Working

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, host June Thomas and co-host Karen Han mull over the pros and cons of creative critique. An expert's input could ignite a new spark, but could too many cooks cause a fire? Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com .    Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews.  ...

This week, host Karen Han talks to musician Cameron Lew, who writes music under the name Ginger Root. In the interview, Cameron breaks down his songwriting process and discusses the elusiveness of inspiration and creative flow. He also talks about his EP Nisemono , which contains a completely fictional premise about a Japanese pop idol.  After the interview, Karen and co-host Isaac Butler discuss...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Brittani Nichols, a writer and producer for ABC’s hit sitcom Abbott Elementary . In the interview, Brittani describes the show’s very collaborative writing process and explains what it means to be both a writer and producer. She also discusses how the show’s writers touch on personal experience to add texture to the world they’re creating.    After the intervie...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and June Thomas help a listener named Alisa who wants to know if it’s possible to move beyond goal-focused work. Alisa works in academia, where the goals and checkpoints are clear, but she feels like she’s gone as far as she can go. Karen and June share their experiences with goal-focused work and try to think of alternative methods for motivati...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks with Patrick Marber about his multi-hyphenate career. Marber started as a stand-up comedian; has written several plays including Dealer’s Choice , Closer , and Howard Katz ; and is a celebrated theater director. They discuss how being a writer affects Marber’s directing; his experience working with older men such as Harold Pinter, Mike Nichols, and Tom Stoppard;...

This week, host Karen Han talks to artist Drusilla Adeline, who works primarily as a movie poster and cover designer. Her work includes the poster for Armageddon Time , as well as the one for Bodies, Bodies, Bodies . She also designed the cover and other materials for the Criterion Collection’s edition of David Lynch’s The Elephant Man . In the interview, Drusilla breaks down her creative process...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and June Thomas reply to a listener who wants some advice on pitching fiction to literary magazines. For help, Isaac and June turn to J. Robert Lennon, a novelist and short story writer who is also the editor of EPOCH, the literary magazine associated with Cornell University. In the interview, Lennon describes the pitching process for EPOCH a...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Annie Duke, an author and former professional poker player whose latest book is Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away . In the interview, Annie explains why she’s trying to rehabilitate the word “quit.” She also uses examples to illustrate why quitting is sometimes the best option and why people often stick to projects and jobs that aren’t working.  Afte...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Shanta Thake, chief artistic officer of New York City’s Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. In the interview, Shanta describes the different branches of Lincoln Center and discusses the institution’s new mission to make all of those branches more welcoming and accessible to more people. She also describes her role as a curator and explains how she and her...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler help a lister whose collection of homemade fused glass is getting out of control. The listener, named Todd, has already tried selling his art and giving to away to friend , but his collection keeps growing. June and Isaac offer creative solutions that will allow Todd to keep creating without being overwhelmed by clutter. Do yo...

This week, host Karen Han talks to TV and film editor Stacy Moon, whose recent projects include Nathan Fielder’s HBO show The Rehearsal , Tim Robinson’s sketch comedy show I Think You Should Leave , and the new feature film Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul . In the interview, Stacy breaks down the process for editing an episode of The Rehearsal , which involves piecing together a narrative from hour...

This week, host June Thomas talks to reporter Casey Parks, whose new memoir Diary of a Misfit was more than a decade in the making. In the interview, Casey explains how the book started as a documentary project that focused on a person from her hometown. Then she discusses the gradual evolution of the project and her decision to make it more personal.  After the interview, June and co-host Karen H...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and Isaac Butler help a married couple who both do creative work but don’t always have the same creative rhythms. Karen and Isaac offer tips on how to navigate situations where one person is in a creative rut and the other is cranking out gold. They also offer general tips about communication and the creative work that goes into being a couple....

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Andy Le, Brian Le, and Daniel Mah, fight choreographers for the action comedy film Everything Everywhere All at Once . In the interview, Andy, Brian, and Daniel discuss the origins of their group Martial Club and explain how they learned to recreate fight sequences by watching lots and lots of martial arts movies. Then they talk about their work on Everything...

This week, host Karen Han talks to David Seth Moltz and Kavi Moltz, founders of the perfume company D.S. & Durga. In the interview, David and Kavi explain how their interest in perfume started as a hobby and blossomed into a business. They also discuss the trial and error of creating great scents and argue that perfumery should be considered an art form on the level of writing or music composi...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han discuss the many complicated emotions that can sometimes creep up after a big project comes to an end. They also share tips for managing those emotions and finding ways to recharge before the next project starts. Do you have a question about creative work? Call us and leave a message at 304-933-9675, or email us at  working@slat...

This week, host Karen Han talks to Lynon Aksamit, a puzzle designer for the Colorado-based company Liberty Puzzles. In the interview, Lynon explains how he and his colleagues select artwork to turn into puzzles. Then he breaks down his process for designing puzzle pieces (including “whimsy pieces”) and describes how he plays with the themes of the original artwork to create engaging puzzles for cu...

This week, host June Thomas talks to writers Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, whose Significant Objects project explores how and why physical items can take on meaning and value. In the interview, Rob and Joshua talk about how their partnership was born and explain why they’re such compatible collaborators. They also discuss their proclivity for balancing lots of projects, and Joshua explains somethin...

On this edition of Working Overtime, co-host June Thomas gets some advice from co-host Karen Han about moving to a new city as a freelance writer. First they talk about how important it is to engage with your new city’s art scene and cultural institutions. Then they discuss ways to build a new supportive community and how to stay in touch with former collaborators. Do you have a question about cre...

This week, host Karen Han discusses the basics of great Korean food with chef Hooni Kim. In the interview, Hooni starts by explaining how one of his restaurants developed a meal-kit service at the start of the pandemic. Then he discusses his latest venture, the Little Banchan Shop, which will offer packaged Korean side dishes (called Banchan), marinated meats, and other items that customers can in...

This week, host June Thomas talks to casting director Angelique Midthunder, who recently worked on the FX series Reservation Dogs . In the interview, Angelique describes the casting and audition processes for the show and shares what it was like to organize an open casting call in Oklahoma. She also talks about the decision to cast Paulina Alexis as Willie Jack, which was originally supposed to be...

On this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Karen Han and June Thomas help a listener who works in publishing but wants to exercise their writing skills on the side. Karen and June start by talking about their own creative side projects and hobbies. Then they discuss writing specifically and offer tips for how someone might begin a casual writing practice.   And here are some productivity videos th...

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to artist Nayland Blake, whose current exhibition “Got an Art Problem?” allows them to help artists move past creative blocks. In the interview, Nayland discusses the reasoning behind the exhibition and their affinity for interactive art. They also talk about capitalism, museums, and the importance of ambiguity in art.  After the interview, Isaac and co-host June...

This week, host June Thomas talks to Sarah Clifford, an animal trainer who worked on the new FX series The Old Man , starring Jeff Bridges and some very talented rottweilers. In the interview, Sarah explains why rottweilers–instead of pit bulls or malinois–were chosen to be Jeff Bridges’ co-stars on the show. Then she gets specific about how she trained the dogs to display a range of behaviors and...

For this edition of Working Overtime, hosts Isaac Butler and Karen Han hear from a poet in rural Montana who wants to feel more connected to poetry communities in big cities. Isaac and Karen offer tips for how to make connections with people online, and they also discuss some of the benefits of being a rural writer living outside of the urban literary bubble. Do you have a question about creative...