This Is Hell!

In a thought-provoking discussion, Kamau Franklin, founder of Community Movement Builders, dives into the urgent fight against systemic racism in Atlanta. He critiques the gap between political leaders and the community's needs, shedding light on the illusion of progress amidst gentrification. Franklin emphasizes the significance of grassroots organizing in fostering resilience while discussing the transformation of sites of tragedy into spaces for activism. Listeners will gain insight into the historical lessons of the Black radical tradition and the necessity of sustained activism in confronting state violence.

Journalist and author Suzy Hansen will returns to This Is Hell! To talk about her New York Magazine article, "Crimes of the Century: How Israel, with the help of the U.S., broke not only Gaza but the foundations of humanitarian law." Suzy is the author of, "Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World," which was a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize. Her new book, "From Life Itself: Turkey, Istanbul, and a Neighborhood in the Age of Erdoğan," will be published in April by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/israel-palestine-gaza-war-crimes-genocide.html A new installment of “This Week In Rotten History” from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

John Washington joins us to discuss his recent piece in the New York Review of Books, "The Roots of Bukele’s Gulag." An all new "Rotten History" and "The Moment of Truth" segments follow the interview. Check out John's article here: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2025/06/01/the-roots-of-bukeles-gulag/ Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

While Chuck is out this week, we revisit our first interview from 2020. Theorist Albena Azmanova examines the dynamics of post-2008 precarity capitalism, the left's long failure to strike through capitalism's competitive production of profit, and explains why radical change for the precarious multitude is possible without a revolutionary break - but through subversive pragmatism. Albena is author of Capitalism on Edge: How Fighting Precarity Can Achieve Radical Change Without Crisis or Utopia from Columbia University Press.

Micah Herskind returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his contribution to the new edited volume, "No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement" from Haymarket Books. After the interview, Jeff Dorchen delivers a live, in-studio "Moment of Truth." Check out Micah's book here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2541-no-cop-city-no-cop-world Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Paisley Currah joins us to discuss his New Yorker piece, "Donald Trump's War on Gender Is Also a War on Government." "Rotten History" by Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview. Check out Paisley's article here: https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/donald-trumps-war-on-gender-is-also-a-war-on-government Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Leigh Claire La Berge joins us to discuss her new book published today by Haymarket, "Fake Work: How I Began to Suspect Capitalism is a Joke." "Rotten History" by Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview. Check out Leigh's book here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2534-fake-work Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

ProPublica's Molly Redden joins us to discuss her article, "The “Invasion” Invention: The Far Right’s Long Legal Battle to Make Immigrants the Enemy." A new "Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview. Check out Molly's article here: https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-administration-immigration-invasion-rhetoric-courts Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Mariah Parker joins us to discuss her chapter in the new co-authored book, "No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement." A classic "Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview. Check out Mariah's new book here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/events/717-no-cop-city-no-cop-world Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Dr. Emily M. Bender and Dr. Alex Hanna come on the show to talk about their new book “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want” published but LitHub. The book tackles the pitfalls of AI and why it’s so crucial to understand the capitalist greed that is manipulating AI behind the scenes. https://thecon.ai/ A new installment of “This Week In Rotten History” from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell