Long, long ago, in 2019, artist Jenny Odell published the book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, “a field guide to doing nothing as an act of political resistance” and an argument for reclaiming the most valuable thing we have: our attention. It became a New York Times bestseller and even landed on […]
Coerced Labor in America Today
The pandemic and attendant economic crisis have laid bare the enormous power imbalances in contemporary American work life. Today, we speak with sociologist Erin Hatton about her new book Coerced, in which she looks at four distinct groups of workers—from prisoners and welfare workers to graduate students and college athletes—who are not often recognized as […]
Masculinity During a Pandemic: How Haircuts and Face Masks Got Politic...
Look at the photos from the recent demonstrations at state capitols protesting stay-at-home orders. Amid all the signs warning against government tyranny or demanding that the economy reopen, you’ll often see another kind of sign: “I want a haircut!” or “I need a haircut!” And we have to ask: What are haircare signs doing at […]
The Australian Bushfire Crisis
Australia is on fire. The current Australian bushfire season has been the worst in recent history, burning an estimated 26 million acres across the continent, particularly in the south-east. Last month, the New South Wales Government declared a state of emergency due to record-breaking temperatures and drought. An estimated six thousand buildings have been destroyed […]
Holiday Show: 2019 Arts & Culture Roundup
For today’s holiday edition, co-hosts Richelle Wilson and Nate Carlin look back on some of the notable moments in arts and culture in 2019—the books, movies, and TV that generated important conversations about what we value in society. With the input of listeners, they take up the effect of mega box-office hits on cinema and […]
Learning from the Chicago Teachers Strike
The Chicago Teachers Union scored a victory for their district last week, following an eleven-day teachers strike that made national headlines. For today’s episode, guest host Richelle Wilson brings the strike into focus: how did it get started? What were the teachers’ demands? What was the outcome? And what does this all say about labor, […]
