This week, host Karen Han talks to sommelier Miguel de Leon, who currently works as the wine director for Pinch Chinese in New York City. In the interview, Miguel explains that his job is less about defining obscure tasting notes and more about curating experiences and telling stories. He also talks about the exclusionary nature of the wine world and his efforts to make that world more accessible to everyone. After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler discuss how to be more welcoming to newcomers in creative fields. They also talk about how expensive art can be, both to make and to experience. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Miguel talks about some specific wines that he’s excited about. 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 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

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler mull over James Altucher’s habit of creating 10 new ideas every day. Altucher’s theory is that the simple act of generating a list can build a strong creative routine. The hosts put this theory to the test and while Isaac remained skeptical, June had a surprising result. Do you have a question about creative work? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.  Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to Sian Heder, who wrote and directed the Oscar-winning film CODA and now works on the Apple TV Plus series Little America, which tells stories that are based on real immigrant experiences. In the interview, Sian discusses the success of CODA and shares what it was like to win an Oscar. Then she digs into her work on Little America and discusses the challenges and joys of telling other people’s stories. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Sian talks about growing up with a Welsh mother and a Hungarian father and explains how her upbringing informs her work. 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 and Kevin Bendis.__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

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Tarn and Zach Adams, two brothers who’ve been continually crafting and updating the video game Dwarf Fortress for two decades. In the interview, Tarn and Zach discuss the earliest versions of the game, which were available online for free in the early 2000’s and served as an important influence for games like The Sims and Minecraft. Tarn and Zach also discuss the intricate details of the game and the gigantic number of narrative possibilities that players can experience. After years of tinkering, the “fortress mode” of the game is finally available for purchase, and “adventurer mode” won’t be far behind. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han talk about what happens when a project starts to evolve into something unexpected. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Tarn and Zach explain how Dwarf Fortress ended up in the Museum of Modern Art. 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 content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and Isaac Butler talk about how to properly apply feedback from an editor or another creative collaborator. They discuss when to compromise when to dig your heels in, and when to burn down a collaborative bridge. Do you need help with a creative problem? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.  Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

This week, host June Thomas talks to Chase Joynt and Morgan M. Page, co-writers of the new documentary Framing Agnes, which Chase also directed and appears in. The film depicts, through reenactments, conversations with trans patients who were part of a UCLA gender study in the 1950’s. It also features interviews with trans actors who portray the patients and multiple conversations between Chase, Morgan, and others about how to tell trans stories farily. In their interview with June, Chase and Morgan describe the many modes of the film and explain why they felt the need to venture so far outside the usual documentary conventions. After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han talk more about Framing Agnes and documentary filmmaking. They also discuss best practices for conducting respectful interviews.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Chase and Morgan talk about some of the people they collaborated with to make Framing Agnes. Works referenced in this episode include: Errol Morris’ documentary series WORMWOOD.The Handler, an edition of the BBC’s Assume Nothing series. The Teacher’s Trial podcastSend 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

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and Isaac Butler respond to listener Emily’s question about how best to plan out a period of creative freedom she’s been given through a writing grant. It can be a challenge to find motivation while working on spec, or without concrete deadlines, but Isaac and Karen share ideas for psyching yourself into a creative routine. Do you feel unable to plan out your creative future? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.  Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Karen Han talks to Yoon Sung, an urgent care doctor in Los Angeles who decided to pivot to the culinary arts…while continuing to be a physician. In the interview, Yoon talks about what his two jobs have in common, how he balances both careers, and how he fell into his latest gig as the pastry chef at Hanchic. After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler discuss the role of “service” in creative work and the decision to do work that makes you happy. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Yoon talks about his early culinary experiments in Baltimore. He also shares some of his favorite foods to eat and cook. 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 Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices