Kat Ex Machina Podcast

All year, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the return of the Burbank Book Festival , held at my local library branch and celebrating its third year this Saturday, October 3. There are authors of all genres (and for all age groups) doing signings, great programming for writers, and—of course—food trucks. And it’s all put on in partnership with my best friend, the Burbank Public Library. I got to inte...

This week, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I listened to Madeleine Brand’s interview with UC Berkeley professor Michael Mark Cohen. He talked about his “History of the Present” course, teaching college students about the events that shaped the world they grew up in. For most of them, it’s just something that happened before they were born, like any other chapter in their textb...

In chronological order! And yes, I’m an audiobook guy, in case you didn’t know. All of these were borrowed from the public library through the Libby app. Thank you, libraries! I love you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

Earlier this week, I asked my Instagram friends for a newsletter prompt, like I’m some kind of manic pixie improv girl, and not someone whose list of potential topics suddenly felt like a betrayal. One suggested theme was this one: back to school . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscri...

In chronological order! And yes, I’m an audiobook guy, in case you didn’t know. All of these were borrowed from the public library through the Libby app. Thank you, libraries! I love you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

“Say It to Me Now” existed in some form for more than a decade on a Frames album before it returned in Once . It’s a growl of agony that I have played and replayed and belted along to with every heartbreak, or stomping my feet just because I want the powerful emotion to rush through me. It’ll always be there, along with his delicate falsetto in “Falling Slowly” and his rustic, tattered guitar. Thi...

In chronological order! And yes, I’m an audiobook guy, in case you didn’t know. All of these were borrowed from the public library through the Libby app. Thank you, libraries! I love you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

Last week I shared a bunch of recommendations of film and television vehicles for my favorite sports stories. It was super fun for me! And my sister, who was basically my target audience for the post, told me she loved it. So I had to return to the well of my vast history of screen time for round two. Last week we covered the biggies—football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. Now, as promised, m...

Here we are, twelve days into the Men’s World Cup. Every two years, when one of the planet’s foremost villainous sports organizations hosts a soccer showdown with the best players from dozens of countries, I get nice and cozy on my reserved seat on the bandwagon. If you want to join me, there’s plenty of room! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac...

In chronological order! And yes, I’m an audiobook guy, in case you didn’t know. All of these were borrowed from the public library through the Libby app. Thank you, libraries! I love you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

For this week’s newsletter, I have the delight of sitting down to interview a friend of mine, which is always a different dynamic than meeting someone for the first time in a Q&A context. We’ll talk about his creative process, how he feels about audience interpretations of his work, and how he got inspiration from the music of Sparks. Kat Spada: Zantino Bustos, thank you for talking with me today....

Spoiler alert: This post discusses the series finales of the Outlander TV show and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel . Last week, the television adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series concluded. Shortly after the finale aired, I had to go outside and stand in my front yard, letting the night air cool my face, and take some deep breaths. When my tears fell, though, it wasn’t really because of how...

To take your vitamins. But not those ones, this brand is more bio-available. Don’t go overboard; too much can be worse than none at all. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

I was in my mid-twenties when an ophthalmologist explained to me that I only see out of one eye. It illuminated so much I’d never understood about my own face, that had worn eyeglasses, contacts, and adhesive patches ever since I was three. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

Today, instead of aiming for some in-depth takeaways from the commitment to community and consistency, I’m going to share some memes. Each week, I pick from my folder of saved images bearing inspiration for writers, and post one to remind my friends of the weekend’s scheduled session. They’ve carried us through these past two years of showing up for ourselves, and for that I am grateful! This is a...

At a performance art show featuring drag lip syncing, public exhibitionism, and ren faire cosplayers, I finally met Annie Jay. I’ve heard her name for years, working with and hosting a podcast with her roommate. But as soon as we started chatting, I knew we’d get along. A public librarian who’d been disillusioned with the entertainment industry, she was kind enough to agree to have our get-to-know...

I got pretty self-conscious writing this whole essay about listening to myself read my own writing out loud. If you want, you can even listen to the audio voiceover of this post to further press a fingernail into the cringe of it all… This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

It was Valentine’s Day this weekend, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity to get romantic about the people who sit at their computers at least once a week and write with me in little Zoom windows. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

Content note: This conversation about preserving books and archival material includes discussions of historical racism. I am so excited for another installment of my series interviewing booksellers. Typically, I’d hate to schedule an interview with someone whose store I hadn’t personally visited already, but I was eager to talk to the people behind Rare Books L.A. , the semiannual festival of anti...

TL;DR… scroll down for links to subscribe to this newsletter on your fave podcast app Too many newsletters piling up in your inbox, and not enough time to read them? Audio voiceovers are included in this one every week! So if it’s easier to listen in your regular podcast rotation, you can subscribe to this feed in your podcast app. Most of my posts are free, and their audio is available to everyon...

Since I started this newsletter six weeks ago with a look back at 2025, I figured I’d close out January with a look ahead to the literary adaptations I’m excited to see in 2026. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe

As I sat down to churn out some thoughts about how frustrated I've been, I realized that I have an embarrassing amount of “inspirational” artwork strewn throughout my apartment, which I’ve been apparently turning a blind eye to while sighing and “woe is me”-ing about this whole writer’s block thing. Would you like to take a tour of the collection of cringe? This is a public episode. If you'd like...

This week I’m launching one of the features I was most excited about including in my newsletter: interviews with the people behind the counters at the bookstores I’ve always loved spending time in. For the first conversation in the series, I spoke with Rachel Manija Brown, who owns Paper & Clay Bookshop in Crestline, California. Our conversation went to unexpected places, and is a must-read for an...

Because I’m annoying proud of keeping the writing group going almost every single weekend for nearly two years, and especially proud of the progress and achievements of all who’ve been coming, I made everyone at the table share something positive about their writing over the past year. It can be easy to forget to take stock of the great things we’ve ticked off our lists, even if they’re as simple...

In a never-ending and ever-changing effort to add structure into my writing life, I’m starting a Substack. You can listen to it right now as an audio newsletter! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit katexmachina.substack.com/subscribe