Best John Plotz Podcasts (2024)

1
Gabfest Reads: Understanding the World Through Notebooks 41:33

7m ago41:33

41:33

John Dickerson talks with author Roland Allen about his new book, The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper. They discuss the historical origins of notebooks, how to keep a notebook and their own personal journeys documenting their lives. If you enjoyed this conversation, you’ll love an exploration into John Dickerson’s notebooks with his podcas…

1
“Fight, Fight, Fight” 49:44

3h ago49:44

49:44

This week, John Dickerson is joined by What Next host Mary Harris to discuss Donald Trump’s pick for vice president, the excitement at the Republican National Convention (and why they’re talking about a victory), and the aftermath of the Trump assassination attempt. Here are this week’s chatters: John: The television series, Shetland on BritBox Mar…

1
Helen Hong and Chicken Husbandry in South Central Los Angeles 43:38

1h ago43:38

43:38

You might know the very funny Helen Hong from TV’s Silicon Valley, the film Inside Llewyn Davis, NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, or Maximum Fun’s quiz podcast Go Fact Yourself. If you live in South Central L.A., you might know her as the lady with four chickens in her backyard and a really disappointing crop of snap peas. Helen tells us all about he…

1
Even George Clooney Has Abandoned Biden 1:01:46

11d ago1:01:46

1:01:46

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz continue to debate if Joe Biden should stay in the presidential race and who might replace him if he goes; discuss Project 2025; and ponder if Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett deserves a strange, new respect. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: George Clooney in …

1
Jill Moe, Crop Art Royalty at the Minnesota State Fair 55:12

3d ago55:12

55:12

This week, we travel all the way inside the Moe household as host John interviews his wife Jill. She is a bona fide celebrity within the narrow, odd, and passionate world of crop art. It’s what it sounds like: art made out of seeds, leaves, anything that grows. The world capital of crop art is in Saint Paul, home of the Minnesota State Fair and hom…

1
Trump Is So Immune 1:05:41

9d ago1:05:41

1:05:41

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the Supreme Court decisions on presidential immunity in Trump v. United States and the administrative state in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo as well as the future of Joe Biden’s nomination to be re-elected president. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Su…

1
130* Racism as Power Relation: A Discussion with Adaner Usmani (EF, JP) 33:59

9d ago33:59

33:59

Do we understand racism as the primary driving engine of American inequality? Or do we focus instead on the indirect ways that frequently hard-to-discern class inequality and inegalitarian power relations can produce racially differentiated outcomes? Adaner Usmani, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Studies at Harvard and on the editorial …

1
David Plotz’s Tour of D.C.’s Civil War Forts and Fortifications 54:43

10d ago54:43

54:43

Look, we’ll admit right now that this week’s episode is interesting. We’ll stipulate that. David Plotz, CEO of CityCast.fm and longtime contributor to Slate’s Political Gabfest is fascinated by the measures taken around the nation’s capital to prevent a Confederate invasion that could tilt the balance of the war. He details all the forts that were …

1
Biden’s Catastrophic Debate 28:52

16d ago28:52

28:52

The morning after, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the first presidential debate of 2024 and President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance. Here are some notes and references from the show: CNN Presidential Debate: President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump Will Weissert for AP: Here’s why it would be tough for Demo…

1
A Law Trapped In Amber 58:46

17d ago58:46

58:46

This week, Emily Bazelon and David Plotz discuss the recent Supreme Court rulings on emergency abortions and guns with Yale Law School’s Linda Greenhouse and Congressman Jamaal Bowman’s loss in a New York Democratic primary. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Supreme Court of the United States: Moyle v. United States; United …

1
Brian Stack (Conan, Colbert) on Mild Encounters with Pleasant Celebrities 45:06

17d ago45:06

45:06

If you’ve watched Conan O’Brien’s shows or Late Night with Stephen Colbert, you’ve probably seen Brian Stack playing a wide range of characters, including Frankenstein and one of the Slip Nuts. He’s been a writer and performer for both shows, which has meant running across a huge number of famous people. Here, Brian counts down his top five celebri…

1
Presidential Debate Preview 1:01:30

1M ago1:01:30

1:01:30

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the 2024 presidential debates; a possible warning on social media and another ban of smartphones in schools; and the future and failures of one-party rule. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Ashley Lopez for NPR: Biden vs. Trump remains close, so next week’s de…

1
7.6 Escape Velocity: Sarah Manguso in Conversation with Tess McNulty (EH) 50:01

1M ago50:01

50:01

What’s the truth and what’s a lie? What’s a memoir, what’s a novel, and what if both are just a series of “prose blocks”? This conversation between Sarah Manguso and Tess McNulty takes up questions of writing and veracity, trauma and memory. Sarah Manguso is the author of nine books, including three memoirs. Her first novel, Very Cold People, was n…

1
Chris Fairbanks on the Intricacies of Skateboarding on an Artificial Hip at Costco 52:06

24d ago52:06

52:06

What do standup comedy, golf, and skateboarding have in common beside high degrees of difficulty and opportunities to humiliate yourself in public? Well, they have veteran standup comedian Chris Fairbanks, who walks us through the experiences of all three ventures. Chris, one of the hosts of the podcast Do You Need a Ride?!, joins us from his homet…

1
Gabfest Reads: When a Sex Robot Catches Feelings 21:14

1M ago21:14

21:14

David Plotz talks with author Sierra Greer about her new book, Annie Bot. They discuss how much discomfort Annie (a “Cuddle Bunny” type of robot) can feel, how the story of a robot is really about the right to control a body, and more. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unless t…

1
Biden’s Risky Asylum Policy 58:06

1M ago58:06

58:06

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss President Biden’s new asylum policy; the recent European Parliament elections with The Atlantic’s Anne Applebaum; and the jammed congestion pricing in New York City. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Corvid Research: Help, I’ve found a baby crow! Zolan Kanno-Y…

1
Jenny Lawson’s Enormous Army of Dolls 49:14

1M ago49:14

49:14

Humorist Jenny Lawson collects many things, including: devoted readers of her numerous essay anthologies, acclaim for her brilliant and hilarious writing, taxidermic mishaps, and also dolls, dolls, dolls. We concentrate on the dolls in this episode with more information than you ever sought about Blythe dolls, Pullip dolls, and ball joint dolls. Fi…

1
Will Trump’s Conviction Help Biden? 57:38

1M ago57:38

57:38

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the fallout from Donald Trump’s felony conviction; the spin-up for Hunter Biden’s trial; and the upshot for college speech from campus protests with Charles Homans. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Nathaniel Rakich for 538: Trump’s conviction may be hurting h…

1
7.5 Machine, System, Code: Masande Ntshanga and Magalí Armillas-Tiseyra (EH) 50:15

1M ago50:15

50:15

Building parallels between technology and the human imagination, Masande Ntshanga’s conversation with Magalí Armillas-Tiseyra explains how cities are like machines and how South African history resembles some of the most sinister versions of techno-futurism. Masande is the author of two novels: The Reactive, winner of a Betty Trask Award in 2018, a…

1
129* Vince Brown, Caribbean Vectors (EF, JP) 45:51

1M ago45:51

45:51

The largest slave uprising in the 18th century British Caribbean was also a node of the global conflict called the Seven Year’s War, though it isn’t usually thought of that way. In the first few days of the quarantine and our current geopolitical and epidemiological shitshow, John and Elizabeth spoke with Vincent Brown, who recently published Tacky…

1
Comedian Rachel Feinstein Has Tons of Firefighters In Her House But Don’t Worry She’s Okay 50:03

1M ago50:03

50:03

You may have seen Rachel Feinstein perform her comedy on late night shows, on YouTube, and on Netflix for her latest special, Rachel Feinstein: Big Guy. If you’re a firefighter in Queens, you may have seen her in her own home while you were stopping by to attempt some home repair at the behest of her husband, also a member of the FDNY. She walks us…

1
John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: The Meaning Behind All This Navel Gazing 38:02

1M ago38:02

38:02

In this week’s essay, John discusses instinct versus obligation, his daughter’s wit, how he has changed since episode one, and more. Notebook Entries: Notebook 58, page 10. September 16, 2021 “You don’t measure your life the way you measure your writing.” - Nan Notebook 75, page 46-47. September 2021 When your dog dies and son goes to college and y…

1
Donald Trump is Convicted! Plus, Who is Winning The Senate? 1:15:33

2M ago1:15:33

1:15:33

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the U.S. Senate seats that might turn from blue to red in 2024; The Fall of Roe with The New York Times’s Elizabeth Dias and Lisa Lerer; and the rise of Lauren Boebert with City Cast Denver’s Bree Davies and Paul Karolyi. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: The …

1
Nate Corddry Explains the Intricacies of Tabletop Baseball Until You Pass Out 58:43

2M ago58:43

58:43

You may know the very funny and talented actor Nate Corddry from one million television programs and movies he's appeared in over the years, including Ghostbusters, Mom, The Daily Show, and Yogi Bear. You may not know him as a high-level player of a style of baseball played with dice, pencils, and pads of paper, yet that is exactly what he has been…

1
John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Time Travel Via an Assortment of Journal Entries 29:55

2M ago29:55

29:55

In this week’s essay, John discusses Mothers’s Day, playing tennis with the Attorney General, medical scares, and more Notebook Entries: Notebook 19, page 16. April 2011 Is it possible, through applied thought, to become systematic in an approach to life? If you were to do that how would you proceed? Notebook 16, page 6. July 26, 2005 “I’m here wit…

1
7.4 Not Prophecy but Inversion: Omar El Akkad and Min Hyoung Song 53:37

2M ago53:37

53:37

Omar El Akkad joins critic Min Hyoung Song for a gripping conversation that interrogates fiction’s relationship to the real. Before he became a novelist, Omar was a journalist, and his experiencing reporting on (among other subjects) the war on terror, the Arab Spring, and the Black Lives Matter movement profoundly shapes his fiction. His first nov…

1
Justice Alito's Upside Down Flag 1:02:34

2M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s right-wing flag-flying; David Leonhardt’s take on A New Centrism; and OpenAI’s use – or not – of Scarlett Johansson’s voice. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Jodi Kantor for The New York Times: At Justice Alito’s House, a …

1
Comedian Emily Fleming Has Tips For Cleaning Toys 47:53

2M ago47:53

47:53

Yes, toys are delightful and fun and even exciting. But for our purposes, that might all get a little TOO exciting. We’re here to put you to sleep after all. That’s why Emily, co-host of Maximum Fun’s newish Free With Ads podcast, will go into detail on exactly how to clean the various action figures in her rather sizable collection. A lot of the t…

1
Gabfest Reads: Why Americans Care About Animals 33:21

2M ago33:21

33:21

Emily Bazelon talks with authors Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy, about their new book, Our Kindred Creatures: How Americans Came to Feel the Way They Do About Animals. They discuss the evolution of animal treatment in America, moral duties to animals, and how to care about more animals than our pets. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us …

1
John Dickerson’s Navel Gazing: Moving in New York Twenty Years After September 11th. 43:49

2M ago43:49

43:49

In this week’s essay, John discusses the differences between moving around New York in 1991 and 2021; remembering 9/11 twenty years later; and more. Notebook Entries: Notebook 75, page 12. September 2021 Notebooks to Garret Notebook 75, page 13. September 2021 Can you make a typo with handwriting? What’s a typo with handwriting called? Notebook 4. …

1
How Bad Was The Poll For Biden? 1:00:27

2M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

This week, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss the latest New York Times presidential poll and the Maryland primary results; the presidential debates; and who’s talking inside and outside Donald Trump’s Manhattan trial courtroom. Here are some notes and references from this week’s show: Nate Cohn for The New York Times: Trump Lea…

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