Slate Culture Feed

Latest Episodes:

What Next: The Writer’s Strike Is Over: Who Won? Sep 26, 2023

Show notes

After five long months, the WGA and major Hollywood studios have reached a tentative agreement to end the strike—well, that one anyway. Who won what and where do the actors stand?

Guest: Michael Schulman, staff writer at The New Yorker.

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 What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.

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

Hang Up: Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Stefan Fatsis is joined by writer and podcaster Spencer Hall to talk about a busy weekend in college football. The Ringer's Ben Lindbergh discusses Major League Baseball’s playoff races, and the future of Shohei Ohtani. Finally, Slate’s Nadira Goffe and Defector’s Dan McQuade assess the budding Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce relationship, and a new documentary about Kelce’s brother, Jason.

College football (2:30): Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes finally lost, and badly.

MLB (20:20): Are the Atlanta Braves the best offensive team in baseball history?

Kelce (39:30): Will the Swifties take over the NFL?

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

Working: Meet an Artist Who Writes Comics About Jazz Sep 24, 2023

Show notes

This week, host Nate Chinen talks with Dave Chisholm, a jazz trumpeter who writes graphic novels about jazz musicians. His previous publications include Chasin' the Bird: A Charlie Parker Graphic Novel and Enter the Blue. His next book, Miles Davis and the Search for the Sound, will be released in November.

In the interview, Chisholm talks about how he uses the visual language of comics to explore the musical language of jazz and about the challenges of writing a book about a figure of the significance and complexity of Miles Davis.

After the interview, Chinen and co-host June Thomas discuss ways in which elements of music theory and practice can be applied to writing and share some pop-cultural pet peeves.

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Chisholm names three essential Miles Davis albums and three mind-blowing graphic novels

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Zak Rosen.

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

ICYMI: Is “Algospeak” D@ngerous? Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Alexia Fawcett, a PhD candidate in linguistics at UC Santa Barbara and Kendra Calhoun, an assistant professor of linguistic anthropology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Calhoun and Fawcett wrote a presentation titled, “They edited out her nip-nops: Linguistic innovation as textual censorship avoidance on TikTok,” which explored both the ways in which and the reason behind why users have developed language like “unalived” and “seggs.” And while these neologisms originate on TikTok, their increasingly-wide adoption is causing concern among observers who notice a perhaps unnecessarily-broad softening of language across social media.

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

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

Gabfest Reads: Zadie Smith Knows You're a Fraud Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

Emily Bazelon talks with author Zadie Smith about her new book, The Fraud. They discuss what happens when justice comes through an unjust symbol, how much Zadie does and doesn’t know about her characters, and more.

Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth.

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

Dear Prudence: I Don't Want My Dad to Give Me Away at My Wedding. Help! Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Caroline Moss (writer, editor, and author) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to break it to your dad that he’s not invited to walk you down the aisle, what to do with wedding photos that include a sibling’s ex, and whether it’s okay to tell loved ones you never want to vacation with them.

If you want more Dear Prudence, join Slate Plus, Slate’s membership program. Jenée answers an extra question every week, just for members.

Go to Slate.com/prudieplus to sign up. It’s just $15 for your first three months.

Podcast production by Se’era Spragley Ricks and Daisy Rosario, with help from Maura Currie.

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

A Word: School of Destruction Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

Against the odds, a tight-knit group of Black families created the community of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia in the early 20th century. Residents bought land, and often built their homes, expecting to hand down a thriving African American neighborhood to future generations. Then Christopher Newport University systematically took the land over, pushing out all but a handful of now-elderly residents. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by journalist Brandi Kellam, who helped bring the story to light. She co-reported Erasing the “Black Spot”: How a Virginia College Expanded by Uprooting a Black Neighborhood for ProPublica and the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO.

Guest: Journalist Brandi Kellam

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola

You can skip all the ads in A Word by joining Slate Plus. Sign up now at slate.com/awordplus for $15 for your first three months.

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

Working: Creating Like a Child Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Nate Chinen and June Thomas press pause on adulthood and explore the creative spirit of childhood. Nate recounts his experience with the late jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who always strived to get out of his own way and embrace a childlike approach to free expression. They also discuss the popular Australian cartoon Bluey, which often features the themes of suspending judgment and being open to the wildest of ideas.

Do you have a question about creative work? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.

Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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

The Waves: Incompetent Cervix - The Misogynist History Behind Naming The Female Body Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Host Kat Chow welcomes back author and science journalist Rachel E. Gross to talk about the misogynist origins of many names and diagnoses in the female reproductive system. Gross is the author of Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage and the New York Times column Body Language.

In Slate Plus: Rachel E. Gross’s thoughts on the documentary Every Body about intersex people

If you liked this episode, check out: The Vagina et Al., an interview with Rachel E. Gross and Slate’s Shannon Palus about Gross’s book Vagina Obscura: An Anatomical Voyage

Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry and Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Slate Plus members get bonus segments and ad-free podcast feeds. Sign up now at slate.com/thewavesplus.

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

Outward: Mercury Stardust Helps Queer People Feel Safe and Sound at Home Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

It’s September. Are you ready to warm up your muscles as the temperatures dip and get your apartment all cozy for the cuffing season to come? If so, Outward has you covered. First, listeners Elizabeth and Peter respond to last month’s discussion of Amazon’s film adaptation of Red, White & Royal Blue. Then the hosts talk with sports journalist Katie Barnes about their new book Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates, which tells the remarkable story of how sports have been gendered long before today’s anti-trans panic. After that, they’re joined by writer and TikTok-er extraordinaire Mercury Stardust, who is known as the “Trans Handy Ma’am” for her DIY home-repair videos. Mercury’s new book, Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair, blends stunning illustrations and emotional-processing breaks with how-to guides for making your apartment into a sanctuary. The hosts end the show, as always, with some new additions to the Gay Agenda.

Items discussed in the show:

“Bottoms Queers the High-School Comedy,” the Culture Gabfest’s discussion of the movie, with Christina

“Power Bottoms,” by Rachel Handler, on Vulture

Fair Play: How Sports Shape the Gender Debates, by Katie Barnes

Safe and Sound: A Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair, by Mercury Stardust

The Safe and Sound book tour

Gay Agenda

Bryan: “What Happens When You’re Almost Out of Testosterone–and You Live in Florida,” by Nico Lang

Christina: Deadloch, on Amazon Prime

Jules: People Collide, by Isle McElroy

This podcast was produced by June Thomas.

Please send feedback, topic ideas, and advice questions to outwardpodcast@slate.com.