Working

Chances are, you don’t know much about Jami Barretta’s job. But you really should. Jami is a Child Life Specialist at the Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone. Which means she is in charge of the education and emotional well being of patients whose ages range from toddlers to teenagers. She and her colleagues work with the young patients and their families to help them cope with the stress and confusion of a hospital stay. In this episode, Jami explains how play can be an important tool for helping kids understand medical procedures, the differences between gaining the trust of 6 year old and a 16 year old, and why her job is actually a lot more joyful than people think.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you really love the music in a film from the last 25 years, there’s a good chance Randall Poster was responsible for that. This week, Jordan speaks to the veteran music supervisor who has worked with Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese, Richard Linklater, Harmony Korine and plenty of other directors you love. Randall tells about collaborating with some of the world’s best auteurs, hunting down obscure recordings in India, and delicately convincing directors that, sometimes, their favorite song doesn’t belong in their movie.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, we're coming to you with something special — the inaugural episode of Better Life Lab, the new podcast from Slate and New America. Better Life Lab looks at the challenges to work-life balance, and how we can change as a culture. Subscribe to Better Life Lab via:Apple PodcastsOvercastSpotifyStitcher Google PlayOr wherever you get your shows.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it mean to be an archaeologist in one of the world’s biggest cities? In this episode, Jordan talks to Alyssa Loorya, an archaeologist whose job it is to find out exactly what’s buried under New York City. Along with her Brooklyn-based firm, Chrysalis Archaeology, Alyssa uncovers all kinds of amazing cultural resources as a consultant on construction sites in the city’s many historic districts.  From a 19th-century beer hall on the Bowery to the old alms house buried under City Hall Park. With each new discovery, Alyssa pieces together details to find out more about what New Yorkers were like hundreds of years ago. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jordan takes a trip to the New York office of Sotheby’s, the world’s oldest and largest international auction house, to interview Helena Newman. Helena is the Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe and Co-head of Impressionist & Modern Art Worldwide and also happens to be the auctioneer who recently sold the firm’s most expensive painting to date: a 1917 Modigliani that went for $157.2 million. Helena tells us how she finds and sells some of the most expensive art in the world and what it takes to command a room full of people bidding millions of dollars on historic masterpieces. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Working is back with a new season and a new host, Slate’s economics correspondent Jordan Weissmann. In his first episode, Jordan talks to Christopher Nicolson, head winemaker at Red Hook Winery, a unique operation in the heart of Brooklyn that produces wine from grapes grown across New York State. As the man who oversees all the winery’s production, Christopher is in charge of making and bottling his own creations, while also producing wines for two consulting vintners from California. As if crafting a solid Bordeaux blend weren’t enough work, Christopher also spends part of the year running the family business — commercial salmon fishing in Alaska. Christopher tells us about losing sleep over what’s going on inside his barrels, arguing with farmers at harvest time, and just how early in the day he has to start drinking wine. Plus, he gets into what it’s like to go off the grid to catch wild salmon, and all the pleasures and dangers that entails.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the final episode of Working Classics, Jacob Brogan talks to New York drag queen, and now Rupaul's Drag Race contestant, Miz Cracker about how she conceives of her shows and outfits, the significance of makeup, drag lore, the place of drag and RuPaul's Drag Race in gay culture, and battling robot Hitler. In Slate Plus, Miz Cracker discusses her favorite songs to lip-sync to. Check out Miz Cracker at instagram.com/miz_cracker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Working Classics, Jacob Brogan revisits some of his favorite episodes from his time hosting the show. In this episode, Jacob sits down with Tom King, the current writer of Batman to discuss his process, how he came to the industry, the mythology of the character, and more. In Slate Plus, Slate staffers ask their burning Batman questions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this episode, we visited Slows Bar B-Q to talk with its chef, Mike Metevia. Prior to coming to Slows a decade ago, Metevia had worked in other sectors of the restaurant industry and with other cuisines, but he’d always been a barbecue guy in his private life. “I just like starting fires,” he tells us. Then in a Slate Plus extra, Metevia offers some tips on how to barbecue better at home. If you’re a member, enjoy bonus segments and interview transcripts from Working, plus other great podcast exclusives. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/workingplus.Email: working@slate.comTwitter: @Jacob_BroganProduction: Mickey Capper, @FMcapper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leigh Clayton takes care of the health of 1,500 animals in Baltimore's National Aquarium. She explains how you can tell when a fish is sick, and everything that goes into keeping them healthy. She also tells us about how the National Aquarium connects to and educates about local species, and shares some tips for home aquarium care.In a Slate Plus Extra, she talks about caring for Jacob Brogan's favorite animals: octopuses. If you’re a member, enjoy bonus segments and interview transcripts from Working, plus other great podcast exclusives. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/workingplus.Email: working@slate.comTwitter: @Jacob_BroganProduction: Mickey Capper @FMcapper Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices