Podcast appearances and mentions of Reese Witherspoon

Bill Gates' testimony on Jeffrey Epstein released, NY Times unloads on Diana Russini, Jeff Bezos loves pretending to be on the phone, a new Bonerline, and Jim's Picks: Father's Day Songs. JFK's grandson Jack Schlossberg lost his Senate race. Good. He seems like a turd. Drew is finally catching World Cup Fever. He especially loves the Scottish and Norwegian fans. DJ Fat Tony is trying to kiss the Beckham's butts again. Door Dash paid over $1 million to Brooklyn Beckham for his stupid commercial. The NY Times is successfully making Diana Russini's life miserable. She got busted texting while driving with her kids in the car. May Ling wants the biggest butt ever. Hot or gross? Reese Witherspoon should be in trouble for dating an old billionaire. Jeff Bezos is always pretending to be on the phone. Brand new Bonerline. Drew & Roberto are in love with The Victory Tour (The Jacksons). Maternal Instinct on Netflix is one of the wildest documentaries out there. There's now transcripts out there of Taylor Parker in jail crying to her mom. Poor Taylor. Bill Gates' testimony is released. He should have left Melinda sooner. We called Tom Mazawey and he missed the call. It's crazy! Jim's Picks: Top 10 Father's Day Songs Merch, yo. Check it. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley, BranDon, and Roberto).

A look at the cultural impact of “Legally Blonde” as the prequel series “Elle” hits the small screen. Also, Lexi Minetree, who stars as Elle Woods in the new series, stop by to discuss the career-defining role! Plus, Millie Bobby Brown sits down with Savannah and Willie to talk about the newest installment of “Enola Holmes”. And, in “Shop This List”, we'll take a look at the best Target Circle deals this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jimmy addresses the latest news, like Trump hiring the company Green Water Solutions to paint the Reflecting Pool blue, before speaking with Reese Witherspoon, Zoey Deutch and Robert Smigel.

It's almost time for Taylor Swift's wedding to Travis Kelce and it's being reported that Taylor and Blake Lively have spoken! Will we see her at the wedding? Plus, Britney Spears announces plans to have another baby, Reese Witherspoon reunites with the cast of Legally Blonde, and let's recap Netflix's new documentary Maternal Instincts. And a Nancy Guthrie update! Invest in supplements that you can trust with Momentous and get up to 35% off your first order at https://www.livemomentous.com/ promo code NOFILTER Finally, you can enjoy your favorite foods without the pain. We're so excited to partner with FODZYME and offer you 30% off your first order when you go to http://icaneatagain.com/nofilter Head to https://www.factormeals.com/nofilter50off and use code nofilter50off to get 50% off and free daily greens per box, with new subscription only, while supplies last until 09/27/2026. (See website for more details). Sign up for your Shopify $1 per-month trial of today at https://www.shopify.com/nofilter Visit https://www.progressive.com/ to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies.Become a Member of No Filter: ALL ACCESS: https://allaccess.supercast.com/ Shop New Merch now: https://merchlabs.com/collections/zack-peter?srsltid=AfmBOoqqnV3kfsOYPubFFxCQdpCuGjVgssGIXZRXHcLPH9t4GjiKoaio Book a personalized message on Cameo: https://v.cameo.com/e/QxWQhpd1TIb Disclaimer: The views expressed in this video, on this YouTube Channel, and on No Filter with Zack Peter are for entertainment purposes only. All content is protected under Fair Use Rights.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the real secret to a lasting writing career isn't talent or luck, but learning to thrive in the mess? Why are in-person events worthwhile even if the maths doesn't add up? How do you protect your creativity when the machines never sleep and the community is at one another's throats? With Mark Leslie Lefebvre In the intro, Has AI Already Killed Non-Fiction [Tim Ferriss]; 9 ways that AI would disrupt authors and the publishing industry over the next decade; Pivoting towards The Transformation Economy; and Who do you serve? This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as non-fiction travel and books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is Stark Realities: Stacked Up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why print and in-person events are making a comeback for indie authors The case for (and against) licensing your voice clone through ElevenLabs Why we keep selling books in person when the numbers rarely add up Measuring success by creative satisfaction rather than money Being honest about author earnings and the fear of being truly seen Managing stress, divisiveness, and the noise around AI You can find Mark at MarkLeslie.ca. Transcript of the interview with Mark Leslie Lefebvre Jo: Mark Leslie Lefebvre is the author of horror and paranormal fiction, as well as non-fiction travel and books for authors. He's also an editor, professional speaker, and the Director of Business Development at Draft2Digital. His latest book is Stark Realities: Stacked Up Lessons Every Writer Needs to Know About the Business of Writing and Publishing. Welcome back to the show, Mark. Mark: Oh, hey, Jo. It's always an awesome time chatting with you. Jo: You've been on the show lots of times over the years, but the last time was in September 2024, when we talked about selling books in person. So give us a bit of an update. What does your writing and publishing business look like at the moment? How do you manage it alongside the day job and everything else you do? Mark: Oh my God. Well, sleep is—no rest for the wicked, maybe. I'll sleep when I'm dead. It's so funny, it was just this last weekend in Waterloo. I was at Waterloo Book Fest, and somebody came up to my table—another author from one of the other tables—and said, “I heard you on the The Creative Penn Podcast. And then when you mentioned something about Waterloo, I said, ‘He can't be from Waterloo.' And then when you mentioned the skeleton, I said, ‘I know where he lives.'” Jo: That's scary. Mark: So I love the fact that there are so many of your listeners all over the world, and that's usually how people know me. No matter what else I've done, it's like, “Oh, you've been on Joanna Penn's podcast.” I'll say, “Yes, I have.” You know what's really funny? The last time I was on the podcast, we were talking about A Book in Hand, which I was supposed to release that year. Jo: Yes. Mark: I just added another 5,000 words to it this morning. Jo: Wait, it's still not published? Mark: No, and it's so funny. I actually have the first 60,000 words of it with an editor right now, and I told her I'd get her the rest of it, which I thought would be another 20,000 words, by the end of June. But I think it's going to hit 100,000. Here's the weird thing that happened with this. This is trying to accumulate my life of book selling, as well as doubling down on doing in-person events in the last several years. I thought I was going to have the book done in 2024. I ran into some issues where I didn't back it up properly. It was an old version, and I accidentally overwrote the only version I had. Jo: So, for everyone listening, Mark—how many decades have you been an author and a publisher? How come you're still missing deadlines and still not backing up your work properly? Mark: Yes, this is a lesson: no matter how long you've been doing something, you can still make boneheaded errors. So if you, dear listener, have made mistakes, just know that this old guy who's been doing this since the mid-'80s still makes mistakes like that. Don't beat yourself up. I probably did something worse. Anyway, that book I thought was going to be maybe 40, 45,000 words, it's going to be bigger than Wide for the Win—close to 100,000 words. Here's a really important lesson I learned in that, Jo. I thought the book would be something. It became something else. Through my own experiences of doing more in-person events, book signings, and library event. Also in talking to awesome folks like Johnny B. Truant, Katie Cross, Todd Fahnestock, and so many other authors I know, and seeing what Ben Wolf is up to, and a whole bunch of different people who are doing in-person events. In creating case studies for how they interact specifically with a bookstore or library, or how they do in-person selling—I really think the book wasn't ready then. It's like the recipe wasn't ready. I still needed to play with some things. I do sincerely have faith, since I got it into the editorial process, that this will be the year the book actually gets released. Jo: As you said, there are some really good lessons there around sometimes the book not being quite ready. I'd bought an early version from the StoryBundle, which is how I got this book as well, actually. Mark: Yes. Jo: That's another tip for people—storybundle.com. You can go and find some great bundles there. I was also thinking, as you were talking, that maybe one of the reasons this book about in-person events has got so big is because that's a real trend in the community. It feels like indies, we've moved… Back in the day, I said, “I'm not doing print. No way.” This was the early days of digital, because print was really hard back then. So I was like, “Oh, and we've got all the advantages doing digital, so I'm just going to focus on that.” It feels like the pendulum has swung, perhaps even more with the ease of mass production of digital with AI. The focus on print and in person is getting stronger and stronger. Do you think that's happening? Mark: Oh, yes, 100%. I did print in 2004. It was really hard back then, so that's gotten easier. I think there are a few reasons. One of the reasons is, yes, digital made it so much easier for indie authors to get out there and break into the community. But the reality is that print books still outsell e-books in general—overall—despite the fact that indie authors can make six and seven figures a year from selling e-books alone on a single platform. So print has never really gone away. It was just never something indie authors attended to. They were in a different business than traditional publishers were in. And second, obviously I've got these gorgeous books that you've created on Kickstarter, because I like the beautiful books. I've never stopped buying print books. I actually buy more print books. I read more because of audiobooks and e-books, but I buy more print books, especially when I can get a nice signed copy. Then the other reason comes back, again, to your advice—something I've been following for the longest time, and you've long been saying. I do repeat this, and I try my best to offer attribution to you every time I use it: to double down on your humanity, particularly in this age of digital generation and the ability for even non-writers to leverage tools to create content. I think it's so much more important for me, as a creative who will never be able to catch up with the machines, to exploit my humanity. I mean, we both have digital voices of ourselves, right? There's a digital Mark Leslie Lefebvre voice that people can use, and I'm making money off it because people are able to license it through ElevenLabs. But when I'm there in person, so far the holograms aren't good enough to fool people. I think I'm not just selling a book to somebody; I want to create an experience where, “Oh, I'm talking to the author, and we're signing a book together, and we're taking a selfie together.” For me, there's that tactile experience that's really enriching. And it may not be something that lines my pockets as easily, because the investment is more significant. For every $10 I make, it costs me six or seven dollars, as opposed to an e-book, where the cost is amortised in the most beautiful way over millions of copies. Jo: There are a few things there. First of all, let's talk about that ElevenLabs voice licensing, because, as you say, I also have a voice clone. Bones of the Deep, the latest book, that's my voice clone. I haven't gone with the licensing, partly because you don't have control over what someone can do with it. So, for example, someone could create Nazi content, or content that I might not agree with, in my voice. So how have you got over that? Because part of me really does want to license my voice, and the other part doesn't. Mark: This is a great question, Jo, and I'm glad you asked it. It's the same reason I don't worry about people stealing my books—adding DRM onto my e-books and things like that. I may as well make some money off it, because let's be honest: you and I, our voices are out there. Thousands of hours of our voices, right? In your podcast, my podcast, in various interviews we've done over the years. The technology exists for someone to make a copy of my voice themselves anyway. The tools exist. They can do it easily, so why not do it myself and at least make money? I'm actually getting money deposited into my account. Not a lot—maybe $30, $18, something like that every week. Again, I've taken a lot of my non-fiction books that I haven't had the time to record myself, as I like to do, and I can at least load those to ElevenLabs and make my voice the default voice. But wouldn't it be great to be able to listen to my book in your voice? It would sound so much better. Because you can do that. When you listen to a book on that platform, you can choose my voice if you'd rather hear it in my voice, or you can choose Burt Reynolds' voice, or some other folks who've licensed theirs. Again, for me, the whole concept of wide publishing has always been important. It's another small revenue stream that's adding to my numerous revenue streams. So I guess that's how I've justified just licensing the voice. If someone's going to do something with my voice that I can't control, they can do it regardless of whether or not I put it out there myself. Jo: I agree with you. That could happen, and neither of us is famous enough that it's likely to happen anyway. I do quite like the idea of people using our voices, say, for other books for authors, because that would make sense—that's where we fit in the niche. I will rethink that, because I think it's interesting. I wanted to come back to print books. You said sometimes there are easier ways to line your pockets, and I think that's funny. So, getting into the book, this leapt out at me quite near the beginning: Why do we keep doing this when the maths almost never adds up? Mark: Oh, I have a perfect example of that from an event I did a couple of weekends ago in Burlington, Ontario. I think it was a $60 table fee. It was a new event. I believe I made $90 or $95 in sales. So even after the costs of printing and all that stuff, I really didn't make money. I made my table back, which is always a good thing. There were a few encounters I had with people who were really excited to find my Canadian Werewolf series of books, and just so thrilled to get started. Among the four of them, they bought one copy, but they were going to pass it amongst each other. You know what? Okay, they bought a single copy, and I was like, “Well, the e-book is permanently free online. You don't even have to buy a copy”—which is anti-selling. I just want them to read the book and enjoy it. But if they read it and pass it along and start talking about it, they could become readers for a long time. It's an eight-book series, with the ninth book coming out later this year. There was another encounter I had that day. A woman and her teenage daughter came in, and they were looking at my traditionally published books that I buy at a reduced price from a local bookstore and resell. They were looking at these true ghost story books I had, and they were pointing: “Do you have that one?” “Yes, I have this one, I have that one.” And the mother's like, “Well, she collects all your books, and she wants to make sure she has them.” We had this conversation, and she was so excited to meet me in person and to get a signed copy of the book. That experience was such a vanity moment for me as an author. We're lonely. I'm a big loser. Nobody's buying my books. We're always down on ourselves. So that investment of time and energy, in order to get that little pat on the back or that feeling of, “Wow, I really connected with someone who likes my stuff”—those moments are really precious. They're difficult to explain if you only look at the world in a financial way. I guess I'm fortunate enough that I do have enough income from numerous streams, including the consulting I do part-time, that it's okay if not every bookish endeavour leads to more money in my pocket at the end of the day. I can still have these authentic connections with people, which I think is one of the reasons I'm a storyteller. Yes, it's the stories I have to tell, but it's also putting the story into somebody else's hands and eyes and heart and mind. Jo: You're very giving like that. You have that sense about you, whereas I'm just a curmudgeon in the corner. Mark: That is not true. Jo: It is, generally. I don't do events like you do for readers. Mark: But that's because it takes a lot out of you. Jo: Yes, but that doesn't matter. Why do I write? I write for me. Mark: Ah, very good. Jo: At the end of the day—just being entirely selfish about this—when people say, “Oh, if you won the lottery, what would you do?” I'm like, “Well, I'd do pretty much what I'm doing now.” Mark: Yes, I'd just do the same. Of course, I'd write more books. Jo: I'd write more books. So this is where I'm trying to get to for people as well: measuring success in a different way. You were talking about measuring success by how that girl loved your books, and how you feel when someone says they love your books. With Bones of the Deep, this thriller I've just done, I feel like I had the benefit of that book before anyone even read it. As soon as it was finished, I made a nice proof copy from BookVault, and I held it in my hand and said, “I made this. I'm proud of the story, I wrote the story, and it's outside my head now.” I feel like I'm creatively satisfied in that moment. Then, of course, the Kickstarter was great, and I love that the books are going out around the world, but— I think the happiest I felt was that moment of finishing—that creative satisfaction of holding the book in my hand. You know what I mean? Mark: 100%, Jo. I cannot agree with you enough. I love so many aspects of writing. Yes, the connection with people is amazing. But I often say this when I'm doing my one-on-one consulting with authors: focus on the projects that mean the most to you, those passion projects. The process of writing, and the painful rewriting and editing and all the things you go through—when you finish that book, like you said, you hold it in your hands and it is a thing of beauty. It's a huge achievement. You've won. Whether or not you sell a single copy, you've won by doing it. Everything else is gravy: the sales, the money in your pocket or not, the reviews, positive or not, the people who say, “Oh my God, Bones of the Deep, thank you for writing this book. I'm so glad you introduced this into the world and into my life.” Anything beyond the creation itself, which is a pure joy—I love it so much. It's just why I get up at 5:30 every morning and write for hours before the rest of my day begins. I try to get stuff done before the rest of the world wakes up. I want to get the writing done first, when I have the most energy to give myself to the page. Then the rest of the day is kind of gravy for me too. Jo: You talk there about giving yourself to the page, but in Stark Realities— You talk about the fear of truly being seen. What do you mean by that, and how do you manage that feeling? Mark: For anyone who has written anything—fiction, non-fiction, memoir in particular, since it's a bit more closely tied to reality—it's exposing yourself to the world. I'll never forget an interview I did with Canadian science fiction author Julie E. Czerneda, who, before being a fiction writer, was writing biology textbooks, but her real passion was science fiction and fiction. When her first novel came out, she said, “It's like standing naked on the front lawn.” When you release a book, even a novel, people look at it and they're going to judge you and rate you. I remember early on, Jo—we knew each other through Twitter, I think, where we initially met, and then interacted with and finally met in person at London Book Fair. I think you and I have a very similar reaction. When people know us as positive and upbeat and out there helping authors in the community, and then they read our fiction, they go, “Well, Jo, you burned a nun alive on page one.” Or, “Mark, what kind of… they're drinking from the skulls of dead people? What the heck is going on with you two?” We are exposing parts of ourselves in our fiction and non-fiction. That's a fear I embrace, but also never get over, if that makes any sense. I write scary stories because I'm a big chicken. So maybe the entire process is just cheap therapy for me. Or not cheap, because it's an expensive pastime, isn't it? Jo: It certainly can be, but I agree. I struggle with fear of judgment still. I think it's also because we do this in public, which comes back to the financial side of things. We do a lot of this in public, and then people judge us on our author businesses too. You could look at Bones of the Deep, which was just on Kickstarter, and compare my Kickstarter to another author's Kickstarter for a fiction book, and judge one or the other person based on numbers. I feel like this is because you and I have done so much in public—for me, almost 20 years, and for you, like 40 years or whatever. Maybe 30 years. You look that old. Mark: Listen there, dearie. Get off my lawn. Jo: Yes, get off my lawn—with those skeletons you have on your lawn. Mark: Yes. They're no longer in my closet. Jo: They're not in your closet. I wonder if that also plays a part of it—the pros and cons of doing this business in public. Mark: Yes, that is a part of it. One thing I try to be very clear about, because there's so much FOMO and so much out there about people thinking that everyone else is making a million dollars from their books and “I'm the only loser who's not”—I try to be clear that I have never made more than a mid-five figures as an author from my author earnings, ever. I haven't yet hit six figures. One of the reasons I try to be transparent in sharing that is I don't want people to think that everyone else is a six- and seven-figure success story, and they're the only one who's only made $100 last year on their books. The reality is, 90 to 99% of the people who are writing and publishing are not going to earn a significant amount of money. I realise I'm also very, very lucky that I've earned this much, and it's taken a long time. I just shared this in a Substack post I posted yesterday: it was 10 years of rejections before I got $5 for my first short story that was published in '92. It wasn't until 2001 that I finally made pro rate, six cents US a word, for a short story that, ironically, Julie Czerneda bought from me back in the day. For me, I've been lucky that it's always been a long, slow slog. It's been a marathon, and I've never instantly sprinted across any dramatic finish line. I've had some really phenomenal moments—doing a book signing in a Costco, walking into Walmart and seeing my books there. Even last night at the Burlington Public Library, going, “Wow, they have eight of my books here—four of my self-published books and four of my traditionally published books, in two different sections.” I was like, “That's kind of cool.” So I've had these amazing moments as a writer, but I've never had the blockbuster—the Brandon Sanderson, or even the Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman, kind of moments. I still think I've had a very fortunate and lucky journey. Even if I wasn't making the money I'm making, I'd still be writing, and I'm sure you would be too. Jo: Oh, yes, for sure. I actually think the thing most of us would probably let go is the marketing. If we won the lottery, we'd carry on with all the creative stuff, the writing, the community stuff, and we'd just literally do no marketing at all. Mark: Well, yes, of course. Or potentially say, “Oh, here, ad agency, here's some money. You just run it, whatever. Let me know if it works or not. I don't care.” Jo: That's a much better idea. Mark: At least I've got the extra disposable income, so I may as well, because I'm helping the world when my books are out there. I know my books will help people. I really honestly think that as storytellers—whether it's fiction or non-fiction, we're still storytellers—what we do in writing and podcasting and all the things we do, the re-sharing on social media, is really helping connect people. I think that is one of the most profound things we can do as writers. And I mean that the writing, in and of itself, is a reward. Jo: Like you said, we met on Twitter when Twitter was what it was back in the day. I do very, very little social media now. But you just mentioned your Substack, and you also have your podcast, Stark Reflections. So how are you balancing what you put on each? I only do this podcast now. I don't even blog. I write books, obviously, and then I do the podcast. So what are you doing differently on Substack to the podcast, and what part do they play in income and marketing? Mark: Great question. I realise most people have never heard of me, or read or listened to the things I put out into the world. And I've been a longtime fan of “reduce, reuse, recycle my IP.” My podcast is not as long-running as yours, but I'm in my ninth year, and I've not missed a single Friday in the full eight years, or eight and a half by now, that I've been doing this. Every week I reflect on what I learned from an interview, or I'll reflect on something you've posted and say, “This episode is not an interview, but Jo said this last week, and I'm going to talk about it.” The podcast itself takes a lot of work. I still do all of it myself, and I know I probably shouldn't, but I like doing it, so it's one of those tasks I enjoy. I also have reflections that aren't going to come out vocally but might come out in writing. Sometimes in the morning I'm not in the mood to write the novel or the non-fiction book I'm writing, but I'm writing some tangent. I just let the creative monster go. I find that re-sharing… I might have reflected on something for a couple of minutes at the end of an interview, but I really want to expand upon it, so I write the Substack article. I try to reuse some of that content. Someone's going to enjoy seeing it on a short video clip I share on YouTube, or whatever the platform is. Someone else is going to listen to it on a podcast, wherever they listen to podcasts, and someone else is going to want to read it. It could be the same information, just shared in a slightly different way, to potentially get it out to other people. So for me, it's part of that wide publishing mentality. I'm trying not to completely duplicate the work, although I am duplicating some of it. I'll give you an example. Hey, Canadian listeners—if you have not registered for Public Lending Right in Canada, please put something in your calendar for February 2027, because the deadline's over. It was May 1st of 2026. Put it in your calendar for next year. I even had somebody at this writers' event I was at this last weekend say, “You mentioned something in a presentation you did for the Canadian Authors Association about Public Lending Right, and thank you, because now I get thousands of dollars a year from this.” So just look up Public Lending Right. I've been saying stuff about Public Lending Right for at least 10 years now. Every time I get my beautiful multi-four-figure cheque from them in February every year, I post on social media and remind authors to check it out. I know it exists in the UK, and it exists in 36 countries in the world—just not the US. Jo: Not the US. Mark: They don't have a programme like this, probably because the big publishers—and probably one of the authors' associations—think that libraries are cannibalising book sales, which is not true. It's been proven time and time again, and that lobbying has prevented it from happening. Whereas here in Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts and the Writers' Union of Canada worked hard to make this happen. Anyway, I talk about something like Public Lending Right and I feel like I must have said this so much that people are sick of it, but every single time I mention it, someone goes, “Oh my God, thanks for saying that. I never heard it.” That's a good reminder, especially for folks like you and me. We know the basics. We know what an ISBN is. We know KDP Select means you can't put the e-book on any other retailer, or even sell it on your own website. We know all these things, but it's hard for us to remember that there are folks coming to this for the very first time who've never heard it, even though we feel like, “Oh my God, I've said this till I'm blue in the face.” I think I got that from retail. When I worked in retail, I recognised that somebody's going to come in and ask for “that blue book that Reese Witherspoon was talking about,” or Oprah was talking about, or whatever. And you do your darn best to help them figure it out rather than mock them. I try to take the same approach when people ask me those questions, because I'm trying to remember what it was like when I honestly did not know the answer, and having someone take the time to help me. I've been very, very lucky that I've had a lot of people take the time to help me. I'll never forget—God rest her soul—Nancy Kilpatrick, a horror writer here from Canada who passed away a few years ago. She gave me a blurb for my very first book in 2004 because she'd acquired one of my short stories for an anthology she'd edited. I was trying to call my short story collection an anthology, and she very kindly took me aside and said, “It's not an anthology if it's a single author. An anthology is a…” Jo: I didn't know that until, like, last year. I got that wrong as well. There are lots of words like that. I want to circle back, because you didn't really answer earlier about the time management. You just mentioned YouTube, on top of Substack and all the things you do. You also have a day job at Draft2Digital—it's part-time, right? You also do part-time at the university, teaching publishing, right? You do all kinds of things. How do you manage your time with all of that? Mark: Well, I mismanage my time more than I manage it, Jo. That's the God's honest truth. Fortunately, most of the things I have that aren't scheduled—like, scheduled to do this lecture at this time, or scheduled to have this meeting at this particular time with Draft2Digital—most of my work is very flexible. I do not work a regular 9:00 to 5:00, Monday to Friday. Well, I never did. I always worked way more. But I have a very flexible schedule. Every single day is a work day, and every single day is a play day for me. So I'm very, very lucky. I do schedule in the very important things, particularly where somebody else is reliant upon me—meetings and connections and stuff like that. Then I make the time first thing in the morning to get the writing done. Everything else is not as important, and it's part of… I guess it's part of playing. You know, like the social media sharing. I don't look at social media as marketing. I just look at it as another way to connect with people, with other creatives, and with readers potentially, all six people who read my stuff. I probably could do a better job of managing my time. I've tried several times over the years to adapt processes to make it better, but I consistently default back to what I do, and so far I guess I've been getting away with it. So I was like, “Do I want to waste more time trying to come up with a process, or do I just want to roll with it?” Because so far I haven't killed myself doing it, and I've been enjoying the journey. So, if it ain't broke… Jo: I think that's the point, if it doesn't feel like it's broken. Having known you for a long time now, and we work together—obviously we co-wrote The Relaxed Author—you do work very, very differently to me. You definitely are a little bit more chaotic. I'm chaotic in some ways too. Mark: Oh, you're very generous. “A little bit chaotic.” Thanks. That was generous, Jo. Jo: You're chaotic in your work practices and scheduling and all that, which I couldn't cope with very well. Even though I feel like a part of my brain is very chaotic—the creative side, I guess, can be quite chaotic—I think I'm actually quite controlling and very scheduled in my work practices. As you say, for someone else on the outside, it might feel to me like you have too many balls in the air. But if you don't feel that, then that's the way of working that works for you. So this is another important thing, isn't it? You can't adapt to what other people say your life should look like. It's what feels good to you. Mark: Oh, for sure. One thing I know about my procrastination tendency is that panic and fear motivate me. So, a deadline—”I have to get this into a publisher by this date, I have to get this manuscript to an editor by that date”—I'm motivated by fear. And I'm afraid of everything, so I guess I'm always motivated. Jo: But I also know that when you hear the word “deadline”—and I know a lot of people who do this—the deadline means you get it in on the deadline, or the day before the deadline. To me, a deadline means I have it ready a month earlier. Mark: I love that. I've done that a few times and shocked myself. I actually had a pre-order up—with the audiobook, the print, and the e-book—a month in advance, and I didn't know what to do with myself. I was like, “Well, what am I going to do now in the next month?” Jo: Work on the next thing. Mark: But I'm so used to working on it up to the last second that I was kind of like, “What do I do?” That actually caught me by surprise, and I honestly felt weird. I was like, “I've never felt this before.” I'm really lucky. I know you have a very supportive and amazing partner, and so do I. My partner, scarily enough, is maybe a bigger procrastinator than me, so she never gives me a hard time. She supports me, and I do the same thing with her own work. I'm up all night with her at the last minute so we can get something turned in. So, fortunately, we really understand one another, and we don't give each other a hard time. We just go, “Well, got away with it again. I guess I'm not going to change my ways.” Jo: We made it. And again, that's the point. You and I could stand up in front of people, both hold up the last book we wrote, and say, “We made this,” and our processes are completely different. Our brains are completely different. We come from different countries. There are lots of things that are different, and yet we both made a book. So hopefully that encourages people. You don't have to do anything that we're telling you, or anyone else tells you. But if you want to be an author, at some point you have to produce a book. Mark: Exactly. As Brian in the classic Monty Python film gets them to say: “Yes, we are all different.” Embrace that difference. I think that's such a powerful reminder that there is no one process for getting anything done. Jo: Given that we co-wrote The Relaxed Author back in 2021—and we did that because we had another show, and we were talking, and we said, “Oh, everyone's stressed and the anxiety levels are really high, and we think there's a better path”—we co-wrote that book, which I think is still a very good book. Definitely people should get it. Interestingly, I think the stress and anxiety might actually be higher now than it was. So what do you think the main stresses are in the community now? You also see a lot with Draft2Digital, I guess, as well. Mark: Oh, for sure. Honestly, Jo, I'm so glad we wrote that book, because I actually pick it up every once in a while to remind myself of the things we tried to help others with. Again, it's therapy for me as well, so I'm so glad we did it. I think we're 10, if not 100, times more stressed. The world events and things going on, the divisiveness—not just in the world in general, in politics and everything else, but the divisiveness in the author community. The witch-hunting that happens, people trying to tear down other authors either because they're successful, or because, “Oh my God, you dared use a new technology.” All of these things are happening, and everyone's at one another's throats. I need to pick that book up and reread it. I'm a lot more stressed than I was. I'm just getting over shingles, which is… Jo: Oh. Which is actually related to stress as well, isn't it? Mark: It is, yes. I was in LA for Writers of the Future—I'm a judge for that science fiction and fantasy conference. I went right from LA, like a week in LA, which was a phenomenal experience getting to mentor the winners. And I mean, come on, it's a free trip to Hollywood, hanging out with Kevin Anderson, having beers and stuff like that. Then I came back to the Toronto Indie Author Conference, run by Tao Wong, here in Toronto. I went right from the airport—didn't even go home—straight to the hotel, because I kicked into another conference. We did a display on how to set up an in-person booth, so I ended up having to hand-bomb boxes, blocks down the street from where I was parked. My chest was really sore when I got home on the Monday, and I thought it was because I hadn't used these muscles, because I'm not in the best shape. Then I took my shirt off and went, “Oh, there's a rash there.” Liz goes, “You have shingles.” Because the pain in my chest, which I thought was the muscle, was actually underneath. I'm one of those lucky people that it's taken the full five weeks, and I'm still in pain even afterwards. So, again, public notice: if you're an older person like me, and there's a vaccine available for shingles, you may want to consider it. Jo: Yep, get it. Mark: Oh my God, it hurts. But, yes, the stress, I think, is higher—even though I didn't know I was feeling it. It was happy stress, right? I was stressed out because I'm there in Hollywood, helping people and doing some good things, and then I'm doing the same thing, interacting with some amazing authors at the Toronto Indie Author Conference. I didn't feel anxious stress. I was happy stress. Is that a thing? Jo: I think possibly… your physical body masks stress, physical stress, because you enjoy all of that stuff. Whereas someone like me, I'll feel it quicker and withdraw. Although I say that, back probably a decade ago, Jonathan would say to me, “You're going too fast, and you're going to hit the wall. And when you hit the wall, it's not going to be fun.” And I did hit the wall. Then, probably in 2021—I mean, that was when I just started going into menopause, and obviously we had the pandemic, and I wrote Pilgrimage, and I was doing all those walks, which I think really helped me. I learned a lot about maybe stopping that before it happened. Becca Syme obviously talks a lot about this too. But I find it interesting with you, because I think you're so positively happy with these events you do that it might mask your physical symptoms in a different way. That's really hard to watch out for. I'll give a tip to you and everyone else listening: schedule the calendar, and look at your calendar and go, “I can't go back-to-back-to-back. I have to put in some rest days.” Mark: Well, thank you. You know, Jo, you and Becca Syme are two of my best unpaid therapists. I appreciate that. Jo: You just don't listen, Mark. Mark: Or sometimes I do. Jo: Just coming back to the community, and the divisiveness there is primarily over AI at the moment, I think that's one of the biggest things. And the arbitrary lines as to what you're allowed to use it for and what you're not allowed to use it for, which is just kind of crazy. Obviously, you know I've opted out of that whole discussion now. How do you think we can move through this [divisiveness over AI], move on? We remember when it was trad versus indie, and then it was wide versus KU. So this will pass—it's just hard, when you're in it, to know when it might pass. Mark: Yes. I think the more generic advice—for whatever may come, whatever has come—is: why are you doing this? Why are you a writer? Heads down, focus on what gives you pleasure, and do that, because everything else is noise. All the marketing tactics and strategies, and all the people yelling at one another. Write your books. Do the things that motivate you. Do the things that give you that intrinsic reward. It's hard to ignore. I get it, it is hard to ignore. I have difficulty ignoring the haters and the yelling and the screaming that happens, but I do my best. Like this morning, when I was in the throes of my manuscript and I looked up and went, “Oh my God, I've got to shower. I'm going to be talking to Jo soon, I should comb my hair”—which I have none of. Because I was so in my book that everything else melted away. That, for me as a storyteller, as a writer, is one of the most beautiful places to be. Jo: I think you're absolutely right. I have a little thing that pops up in my calendar sometimes which says, “If you're feeling all of these things, just go create something.” The moment you refocus on creation—whatever that means to you—things change. It changes the energy. That, or go for a walk. That's my other tip. Mark: Outside. And I have to say, Jo, Pilgrimage is still one of the most profound and powerful books you've written, and you've written a lot of amazing ones. Jo: Oh, you're very sweet. Mark: That one really resonates, not just for me, but with Liz. Because one of the things we often do when we get stressed is go for a walk, ideally in nature. The vitamin N. I think there's something really profound in that, and it really helps me a lot. And again, sometimes going for a walk listening to your podcast, or an audiobook, or sometimes just attending to the environment. A tip I picked up years ago from Brooklyn author Denis Hamill was: go for a walk with your character. Listen to what they see. What do they comment on? How do they approach this environment that you've seen a million times? How do they see it? What do they notice that you don't notice? That's such an incredible experience of creativity—when you're not writing, but writing. That really helps me a lot. Jo: Oh, nice one. Okay, so your latest book is Stark Realities, but you have so many more. Where can people find you and your books and your podcast online? Mark: Jo, you can find everything you want to know about me—and stuff you don't want to know about me—over at MarkLeslie.ca. It links to all the other places from there. Jo: Brilliant. Thanks again for your time, Mark. That was great. Mark: Thanks so much, Jo. Bye-bye. The post Creative Satisfaction, In Person Print Book Sales, And Author Mindset With Mark Leslie Lefebvre first appeared on The Creative Penn.

This week we cover Paul Thomas Anderson's smoky noir, "Inherent Vice." We discuss the long process of adapting Thomas Pynchon's work into a screenplay, and the funding of the film. We then make sense of the murky plot and discuss the scenes we love from this film. Finally, we each pair the film with another for a pair of double bills for your viewing pleasure. Thank you so much for listening!Support us at Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DoubleBillChillCreated by Spike Alkire & Jake KelleyTheme Song by Breck McGoughFollow us on Instagram: @DoubleBillChillLetterboxd: FartsDomino44

Writing domestic suspense under the pseudonym Cleo Ballard, Nan Fischer also writes young adult novels, such as When Elephants Fly and The Speed of Falling Objects. Additional author credits include Junior Jedi Knights, a middle grade Star Wars trilogy for LucasFilm, and co-authored sport autobiographies for elite athletes including #1 ranked tennis superstar Monica Seles, Triple Crown race winning jockey Julie Krone, Olympic gold medal speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, legendary gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, and Olympic gold medal gymnasts Nadia Comaneci and Shannon Miller. A graduate of Cornell University and former Traveling Writer for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Senior Campaign Writer for The University of California, San Francisco, Nan's articles have appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, The Huffington Post, Powell's Book Blog, YA Books Central, Germ Magazine, Hypable, and School Library Journal. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Henry, and the spirit of their always lovable Vizsla, Boone. When she's not conjuring a new commercial fiction novel or thrillers or reading, Nan can be found outdoors, biking, kitesurfing, winging, skiing or planning her family's next adventure. Learn more at nanfischerauthor.com Intro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Matt and Jordan review HBO’s Sundance acquisition Miss You Love You. And while Jordan finds it to be a handsome, moving, and well-acted "filmed play", Matt finds too modest and predictable. For Rec Seg, Matt revisits the grueling, ice-cold dread of corporate culture with a 2019 workplace thriller, while Jordan counters with a classic 1982 Sidney Lumet thriller packed with more twists, turns -- and smooches! Finally, Jordan takes the reins as Dungeon Master for a game called On a Wing and a Prayer. Chapters / Timecodes (Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00–00:7:27) Miss You Love You (00:7:28–00:26:54) Rec Seg!: (00:26:55–00:43:49) Personalized Recs (00:43:50–01:04:34) Game: On a Wing and a Prayer (01:04:35–01:23:04) Wrap-Up & Credits (01:23:05–01:35:02) Show Notes Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/ Matt's appearances on our sister podcast, The Next Picture Show, discussing Shogun Assassin and The Mandalorian and Grogu. https://www.filmspotting.net/nextpictureshow Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/ Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we got completely sucked into DTF St. Louis on Max — and we have thoughts. David Harbour plays the most likable character in a show about suburban kinks, male loneliness and consensual weirdness, and we can't stop thinking about two middle-aged men tenderly dancing in their tighty-whities. Also: a woman yelled "you're my hall pass" at Ben during his Richmond show, and we're noticing a trend.Plus: the AI music backlash is real — Suno just raised $400 million and yet the public has definitively decided they do not want AI-created music. The Spotify CEO thinks bands should just drop a song every month. Reese Witherspoon is doing "let them eat cake" AI ads. And we explain exactly why tech platforms fundamentally do not understand creativity.Also: Seth Rogen's New York Times interview is essential listening, Ione had her first art show (get the painting at Vamped Vintage in Newtown), and we make the case for always having at least one normie friend in your life.

Bu bölümde kitap klüplerinin yükselişinden, bu yükselişin arkasındaki #booktok gibi trendlerden bahsettim. Aynı zamanda insanların kitap klüplerine ya da komünitelere katılma ihtiyacının arkasındaki sebepleri masaya yatırdım. Reese Witherspoon, Dua Lipa gibi ünlülerin de kitap klübü kurma motivasyonlarına da değindim. Keyifli dinlemeler

Jennifer Welch (“I've Had It” podcast) guest co-hosts. Reese Witherspoon says failure fueled her success. Khloé Kardashian on disapproving siblings' partners. A new season of relationship drama on “Couples Therapy.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Mark Thompson Show Hour 4 (6.11) In the 9 pm hour of The Mark Thompson Show, supermodel and author Susan Holmes McKagan joins Mark and Tim for a fantastic conversation about her new novel “The Velvet Rose.” She opens up about getting discovered at just 16, living the wild supermodel life in early ’90s New York, walking for fashion powerhouses like Chanel, Guess, Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, and somehow avoiding the full-blown party scene. Susan also shares the charming fairytale story of how she met and married Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan — one of the best rock ‘n’ roll meet-cutes ever — and discusses her exciting second act as a novelist. The hour wraps with voice coach to the stars Roger Love, who has worked with Bradley Cooper, Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Def Leppard, and many more. Roger talks about his most rewarding work helping people overcome stuttering and his powerful new documentary “Finding Your Voice.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Mark Thompson Show Hour 2 (6.11) We’re back with the endlessly fascinating supermodel and author Susan Holmes McKagan, who walked for Chanel, Guess, Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, and pretty much every major designer on the planet. The big question: How the hell did she not turn into a full-blown party girl in that world? Mark covers the chaotic car meetup bust in the LA Riverbed near Cypress Park — nearly 90 arrests and 72 vehicles towed — right as FIFA World Cup fever kicks off with Mexico vs South Africa. Then voice coach to the stars Roger Love joins the show. He’s worked with Bradley Cooper, Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, and Def Leppard, but his proudest achievement might be helping people overcome stuttering, which he dives into with his new documentary “Finding Your Voice.” To close it out, Mark Thompson is losing his mind over a full-blown rat infestation in his attic — the little bastards have turned his place into a rodent hotel and are destroying his gorgeous hardwood floors. Classic KFI chaos. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy Griffin's bestselling memoir The Tell was celebrated by Oprah and Reese Witherspoon as a powerful story of recovered memories, trauma, and healing, until a lawsuit was filed more recently. In this episode, we discuss The New York Times stories on the topic, and unpack the controversy surrounding Griffin. Griffin's attorney has defended her and called the lawsuit bogus, saying “we look forward to exposing these meritless claims in court, as well as the deeply flawed New York Times reporting that is at the center of it. Click ‘Subscribe' at the top of the Infamous show page on Apple Podcasts or visit GetTheBinge.com to get access wherever you get your podcasts. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  Read Vanessa's book, Blurred Lines: Sex, Power and Consent on Campus, and check out Natalie on Instagram at @natrobe To connect with Infamous's creative team, join the community at joincampsidemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kerry Tucker is a highly accomplished C-suite media executive, corporate strategist, and board director with over 25 years of experience scaling operations at the intersection of entertainment, high-growth startups, and Fortune 500 retail. Widely recognized for her ability to build global franchises from early-stage concepts, Kerry serves as a Strategic Advisor and Board Director for Vice Media, guiding the corporate strategy and market positioning of their branded entertainment divisions. She is also the former Co-President of Virtue Worldwide, the globally celebrated, full-service creative agency of Vice Media Group. Before navigating the complex media landscape at Vice, Kerry carved out a legendary track record in the creator economy and entertainment sectors. She was the inaugural CEO of Hello Sunshine, Reese Witherspoon's media and production company, where she built the foundational business model and infrastructure that directly led to its eventual $900 million sale. She then spent five years as the Chief Marketing and Franchise Officer at pocket.watch, transforming massive YouTube creator talent (like Ryan's World) into multi-million dollar, global consumer product franchises across brick-and-mortar retail. Prior to her startup runs, Kerry managed a $600 million budget as the EVP and CMO of Victoria's Secret, and served as the SVP of Media and Merchandising at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. She has been named to the Forbes CMO Next list and Variety's Entertainment Impact Report.

Enjoy a motley conversation with KMODO and Weevmo, the creative twins who's unique abilities has given some some interesting opportunities, as we discuss their art journeys down animation and nerdcore music, their studio MotleyMotion and what they hope to do with concepts like Hark! and more, Reese Witherspoon, and so much more!MotleyMotion's Links:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MOTLEYMotionBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/motleymotion.bsky.socialTwitter: https://x.com/MotleyMotionKMODO YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KMODOKMODO Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kmodo.bsky.socialKMODO Twitter: https://x.com/KMODOchordsKMODO Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/kmodopostsKMODO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kmodogram/Weevmo YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@weevmoWeevmo Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/weevmo.bsky.socialWeevmo Twitter: https://x.com/WeevmoWeevmo Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/weevmoWeevmo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weevmo/Leovincible: https://leovincible.com/Thumbnail Done By: WeevmoFan Art Done By: Tae Draws - https://www.youtube.com/@TAEDRAWSCheck out the MERCH SHOP: https://post-modern-art-podcast-shop.fourthwall.com/Join the PostModArtPod Discord server: https://discord.gg/bdg4UFbmm9Join the PMAP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pmapIntro Animated by: https://bsky.app/profile/fasado.bsky.socialIntro Song - "Seductive Treasure" - Color of IllusionOutro Song - "Parts In Motion" - Vera Much Stream her EP "Thank U!": https://veramuch.bandcamp.com/album/thank-uLinktree (To find other platforms, socials, etc.): https://linktr.ee/PostModernArtPodcastFor business inquiries, contact postmodernartpodcast@gmail.com Showrunners of the podcast are Nathan Ragland and TipsyJHeartsTipsy's Links:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TipsyJHeartsBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tipsyjhearts.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tipsyjhearts/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tipsyjheartsKo-fi: https://ko-fi.com/tipsyjheartsPortfolio: https://tipsyjhearts.wixsite.com/portfolioProduced with A1denArtzAiden's Links:Carrd: https://a1denartz.carrd.co/Tumblr: https://a1denartz.tumblr.com/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/a1denartz.bsky.socialInkblot: https://inkblot.art/profile/a1denartzInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/a1denartz/ Go out there and create something special!

Libby Ward is a writer, speaker, and advocate redefining the motherhood narrative. Through her social media platforms, Libby is known to connect and empower women with honesty, humor, and her relatable voice. She has been featured on the BBC, Good Morning America, and is a member of Reese Witherspoon's inaugural Hello Sunshine Collective. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children.

The girlboss era promised that if women just worked hard enough, leaned in hard enough, optimized hard enough, equality was within reach. It wasn't. And now, a decade later, the same voices are back with the same urgency and the same "you'll be left behind" framing. The product this time? AI. Bridget sits down with Samantha and Anney from Stuff Mom Never Told You to talk about why Sheryl Sandberg, Reese Witherspoon, Mel Robbins, and the original girlboss herself Sophia Amoruso are all suddenly very invested in getting women onto AI platforms and why the women who aren't rushing to adopt it might actually be the ones paying closest attention. Let us know what you think by emailing hello@tangoti.com or leaving a comment on Spotify. Bridget's forthcoming audiobook with Simon & Schuster, Love At First Prompt, explores AI, sex, and intimate relationships. Pre-order at LoveAtFirstPrompt.ai Follow Bridget: Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | BlueskySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Presenting an episode of The Founder Mindset with Reza Satchu, a new show from HBS

Join us as Keala Kendall, author of the compelling gothic novel That Which Feeds Us, takes us through her creative process, the importance of representation in storytelling, and how horror can serve as a mirror to society's fears and unresolved histories. This conversation uncovers the layers behind her work, blending culture, history, and genre to provoke thought and evoke emotion. Main topics covered: Kendall's artistic process and how the novel evolved from initial inspiration The significance of Hawaiian history, colonialism, and land in her storytelling How research and world-building influenced the succinct yet powerful narrative The role of horror in exploring societal fears and marginalized voices The creative benefits of genre fiction, especially horror, in addressing difficult truths Personal journey: reading influences, media inspiration, and her experiences as a Pacific Islander author The novel's reception, including selection by Reese Witherspoon's Book Club, and its impact on conversations about Hawaii The importance of representation and amplification of Pacific Islander stories in publishing How fiction can be a tool for education and social change Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction to the novel That Which Feeds Us 00:30 - The inspiration and artistic process behind the book 01:25 - Use of horror to tell stories rooted in colonial history 02:16 - Hawaii as a gothic setting and its historical echoes 03:00 - How the novel balances brevity with depth and world-building 06:13 - Introducing the protagonist, Lihua, and her connection to Hawaii 07:03 - The significance of the book's title and themes of reciprocal land relationships 07:53 - The impact of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection 08:28 - What readers might discuss after reading the book 10:05 - Amplifying Pacific Islander voices and stories in publishing 11:17 - The concept of ghosts and history as a collective haunting 12:49 - Confronting Hawaii's dark history and media portrayals 13:17 - The influence of reading and media on her writing, including White Lotus and horror films 14:05 - Early ideas for the novel and Hawaiian cultural motifs in her stories 15:36 - How horror makes space for taboo topics and societal critique 16:24 - Early stories about sisters and the significance of land in Hawaiian culture 17:22 - Her transition from Massachusetts inspiration to homeland storytelling 18:07 - Influences from film and media, including Moana and Hollywood's depiction of Hawaii 19:02 - The intersection of media representations and authentic cultural narratives 20:58 - The pandemic's role in shaping her perspective on Hawaii's infrastructure 22:12 - Why horror's capacity for boundary-pushing makes it vital today 23:58 - The societal fears reflected in horror, from Godzilla to Get Out and Us 25:26 - The power of horror in sparking conversations and societal reflection 26:20 - Closing remarks and thoughts on the book's impact and importance Keala Kendall is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of How Far I'll Go and Nobody Gets Left Behind in Disney's A Twisted Tales series. Hapa Native Hawaiian, she is a co-founder of Pacific Islanders Publishing and a past organizer of the charity Books for Maui.

3HL - 1-6-26 - Hour 2 - Latest updates from the NCAA Baseball Tournament, reacting to the Spurs advancing to the NBA Finals, and a Reese Witherspoon update.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actors Rami Malek and Reese Witherspoon share revealing stories about Princess Kate's warmth, poise and quiet confidence during royal encounters. The episode also explores Kate Middleton's early jobs before joining the Royal Family, Prince William's protective role behind the scenes, Kate's surprising new hobby with her parents, and why parenting experts continue praising William and Kate's grounded approach to raising George, Charlotte and Louis. Plus: inside the Wales family's surprisingly “normal” new Windsor home.Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening.  Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.A new season of King William is available now.Our royal newsletter written by Deep Crown is available for free.Royal Books:Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War Between the Windsors by Tom BowerWilliam and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside StoryThe Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

Gillian Flynn's novel Gone Girl defined a literary niche when it first came out in 2012, and it still defines it to this day. David Fincher's great 2014 adaptation—written in collaboration with Flynn—is one of the greatest and most fun movie thrillers of the 21st century. Now I want to present you with a terrifying scenario: What if this book had come out three years later, and instead of this glorious 2.5-hour film, we got a boring 12-hour streaming series? Come on, you can see it right now in your mind: Episode 3 is a flashback to Amy's life as a child, with none of the regular actors in it. Episode 9 is the Desi episode, and Amy finally arrives at his door right before the closing credits. No thank you. And so 1-Week Rental is here to take you through the history of that movie. How Gillian Flynn wrote her novel and then worked closely with Fincher on the production, how perfect the casting of both Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike was, how Reese Witherspoon produced the movie with the intention of playing Amazing Amy herself only to be told by Fincher she was all wrong for the part, and how this movie is loosely based on the lives of Laci Roth and Matt Stokes. Did you know that? Watch the history segment in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i0WuyvYAyrg  We're off next week (June 5, 2026). The next episode will be out on Friday, June 12, 2026 when our summer miniseries begins. The Summer of Nolan opens with a podcast about Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000)!    Time stamps: 00:05:50 — History segment: Gillian Flynn writes the Gone Girl novel; movie optioned by Reese Witherspoon and David Fincher is hired to direct; career of Rosamund Pike; career of Ben Affleck  00:51:40 — Movie discussion 02:38:20 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Gone Girl (2014) was directed by David Fincher. Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, based on her novel. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Missi Pyle, Emily Ratajkowski, Casey Wilson, David Clennon, Lisa Banes, and Scoot McNairy.   Sources: "Kansas City native Gillian Flynn emerges as a literary force with her twisted mystery 'Gone Girl'" by Steve Paul | The Kansas City Star (2012) - https://bit.ly/4dE9MTf  "Gillian Flynn on Adapting 'Gone Girl,' Being Too 'Wimpy' for Crime Reporting and Her Best Advice to Writers" by Kimberly Nordyke | The Hollywood Reporter (2012) - https://bit.ly/4v9mh0i  "Gillian Flynn Peers Into the Dark Side of Femininity" by Lauren Oyler | The New York Times (2018) - https://bit.ly/3Q1DV7e  "Gillian Flynn on her bestseller Gone Girl and accusations of misogyny" by Oliver Burkeman | The Guardian (2013) - https://bit.ly/42X7s54 "A Surprise Hit Spawns a Movie Deal" by Stafanie Cohen | The Wall Street Journal (2012) - https://bit.ly/3RMwcud  "Author Gillian Flynn says filming 'Gone Girl' went much better than expected" by Robert Butler | The Kansas City Star (2014) - https://bit.ly/431uebV "David Fincher Talks 'Gone Girl,' Avoids Spoilers (Hooray!)" by Audie Cornish | NPR (2014) - https://n.pr/4vdg1ER  "Movie Sneaks: Thrills, chills for Gillian Flynn in adapting 'Gone Girl'" by Gina McIntyre | The Los Angeles Times (2014) - https://lat.ms/4vcYnB3  "Gone Girl film director David Fincher on his potential Oscar contender" by James Mottram | The Independent (2014) - https://bit.ly/4utRP0R  "Reese Witherspoon Says David Fincher Told Her 'I'm Not Putting You' in 'Gone Girl': 'He Was Totally Right' and 'Rosamund Pike Is So Diabolical'" by J. Kim Murphy | Variety (2015) - https://bit.ly/49W9BBH  "Ambition" (w/ Reese Witherspoon) | Las Culturistas podcast (2025) - https://apple.co/4nWEU5q  "Building a New Ben" | GQ (2004) - https://bit.ly/3S4aDFy  "An Actor-Director Above Suspicion" by Cara Buckley | The New York Times (2014) - https://bit.ly/4dytjpy  "Jon Hamm Confirms He Almost Starred in Ben Affleck's 'Gone Girl'" by Carly Thomas | The Hollywood Reporter (2023) - https://bit.ly/434AKyF    Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/05/gone-girl/#transcript  Artwork by Laci Roth.   Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/  Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

A NASCAR legend honored, a wife devastated, and a son ready to carry on the number 8 legacy. The emotional tribute to Kyle Busch that left the track in tears and the kid who helped Brexton Busch through his grief. ET's with his father, champion driver Kyle Larson. Then, Britney Spears' DUI arrest video you haven't seen! From bringing up Reese Witherspoon, to inviting the cops to a lasagna dinner! And its et at the AMA's! The music legends who showed up and showed out as nostalgia reigns supreme! Why Taylor Swift skipped the awards as BTS rules the night!

Batters up! Marty Miller and Missy McIntosh are stepping up to the plate to discuss SATC S2E1 “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”  Post-Big breakup, Carrie is click-clacking around the city looking DUMPED and rebounds with The New Yankee, Miranda is not beating the lesbian allegations in those overalls and is pissed no one wants to talk about her new PalmPilot, Samantha tries to coach James and his tiny penis on how to hit a home run, and Charlotte dates a ball-grabber.  We chat about the euphoric victory of running into your ex whilst looking hot on a date with someone famous, how Dua Lipa is the next Reese Witherspoon in a literary sense, the lost art of wearing stilettos in Manhattan, and if flirting without the intention of sex is healthy or cruel. Plus, no one is safe when Evan puts on a fur.  Catch Marty and Missy at UCB's Maude & Betty nights in New York, or find them at: @itsmartymiller @missy.mcintosh Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/GIRLSREWATCH! #honeylovepod #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brad revisits Just Like Heaven and breaks down a rom-com that asks one simple question: what if your roommate is a ghost… and also kind of the boss of you?The movie follows David (Mark Ruffalo), a sad, grieving guy just trying to reset his life, who moves into a new apartment—only to find Elizabeth (Reese Witherspoon), a high-strung doctor, already “living” there… despite possibly not being alive. What starts as a bizarre roommate dispute quickly turns into a strange partnership as David realizes he's the only one who can see her.Instead of doing the logical thing (leaving immediately), David sticks around—mostly because, as Brad points out, “she's Reese Witherspoon.” The two go from arguing like a dysfunctional married couple to teaming up on a mission to uncover what happened to Elizabeth before it's too late.Brad leans into the absurdity—calling out the wild decision-making (like casually living with a ghost), the awkward public conversations that make David look insane, and the ridiculous dynamic of being bossed around by someone who technically isn't even on the lease. But underneath the chaos, he admits the movie has some charm, blending humor, emotion, and an unexpected love story.In the end, the mystery gets solved, Elizabeth comes back to life, and the film lands on its core message about connection—even if the journey there is weird.

This week, we're balancing high-octane galactic stakes with a masterclass in modern indie-horror tension. Whether you're ready to travel to a galaxy far, far away or get trapped in the chilling, claustrophobic world of a basement with no escape, we've got your weekend viewing sorted. We're diving into the bone-chilling horror-thriller Obsession, directed by Curry Barker (of the YouTube sensation Sam & Colby / FilmTheory world). This film follows a young man who uncovers a terrifying secret hidden in his own basement, and let's just say it's a masterclass in building dread with a limited budget.Fun Flix Fact: Director Curry Barker brings his signature "viral-horror" sensibility to the big screen here. He famously filmed several "jump scare" sequences without telling the lead actors exactly when they would happen, capturing their genuine reactions for the final cut. If the fear feels real, it's because it absolutely was!The wait is finally over! Din Djarin and the galaxy's favorite Force-wielder are officially on the big screen. We're breaking down the scale, the action, and whether this feature-length adventure successfully bridges the gap between the hit TV series and the future of the Star Wars cinematic universe. But is the film any good? Fun Flix Fact: To maintain the secretive nature of the plot, the production used a code name during filming: Project Torch. The cast and crew were required to wear specially designed "ID shields" that blocked any cameras from capturing the set, ensuring no leaks could make it past the security teams.To celebrate 30 years of 90s thriller gold, we're revisiting the cult classic Fear (1996). It's the movie that made an entire generation terrified of "the guy with the backward baseball cap." We discuss how this flick—and Reese Witherspoon's breakout performance—defined the psychological horror genre for a decade.Fun Flix Fact: The infamous rollercoaster scene was filmed over three nights at a real fairground in Vancouver. The cast actually rode the coaster dozens of times until they were physically ill just to get that perfect amount of adrenaline-fueled exhaustion on camera.Improvised Danger: Mark Wahlberg, in one of his first major roles, was encouraged by director James Foley to improvise some of David McCall's most menacing lines. The most unnerving dialogue in the film wasn't even in the script!And if that's not enough entertainment for you, we've even thrown in new trailers to watch and what you can catch on streaming. Hit that subscribe button right now so you never miss an episode of The Flixters! We're here every week to bring you the best reviews, the wildest facts, and the greatest cinema talk in the business. 00:00 Intro 3:38 Shoutouts5:13 Movie News9:26 New on Streaming19:05 New Trailers24:48 Anniversary Corner27:20 Obsession Review44:46 The Mandalorian and Grogu Review50:28 OutroThis episode is proudly sponsored by Zencastr. Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastr

Our dear friend Ryan O'Connell returns to How Long Gone. His new book, Inspiration Porn, is out soon. We chat with him about Chris accidentally pouring candle wax all over himself at the Gabriela Hearst x Paul Smith dinner at the Chateau, Reese Witherspoon's umbrella holder, Colbert's final days on TV, Katy, Ariana, and Gaga, whether Will Arnett and Amy Poehler will get back together, Ryan being a closeted Dax Shepard listener, how you'd "better laugh at all his jokes if you want this Delta One ticket," a review of his book launch the night before—where Jason read one of Ryan's sex diary entries, Gwyneth's boyfriend breakfast bowls, Apple Martin and Romy Mars, we disagree on Olivia Dean, whether Jake Shane is today's Truman Capote, Alex Cooper's pregnancy press diversion, and some Ivy Wolk glazery. instagram.com/ryanoconn twitter.com/donetodeath twitter.com/themjeans howlonggone.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back, WIFs.This week, Lauren and Michelle are diving into the topic that feels impossible to escape right now:AI.From Mel Robbins to Reese Witherspoon, everyone seems to be talking about artificial intelligence. Should we be excited by it? Terrified of it? A little bit of both?In this episode, the sisters explore AI from the perspective of everyday humans trying to navigate a rapidly changing world. No tech jargon. No expert analysis. Just a cozy, honest conversation about what it all means for the way we live, think, work, create, and connect.They discuss the growing fear of losing critical thinking skills, the environmental concerns surrounding AI, and the increasing difficulty of knowing what's actually real online anymore. But they also explore the hopeful side of technology, how it could potentially help solve major health issues, create new opportunities, and reshape everyday life if used mindfully.Most importantly, Lauren and Michelle reflect on the things AI can never replace: storytelling, grief, friendship, intuition, creativity, lived experience, human connection, and the soft skills that make us who we are. They also share how they personally use AI in daily life, where they draw boundaries, and why this conversation matters more than ever right now.Per usual, the sisters share what they're reading, watching, and listening to, along with a dose of weekly simple joys.Press play, get cozy… and let's talk about the future together.Because maybe now more than ever, doubling down on your humanity is the whole point.

Outlouders, enjoy this free taster of Mia Freedman, Holly Wainwright and Emily Vernem on our subscribers only episode. You can listen to the full conversation: 'The 'Normal Girlfriend' Dating Dilemma' What do you mean, you're not a subscriber yet? Solve that problem HERE. Jacob Elordi and Kendall Jenner have gone on a double date with Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet and we are obsessed. So is it all part of ‘Momager’ Kris Jenner’s grand plan? Em Vernem has a theory. Support independent women's media - SUBSCRIBE HERE Plus, Prince William is tackling the housing crisis and we need Royal Correspondent Holly to tell us exactly what a 'Duchy' is. And, is Megan trying to be Angelina Jolie and is it working? Also, we discuss Reese Witherspoon, Mel Robbins, Demi Moore and the 'girlbossifying' AI debate. New Mamamia subscribers get $40 off — $20 off an annual membership and $20 off your TWOOBS order. Click here to subscribe. Already a subscriber? Click here for your $20 TWOOBS discount code. T&C's apply What To Listen To Next: Listen to our latest episode: The 'Dog Year' Relationship Theory That Explains Your Ex Listen: UNPACKED: Famesick - Lena Dunham Listen: A Zero Birthday Freak Out & You've Got Something On Your Face Listen: Wait, There Are Four Styles of Friendship? Listen: A Fashion F-Up & The Ryan Reynolds Of It All Listen: Scurrilous Gossip: The Royal Affair No One Saw Coming Listen: How To Be Liked By Absolutely Everyone Connect your subscription to Apple Podcasts Got questions or things you'd like Mia to talk about? Email us at outloud@mamamia.com.au Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here including the very latest episode of Parenting Out Loud, the parenting podcast for people who don't listen to... parenting podcasts. SUBSCRIBE here: Support independent women's media You can now watch our show in full length video on the Apple Podcast app - make sure your phone is up to date and we can't wait for you to see Mamamia Out Loud on Apple What to read: Pete Davidson's latest relationship has just had its official hard launch. Timothée Chalamet and the reason guy's guys can't be heartthrobs. 'The specific word Timothée Chalamet keeps using has me second guessing every relationship I've had.' Meghan Markle has only just arrived in Australia, but the most damning story about her has already been written. THE END BITS: Check out our merch at MamamiaOutLoud.com GET IN TOUCH: Feedback? We’re listening. Send us an email at outloud@mamamia.com.au Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message. Join our Facebook group Mamamia Outlouders to talk about the show. Follow us on Instagram @mamamiaoutloud and on Tiktok @mamamiaoutloud Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we have recorded this podcast.Become a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jackie and Danielle are diving into the glossy, rumor-filled world of Gossip, the early-2000s thriller packed with suspicious roommates, messy secrets, and peak WB-era casting. From whispered lies to one very questionable final twist, the No More Late Fees crew revisits a movie that feels surprisingly relevant in today's social media age.This week, the hosts break down Joshua Jackson's dark turn as Beau, James Marsden's unsettling performance as Derek, and why Kate Hudson absolutely understood the assignment as Naomi. Jackie and Danielle also unpack the film's commentary on gossip culture, consent, journalism ethics, and misinformation while reflecting on how elder millennials were taught to verify sources long before TikTok and viral headlines became everyday life.Along the way, they share hilarious reactions to the movie's ultra-stylized Y2K aesthetic, Norman Reedus' mysterious art installations, and the apartment setup that made absolutely no sense. The episode also includes behind-the-scenes trivia about deleted scenes, casting what-ifs involving Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the surprising production history behind the film.If you grew up loving Dawson's Creek-era thrillers, late-90s teen dramas, or underrated millennial cult favorites, this episode is packed with nostalgia, hot takes, and plenty of laughs. Jackie and Danielle also revisit the movie's twist ending and debate whether the film fully landed its message about rumors and accountability.Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and let No More Late Fees know your favorite forgotten Y2K thriller. Your support helps more nostalgic movie lovers discover the podcast.Keywords: Gossip 2000 movie review, Joshua Jackson podcast, Kate Hudson thriller, James Marsden movies, Y2K movie podcast, millennial nostalgia podcast, Dawsons Creek cast movies, underrated 2000 thrillers, No More Late Fees podcast, Norman Reedus early roles, teen thriller movies, 2000s pop culture podcast·Season 6 Episode 5·—No More Late Fees ⁠https://nomorelatefeespodcast.com⁠909-601-NMLF (6653)—Follow Us on Social:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/nomorelatefees TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@nomorelatefees Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/nomorelatefeesYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@nomorelatefees Twitterhttps://x.com/NoMoreLateFees —CONQUERing⁠⁠myconquering.com⁠⁠10% Off Code: JACKIE10—NostaBeautyhttps://nostabeauty.com 20% Off Code: NMLF—DescriptCreator Plan 50% off 2 monthshttps://descript.cello.so/zp4OQqeIMdq

Grab your frosted tips and your most questionable life choices, because this week Rob, Dave, and Kurt are stepping onto the roller coaster of madness that is Fear (1996) Is it a gritty psychological thriller about a father protecting his daughter? Or is it an accidental comedic masterpiece where a future Oscar nominee carves "Nicole" into his chest and declares war on a German Shepherd? We're leaning heavily toward the latter Join the guys as they break down: The Dirk Diggler Defense: Would Mr. Walker have been more chill if he knew Marky Mark was a future A-lister? Red Flag Bingo: Counting every time Reese Witherspoon's Nicole should have sprinted in the opposite direction. Peak '90s Aesthetic: A deep dive into the baggy jeans, the angst, and that infamous needle drop of The Sundays' "Wild Horses." The MVP of Unhinged: Deciding once and for all if David McCall is a terrifying villain or just the world's most dramatic teenager.   Chapters 0:00 - Kicking Off the Show and Podcast Introduction 1:20 - Analyzing a Listener's 'Let Me In' Dilemma 3:03 - Introducing the Hosts and Teasing The Movie 4:26 - Diving Into Yearbook Memories and Crisco Confessions 8:10 - Unpacking Siskel & Ebert's 'Fear' Reviews 12:20 - Behind the Scenes of 'Fear' and 90s Thriller Tropes 16:19 - Deconstructing the 'Final Dad' Trope in 'Fear' 21:30 - Wahlberg's First Big Movie Role in 'Fear' 27:31 - Analyzing Reese Witherspoon and Alyssa Milano's Performances 30:58 - 'Fear' at the MTV Awards and Favorite Movie Moments 37:12 - Unforgettable and Cringeworthy Quotes from 'Fear' 45:51 - Breaking Down the Most Memorable Scenes in 'Fear' 51:53 - Unbelievable and Questionable Moments in 'Fear' 57:12 - Identifying the Most Quintessential 90s Elements in 'Fear' 59:23 - Crafting Greeting Card Messages and Favorite Songs 1:02:23 - Who Was the Real Most Valuable Player in 'Fear' 1:03:34 - The Most Unhinged and Intense Scenes from Mark Wahlberg 1:12:43 - Assessing 'Fear's' Rewatch Value and Final Judgement 1:16:33 - How to Connect with the Podcast and Share Your Thoughts 1:20:06 - Discovering New Facts and Funky Bunch Trivia 1:23:52 - Wrapping Up 'Fear' and Teasing Next Week's Show   Connect with Totally 80s and 90s Recall  Website: https://bleav.com/shows/totally-80s-and-90s-recall/  Email: 80s90srecall@gmail.com  Voicemail: (509) 426-4542  Linktree: https://linktr.ee/80s90srecall   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode celebrates the 30th anniversary of Fear, a psychological thriller that turned Mark Wahlberg from rapper/Calvin Klein model to the boyfriend parents hoped to keep their daughters away from. We revisit the film's premise, its release climate in the mid-90s, and why Fear remains a touchstone in psychological thrillers. We set the stage by outlining the stakes, the suburban setting that doubles as a trap, and what fans new and old still find shocking. In addition, we highlight the ensemble that makes Fear work on every level. We analyze Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon's chemistry and character arc, and spotlight Alyssa Milano, Amy Brenneman, and William Petersen's performances and how their characters amplify the thriller's dynamics. We also take a look at the film's themes, which unpack obsession, power dynamics, gaslighting, and the unpredictable push-pull of attraction and danger. This episode connects the on-screen psychology to broader thriller tropes and what makes Fear creep under the skin.Joining in for this discussion is Mark J. Parker of the Release Date Rewind podcast who is more than ready to take a look back at this late ‘90s classic. Links for Guests: Release Date RewindWhere To Watch Fear

1-Week Rental heads down to Pigeon Creek, Alabama, where things are just a little bit different than we're used to up in the big city. Will Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) choose Jake (Josh Lucas), her rugged old flame with a take-no-prisoners attitude? Or will she choose Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), the son of a billionaire who's literally being groomed to be president? Either way, this movie's gonna make you laugh, and it's gonna make you think. But before examining Sweet Home Alabama in detail, Laci and Matt go through the history of its production, and then take a long look at Reese Witherspoon's movie career and her recent pivot into business mogul and champion of private equity and artificial intelligence. It's the way of the future, y'all!  Watch the history segment in full: https://youtu.be/hxTCJgVjCiY  Next week (May 22, 2026): We take another look at Drop Dead Fred (1991), a movie we originally covered back in 2017!   Time stamps: 00:09:45 — History segment: Reese Witherspoon's early career; development and production of Sweet Home Alabama; Witherspoon's career after Sweet Home Alabama, including her fall and resurgence; Witherspoon's business ventures and embrace of artificial intelligence and private equity  01:00:28 — Movie discussion 02:07:50 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sweet Home Alabama (2002) was directed by Andy Tennant. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey as Lurlynn.   Sources: "'Sweet Home Alabama' at 20: Director Andy Tennant and star Josh Lucas reveal never-before-told stories about the rom-com classic and their hopes for a sequel" by Jason Guerrasio | Business Insider (2022) - https://bit.ly/48Qg0y0  "How Reese Witherspoon Has Become The World's Richest Actress" by Madeline Berg & Dawn Chmielewski | Forbes (2021) - https://bit.ly/4duyZjc  "Reese Witherspoon: behind-the-scenes revival of Hollywood's unlikely feminist" by Andrew Pulver | The Guardian (2015) - https://bit.ly/4d727hl  "Face to Face With Reese Witherspoon" by Meg Grant | Reader's Digest (2005) - https://bit.ly/4ub3ZM9  "Playing It Straight" by William Booth | The Washington Post (2005) -  https://wapo.st/3PFt9TY  Review of Legally Blonde by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2001) - https://bit.ly/4fiRqcU  Review of Sweet Home Alabama by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2002) - https://bit.ly/4fjfM6n  "A down-home dilemma" by David Sterritt | The Christian Science Monitor (2002) - https://bit.ly/4d9a8m2  "Interview with Reese Witherspoon" by Scott B. | IGN (2002) - https://bit.ly/4ua5uu4  "C. Jay Cox: Man With A Mission" by Steven Housman (2004) - https://bit.ly/4eKzt6Y  "Reese Witherspoon: Ready for a change" by Charlie Rose | CBS News (2014) - https://cbsn.ws/3R8LKIv  "The Girlbossification of AI" by Angelina Chapin | New York Magazine (2026) - https://bit.ly/4dhh40x  "Check out Reese Witherspoon's new Southern-inspired fashion line" by Rheana Murray | Today (2015) - https://on.today.com/4tDYYup "Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream―An Exposé of Private Equity's Devastating Impact on American Lives, Communities, and the Economy" by Megan Greenwell (2025) - https://amzn.to/436jJUB    Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/05/sweet-home-alabama-2002/#transcript  Artwork by Laci Roth.   Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/  Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

Pre-order Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It: https://sites.prh.com/phoebe-bermans-gonna-lose-it SUBSCRIBE TO THE BNC CHANNEL: https://bit.ly/45Pspyl  Ad Free & Bonus Episodes: https://bit.ly/3OZxwpr HELLO! This week Brooke and Connor talk about meeting Zac Efron's body double, personifying their favorite objects, and getting white boy wasted Channing Tatum. Plus, Brooke finally shares a story she's been repressing and Connor has an interesting misstep at one of his shows.  Join our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5356639204457124/  Go to https://HelloFresh.com/bandc10fm now to Get 10 Free Meals + a Free breakfast for Life! Shop the White Barn Neutrals collection now at https://bathandbodyworks.com! Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://RocketMoney.com/BANDC Head to https://www.squarespace.com/BANDC to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code BANDC. B+C IG: https://www.instagram.com/bncmap/ B+C Twitter: https://twitter.com/bncmap TMG Studios YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tinymeatgang TMG Studios IG: https://www.instagram.com/realtmgstudios/ TMG Studios Twitter: https://twitter.com/realtmgstudios BROOKE https://www.instagram.com/brookeaverick https://twitter.com/ladyefron https://www.tiktok.com/@ladyefron  CONNOR https://www.instagram.com/fibula/ https://twitter.com/fibulaa https://www.tiktok.com/@fibulaa Hosted by Brooke Averick & Connor Wood, Created by TMG Studios, Brooke Averick & Connor Wood, and Produced by TMG Studios, Brooke Averick & Connor Wood. Chapters: 0:00 HELLO 1:03 Intro 1:23 Celebrating 2[redacted] 12:38 Icky Mugs & Icky Bananas 16:13 HelloFresh 17:58 Bath & Body Works 20:19 White Boy Wasted Connor Wood 21:45 The Puerto Rico Song 24:13 Brooke Encounters Hairballs 30:20 Zac Efron's Body Double 38:05 Rocket Money 40:04 Squarespace 41:19 Brooke's New Dream 43:50 Connor's UCSD Show 49:39 The Treacherous Journey Back to LA 51:58 Netflix Is A Joke Debrief 55:33 Connor's Little Comedy Family 56:39 Nester Before Tour 59:05 Reese Witherspoon vs AI 1:00:22 Innuendo Songs 1:05:43 The New Wordle Show 1:07:55 See You In Bonus!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3HL - Hour 1 - Petitioning for Reese Witherspoon to join the show + Robert Ayers' thoughts on the Titans rookies Keldric Faulk and Anthony Hill Jr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3HL - Hour 1 - Petitioning for Reese Witherspoon to join the show + Robert Ayers' thoughts on the Titans rookies Keldric Faulk and Anthony Hill Jr. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Inside, they explore: →  What matrescence actually is — the neurocognitive developmental phase of becoming a mother — and why understanding it as an identity shift (not a breakdown) is the reframe new moms need most →  The full picture of “mom brain”: why the forgetfulness is real, what the research actually shows about cognitive strengths postpartum, and why your brain deserves a lot more credit than it gets →  How to tell the difference between normal postpartum adjustment and something that warrants support — and why Dr. Nikki's answer is simpler than you think →  The “bouncing back” myth: why the goal isn't to return to who you were, and what it actually looks like to come through this developmental phase better than ever →  Practical ways partners, family, and support systems can show up — including the single most protective thing a partner can do in the first three months About Dr. Nicole Pensak: Dr. Nicole Pensak is a Harvard and Yale-trained clinical psychologist certified in postpartum mental health and the author of Rattled: How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain. Rattled was awarded Best Book for Parents by Zibby Owens, featured on Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and The Bright Side Podcast, and named by Audible as a Most Anticipated Read 2025 in Well-Being. Dr. Pensak serves on the Expert Review Board of Parents Magazine and owns a private practice serving clients in NJ, NY, and 40+ states nationwide. Resources mentioned in this episode: →  Get Rattled by Dr. Nicole Pensak (now available in paperback and audiobook) →  Visit Dr. Nikki's website — www.drnicoleamoyalpensak.com →  Follow Dr. Nikki on Instagram — @drnikkipensak →  Fourth Tri Sanctuary — a postpartum support space for new moms mentioned by Albiona Connect with Albiona: →  Book a Free Discovery Call (1:1 Coaching) — https://www.theparentingreframe.com/coaching →  Follow Albiona on Instagram — @theparentingreframe →  Join Albiona's Paid Substack Community — https://theparentingreframe.substack.com →  Email Albiona directly — albiona@theparentingreframe.com Loved this episode? Please rate, review, and share this episode with a new mom, an expecting parent, or anyone in the thick of the fourth trimester. Postpartum anxiety and mom brain are still so misunderstood — the more this conversation travels, the more moms get the support they actually deserve. Until next time, Albiona

Welcome to PTBN Pop's Movie Review of The Day! Every weekday we will be reviewing a movie whether it be currently in theaters, featured on streaming or just a film that we hold near and dear to us. On today's episode, Andy Atherton is reviewing “Sweet Home Alabama” from 2002 starring Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey, Josh Lucas, Candice Bergen & Ethan Embry.

This week, some courtroom drama. It’s Elon Musk v. OpenAI the next few weeks and billionaires are taking the stand and opening their diaries — and memories of Burning Man — to scrutiny. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down the legal battle and why Elon Musk believes he’s owed billions since OpenAI went for-profit. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the Pentagon agreement Google was ‘proud’ to sign. But it’s déjà vu for many Google employees, who once again demanded company leadership proceed cautiously. Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the ‘girlboss-ification’ of AI: the coordinated push by major AI companies to win over women, from Anthropic's invite-only influencer supper clubs in New York to Reese Witherspoon's suspiciously enthusiastic (and allegedly unpaid) AI pep talk on Instagram.Additional Reading: Shadowboxing Emperors | Semafor Google workers petition CEO to refuse classified AI work with Pentagon | The Washington Post Google told staff it is ‘proud’ of Pentagon AI contract after internal backlash | Financial Times The Girlboss-ification of AI w/ Kat Tenbarge | User Mag Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/techstuffSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diane and Sean discuss yuppie culture inspired book turned film, American Psycho. Episode music is, "Walking on Sunshine", written by Kimberly Rew, performed by Katrina and the Waves.-  Our theme song is by Brushy One String-  Artwork by Marlaine LePage-  Why Do We Own This DVD?  Merch available at Teepublic-  Follow the show on social media:-  BlueSky: WhyDoWeOwnThisDVD-  IG: @whydoweownthisdvd- Tumblr: WhyDoWeOwnThisDVD-  Follow Sean's Plants on IG: @lookitmahplants- Watch Sean be bad at video games on TwitchSupport the show

Today's guest is Julie McAllister, a Charleston-based baker known for her hyperrealistic cakes. Julie transforms cake, fondant, and modeling chocolate into lifelike creations—from magnolias and oysters to designer handbags and Charleston architecture. She has also been a contestant on Netflix's “Is It Cake?” and Food Network's “Holiday Wars.” Julie joins host Jessie Sheehan to talk about her baking journey, from childhood cake mixes to discovering her love of decorating in grad school after a memorable Christmas tree cake attempt. She shares how she taught herself how to decorate cakes from cookbooks, her early days juggling a 4 a.m. bakery shift with a full-time job, and how she built a business focused on hyperrealistic cakes. They also dive into Julie's signature work, from groom's cakes to custom creations, and she walks Jessie through some of her most memorable designs, including a handbag cake for her Reese Witherspoon and a citrus topiary cake made of mini cakes. Get our Mom's the Bombe Issue Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions, tickets to upcoming events, and more. More on Julie: Instagram, website More on Jessie: Instagram, “Salty, Cheesy, Herby, Crispy Snackable Bakes” cookbook

Erin and Alyssa check in on the latest Bravo-level drama from Trump's wack job cabinet, two recent chilling tragedies in Virginia and Louisiana, Planned Parenthood's foray into cosmetic offerings, Reese Witherspoon's suspicious call for women to use more AI, and more. Then professor Chanda Prescod-Weinstein drops by to talk about her new book, The Edge of Space-Time, what people are getting wrong about the Artemis II mission, and what Star Trek and Octavia Butler can tell us about our current political moment.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.The FBI Director Is MIA (The Atlantic 4/17)FBI director Kash Patel files $250M defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic (CNN 4/20)Labor Dept. Investigates Texts Among Secretary's Family and Staff (NYT 4/15)Feud between Mace and Mills flares as the Republicans trade barbs, expulsion threats (CNN 4/21)Ex-Virginia deputy governor kills wife and himself, police say (BBC 4/17)Haunted by ‘Dark Thoughts,' Louisiana Father Kills 8 Children (NYT 4/19)The Shreveport Mass Killing Isn't Just About ‘Mental Health' by Brittany Cooper (The Cut 4/20)A Planned Parenthood Clinic, in a Pinch, Turns to Botox (NYT 3/11)The Woman Who Knows Too Much: An Interview with Amanda Ungaro (Courier 4/18)Reese Witherspoon Declares “It's Time” For Women To Embrace AI: “Want To Learn With Me?” (Deadline 4/17)We Need Space w. Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

It's an Emmajority Report Thursday on The Majority Report   On today's program:   Donald Trump issues more meaningless threats on Truth Social towards Iran. This time he claims to have ordered the U.S. Navy to sweep the Strait of Hormuz for mines at a tripled-up level (?) and to kill all Iranian boats (?) that are laying those mines.   Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins is asked by Stuart Varney what her plan is to address the looming fertilizer crisis caused by the war and she has no answer.   Gil Duran, publisher of the Nerd Reich newsletter joins the program to discuss the "Palantir Manifesto".   Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of the Committee to Protect Journalists, joins Emma to discuss Israel murdering Lebanese journalist, Amal Khalil.   Dr. Tarek Loubani makes an appreciation video for Emma's birthday fundraising effort for the Glia Project which raised enough funds to full operate a wound care facility in Gaza for a month. It's never too late to chip in if you can by visiting Glia.org.   In the Fun Half:   Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Bullock try to frame their shilling for AI as feminism.   Vinny from the PBD Podcast pushes his co-host Adam Sosnick over his what-aboutism tactic in defense of the IDF smashing a statue of Christ.   Congressional candidate Jack Schlossberg really fumbles questions about Israel as he cannot bring himself to admit Netanyahu is a war criminal or that the U.S. should stop arming Israel.   All that and more.   To connect and organize with your local ICE rapid response team visit ICERRT.com The Congress switchboard number is (202) 224-3121. You can use this number to connect with either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. Follow us on TikTok here: https://www.tiktok.com/@majorityreportfm Check us out on Twitch here: https://www.twitch.tv/themajorityreport Find our Rumble stream here: https://rumble.com/user/majorityreport Check out our alt YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/majorityreportlive Gift a Majority Report subscription here: https://fans.fm/majority/gift Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://am-quickie.ghost.io/ Join the Majority Report Discord! https://majoritydiscord.com/ Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/ Get the free Majority Report App!: https://majority.fm/app Go to https://JustCoffee.coop and use coupon code majority to get 10% off your purchase Check out today's sponsors: SHOPIFY: Sign up for a $1/month at shopify.com/majority AURA FRAMES: Exclusive $25-off Carver Mat at AuraFrames.com/MAJORITY. Promo Code MAJORITY TRUST AND WILL: Get 20% off trustandwill.com/MAJORITY SUNSET LAKE CBD: Use coupon code "Left Is Best" for 20% off of your entire order at SunsetLakeCBD.com Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter: @SamSeder @EmmaVigeland @MattLech On Instagram: @MrBryanVokey Check out Matt's show, Left Reckoning, on YouTube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning Check out Matt Binder's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.

It's Week 3 of Jason's bowling league and the team got special cupcakes, Colleen shares a story about why you should always assume you're camera, hop in Jason and Colleen's Dodge Neon for a a nostalgic journey on Minnesota interstates, and Reese Witherspoon clarifies her AI stance See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're taking a tour through celebrity crime — no Taylor Swift required. In this episode of Live, Laugh, Larceny: A True Petty Crime Podcast, Kylie Talamantez of Crime with Kylie joins Trevin and Amanda for a custom game built just for her: Kylie's Eras Tour — where celebrity scandals meet chaotic timelines. Before the game, Trevin rediscovers his love for Love on the Spectrum, Amanda fully commits to becoming a Crocs household, and Kylie vents about American Girl quality changes and the spread of “Mattel pink.” Then it's time for Kylie's Eras Tour. From Prince stealing a megaphone mid-tour to Matthew McConaughey's naked bongo arrest, Reese Witherspoon asking “do you know who I am?”, Winona Ryder's shoplifting case, Bill Murray's airport incident, and Ariana Grande's infamous donut scandal — Kylie has to place each crime in the correct “era” of their career. The final round pushes things even further, blending Tim Allen's real-life past with his sitcom future in a chaotic design challenge. After the game, Kylie shares her own experiences with crime and what it's like living in San Francisco. From celebrity scandals to absurd timelines, this episode proves crime never goes out of style.

Don't get left behind! Whether you want to or not, you should probably be embracing AI. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins couldn't disagree more. A new Star Wars movie is almost here. The best action stars of all time. Would you get married at The Haunted Mansion? Looking for love? Submit an application. 7-Eleven is closing 600 stores. It's time for nerd news!

In this week's News Roundup, Bridget and Producer Mike cover the tech news stories you might have missed. TRIGGER WARNING - one story discusses disturbing sexual assaults. . Reese Witherspoon thinks women should embrace AI more. The comments were not kind. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXKphAtkbgW/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== . Gisèle Pelicot's story of being drugged and raped by her husband and other men for a decade captured headlines. A new CNN investigation reveals a large ecosystem of men helping each other commit similar crimes around the world with something like an "online rape academy." https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2026/03/world/expose-rape-assault-online-vis-intl/index.html . Lauren Sanchez Besos is a cultural force, revolutionizing the way Americans live, and inspiring everyone with her embrace of joy and her perfect marriage to Jeff Bezos. Right? RIGHT?! (wrong) https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/business/lauren-sanchez-bezos-jeff-bezos.html?unlocked_article_code=1.blA.i7qg.dQZ7G1_RUIcF&smid=url-share [gift link] Anti-Occupy Wall Street Champagne Toast Later Today? https://gothamist.com/news/anti-occupy-wall-street-champagne-toast-later-today Rich people watching Occupy protestor: https://www.threads.com/@yungbooks/post/DEEOKfUOXkA . Workers at surveillance company Flock inexplicably accessed cameras in a gymnasium and pool, prompting the city of Dunwoody, Georgia, to delay their contract renewal after a citizen's open records request revealed anomolies in the logs. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/apr/06/flock-cameras-privacy-concerns . Why Are Flock Employees Watching Our Children? https://jasonhunyar.substack.com/p/why-are-flock-employees-watching-720 . Women in northern Nigeria have been writing steamy romance books for decades. They are fighting morality censorship by innovating new models of distribution and monetization on WhatsApp. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/love-is-universal-but-nigerias-romance-lit-market-is-one-of-a-kind and https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/world/africa/nigeria-erotica-writers-censors.html . Here are more stories we were watching this week: NAACP lawsuit accuses Elon Musk’s xAI of polluting Black neighborhoods near Memphis: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/apr/14/naacp-lawsuit-elon-musk-xai-memphis A Redditor Criticized ICE. Trump Is Trying to Unmask Them by Dragging the Company to a Secret Grand Jury: https://theintercept.com/2026/04/10/reddit-ice-protest-grand-jury/ What is dynamic pricing at grocery stores? Maryland now bans it: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/04/15/maryland-bans-dynamic-pricing-practice-popular-among-retailers/89621751007/ Meta’s new rules let it ban users or suppress comments that include the word “antifa” alongside “content-level threat signals.” https://theintercept.com/2026/04/14/facebook-instagram-antifa-censor/ Let us know what you think by emailing hello@tangoti.com or leaving a comment on Spotify. Pre-order Bridget's forthcoming audiobook about AI and intimate relationships at LoveAtFirstPrompt.com ! Follow Bridget and TANGOTI on social media! || instagram.com/bridgetmarieindc/ || tiktok.com/@bridgetmarieindc || youtube.com/@ThereAreNoGirlsOnTheInternet || bsky.app/profile/tangoti.bsky.socialSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Molly Stern is one of Hollywood's most sought-after makeup artists, celebrated for her luminous aesthetic and a loyal clientele that reads like a who's who (Reese Witherspoon, Maya Rudolph, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Natasha Lyonne, to name a few). We sat down with her to talk favorite products (from the best drugstore blush to the most worthwhile skincare splurge), but the best bit? Molly's perspective on navigating the kind of seismic, unpredictable changes that life throws your way. More from Fat Mascara Instagram: @fatmascara @jessicamatlin Shop the products mentioned on Fat Mascara: https://shopmy.us/shop/fatmascara Private Facebook Group: Fat Mascara Raising a Wand Submit a Raise a Wand product recommendation, guest suggestion, or just say hello: info@fatmascara.com Production for this Podcast Provided by Redd Rock Music IG: @reddrockmusic www.reddrockmusic.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan's back in NYC and had a celebrity run-in at one of his favorite restaurants. Erin is somehow seeing all the Summer House news despite never having watched a second of the show, and Bryan tries to convince her to watch Real Housewives of Rhode Island. Erin discusses Nobel Prize-winning economist Claudia Goldin and how she helped the WNBA negotiate higher salaries by using data comparing the disparity between their male counterparts. Bryan covers Maryland's HB 649 passing which expands protections for transgender students across the states and gives them the right to sue schools for discrimination. For this week's Heated Rivalry Interview with Addison McQuigg visit patreon.com/attitudesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.