To kick off season two of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, we’ve got the great prose stylist, songwriter, and cultural critic Jonathan Lethem in the house to talk about all things writing as well as the new record from his band, the Disassociation. He’s a legend round these parts as well as just about everywhere, so it was an honor to get him to come onto the pod this past August. 

 After a bit of discussion of Maine and Graham Platner, Elizabeth and Jonathan get onto the topic of interviewing people and some of Jonathan’s profiles of true legends like James Brown and Bob Dylan (3:50). They then talk about critics, the role of the critic-as-auteur, and what is gained and what is lost as the media space transforms to accommodate new technologies and new ways of experiencing culture and criticism (22:00). Then, they shift gears to discuss his songwriting, his band the Disassociation, and their new album Losing Is a Luxury, which came out in March 2026 (32:20). They also dive into the writing of Charles Portis, one of their favorite authors (45:35), as well as noir fiction, a genre they both love (49:55). They then discuss Jonathan’s affection for the band The dB’s (53:50) before they segue into a conversation about the writing process, how to deal with feeling blocked, their experience of when a writer loses their fastball, and how to endure over the course of a lengthy career (60:20). Finally, they play a game where Jonathan has to rank some of his favorite film directors (69:15) before they discuss the subject of Jonathan’s legacy (73:00).   

You can find Jonathan’s books wherever you buy books and pick up the Disassociation record Losing Is a Luxury from Grapefruit Records on Bandcamp. Subscribe to Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

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Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by Clay Jones

In Episode 7 of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, we come to you LIVE from SwR’s annual Frontera Festival in Dallas, Texas! For this very special event, Elizabeth sat down with Amanda Petrusich, staff writer for The New Yorker, who stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest music critics working today. Her profiles are the stuff of legend, and her books are essential reads for any music fan. In short, Amanda is our platonic ideal for a Known Associate. 

 Over a couple of Lone Star beers on a beautiful Dallas night at The Wild Detectives bookstore, Elizabeth and Amanda discuss the idea of “good” taste, whether such a thing really exists (3:40), and how Amanda cultivated her own musical taste she liked from a very young age (5:06). They then dive a bit into Amanda’s book Do Not Sell at Any Price and what it means to be a collector (6:54). They also talk about critics whom Amanda grew up reading and who influenced her writing, as well as the state of criticism in the current moment compared to earlier generations (10:54). From there, they consider the idea of canons in art, whether canons are important and how they can change and evolve (17:24). Then, they segue into Amanda’s profile writing for The New Yorker and how she approaches her assignments and deals with her subjects (24:00). From there, they have a conversation about the present and future states of journalism and criticism, what this might mean for the next generation of writers, and whether authoritative criticism is as meaningful in the contemporary moment as it was previously (32:50). 

You can find Amanda’s writing at The New Yorker as well as many other publications on the internet and buy her books wherever you buy your books. Subscribe to Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

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Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed By: Clay Jones

In episode five of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style frontwoman and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Graham Parker, the legendary singer-songwriter, who released an incredible run of critically acclaimed and beloved records from 1976 to 1979, including Howlin’ Wind, Heat Treatment, and Squeezing Out Sparks, and he hasn’t stopped putting out albums and touring since. This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Howlin’ Wind as well as Heat Treatment, and it seemed like the right time to sit down and get to know the man behind the music.

During their conversation Elizabeth and Graham talk about the moment when he realized he could write songs, what that was like, his early years, and how he cultivated his young talent to become the songwriting powerhouse he is today (4:55). They also discuss how he got involved with his crackerjack band the Rumour, which featured a murderers’ row of pub rock luminaries (19:25), and they discuss the producers he worked with on his ’70s LPs (24:27). Elizabeth and Graham then get into the iconic Stiff Records legacy and his tangential relationship to the label, and how Stiff co-founder Dave Robinson was integral to his career, but also how Graham didn’t fit into the Stiff Records Punk/New Wave mold. They also discuss how his undeniable talent kept him writing, despite the challenges that every touring musician confronts (32:00). They take a detour into a conversation about Lowell George and Little Feat, a person and a band that mean a lot to both Elizabeth and Graham, and how the Feats and George influenced Parker’s own writing style (39:30). They get back into Parker’s career with a discussion about how he opened for Bob Dylan during a couple of different Dylan tours (46:13), plus how Graham feels when other artists cover his songs (51:47). Elizabeth then asks him about his controversial song “You Can’t Be Too Strong,” the tune’s origin story, and its reception over the years (57:17). Finally, they talk about Graham’s upcoming US tour, his soon-to-be-announced live album, Jay Nachman’s book Graham Parker’s Howlin' Wind, and what Graham’s future holds (1:05:40).

You can listen to Graham Parker anywhere you stream music, buy his records at your local shops, and keep up with him at his website. Also, be sure to check out Jay Nachman’s book Graham Parker’s Howlin' Wind. Subscribe to Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!

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Elizabeth Nelson is a DC-based journalist and singer-songwriter in the band the Paranoid Style. She also hosts the New Pony/Southwest Review podcast Known Associates, where she speaks to fellow writers, artists, and musicians. Her new album—also titled Known Associates—was released on Bar/None Records in February 2026. 

(mixed by Clay Jones)

In episode five of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Jason P. Woodbury, the beloved and highly respected writer, editor, podcaster, and frontman for the band Jason P. Woodbury & The Night Bird Singing Quartet. He’s got a wonderful new album out this month, also called Jason P. Woodbury & The Night Bird Singing Quarteton his label, Always Happening Records.  

Over the course of their conversation, Elizabeth and Jason go deep on his new album and how he wrote and recorded this collection of songs under this particular band name (2:47). They also talk about Jason’s artistic influences (21:12) and who inspires him as a songwriter and a music fan. Then they get into Jason’s ancestral and current home of Arizona, the general weirdness of the American Southwest, and how the surpassing beauty and strangeness of his surroundings shaped him (27:00), plus they dive into the presence of UFOs in the desert and the appeal of the unknown (31:26). They also discuss his iconic album artwork for his new record, which is a must-see for any fan of Vintage Contemporary books (40:00). Elizabeth then asks Jason about how he deals with the perceived role conflict in being both a songwriter and a music critic, and how these identities intersect and augment each other (45:44). They also consider the current state of music criticism, why criticism is still important, and the viability of music publications and careers in the field of music journalism (53:00). Finally, they talk about Jason’s decision to release his record on his own label, what his plans are now that he is running a label, and what his future holds (1:08:43). 

Follow all things Jason P. Woodbury at places like his Bandcamp, the legendary Aquarium Drunkard, and his Substack Range and Basin. Subscribe to Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by: Clay Jones

In episode four of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Ann Powers—feminist, writer, editor, and beloved NPR correspondent. With a career that began when she was just a teenager writing for The Rocket in Seattle, Powers has spent the better part of her life chronicling, and commenting on, popular culture for our edification and enjoyment. She is the author of several books, including 2017’s Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music and 2024’s Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell. One of her major passions is re-creating the rock and pop canon to focus on the achievements of women artists. She is a beacon.

During their conversation, Elizabeth and Ann talk about her new projects, including an NPR+ podcast with Daoud Tyler-Ameen and an upcoming, career-spanning anthology of her work from the University of Texas Press (2:27). They also discuss her work creating the Turning the Tables series and its attendant book How Women Made Music (9:35). Then, they dive into what it’s like being a woman critic in the rock space (17:14), as well as the current state of music and music criticism (26:43), and the role artists (and their fans) may or may not play in the telling of their stories (1:06:25). They dive into Ann’s recent Joni Mitchell biography, her process writing this book, and the decision to not speak to a subject (1:13:00). They also spend some time talking about legacy artists, the art of live performance, the notion of artistic authenticity, and the increasing role technology plays in the creative process (1:26:13). Finally, they discuss what it feels like to experience the despair of writer’s block and what techniques they use to overcome such an impasse (1:45:10).  

Be sure to keep up with Ann Powers here. Subscribe to Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website here. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by: Clay Jones

In episode three of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to music writer, director and producer, author and feminist badass Jessica Hopper. From the ’zines of her earliest years to her bestselling books The First Collection of Criticism By A Living Female Rock Critic and Night Moves to her groundbreaking work in film, TV, and podcasts, Jessica Hopper doesn’t just move the needle. She IS the needle. 

Over the course of their conversation, Elizabeth and Jessica discuss the mighty Lilith Fair (1:35)—a late 90s festival founded by Sarah MacLachlan with an emphasis on elevating women musicians—and Hopper’s involvement as an executive producer on the 2025 documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery—The Untold Story, currently streaming on Hulu. They also talk about the University of Texas Press’s seventy-fifth Anniversary, Hopper’s American Music Series on UT Press, and the books that she has helped get published (20:33). Of course, they get into what the future holds (43:40), but they also talk about Hopper’s past: her upbringing in Minneapolis and how she became the force of nature she is (46:44). Finally, they dive into her friendship with Known Associate Craig Finn from the Hold Steady, the flavor of the region she comes from, some of her favorite bands from her hometown, and the Twin Cities’ critics who inspired her (58:00).      

Subscribe to Known Associates—and check out Southwest Review’s website here. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by: Clay Jones

In episode two of Known Associates, a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Patterson Hood from Drive-By Truckers. For over forty years, this indefatigable performer and overall force of good has been releasing records both with his band and as a solo artist and delivering sterling live shows to packed crowds night after night. 

Over the course of their conversation, Elizabeth and Patterson talk about his early influences and the watershed moment that convinced him he could make his living as a songwriter (2:28). They also discuss the Drive-By Truckers’ origin story and how DBT’s bold decision to release the ambitious, audacious double album Southern Rock Opera took the band to the next level (8:52). Then, they revisit the story of his growing up in Muscle Shoals, Alabama; what it was like being the son of the beloved session ace, David Hood; and what impact that legacy had on his own career choices (15:54), and dive into the nuances of Hood’s friendship and songwriting partnership with the great Mike Cooley, whom he has collaborated with for four decades (27:05). Patterson then tells Elizabeth what it was like working with artists like Booker T., Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (32:50). Later, they explore DBT’s decision to be an explicitly political band that fights for the causes they believe in (39:21). Finally, they get into Patterson’s new solo record, Exploding Trees and Airplane Screams (48:20); his fall 2025 tour with Known Associate Craig Finn from the Hold Steady (55:40); and, of course, what the future holds (60:40). 

Subscribe to Known Associates here and check out Southwest Review’s website here. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by: Clay Jones

In our first episode of Known Associates, a new podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and journalist Elizabeth Nelson talks to Craig Finn from the Hold Steady. A songwriting institution and accomplished prose writer, Craig has been delighting audiences with his rowdy domestic picaresques and deeply flawed but highly lovable character studies for decades. 

In this episode, Elizabeth and Craig talk about his upbringing in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, where he started his first band, Lifter Puller, as well as the romance of regional scenes and how Minneapolis helped inform his sound (6:09). They also discuss Craig’s enduring fandom of the Minnesota Twins and talk about the time that he went fishing with legendary Twins first baseman Kent Hrbek (13:05). Then, they get into the twentieth anniversary of the Hold Steady’s masterpiece Separation Sunday (17:49) and Craig’s new solo record Always Been, its accompanying book Lousy With Ghosts, and what working with Adam Granduciel and the War on Drugs was like (22:14). Later, they discuss his upcoming shows with Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers and how their friendship developed (39:20) and how Craig deals with being called a literary songwriter and the labels that get applied to his band in general (45:49). Finally, they break down Craig’s recent tour with the Mountain Goats, the tedium of touring, the enduring mysteries of buses and frontage roads (52:09), and of course, they discuss Bob Dylan (57:13) and what the future holds (61:50). 

Don’t forget to follow Known Associates and check out Southwest Review’s website here. Pick up a subscription to the magazine while you’re at it!  

Host: Elizabeth Nelson

Producers: Greg Brownderville, Robert Rea, Hannah Smith

Mixed by: Clay Jones