Podcasts about dark

Check out Sam Tripoli's new comic book "Chaos Twins!" 2nd issue is about to drop!Visit www.chaostwins.com to support Sam's family-friendly project!Check out Sam Tripoli's 3rd Crowd Work Special "Barbecued: Live From Kansas City" Sept 20th on Youtube.com/SamTripoliComedyWatch Sam's comedy special here: www.youtube.com/samtripoliPlease check out Sam Tripoli's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/samtripoliPlease check out Midnight Mike's Internet:The OBDM Podcast Website: https://ourbigdumbmouth.com/Twitter: https://x.com/obdmpodCheck out the Naked Gardener's Band:The 3rd Pyramid Band - Topichttps://bit.ly/4fpNMMr1. Professor's 9/11 breakdown of coincidences ft larry silverstein - @truth.in.media2. Mary poppins & pennywise reddit theory about connecting with children- @rizhaiderrr3. Mysterious Caucasian & Arminian region - @conceptsinfluential4. Great wall of China kept stuff in or out ? @shaynevibes_truth5. Patterns in nature lead back to sr francis bacon- @acidforsquares6. Unclean spirits have shown to be territorial when humans practice transcendentalmediation -@blurrycreatures7. Couple splits eggs by initials - n/a8. College honeypotter - @theshotclock9. Car crash or explosives planted in car that caused crash - @christgnosisig10. Old Testament is based on pure astrology & zodiac - @igorkryan11. Retired US intelligence officer details Admiral Byrd's journey to inner earth-@nightgod33312. The reason why cats eyes are similar to reptiles -@unanswered_universe13. Video of day, woke toys - @obdm14. Taylor swift & Jeffery Dahmer are ninth cousins -@peggybolton_215. Preflood incest archaeology - @gillyanstone16. Mk ultra never ended -@omgthewhyfiles17. Asking AI to make recalled toys pt 1 - @obdm18. Action Andrew Jackson beat his attempted assassin - @benjamin.sloutsky19. Chemical breakdown of cloud seeding - @tuckercalson20. 8 predictions for the world -@truthseeker0101121. Blistered mating beast monkeys -@zeke.darwinscience22. Josiah getting scalped -@chettripper23. 666 architect -@shaynevibes_truth24. Dark truth about Alice in Wonderland -@kryptobandit225. Egyptian pharaoh blacklisted -@aslanpahari26. Peter Nygard harvesting adrenochrome -@atruthforyou27. “Im okay, im doing great” affirmation -@wearethedreameaters28. MLKangz taken out with a pillow -@tfu.podcast29. Trans-tracker -@aranisagoodboy30. Legal fraud & seasoning the money -@keisenhewer31. Clever money laundering with charities -@moneyplixmediaco32. Caterpillar to butterfly chemical breakdown -@explainerfilms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recorded 2025-11-20 04:17:08

Recorded 2025-11-20 01:30:37

Did you know there's MAGIC in your Meditation Practice? Say Goodbye to Anxiety and Hello to More Peace & More Prosperity! Here Are the 5 Secrets on How to Unleash Your Meditation Magic https://womensmeditationnetwork.com/5secrets Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player. Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium If we can touch our light within, And realize its power, Then we can stop hurting ourselves, With words or self-criticisms.  PAUSE We could see the divine within us, Through us,  As us, And we would choose to embrace ourselves, In all of our so-called imperfections.  PAUSE We often stand in judgment of ourselves, Of our decisions,  Our looks,  Our circumstances, And wonder why we feel empty,  Dark,  Separated. Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen Join our Premium Meditation for Kids Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Kids podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here → https://bit.ly/meditationforkidsapple Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life. If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want! Namaste, Beautiful,

Online platforms like Roblox promise fun, creativity, and connection, but for millions of kids, those promises are breaking. In this episode of Facing in the Dark, Wayne Stender and Dr. Kathy Koch unpack the rise of digital gaming and the dangers hidden behind "safe" online play. From lawsuits and predatory risks to the loss of imagination, they contrast artificial worlds with the kind of real play God designed to shape hearts, build courage, and foster identity. Drawing on the story of David's childhood play and its role in forming his bravery, Dr. Kathy reminds us that kids don't just need entertainment; they need formation. Discover why parents stepping in to set boundaries isn't control; it's love, and how playing together as families restores joy, resilience, and faith in a distracted age. Visit today's sponsor, Summit Ministries at: summit.org/celebratekids Use the code celebrate26 at checkout for some great discounts and gifts.

Full show - Tuesday | Stolen souvenir | News or Nope - It's me, it's me, I wanna cut down a tree | Dark showers | Mundane celebrity encounter | Splitting the holidays | When should you get your kid a phone? | WHERE'S THE PIE, ERICA!? | Is Erica going to have T. Hack DJ her wedding? | Stupid stories www.instagram.com/theslackershow www.instagram.com/ericasheaaa www.instagram.com/thackiswack www.instagram.com/radioerin

Do you love the dark?  Do you yearn for sunset and the amber glow of a fire with the night growing deeper, more inspiring all around you?  Most of us don't - though our ancestors through all of history have lived by firelight, moonlight, starlight... until the modern era of light at the flick of a switch.  But there's a world out there of sheer, unadulterated magic that is only revealed when we put aside the lights and the phones and the torches and step out into the night  - as this week's guest has done. Leigh Ann Henion is the New York Times bestselling author of Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark and Phenomenal: A Hesitant Adventurer's Search for Wonder in the Natural World. Her writing has appeared in Smithsonian, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Backpacker, The American Scholar, and a variety of other publications. She is a former Alicia Patterson Fellow, and her work has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Henion lives in Boone, North Carolina.  Wall Street Journal says of this book. "Lovely…truly inspired…and very clever…An appreciation of nature's nocturnal organisms can help us reset our relationship with the night…That's the gift of Night Magic: It may make you think differently about the night."Leigh Ann's Website https://leighannhenion.com/Night Magic book (UK): https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/night-magic-leigh-ann-henion/7832118

Recorded 2025-11-19 15:12:27

Recorded 2025-11-19 04:08:22

Recorded 2025-11-19 17:00:24

Recorded 2025-11-19 21:29:22

Recorded 2025-11-19 21:29:22

In this powerful episode, Petia shares how Jesus opened her eyes after years in the New Age movement. Through Luke 11:33–36, she unpacks what true light really means, how to guard your heart from deception, and how to let God fill every dark corner of your soul with His truth.     ✨ Key Takeaways 1️⃣ True light transforms and humbles — false light flatters and deceives. 2️⃣ Your 'eye' represents your spiritual focus — what you fix on, you become. 3️⃣ Dark corners are hidden areas of the heart that need God's healing. 4️⃣ True light always glorifies Jesus, not self. 5️⃣ Living fully in His truth makes your life radiant and free.    

Landing on the planet Concept, the crew of the Nightingale prepare to sneak the payload in to take out the Church of the Stellar Flame base. Will they be able to complete the gig and get paid?Scum and Villainy is a sci-fi Forged in the Dark game by Stras Acimovic and John LeBoeuf-Litte of Off Guard Games, of doing odd jobs and writing wrongs in a complex galaxy. It is available in print and PDF from Evil Hat Productions, as well as Indie Press Revolution, and in PDF from Off Guard's itch.io. Free resources can also be found at Off Guard Games' website.Greg - GM / Greeg / Baby Legend (The Pilot)Ben - Ah-En-Mah / Nematocyst (The Mechanic)Dan - Poe / Raven (The Muscle)Jared - MD-X/Maddox / Patch (The Stitch)

Frontière Rock chaque mardi soir de 22h à minuit, plongez dans l'univers sombre et alternatif de la musique Dark, Alternative, Post Punk, Coldwave, Gothic Rock, Darkwave, […]

A puzzling clue leads Heidi to a new witness. His story about a phone call made from inside Whitehouse Farm on the morning of the crime threatens the entire case against Jeremy Bamber. New Yorker subscribers get early, ad-free access to “Blood Relatives.” In Apple Podcasts, tap the link at the top of the feed to subscribe or link an existing subscription. Or visit newyorker.com/dark to subscribe and listen in the New Yorker app. In the Dark has merch! Buy specially designed hats, T-shirts, and totes for yourself or a loved one at store.newyorker.com. Please help us improve New Yorker podcasts by filling out our listener survey: https://panel2058.na2.panelpulse.com/c/a/661hs4tSRdw2yB2dvjFyyw Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

On this episode, the GO crew welcomes TigerChainsaw, the developer of Maiden of the Dark to talk about home brew games on classic hardware. Before that, they discuss the latest industry news and talk about the newest games they’ve been playing. Invite to Fuze social media platform Hollywood Outsider / Gaming Outsider Cruise Info ***Time stamps may not be exact depending on ad placement*** On This Episode (24:57) News (58:55) New Games (1:03:39) CloverPit (PC) (1:11:24) Hypogea (PC) (1:15:52) Total Reload (PC) (1:20:36) iLive Portable Bluetooth Multimedia Sound Bar/Speaker (Hardware) (1:24:03) GameSir X5s Wireless Mobile Game Controller (Hardware) (1:28:14) “From the Outside In” Topic: Home Brew Games? Grab the episode now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Play Music and more. If you love this episode and want other gaming content you can't get anywhere else, please support us on Patreon! Also, don’t forget to check out our Discord Server and our web site, where you can read all of our written content.

Recorded 2025-11-18 18:15:56

Recorded 2025-11-18 23:32:22

In July of 1993, a group of Florida teenagers committed one of the most shocking and senseless murders in modern true crime history. The crime, later dramatized in the 2001 film Bully, was not the work of hardened criminals or masterminds, but of suburban kids. At the center of the story were two childhood friends: Marty Puccio, quiet and impressionable, and Bobby Kent, a young man many described as charismatic but deeply controlling. Those closest to them claimed Bobby bullied, manipulated, and terrorized Marty for years. Marty's friends convinced themselves the only way to escape Bobby's influence was to kill him.What followed was a clumsy, chaotic, and brutally violent attack carried out in a remote swampy area of Broward County. Their plan unraveled almost immediately, leading to multiple arrests, wildly different prison sentences, and decades of debate about what was true, what was exaggerated, and what was simply self-serving testimony. Was Bobby Kent truly the monster the killers claimed he was? Or did a group of teenagers justify murder by rewriting the story after the fact? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the #ShareYourHotness Podcast episode 171! Tammy René is a motivational speaker, author, and ambassador for hope, healing, and thriving. As a survivor of childhood sexual and physical abuse in a cult, Tammy brings her personal experience of overcoming trauma to audiences to inspire hope and understanding. Her messages offer victims of childhood trauma keys to healing and insights to help lift those who struggle on their healing journey. She captivates and inspires audiences with her intimate storytelling, inviting them to experience with her the highs and lows of her journey. Her stories dismantle the stigma of mental illness and show that “regardless of the pains and heartache we are called to go through, all of us can find light and hope, ultimately thriving in a life that is uniquely our own.” She is passionate about helping others discover and use their potential for building a life they love. Tammy hosts two podcast series: Survivor Shift: Moving from Surviving to Thriving, where she interviews others about critical shifts in thought and behavior that allowed them to move forward after trauma; and Building on the Light, where guests share pieces of light they've discovered that help them continue to build a life they can thrive in. You can find both podcasts on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@TammyRene915 She currently volunteers with her local Suicide Prevention Network as a PTSD support group facilitator and has worked as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) on behalf of abused and neglected children. She is the author of the bestselling and award-winning memoir, Miracles in the Dark: How a Childhood Cult and Abuse Victim Reclaimed the Light. https://a.co/d/dkl7qSs . Her new book, Build on the Light: A Blueprint for Building a Life After Sexual Assault, will be available in January 2026. Tammy lives with her husband at the base of the beautiful Eastern Sierra in northern Nevada. She enjoys the outdoors, good music, and friends, and cherishes time with her children and grandchildren. Support The #ShareYourHotness Podcast by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-syh-podcast Find out more at https://the-syh-podcast.pinecast.co

Historian Kevin Impellizeri shares a story of a video game controversy to his friends: Kate Lynch and Matt Shoemaker, whose new book, Gathering of Gamers: Dungeons & Dragons and Other Games Through Gen Con, is available now through Play Story Press (https://playstorypress.org/books/gathering-of-gamers/). If you're interested in the history of North America's largest gaming convention or the history of Dungeons & Dragons, this is the book for you!Matt joins us for the conclusion of our look at Patricia Pulling and her personal war on Dungeons & Dragons during the 1980s. We look at the impact of her message on the news media as well as the growing body of critics who made the radical suggestion that maybe there wasn't a vast network of satanists operated undetected in the United States (shocking, I know) and that maybe Pat was less than up front about her claims.Topics discussed include: how does Geraldo Rivera keep getting work, Richmond's Satanist-Methodist ratio, the question of whether Pat knew her son was turning into a werewolf, and the salacious indiscretions of one of Pat's closest allies.Read Michael Stackpole's Pulling Report here: https://rpgstudies.net/stackpole/pulling_report.html.If you're looking for another well-researched epic takedown of the 1980s Satanic Panic, check out: Robert D. Hicks, In Pursuit of Satan: The Police and the Occult (Prometheus Books, 1991). You can borrow it from the Internet Archive here: https://archive.org/details/inpursuitofsatan0000hick. Audio clips used under fair use from the 1988 "news" special "Devil Worship: Exposing Satan's Underground." You can watch the full special here: "Geraldo Rivera Devil Worship Exposing Satan's Underground," Enter the Dark, https://youtu.be/S_X-1age21E?si=ut_kPtl2FDYBYUWT. (Content warning: discussions of violent crime, suicide, sexual assault).Content Warning: Discussion of suicide. (15:18-20:20)If you or someone you know is struggling, please check out these resources provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/resources/index.html) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (https://afsp.org/suicide-prevention-resources/). You are not alone.More info, including show notes and sources at http://scandalousgamespodcast.wordpress.com.

New SPND20 Mixtape incoming - @phlbrg steps into the vault.

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Sponsor Details:This episode of Space Nuts is brought to you with the support of NordVPN. To get our special Space Nuts listener discounts and four months free bonus, all with a 30 day money back guarantee, simply visit wwwnordvpn.com/spacenuts or use the coupon code SPACENUTS at checkout.Show NotesCosmic Queries: Expanding Universe, Space Elevators, and TOI 6894BIn this enlightening Q&A episode of Space Nuts, hosts Andrew Dunkley and Professor Jonti Horner tackle a variety of intriguing questions from listeners, diving deep into the mysteries of the universe. From the nuances of cosmic expansion to the potential of space elevators and the peculiarities of exoplanets, this episode is packed with cosmic curiosities and insightful discussions that will expand your understanding of the cosmos.Episode Highlights:- The Acceleration of Cosmic Expansion: Rusty from Western Australia asks about the terminology for the increasing acceleration of the universe's expansion. Andrew and Jonti discuss the complexities of this concept, the implications of dark energy, and the evolving nature of cosmological theories.- Space Elevators Explained: Barry's inquiry about the gravitational effects of a hypothetical space elevator prompts a detailed exploration of how gravity would be felt at various altitudes. The hosts discuss the feasibility of such a structure and the science behind gravity in different orbital scenarios.- Understanding TOI 6894B: Casey from Colorado wants to know why TOI 6894B is significant. Andrew and Jonti delve into the characteristics of this unusual exoplanet, its relationship with its low-mass star, and what its discovery means for our understanding of planet formation and the diversity of planetary systems.- Life in Gale Crater: A whimsical question from Philip McCrackpipe leads to a serious discussion about the potential for ancient life in Gale Crater on Mars. The hosts reflect on Mars' wet past and the types of life that may have thrived there, emphasizing the importance of ongoing exploration and research.For more Space Nuts, including our continuously updating newsfeed and to listen to all our episodes, visit our website. Follow us on social media at SpaceNutsPod on Facebook, X, YouTube Music Music, Tumblr, Instagram, and TikTok. We love engaging with our community, so be sure to drop us a message or comment on your favorite platform.If you'd like to help support Space Nuts and join our growing family of insiders for commercial-free episodes and more, visit spacenutspodcast.com/about.Stay curious, keep looking up, and join us next time for more stellar insights and cosmic wonders. Until then, clear skies and happy stargazing.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/space-nuts-astronomy-insights-cosmic-discoveries--2631155/support.

Communion After Dark - features the latest and best in Dark Alternative-Electronic Music. This week's show features music from Assemblage 23, Beyond Border, Hocico, Seelennacht, Nature of Wires, and many more artists from around the world 

Recorded 2025-11-17 06:43:12

Recorded 2025-11-17 18:51:52

Recorded 2025-11-17 22:10:08

Recorded 2025-11-17 01:02:52

Welcome to the fourth episode of series 89, everyone! In this series, we are covering Ghost in the Shell, a Forged in the Dark cyberpunk TTRPG set in the world of Ghost in the Shell! In today's episode, we learn a bit more about Pete before talking about the importance of character sheet design as well as how to design for a cyberpunk game to set it apart from others in the genre. Character Creation Cast Patreon https://patreon.com/charactercreationcast Announcements: Ghost in the Shell Crowdfunding Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manaprojectstudio/ghost-in-the-shell-roleplaying-game Join our Discord! https://discord.charactercreationcast.com Check out other great shows on the network: https://oneshotpodcast.com Leave us reviews in any, or all, of these places: Character Creation Cast on Apple Podcasts (The best place to leave reviews for us) https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/character-creation-cast/id1363822066?mt=2&ls=1 Character Creation Cast on Podchaser https://podchaser.com/CharacterCreationCast Guests Pete Petrusha: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imagining_games/ Website: https://imagininggames.com/ Mana Project Studios Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mana_project_design/ Website: https://manaprojectstudio.com/ Games/Tools discussed this episode: Ghost in the Shell Crowdfunding Campaign: Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/manaprojectstudio/ghost-in-the-shell-roleplaying-game Timestamps: (00:00:00) - Announcements (00:01:36) - Reintroductions (00:07:39) - D20 for your thoughts? (00:21:08) - What is Pete's favorite character creation mechanic? (00:31:01) - Character Sheets (00:44:01) - How do you design a cyberpunk game to be different than others in the genre? (00:52:10) - Call to Action (00:58:48) - Credits Music: Opening: Meditation Impromptu 03 (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming/Meditation_Impromptu_03) by Kevin MacLeod Clip 1: Downside Up by Cody MartinOn Soundstripe: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/17872 Clip 2: Brain Cables by Jed StarkOn Soundstripe: https://app.soundstripe.com/songs/15343 Main Theme: Hero (Remix) (https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Steve_Combs/Principal_Photography_1493/11_Hero_Remix) by Steve Combs Our Podcast: Character Creation Cast: Website: https://www.charactercreationcast.com Contact Us: https://contact.charactercreationcast.com BlueSky: @CreationCast.net (https://bsky.app/profile/creationcast.net) Discord: https://discord.charactercreationcast.com/ TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@charactercreationcast Amelia Antrim: BlueSky: @gingerreckoning.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/gingerreckoning.bsky.social) Ryan Boelter: BlueSky: @lordneptune.com (https://bsky.app/profile/lordneptune.com) Our Network: https://oneshotpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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I ramble about three horror movie marathons I attended last October: 1. "Ha-Ha Horror" at Brain Dead Studios in Los Angeles, where I watched the following horror-comedies in 16mm: Once Bitten (1985); Vamp (1986); Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988); Lake Placid (1999); Transylvania 6-5000 (1985); and Night of the Comet (1984)  2. "Camp Frida: Monster Mash" at The Frida Cinema in Santa Ana, where I watched the creature features Razorback (1984); The Ritual (2017); Attack the Block (2011); Shakma (1990); Lifeforce (1985); and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) 3. "The 20th Annual Horrorthon" at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, where I watched The Funhouse (1981); the uncensored cut of Night of the Living Dead (1990); Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II (1987); Demon Witch Child (1975); Squirm (1976); and Night of the Demon (1980) Click here for the blog version of this episode.

Recorded 2025-11-16 19:21:52

Recorded 2025-11-16 00:36:08

Recorded 2025-11-16 23:01:34

Recorded 2025-11-16 16:26:29

By Walt HickeyWelcome to the Numlock Sunday edition.This week, I spoke to Chris Dalla Riva, author of the new book Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us about the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves. Chris is a fixture here at Numlock, we're big fans of his newsletter Can't Get Much Higher and have been eagerly waiting for this book, which tracks the history of music by coasting along the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The book can be found at Amazon and wherever books are sold, grab a copy!This interview has been condensed and edited. Chris Dalla Riva, it is great to have you back on. Especially great this week, because you are finally out with a book that I know you've been working on for a very long time, Uncharted Territory. Thanks for coming back on.Yeah, thrilled to be back, but also thrilled to have the book come out. The book publishing world is one of the only worlds left in the world that moves slow enough where you're waiting for so long for something to happen.You have guest-written for Numlock before; you have been a staple of the Sunday editions in the past. You are definitely familiar to the audience at this point because you are doing some of the best music data journalism out there. You've been working on this thing for, I feel like, as long as I've known you, and it is just great to have it come out finally, man.Yeah, actually, I met you because I was working on this project. I was trying to track down some data that you'd used at FiveThirtyEight, and you responded to my email with your phone number. You were like, “This is easier to explain over the phone.”Yeah, I remember I had scraped the radio for months at FiveThirtyEight just to see where it went, and you hit me up with that. I think that you focused some of your energies on the newsletter, and that's been so fun to follow, but this is truly what you've been working at. It is great to get you on finally to talk all about it.What would you describe this book as? How would you describe it, either to folks who might be familiar with your newsletter or unfamiliar with your newsletter, about what you're setting out to do with this particular project?The subtitle, I think, is helpful. It's What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves. My typical pitch is that it's a data-driven history of popular music that I wrote as I spent years listening to every number one hit song in history. You get a balance of music history, data analysis, just random music chart shenanigans. I wrote it over such a very long period of time that you get a little bit of how my life was intersecting with this book over the years as I tried to get it published.I love the angle on the No.1s being a place to go with, because it gives you a pulse on what's popular at the time and not necessarily what's the most influential at the time. You can see there's a lot of stuff that hit number one at one point or another that have no musical legacy whatsoever, but nevertheless are still interesting. It's dipping your toe in the stream, right? You can see that a lot of things that we assume about how the music industry works weren't always the case.You wrote a little bit about the early transition from big bands to singers as the front-facing people in their operation. That was informed in no small part by what was performing on the charts, but also, I think, labor action, right?An under-discussed part of music history in the last 100 years is that when thinking of any band now or any musical artist, you almost certainly think of the front person being the singer. But if you go look back at big bands of the 1930s and 1940s, anyone whose name was attached to the band was often not a singer. Some that come to mind are Glenn Miller, the Glenn Miller band. Glenn Miller was a trombone player. Artie Shaw was a clarinet player. If none of these names are familiar to you, that's okay. But you can ask your grandparents.Why does this transition happen: suddenly, the lead singer is always getting top billing in a band? There are a bunch of things that contributed to this. One thing I talk about pretty extensively is just the advent of better microphones. If a voice cannot be heard over the roar of an orchestra or a big band, you need a choir of people to sing. It makes the singer less identifiable. As we get better amplification, better microphones, you can get a wider range of vocal styles. Those vocalists can now compete with the sound of a ton of instruments.At the same time, something you mentioned that I think is a fun bit of history is how music used to be much better organized. They had better labor organization, the same way that Hollywood has much better labor organization than music these days. There still exists a group called the American Federation of Musicians. For two years, they had a strike for a work stoppage, when no new music was being recorded. This was during World War II. You weren't allowed to strike during World War II.They were frowned upon very much, it seems, yes.Yes, even if you were a musician. People were like, “Come on, why are the musicians striking?” There's a lot of interesting history there. One of the weird loopholes was that singers could not join the American Federation of Musicians. Because of that, some labels would get around the strike by just recording acapella songs or songs with instruments that were not eligible to be membership because they weren't “serious” enough, like the harmonica. There were weird harmonica songs that were popular at this time. By the time the strike ended, by the time World War II ended, suddenly, singers had a much more prominent role because they were the only ones allowed to perform.There is tons of weird stuff about this strike. Like, labels backlogged tons of recordings because they knew the strike was coming. “White Christmas,” maybe the best-selling record of all time, was one of those backlogged recordings — recorded in July of 1942 and put out however many months later.That's fun. That's basically why Tom Cruise is in a union but Bad Bunny isn't?I guess so. Music and labor have a history that I'm not an expert on. For some reason, musicians have had a much more difficult time organizing. It seemed to be a little bit easier back when there were these big bands that needed to be rolled out to perform in movie theaters or local clubs. You needed a tuba player and a trombone player and a sax player. I guess it was easier for those musicians to organize. Whereas now, things are so scattered and productions can be super small, and you could record something in your bedroom. They never got that level of organization. I think it's actually hurt artists to some degree because they don't have the protections that the film industry does.Because you're able to just coast along at the top of the charts throughout basically the century, you're able to get lots of different interweaving stories of labor and also legal disputes/legal outcomes, as well as this technological evolution. What are some of the ways that technology has informed how the music that we listen to changes or evolves over time? Or even some of the litigation that we have seen over the course of the century of musical creation. It just seems like it's a really fun way to track some of these bigger trends that we don't even know are really trends.Yeah, totally. I think one of the key themes of the book is that musical evolution is often downstream from technological innovation, which has a nice little ring to it. But in general, there's this idea that creativity is being struck by the muse, and you create something. Whereas in reality, there are usually physical constraints or technological constraints that shape the art that we make. One of the most basic examples is the length of songs. From the '40s up till the early, mid-60s, the pop song sits around 2.5 to three minutes. The reason for this is that vinyl singles could literally not hold more sound without degrading, which is completely backwards from the idea that there was an artist who chose to write a 2.5-minute song.I was like, “Well, you had to work within the constraint.” Then technology gets better, singles start to get longer. During the disco era, they actually made bigger discs to put out these long dance mixes. The single sat around like 3.5 to 4.5 minutes for decades until about 10 years ago, when it started to shorten again. People typically point to music streaming for this reason, because artists are paid if a song is listened to for more than 30 seconds, so it's really just a volume game. If you have a 14 minute song that someone listens to one time, they get paid once. But if I listen to a two-minute song seven times (which is again, the same amount of time spent listening), I will be paid out seven times. There is this financial incentive to shorten songs.I don't think artists are sitting in the studio thinking about this constantly. But what I see, what I saw again and again, is that artists were rational beings to some degree and would work within the constraints that they were given. They would usually push against those constraints. That's where a lot of great art comes out of.Even new mediums are offering new opportunities. You wrote a little bit about MTV and how that really changed a lot of what was able to be successful at the time. You had new types of acts that were able to really start competing there, and other acts that just weren't. Do you wanna speak a little bit about like what video did?Yeah, video certainly changed the game. There were artists who had visual presences earlier. The Beatles had a very visual presence. I think part of their success is tied to the fact that television was becoming a thing, and mass media was really becoming a thing. However, we associate musicians with visuals so much these days. That really emerged in the 1980s, where you needed your visual concepts to be as strong, if not stronger than, your musical concepts. I think because of that, you start seeing some artists break through who I don't think are considered great musicians.I always sadly point to the song, “Hey Mickey” by Tony Basil. If it's your favorite song, sorry. I don't think it's a masterful musical creation, but it had this fun music video where she's dressed up as a cheerleader. A lot of that song's success was just the fact that MTV was willing to put that in heavy rotation because it was a fun video to watch. We live in the shadow of that era where visuals matter just as much as anything else.When you think about the most popular artists, outside of maybe a handful, you think of their visual concepts. You think of what Beyoncé looks like, what her videos are like, same with Taylor Swift, as much as you think about their music. That really reshaped our relationship with popular music. We expect to know what artists look like. It's odd to think about that; it really wasn't a thing decades before. You could be a fan of an artist and not really know what they look like. How would you know? Maybe you saw them in a magazine. Maybe you caught them on one television show. The idea that we have access to what everyone looks like is a pretty new phenomenon.That's fun. It's just so interesting to see how a simple change, whether it's today an algorithm or then a medium of distribution, can just have material impacts on the popularity of British synth music in America.Yeah, that's the perfect example. There's a great book called I Want My MTV, and it's an oral history of MTV. They talked to one of the founders. Early MTV would play, as you're saying, all these British new wave acts. Think A Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran or even someone like U2. They asked the founder, “Why were you playing so many British artists on early MTV?” He was like, “For some reason, British artists happened to make music videos. And there were about 200 music videos in existence. We had to fill 24 hours of programming.” A Flock of Seagulls was gonna get played a bunch of times just because they happened to make music videos.It is a weird thing. Why would anyone make a music video if there was nowhere to really play them? I don't know why specifically the British had more videos, but there were occasional times where television shows might show a video.They do love that over there, like Top of the Pops. I can see why.Music and television have always been connected. You even think Saturday Night Live still has musical acts. Back then, say your label didn't wanna send you out to Britain to go on Top of the Pops. Maybe they would send a video of you instead. There were videos that would float around on these variety shows, and some early videos were just concert footage. It was like, it was a chicken or the egg thing. Once some people had success on MTV, everyone started producing videos. MTV somehow pulled off the miracle of convincing labels that they needed to make videos and that they needed to front the cost for that. Then they had to give MTV the video for free. I don't know how MTV managed to do that.Well, all of Gen X can't be wrong. If you do wanna get it out there, you do have to get it out there. One really fun recurring thing in the book — which again, like I really enjoyed. I think it's a phenomenal work. I think it's a great history. I'm telling stories that I learned in your book to everybody. It is a really fun read in that regard, I wanna say.I do love how you occasionally clock a genre that really only exists briefly. There's one that always goes around for like the strangest things to hit number one, like the Ballad of the Green Berets. I think like there's a Star Wars disco track that I definitely have on vinyl at home about that. You wrote a lot about like teen tragedy songs. What are some of the fascinating like brief trends that only made a small splash and that all of us have forgotten ever existed, but nevertheless achieve some measure of immortality?Yeah, the teen tragedy song is a good one. That actually inspired the writing of this whole book because I got 50 No. 1s, and I was like, “Why are there so many number ones about teenagers dying? That's a little weird.” And then I did a little digging and tried to piece together why that was. The teenage tragedy song, late '50s, early '60s, there are all of these songs about two teenagers in love, usually high schoolers. One tragically dies often in a car crash, and the other is very sad and maybe says that they'll reunite again one day in the afterlife. Some of the big ones are “Leader of the Pack” by the Shangri-Las and “Teen Angel” by Mark Dinning.It's a very weird blip in popular music history. I won't say it has cast a long shadow, but there are some occasional people who pull from that tradition. The craziest teen tragedy song ever was “Bat Outta Hell” by Meatloaf, in which Jim Steinman tried to write a nine-minute motorcycle crash song. I think that's a really interesting one.Disco: bizarre in the amount of people that made disco songs. I really came to like disco and the best disco music, I'm like, “These are the greatest sounds that have ever been recorded.” But it got so big and so popular that everyone felt the need to record disco songs.Not everything is “I Feel Love,” right?No, most things are not. It strikes me that this happened with disco, but has not happened with other genres. Frank Sinatra recorded disco songs. Basically, every television theme song got a disco remix. I Love Lucy had a disco remix. The Rocky theme song had a disco remix.What? I'm sorry, Frank Sinatra did a disco song? Is it good?It's not good. It's “Night and Day” over a disco beat. And it's not clear to me if they just remixed it or if he actually recut the vocal because I just cannot imagine him doing that. In the mid-60s, there was a nun who topped the charts, The Singing Nun with a song called “Dominique.” Of course, during the disco era, it was remixed as a disco song. There are examples of this where people went sort of disco. The Rolling Stones record “Miss You” and it has the disco beat, or Pink Floyd does “Another Brick in the Wall” or Queen does “Another One Bites the Dust.”Everyone was gonna give it a try. There was so much money being made in the disco world at the time. You can always find some artists you would never think would do a disco song probably tried. They probably gave it their best.That's great. It's just fun because the things that hit number one for a week don't necessarily have to be good. They just have to be popular for like a week. Even the construction of the Top 40 chart, which you get into in the book, isn't exactly science. A lot of times, it's a little bit of intuition. It's a lot of what's selling and what's selling where specifically. It is a little bit woo woo, right?Yeah, definitely. The goal of this chart is “What's the most popular song in America in a given week?” Back in the day, that meant what were people buying? What were people listening to on the radio? What were people spinning in jukeboxes? Today, most music is done on streaming. It's consumption-based, rather than sales-based. So the chart's the same in name only, but it's really measuring very different things. The equivalent would be if we knew after you purchased your copy of “I Feel Love,” how many times did you actually play it at home? You could have purchased it, went home and never played it again. Something like that would not register on the charts these days.I respect the people at Billboard because they have an impossible task. It's like “We're gonna take all the information and we're going to boil it down into choosing or measuring what the most popular song is.” It's an impossible task to some degree.I have watched the evolution of the chart, and I go back and forth on whether they have given up on actually trying to rank stuff or if they are just ranking things in a different way. I think that the apples-to-apples between the era stuff is just so hard to do.One thing I really enjoyed about your book, in particular, is that it's not a story of why these songs are the best. It's a story of why these songs were popular at the time, just dipping the toe into the river of human sound. One thing that I'll ask as you wrap: as you were going through these eras, who did you hear a lot more of than you thought? Who did you hear a lot less than you expected?I joked with some people that if you just looked at the top of the charts, the greatest rock band of the 1970s is either Grand Funk Railroad or Three Dog Night because they both had three number one hits, and many other bands in the classic rock canon have none. Led Zeppelin does not really exist on the pop chart, the singles chart. Led Zeppelin really only put out albums. The Eagles were also big during the '70s on the music charts. But Three Dog Night, they're the legends.There are tons of people that I didn't realize how much I would see of them. Someone like Lionel Richie and Phil Collins, of course, they're tremendously popular, but they were so popular. Phil Collins was popular at the height of the bald pop star era, which I think is a thing of the past. You had multiple bald men who were regularly topping the charts in the mid-80s. You see a ton of Phil Collins, more than I was expecting, even though I know he's very popular.Who don't you see a ton of? Sometimes you don't see people until a bit later in their careers. This is actually an interesting phenomenon. Artists do not score a number one hit during their most critically acclaimed period, and then a decade later, they do. For example, Cheap Trick. They have a number one hit, but it's at the end of the '80s song called “The Flame.” Whereas if you hear Cheap Trick on the radio, it's probably their live album from the 1970s. This is a phenomenon you see again and again. Some old timer will get their number one much later in their career. Tina Turner gets her number one when she's probably in her 40s. It's always interesting to see that.There are also some artists where I feel like there's a divergence between what their most popular songs are these days and what was topping the charts. Elton John is a good example there. “Benny and the Jets” was a number one hit, still a tremendously popular song. But he's got a lot of weird No. 1s that I don't think have as much street cred these days. He has a song called “Island Girl.” Did not age like fine wine. I don't even think he plays it live anymore because it's considered somewhat racially insensitive. But it was a No. 1 hit at the time. “Philadelphia Freedom” is another one by Elton John. I feel like when people think of the Elton John catalog, it's probably not the first song that comes to mind. But it was a No. 1 hit, huge smash. His cover of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was a No. 1. Elton John has been very popular throughout the decades, but I feel like the reasons he's been popular have changed.People have just gravitated towards different songs as time has gone on. You get distortions at the top of the charts. But I think, as you mentioned, it provides a good sample of what was actually popular. You have the good, the bad, and the ugly. Whereas if you look at some other sources, people are just gonna be like, “Oh, listen to these records. These are the best records.” In reality, the bad records are important, too.Yeah, bad records are great. They're at least interesting. I imagine also some of this process must have been missing out on a lot of interesting music because one song was just dominating the charts. Were there any songs in particular that come to mind that wooled the roost for potentially a little bit too long?Yeah, the quintessential example is the “Macarena” in the ‘90s.Oh, no!I think it was No. 1 for 13 weeks.Christ!There's a great clip of people at the Democratic National Convention and '96 dancing the “Macarena.” It's so bad. Yeah, so a very popular song. There are tons of stuff that gets stuck behind it. There's a great No.1 hit in the '90s called “I Love You Always Forever.” It's a very nice song by Donna Lewis. It's stuck at No. 2 because it just happened to be popular during the “Macarena's” very long run. YYour life's work, your greatest accomplishment, being stymied by the “Macarena” feels like a level of creative hell that I have never envisioned before.Yeah, there are other artists who got unlucky. Bruce Springsteen never performed a No. 1 hit. He wrote a No.1 hit for another artist. His closest was “Dancing in the Dark” got to No. 2, but that was also when Prince released “When Doves Cry,” so it's a tough, tough week. Bob Dylan, similar thing. He wrote a No. 1 hit, but he only ever got to No. 2. I think he got to No. 2 twice. Once, he got stuck behind “Help” by the Beatles, and another time he got stuck behind “Monday Monday” by the Mamas and the Papas.This is another thing when I talk about the charts. There could be many fewer units sold in a given week, or there could be many more units sold. There's a lot of luck involved if you're gonna go all the way to No. 1. You could be Bruce Springsteen: you release the biggest record of your life, and Prince also releases the biggest record of his life at the exact same time.Incredible. So again, I have read the book. I really, really like it. People are doubtlessly familiar with the newsletter at this point, but I am also a big fan and booster of that. But I guess I'll just throw it to you. Where can folks find the book, and where can folks find you?Yeah, you can find me, Chris Dalla Riva, basically on every social media platform under cdallarivamusic. I'm most active on TikTok and Instagram. The book, Uncharted Territory: What Numbers Tell Us About the Biggest Hit Songs and Ourselves, should be available from every major retailer online. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Booklist, all that good stuff. Not available physically in stores, so definitely order it online.Like I said, I spent years listening to every No. 1 hit in history, built a giant data set about all those songs and used that to write a data-driven history of popular music from 1958 to basically 2025. So go pick up a copy, buy one for your mother for Christmas. Or your father, I don't discriminate. Yeah, check it out. I'm hoping people enjoy it, and I'm really excited to finally get it out in the world. It's been a long, circuitous journey to get it published.It's a really fun read, and I wish it nothing but the best. And yeah, congrats, thanks for coming on.Yeah, thanks for having me.Edited by Crystal WangIf you have anything you'd like to see in this Sunday special, shoot me an email. Comment below! Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for supporting Numlock.Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber! Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips or feedback at walt@numlock.news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.numlock.com/subscribe

This week on Radio Labyrinth, we're diving into the blood-spattered fun of the new Shudder/AMC reality horror series Guts & Glory! We're joined by comedian, game show host, and producer FRANK NICOTERO—who also happens to be cousin to the legendary Greg Nicotero—and friend-of-the-show JOSH WARREN, who competed on the series. Frank and Josh break down what it was really like behind the scenes: the challenges, the chaos, the laughs, and the Nicotero-family madness that went into making one of the wildest reality shows of the year. We talk horror, practical effects, game show energy, and how Guts & Glory blends all of it into something fans have NEVER seen before. Plus: Tim, Jeff, Dustin, and Lizzie dig into all the usual Radio Labyrinth nonsense. KEEP IT CANON! Watch the show: https://youtu.be/LnHFBm-2Vfk ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Hosts: Tim Andrews, Jeff Leiboff, Dustin Lollar and Lizzie Bruce Jones Audio Podcast & YouTube Video Edited by Dustin Lollar Guest: Frank Nicotero & Josh Warren ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

The terror continues in Episode 2 of HBO's IT: Welcome to Derry — titled "The Thing in the Dark." Following the shocking theatre massacre of Episode 1, Derry's secrets run deeper than ever as new horrors crawl out from beneath the surface. In this episode, the Geekz break down:

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In Lonely Crowds (Little, Brown and Co., 2025) Ruth, an only child of recent immigrants to New England, lives in an emotionally cold home and attends the local Catholic girl's school on a scholarship. Maria, a beautiful orphan whose Panamanian mother dies by suicide and is taken care of by an ill, unloving aunt, is one of the only other students attending the school on a scholarship. Ruth is drawn forcefully into Maria's orbit, and they fall into an easy, yet intense, friendship. Her devotion to her charming and bright new friend opens up her previously sheltered world. While Maria, charismatic and aware of her ability to influence others, eases into her full self, embracing her sexuality and her desire to be an artist, Ruth is mostly content to follow her around: to college and then into the early-nineties art world of New York City. There, ambition and competition threaten to rupture their friendship, while strong and unspoken forces pull them together over the years. Whereas Maria finds early success in New York City as an artist, Ruth stumbles along the fringes of the art world, pulled toward a quieter life of work and marriage. As their lives converge and diverge, they meet in one final and fateful confrontation. Ruth and Maria's decades-long friendship interrogates the nature of intimacy, desire, class and time. What does it mean to be an artist and to be true to oneself? What does it mean to give up on an obsession? Marking the arrival of a sensational new literary talent, Lonely Crowds challenges us to reckon honestly with our own ambitions and the lives we hope to lead. Stephanie Wambugu was born in Mombasa, Kenya and grew up in Rhode Island. She lives and works in New York. Stephanie is an editor at Joyland magazine. Recommended Books: Do Everything in the Dark, Gary Indiana Sula, Toni Morrison Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature, is published with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

01. DJ Antonio, Drama Heroes, DJ Chris Parker, Tomyam – Space 02. Sean Finn – Crazy 03. DJ Kuba, Neitan, Bounce Inc. – Watch Out 04. Boney M., R3hab – Sunny 05. Fisher, Bbyclose – Blackberries 06. DJ Nejtrino, DJ Peretse – I've Been Thinking About You 07. Robin Schulz – One By One 08. David Guetta Feat. Sam Martin – Lovers On The Sun (dj Max Wave & DJ Artur Explos Remix) 09. Mark Dann Feat Giovanni Ricci – Let Me Die (alex Caspian Remix) 10. Modjo – Lady (slim Tony & Slashy Disco Remix) 11. Iommi, Micah, Perfect Pitch – Up & Down 12. Shouse, Cub Sport – Only You 13. Calvin Harris Feat Clementine Douglas – Blessings (cassian Remix) 14. Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits (triiper Bootleg) 15. Darude – Sandstorm (glazur & Xm Remix) 16. DJ Peretse X DJ Nejtrino – Rockit 17. Daft Punk — Around The World (westend Edit) 18. 1–8 Malaa – Bonnie 19. Dnce – Cake By The Ocean (martial Simon Remix) 20. Alesso, Sacha – Destiny 21. Example – Changed The Way You Kiss Me (valeriy Smile Remix) 22. Dvbbs, Borgeous Feat. Tinie Tempah – Tsunami (Jump) 23. Jkrs, Aizzo – Hung Up 24. Purple Disco Machine, Ásdís – Beat Of Your Heart (amice Remix) 25. Alan Walker – The Drum 26. Meysta & Bersage Ft. Haluna – Salt 27. Bornstar Dj, Dead As Disko, Tom Silver – Water 28. Klaas – The Way 29. Robert Cristian & Dayana The Sweetest – Ass In The World 30. Kanye West – Stronger (the Shooters Vip Remix) 31. Fisher & Aatig – Take It Off 32. Minelli – Rampampam (ramirez & Yudzhin Remix) 33. Sean Finn – King Of My Castle 34. Rihanna Ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love (elemer Remix) 35. Oneil, Titov – No Stress 36. Dayana – Need You (amice Remix) 37. Fixed Withglue & Mougleta – Girl Like U 38. Nathan Dawe, Joel Corry & Ella Henderson – 0800 Heaven 39. Albert Brite – Wild 40. Lady Gaga – Abracadabra (makj Remix) 41. Morgan Page Feat. Telykast – Dancing All Alone 42. Zerb, The Chainsmokers & Ink – Addicted (mednas Remix) 43. Oneil, Kanvise, Smola – Boys 44. Misha Miller, Alexvelea – Bam Bam (bodega Remix) 45. Camelphat & Elderbrook – Cola (artbat Remix) 46. Imanbek, Byor – Belly Dancer 47. DJ Snake Feat. Bipolar Sunshine – Paradise (xavier Remix) 48. Fedde Le Grand – Got Your Money 49. Tujamo, Azteck, Inna – Freak 50. Kungs – Clap Your Hands (robin Schulz Remix) 51. Saint Jhn, Imanbek – Roses 52. Cascada – Everytime We Touch (dj Dark & Mentol Remix) 53. Sofiya Nzau, Madism, Robert Miles – Hutia 54. Rivo Vs Armin Van Buuren Feat. Sharon Den Adel – In And Out Of Love 55. Calvo, Mark Bale & Alban Chela – Axel F 56. Ida Corr Vs Fedde Le Grand – Let Me Think About It (rakurs & Ewellick Remix) 57. Relanium, Deen West – Leel Lost (index–1 Remix) 58. Akcent, Sera, Misha Miller – Don't Leave (Kylie) 59. Marc Korn, Danny Suko, Heart Fx – Every Breath You Take 60. Martin Garrix, Dubvision Starlight, Shaun Farrugia – Keep Me Afloat 61. Joachim Garraud, Jd Davis, David Guetta – The World Is Mine 62. Ofenbach & Hola! – On The Floor 63. Riton Feat. Soaky Siren – Sugar 64. Meduza Feat. Dermot Kennedy – Paradise (dj Splcy Remix) 65. Feder Feat. Emmi – Blind (filatov & Karas Remix) 66. Oneil, Miscris – La La La 67. Harrison – Touch Me 68. Swanky Tunes – One Of Us 69. Dua Lipa, Imanbek – Love Again 70. Purple Disco Machine Sophie And The Giants – In The Dark (denis First Remix) 71. DJ Peretse, DJ Nejtrino – You're A Woman 72. Regard, Years & Years – Hallucination

In Lonely Crowds (Little, Brown and Co., 2025) Ruth, an only child of recent immigrants to New England, lives in an emotionally cold home and attends the local Catholic girl's school on a scholarship. Maria, a beautiful orphan whose Panamanian mother dies by suicide and is taken care of by an ill, unloving aunt, is one of the only other students attending the school on a scholarship. Ruth is drawn forcefully into Maria's orbit, and they fall into an easy, yet intense, friendship. Her devotion to her charming and bright new friend opens up her previously sheltered world. While Maria, charismatic and aware of her ability to influence others, eases into her full self, embracing her sexuality and her desire to be an artist, Ruth is mostly content to follow her around: to college and then into the early-nineties art world of New York City. There, ambition and competition threaten to rupture their friendship, while strong and unspoken forces pull them together over the years. Whereas Maria finds early success in New York City as an artist, Ruth stumbles along the fringes of the art world, pulled toward a quieter life of work and marriage. As their lives converge and diverge, they meet in one final and fateful confrontation. Ruth and Maria's decades-long friendship interrogates the nature of intimacy, desire, class and time. What does it mean to be an artist and to be true to oneself? What does it mean to give up on an obsession? Marking the arrival of a sensational new literary talent, Lonely Crowds challenges us to reckon honestly with our own ambitions and the lives we hope to lead. Stephanie Wambugu was born in Mombasa, Kenya and grew up in Rhode Island. She lives and works in New York. Stephanie is an editor at Joyland magazine. Recommended Books: Do Everything in the Dark, Gary Indiana Sula, Toni Morrison Chris Holmes is Chair of Literatures in English and Professor at Ithaca College. He writes criticism on contemporary global literatures. His book, Kazuo Ishiguro Against World Literature, is published with Bloomsbury Publishing. He is the co-director of The New Voices Festival, a celebration of work in poetry, prose, and playwriting by up-and-coming young writers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A bloody Bible, propped at an unlikely angle. A manor, locked from the inside. And a silencer, hidden under the stairs, and daubed with blood. Heidi digs into the evidence and uncovers shocking flaws. New Yorker subscribers get early, ad-free access to “Blood Relatives.” In Apple Podcasts, tap the link at the top of the feed to subscribe or link an existing subscription. Or visit newyorker.com/dark to subscribe and listen in the New Yorker app. In the Dark has merch! Buy specially designed hats, T-shirts, and totes for yourself or a loved one at store.newyorker.com.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices