The Moth’s artistic director, Catherine Burns, talks to Catie Lazarus about grief at work and what makes the perfect story. Then Lazarus chats with comedian Jo Firestone about writing for other comedians like Jimmy Fallon, Joe Pera, and Chris Gethard, and for her own shows.

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Ezra Klein, co-founder of Vox and host of the podcast “The Ezra Klein Show,” talks to Catie Lazarus about tribalism, fan fiction to the data on dry humping. Plus, after leaving Saturday Night Live, Sasheer Zamata’s stand up career continues to flourish, from her special Pizza Mind to performing with Nicole Byer, and how she and Amy Schumer met. Zamata is not just a writer, actor and stand-up. The superstar joins FreeStyle Love Supreme’s Chris “Shockwave” Sullivan, Andrew “Jelly D. Bancroft” and Arthur Lewis for some freestyle karaoke, before leaving New York for Los Angeles. This special episode of Employee of the Month with Catie Lazarus was part of Bentzen Ball’s DC Comedy Festival at The Kennedy Center.

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Kicking off 2019 with NPR’s “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!” host, Peter Sagal. Sagal got his start with screenwriting, penning Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Writing the sequel to Dirty Dancing was a natural transition to hosting a public radio show. Sagal talks to Catie Lazarus about how he wound up hosting National Public Radio’s most popular show, his new book “The Incomplete Book of Running”, and why to get off the grid.

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As 2018 comes to a close, Catie Lazarus shares a super duper special episode of Employee of the Month, which was recorded live at Largo in Los Angeles with comedians and Employee of the Month winners Patton Oswalt and Tig Notaro. You can catch Patton Oswalt’s most recent comedy special ANNIHILATION on Netflix, as the prolific stand up, actor and writer is currently balancing multiple writing projects and prepping for his next special. Oswalt talks to Catie Lazarus about the three challenges he faces in writing, especially for heroes. He also shares his experience as a fan to being in the film BIG FAN. Plus Lazarus speaks with Tig Notaro, whose stand-up special HAPPY TO BE HEAR is also on Netflix. She reveals  how she dealt with being fired and letting someone go on her own TV series ONE MISSISSIPPI to pitching her upcoming film FIRST LADIES to co-star Jennifer Aniston. Oswalt and Notaro also share how in the aftermath of grief, they found love and began new chapters in their lives. Here is hoping our country, if not world, can make a similar leap.

Podcast production by Phil Surkis. Theme song by Lady Rizo.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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On this episode of Employee of the Month, Catie Lazarus interviews and honors comedians Wyatt Cenac and Negin Farsad. It is possible to be funny and make a difference as they both reveal. Cenac currently hosts HBO’s Problem Areas, which is the only political comedy show to consistently shed light on activists to policy wonks and how we can better deal with issues like prison reform to homelessness. He also talks about leaving The Daily Show and  mentor Colin Quinn at SNL. Negin Farsad who is the author of Hoe to Make White People Laugh and host of the podcast Fake the Nation on Earwolf shares how she dealt with death threats to the beauty of “blackout boning.”

Podcast production by Phil Surkis. Theme song by Lady Rizo.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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As suicide rate rises amongst the military, Republicans are slashing government funding for mental health care. So, when military struggling with PTSD wanted to stage a performance to help cope with PTSD, Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright volunteered to direct them. HBO’s riveting new documentary We are Not Done Yet chronicles their process and how the military trains artists. The Tony and Emmy winner also shares his love for Jack Daniels and how he guarded Brett Kavanaugh in football.

Plus, Lazarus speaks with Brian Lehrer, the Peabody winning and duly beloved host of WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show, who embodies Lao Tzu's philosophy that, "The best leaders are those the people hardly know exist." But is he a Yankee or a Mets fan? Catie Lazarus, with help from Mike Pesca, tests Lehrer’s baseball trivia and his hairy past.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Catie Lazarus, Hannibal Buress and Marina Franklin, talk about sex, stand up, consensual sex, podcasting, code-switching and Chicago and New York’s comedy scenes. Buress reveals his secret to acting and Marina reveals how Amy Schumer inspired her to come into her own.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Emily Mortimer, star of Mary Poppins Returns and Lovely & Amazing, talks to Catie Lazarus about merkins, The Sex Pistols, work wife Dolly Wells and babysitter/husband Alessandro Nivola. Dolly Wells, best known for Bridget Jones Diary and HBO’s Doll and Em, offer a sneak peak of what they’re working on next.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Catie Lazarus talks with Emmy Award winner Chris Jackson, best known for originating the role of George Washington in Hamilton. He was also a lead in In The Heights and composed music for Sesame Street penning the music for a Will.I.Am hit “What I Am,” which is addictive, no matter how old you are.

Plus, Catie sits down in the studio with CUNY Professor and Poet Celina Su to discuss how to avoid burnout as a political activist, refugees, and prose.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Catie Lazarus talks with comedian Fred Armisen who did prank videos before Youtube, which launched his career, beginning with Saturday Night Live and later on IFC’s Portlandia and Documentary Now!. His latest series is Amazon Prime’s  Forever, in which he co-stars with Employee of the Month alumna Maya Rudolph. Then Catie chats with comedian and author of American Tantrum Anthony Atamanuik on what it takes to have compassion for Donald Trump.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

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