This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money , which recently joined Slate after a brief hiatus. In the interview, Anna explains her process for conducting the powerful and vulnerable interviews that her podcast is known for. She also talks about her early career as a politics reporter, her tips for making sure interview subjects feel respected, and how a Death, Sex & Money episode is born. After the interview, Ronald and co-host June Thomas...
Apr 28, 2024•50 min
Earlier this year, when the future of Death, Sex & Money was up in the air, Anna Sale consulted Rebecca Auman, a tarot reader and self-described witch based in North Carolina. Anna felt lost, but Rebecca encouraged her to relax and to pay close attention to what her body and mind were telling her about that moment. After the reading, Anna wondered how Rebecca became so good at reading people–and at helping them to navigate tough situations. But when the two of them spoke a second time, Rebec...
Apr 23, 2024•43 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to novelist Julia Hannafin and ecologist Adam Rosenblatt. In the interview, they discuss Julia’s new novel Cascade , which includes information about sharks and other marine life that Adam helped to verify. Julia explains how factual accuracy helped to solidify and drive both the plot of Cascade and some of its emotional power. Adam talks about what the collaborative process was like for him and argues that science is more creative than people think. After the ...
Apr 21, 2024•50 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic. In the interview, Anthony describes his weekly routine, which includes practicing lots of different pieces at any given time, rehearsing, and playing multiple shows per week. He also talks about his meditation practice, his ability to play and be swept away by the music at the same time, and his Grammy-nominated album American Stories . After the interview, Isaac and co-host Ronald Young Jr...
Apr 14, 2024•50 min
In response to a spike in child labor violations, some states are strengthening their laws against the practice—while 16 states have weakened laws against child labor. What’s going on? Guest: Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for the Washington Post . Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now ...
Apr 08, 2024•26 min
This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast and author of two novels: Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo . In the interview, Linda explains how she started her career practicing law in Minnesota before she pivoted to TV criticism. She also talks about how NPR came to take pop culture seriously, how her work as a critic informs her writing (and vice versa), and how she has gotten much better at coming up with titles for her novels. Aft...
Apr 07, 2024•48 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Ronald Young Jr. and Isaac Butler take on listener Bob’s question about how to shift your brain from editor mode to creator mode. Creating new work can be invigorating, but then having to go back and self-edit your creations can zap your creative drive. Ronald and Isaac speak about their experiences with stepping away from work and exploring different kinds of art to reinspire themselves after a taxing editing process. Do you have questions or a...
Apr 04, 2024•25 min
For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the digital office became an “invisible factory” and how you can take back control of your working life. 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 discu...
Apr 02, 2024•39 min
From science fiction writers to American presidents to Elon Musk, everyone’s eager to send people to Mars. But, even if you could nail the physical aspects, are Earthlings cut out for life on Mars mentally? Guest: Nathaniel Rich , contributing writer for New York Times magazine. Kate Greene, author and poet Want more What Next TBD? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking ...
Mar 31, 2024•25 min
This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Joshua Jay, a world-class magician, storyteller, and author of multiple books about the history and craft of magic. In the interview, Joshua explains how he’s able to conceive of, design, and execute original tricks. He also talks about the role of storytelling in his work, and he explains how certain narrative structures can make for better performances. After the interview, Kristen and co-host June Thomas talk about Joshua’s high standards for his...
Mar 31, 2024•47 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Courtney Gilbert, curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art in Ketchum, Idaho. In the interview, Courtney digs into the process of curating a “non-collecting” museum, which means they start from scratch with each exhibition, and they don’t keep a large inventory of pieces. She also explains how she comes up with ideas for exhibitions, what a good exhibition should do, and how she serves her specific community. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler ...
Mar 24, 2024•48 min
This week, we get an update from Mason Earle, a former professional rock climber who we spoke to back in 2021. Mason had been diagnosed with ME/CFS, commonly called chronic fatigue syndrome, and he discussed his former career, how he was adjusting to life and marriage with a disability, and why he doesn't miss rock climbing. This week, Mason shares what he’s been up to since we last spoke. Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our m...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 1 min
This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Bekah Brunstetter, a TV writer and playwright whose most recent project is the new Broadway musical version of The Notebook . In the interview, Bekah discusses her early career journey, when she was juggling a corporate job with her playwriting passion. She also talks about breaking into TV writing and working on the hit drama This is Us . And finally, she digs into her work on The Notebook and explains what it was like to adapt the classic rom-com. Afte...
Mar 17, 2024•51 min
Like a manager or an agent or a publicist, a stylist has become a kind of must-have accessory for well-dressed, A-list celebrities. It’s just expected that they will have hired someone to select the clothes they’ll wear at public appearances. But this was not always the case. In today’s episode, Avery Trufelman, host of Articles of Interest , will guide us through the collapse of a certain kind of Hollywood glamor; to the rise of a growing, financially rewarding relationship between fashion desi...
Mar 13, 2024•43 min
This week, we’re revisiting an episode about the transitional lives of Uber drivers. Anna and then-producer Katie Bishop hitched multiple rides in the Bay Area and heard stories about immigration, domestic violence, personal finance, and more. Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus . Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com....
Mar 12, 2024•33 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Howard Fine, an acting teacher and coach who instructs both beginners and accomplished movie stars. In the interview, Howard explains why he chose to teach and coach, instead of act. Then he discusses the common problems that his students and clients face, and he explains how actors can protect their mental health, even when they need to go to challenging emotional places. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Ronald Young Jr. discuss the emotional toll tha...
Mar 10, 2024•53 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, the hosts Ronald Young Jr. and June Thomas talk money, finances, and getting paid as a freelancer in a tough economy. Filling out invoices the right way or sending a payment reminder email to an employer can turn into a sticky situation. Ronald and June recount their own frustrating experiences with not getting paid on time and how best to avoid them in the future. Do you have questions or advice of your own about the creative process? Reach out at (3...
Mar 07, 2024•19 min
When Patti retired a few months ago, everyone told her she would love the freedom and flexibility that came with leaving the workforce. Not so. The transition has left Patti grieving the loss of her routine and sense of purpose—and she’s wondering how to find fulfillment in life’s (gulp!) third act. On today’s episode, Courtney Martin welcomes Brad Stulberg , author of Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing—Including You . Brad helps Patti rethink this massive transformation ...
Mar 05, 2024•38 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to Anna Shechtman, a crossword puzzle creator whose new book is called The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle . In the interview, Anna talks about her experience writing crossword puzzles as a teenager and then going on to work with New York Times puzzle maker Will Shortz. She also discusses the subjectivity of “common knowledge” and recalls debates with Shortz about which words and phrases were puzzle-worthy. After th...
Mar 03, 2024•50 min
This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to chef and TV personality Carla Hall. In the interview, Carla talks about leaving her first career as an accountant to explore modeling and then cooking. Then she discusses her pivot to TV, her commitment to being herself on screen, and her latest project Chasing Flavor , which is now available to stream on Max. After the interview, Ronald and co-host Isaac Butler talk about big career pivots, big personalities, and their goal as extroverts to make space f...
Feb 25, 2024•44 min
Stress is all around us, but that doesn’t mean it needs to run our entire lives. According to Dr. Romie Mushtaq – a neurologist turned corporate wellness consultant – the main culprit behind our culture of stress is what she calls a “busy brain.” This week on Well, Now Dr. Kavita Patel and Maya Feller, RDN talk with Dr. Mushtaq about curing our busy brains and her latest book The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight-Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety and Sleep Again . If you liked this episode, check o...
Feb 21, 2024•37 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to writer Amitava Kumar, whose latest novel is My Beloved Life . In the interview, Amitava discusses his habit of writing every day—a habit he strongly recommends to his students at Vassar College. Then he shares the process behind his new novel and explains how he drew upon other novels for inspiration. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Ronald Young Jr. talk about daily writing practices, how to establish a writing voice, and much more. In the exclusive S...
Feb 18, 2024•48 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to writer Adam Sisman about his two biographies of the late spy novelist John le Carré. In the interview, Adam discusses how he managed to land such an exciting project and how he was granted so much access to le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell. He also talks about his friendly but complicated relationship with le Carre and some surprising findings that almost derailed the whole project. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler share research...
Feb 11, 2024•50 min
In this episode, Gia Peppers ( Healed Girl Era and More Than That ) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to set boundaries with your friend now boss, how to help a friend who won’t help herself, and to determine if there’s a red flag in a work-spouse relationship. 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...
Feb 09, 2024•36 min
For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, the hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler respond to some recent listener mail. The first message is from a listener who wonders how to find an assistant to help with their workload and tasks around the home. June and Isaac offer up their own experiences and extoll the importance of making time to supervise someone you hire's work. Later they tackle another response from a listener in the publishing world, who found Isaac’s recent remarks about the pitfa...
Feb 08, 2024•27 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Anthony Davis, a Pulitzer Prize winning opera composer whose work includes the 1986 opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X , which was recently revived and produced for the Metropolitan Opera. In the interview, Anthony discusses the inspiration for X and the many genres he drew from to compose its music. He also talks about how to craft a story using music and why it’s important to him to make political art. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thom...
Feb 04, 2024•47 min
A generation of activists –and well-meaning citizens– was pulled into intense social justice work by the murder of George Floyd in 2020. And the horrific crime, the fight for progess, and the backlash has taken a toll on their mental health. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo about her new book, Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World--And How You Can, Too. It’s the collected wisdom of activists acr...
Feb 02, 2024•33 min
It’s award season in Hollywood, and it’s got the Well, Now team thinking about wellness and the entertainment industry. Can a medical drama really teach us accurate health information? Or is it all just high-stakes surgeries with beautiful actors? Maya and Kavita talk this out with physician, showrunner and Harvard lecturer Neal Baer . He brought powerful, data-supported stories on HIV, emergency contraception, cervical cancer and more to hit cable shows like ER and Law and Order: SVU. If you li...
Jan 31, 2024•29 min
This week, host June Thomas talks to children’s book author and illustrator Mika Song, whose work includes the Norma and Bellie series about two squirrels with big appetites. In the interview, Mika explains how she collects ideas just by moving around her neighborhood and jotting down notes and drawings. She also talks about her materials, her audience, and her experiences giving book presentations to her young readers. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss how to find inspi...
Jan 28, 2024•54 min
This week, host Isaac Butler talks to the very in-demand sound designer Johnnie Burn, who has worked on multiple great and sonically rich films like Nope , Poor Things , and the dark historical drama The Zone of Interest , which tells the story of a Nazi commandant and his family who live right outside the walls of Auschwitz. In the interview, Johnnie discusses the crucial role that audio plays in the film and his close attention to historical accuracy. He also discusses the difference between h...
Jan 21, 2024•51 min
