The Play Typer Guy

Author and playwright Laramie Dean ( Black Forest ) joins me for The Play Typer Guy ‘s Third Annual Halloween Special! Last year, we celebrated witchy women in media, including the weird sisters from Agatha All Along . This year, we’re discussing Laramie’s new novel, Haunt Me, Then , which he describes as “big gay Wuthering Heights .” It’s out now, and makes a swell holiday gift. You will hear: Pi...

Joining me today is my friend NC Barton, author of The Now In Forever , a romance set along the picturesque Oregon Coast. We discuss her process, inspirations, and how a working mom finds time to write. You will hear: Nicole’s writing process and inspirations Some of Nicole’s favorite books and movies Who she would cast in a movie of her book Her next book, The Art of the Meet Cute released Octobe...

This week’s episode is the unofficial “sequel” to my interview with Thomas Beckett Kane, author of The Reckoning . Filmmaker Jessica Ellis has lived with long Covid for several years now and offers a very different perspective from Kane on the government’s management of the pandemic. We discuss some key choices the Biden administration made back in 2021 regarding the covid vaccine, as well as the...

This week I am joined by Thomas Beckett Kane, author of the book The Reckoning: A Definitive History of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Absurdities, releasing October 2, 2025. It’s been five years since the start of the covid pandemic, and Americans still don’t truly have a shared reality about the disease and the government’s response. Much of this is due to deliberate right-wing misinformation a...

Democrats are consistently winning low-turnout special elections (just as they did prior to the devastating 2024 election), but they are also falling behind Republicans in new voter registration.  I recently spoke with friend of the podcast Cliston Brown about his take on the situation and what he thinks about the party’s long-term prospects. You will hear: Why the “Never Trump” movement didn’t ha...

My friend Emily Taylor from the Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina newsletter (go subscribe) returns to the podcast for a rousing discussion about the fallout from the 2024 election and how we move forward in even Republican-dominated areas like my home state. You’ll hear: Catching up since Emily’s last visit to the podcast Can we ever have a woman candidate for president? Why the Harris ca...

My friend Lee Heidel from Neighborhood Comics in Savannah, Georgia, joins me to discuss geek kid summer with Superman and Fantastic Four movies both releasing this month. Lee had me on his own podcast a few months ago to chat Superman, which you can check out below. You will hear: How the current run of superhero movies are moving beyond the origin story James Gunn using unusual source material fo...

Joining me today is my friend Lisa Tolin, author of fiction and nonfiction for children. Her latest work is the picture book, Can You Imagine? The Art and Life of Yoko Ono . Lisa and I go way back. We met in New York when I worked at SPY and she worked at another magazine in the same office. She was a student at Barnard College at the time, and I lived not far away in Morningside Heights so we oft...

I’m happy to welcome back to the podcast theater maker Jasmine Joshua, one of the brilliant minds responsible for the new world premiere musical Here and Their , which runs at 12th Avenue Arts in Seattle from June 13th to June 28th. I had the pleasure of working with Jasmine on the Curiouser and Curiouser production at Cafe Nordo, and they were a wonderful steward during those early days back on s...

Joining me to discuss this year's Tony Award is my friend Raven Snook, editor in chief and digital services manager at TDF and a theater critic for Time Out New York. She is also a Drama Desk nominator, which she describes as “sort of the Golden Globes to the Oscars.” *Note: This episode was recorded before the Tony Award show aired in June 2025 You will hear: Thoughts on nominations for this...

Joining me today is Mirella Stoyanova, a Seattle-based writer, therapist and international adoptee from Bulgaria of Bulgarian and Iraqi origin. She discusses her experience growing up in a less-than-diverse environment and how she’s worked to reclaim her identity. You’ll hear: How much changed when Mirella came to America Cultural complexities and identity The pressure to conform to as many conven...

In this week’s episode, after watching Governor Gretchen Whitmer step on a political rake by being photographed shaking hands with Trump, I am speaking again with my colleague Noah Berlatsky regarding an article he wrote last month on the different responses Republicans and Democrats have in treating with their political opponents after a loss. When Republicans lose, they tend to say “we were chea...

Democratic National Committee vice chair David Hogg announced his support last week for primary challenges against incumbents in safe seats who he felt aren’t rising to the occasion during Donald Trump’s second nightmare term. This is an obviously controversial position for a DNC official, and it resulted in predictable backlash. Charles Pierce at Esquire wrote, “The one thing that this time in hi...

Joining me today is Lindsey Boylan, who in 2021 was the first of several women to accuse former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment. Cuomo would eventually resign, under collective pressure from Democrats at the state and national levels. Now, Cuomo is running for mayor of New York, where he’s leading in most polls. This might seem a shocking turn of events in a reality where Donal...

The free world is under assault by unhinged, power-mad billionaires, and we could use a powerful beacon of justice who’s also a crusading journalist. My friend Michael Mora joins me to continue my ongoing discussion about Superman, the progressive champion who happens to come from another planet. You will hear: Is Superman the ultimate story of immigration fraud? How much of Superman’s origin stor...

It’s 1987, and a heartbroken Sam Malone (Ted Danson) has sold his beloved bar Cheers to the massive Lillian corporation — originally called Drox Chemical, Die, and Munitions with the unlikely motto “We care about people.” Sam’s new boss is businesswoman Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), and for the next three years, this faceless corporation where nobody knows anyone’s name would provide a new source...

In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with filmmaker Joy Davenport, whose documentary Fannie Lou Hamer’s America is a must watch. Joy and I had a great conversation about Hamer’s life and activism, as well as the personal inspiration she’s provided. You can find the documentary on YouTube. You will hear: Why Joy felt compelled to tell Ms. Hamer’s story Why more people don’t know about Fanni...

Kaitlin Byrd (Dame Magazine) joins me to discuss what the hell just happened on January 6, 2025. In this episode, we will discuss: The easy concession by Democrats during the vote confirmation on January 6th Problems within the Democratic party and the need for younger people who understand the current political landscape How was Trump even allowed to take office after violating Section 3 of the 1...

Our guest this week is writer and author Matthew K. Manning. Matthew has written hundreds of comics and prose books for a range of publishers, including DC, Marvel, IDW, Scholastic, Disney, and many more. Some standouts are the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, the hardcover The Batman Files, the 12-issue comic series Marvel Action: Avengers, and a recent stint on the Dick Tracy comi...

In this episode, I interviewed author Tim English about his book, The Kennedys' New York: American Royalty in the Greatest City in the World , which I recommend even if Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has permanently soured you on the Kennedy family or if you prefer New Orleans and Barcelona to New York. You will hear: Why Tim chose to write about the Kennedys specifically and how he chose to make it d...

Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling was born on Christmas Day, 1924. I had the great honor of speaking with Emmy-winning writer, Joseph Dougherty (Thirtysomething, Pretty Little Liars), about his new book, Rod Serling at 100: One Writer's Acknowledgement , a wonderful tribute to Serling that examines his work and significant contributions to television. You will hear: Rod Serling’s contribution...

In this episode, I am joined by previous guest and political analyst Cliston Brown for a post-election debrief to talk about what went wrong and what we need to do to get out of this situation going forward. You will hear: Democrats have a problem connecting with everyday “normal” people and how that impacts the voters A realignment is happening along class lines rather than racial or ethnic lines...

Writer Michael Mora joins me to discuss Donald Trump's historic performance among Latino voters in the 2024 election, which should not have come as a surprise to Democrats and pundits. You will hear: How the party bases are treated by Republicans versus Democrats when it comes to speaking out against the radicals amongst them Why Democrats need to divorce themselves from the term “Latino” and...

The Avengers (no, not those Avengers) remains my favorite TV show, so I'm thrilled to speak with author Michael Scott Phillips to discuss his book, Quite Quite Fantastic! The Avengers for Modern Viewers (The Grande Marque Edition) . Pop open the champagne, watch out for diabolical masterminds, and enjoy. You’ll hear: Michael’s interest in British cult (classic) television How the filming of s...

This week we are taking a break from natural disasters and political mayhem to have a pleasant conversation with Oregon’s Mallory Smith from Alt Wine Fest. You will hear: How Mallory got into wine thanks to the owner of a wine and beer bar How she teaches wine classes based on the history and geography of wine using writing and storytelling The creation of the Alt Wine Fest with her partner, Marti...