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Slate Podcasts
For readers who are listeners, for listeners looking for something to read—this feed includes book discussions and conversations with authors from across the Slate Podcast network.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 21, 2024 • 23min
Gabfest Reads: A Murder Mystery that Uncovers the Excitement in the Everyday and Ordinary
On this month’s edition of Gabfest Reads, Political Gabfest host David Plotz talks with author Elizabeth Strout about her new book, Tell Me Everything. They discuss how Strout conceives of interconnected stories and characters across her work, including the return of beloved characters like Olive Kitteridge. They also dig into the importance of listening and the ways ordinary lives can be extraordinary. 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

Sep 18, 2024 • 56min
Well, Now: Who Cares for the Caregivers?
Nearly half of healthcare workers are at a breaking point, describing that they often or very often feel burnt out on the job.Most of us have heard the phrase “Put on your oxygen mask before helping others,” but rarely does that happen especially for those who work as caregivers.Psychiatrist Dr. Jessi Gold knows this firsthand when her mental overload caused her to make an unthinkable mistake with a patient. This error forced her to step back and reassess her relationship with the healthcare industry as a whole. On this week’s episode of Well, Now Maya and Kavita speak with Dr. Gold about her latest book How Do You Feel?, and how by looking at the healthcare system through the eyes of her caregiver patients, she began to see the shared struggle many healthcare workers have to find the humanity in their work again.If you liked this episode, check out: How Nick Cannon Got Celebrities to Open Up About Their Mental HealthWell, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.Podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com Want to listen to Well, Now uninterrupted? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock ad-free listening to Well, Now and all your other favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/wellplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 17, 2024 • 36min
Money Talks: Under the Spell of Someone Else’s Wealth
For this Money Talks, Emily Peck chats with Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind. His new novel Entitlement explores what happens when normal people enter the lives of the super-rich. Rumaan and Emily discuss class, opportunity, and how the ego and conceit of wealth can be contagious.Want more Slate Money? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock weekly bonus episodes for each regular Slate Plus episode. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the Slate Money show page. Or, visit slate.com/moneyplus to get access wherever you listen.Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 13, 2024 • 46min
Dear Prudence | Revisiting Advice from Ashley C. Ford
Today, we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes from October 2023 with Ashley C. Ford, author of the bestselling memoir Somebody’s Daughter, and one of our guest Prudies, while our regular Prudie, Jenée Desmond-Harris, will be on parental leave.In this episode, Ashley C. Ford joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about whether conflicting ideas about children should end a relationship between two twenty-somethings, what to do when a friend is obsessed with her husband’s band, and if it’s acceptable to leave your partner behind and vacation without them if they’re running late and miss the flight.Want more Dear Prudence? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately unlock weekly bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/prudie-plus to get access wherever you listen.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario, and Jenée Desmond-Harris, with help from Maura Currie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 11, 2024 • 54min
ICYMI: We May Have A New Bad Art Friend With Haley Jakobson's Old Enough
Candice Lim is joined by Slate culture writer Nadira Goffe to break down the BookTok drama surrounding Old Enough by Haley Jakobson. Last year, Old Enough hit the shelves as a queer, coming-of-age novel about a sophomore in college named Sav and her ex-best friend, Izzie. A year later, a guest of Lucie Fink’s podcast The Real Stuff claimed she was allegedly the basis for Izzie and that her childhood was “plagarized” for the novel — from her experience with sexual assault to sensitive details about her family. On today’s episode, ICYMI asks how this BookTok drama became the “Bad Art Friend” of 2024 and where the lines should be drawn when it comes to using the trauma of others to sell a book.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 10, 2024 • 42min
How To! | The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why.
After a tree destroyed Tucker’s roof during a tornado, he felt lucky to be alive—and underprepared for the next disaster his family might face. On this episode, Courtney Martin welcomes back author and former How To! host Amanda Ripley to discuss emergency preparedness and how regular citizens can react smarter during a devastating event. Amanda’s newly updated book is The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes—and Why. After listening to this conversation, seek out (and save) this information:
CERT Training
Your state’s homeland security website
Your county’s emergency management agency
Local emergency alerts
If you liked this episode check out: How To Keep Cool in a Crisis and How To Cope With Climate Anxiety. Also mentioned: How To Pick a College (and Actually Afford It) and How To Take a Gap YearDo you have a problem that needs solving? 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. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.How To’s executive producer is Derek John. Joel Meyer is our senior editor/producer. The show is produced by Rosemary Belson, with Kevin Bendis and Sara McCrae.Want more How To!? Subscribe to Slate Plus to unlock exclusive bonus episodes. Plus, you’ll access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of the How To! show page. Or, visit slate.com/howtoplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 30, 2024 • 43min
A Word: Prayer, Politics, and Power Shifts
Election season brings politicians of all parties to the doors of Black churches, looking for photo ops, votes, and support from powerful pastors. But the traditional Black church is—like many American faith communities—shrinking. And a growing number of middle-class African Americans are worshiping in more diverse congregations. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Dr. Jason E. Shelton, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for African American Studies at the University of Texas at Arlington. They discuss his new book, The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion, and how changes in African American faith communities are playing out in everything from politics, to education, to music.Guest: Dr. Jason E. Shelton, author of The Contemporary Black Church: The New Dynamics of African American Religion.Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-MakanjuolaWant more A Word? Subscribe to Slate Plus to immediately access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Or, visit slate.com/awordplus to get access wherever you listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2024 • 39min
ICYMI: Allison Raskin on Leaving Buzzfeed and Friendship Breakups
Candice Lim is joined by writer, podcaster and YouTuber Allison Raskin, whose new book I Do (I Think) about Gen-Z and millennial marriages comes out October 15th. On today’s episode, Raskin takes us through her internet diaries which include the Substack app and her favorite internet conspiracy theories. But first, Raskin talks about her good (and bad) memories of working at Buzzfeed in its heyday, and the highs and lows of her most public friendship online.This podcast is produced by Se’era Spragley Ricks, Daisy Rosario and Candice Lim. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 20, 2024 • 51min
Death, Sex & Money: Life and Death Inside the Playboy Mansion
Crystal met Hugh Hefner when she was 21 and he was 81. They spent 10 years together at the Playboy mansion before he died and she became a widow. In this episode she reflects on their marriage, and how she’s changed since. Crystal Hefner’s memoir is called Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself.Podcast production by Zoe AzulayDeath, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus.And if you’re new to the show, welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna’s newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 20, 2024 • 37min
Money Talks: How to Save a Doomed Economy
How do you save a region from an economic tailspin? For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with Paul Collier, author of The Bottom Billion and, most recently, Left Behind: A New Economics for Neglected Places. They discuss the economic and political forces that drag countries and regions to the bottom — and how they might be saved. Paul gives examples across time and geography, from Cold War-era Germany to modern-day Africa.If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an exclusive bonus mini-episode with every regular episode of Slate Money! You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work.Podcast production by Jared Downing and Cheyna Roth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices