Writers Kelly and Zach Weinersmith take an illuminating and humorous look at emerging technological innovations, and how they can potentially help and harm us. Their graphic book on this topic is called Soonish. Some of the new science we discuss includes augmented reality, space elevators, asteroid mining, and more. The Weinersmiths are an unlikely couple and that’s what makes them so darn interesting. She’s a professor at Rice University specializing in parasites; he’s a cartoonist. They’re both self-professed science nerds fascinated with future technology. This is a replay of an interview Jonathan did with them in 2019.

Being from Wuhan, China, Kay Zhang is intimately aware of the ways COVID-19 tore apart families and affected Chinese society. One story from this crisis that particularly struck a chord with her was of a woman who attempted to journey from China’s countryside to Wuhan in order to reach her newborn child. Kay portrays this harrowing story in her short film  Mother in the Mist, which has appeared in numerous film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival and San Diego International Film Festival. On the pod, she details how she brought the story to the screen, and the ideas of American individualism and Chinese collectivism that are behind the film. She also talks about the way globalization has changed because of COVID and how artists in the U.S. and China are affected by politics.

Editors can teach us a lot of valuable lessons about good writing. They are the gatekeepers, generating story ideas, fielding pitches, and making out stories read better. In this episode, Shannon Palus gives us insight into what makes a successful editor and what they look for when finding writers. Shannon is a senior editor at Slate magazine and has spent much of her career focused on writing and editing health and science stories. In this episode, she talks about how she molded her career from her science background and how specializing has helped propel her career. She also details the makings of a good pitch, how to come up with winning story ideas, and the secrets to writing compelling personal essays. Plus, Shannon gives her opinion on journalists in the influencer age and how social media affects the industry.

What do David Bowie, Paul McCartney, and Salvador Dali have in common? They all admit to stealing from other artists in their creative endeavors. They have not only been caught stealing, but they've also admitted to doing it red-handed. As Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists borrow; great artists steal,” and there is some question as to whether he stole that phrase. So, what the hell is going on here? Are all great artists plagiarists? Guest Austin Kleon joins this show in a replay of an episode I recorded with him in 2019 to talk about the joy and art of stealing from those you admire. He also shares his wisdom on creative ways to get the creative juices flowing and come up with all sorts of killer ideas. Austin is a writer, illustrator, and font of wisdom. The Atlantic once called him “the most interesting man on the Internet,” and you will see why. 

Disagreement can feel uncomfortable, especially as conversations about insurrection, gun control, and abortion capture public attention. But instead of descending into a full-blown argument whenever you disagree with someone, Bo Seo has some advice for turning these conversations into learning opportunities. Bo is a writer, two-time world champion debater, and author of Good Arguments: How Debate Teaches Us to Listen and Be Heard. In this episode, Bo offers tips for those seeking a productive debate—even when you’re dealing with ignorant people or alternative facts. He also talks about the importance of disagreement, especially at a time when viewpoints seem so polarized, and offers some real life examples we can turn to for debate inspiration.

In his bestselling book Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer offers a 3-step plan clinically proven to break the cycle of worry and fear that drives anxiety and addictive habits. Dr. Jud believes we get stuck in "anxiety habit loops" that we can’t think our way out of or use willpower to overcome. The result is trying to run from anxiety and worry through actions like doom scrolling or binge eating rather than getting close and curious about what's actually happening in our bodies and our minds. This is a replay of a conversation I had with him in 2021. 

Avoiding adverbs, steering clear of the passive voice, never ending a sentence with a preposition—these are some of the writing rules that have been instilled in us since elementary school. But Carol Saller says they’re wrong ( as is never beginning a sentence with but or and). Carol is a contributing editor for the esteemed Chicago Manual of Style and the author of The Subversive Copy Editor. In this episode, she dispels the most common mistakes and assumptions writers believe. She also talks about the resources you can use to check your work and the role of AI in the future of writing.

In 2011, an oil tanker named Brillante Virtuoso was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. At first, this seemed like a fairly common pirate attack. But when investigators looked deeper, they realized everything about this event was far from typical. This is the story of a murder mystery, a shady shipping magnate, insurance fraud, and two dogged cockney private investigators, as told by Bloomberg journalists Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel.

The blank page is only one of many hurdles writers have to overcome. But how can we ensure that we have the proper mindsets and techniques to tackle these inevitable roadblocks? This week, Jenn T. Grace joins the podcast to talk about getting over the biggest roadblocks—both in our personal lives and as writers—that get in the way of our writing hopes and dreams. Jenn is the CEO of Publish Your Purpose, which combines both the benefits of traditional publishing and self publishing to help thought leaders get their books published. On the pod, Jenn details the biggest obstacles she sees when working with aspiring writers, and ties them to her own process of writing her memoir House on Fire. She also discusses the importance of a support system and reveals the three people writers need to have throughout their journey.

If you’re like me you probably have a lot of great ideas for books and articles that you get really excited about but kind of just go nowhere. But what about if you acted on some of these ideas, no matter what happened? That’s what guest Sascha Rothchild does. Sascha has written for TV shows like GLOW and The Carrie Diaries. She wrote a memoir How to Get Divorced by 30: My Misguided Attempt at a Starter Marriage. And this month, she released her first novel, a fun thriller called Blood Sugar. On the pod, Sascha talks about how she manages to make the time for her passion projects even when she’s not on the clock.