Working

This week, host June Thomas talks to author and repeat Working guest Taffy Brodesser-Akner, who recently adapted her novel Fleishman is in Trouble into a limited series for Hulu. In the interview, Taffy describes the biggest challenges she faced as both a showrunner and writer. She also explains what it was like to take a very personal project and turn it into a collaborative one, with creative input from actors, directors, and tons of other creative people. After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler discuss the faulty metric of character likeability in both fiction and nonfiction. They also chat about creative collaboration and tough career decisions. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Taffy tells a story about her upcoming novel, Long Island Compromise. 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.__Sponsored by Saks.com. Check out the Holiday Gift Guide on saks.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, host June Thomas and co-host Isaac Butler speak to Slate contributor and author of Praying with Jane Eyre, Vanessa Zoltan, about jumping into the month-long writing exercise called NaNoWriMo. NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, is when a writer commits to writing a 50,000 word novel in the span of the month of November. As Vanessa explains, this can be an exercise in creative freedom that does away with the typical structure and hang-ups that come with producing “good writing.”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 Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Isaac talks to journalist Steven Thrasher, author of The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide. In the interview, Steven discusses the origins of the book, his decision to include himself in the narrative, and his distaste for the idea of journalistic objectivity. He also shares some tips about outlining and interviewing.After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas talk about how to cite sources without disrupting the flow of nonfiction writing. Then June and Working co-host Karen Han discuss the creative challenge of gift-giving. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Steven discusses his career journey. 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 takes a turn in the guest chair and talks to host Isaac Butler about her new book Bong Joon Ho: Dissident Cinema, which is a critical analysis of the work of Korean director Bong Joon Ho. In the interview, Karen tells the story of how she began writing about culture in the first place and then how she was selected to write a book about one of the world’s greatest directors. She also talks about the structure of the book, the artwork that accompanies it, and how she made the tough decision to quit her day job to work on the book full-time. After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss big career changes, meeting people on Twitter, and the best ways to cultivate curiosity.In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Karen tells a funny story that she came across while researching Bong Joon Ho. 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, host Karen Han poses a listener’s question to co-host Isaac Butler about how to be a parent and how to remain a creative person. They ponder the challenges of parenthood, but also the joy and inspiration it can bring. They also share advice for staying creative and finding time for your work. 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 Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, guest host Zak Rosen from The Best Advice Show and Slate’s Mom and Dad Are Fighting podcast talks to Liza Bielby and Richard Newman of the Detroit-based theater company The Hinterlands. They talk about how The Hinterlands’ latest production, Will You Miss Me? came into being, their influences, their rehearsal process, and the importance of deadlines.After the interview, Zak and co-host June Thomas chat about collaboration, how to kill your darlings, and how Zak implements Julia Cameron’s concept of the “artist’s date.” In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Liza and Richard offer their perspective on the migration of coastal creatives to Detroit in the last decade or so.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 Zak Rosen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host Karen Han talks to Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, Robert Kondo, and Sara Sampson, the brilliant minds behind the new Netflix animated series Oni: Thunder God’s Tale. In the interview, Dice and Robert discuss their early careers at Pixar and their decision to start their own animation studio, Tonko House. Then, Dice, Robert, and Sara dig into the many creative decisions that went into the look, feel, and Japanese folklore-inspired story of Oni.  After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas discuss how small scenes can make a big impact in animated films. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Dice, Robert, and Sara name their favorite animated movies. 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, host Isaac Butler and co-host Karen Han help a listener who’s trying to reignite her creative spark after a depleting bout of Covid. They also share tips for dealing with any period when motivation is difficult to come by. 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 Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Hosts: Isaac Butler and Karen Han Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, host June Thomas talks to the prolific lesbian romance author Harper Bliss, who published nearly 40 novels in the past 10 years. In the interview, Harper describes her writing routine and explains how she’s been able to write and publish so many books. She also discusses the common themes in her books and why she chooses so many different international settings. After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han talk about Harper’s decision to self-publish and her ability to delegate certain tasks. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Harper explains why one of her past books featured a politician character and why she mostly avoids overtly political plots and characters these days. She also talks about her admiration for audiobook narrator and former Working guest Abby Craden. 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 Isaac Butler talks to poet J. Hope Stein, whose latest collection Little Astronaut traces Stein’s journey from pregnancy to motherhood. In the interview, Stein discusses all the creative components that go into her work, from structural elements like line-breaks and word-choice to the decision to share deeply personal details in her poetry. After the interview, Isaac and co-host Karen Han discuss the benefits of reading their work out loud. They also talk about the important creative decisions that go into book layouts. In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Stein talks about her growing interest in children’s literature. She also offers recommendations to listeners who might be “poetry-curious.” 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.__Thanks Avast.com! Learn more about Avast One at Avast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices