On Start the Week Andrew Marr looks at Russia from the heyday of the Soviet Empire to its transformation under Putin. The historian Simon Sebag Montefiore writes about the Romanovs, the most successful dynasty of modern times, while Amanda Vickery highlights a moment of defiance and triumph during WW2's siege of Leningrad. The journalist Arkady Ostrovsky charts the huge changes that have taken place, from Perestroika to corporate state. And David Aaronovitch explores the emotional pull of communism in Britain through the story of his family and their ties to The Party. Producer: Katy Hickman.
The Gist - Where Genius Is Born
On The Gist, traveler Eric Weiner joins us to discuss why certain cities throughout history have been ripe for cultivating our most creative thinkers. He’s the author of The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World’s Most Creative Places From Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley. For the Spiel, another Lobstar of the Antentwig. The Gist and Story Collider Event, Jan 15: Coming up on Friday, Jan. 15, our host Mike Pesca and listener Frank Kennedy will be live onstage as part of the Story Collider STEM FEST. Tickets for this event are sold out, but Slate Plus members are invited to attend a happy hour before the show. RSVP here. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
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The Gist - The Heavily Guarded Facebook Algorithm
On The Gist, Slate’s Will Oremus explains who’s really controlling your Facebook feed. He recently wrote a cover story based on a visit to Menlo Park, California, where even his trips to the bathroom were supervised. For the Spiel, Mike gives Donald Trump advice. The Gist and Story Collider Event, Jan 15: Coming up on Friday, Jan. 15, our host Mike Pesca and listener Frank Kennedy will be live onstage as part of the Story Collider STEM FEST. Visit the Story Collider website for tickets and more information about the lineup. Slate Plus members are invited to a free happy hour before the show. RSVP here. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
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The Gist - Exercise Fad B.S.
On The Gist, a gift for your New Year’s resolutions. Maria Konnikova of the New Yorker tells us what research has been done into various popular exercise methods. She’s the author of The Confidence Game, now available for preorder. For the Spiel, the biggest news story in the world right now. Today’s sponsor: Casper, the online retailer of premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Get $50 toward any mattress purchase by visiting casper.com/gist and using the promo code GIST. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
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The Gist - Near-Death Winter Tales with Matthew Dicks
On The Gist, professional storyteller Matthew Dicks tells a story to demonstrate how to tell better stories. We’ll learn why it’s important to give your story a setting in the physical world. He’s the author of The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs. You can listen back to all the past appearances in our storytelling series here on Soundcloud. For the Spiel, happy manipulating with air bag manufacturer Takata. The Gist and Story Collider Event, Jan 15: Coming up on Friday, Jan. 15, our host Mike Pesca and listener Frank Kennedy will be live onstage as part of the Story Collider STEM FEST. Visit the Story Collider website for tickets and more information about the lineup. Slate Plus members are invited to a free happy hour before the show. RSVP here.
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The Gist - Terrorists or Nudniks?
On The Gist, how significant is the impact of the shale revolution on the international oil markets? We ask Robert Weiner, professor of international business at George Washington University. For the Spiel, Mike wonders what we should call the armed protesters who took over the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The Gist and Story Collider Event, Jan 15: Coming up on Friday, January 15th, our host Mike Pesca and listener Frank Kennedy will be live on stage as part of the Story Collider STEM FEST. Visit the Story Collider website for tickets and more information about the lineup. Slate Plus members are invited to a free happy hour before the show. RSVP here. Today’s sponsor: Texture, the mobile app that lets you tap directly into the world's most popular magazines using your phone or tablet. Dive deeper into Vogue, People, Esquire, Time—with interactive content for a richer reading experience. Try Texture for free at Texture.com/gist.
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The Gist - The 8 New Billboard Hits of 2015
This year, many of us were consuming the same big songs at the same time. On The Gist, music writer Chris Molanphy explains how 2015 continues a modern trend toward a shared pop music monoculture. Chris writes Slate’s Why Is This Song No. 1 column, and for more 2015 analysis you can check out his contribution to The Music Club, 2015. For the Spiel, favorite ideas and sentences of the year. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
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The Gist - The Questioner
On The Gist, Gretchen Rubin explains what self-knowledge has to do with forming lasting habits. To identify your core tendency, try filling out her quiz here. She’s the author of Better Than Before and hosts the Happier Podcast, a fellow member of the Panoply network. For the Spiel, please indulge our host in a particularly self-indulgent meditation on simplicity. Join Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts, and more. Sign up for a free trial today at slate.com/gistplus.
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The Gist - Bloody Merry
On The Gist, Dan Pashman from The Sporkful podcast explains the food science behind why we’re more in the mood for a lemony Blood Mary this week instead of a creamy glass of eggnog. If you’re going to serve eggnog anyway, there’s a great recipe for Puerto Rican eggnog from The Sporkful here. For the Spiel, an issue in American life that is terrorizing us. Spoiler—it’s terrorism.
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Start the Week - Shakespeare’s Late Plays – recorded at the Globe’s Playhouse
Andrew Marr presents a special edition of Start the Week, celebrating the later life and works of William Shakespeare. Recorded at the Globe's candle-lit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the actor Simon Russell Beale and Artistic Director Dominic Dromgoole discuss the late romances. The writer Jeanette Winterson explores her personal connection to The Winter's Tale, and the academic Katherine Duncan-Jones questions whether Shakespeare ever gave up on life in London to retire to Stratford-upon-Avon, and the relevance of his will that left his wife their 'second-best bed'. Producer: Katy Hickman.