Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Latest Episodes:

Ana and Mike Go To Therapy Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Mike opens up about the emotional toll of promoting his most personal album yet, while Ana shares about her new gig at Mediaite. The two compare therapy approaches, swap creative struggles, and discover Ana's memoir might be more haunted than she realized.

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Can you Career Without a Company? with Colt Cabana Sep 23, 2026

Show notes

Wrestler and podcaster Colt Cabana joins Ana and Mike to talk about building a life in wrestling. From getting fired by WWE to becoming a blueprint for sustainable DIY success, Colt breaks down the real economics of creative work—merch tables, mattress money, and all—and why betting on yourself might be the best decision you ever make.

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What Does It Actually Cost to Publish a Book? with Joey Clift Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Comedian and writer Joey Clift returns to talk about first book deal money, the evaporation of publisher marketing, self-financing a 22-date tour, and why tribal casinos are actually closer to socialism than capitalism.

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Can You Survive on Diversification Alone? with Ophira Eisenberg Sep 09, 2026

Show notes

Stand-up comedian and former NPR host Ophira Eisenberg joins us to talk about what happens after the salary ends. We get into public radio money, Sirius XM royalties, and the Gen X guilt of making content.

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Is the Industry the Worst It's Ever Been? with Malcolm Barrett Sep 02, 2026

Show notes

Malcolm Barrett joins us to break down exactly how streaming, with it's shorter seasons, invisible metrics, and evaporating residuals, might be breaking the working actor.

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What Do Comedy and Union Organizing Have in Common? with Nato Green Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

Comedian, writer, and union organizer Nato Green joins us to talk about 30 years of building worker power by day and doing stand-up by night, and why he's made peace with the fact that comedy will never be his primary income. Plus, how to negotiate any creative contract without getting screwed.

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What If the Backup Plan Was Never a Backup Plan? with Ambar Martinez Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

Actor, writer, and registered ER nurse Ambar Martinez joins us to talk about building a life out of two careers that are both all-consuming... and refusing to pick just one. We get into the economics of nursing your way through an acting career, how medical advising became its own income stream, and what it costs to keep proving yourself in two industries that each assume the other one is your real job.

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What If You Outgrow the Dream Job? with Sam Sanders Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders joins us to talk about what happens when the thing you thought you wanted turns out to be too small. We get into the emotional and financial cost of walking away, what it means to do it yourself in a collapsing industry, and how to balance ambition with reality.

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How do You Get Into (and Out of) Debt? with Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

Jamie Feldman and Rachel Webster, the duo behind the award-winning podcast Debt Heads, join us to talk about the 1978 Supreme Court decision that quietly eliminated interest rate caps and created the modern credit card crisis, why shame is the most profitable tool the financial industry has, and why the answer to "how did we all end up here" is never as personal as we've been told.

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Ana and Mike Show Up Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

Mike's running at full speed with no room to breathe, Ana's navigating the gap between making art and making rent, and together they unpack why showing up, week after week, broke or not, might be the only honest answer left.

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