Curated by Chance

Episode 51: Monet, Manet, and a Gentleman Thief This week’s prompts: Parisian, Crown, 540, Fuschia What do you get when a birthday party is interrupted by a hostage situation with a grenade landing in your neighborhood? You get Lauren’s summer. In this episode, Lauren and Neal return with updates from the chaos of everyday life—and a seriously rich deep dive into art history, revolutionary brushst...

EPISODE 48: Invites Close Listening This week’s prompts: Opal, Calendar, 1796 In this episode, Lauren and Neal dive into illuminated manuscripts, chaotic filmmaking, and the sounds that make your palms sweat. First up: Lauren unpacks The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, one of the most important medieval manuscripts ever created. We explore why it's a masterpiece of Christian devotion, seasonal...

EPISODE 50: How to Solve Your Own Podcast We did it! 50 episodes in, Curated by Chance hits its midlife crisis—no Porsche, no Bali retreat, but Neal and Lauren are still here, still talking, and (shockingly) still not out of things to say. To celebrate the big 5-0, we’re cracking open our first ever CBC Book Club pick: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. What begins as a light mystery...

EPISODE 49: King of Bugs This week’s prompts: Ivory, Pen, Radio, 1988 Morning energy hits different—especially when you’re caffeinated, half-unpacked, and dodging…critters? In this early-bird episode, Lauren and Neal dive into a grab bag of topics, from cinematic corporate climbs to tragic artistic genius. First up, Neal shares a behind-the-scenes deep dive into Working Girl (1988). Hear the untol...

EPISODE 47: Double Jackpot All The Way PROMPTS: Bridge, Tangerine, 1077 This week, Neal and Lauren balance on the edge—of collapsing bridges, spiritual awakenings, and the line between realism and mysticism. It’s an episode about burden and beauty, as we trace the paths of two vastly different artists connected by one thing: the courage to push beyond what’s expected and into something sublime. Ne...

EPISODE 46: I'm Gonna Go Take A Bath 4PROMPTS: Sweet, Disguise, Violet, 1166 This week, Neal and Lauren unwrap stories that look sweet on the surface—but dig a little deeper and you’ll find layers of longing, legacy, and lawsuits. It’s an episode about beauty, disguise, and the unexpected depth behind desserts and string sections. Neal revisits Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve, a song so instant...

EPISODE 45: The DMV of the Afterlife PROMPTS: Bath, Copper, 949 This week, Neal and Lauren step into two seemingly very different worlds—one of foster kids, foul balls, and 90s baseball magic, the other of copper plates, religious politics, and some seriously metal Renaissance art. It’s an episode about faith, fandom, and just how much you can say with a single image (or a single angel). Neal revi...

Episode 44: Pollen the Size of Cotton Balls PROMPTS: Teal, Pizza, 236 This week, Lauren and Neal wander down wildly different (but equally satisfying) paths—one lined with sumptuous portraits and queer-coded brushstrokes, the other dripping with melted cheese, pizza lore, and ’80s teen movie mayhem. It’s an episode about beauty, indulgence, and the long, strange history of how we present people an...

This week, Neal and Lauren dig deep—into Detroit’s dystopian futures and the defiant symbolism of a pink dress on the border between two worlds. From cyborg vengeance and squib-splattered satire to political identity and anti-colonial resistance, this episode is about the body: armored, wounded, and framed for revolution. Neal takes the first swing (and squib) with a dive into RoboCop (1987), Paul...

Episode 42: Wash Your Damn Hands! Prompts: Kitchen, Bronze, 80 Fresh off a trip to Boston, Lauren recounts her culinary and curatorial adventures (chocolate chip cookies in bed, lobster dumplings, and one surreal encounter with a butter-yellow sculpture of a woman peeing). Her topic? The extraordinary and unsettling work of contemporary artist Kiki Smith. Known for her sculptures, prints, and bron...

Episode 41: How is that better, Catholically? PROMPTS: 30, Expose, Shadow From the tight grip of Hollywood’s moral code to the brooding, empty piazzas of metaphysical painting, it’s all about what happens when shadows speak louder than light. Neal exposes the strange, fascinating, and deeply moralistic world of the Hays Code, Hollywood’s self-imposed censorship system that ruled American cinema fr...

Episode 40: Disquieting Genitals and Inscrutable Plotlines Prompts: Dystopia, Stone, 6 This week, Lauren and Neal go big—Biblical-apocalypse-meets-Renaissance-sculpture big. From marble perfection to multi-chapter madness, the duo tackles two cultural landmarks that both obsess over the body, prophecy, and, somehow, time travel. Lauren kicks things off with Michelangelo’s David, that iconic slab o...

Episode 39: Curve Is The Thinking Man's Axe™ Prompts: Mauve, Fabergé Egg, Sale From a glittering egg-based heist to the rebranding of manhood via cologne, this episode has everything: tilt-shift cinematography, Romanov decadence, and a scent trail that leads straight to 2001. Neal kicks things off with a love letter to Game Night (2018), the mid-budget comedy-thriller that delivers both gut-bustin...

EPISODE 38: Funky Cold Messina PROMPTS: Black, 1350, Fire In this episode of Curated by Chance, things get dark—literally and historically—as Lauren takes us on a deep dive into the Black Death, while Neal brings the dad-movie heat with a Clint Eastwood thriller that simmers with guilt, glory, and Secret Service showdowns. Lauren unpacks the devastating second wave of the bubonic plague that ravag...

EPISODE 37: A Jingle in the Brain Box PROMPTS: 1024, Royal Blue, Ghost This week Neal and Lauren dig into some cult classics—on screen and on the page—with sports corruption, spectral romances, and enough Gothic tropes to haunt your bookshelves for weeks. Neal kicks things off with the 1994 basketball drama Blue Chips, directed by William Friedkin and written by sports-movie maestro Ron Shelton. F...

EPISODE 36: Desensitized Urologist PROMPTS: Hand, Monochrome, 291 This week, Lauren and Neal find themselves surrounded by haunting photographs, avant-garde rebels, seduction by switchblade, and the power of a well-composed shadow. It’s all about hands—on camera, in print, and tattooed across the knuckles of cinema’s creepiest preacher. Lauren dives into the story of Alfred Stieglitz and the legen...

Episode 35: Crow Drip PROMPTS: Khaki, 624, Instrument This week, Neal and Lauren dive into two genre-defining masterpieces—one epic adventure from late-90s Hollywood, and one triptych of religious fever dreams from the 15th century. You know, just your average Tuesday. Neal kicks things off with a full-on love letter to The Mummy (1999), the film that gave us peak Brendan Fraser, tomb-raiding libr...

Episode 34: In Your Face Deion Sanders Prompts: Face, Bull, Sepia In this art-and-cinema-packed episode of Curated by Chance, Lauren and Neal tackle two iconic mediums of visual storytelling: Picasso’s anti-war masterpiece and the century-long evolution of sepia in film. Lauren kicks things off with Pablo Picasso’s Guernica, diving deep into the tragic bombing that inspired it, the painting’s powe...

EPISODE 33: Lauren Hates Melon PROMPTS: Italy, 88, Chartreuse Neal and Lauren explore two vastly different works—one about the magic of cinema, the other about fruit, vegetables, and a very ominous cucumber. Neal kicks things off with Cinema Paradiso (1988), Giuseppe Tornatore’s love letter to film. He breaks down how the film blends nostalgia, mentorship, and the bittersweet passage of time throu...

EPISODE 32: RRRebel PROMPTS: Rebel, Rose, 314 This week on Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren explore two films centered on rebellion—one a Technicolor classic, the other a bombastic action epic. Lauren kicks things off with RRR (2022), the Indian blockbuster that became a global phenomenon. She dives into how this Tollywood spectacle reimagines history, blending revolutionary fervor with jaw-drop...

EPISODE 31: You Won’t be Able to Take a Bath in Japan PROMPTS: Phone, Silver, 17 This week on Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren dive deep into the world of absurdity, dark humor, and controversial art, exploring two distinct works—one from cinema and one from fine art. Neal kicks things off by discussing Serial Mom (1994), the black comedy directed by John Waters. He delves into the film's satire...

EPISODE 30: Witches, Send Good Things to Neal PROMPTS: Lunar, Electricity, 30 This week on Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren celebrate their 30th episode with two cinematic classics—one romantic, one groundbreaking. Lauren takes a deep dive into Moonstruck (1987), the beloved romantic comedy starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. From its theatrical dialogue to its fairy tale-like storytelling, she expl...

Episode 29: Excuse Me While I Kiss This Guy PROMPTS: Siren, Leather, 818 Neal embarks on an off-the-rails deep dive into Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice’s meteoric rise, and the bizarre world surrounding his fame. From his disputed backstory to a failed Hollywood career (Cool as Ice, anyone?), Neal unpacks the highs, lows, and lingering pop-culture footprint of one of the 90s’ most notorious one-hit won...

Episode 28: (Bill) Bryson Royale PROMPTS: Maroon, Accent, 215 This week on Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren explore language, survival, and everything in between, bringing two wildly different yet equally fascinating topics to the table. Lauren dives into Bill Bryson’s The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, a witty and informative exploration of the quirks, history, and evolution of...

Episode 27: Meta Cheese PROMPTS: Sky-Blue, 101, Flowers This week on Curated by Chance, Neal and Lauren explore two vastly different works. Neal revisits The Truman Show (1998), diving deep into its eerie parallels with modern-day surveillance culture, reality TV, and social media. From Jim Carrey’s career-defining performance to the film’s psychological impact (including the real-life Truman Show...