This week, host June Thomas talks to Jason Isaacs, an actor known for roles like Lucien Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series and Georgy Zhukov in The Death of Stalin . In the interview, Jason discusses the extensive research that went into his portrayal of Cary Grant in the Britbox series Archie , including the work of capturing Grant’s accent, which changed over time. He also talks about his impressively long IMDB page and his life-changing experience working on the play Angels in Americ a. A...
Jan 14, 2024•50 min
This week Jules sits down with Raquel Willis, an award-winning activist and journalist whose work is dedicated Black trans liberation. Raquel’s new memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom chronicles her political and personal awakenings as a Black trans woman growing up in the south. Jules and Raquel talk grief, gender, and collective liberation. Podcast production by Palace Shaw. Email us at: outwardpodcast@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jan 10, 2024•43 min
This week, guest-host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Wendy MacNaughton, an artist whose work can be found in many places, including the bestselling cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat . In the interview, Wendy discusses her unique artistic style, which stems from her practice of interacting closely with her subjects. She also talks about her educational project DrawTogether and its sister project DrawTogether Strangers , which encourages people to draw portraits of complete strangers in public places arou...
Jan 07, 2024•47 min
This week, working hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler share their goals for the year ahead and devise strategies to help each other accomplish them. They also reflect on their resolutions from last year and share how well they stuck to them. Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675. Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free ex...
Dec 31, 2023•35 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler discuss the value of finding people who can help take work off your plate and let you focus on your primary tasks. Isaac found employing a research assistant for both his books was an integral part of discovering and collating details. June has utilized software programs to stay productive and organized, yet both hosts are wary of the role that A.I. may play. They also discuss how other jobs such as copy editing, can...
Dec 28, 2023•30 min
This week, we revisit host Isaac Butler's conversation with Liz Stokes and Jon Pearce, who make up half of the New Zealand indie rock band The Beths. In the interview, Liz and Jon walk through their songwriting process step-by-step, from initial riffs and lyrics to their complex vocal harmonies and guitar solos. They also explain why the bridge is often the hardest part of a song to write. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss why songwriting sometimes feels like magic. In t...
Dec 24, 2023•50 min
This week, host Isaac Butler is joined by actor, writer, director Erik Jensen for a frank conversation about his recent cancer diagnosis and the challenges artists face holding on to health-care coverage, especially in the age of streaming. They go on to discuss Jensen’s continued creative activity, including a new film project he co-directed with his wife and acted in with his daughter. Later, Jensen explains some of the intricacies of the recent writers’ and actors’ strikes. After the intervie...
Dec 17, 2023•55 min
In this episode, Brittany Luse (host of NPR’s’ It’s Been a Minute ) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers who are dealing with friends who hold grudges when their sexual advances are rejected, unsupportive coffee shop bosses, and people who keep tracking fleas into their homes. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 ...
Dec 15, 2023•39 min
Dan enlisted in the Army in 2003 during the early phase of the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He just retired after 20 years of service—and is adjusting to myriad challenges of civilian life while also managing PTSD, ADHD and new sobriety. On this episode of How To!, Bob Beard of Arizona State University’s Center for Science and the Imagination joins us to talk about a new program that’s helping veterans like Dan plan for the distant future using science fiction, conceptual art, and strategi...
Dec 12, 2023•37 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Val McDermid, a prolific crime novelist whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Val has even been dubbed the “Quine of Crime,” a Scottish alternative to the title “Queen of Crime,” which the Agatha Christie estate objected to. In the interview, Val explains where her ideas come from and how she decides which of her on-going series to pick up next. She also talks about incorporating Scottish slang into her books, including her latest one, Past Lyin...
Dec 10, 2023•47 min
This week, guest-host Keisha “TK” Dutes talks to graphic designer, writer, and educator Gail Anderson, who specializes in the art of typography. In the interview, Gail talks about falling in love with printed lettering and her decision to become a designer in the first place. Then she discusses some of her specific work, including campaign buttons and posters, playbills for Broadway, and her Emancipation Proclamation U.S. postage stamp . After the interview, TK and co-host June Thomas talk about...
Dec 03, 2023•49 min
In this episode, Elie Mystal (attorney and writer) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters about what to do when you're wary of "cancel culture" but want to hold a bad boss accountable, what to do when it feels like nobody cares about spreading germs, and whether slumber parties are “sending kids into trauma. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign u...
Dec 01, 2023•52 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to casting director and producer Logan Clark, whose credits include reality TV series like American Idol , The Masked Singer , and the excellent HBO reality series Legendary . In the interview, Logan explains how and why he got into reality show casting and what the job entails. Then he talks about the casting process for Legendary and the importance of featuring members of underrepresented groups on reality TV. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler...
Nov 26, 2023•43 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Kristoffer Borgli, the writer and director (and editor!) behind the new movie Dream Scenario , starring Nicolas Cage. In the interview, Kristoffer discusses the writing and revision process for Dream Scenario and explains how he tweaked the main character once Cage signed on. He also talks about why he shoots on film, why he likes to both direct and edit his work, and how he’s able to maintain good vibes on set. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Cameron...
Nov 19, 2023•51 min
This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Nikki Watson, a home staging expert who founded The Design Quad , one of the biggest home staging companies in the country. In the interview, Nikki explains what a home stager does and how it’s different from the work of an interior designer. She also discusses trends in the industry, like the “monochromatic” color palettes, and her ability to evoke emotions with her staging. After the interview, Kristen and co-host Isaac Butler talk more about tren...
Nov 12, 2023•42 min
A review website became suddenly flush with new bylines, right as the newsroom was negotiating with management. But information on their new contributors was hard to find—were they people at all, or was this the first clumsy incursion of A.I. into their newsroom? Guest: Will Sommer , Washington Post media reporter 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 P...
Nov 12, 2023•21 min
In this episode, Alison Green (author of Ask a Manager ) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters about workplace dilemmas: what to do when you can’t stop crying at the office, whether it makes sense to share an autism diagnosis with your team, and PDA with a colleague. If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members. Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three mon...
Nov 10, 2023•40 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, what’s it like to be an indie musician? Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by singer and songwriter Dessa . They dig into her newest album and how she has benefited from and been hurt by being a woman in the music industry. Later in the show they explore the breakup song - and all the gendered expectations that go along with writing one. In Slate Plus: What do a dentist, neuroscientists, and puppeteers all have in common? They’ve worked with Dessa. I...
Nov 09, 2023•39 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Raja Feather Kelly, a choreographer and director who works both on Broadway and with his dance-theatre-media company, The Feath3r Theory . In the interview, Raja discusses the useful systems and strategies he’s developed with his collaborators at The Feath3r Theory and how he’s able to apply some of that wisdom to his work on Broadway. He also shares the process behind his upcoming show, The Absolute Future of the Multiverse of How to Cover the Sun with Mud ...
Nov 05, 2023•50 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, a listener grapples with the complicated problem of having too much success as a freelancer. Balancing their time between a day job and an onslaught of freelance projects leaves them feeling wiped out, yet tepid about rocking their financial boat. Hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler share their own experiences of juggling freelance and full-time work. While freelancing can be feast or famine, it's important to set realistic deadlines, negotiate for bet...
Nov 02, 2023•21 min
Our listener Abdullah has reached a plateau. A mid-career manager at a large electronics engineering corporation, he feels intellectually unstimulated. Even though Abdullah has a stable job with seniority, he dreams of going back to school, and pursuing his true passion: economics. But with a family to support, should Abdullah make a risky leap? On this episode of How To!, host Carvell Wallace is joined by Freakonomics co-author and University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt . Well-known for ...
Oct 31, 2023•39 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Katherine Howe, a writer of both historical fiction and nonfiction books. In the interview, Katherine starts by discussing her upcoming novel A True Account , which tells a fictional story about the very real Golden Age of Piracy. Then she talks about her work collaborating with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper on historical nonfiction books. Their latest is called Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune . After the interview, June and co-host Kristen Meinz...
Oct 29, 2023•45 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves, the Las Vegas Aces beat the New York Liberty to win their second WNBA championship in a row. But more impressive is that they played in front of one of the biggest crowds to ever attend a WNBA game. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by sports journalist and founder of the Power Plays newsletter Lindsay Gibbs to unpack the recent surge in popularity for women’s sports, why you should make an effort to support women’s basketball, and mor...
Oct 26, 2023•48 min
This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Margalit Fox, a longtime writer of obituaries for the New York Times and now a full-time writer of nonfiction books, like The Confidence Men . In the interview, Margalit discusses the delicate art of documenting notable deaths, including the practice of pre-writing and continually updating the obituaries of living people. She also explains how her work as an obituary writer has influenced her work as a nonfiction author. After the interview, Kristen...
Oct 22, 2023•50 min
David Plotz talks with author and 12-year Amazon senior employee, Kristi Coulter about her new memoir, Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career . They discuss the good, the bad, and the confusing parts of Coulter’s career at Amazon, starting in 2006. They talk about the culture of Amazon, the frustrating gender dynamics, and why she was constantly “a year away” from a promotion. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com . (Messages could be quoted by...
Oct 21, 2023•31 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and June Thomas discuss confidence and what it took for them to feel self-assured in their own creative strengths. June knows she is a wizard of copy editing, while Isaac has faith in his prowess as a writer, but it took them both years of hard work to get there. At the beginning of a career it can be hard to feel self-assured in your work, but keeping in mind that every artist has endured periods of self-doubt, and avoiding compari...
Oct 19, 2023•31 min
The beginning of the school year is a gauntlet for Andrea, who coaches teachers for a living. She needs to get to know the 52 educators she’ll work with in the coming months. All of them are new faces to her. Which means she’s starting from scratch. Time is tight, so Andrea is wondering how to make every interaction count. On this episode of How To!, co-host Courtney Martin brings in Marlon Styles , who has been in Andrea’s shoes. As an educator and motivational speaker, Marlon is a pro at makin...
Oct 17, 2023•36 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Patrick Page, a broadway performer whose current one-man show All the Devils Are Here digs into the complex psyches of multiple Shakespeare villains. In the interview, Patrick discusses his passion for playing Shakespeare roles, his process for researching characters, and the importance of being a good listener as an actor. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about some specific acting exercises. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Patri...
Oct 15, 2023•50 min
On this week’s episode of The Waves: the case for taking a sabbatical. Host TK Dutes speaks with author and former television writer Patty Lin on her latest book End Credits: How I Broke Up With Hollywood . Lin worked in some of the most notable writers' rooms like Friends, Freaks and Geeks, Desperate Housewives and Breaking Bad. But when she hit a breaking point, she made a big change and stopped working for an entire year. After that? Her relationship with work–and everything else–transformed....
Oct 12, 2023•40 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Suk Pannu, creator and writer of Mrs. Sidhu Investigates , a British radio drama that became a TV series that’s now available on Acorn TV. In the interview, Suk explains why he wanted to tell the story of a middle-aged Indian auntie who becomes an amateur sleuth. He also talks about the different creative demands of radio and TV and the slightly surrealist nature of amateur sleuth mystery stories. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss why...
Oct 08, 2023•47 min
