Earlier this year, when the future of Death, Sex & Money was up in the air, Anna Sale consulted Rebecca Auman, a tarot reader and self-described witch based in North Carolina. Anna felt lost, but Rebecca encouraged her to relax and to pay close

Working: How Fact-Checking Can Improve Your Fiction

4 days ago 50m 16s

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to novelist Julia Hannafin and ecologist Adam Rosenblatt. In the interview, they discuss Julia’s new novel Cascade, which includes information about sharks and other marine life that Adam helped to verify. Jul

Working: A Clarinetist Finds His Flow State

11 days ago 49m 54s

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist for the New York Philharmonic. In the interview, Anthony describes his weekly routine, which includes practicing lots of different pieces at any given time, rehearsing,

What Next: How Young Is Too Young to Work?

17 days ago 25m 40s

In response to a spike in child labor violations, some states are strengthening their laws against the practice—while 16 states have weakened laws against child labor. What’s going on?Guest: Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for the Washing

Working: How to Be Both a Critic and a Creator

18 days ago 47m 56s

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Linda Holmes, host of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast and author of two novels: Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo. In the interview, Linda explains how she started her career practicing law i

Working: Creator Mode vs. Editor Mode

21 days ago 25m 1s

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, hosts Ronald Young Jr. and Isaac Butler take on listener Bob’s question about how to shift your brain from editor mode to creator mode. Creating new work can be invigorating, but then having to go ba

Slate Money: How to Escape the Invisible Factory

23 days ago 39m 22s

For this edition of Money Talks: Are you feeling trapped in Zoom/Teams/Slack purgatory? Author Cal Newport’s book Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout has a way forward. Host Emily Peck speaks with him about how the

Working: How a Magician Designs Original, Mind-Blowing Tricks

25 days ago 46m 37s

This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Joshua Jay, a world-class magician, storyteller, and author of multiple books about the history and craft of magic. In the interview, Joshua explains how he’s able to conceive of, design, and execu

What Next TBD: The Psychological Toll of Mars

25 days ago 24m 40s

From science fiction writers to American presidents to Elon Musk, everyone’s eager to send people to Mars. But, even if you could nail the physical aspects, are Earthlings cut out for life on Mars mentally? Guest: Nathaniel Rich, contributing

Working: How to Curate a Small Town Art Museum

Mar 24th, 2024 48m 20s

This week, host June Thomas talks to Courtney Gilbert, curator of the Sun Valley Museum of Art in Ketchum, Idaho. In the interview, Courtney digs into the process of curating a “non-collecting” museum, which means they start from scratch with e

Death, Sex & Money: A Former Pro Climber On Enduring Chronic Illness

Mar 19th, 2024 1h

This week, we get an update from Mason Earle, a former professional rock climber who we spoke to back in 2021. Mason had been diagnosed with ME/CFS, commonly called chronic fatigue syndrome, and he discussed his former career, how he was adjust

Working: From Corporate Job to Broadway Playwright

Mar 17th, 2024 50m 44s

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to Bekah Brunstetter, a TV writer and playwright whose most recent project is the new Broadway musical version of The Notebook. In the interview, Bekah discusses her early career journey, when she was jugg

Decoder Ring: Why Stylists Rule the Red Carpet

Mar 13th, 2024 42m 54s

Like a manager or an agent or a publicist, a stylist has become a kind of must-have accessory for well-dressed, A-list celebrities. It’s just expected that they will have hired someone to select the clothes they’ll wear at public appearances. B

Death, Sex & Money: Who’s Driving Your Uber?

Mar 12th, 2024 32m 58s

This week, we’re revisiting an episode about the transitional lives of Uber drivers. Anna and then-producer Katie Bishop hitched multiple rides in the Bay Area and heard stories about immigration, domestic violence, personal finance, and more.

Working: An Acting Coach’s Tips for Beginners and Experts

Mar 10th, 2024 52m 59s

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Howard Fine, an acting teacher and coach who instructs both beginners and accomplished movie stars. In the interview, Howard explains why he chose to teach and coach, instead of act. Then he discusses the c

Working: Getting Paid On Time

Mar 7th, 2024 18m 49s

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, the hosts Ronald Young Jr. and June Thomas talk money, finances, and getting paid as a freelancer in a tough economy. Filling out invoices the right way or sending a payment reminder email to an empl

How To!: Rethink Retirement

Mar 5th, 2024 37m 54s

When Patti retired a few months ago, everyone told her she would love the freedom and flexibility that came with leaving the workforce. Not so. The transition has left Patti grieving the loss of her routine and sense of purpose—and she’s wonder

Working: How to Make a “Fair” Crossword Puzzle

Mar 3rd, 2024 49m 41s

This week, host June Thomas talks to Anna Shechtman, a crossword puzzle creator whose new book is called The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle. In the interview, Anna talks about her experience writi

Working: How TV Host Carla Hall Stays Authentic On-Camera

Feb 25th, 2024 44m 2s

This week, host Ronald Young Jr. talks to chef and TV personality Carla Hall. In the interview, Carla talks about leaving her first career as an accountant to explore modeling and then cooking. Then she discusses her pivot to TV, her commitment

Well, Now: Is it Burnout? Or, Do You Have a Busy Brain?

Feb 21st, 2024 37m 25s

Stress is all around us, but that doesn’t mean it needs to run our entire lives. According to Dr. Romie Mushtaq – a neurologist turned corporate wellness consultant – the main culprit behind our culture of stress is what she calls a “busy brain

Working: How to Write Every Day and Stick to It

Feb 18th, 2024 47m 34s

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to writer Amitava Kumar, whose latest novel is My Beloved Life. In the interview, Amitava discusses his habit of writing every day—a habit he strongly recommends to his students at Vassar College. Then he shar

Working: A Biography With Very High Stakes

Feb 11th, 2024 50m 27s

This week, host June Thomas talks to writer Adam Sisman about his two biographies of the late spy novelist John le Carré. In the interview, Adam discusses how he managed to land such an exciting project and how he was granted so much access to

Dear Prudence: Is My Work Husband Keeping Me A Secret From His Wife? Help!

Feb 9th, 2024 36m 5s

In this episode, Gia Peppers (Healed Girl Era and More Than That) joins Prudie (Jenée Desmond-Harris) to answer letters from readers about how to set boundaries with your friend now boss, how to help a friend who won’t help herself, and to dete

Working: Managing New Hires Better

Feb 8th, 2024 26m 43s

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, the hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler respond to some recent listener mail. The first message is from a listener who wonders how to find an assistant to help with their workload and tasks around the

Working: Malcolm X's Story, Told Through Opera

Feb 4th, 2024 46m 50s

This week, host Isaac Butler talks to Anthony Davis, a Pulitzer Prize winning opera composer whose work includes the 1986 opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, which was recently revived and produced for the Metropolitan Opera. In the inter