates Chris,” to “The Boondocks,” to “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” On today’s episode of A Word, he joins Jason Johnson to discuss the challenges and rewards of his rise as a screenwriter and producer. His latest work is a graphic novel, “ B...
Feb 17, 2023•32 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth talks all about fear with author Erica Berry . They discuss trying to navigate alone in the world as a woman, how one fairy tale tells you everything you need to know about women and fear, and Erica’s new book, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear . In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Erica talk about how one wolf, OR-7, stole hearts across the nation. Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Dai...
Feb 16, 2023•39 min
For many Americans, the “Green Book” is an Oscar-winning film. But for generations of Black Americans, it served as a literal map for traveling through an often hostile and hateful country, finding safety and businesses that would serve us. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and financial educator Alvin Hall. He’s the author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance. Hall explains how the original Green Book began, discusse...
Feb 10, 2023•30 min
