Working

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to novelist Jonathan Lethem about daily writing rituals, teaching writing, and the process behind Jonathan’s latest novel, The Arrest, which imagines a world where most advanced technology stops working. 

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss the improvisational way that Jonathan plots out his novels. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Jonathan talks about how he managed to find time to write when he was a young aspiring novelist working full-time jobs that didn’t involve writing. He also talks about a recent piece of Zoom theater that he loved. 

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.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now to help support our work.

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This week, host Rumaan Alam talks to author Heather Clark about her massive new biography Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath. Heather speaks about what separates her biography from the ones that came before it, and how an academic changes her writing style for a book aimed at a general audience. She also describes what it was like to track down and get permission to view materials she needed for the book. 

After the interview, Rumaan and co-host June Thomas talk more about the length of Heather’s book and the tremendous amount of research that went into it. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Heather describes what it felt like to finally finish Red Comet, and she previews her next book.

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.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

To kick off 2021, June, Rumaan, and Isaac share their creative goals for 2021 and offer each other advice on how to see them through. They talk about reading habits, social media consumption, time management, and much more. 

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

For this very special episode, June, Isaac, and Rumaan answer listener questions about creative work. A video producer wants to get better at reacting to negative feedback. A musician wants to know how to avoid ripping off her heroes. Plus, Rumaan answers a question he’s frankly tired of hearing from aspiring writers. 

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

This week, Rumaan Alam talks with George C. Wolfe. Wolfe is a playwright, film director, and two-time Tony winner. His latest project, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, takes place in a single day of 1927, when trailblazing blues singer Ma Rainey and her band gather at a recording studio in Chicago, and tensions begin to rise. The film is out now, playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix. 

They talk about how Wolfe wanted to approach this project from the ground up, reimagining how the story would be told to fit its new form. He also explains how his own experience as an actor in college has informed the way he collaborates with professional actors today. 

Afterward, Rumaan and co-host June Thomas discuss what they found most surprising about the interview and discuss how they implement George C. Wolfe’s tactics into their own creative collaborations. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery.

Host

Rumaan Alam

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This week, host June Thomas talks to Suzzy Roche, the youngest member of the harmonious folk group The Roches, and Suzzy’s daughter, Lucy Wainwright Roche. The duo recently released an album called I Can Still Hear You that was inspired by the pandemic, the Trump presidency, and the #metoo movement. In the interview, Suzzy and Lucy discuss their songwriting process and explain what it’s like to collaborate with a family member. Suzzy also reflects on her time writing songs with her sisters in The Roches. 

After the interview June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss their mutual love of The Roches. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus section, Suzzy and Lucy talk about how the pandemic has affected the music industry. Then June asks Suzzy about The Roches’ Christmas album, We Three Kings.

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to playwright Ayad Akhtar about dream journals, beginning the workday by reading Shakespeare, and other creative rituals and techniques. Then Ayad discusses the origins of his new novel, Homeland Elegies, and explains how he was able to blend autobiographical elements with fictional ones. 

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about one of Ayad’s mentors, legendary theater director Jerzy Grotowski.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Ayad recommends two books that transformed the way he thinks about writing. 

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

This week host June Thomas talks with cookbook author Klancy Miller, whose book Cooking Solo celebrates the joy of making delicious food for yourself. In the interview, Klancy talks about the trial and error of her career journey and how she came to focus on recipe development after studying at the Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She also discusses her process for designing recipes and why she decided to write a cookbook specifically for single people. Klancy’s latest project is For the Culture, a food magazine that celebrates Black women in food and wine. 

After the interview, June and co-host Rumaan Alam talk about their own relationships to food and cooking. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Klancy talks about her sources of inspiration and how she deals with creative blocks. 

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to cinematographer Michael Watson about what it was like to work on the HBO sci-fi series Lovecraft Country. In the interview, Michael talks about the unique challenges of shooting a period drama that features gigantic monsters. He also discusses how he was able to guide the viewer’s attention during crucial moments and bring his own unique style to the scenes he shot.

After the interview, Isaac and co-host Rumaan Alam offer advice to a listener who’s curious about the role random chance can play in creativity. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaac and Rumaan talk about the camera techniques they love to see in movies and on TV. 

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

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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

This week, host June Thomas talks to Jenny Thompson, story producer for the long-running U.K. medical drama Casualty. In the interview, Jenny explains what a story producer does, and why it’s different from a script-writing job. She also shares what it’s like to create character arcs for a show with such a long and rich history and explains how the U.K.’s National Health Service impacts the storylines and characters. 

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about why shows like Casualty are so beloved in Britain. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Jenny shares some of her favorite examples of TV storytelling. 

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

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Dear Prudence—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. It’s only $35 for the first year, and you can get a free two-week trial. Sign up now to help support our work.

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