Against Everyone with Conner Habib

On Thursday, March 28, myself and journalist & organizer UNA MULLALLY, presented the event THE BEGINNING IS NEAR in Dublin, where we talked about the end of the world and what comes after that. It marked in person with frequent AEWCH guests, philosopher and activist SREĆKO HORVAT, and cultural critic and writer MARK O'CONNELL. The event marked Srećko's first speaking engagement in Ireland, and also my first attempt at creating an "AEWCH event" in Ireland. I'd love to do many more. The night was broken into halves: first, we talked about apocalypse. Then we had a short break and spoke about renewal. What arose was a challenging set of indications and prospects, failures and pathways. Some questions that came up: Is the apocalypse always happening? What does the esoteric tell us about how to live beyond apocalypse? What is the role of art in renewal? Why is it important to evade the political realm? What is the use of hope? Enjoy the episode!

On this personal, spiritual, and worldly episode, I talk with spiritual teacher and writer Lisa Romero - using events in my own life - about how turning point in our lives, and our relationships, can offer opportunities to help the world's development... if we work through them properly.

I talk with novelist, essayist, playwright, and organizer Sarah Schulman about bringing utopianism and reform together in the political and cultural realms.

I talk with journalist, activist, and artist Una Mullally about what happens after collapse and how we can learn to draw strength from the destruction of who we once were.

After a short break, we're back - and AEWCH 228 guest SHULI BRANSON returns to discuss anarchism, spirituality, and peace. This is a special crossposted episode with Shuli's excellent new podcast, The Breakup Theory!

I talk with author of BIG FICTION: HOW CONGLOMERATION CHANGED THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY AND AMERICAN LITERATURE, Dan Sinykin, about how the aesthetics of what we read is shaped by big business decisions.

Sarah Maria Griffin, a fantasy and horror novelist, discusses the compulsion to write and the challenges of being a working writer. They also delve into the personal side of the publishing industry and the decline of public expression through writing. Sarah emphasizes the importance of zines and fan fiction for writers. They explore the subjective nature of excessive violence and the difference between living a dramatic life and creating dramatic stories.

I talk with Rev. Jonah Evans about what "spiritual work" is, how it differs from other kinds of work, how it differs from spiritual practice, and why we probably can't just call everything spiritual work.

Friends, Leftists and progressives more broadly are becoming increasingly aware of the lie of "loving what you do." And we're also becoming more aware of the ways corporations try to ameliorate real reflection and demands for higher wages via "perks" like organic cereal dispensers and "funny hat day" and other forms of glitzy dross. But conversations about all the above, as important as they are, can sometimes reduce fuller conversations to a political/rights dimension, which don't consider feeling, culture, the individual, or even economy. One of the sites of labor where this is evident is the "dream job." That's a category that includes YouTube "stars," writers, podcasters, adult performers, and more. My friend - regular AEWCH guest, the bestselling author and mortician and YouTube star of Ask A Mortician - Caitlin Doughty and I have been "making content" for over a decade. We talk about how the landscape has changed, where it's going, but mostly how this particular form of work is emblematic for the "dream job" that is at once elevated and belittled in our society, free and exhausting, life-giving and soul-killing. My hope is that you'll reflect on your own work and dreams as you listen. And that we'll all talk more about how to make our artistic efforts more free and easier to engage with, while at the same time dissolving the "grind" of it. Happy 250 episodes to this crazy, exhausting, fun, enlivening thing. Thanks for being along for the ride. XO CH

Why would anyone start a podcast? Doesn't everyone have a podcast? Is podcast work actually work? Is there a spiritual aspect to podcasting? (And also, why do we all have to work, even with all this crazy stuff going on in the world?)