On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re talking the Hollywood strikes. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by longtime journalist and author of Burn It Down , Maureen Ryan to unpack the systematic oppression that has taken place behind the scenes of your favorite movies and television shows for decades. They dig into the structures in place to keep women and marginalized voices from getting to the top of the ladder, and how none of these stories are examples of one bad a...
Aug 03, 2023•42 min
In Amicus’ summer series of conversations about books that expanded our thinking about justice and the courts, beyond the churn of headlines, Dahlia Lithwick is joined by death penalty lawyer, professor and author Stephen Bright to discuss his new book, The Fear of Too Much Justice: Race, Poverty, and the Persistence of Inequality in the Criminal Courts . Sign up for Slate Plus now to support our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 29, 2023•51 min
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Andrew Silverman about his short story “ Furgen .” Tucker, the story’s canine protagonist, is the center of his owner Caro’s world. When Caro buys an A.I.-enabled dog trainer that promises to help both her and Tucker live their best lives, everything starts to fall into place—the A.I. takes care of Tucker when he’s sick, trains him to walk without a leash, and even helps Caro get a girlfriend. But as Tucker’s bond with t...
Jul 29, 2023•1 hr 7 min
For some, the election of Barack Obama signified hope. For others, it intensified hate. But what role did mainstream political rhetoric play in fueling subsequent violent racially charged incidents? On today’s episode of A Word, guest host Ahyiana Angel is joined by Wesley Lowery, journalist and author of American Whitelash: A Changing Nation and the Cost of Progress . Lowery details how he used first-hand reporting and historical analysis to explore the role of race in politics and the new wave...
Jul 28, 2023•25 min
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by author Jason Del Rey to talk physical retail’s woes. They discuss Jason’s new book, Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart and the Battle for Our Wallets . Then they dig into what is going on with physical retail space and how looting can help Amazon and other resalers. And finally, why the IRS is investigating crypto bros in Puerto Rico. In the Plus segment: What happened to Taco Tuesday? If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up ...
Jul 22, 2023•57 min
David Plotz talks with author David Grann about his new book, The Wager . The non-fiction book tells the harrowing story of a shipwreck off the coast of Patagonia in 1742. They discuss how the British Empire twisted fact and fiction, the process of digging through 280-year-old documents, and why you should always have citrus at sea. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast productio...
Jul 22, 2023•28 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about Barbie. Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth sits down with M.G. Lord , author of Forever Barbie and co-host of “ LA Made: The Barbie Tapes ” from LAist and So Cal Public Radio. They discuss the history of the Barbie doll and how she’s managed to endure, how Barbie might actually be feminist, and what the new Greta Gerwig movie gets right about Barbie. In Slate Plus: Episode 6 of our And Just Like That…recap. If you liked this episode check out Is...
Jul 20, 2023•33 min
This month, taking a cue from the sultry, sensual heat of summer, Outward examines the venerable queer practice of cruising—for sex and sex work—in public space. First, hosts Christina Cauterucci, Jules Gill-Peterson, and Bryan Lowder make eyes at Park Cruising , a new essay collection on cruising in parks, which explores the pleasures, politics, and complexities of that gay pastime. Author Marcus McCann joins the hosts to discuss those themes. Then they head down to Christopher Street with the ...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to journalist Maureen Ryan, author of the book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood . In recent years, Ryan has pivoted from TV criticism to writing stories focused on abuses of power in the TV industry. Her new book touches on troubling situations on shows like Lost , Saturday Night Live , The Goldbergs , Sleepy Hollow , and more. In the interview, Ryan discusses her reporting process and what it's felt like to watch the creators ...
Jul 16, 2023•49 min
Pedestrian deaths in America have been rising for the last decade, while dropping in Europe and Japan. What makes the U.S. so dangerous for pedestrians? Guest: Jessie Singer , author of There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster―Who Profits and Who Pays the Price . If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporti...
Jul 16, 2023•35 min
When Gwen applied for unemployment during the early days of the pandemic, she never thought she’d still be waiting for her benefits years later. Despite hours on the phone, countless emails and even a court appearance, Gwen is haunted by her inability to get the money she was approved for. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Marina Nitze , author of Hack Your Bureaucracy . Not only does Marina help Gwen find shortcuts in her state’s unemployment system, but she has useful...
Jul 13, 2023•46 min
The last few years have been overwhelming for Tracy. Her career was demanding and she experienced multiple deaths in her family. Recently, she changed jobs and is in a better place with her mental health, but something is still missing from her life. She’s just not sure what. On this episode of How To!, co-host Carvell Wallace brings on Samantha Clarke , happiness consultant, speaker, and author of Love it Or Leave It: How To Be Happy At Work . Samantha will help Tracy (and all of us) design a p...
Jul 12, 2023•38 min
Sleep is objectively worse when splitting a bed. Yet that’s the default for most couples. But that doesn’t mean sharing the covers is easy. Especially when one person is having trouble falling or staying asleep. On this episode of How To!, the second in a two-part series, co-host Carvell Wallace continues the conversation with Dr. Wendy Troxel , author of Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep . Dr. Troxel explains how couples can experiment with sleeping arrangements in a way ...
Jul 11, 2023•33 min
The 4th of July was the hottest day yet—not just of the summer but of recorded human history . Between waves of Canadian wildfire smoke, malaria reappearing in the United States, and deaths from heat, this might be the year that we’re forced to reckon with what life will be like on our newly hotter planet. Guest: Jeff Goodell , contributing writer at Rolling Stone and the author of the upcoming book The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet . If you enjoy this show, pleas...
Jul 11, 2023•30 min
This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz are on vacation, but Emily taped an extra episode of Gabfest Reads for everyone. She sits down with author Monica Potts to talk about her new memoir The Forgotten Girls . They discuss growing up in rural Arkansas, Monica’s childhood best friend Darci, and more. For this week’s Slate Plus bonus segment, David, Emily, and John chatter about what’s making them happy this summer, an article about how bad things really are, and more. In the Ju...
Jul 06, 2023•28 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we’re diving into fairy tales. Slate book critic Laura Miller talks with author Kelly Link about her collection of fairy tale inspired short stories, White Cat, Black Dog . They discuss how fairy tales have influenced Kelly’s work , the allure of the “searching for a beloved” story, finding a community of female writers. In Slate Plus: Cheyna Roth and Luke Winkie discuss episode three of Max’s And Just Like That… Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editori...
Jun 29, 2023•32 min
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Matt Bell about his short story “ Empathy Hour .” In the story’s climate-change-ravaged future, society’s wealthiest are whisked away to luxurious, self-contained cities. Once there, they entertain themselves with a carefully crafted reality show meant to assuage their guilt about the climate refugees they’ve left behind. But then, someone breaks into their airbrushed world, lifting the lid on what hides underneath it. A...
Jun 24, 2023•1 hr 14 min
During this LGBTQ Pride month, many members of the community are reflecting on a year of unprecedented political and legal attacks. One of the biggest battlefields has been in public schools and libraries, where books featuring LGBTQ stories have been the targets of censors. On today’s episode of A Word, guest host journalist Aisha Mills is joined by George M. Johnson, author of one of the most banned books, All Boys Aren’t Blue. They talk about the intersection of race and gender identity, and ...
Jun 23, 2023•29 min
Emily Bazelon talks with author Peter Singer about his updated and re-released book, Animal Liberation Now . The classic text has been an integral part of the animal rights movement since its publication in 1975. They discuss what we’ve learned about animals in the last several decades, including the intelligence of animals, why people should become vegan to help with climate change, and a passage in the Bible we’ve gotten very, very wrong. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at ga...
Jun 17, 2023•32 min
Police killings of Black men have their own grim, but established, rituals in American society. But what happens to those who survive police violence? On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Leon Ford, who survived being shot multiple times by Pittsburgh police more than a decade ago. In his new memoir An Unspeakable Hope, Ford candidly describes his legal, physical, and mental health challenges, and why he eventually dedicated himself to working with police, including reaching ...
Jun 16, 2023•40 min
In celebration of Pride month, we’re bringing you some extra episodes of the Outward podcast. This week, host Christina Cauterucci talks to two people who recently visited every lesbian bar in the United States: Krista Burton, author of the newly published book Moby Dyke: An Obsessive Quest to Track Down the Last Remaining Lesbian Bars in America , and Naomi Gordon-Loebl, a writer and sommelier. They discuss the purpose of lesbian bars, trends in dyke-bar decor, and whether lesbian bars are stil...
Jun 14, 2023•32 min
Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers talk about the SEC lawsuits against Binance and Coinbase. Then they are joined by Slate’s own Henry Grabar for a chat about his new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World . In the plus segment: More conversation with Henry Grabar 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 th...
Jun 10, 2023•56 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, we talk about living a life alone, but without loneliness. Slate senior editor Rebecca Onion talks with author Amy Key about her new book, Arrangements in Blue , and how Key has found fulfillment without romantic love. In Slate Plus: The influence of Joni Mitchell’s album, Blue. If you like this episode, check out: Why Medical Mysteries Plague Women Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your co...
Jun 08, 2023•35 min
In celebration of Pride month, we’re bringing you some extra episodes of the Outward podcast. This week, host Bryan Lowder talks to Slate contributor John Culhane about his new book More Than Marriage: Forming Families After Marriage Equality . In the book, Culhane explores legal arrangements other than marriage that could protect people’s relationships and finances. While we might once have decried these options as consolation prizes, contracts such as designated beneficiary agreements offer ex...
Jun 07, 2023•37 min
On this episode: Zak Rosen talks with author and philosopher, Ryan Holiday , about his new book, The Daily Dad: 366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids . Elizabeth Newcamp and Jamilah Lemieux join to go over recommendations and to listen to your advice. Recommendations: Jamilah: Banana pudding Zak: Using magnet tiles on your walls, which may be magnetic. Elizabeth: Summer Brain Quest books and cards If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus ...
Jun 05, 2023•35 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Ellen Hart, a mystery author who’s been active since the late 80’s and who is most famous for the long-running Jane Lawless series. In the interview, Ellen talks about her early career as a chef and explains why (and how) she pivoted to writing. Then she explains why, after so many years of heavy output, she’s deciding to write less and less, and both she and June reckon with the dreaded “R” word (retirement!). After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butl...
Jun 04, 2023•49 min
Every family has secrets. As a girl, Leta McCollough Seletzky learned that her father, Marrell McCollough– was on the scene of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. But it would be years before she learned that he was there as a spy for the Memphis police, who wanted information on King’s local allies. On today’s episode of A Word, she speaks with Jason Johnson about her father’s story, captured in her new book, The Kneeling Man: My Father's Life as a Black Spy Who Witnessed the Assassination ...
Jun 02, 2023•26 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, it’s all about the beauty industry. Senior writer and editor at New America, Julia Craven is joined by author and NPR host-at-large Elise Hu . They discuss Elise’s new book, Flawless - a remarkable investigation into the Korean beauty world. They also unpack the hustle culture inherent in beauty, how Eurocentric beauty trends are everywhere, and more. In Slate Plus: Is Shiv Roy from HBO’s Succession misunderstood? If you liked this episode, check out: Who’s G...
Jun 01, 2023•39 min
On this month’s episode of Future Tense Fiction, host Maddie Stone talks to Justina Ireland about her short story “ Collateral Damage .” The story follows a group of soldiers deployed alongside TED, the Army’s first self-aware combat drone. TED is relentlessly efficient, quickly outpacing its human counterparts—and leaving them worried for their jobs. But when a wrong call from the clunky robot puts soldiers’ lives at risk, they realize just how hard it is to program for battlefield experience. ...
May 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, are female characters becoming less likable? Slate senior supervising producer, Daisy Rosario is joined by author and comedian Jena Friedman . Jena’s new book Not Funny explores likeability and what that means for women in comedy and the world. They talk about unlikeable female characters and anti-heroines in shows like Rosanne, Killing Eve, and more. How unlikeable female characters have evolved - and how streamers actually helped bring down some gatekeepers...
May 25, 2023•35 min
