Month: February 2015

Posted on

Stuff They Don't Want You To Know - Diamonds: The Conspiracy

Diamonds: according to the ads, they're a girl's best friend, and the only thing worth picking for an engagement ring. But how did diamonds become so important -- and why?

Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

array(3) { [0]=> string(150) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/programs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/2e824128-fbd5-4c9e-9a57-ae2f0056b0c4/image.jpg?t=1749831085&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }
Posted on

The Gist - The Read Meets the Spiel

Today on The Gist, Mike Pesca is joined by Kid Fury and Crissle, the hosts of The Read podcast. They are best known for their “reads,” a term with roots in the 1980s black gay community. A read is an honest, Spiel-like venting with a purpose, and makes for great listening. For the Spiel, Mike Pesca remembers his friend Bobby Lichman, who lived his life with brilliance, intensity, and conviction. Bobby performed under the name Bobby Sichran, and today’s show features music from his album From a Sympathetical Hurricane. Today’s sponsor: The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, the new documentary series from HBO. It airs Sundays at 8 p.m. only on HBO.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Posted on

Slate Books - ABC: The Night of the Gun by David Carr

David Carr, former New York Times critic and media columnist, died on Thursday. He was 58. In honor of Carr, we are re-posting our Audio Book Club about his 2008 memoir, The Night of the Gun.  The story of Carr's descent into alcoholism and drug dependency is, on the one hand, a typical addiction-and-recovery memoir. But Carr tries to add a new twist to the old genre by relying on his reporting skills, rather than just his memory, to reconstruct a more accurate personal history. Carr interviews his friends, family, and ex-girlfriends, and digs through his old medical records in search of objective truth. Does Carr succeed at leaving convention behind? The 45-minute conversation explores this question and many others. Listen to more installments of Slate’s Audio Book Club.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Posted on

Slate Books - ABC: Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

With the release of the Fifty Shades of Grey movie in theaters this week, wandering minds are drifting back towards the world of E.L. James’ blockbuster erotic novel. In this episode of the Audio Book Club, previously published around the height of Fifty Shades mania, Slate culture editor Dan Kois, Slate culture critic Meghan O’Rourke, and Slate DoubleX founder Hanna Rosin debate the merits of the book. O’Rourke describes it as maybe the worst book she’s read in her life, but still has quite a bit to say about the book’s issues of class. Rosin expanded on her ideas from her March 2012 piece about the book’s sexual politics and admitted that a second read had led her to better understand why every woman she knew was reading and loving the book. Kois attempted to perform Christian Grey’s “gray gaze” on the radio. Hear their two-year-old predictions of what the film, now in theaters, might look like.  Note: This episode contains spoilers. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Posted on

The Gist - Beyond Death Cults and Nihilism

Today on The Gist, Max Abrahms from Northeastern University examines the motives of terror groups like ISIS and Boko Haram. Plus, we speak to Mario Schlosser, CEO of health firm Oscar, about how the Affordable Care Act has birthed a new kind of health care company. (Don’t forget the health care enrollment deadline is Feb. 15.) For the Spiel, a fantastic performance taped in Gist studios, with Xavier Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito. He just won NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Contest, and here’s where you can find his EP.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Posted on

The Gist - Extra: Xavier Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito

A past Gist guest was recently named the winner of the NPR's Tiny Desk Concert Contest. We spoke with Xavier Dphrepaulezz, aka Fantastic Negrito last September, and heard his journey from 1980s Oakland gutters to black roots music. In our interview, hear how he finally found his voice as Fantastic Negrito, and a few tracks from his EP. Get The Gist by email as soon as it’s available: slate.com/GistEmail Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/slate…id873667927?mt=2

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices