Life and Art from FT Weekend

In this episode, the importance of schmoozing and good conversation is explored. The art of engaging small talk and audience-focus is discussed, along with conversation turns and the dynamics of radiators and drains. Additionally, the evolutionary basis of public speaking anxiety is examined, and effective strategies for exiting a conversation are shared.

Robin Lane Fox, a gardening expert, shares tips for keeping plants happy in winter. He recommends winter flowering cherry trees, Viburnum shrubs, hellebores, and Phalaenopsis orchids. They discuss the pleasures of winter gardening and the trend of indoor planting. The hosts explore Robin's career as a gardening expert and academic. Wrapping up the podcast, they provide show notes and advertise LinkedIn Jobs.

This Friday, we’re talking about the deification of Dolly Parton, or, as we like to call her, Saint Dolly. Her new release Rockstar comes out today – a 30-track rock album that features duets with artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John and Stevie Nicks on cover versions of their classic songs. The album feels a bit like a karaoke album, but we had a lot of fun listening to it – partially because Parton is so easy to love. So how did Parton become such a cultural icon? What does she represent? And why do we want a Saint Dolly? Lilah is joined by US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou and FT Magazine’s food and drink editor (and long-time Dollyhead) Harriet Fitch Little. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Rockstar by Dolly Parton is available to stream now, on all music streaming platforms. – Here’s the FT’s review of Rockstar, by our pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney: https://on.ft.com/3ufuiql – Harriet unpacks the history of Parton’s hit ‘9 to 5’ for the FT column Life of a Song: https://on.ft.com/49F9Uiz– Anna is on X @annanicolaou, Harriet is on X at @HarrietFL and Instagram at @huffffleMore or less: – Harriet recommends Jury Duty, available to stream free on Amazon Prime– For great local-feeling restaurants in New York, Lilah has a hundred recommendations, but here are three: Claud, a wine bar in the East Village, Names in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and (the classic) Frankie’s in Carroll Gardens– Here’s the article Harriet mentioned, ‘The UK’s 19 cosiest winter restaurants – according to FT writers’: https://on.ft.com/3MNmZwy– Anna hates grey wood floors-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Big Machine Records.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bestselling cookbook author Hetty McKinnon joins to discuss plant-based winter cooking, including using kale and broccoli, layering flavor, and favorite spices and herbs. They talk about the appeal of easy-to-follow recipes with depth and flavor. Hetty shares a popular kale and orzo dish recipe. The influence of the speaker's father, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler, on their perception of vegetables is also discussed.

For our first Friday culture chat, we talk about the new cringe-drama-comedy show The Curse, which dropped on Paramount Plus today. Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone play a couple who are making a problematic reality TV show, Flipanthropy, whose goal is to “ethically gentrify” an American neighbourhood. When they’re cursed by a child, their lives are turned upside down. Lilah’s joined by FT columnist Stephen Bush and assistant arts editor Rebecca Watson to talk about the show and how prestige TV is changing comedy. Why are we laughing less, and cringing more? And why is comedy so complicated right now? -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at lilah.raptopoulos@ft.com.-------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The Curse can be streamed on Paramount Plus and Showtime in the US from November 10. It airs on Paramount Plus in the UK from November 11– The other shows we discussed are Nathan For You (2013-2017) and The Rehearsal (2022)– Look out for the FT’s review of The Curse. TV critic Dan Einav’s review of The Rehearsal is here: https://on.ft.com/3SASwFM – Rebecca Watson’s novel is called Little Scratch. She’s on X at @rebeccawhatsun– Stephen Bush’s daily UK politics newsletter is called Inside Politics. You can trial it for free here. He’s on X at @stephenkb– Stephen recommended, as films where children act like children, the new British film Scrapper and the 2021 Belgian film Playground. Rebecca added the 2022 film Aftersun– Lilah recommended the comedian Rachel Kaly-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast discusses the impact of overtourism in Athens and suggests alternative Greek destinations.Detailed descriptions of Thessaloniki, Vergina archaeological site, Sifnos island, and the unexplored southern coast of Crete are shared.

New show called Life and Art from FT Weekend featuring discussions about life, food, creativity, travel, and current culture trends with colleagues from FT.

Guest: Jamie Lee Curtis, 19-year-old debut actress of the 1978 horror classic Halloween. They analyze the significance of Halloween as a slasher film, discuss its camera techniques, pacing, and portrayal of characters. The speakers critique the lack of tension in the film an...

Discussion on Taylor Swift's successful film release of her sold-out eras tour, the concert film experience, Taylor Swift's fame and future, seeking happiness and fun in the booming concert business, and wrapping up the show with team introductions.

A fascinating conversation about food memoirs featuring chef Ravinder Bhogal, 19-year-old baker Kitty Tait, and memoirist Angela Hui. Topics include baking bread as a lifesaver, struggles with mental health in the food industry, breaking traditional formats in food writing, and overcoming anxiety and imposter syndrome.