The Other Pod with Chloe Aftel

Welcome to our 'Lightning Round' with 'Other' podcast guest and American rock band Sleater-Kinney! The idea is to ask questions that they — and hopefully you — don't expect, and that the answers will be as equally interesting and hopefully amusing. Please enjoy. Biographies: Sleater-Kinney is an influential American rock band known for their powerful sound, feminist lyrics, and dynamic performance...

Not many bands can say they have been performing, writing, and evolving together for over 30 years with their friendship intact, but Sleater-Kinney can. Corin and Carrie of Sleater-Kinney sit down for a conversation with host Chloe Aftel to discuss their new album, Little Rope, a new side to the Portland-based rock band. Chloe shares the way their music in the 90s impacted her own life with their...

Linda M. Alcoff is a Panama-born American Philosopher from a family she describes as 'natural feminists.' She joins host Chloe Aftel for a deeply impactful conversation on how her upbringing contributes to her relation to Philosophy, the importance of considering class in conversations of feminism and equality, and the often dismissed sophistication of care work. The pair also discusses pressing i...

This month, host Chloe Aftel welcomes stand-up comedian and fellow podcaster Trae Crowder to the show. They discuss Trae's origins as a Southern guy from working-class Salina, Tennessee, into the comedy world, his new life in Los Angeles, and the misconceptions people have about the rural South. Crowder's comedy, which addresses issues like abortion and Confederate flags, is influenced by his expe...

Killer Mike, aka Michael Render, joins his friend host Chloe Aftel for an in-depth and intimate interview going over everything from his childhood family dynamics to his new studio album Michael, as well as Mike’s political philosophies. The Atlanta native and one-half of the powerhouse rap group Run The Jewels reflects on the impact of his wife, Shana, on his career and success and the lessons on...

Most known for co-founding the reverberant Black Lives Matter movement in the 2010s, activist and author Alicia Garza joins host Chloe Aftel on The Other Pod for an in-depth and expansive conversation on Alicia's lifetime commitment to social movements and community justice. They discuss the narratives of power and success people receive and how to disrupt, the impact of collective action, and the...

DJ and Producer Jasmine Infiniti joins host Chloe Aftel for a new episode of The Other Pod. The pair discuss Jasmine’s experiences in the rave scene, her background in ballroom culture, and what she’s learned along the way. They talk about how Jasmine’s music reflects her personal struggles and evolving identity, blending darker emotions with a desire for joy and authenticity. Highlights: How the...

Xaviera Hollander, the biggest madame in the 1970s and author of ‘The Happy Hooker,’ amongst other books, joins host Chloe Aftel to discuss her life and career. Now in her 80s, Xaviera reflects on her unique journey: her start in sex work, her sexual explorations, and her lifelong struggle with mental health (TW, suicide). She lays out her life history, from childhood in Indonesia and living in a...

“I met Kevin Smith on a photo shoot when he was willing to speak publicly about his mental health struggles. It was a delicate shoot, as I wasn't sure how he'd feel coming out of it. He was somber but wonderful; vulnerable, hilarious, and utterly genuine. What struck me most about him was his honesty, and it changed the way I looked back on his work. I began to see it as something much deeper, hea...

Dr. Biruté Mary Galdikas has spent the last 50 years living and studying the wild orangutans of Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia. She joins host Chloe Aftel while in transit back to Borneo to discuss her career and research, as well as what she’s observed about the natural world and life itself along the way. She tells the fascinating story of how she arrived in Indonesia for work, her daily ro...

Anna Frebel is an award-winning astronomer and professor of physics at MIT with a passion for understanding the grandeur and complexity of old stars. She joins host Chloe Aftel for a discussion on her journey from growing up in Germany and finding her passion for the stars and cosmos. They discuss how understanding the cosmos can change one’s perspective on human existence and the parallels betwee...

Prolific stylist Heidi Bivens has honed the ability to bring characters to life through clothes like no one else. From designing the costumes on Euphoria, Spring Breakers, Beach Bum, and Island Empire, or leading campaigns for Chanel, you’ve likely seen Heidi’s unique style whether you knew it or not. She joins her former collaborator, host Chloe Aftel, for the second episode of The Other Pod, to...

Renowned writer George Saunders joins artist Chloe Aftel for the first episode of The Other Pod. The unlikely pair have been friends since 2012, and today, sit down for an in-depth conversation on Saunders' career and creative journey. Starting from his upbringing in Oak Forest, Illinois, the two explore the highs and lows that led him to his current status as an internationally beloved and highly...