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Employee of the Month — Society & Culture
Employee of the Month

We spend most of our time working, so what does it take to (mainly) love what you do? How do even the most gifted, talented, intelligent, ambitious, disciplined, imaginative, inventive, and lucky people develop their point of view, find meaning, serve a greater good, deal with work place politics, rejection, finances, boredom, red tape, logistics, and creative roadblocks? What are the perks or enjoyable about forging your own path? Catie Lazarus and her guests delve into beauty, banality and absurdity of work, jobs, and labor.

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Copyright: © Catie Lazarus

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WALLACE SHAWN on Employee of the Month May 08, 2014

Show notes

It's conceivable that Wally Shawn's fans enjoy his serious plays, such as Grasses of a Thousand Colors and The Fever, as much as his comedic turns in films like Pixar's Toy and The Princess Bride. Of course, there may be some folks who are only be familiar with Shawn's essays, which are often featured in The Nation. Shawn compiled many of politically progressive essays in a book called, shockingly enough, Essays.

While he works in a range of genres and mediums, Shawn is consistently thoughtful in his work, and (seemingly) life. As he found his footing as a playwright, Shawn aptly turned to acting in television and film to pay the bills. He could then experiment with his plays. He often does so with his partner-in-crime, Andre Gregory. Best known for their collaborations, "My Dinner With Andre" and "Vanya On 42nd Street," you can see Shawn and Gregory star in the film "A Master Builder," which Jonathan Demme directed.

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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ADIRA AMRAM on Employee of the Month May 08, 2014

Show notes

Mother's Day is coming up and I can't help thinking of how perfectly Adira Amram's MOM SONG music video captures an ideal mother-daughter relationship while simultaneously tweaking our culture's expectation that mothers and daughters also be besties. Directed by Jim Turner, Adira and her mom are genuinely having fun, without shopping, beautifying themselves, or kvetching about men. Granted the duo are high.

Amram doesn't take herself too seriously, although, in our interview, the actress and performance artist reveals how growing up in a family of artists propelled her to want to stand out. She does just that when decked out in gold lame and neon leotard and legging combos, that would make Jane Fonda proud.

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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JILL ABRAMSON's last interview before leaving The New York Times Apr 14, 2014

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If you work at The New York Times, your boss is a bad ass. Whether she's more of a bad ass than you are depends on whether you....1) Decorated your body with 5 or more tats.2) Took 14 Senators to task. 3) Sustained injuries in both urban and natural environments. (*Brownie points if you were hit by a truck while falling down a mountain.)4) Hired a cop to train your dog. 5) Oversees the most respected, beloved, lambasted, and loathed newspaper in the nation.I am not implying that Jill Abramson, the Executive Editor of The New York Times, works in isolation. It would be impossible to deliver such a critical resource on so many platforms across continents without a gifted team of journalists, editors, technologists, videographers, photographers, graphic designers, copywriters, printers, and the good Samaritans who deliver papers uphill both ways. Still, managing all of these moving parts is a feat in and of itself, especially in the digital age.

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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Modern Loss's REBECCA SOFFER on Employee of the Month Apr 08, 2014

Show notes

Rebecca Soffer's passion is palpable, be it for Latin culture, community building, Olympic level table tennis, or pop culture. In a world which often rewards narrowly focused expertise, Soffer found the best way to quench her diverse interests was journalism.

But just as Soffer entered the work world, journalism was going through its own identity crisis. Luckily, her intellect and openness to change enabled Soffer to enjoy a rich career from the get go. Soffer started out covering the Olympics in Atlanta, then headed to Caracas, Venezuela, where her passion for community building and international affairs grew. When she returned to the States, Soffer headed to Columbia's J School. Always a risk taker and prescient one at that, Soffer decided to then work for a new television show spoofing the news instead of slaving away at a site, like Huffpo, scraping together listicles and trolling for Likes on Facebook.

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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Animator/Who Wants to Be A Millionaire Contestant SCOTT BATEMAN Mar 27, 2014

Show notes

For years, animator Scott Bateman was best known for his left leaning political cartoons and animations featured on Salon and The Daily Kos. Frustrated by the state of politics, not to mention journalism, Bateman invented Disalmanac, that now spans a blog, Twitter, podcast, and book "Disalmanac: A Compendium of Fact-Like Facts." He also directed his first animated film Atom Age Vampire and a trailer for a Dinosaur Jr's album.

In 2014, Bateman had the joy of winning enough money on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire to work on his next film. In our conversation, Bateman reveals his tricks of the trade and encourages others tot have fun and give game shows a whirl if you want to find money quickly. Our interview was taped live at the Writers Guild (WGA).

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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SETH GODIN on Employee of the Month Mar 25, 2014

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In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow revolutionized developmental psychology when he came up with the notion, Hierarchy of Needs. It was a simple theory, but not simplistic. Maslow broke down how humans must first fulfill basic physiological needs, like hunger, before progressing towards safety, and eventually self-actualization.Seth Godin shares Maslow's gift for breaking down human psychology, only his focus is on business. Godin is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author whose best selling books include Linchpins, Tribes, and Permission Marketing. I am paraphrasing, but Godin encourages people to:- Figure out if you're a freelance or an entrepreneur - Make things that matter- Make those things (and services) truly remarkable- Find your tribe- Share your product in ways that are relevant and honest. - Go make something happenHis writing manages to simultaneously captivate successful entrepreneurs and aspiring ones, but doesn't offer proscriptive advice, like 10 Easy Steps to Make Gazillions. In...

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DANNY BURSTEIN on Employee of the Month Mar 16, 2014

Show notes

When Martin Scorsese wanted to audition Danny Burstein for the roll of Lolly Steinman in Boardwalk Empire, rumor has it Scorsese sent Danny a Vine. Well, Danny was joking, and his humor, accessibility and range as an actor is palpable. He's a quintessential character actor, which means most people don't recognize him as Burstein morphs into whatever the role requires. His remarkable range is evident in the breadth of productions he takes on, be it Broadway musicals, indie films, opera at the Met, and if Burstein plays his cards right, a Steven Seagal film. Burstein is such a mensch, as you'll glean from our interview, that it's a trip to see him play darker roles, like his upcoming one in Cabaret.

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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ANDREW RANNELS on Employee of the Month Mar 14, 2014

Show notes

These days UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade Theater) receives duly deserved praise for nurturing so many truly funny writers and performers, but the utterly hilarious Andrew Rannells honed his comedy chops in musical theater. His early turns in Hedwig, Avenue Q, Jersey Boys, and, of course, Pokemon Live! prepared Rannells for the rigors of performing six to eight shows a week.

So when the brilliant brains behind South Park decided to stage a show on Broadway, they knew to cast Rannells for a lead role in their debut Book of Mormon. The result was a tour-de-force, career changing (and Grammy winning) performance as Elder Price. Just as Trey and Matt had seized on Rannell's star potential, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner caught Rannell's in an initial Book of Mormon show and rewrote a part for him on their original HBO series Girls. Judd Apatow joined these comedian all stars ARFC (Andrew Rannells Fan Club), and encouraged Rannells to try his hand at writing as well.

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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CINDY CHUPACK on EMPLOYEE of the MONTH Mar 13, 2014

Show notes

If you want to know what it's really like to write for groundbreaking TV shows like Sex and the City and Modern Family, pen a memoir (or two), or just marry a hot stud, this interview is for you.

Few writers are as dexterous across mediums or as prolific as Cindy Chupack. Her ability to be as heartfelt as she is hilarious is evident in her essays in The New York Times Modern Love section, storytelling at The Moth, and episodes of Sex and the City and Modern Family. Her writing is prescient without being proscriptive, earnest without being cloying, and she can make me laugh and cry sometimes in the same paragraph.

In our interview, Chupack spoke about her most recent book THE LONGEST DATE: LIFE AS A WIFE, which delves into the arbitrary yet real challenges of giving birth, parenthood, and marrying a cool drink of water. (Now you'll know why I turned down Ryan Gosling). A consummate writer, Chupack adapted the book for television and director Jake Kasdan is already shooting the pilot for FOX.

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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ESTHER PEREL on Employee of the Month Mar 13, 2014

Show notes

As soon as you hear therapist Esther Perel, you'll wish she was your shrink. My diagnosis? 1) Listen to our interview, as her humor, insight, is empathy is palpable. 2) Read her book Mating in Captivity which analyzes love, monogamy, and sex. 3) Live happily ever after, well, relatively speaking.

Whether you're Flemish or Peruvian, hetero or LGBTQ, single or coupled off, Perel addresses our universal challenges, joys, frustrations, and hunger for love, sexual freedom, and connection. Her meditations on monogamy provide a thought provoking framework to understand what it is you want in your relationships. Perel is currently researching infidelity. It's clear that her experience working in seven languages, over multiple contents, doing drama therapy, sex therapy, couples therapy, individual sessions, and speaking all over the globe informs her extraordinarily prescient analysis. How do you feel about that? Go on… Well, you can learn more at www.estherperel.com

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.

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

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