Audio Book Club

The Scream franchise returns to theaters this weekend. Since it first debuted in 1996, the racial dynamics of horror films have evolved. And for the first time in generations of scary movies, African American characters are surviving, killing the monsters, or even slaying as horror villains themselves. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Mark Harris, the co-author of The Black Guy Dies First: Black Horror Cinema from Fodder to Oscar, to talk about the evolution of Black horror.  Guest: Mark Harris, writer and co-author of The Black Guy Dies First  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 just $1 for your first month. Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode, Rachelle Hampton is joined by Gita Jackson to talk about a video game that has stirred up anger across the internet, Hogwarts Legacy. They discuss the controversy surrounding it, how the game reveals so many holes in JK Rowling’s world building, and why it’s not even fun to play. Instead of playing Hogwarts Legacy, Gita’s got some recommendations. Books: Annihilation, by Jeff VanderMeer Vita Nostra, by Maryna and Serhiy Dyachenko Magic for Liars, by Sarah Gailey Games: Persona 5 Tokimeki Memorial Girl’s Side Magical Diary Life Is Strange The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Elden Ring This podcast is produced by Daniel Schroeder, Rachelle Hampton, and Daisy Rosario. Subscribe to Slate Plus at http://slate.com/icymiplus Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus talks with Heather Havrilesky about the divine tedium of marriage. They discuss Heather’s book, Foreverland and the explosive response the book initially got (especially when Heather called her husband “a heap of laundry”). Later in the show, they dig into what to do when your husband is truly being a little bit of a patriarchal jerk.   In Slate Plus, a behind the scenes look at what goes into writing the Ask Polly column.    Podcast production by Cheyna Roth and Tori Dominguez with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.   Make an impact this Women’s History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund girls in STEM. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joey is a young creative living in Australia who can’t decide which hat to wear. Should it be songwriting, skateboarding, acting, or should he focus more on his day job as a retail clerk? Fitting everything in during the week seems impossible and he feels guilty when he can’t cross everything off his checklist. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in journalist Oliver Burkeman, the author of 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. He explains how he too once wanted to do it all, but eventually realized that it’s just not feasible. As Joey learns, letting go of some things and focusing on what really matters can actually lead to the ‘joy of missing out.’ If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Never Miss a Deadline” Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.   If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience acros

This week, host Karen Han talks to actor, director, and writer Tim Blake Nelson, who just came out with his first novel, City of Blows. In the interview, Tim explains why he decided to reference real life events–like the #MeToo movement and COVID–in a fictional story about Hollywood. He also talks about the challenges of writing fictional prose and offers some useful wisdom about writing in general.  After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss the best ways to juggle multiple projects at once.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Tim shares his rejected idea for the cover image of City of Blows.  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 Cameron Drews. -- Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Bazelon talks with author Rebecca Makkai about her new book, I Have Some Questions For You. They discuss why it’s so easy to suspend disbelief with this type of story, the “cancelled” subplot, and whether we’d be better off without Twitter. 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

Awards season can be a frustrating moment for Black writers in Hollywood, when even their most successful shows and films are frequently overlooked. Rodney Barnes has built a thriving career by telling stories of Black life, from “Everybody Hates Chris,” to “The Boondocks,” to “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” On today’s episode of A Word, he joins Jason Johnson to discuss the challenges and rewards of his rise as a screenwriter and producer. His latest work is a graphic novel, “Blacula: Return of the King.” Guest: Screenwriter Rodney Barnes 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 just $1 for your first month. Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth talks all about fear with author Erica Berry. They discuss trying to navigate alone in the world as a woman, how one fairy tale tells you everything you need to know about women and fear, and Erica’s new book, Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear. In Slate Plus, Cheyna and Erica talk about how one wolf, OR-7, stole hearts across the nation.  Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. With additional help from Tori Dominguez.  Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For many Americans, the “Green Book” is an Oscar-winning film. But for generations of Black Americans, it served as a literal map for traveling through an often hostile and hateful country, finding safety and businesses that would serve us. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by writer and financial educator Alvin Hall. He’s the author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance. Hall explains how the original Green Book began, discusses its evolution, and why he’s dedicated years to studying and sharing stories of its impact. Guest: Alvin Hall, author of Driving the Green Book: A Road Trip Through the Living History of Black Resistance  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 just $1 for your first month. Make an impact this Black History Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to fund UNCF scholarships for HBCU students. Go to macys.com/purp

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to V.V. Ganeshananthan, author of the book Brotherless Night, which takes place during the Sri Lankan Civil War and was recently featured on the cover of the New York Times Book Review. In the interview, Ganeshananthan discusses her experience in journalism school and explains how it laid the foundation for her fiction writing. Then she talks about the unique POV of Brotherless Night, the book’s multi-decade writing process, and the careful research that allowed her to depict the Sri Lankan Civil War.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about lessons learned in graduate school. Then they explain why you should dare yourself to take creative risks.  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 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 conten

This week, Chris Miller joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to discuss his new book, Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology. They discuss the crucial role of microchips, the global dynamics of microchip design and manufacturing, and how chips factor into US-China relations.   In the Plus segment: Moore’s Law.   Podcast production by Anna Phillips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior producer Cheyna Roth is joined by author and Slate editor Dan Kois to talk about men writing women. Dan’s new book, Vintage Contemporaries, is the coming of age story of Em and the two women who had a meaningful impact on her life. Dan and Cheyna talk about how Dan wrote true to life female characters without falling into the #menwritewomen trap, why he told a story with female characters, and how to navigate the tricky world of writing characters of the opposite sex. In Slate Plus, how the HarperCollins strike is impacting women. You can find the HarperCollins Bookshop link here.   Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to poet Chip Livingston, who recently compiled a collection of letters titled, Love, Loosha: The Letters of Lucia Berlin and Kenward Elmslie. It documents the friendship between the writer Lucia Berlin, who is now well-regarded for her short stories but was underappreciated during her lifetime, and the poet and librettist Kenward Elmslie. In the interview, Chip shares how he put the collection together and talks about his personal relationships with both Berlin and Elmslie. He also explains how the book can serve as a useful depiction of what it’s like to live as an artist.   After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk more about what we can learn from the letters of great writers. They also discuss overly confessional writing and how to determine the audience for your work.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Chip talks about how his love of poetry blossomed in part thanks to his friendship with Kenward Elmslie.  Do you have a question about creative work? C

This week, Felix Gillette joins Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers to talk about his new book It's Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO and discuss the state of streaming, the relationship between sports and advertisers, and the decline of the movie theater industry.   In the Plus segment: YouTube.   Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Plotz talks with author Shahan Mufti about his new book, American Caliph: The True Story of a Muslim Mystic, a Hollywood Epic, and the 1977 Siege of Washington, DC. They discuss an Islamic group’s multi-location attack in D.C., the terror that hostages experienced while held captive for the two days, and the movie that started the whole thing.  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

Headlines suggest that Haiti could be on the verge of collapse, with gangs controlling its streets, the economy at a standstill, and political leaders fearing for their lives. But while international observers decry it as a “failed nation,” Haiti’s path to success has been consistently blocked since its successful slave rebelion in 1804. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Professor Leslie Alexander, author “Fear of a Black Republic: Haiti and the Birth of Black Internationalism in the United States.“  Guest: Historian Leslie Alexander, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor of History at Rutgers University 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 just $1 for your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Ali Slagle, a recipe developer for the New York Times cooking section and author of the book I Dream of Dinner (so You Don't Have To). In the interview, Ali shares where her ideas for recipes come from and her trial-and-error process for getting them just right. She also talks about her commitment to convenience and explains what it was like to develop recipes for her book that require only a handful of ingredients and take 45 minutes or less to prepare.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han talk more about recipe development and discuss what it’s like to have too many options in front of you when you’re working on a creative project.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Ali offers a glimpse into the world of food styling.  Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com. Podcast production by Cameron Drews.  If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate

It’s been two years since the January 6th riot at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Over 900 people have been criminally charged, but political violence continues to be a threat. Well, here at How To!, we are not content to just marinate in fear and blame so we’re dedicating two episodes to see how we can prevent more tragedies like January 6. In our first episode, we bring on Dr. Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace where she focuses on the intersection of democracy and security. She explains how the US has gotten to this point, how we should productively grapple with January 6, and why we’re not as close to the brink of civil war as it may seem. Next week, we’ll hear from Curtis Toler, a former Chicago gang member who is now a violence interrupter. If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Get Things Done in a Divided Nation with Samantha Power.” Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-40

On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate science and health editor Shannon Palus is joined by author and co-host of Maintenance Phase, Aubrey Gordon. Shannon and Aubrey discuss Aubrey’s new book, “You Just Need to Lose Weight” and 19 Other Myths About Fat People, the fraught nature of “body positivity” and the insidious goalpost moving of the Dove “Love Your Body” campaign. In Slate Plus, Aubrey and Shannon discuss the new weight-loss fad, Ozempic.  Further Reading Recommendations From Aubrey: Hunger by Roxane Gay Belly of the Beast by Da’shaun L. Harrison The Body Is Not An Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings  Julie Murphy’s fiction novels like Dumplin’ Check out Shannon’s new Slate Column: Good Fit Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery. Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For some, 2022 was the year Roe v Wade was overturned. For millions more, abortions rights had been functionally inaccessible for decades. Beyond shaky precedent, Roe was a vessel into which America threw all sorts of hopes, beliefs and fears. But how did this legal decision become a symbol of so much? On this week’s show, host Dahlia Lithwick is joined by abortion law expert Mary Ziegler, who’s new book, Roe: The History of a National Obsession, tries to find the roots of Roe’s incessant pull, and to unpack the meaning from the meta.  In this week’s Amicus Plus segment - the worst of jurisprudence 2022. In a year marked by quite a few legal gut punches, Dahlia is joined by Mark Joseph Stern to run through the most bonkers rulings from the most out-of-control federal judges. They also find a path to hope for justice in 2023.   Sign up for Slate Plus now to listen and support our show.  Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we create the show? Check out Slate's Pocket Collections for research and reading list