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Are books... dangerous? A lot of people think so, from Moms For Liberty to the mostly-imaginary internet spectre of the censorious Puriteen. Lyta Gold joins us to talk about which books are most dangerous and which might be able to redeem the act of reading. Theme tune by Caina: https://cainaband.bandcamp.com/ Danger is our Patreon's middle name: https://www.patreon.com/DeathSentence
Meet Steven Pinker whose denial of limits increases the likelihood of his worst fear: the end of the Enlightenment. Please share this episode with your friends and start a conversation.For an entertaining deep dive into the theme of season five (Phalse Prophets), read the definitive peer-reviewed taxonomic analysis from our very own Jason Bradford, PhD. Sources/Links/Notes:David Marchese, "Steven Pinker Thinks Your Sense of Imminent Doom Is Wrong" in The New York Times Magazine (2021).The Work that Reconnects NetworkGood Grief NetworkThree relevant past episodes of Crazy Town are episode 39 on the myth of progress, episode 35 on self-domestication, and episode 34 on terror management theory."Steven Pinker: The Mind Reader" in The Guardian (1999).Robert Wright, "The 2004 Time 100" in Time Magazine (2004).Nick Gillespie, "Steven Pinker Loves the Enlightenment" in Reason Magazine (2018).David A. Bell, "Waiting for Steven Pinker's enlightenment" in The Nation (2018).Emile Torres, "Steven Pinker's fake enlightenment" in Salon (2019).Robert Epstein, "Book Review: The Better Angels of Our Nature" in Scientific American (2011).Tyler Cowen, "Steven Pinker on Language, Reason, and the Future of Violence," Mercatus Center (2016).Mike Freiheit and Lyta Gold, "Comic: Steven Pinker--Certified Grief Counselor" in Current Affairs 2018). George Monbiot, "Contrary to Reason" in The Guardian (2018).Alex Blasdel, "Pinker's progress: the celebrity scientist at the centre of the culture wars" in The Guardian (2021).Support the show
Our contemporary political discourse is rife with claims that certain forms of art, literature or thought are poisoning our culture and advancing the decay of civilization. The right has whipped itself into a frenzy over "critical race theory" bogeymans and campaigns to ban any books that contain even a passing acknowledgment of LGBTQ life. While certainly less zealous, the left can be sanctimonious and counterproductive when it comes to genres and works of fiction we deem politically pernicious—or just bad. Of course, none of this is new. Pop culture has been a terrain of political struggle for about as long as pop culture has been around. In her forthcoming book, Dangerous Fictions, Art for the End Times host Lyta Gold traces the history of these "cultural" conflicts and the deeper social fissures they belie.Studio: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Brent TomchikHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
A chill is in the air, the leaves are changing, and the spirits of the vengeful proletariat wander the land. It's Halloween time—also known as Spooky Season. Once again, staff members at The Real News join Art for the End Times host Lyta Gold for another special episode on our favorite horror flicks. From vintage classics to revisionist takes on the colonial psychology of the horror genre, Maximillian Alvarez, Mel Buer, and Julianne Simitz get Halloween started in the tradition of The Real News.Post-Production: Dwayne GladdenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
Where did all the good tunes go? Have millennials just gone the way of Gen X and Boomers before them, pining nostalgically for gilded memories of a past that never glittered? Or has the music business—and music along with it—really changed? In this episode of Art for the End Times, Lyta Gold explores the unsavory reality of the capitalist music industry with special guest Torquil Campbell (AKA Torq), co-lead singer of the acclaimed indie pop/rock band Stars. Torq guides us on a journey to understand the contemporary music industry, and how streaming platforms and usurious music-industry capitalists have built an environment hostile to creativity with their relentless fleecing of artists and consumers alike. To take back the culture, we'll have to take back the means of artistic production, and Torq offers some thoughts on what that might mean for cultural workers. Torq Campbell is a socialist musician, songwriter, co-lead singer of the band Stars, and co-host of the Soft Revolution podcast. Stars have released nine studio albums—including, most recently, From Capelton Hill—and have been nominated for multiple Juno and Polaris awardsStudio/Post-Production: Dwayne GladdenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
The venerable Star Trek universe is really the only major pop culture property that can be claimed as certifiably leftist. But how do the newest batch of shows hold up? In a special crossover episode, Lyta Gold of Art for the End Times teams up with a lively panel of fellow podcasters and Trekkies—David Banks and Britney Gil (Iron Weeds), Leslie Lee III (Struggle Session), and Aaron Thorpe (Trillbilly Workers Party, Struggle Session, and Everybody Loves Communism)—to discuss the most recent Star Trek show to hit the airwaves, Strange New Worlds. Drawing on decades of collective Trekkie experience, they debate Paramount's increasingly cynical approach to making Trek, and how the whole series succeeds (or fails) in imagining fully automated luxury space communism while still being created by capitalists.
Listen to this ep ad free on The Real News feed: https://therealnews.com/does-the-new-star-trek-betray-the-socialist-principles-of-the-original-series Or support the show and listen to every episode ad free with hundreds of bonus episodes by subscribing at http://sesh.plus or http://patreon.com/strugglesession or http://strugglesession.substack.com The venerable Star Trek universe is really the only major pop culture property that can be claimed as certifiably leftist. But how do the newest batch of shows hold up? In a special crossover episode, Lyta Gold of Art for the End Times teams up with a lively panel of fellow podcasters and Trekkies—David Banks and Britney Gil (Iron Weeds), Leslie Lee III (Struggle Session), and Aaron Thorpe (Trillbilly Workers Party, Struggle Session, and Everybody Loves Communism)—to discuss the most recent Star Trek show to hit the airwaves, Strange New Worlds. Drawing on decades of collective Trekkie experience, they debate Paramount's increasingly cynical approach to making Trek, and how the whole series succeeds (or fails) in imagining fully automated luxury space communism while still being created by capitalists. Pre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Dwayne Gladden Struggle Session brought to you by Blue Wire Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The venerable Star Trek universe is really the only major pop culture property that can be claimed as certifiably leftist. But how do the newest batch of shows hold up? In a special crossover episode, Lyta Gold of Art for the End Times teams up with a lively panel of fellow podcasters and Trekkies—David Banks and Britney Gil (Iron Weeds), Leslie Lee III (Struggle Session), and Aaron Thorpe (Trillbilly Workers Party, Struggle Session, and Everybody Loves Communism)—to discuss the most recent Star Trek show to hit the airwaves, Strange New Worlds. Drawing on decades of collective Trekkie experience, they debate Paramount's increasingly cynical approach to making Trek, and how the whole series succeeds (or fails) in imagining fully automated luxury space communism while still being created by capitalists.Post-Production: Dwayne GladdenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
Read the transcript of this podcast: Marilynne Robinson established herself through some of the most biting critiques of neoliberalism written in her time. Since being identified as Obama's "favorite novelist," she's taken political positions more aligned with the powerful than her readers might have once thought possible. Nevertheless, the searing insight and aesthetic magnificence of Robinson's ornate prose can't be denied. Phil Christman, author of How to be Normal, joins Lyta Gold on this episode of Art for the End Times to discuss Robinson's oeuvre, its impact on his own writing, and what the left can still recover from her work.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
Read the transcript of this podcast: The best-selling and (mostly) critically acclaimed Irish novelist Sally Rooney has sometimes come under fire for not—despite her professed personal left-leaning politics—writing “Marxist” novels. But what does a Marxist novel look like? Is the novel form itself inherently bourgeois? In this episode of Art for the End Times, Lyta Gold sits down with writer and McGill University PhD candidate Richard Joseph to discuss Rooneymania, love stories, the limitations of the realist novel, and what exactly we are asking of writers when we ask them to tell “Marxist” stories.Richard Joseph, LA Review of Books, "Everyone's a Critic": https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/everyones-a-critic/Pre-Production/Studio: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Brent Tomchik
Christmas is a time to be with the ones you love, to give gifts and give thanks, and to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ (if you're so inclined). It is also a time for gaudy decorations, Griswoldian light displays, mall Santas, and a carnivalesque orgy of capitalist commercialism, formulaic Hallmark movies, and sugary crap. Does this mean, as we hear every year, that we've forgotten the “true spirit” of the holiday, or is there something meaningful and worthwhile in the giant tacky spectacle? What does our attachment to the tackiest parts of Christmas say about us and our aesthetic attachment to “low culture”?Whether we're talking about the holidays, pop music, or frosted lip gloss, it's high time we develop a more nuanced, empathetic, and less elitist way to talk about pop culture and the politics of “good” and “bad” taste. This is precisely what author Rax King does in her new book Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer, which explores the meaningful relationships we develop with “tacky” things—from suburban malls and the Cheesecake Factory to the music of Creed—and the complicated social pressures we face from snobbish people telling us we're bad for liking the things we like.In this special holiday edition of Art for the End Times, host Lyta Gold and TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez talk to Rax King about her book, the power of unfettered (and unashamed) aesthetic appreciation, and the true meaning of Christmas. Rax King is the James Beard Award-nominated writer of the columns “Store-Bought Is Fine” and “Dirtbag Chef,” as well as the host of the podcast Low Culture Boil. Her writing can be found in a range of outlets, including Glamour, MEL Magazine, and Catapult.Read the transcript of this podcast: https://therealnews.com/merry-christmas-ya-tacky-animalPre-Production/Studio/Post-Production: Dwayne GladdenHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
As we prepare for a series of 2021 retrospectives looking at the highs and lows of the year, the bests and the worsts, Darts and Letters is embracing the chaos, looking to the printed word, and scouring the stacks to find the dumbest books that found their way to print. We did not have to … Read More Read More
Yes, we all have a certain nostalgic attachment to the Harry Potter series and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But let's be honest: It's a little odd that children are offered up as sacrifices in JK Rowling's magical world, that they're expected to save everybody, and that everyone is just kind of fine with that arrangement. However, in the first two installments of her celebrated Scholomance series, A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, author Naomi Novik creates a much darker and much more violent world of magic, monsters, sorcerers, and survival—a world that takes the premise of Rowling's series to a darker, more violent, and dramatically complex conclusion. Following the central character El as she navigates the treacherous world within and beyond the Scholomance, a school for sorcerers without teachers or a governing body, Novik's innovative novels not only make for great reading but also probe deeply human and political questions about the choices we make to survive in a darkly unjust world—and the fights we must wage in order to create something better.In the newest episode of her TRNN podcast Art for the End Times, host Lyta Gold convenes a lively panel of writers, philologists, editors, and haters to discuss the Scholomance series and the important lessons Novik's magical world can teach us about surviving our own monstrous world. Panelists include: Dan Walden, Allegra Silcox, Adrian Rennix, and Jessica Lamb.Pre-Production/Studio/Post Production: Stephen FrankRead the transcript of this podcast: Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
As a canonized work of fantasy fiction, a Hollywood institution, and a global cultural phenomenon, JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is in a class all its own. Not only has the series had tremendous cultural staying power since its original publication in the 1950s, renewed for generations with Peter Jackson's film adaptations, but it became a lifeline for many people quarantining throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Why have Tolkien's works captivated us for so long? What does it tell us about our world and about the world Tolkien created that each perpetually has so many revealing things to say about the other? How has the series become the subject of an unending interpretive battle between reactionaries and revolutionaries who want to claim it as their own? And what does it mean to truly love Lord of the Rings for what it is, warts and all?In the inaugural episode of her new TRNN podcast Art for the End Times, writer and editor Lyta Gold dives deep into one of the most complex, lore-filled, and culturally enduring works in the fantasy canon with journalist, researcher, and diehard Lord of the Rings fan Talia Lavin. Lavin is the author of the critically acclaimed book Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy, and her writing has been featured in outlets like The New Yorker, The New Republic, The New York Times Review of Books, the Washington Post, the Village Voice, and more. She also writes regularly on her Substack The Sword and the Sandwich.Pre-Production/Studio/Post Production: Stephen FrankRead the transcript of this podcast: https://therealnews.com/reading-lord-of-the-rings-in-the-end-timesHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
From folkloric figures like Lamia and Grendel who feast on human flesh, to historical monsters like Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Báthory who reveled in human blood and carnage, to Bram Stoker's Dracula, the antecedents to the modern vampire have instilled fear and morbid fascination for centuries. Especially during periods of social devastation, imperial conquest, plague, and mass death, vampires and vampiric figures have featured prominently in popular imagination. In every case, the cultural phenomenon of the vampire reveals much about the time, place, and people from which it emerged—and the persistent relevance and adaptability of the vampire allegory likewise reveals much about the evolution of human society and its timeless struggle to come to terms with death. So, in the age of runaway capitalist destruction and climate catastrophe, what should we make of the popularity of new vampire allegories like Netflix's Midnight Mass and the Provincetown series in the new season of FX's American Horror Story?In this panel discussion, just in time for Halloween, the TRNN team hosts a wide-ranging discussion about the historical significance of the vampire and its enduring allure in the 21st century. Our panel today includes TRNN Editor-in-Chief Maximillian Alvarez; TRNN Managing Editor Jocelyn Dombroski; Marc Steiner, host of The Marc Steiner Show; and special guest, renowned author and editor Lyta Gold.Pre-Production/Studio/Post Production: Stephen FrankHelp us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer: Donate: https://therealnews.com/donate-podSign up for our newsletter: https://therealnews.com/newsletter-podLike us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/therealnewsFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealnews
In this first half of this episode, we talk about the situation in Afghanistan with Lyta Gold, particularly the media freakout about America's imperial humiliation. To hear our following discussion of The Green Knight, subscribe here!
The Current Affairs flock investigate how the right created a moral panic around "critical race theory", dare to make all tax records public, and dream of utopia. The flock this week is made up of senior editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Lyta Gold. "How a Conservative Activist Invented the Conflict over Critical Race Theory": https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/how-a-conservative-activist-invented-the-conflict-over-critical-race-theory/amp "Solidarity Never" by Current Affairs lyrebird Danny Bradley. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The panel give their NFT takes, propose a universal database of all human knowledge, and share some hard-earned life lessons. The nest this week was inhabited by finance editor Sparky Abraham, poet-at-large Cate Root, editor-in-chief Nathan Robinson, and amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold. "The Truth Is Paywalled But The Lies Are Free": https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/08/the-truth-is-paywalled-but-the-lies-are-free/ "As Google Fights Fake News, Voices on the Margins Raise Alarm": https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/technology/google-search-bias-claims.html This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Once again, we dig into your voicemails. (We hear you, and we see you.) Topics include personality tests, cryptids, political arguments with relatives, and rebooting the left after the pandemic. The bird's nest this week was made up of five eggs: amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, finance editor Sparky Abraham, senior editor Brianna Rennix, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, and business manager Allegra Silcox. "An Oral History of Cryptid Currency": https://www.currentaffairs.org/2019/08/an-oral-history-of-cryptid-currency This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The panel discuss the recent slate of anti-trans bills, theorize on politics as fandom, and announce their vows for post-pandemic life. Today's flock consists of legal editor Oren Nimni, senior editor Brianna Rennix, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Once again we peruse, examine and eat your voicemails. Subjects include office animals, accusations of "childishness", the nature of the self and imaginary metros. The panel this week was made up of senior editor Brianna Rennix, administrative Zoomer Kate Gauthreaux, amusements & managing editor Lyta Gold, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, and host Sparky Abraham. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The panel debates whether art has been over-moralized, argues the benefits of short-selling, and airs their petty grievances. At one point, someone triggers the Dialectics Calypso. The panel this week consisted of amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your temporary host is Aisling McCrea. "Beyond the Guilt Tax": https://thepointmag.com/criticism/beyond-the-guilt-tax/ This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music by Danny Bradley.
The team discuss the ensmallening of culture, women in science fiction, and reveal which things they suspect may not be real. The panel this week was senior editor Brianna Rennix, amusements & managing editor Lyta Gold, and business manager Allegra Silcox. Your host is Oren Nimni. Music, as ever, is by Current Affairs musician-in-residence Danny Bradley. If you so wish, you can support Danny by purchasing "How Was Your Year?" here: https://dannybradleymusic.com/songsforcurrentaffairs/howwasyouryear This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
This week, Lyta Gold had an extra-long, two-part conversation with Current Affairs editor-at-large Yasmin Nair, in which they dissect the arts industry, media gossip, creative labor, why writing doesn't pay, and why the arts culture today feels so stagnant. This is a preview of two episodes available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
The team responds and reflects to the Biden win, ruminate on conservative octogenarians, and look forward to a vaccinated future. The panel this week is made up of associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, finance editor Sparky Abraham, managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is newsletter editor Nick Slater. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music by Danny Bradley
Baked goods are foods made from dough or batter and cooked by baking. Salted meats are therefore not baked goods unless baked in a dough or batter. Books mentioned in the revolution section include:The Gods Are Thirsty by Tanith Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gods_Are_Thirsty_(Tanith_Lee) The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Structure_of_Scientific_Revolutions The beat used for the Chomsky Drop is "Grounded", by Mert Oksuz. The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, contributing editor Eli Massey, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Yasmin Nair and Lyta Gold talk publishing scandals, "authenticity", cultural appropriation, feminism and more. This episode was recorded a little while back, but it doesn't devalue the conversation because variations on the specific events they describe occur over and over again, on a weekly basis, forever. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Lyta Gold speaks to two New York-based doctors (@DrOni Bee and @AndrewMakeTweet) about how the pandemic has been handled in the city. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
"When it comes to jokes, The Simpsons uses every part of the animal." Current Affairs newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements editor Lyta Gold and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discuss the most iconic sitcom of all time, why it's lodged so powerfully in our minds, and how it portrays bosses, government, schools and everything else. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Brianna Rennix, Lyta Gold and Allegra Silcox discuss the online culture of writing erotic stories about fictional characters, the portrayal of romance and sexuality in media, and what it means to remake a story according to our own desires. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our $5 Patreon subscribers. To listen to the whole episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus episodes, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Today we revisit a great conversation with Nathan J Robinson and Lyta Gold of Current Affairs Magazine. We talk about Nathan's book, The Military Industrial Complex, and The Dogagator(sp?). SUPPORT GOOD MORNING COMRADECONTACT US!Email us!goodmorningcomrade.comTwitterFacebookLeave a review! 5 stars and say something nice to spread the word about our little show!Thank you so much for listening!
The panel discusses gender, "yikes" moments, and redemption. The panel this week was lieutenant editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, business manager Allegra Silcox, and administrative maven Cate Root. Your host is Pete Davis. Rennix's gender article is here: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/06/the-peculiarity-of-gender "Where in the World is Peter Daniel Davis?" jingle is by semi-official Current Affairs musician Danny Bradley. Music for LegumeAnon by Alexander Blu. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The panel discusses the protests, alternatives to policing, and political art. (If you want to know further thoughts on Dave Eggers' "The Captain and The Glory", don't worry—Current Affairs will reveal all soon.) The panel this week was editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, finance editor Sparky Abraham and host Lyta Gold. Transform Harm: https://transformharm.org/abolition/ Criticism of 8 Can't Wait: https://www.8toabolition.com/ Resource Guide: Prisons, Policing and Punishment: https://medium.com/@micahherskind/resource-guide-prisons-policing-and-punishment-effb5e0f6620 Nathan's article about Christopher Dorner: https://newpol.org/last-american-idealist/ This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Lyta Gold speaks to Samelys López, a housing justice activist who is running in the June 23rd Democratic primary in New York's 15th congressional district. (Please note that this episode was recorded before the start of the ongoing nationwide protests against racism and police brutality.) Campaign website: lopezforthepeople.com Twitter: @SamelysLopez This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The panel discusses the viability of forming a breakaway third party, things that are secretly political, and our society's contempt for the elderly. **NEXT WEEK, WE ARE RECORDING A VOICEMAILBAG EPISODE! If you have any questions for the team, or suggestions for topics, please leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851 and your voicemail may be played on the show! ** The panel this week consisted of a group of sentient jellies imitating the shapes of amusements & managing editor Lyta Gold, newsletter editor Nick Slater, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your temporary host is Aisling McCrea (who was just out of hospital at time of recording, and struggling a little to form sentences). This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
On this edition of Parallax Views, Lyta Gold, Amusements and Managing Editor of Current Affairs magazine, joins us to discuss her recent op-ed on the media reaction to Tara Reade's sexual assault allegations against Joe Biden entitled "The Attacks on Tara Reade are Unbelievable Bullshit". Current Affairs was one of the early outlets to take Reade's allegations seriously, but Lyta's op-ed is not simply a defense of those who believe Reade. It is also a critique of some of the most prominent pushback against Reade's allegations. In this conversation Lyta expands on her case for why Reade should be taken seriously. And we also take a few detours along the way to discuss gender issues, feminism, masculinity, and other hot topics. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views. SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWSON PATREON! FORBONUS CONTENTANDARCHIVED EPISODES! ANDCHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR: FAILED STATE UPDATEANEW PODCASTFROMJOURNALISTJOSEPH FLATLEY
The panel discusses the prospect of an alliance between the left and the 'populist right', exposes their complicated relationships with Twitter, and recommends their favorite books for introducing friends to the left. The panel this week was made up of a series of holograms cleverly designed to imitate administrative maven Cate Root, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Lyta Gold. Book recommendations Raising Expectations (And Raising Hell): My Decade Fighting for the Labor Movement by Jane McAlevey: www.versobooks.com/books/1648-raising-expectations-and-raising-hell Anarchy: A Graphic Guide by Clifford Harper: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/667752.Anarchy Infrastructure: A Guide to the Industrial Landscape by Brian Hayes (2014 ed.): http://industrial-landscape.com/#/home The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13651.The_Dispossessed The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728.The_House_of_Mirth Current Affairs book collection: https://www.currentaffairs.org/store Danny Bradley: www.dannybradleymusic.com/store This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.Music: Alexander Blu
What do you do when you've got the chance to talk with one of Current Affair's best shitposters? Get angry about the world and then laugh about it, obviously! Lyta Gold tears it up with the hosts in this fiery episode.Apocalypse FashionTara Reade and TimesUpHow Power Ruins PeoplePolitical Aesthetics & Arguing with Liberals& MOREEngage with Lyta Gold:https://twitter.com/lyta_goldSupport us on Patreon: patreon.com/notsafe
This week we talk with writer and editor at Current Affairs Lyta Gold on Tara Reade’s accusations against Joe Biden, the failure of national news outlets to fairly cover the story, and the importance of supporting independent journalism. We also discuss the coronation of Andrew Cuomo as President of the Coronavirus, while in reality he is a fake progressive who steals gay valor and fetishizes his scumbag dad. Our wildflower covers promising preliminary research on using magnetic fields to treat depression. Lyta’s piece on Governor Cuomo: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/03/stop-trying-to-make-andrew-cuomo-happen NY construction workers forced to continue work: https://jacobinmag.com/2020/03/new-york-city-coronavirus-construction-workers Subscribe to Current Affairs!https://www.currentaffairs.org/subscribehttps://www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs Stanford researchers devise treatment that relieved depression in 90% of participants in small studyhttps://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2020/04/stanford-researchers-devise-treatment-that-relieved-depression-i.html
The team tackle the coronacrisis—how we got here, what comes after, and how to cope in the interim. The panel this week was finance editor Sparky Abraham, newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music: Alexander Blu
Once again, we're answering your voicemails! If you want to send us a voicemail, call us anytime on 504-867-8851. Topics include both the expected and the unexpected. The panel this week was legal editor Oren Nimni, finance editor Sparky Abraham, senior editor Brianna Rennix, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios.
Our election-themed crossover panel collective continues to grow! We're excited to share on the Working People feed the newest installment of these ongoing panel conversations, in which our friends at the Season of the Bitch coven and Lyta Gold and Vanessa A. Bee of Current Affairs share their Super Tuesday thoughts. GET YOUR HOT TAKES WHILE THEY'RE ... UMM ... HOT! Previous election-themed crossover panels... "The 2020 Election & Building Working-Class Power" "The Billionaires' Caucus" Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Theme music by Brandon Payton-Carrillo
AYEEE ITS A CROSSOVER BBS!!! Join the SotB crew as we chat with Current Affairs brilliant bbs Lyta Gold and Vanessa A Bee!! we start off this recording by bringing it back and hearing grandpa gravel telling SotB that Joe Biden is INDEED a neanderthal. Plz remember this as you think through your day today. WE R HERE TO FLING HOT TAKES AT U!! PREPARE URSELF TO BE ENLIGHTENED BBZZZZZ xoxoxo, the coven + Lyta + Vanessa Theme music by Brandon Payton-Carrillo
This week, the panel tackles yet another round of vital questions. Should we be nice or nasty on the internet? Should children be given the vote? Was it immoral to go to the moon? The panel this week was amusements editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, newsletter editor Nick Slater, and—making her podcast debut—administrative maven Cate Root. Your host is Oren Nimni. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Download Bloomvuu. Please. We want to go home.
The panel debates debate, pours their heart out about the Heartland, and gives each other teeny tiny spiels on teeny tiny policies. The panel debates debate, pours their heart out about the Heartland, and gives each other teeny tiny spiels on teeny tiny policies. Plus, tune in to hear about the hot new show claiming to be the number one musical in Iowa... The panel this week was contributing editor Eli Massey, finance editor Sparky Abraham, amusements editor Lyta Gold, legal editor Oren Nimni, podmaster-general Aisling McCrea, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. Music by Danny Bradley: https://dannybradleymusic.com/ This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The twenty-tens are over, if you're not one of those pedants who insists the twenties don't start 'til 2021. This week, our panel waves goodbye to the last decade, and looks back on the new trends it brought us in tech, comedy, journalism, and popes. On location data: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/12/10/business/location-data-privacy-apps.html Nathan's free book: https://images.currentaffairs.org/2019/12/myaffairs-manuscript-free.pdf Your panel this week was finance editor Sparky Abraham, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Precious listeners of Current Affairs, we hear you loud and clear! This week, the panel answers your queries on everything from literature, to dreams, to questionable environmentalist projects. The panel this week was associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, legal editor Oren Nimni, finance editor Sparky Abraham, contributing editor Eli Massey, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host this week was Aisling McCrea. 'Crepuscule with Nellie' - Thelonious Monk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXOcLi47TY This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
In this very special episode, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold and finance editor Sparky Abraham speak to Mike Duncan, beloved history podcaster and bestselling author. Together, they discuss the importance of popular history, guillotine memes, surprise revolutions, the end of history, and surviving crises. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our supporters at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
A smaller episode, to refresh our patrons after the big, bloaty extravaganza that was our Harry Potter episode. The dessert after the turkey, if you will (in other words, smaller but more important). In this episode, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold sits down with Jamaal Bowman, the founding principal of one of New York City's most successful public middle schools, and who is now running for Congress in New York's 16th district. You can find out more about the campaign here: https://www.bowmanforcongress.com/
A lot of people are completely sick and tired of the world's twenty-year-long obsession with Harry Potter. "Shut up about Harry Potter! Read another book!" they cry. To which we respond: no. This week, Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, senior editor Brianna Rennix, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, legal editor Oren Nimni, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and Current Affairs Podcast host Pete Davis have a long, extremely animated discussion about the Wizard Children And Their Politics. You can read more about the time-travelling Ron Weasley theory here: https://the-toast.net/2014/01/02/let-the-man-speak/
Aisling McCrea and Lyta Gold are joined by Homeric scholar Dan Walden, in an episode that settles the question, once and for all, of whether Ancient Greece and Rome were GOOD...or BAD. This is an excerpt from an episode available exclusively to our supporters on Patreon. To get full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Goodmorningcomrade.com visits the Current Affairs office and has a chit chat with Nathan Robinson and Lyta Gold on veterans day.
Take an hour off from being scared by climate change - be scared by our spooky Halloween podcast instead! This week, the panel discusses their deepest fears, the annual panic around poisoned candy, and their favorite Halloween movies. "You wake up, and you're in a cube. And there are doors, that are squares in the cube. And they go through the door, but then there's ANOTHER cube. And then they meet other people, and they're like "You're in the cube too?" and then they're like, "Yes."" The panel this week was editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Music by Alexander Blu.
In this episode, Current Affairs editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson and amusements editor Lyta Gold sit down with Osita Nwanevu, staff writer at The New Republic, to discuss his recent article 'The "Cancel Culture" Con'. This episode is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other brilliant bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
This week, the team is very sleepy, podcasting late into the evening in their matching Current Affairs pajamas. Together, they tackle the question of impeachment, excoriate those who get too much credit, and take a few bites of humble pie. The panel this week is: podmaster-general Aisling McCrea, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is legal editor Oren Nimni. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Sound used in this episode: 'Meditative Ambience' - Alexander Blu 'AstroLanguage' - jobromedia 'Heroic Drums' - Alexander
Editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, managing editor Lyta Gold, and Current Affairs contributor Luke Savage come together to discuss a baffling, frustrating, and vaguely upsetting novel: 'Hope Never Dies: An Obama/Biden Mystery'. Does this book give us insight into the dark heart of the Obama administration? Do we support Biden now? How do you make men pee better? Tune in to find out. This is a preview of an episode available in full exclusively to our Patreon subscribers. To gain full access to this episode, as well as lots of other exciting bonus content, please consider becoming one of our subscribers at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
Lyta Gold is the Amusements and Managing Editor of Current Affairs magazine. She is also the co-editor of the Current Affairs Big Book of Amusements, a full-color collection of some of the wonderful amusements that have appeared in the pages of Current Affairs, in addition to some brand new ones. The Current Affairs print edition is chock full of beautifully-illustrated activities, quizzes, lists, comics, and more that are often the brainchild of Lyta. Some example amusements: The Best Sex Positions for Conceiving an Employable Child, Is Your Feminism Angry Enough? And Which Authoritarian Will I Vote For? Lyta also appears on the Current Affairs podcast, my biggest competitor as well as my primary source of guests. On today's episode we cover: feminism, Steven Pinker, IQ, feminist Utopias, whether the patriarchy is a dead, cancel culture, Louis CK, Aziz Ansari, changing norms around consent, Joe Rogan and his new lefty guests, comedy and whether any topics are off limits, Mark Fisher's essay Exiting the Vampire's Castle, and the limits of identity politics Subscribe to Current Affairs here: https://www.currentaffairs.org/subscribe Buy the Big Book of Amusements here: https://www.currentaffairs.org/store Links: Larry David as Bernie Sanders Nathan Robinson's article on Steven Pinker On Pinker's support for the paper arguing Ashkenazi Jews were smarter because they were forced to be moneylenders: The Unwelcome Revival of ‘Race Science' My review of Pinker's book The Better Angels of Our Nature Twitter thread on Pinker's sexual assault stats in Better Angels Yes, IQ Really Matters Why is Charles Murray Odious? Lyta's Evolutionary Psychology Quiz Bernie Sanders on Joe Rogan Cornel West on Joe Rogan Rutger Bregman owning Tucker Carlson Never Again Action protest movement against ICE and CBP Jon Stewart being transphobic for laughs in 2003 Exiting the Vampire's Castle How Identity Became a Weapon Against the Left
In this episode, Current Affairs senior editor Brianna Rennix and amusements editor Lyta Gold sit down with Daniel Mallory Ortberg, writer and co-founder of The Toast. This is a preview of an episode available in full to our Patreon subscribers. To gain access to this episode, as well as lots of other incredible bonus content, please consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs! We also have a Kickstarter, which you can donate to here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804992239/help-current-affairs-expand-in-2020
Hello all! This week, we're launching a fundraiser to help our small business grow into a fearsome (yet still beautiful) media empire. If you like what we do, please consider donating to our Kickstarter page, so that we can improve the quality of our podcast, magazine and Youtube channel, as well as start new and exciting projects. To celebrate the launch of our Kickstarter, we're bringing you seven new interviews with seven mystery guests in seven days! Today's guest is legendary writer and activist Barbara Ehrenreich, interviewed by our very own managing editor Lyta Gold. In this cozy conversation, Lyta and Barbara talk about the incredible scope of Barbara's work over the past few decades, and cover everything from the politics of "wellness" to paleolithic cave paintings. We hope you enjoy this episode. If you want to help us expand and improve Current Affairs, please consider donating to our Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/804992239/help-current-affairs-expand-in-2020 This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
In this episode, the Current Affairs team discuss the usefulness of boycotts, encouraging news, and Pete faces down the rest of the cruel and ruthless panel in a round of Lefty Shark Tank. The panel this week is amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, legal editor Oren Nimni, contributing editor Aisling McCrea and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. Your host is Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
Current Affairs host Pete Davis and managing editor Lyta Gold sit down with Mckayla Wilkes, a 28-year-old progressive who is challenging the House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer for his seat. Mckayla tells us what motivated her to run, her experiences with the criminal justice system, and the power of a grassroots campaign. You can find out more about Mckayla's campaign at https://www.mckayla2020.com/ . We're unlocking this episode for all listeners! To gain access to more episodes like this, as well as lots of other delicious bonus content, consider becoming one of our patrons at www.patreon.com/CurrentAffairs!
The Current Affairs team has stuck their hands into the mailbag once again, and pulled out a handful of your voicemails. Topics range from the likelihood of getting mangoes under socialism, to the frailty of velvet trousers. The panel this time is: amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, business manager Eli Massey, contributing editor and podcastrix Aisling McCrea, senior editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, and your host is editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. The case we discuss towards the end of this episode is Adoptive Couple v Baby Girl, 570 U.S. 637 (2013). For more detailed analysis of the case, and other material relating to Indian law, consider reading Turtle Talk at https://turtletalk.blog/. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA.
The Current Affairs panel discusses some of the controversies around Harvard University (cue booing sounds), creates a fabulous new post-utopia festival, and asks: how do we know when we're wrong? The panel this week is senior editor Brianna Rennix, managing and amusements editor Lyta Gold, legal editor Oren Nimni, associate editor Vanessa A. Bee, and editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Many thanks to Josh Woodward for the music in the bit.
The Current Affairs panel discusses animal rights, the question of whether to treat internet platforms as private or public spaces, and what they would like to see added to the school history curriculum. The panel this week is newsletter editor Nick Slater, amusements and managing editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Sparky Abraham, editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson, and host Pete Davis. This episode was edited by Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios in Somerville, MA. Many thanks to Golden Tony for assistance with the bits. Credit goes to Livio Amato for the piano music in the bit.
We chat with Current Affairs Amusements and Managing Editor, Lyta Gold, about her latest viral tweet and about why upper-middle-class liberals get so mad when you talk about class. Additional links/info below... Lyta's Twitter page THE tweet Current Affairs website, Facebook page, and Twitter page Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org) Lobo Loco, "Malte Junior - Hall"
UNLOCKED FROM THE PATREON BIRD FEED: Current Affairs amusements editor Lyta Gold, senior editor Brianna Rennix, contributing editor Aisling McCrea and friend of the pod Dan Walden continue our "problematic fave" series with a conversation on C. S. Lewis. Topics discussed include: Narnia, trauma from British boys schools, A Grief Observed, The Space Trilogy, Lewis' relationship to conservatives, uncertainty, ecosocialism, ecofascism, the human condition, brutalist architecture, cancel culture, and more. Thanks to Dan Thorn of Pink Noise Studios for editing this podcast. To listen to bonus episodes when they first come out, become a patron at our Patreon page: Patreon.com/CurrentAffairs.
LOOP DE LOOP SWOOP DE DOOOOOOP sometimes we gotta get silly when the world is fucked beyond belief, yanno? This week we are interviewing the incredible Lyta Gold (of Current Affairs), and she brings us through her brain and also the incredible book of amusements that she co-created. this is ONE major way in which we can at least BEGIN to cope with the world. What a delight to talk to such a fun and smart human
Toss out all your boring theory and get ready to curl up with some fantastic woman-authored fiction! Special guest Lyta Gold (amusements editor for Current Affairs magazine) joins the Wrong Boys to...
Get ready to "U" your "topia" as we look at the evolved world of the Trek universe! Lyta Gold of Current Affairs joins the show to talk about the world of Trek, the brutality of Discovery, the self-conscious "wokeness" of the Federation, and where the "light" of Discovery is!Plus, we discuss the connection of God and Shakespeare, a spa day for Burnham, the S (ocialism) word in Trek, Section 31, the cinematic theory behind zombies and vampires, Worf's bad time on Sex Planet, just how many showers and hot meals we are from anarchy, soft dystopia, Kal capes for the Culture, and Lyta wants to know what that Discovery scene is all about?So, all the lawyers are dead, right?Follow Lyta on Twitter!http://www.twitter.com/fluttersnipeRead Lyta's article on the first season of Star Trek: Discovery!https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/05/the-dismal-frontierRead Brianna's treatise on space dystopias!https://www.currentaffairs.org/2017/06/the-regrettable-decline-of-space-utopiasSuit up with our Trek T-shirts!https://www.teepublic.com/user/justenoughtropeJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our new feature, Stellar Commentaries!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates!http://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttp://www.facebook.com/eistpod
Get ready to "U" your "topia" as we look at the evolved world of the Trek universe! Lyta Gold of Current Affairs joins the show to talk about the world of Trek, the brutality of Discovery, the self-conscious "wokeness" of the Federation, and where the "light" of Discovery is!Plus, we discuss the connection of God and Shakespeare, a spa day for Burnham, the S (ocialism) word in Trek, Section 31, the cinematic theory behind zombies and vampires, Worf's bad time on Sex Planet, just how many showers and hot meals we are from anarchy, soft dystopia, Kal capes for the Culture, and Lyta wants to know what that Discovery scene is all about?So, all the lawyers are dead, right?Follow Lyta on Twitter!http://www.twitter.com/fluttersnipeRead Lyta's article on the first season of Star Trek: Discovery!https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/05/the-dismal-frontierRead Brianna's treatise on space dystopias!https://www.currentaffairs.org/2017/06/the-regrettable-decline-of-space-utopiasSuit up with our Trek T-shirts!https://www.teepublic.com/user/justenoughtropeJoin our crew on Patreon and get access to our new feature, Stellar Commentaries!http://www.patreon.com/eistpodClick through our Amazon link on enterprisingindividuals.com to support the show!http://www.enterprisingindividuals.comhttps://www.amazon.com/?tag=jet01-20&linkCode=ezFollow us on Twitter and Facebook for Trek news and updates!http://www.twitter.com/eistpodhttp://www.facebook.com/eistpod
We were busy preparing our live show this past weekend, so we took a brief hiatus from making new main episodes. However, to ensure your Current Affairs fix was satisfied, we wanted to unlock one bonus episode each week. We will be back with regularly scheduled main episodes next week! This week, unlocked from the patreon bird feed, to the main feed: Amusements editor Lyta Gold and senior editor Brianna Rennix discuss myths with Classics scholar Daniel Walden, who recently wrote in the magazine about how the whole concept of “Western civilization" is a myth. Tune in to learn about why the myth of dragons may be a lefty one, why Jordan Peterson is confused about myths, what an anti-pope is, what myths can teach us about national origin stories, the purpose of trickster gods, and more. Also, read Brianna's recent essay on the myth of the death of Europe. Many thanks to Harrison Montgomery (@AugmentFourth) for help with edits and audio gags. Factual correction from early point in the conversation, according to Nathan, our resident Louisianan: "Louisiana law is not actually based on the Napoleonic Code! This itself is a myth. The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and the Napoleonic Code doesn't come into effect in 1804. We are still based on weird old French civil law. Even though every single local says Louisiana's based on the Napoleonic Code, technically we are based on whatever it was that existed in France before Napoleon fixed it." To listen to interviews when they first come out — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
The Current Affairs panel discusses how they are approaching the 2020 Presidential campaign, we decide whether money is speech, and we all share what we think is the most important lesson that the left can learn from the right. Tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE. The Panel Lyta Gold, amusements editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief Pete Davis, host Tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE. Miscellany Nicholas Carnes' White Collar Government book is here. Nathan's Jacobin article on money and speech is here. Corey Robin's facebook post on money and speech is here. Information on the Seattle Democracy Voucher program is here. Tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: CurrentAffairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851. Did we mention that tickets for the live show on January 26th at the Rock & Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. are HERE.
In an episode-long special, Current Affairs social media editor Vanessa A. Bee and amusements editor Lyta Gold launch their new investigative journalism podcast, "Uncovering the Unspeakable," on our sister network, Concurrent Affairs. Their pilot episode: uncovering the curious case of Brett Kavanaugh's patriarchiitis. The Current Affairs in-house counsel tells us we must share that this is mostly satire. However, we would like to add that all facts about Brett Kavanaugh in this episode are drawn from publicly-available news sources. For our very-real investigations in Brett Kavanaugh, see editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson's exploration of Kavanaugh's unceasing stream of lies. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: CurrentAffairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851.
The Current Affairs panel discusses whether the political is personal, Nathan waxes poetic about Wikipedia, and we all share something that is trending in the right direction. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor in chief Pete Davis, host Further reading on Wikipedia: Here's more on Wikipedia's government structure. Here's The Guardian waxing poetic about Wikipedia. Here's a relatively recent profile of Jimmy Wales. Here's the Wikipedia page on gender bias on the site. Here's a group working to increase black representation among Wikipedia's articles and editors. Many thanks to Dan Thorn for editing help. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: CurrentAffairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851.
A Current Affairs megapanel opens up the Current Affairs voicemailbag again to answer listener questions on topics ranging from separation of powers to policy prioritization to workplace democracy to the lack of a recent Chomsky drop...and more. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Brianna Rennix, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Miscellany: Nathan's prison abolition article is here. Brianna's open borders essay is here. Brie's race reductionism essay is here. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: Current Affairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851.
An excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which, just in time for the beginning of the season, amusements editor Lyta Gold and legal editor Oren Nimni discuss all things football: its labor politics, its racial politics, and why (according to Lyta) it is the masculine version of drag. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851. Special thanks to Caitlin Reilly for editing help. You can follow her @reilly_cait on Twitter.
An excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs amusements editor Lyta Gold and senior editor Brianna Rennix discuss myths with Classics scholar Daniel Walden, who recently wrote in the magazine about how the whole concept of “Western civilization" is a myth. Tune in to learn about why the myth of dragons may be a lefty one, why Jordan Peterson is confused about myths, what an anti-pope is, what myths can teach us about national origin stories, the purpose of trickster gods, and more. Many thanks to Harrison Montgomery (@AugmentFourth) for help with edits and audio gags. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
An excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which editor-in-chief Nathan J. Robinson discusses all things Michigan with amusements editor (and Michigan native) Lyta Gold. Topics covered in under an hour: white flight, urban planning, the world’s largest porch, elk, college rivalries, pastries, the decline of local journalism, the Northern KKK, Henry Ford, and more. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
The Current Affairs panel discuss whether demanding that opponents be fired is good strategy, hear a dispatch from Nathan about the Abdul for Governor campaign, and each share their most conservative opinions. The Panel: Briahna Joy Gray, contributing editor Oren Nimni, legal editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Sparky Abraham, finance editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Read Nathan's original essay on Abdul here and his essay on Abdul's single payer plan here. Learn more about Shri Thanedar's insincere campaign here. Human Scale by Kirkpatrick Sale is available here and you can learn more about lefty architect Christopher Alexander here. Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: Current Affairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851.
An excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs amusements editor Lyta Gold and senior editor Brianna Rennix wax (and wane) poetic about Irish poet William Butler Yeats, taking listeners on a rollicking ride from his strange diagrams to the failure of socialism in Ireland to... the mysterious appeal of Jordan Peterson. To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
An excerpt from today's bonus episode, available in full to our Patreon patrons, in which Current Affairs social media editor Vanessa A. Bee, contributing editor Briahna Joy Gray and amusements editor Lyta Gold give the Current Affairs take on reality television. Spoiler alert: they are very in favor! To listen to this episode — and gain access to our patrons' "Bird Feed" — consider becoming a monthly patron at our Patreon page. Call into Current Affairs anytime at (504) 867-8851.
The Current Affairs panel discusses the humanitarian crisis at the border, debate Lyta's general theory of political comedy, and responds to some listener voicemails. The Panel: Brianna Rennix, senior editor Vanessa A. Bee, social media editor Lyta Gold, amusements editor Nathan J. Robinson, editor-in-chief Pete Davis, host Further reading on the humanitarian crisis at the border: Brianna's piece from last summer on her work at the border is here, Brianna's vision for what a humane immigration policy would look like is here, and Brianna's explanation of the recent monstrous policies are here. A painful story on one family's experience of family separation is here. Further reading on political comedy: Michelle Wolf's White House Correspondents' Dinner set is here. A simple punching up and punching down explainer is here. A longer history of punching up and punching down is here. Miscellaneous further reading: Here and here are two interviews with Bill Waterson sent in by a listener. Here's Florence Kelley's wikipedia page — a great forgotten hero! Support Current Affairs by becoming a patron on our Patreon page. For the written form of Current Affairs — and to subscribe to the beautiful print magazine — visit: Current Affairs.org. To join the conversation, leave us a voicemail at 504-867-8851.