Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Screenwriter Bob DeRosa joins us to talk about what it really takes to build a long-haul creative career—one that doesn’t go viral, but keeps going. We break down 20+ years in Hollywood by the numbers, and what it reveals about persistence, rejection, reinvention, and the myth of overnight success. If Bob’s Bluesky post made you feel seen, wait until you hear what didn’t make it into the main episode. In the bonus edition, Bob shares how a beloved project came close but never sold. Also we might have accidentally developed a Ted Cruz bio pic. Subscribe at patreon.com/pastdue to hear it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders joins us to talk about what happens when the thing you thought you wanted turns out to be too small. We get into the emotional and financial cost of walking away, what it means to do it yourself in a collapsing industry, and how to balance ambition with reality. Want to know what the scariest career pivot Sam Sanders had to make? You can find out at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠. Each week the episode continues with bonus questions, extended interviews… And if you subscribe, you get access to our discord, special episodes, early access, and more. Subscribe at patreon.com/pastdue and tell a friend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Josh Gondelman and writer Maris Kreizman join us to talk about surviving the creative economy as individuals and as a couple. We dig into the emotional labor of staying hopeful, the financial logistics of making art with no guarantees, and what happens when even the “success stories” feel precarious. If you want more from Josh and Maris, there’s bonus conversations waiting for you at patreon.com/pastdue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite writing bestsellers and landing a Reese’s Book Club pick, Xochitl Gonzalez opens up about the lingering shame of precarity, the invisibility of working-class success, and why we need to drag money talk out into the light. Love this? Hear more from the conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Mike talk about what it means to sell out... financially, creatively, and emotionally. From brand deals to burnout, they ask whether survival in the creative economy means compromising your values, or just being honest about what pays the bills. For bonus content and more, visit patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and podcaster Jamie Loftus joins us to talk about financial anxiety, inherited frugality, and the emotional cost of choosing creative freedom. From 7-Eleven coffee to viral fame, we explore what happens when you build a life around surviving—long after you’ve made it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Parker Molloy joins us to talk about the invisible costs of creative independence, from burnout to the search for meaning in an industry built on metrics, and why it’s so hard to believe your work matters, even when it clearly does. This week on our Patreon exclusive, Parker Malloy names names. She tells us who’s thriving in media right now that absolutely shouldn’t be, and who’s doing such great work it makes her forget to be jealous. Subscribe at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠⁠⁠ to hear it and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer, performer, and YouTuber Maggie Mae Fish joins us to talk about financial survival, burnout, and the hard-earned lessons of giving up hustle culture. We unpack the toll of having five jobs, the shame of rest, the fear of slowing down—and why stability doesn’t magically erase anxiety. Every episode, we save the most surprising, unfiltered stories for our Patreon. In this week’s bonus segment, Maggie Mae Fish tells us what happened when she dared to criticize Zack Snyder on YouTube. Let’s just say… the fanbase had thoughts. Subscribe at patreon.com/pastdue to hear the full clip, get early access, bonus episodes, and a little solidarity in this chaotic creative economy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Journalist Taylor Lorenz joins us to talk about the hidden costs of writing online today, from the terrifying reality of working without health protections, to the pressure of being a one-person brand, and why real survival might mean building community from the ground up. If you want to hear more from Taylor Lorenz about the emotional whiplash of losing just one subscriber, join us at ⁠⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠⁠. You’ll get exclusive extras, extended interviews, and first dibs on upcoming surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comedian Adam Conover joins us to unpack the real costs of the so-called "creator economy" from algorithmic gatekeeping to the crumbling of stable creative jobs. If you want to hear more from our episode with Adam Conover, including his worst ever gig, join us at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠. You’ll get exclusive extras, extended interviews, and first dibs on upcoming surprises. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices