Past Due with Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle

Screenwriter Bob DeRosa joins us to talk about what it really takes to build a long-haul creative career—one that doesn’t go viral, but keeps going. We break down 20+ years in Hollywood by the numbers, and what it reveals about persistence, rejection, reinvention, and the myth of overnight success. If Bob’s Bluesky post made you feel seen, wait until you hear what didn’t make it into the main epis...

Journalist and podcast host Sam Sanders joins us to talk about what happens when the thing you thought you wanted turns out to be too small. We get into the emotional and financial cost of walking away, what it means to do it yourself in a collapsing industry, and how to balance ambition with reality. Want to know what the scariest career pivot Sam Sanders had to make? You can find out at ⁠patreon...

Comedian Josh Gondelman and writer Maris Kreizman join us to talk about surviving the creative economy as individuals and as a couple. We dig into the emotional labor of staying hopeful, the financial logistics of making art with no guarantees, and what happens when even the “success stories” feel precarious. If you want more from Josh and Maris, there’s bonus conversations waiting for you at patr...

Despite writing bestsellers and landing a Reese’s Book Club pick, Xochitl Gonzalez opens up about the lingering shame of precarity, the invisibility of working-class success, and why we need to drag money talk out into the light. Love this? Hear more from the conversation with Xochitl Gonzalez at patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Mike talk about what it means to sell out... financially, creatively, and emotionally. From brand deals to burnout, they ask whether survival in the creative economy means compromising your values, or just being honest about what pays the bills. For bonus content and more, visit patreon.com/pastdue Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer and podcaster Jamie Loftus joins us to talk about financial anxiety, inherited frugality, and the emotional cost of choosing creative freedom. From 7-Eleven coffee to viral fame, we explore what happens when you build a life around surviving—long after you’ve made it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer Parker Molloy joins us to talk about the invisible costs of creative independence, from burnout to the search for meaning in an industry built on metrics, and why it’s so hard to believe your work matters, even when it clearly does. This week on our Patreon exclusive, Parker Malloy names names. She tells us who’s thriving in media right now that absolutely shouldn’t be, and who’s doing such...

Writer, performer, and YouTuber Maggie Mae Fish joins us to talk about financial survival, burnout, and the hard-earned lessons of giving up hustle culture. We unpack the toll of having five jobs, the shame of rest, the fear of slowing down—and why stability doesn’t magically erase anxiety. Every episode, we save the most surprising, unfiltered stories for our Patreon. In this week’s bonus segment...

Journalist Taylor Lorenz joins us to talk about the hidden costs of writing online today, from the terrifying reality of working without health protections, to the pressure of being a one-person brand, and why real survival might mean building community from the ground up. If you want to hear more from Taylor Lorenz about the emotional whiplash of losing just one subscriber, join us at ⁠⁠patreon.c...

Comedian Adam Conover joins us to unpack the real costs of the so-called "creator economy" from algorithmic gatekeeping to the crumbling of stable creative jobs. If you want to hear more from our episode with Adam Conover, including his worst ever gig, join us at ⁠patreon.com/pastdue⁠. You’ll get exclusive extras, extended interviews, and first dibs on upcoming surprises. Learn more about your ad...

Writer Lyz Lenz joins us for a brutally honest conversation about what it really takes to survive the creative economy. From maxed-out credit cards to a New York Times bestseller, we talk about money shame, dental debt, raising kids without a safety net, and why community, not success, is the real measure of a good life. If you want to hear more from our conversation with Lyz Lenz, including the v...

Comedian and actor Paul F. Tompkins opens up about career insecurity, creative joy, and why the secret to survival in a crumbling industry might just be doing it yourself. If you want to hear more from today’s conversation with Paul F. Tompkins, including his dumbest money decision ever and the surprisingly smart investment he made that paid off big, join us at patreon.com/pastdue. You’ll get excl...

Overworked, underpaid, & somehow still optimistic? Join us on "Past Due" as we navigate surviving an economy that doesn’t play fair. Starting May 7th, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The creative economy is broken, and yet, we’re still here. Past Due is a new podcast from Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle about what it really takes to survive as a creator today. One job isn’t enough, three still won’t cover your bills, and success doesn’t guarantee stability. With honesty, humor, and guests like Paul F. Tompkins, Liz Linz, Taylor Lorenz, Adam Conover, and more, we talk wins, l...

In the final episode of Another Day, Ana Marie Cox and Open Mike Eagle unpack the quiet panic of not-quite-enough, from spreadsheets and therapy bills to racism, war, and creative burnout. Along the way, they talk literal and figurative agendas, how America speed-runs authoritarianism, and what makes people finally take to the streets. Also: they reveal what’s next. (Spoiler: it’s their new show.)...

What happens when living your dream doesn’t pay the bills? Ana and Open Mike Eagle talk about how unexpected gigs can save the day, but needing work still feels uncool. They reflect on shame, resilience, and the reality of making it as a creator in a world that doesn’t always reward your art. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Open Mike Eagle break down the weird, absurd, and infuriating ways politics and pop culture collide—from a TikTok song about a hostile government takeover to the frustrating reality of media grifts and viral fame. They dig into how labor is devalued, why independent artists are forced to hustle harder than ever, and why newsletters won’t save us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit meg...

Ana and Open Mike Eagle explore the fine line between resilience and overextension—digging into rock climbing injuries, political burnout, and why real strength comes from sustainability, not just survival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ana and Josh Gondelman explore the power of presence, reflecting on how connecting with others, embracing creativity, and asking for what you need transform everyday acts into resistance and joy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Richter joins Ana to reflect on life in the public eye, navigating politics in a fractured America, and what mental health looks like, all while sharing insights from his podcast and reflections on progress and privilege. — For all episodes, exclusive content, and to join the conversation, support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/AnaMarieCox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit mega...

The Day After: Comedian Josh Gondelman joins Ana to unpack the reality of Trump’s victory, process what it means, explore paths forward, and tackle an important question: Is hope a sign of strength or an indulgence? — For all episodes, exclusive content, and to join the conversation, support us on Patreon at http://www.patreon.com/AnaMarieCox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...

Welcome to Day 3 of 90 Days with Ana Marie Cox. Today Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan joined Ana to discuss resiliency, playing to win, feeding kids, protecting trans rights and everyone's least favorite thing: silly season. Go vote!!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 5 of 90 Days with Ana Marie Cox. Today Ana talked with community organizer Emily Hauser about her atomic GOTV Google Doc, how to have hard talks, and getting the yet gettable votes for Harris Walz without making Thanksgiving suck! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 6 of 90 Days with Ana Marie Cox and the triumphant return of our friend Parker Malloy who joined Ana to talk about the Washington Post non-endorsement, the role trans rights has played in the election, vote tally dream scenarios and of course the usual anxiety. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 10 of 90 Days with Ana Marie Cox. Today, Ana talked to executive producer Beau Friedlander about fascism, mutual support groups, 12-foot skeletons and ecological collapse! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices