Carolina A. Miranda, a longtime L.A. Times staff culture writer who has recently returned to the wilds of freelance, speaks to Sky Goodden about looking at things from both sides now. In working on a book proposal about the year she spent in Chile following the fall of Pinochet’s dictatorship, and in exploring new genres of writing for different publications, Miranda is changing the focus of her attention. After so many years of writing-as-response, she reflects on the value of sustained research into one subject. “I'd been wanting to explore new directions I could take my writing, and at the L.A. Times, there are certain limitations to the form.” Taking a more personal approach with her book, she’s thinking about “how do artists survive an autocracy? Culture can teach us about the moment, but also point a way forward.”

Momus: The Podcast is edited by Jacob Irish, with production assistance from Chris Andrews. Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors, The Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation and The Gund.