Slate Culture Feed

When Miranda July entered her early forties, she noticed a grim feeling emerge. “It wasn't coming from me,” she said, “I guess it came from this lack of imagery, or stories, or even just basic medical information about what was going to happen next with my body.” The dearth of information and near absence of cultural mythology about perimenopause and menopause became the catalyst for her novel All Fours, which came out in May and quickly became a New York Times bestseller. 

In this episode, Miranda talks about the unease that inspired the book and speculates about what the future could look like if more people openly discussed this crucial chapter of life. We also hear from listeners who share their experiences with perimenopause and menopause. 

The interview with Miranda was recorded live in San Francisco for City Arts & Lectures.

You can check out a great profile of Miranda, which is referenced in the episode, here: 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/05/20/miranda-july-profile  

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.

And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram, and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, or critiques, is [email protected].

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Cooper feels like they’re constantly falling behind on their to-do list. Life is busy and household chores are the last thing they want to do. Cooper tracks everything in a detailed spreadsheet—but that spreadsheet isn’t going to take care of the dirty dishes in the sink. On this episode of How To!, Carvell Wallace brings on Dale Aucoin of Clean & Queer, a professional organizing business based in New York City. Dale explains how to prioritize tasks, make chores easier, and find a routine that works for you. 

Links Mentioned: 

Clean & Queer

The Trans Guide

If you liked this episode check out: How To Be a Lazy Genius and How To Style Your Home Like a Pro.

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Send us a note at [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.

How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.

Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus.

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On today’s episode of Hear Me Out: pants on fire.

The fact-check is a critical tool in the journalist’s toolbox – and now more than ever, it’s a key part of the job. The problem is that it’s already hard to make the case that definitive “true and false” designations exist anymore… and, it turns out, audiences might be made more suspicious of journalists who fact check, not less.

Randy Stein of Cal Poly Pomona joins Hear Me Out to discuss his new research about debunkings and public trust. 

If you have thoughts you want to share, or an idea for a topic we should tackle, you can email the show: [email protected]

Podcast production by Maura Currie.

Want more Hear Me Out? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/hearmeoutplus to get access wherever you listen.

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Stefan Fatsis and Josh Levin discuss the Dream Team’s close calls on the road to gold, and the U.S. women’s basketball team’s narrow victory, too. They break down the quick overhaul of the U.S. women’s soccer team, which won its first gold medal since 2012. Finally, they assess whether the visually beautiful and athletically compelling Paris Games restored the Olympics’ luster.

Basketball (4:12): The U.S. men and women survived gold-medal scares from host France.

Soccer (19:25): The new-look U.S. women’s team topped Brazil for gold.

Olympics roundup (34:58): Did Paris help the Games regain their mojo?

(Note: time codes are only accurate for Slate Plus members, who listen ad free.)

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On this episode: Jamilah, Zak, and Elizabeth answer a listener question about a kid who seems dedicated to making family hikes suck. He’s energetic and capable during other activities, but long walks are full of whining and fussing. What could this listener do to get him excited about family walks… and are there any options that aren’t making every walk a treasure hunt?

We also check in on what’s happening in the hosts’ lives right now. And then, on the Slate Plus Playground, we’re sharing a round of recommendations and a round of anti-recommendations. 

If you’re not part of the Slate Plus community, we hope you’ll consider joining! Keep reading to learn how.

Jamilah’s check-in: Stiiiiiill hotel living

Elizabeth’s check-in: Internet friends are real friends! 

Zak’s check-in: Just hoping the dog won’t poop on the plane

Join us on Facebook and email us at [email protected] to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes. You can also call our phone line: (646) 357-9318.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get to hang out with us on the Plus Playground every week for a whole additional grab-bag of content — and you’ll get an ad-free experience across the network. And you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Care and Feeding. Sign up now at slate.com/careplus – or try it out on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast produced by Maura Currie.

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This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Mike Gauyo, a TV writer and creator whose credits include the beloved series Insecure and Ginny and Georgia. In the interview, Mike shares his process for thinking of new ideas for shows, refining those ideas over time, and pitching them to industry gatekeepers. He also talks about being from an immigrant family, initially studying medicine, and the events that prompted him to pivot to writing. 

After the interview, Ronald and co-host Isaac Butler discuss best practices for pitching a podcast, and Isaac refers to this episode of Working Overtime about pitching print stories to editors. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Mike talks about what it was like to join the writers’ room of Insecure as a fan of the show. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected] or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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Candice Lim is joined by internet culture writer Steffi Cao, whose Substack recently started an advice column all about internet etiquette. On today’s episode, they’re answering reader questions such as: Should I report unhinged Facebook behavior? And should I get into political fights in the DMs?

This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim.

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For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant to Missy Elliott.

Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirmed women’s clout in the decade of grunge-and-gangsta. But the festival was also criticized for its narrow focus and for branding “women’s music” as a genre. More than two decades later, Hit Parade assesses the legacy of Lilith on the charts and on the road—how its performers, attendees and musical descendants are helping to ensure the future is female.

Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades—literally since Woodstock—female musicians had battled music-industry perceptions that amassing too many of them, on the radio or on the road, was bad for business. And yet, by the ’90s, women were vital to the rise of alt-rock and hip-hop on the charts: from Suzanne Vega to Queen Latifah, Tracy Chapman to Sheryl Crow, Natalie Merchant to Missy Elliott.

Sarah McLachlan harnessed this energy into an all-woman tour she dubbed Lilith Fair. Its string of sellouts from 1997 to ’99 affirmed women’s clout in the decade of grunge-and-gangsta. But the festival was also criticized for its narrow focus and for branding “women’s music” as a genre. More than two decades later, Hit Parade assesses the legacy of Lilith on the charts and on the road—how its performers, attendees and musical descendants are helping to ensure the future is female.

Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch and Kevin Bendis.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Project 2025, the massive Heritage Foundation policy blueprint, has become a major issue on the campaign trail for Democrats. While former President Trump has tried to distance himself from the document, many members of his administration and inner circle worked to draft it. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News. They discuss Project 2025, what it could mean for the Black community, and what elements may already be in effect.

Guest: Brandon Tensley, national political reporter for Capital B News

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

Want more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen.

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