This week, host Isaac Butler talks to opera singer Ryan Speedo Green, who is currently starring in the show Champion at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. In the interview, Speedo shares the meticulous pre-show routine that allows him to portray the real-life boxer Emile Griffith in Champion. He also discusses the research that went into the role, the unique genre-bending qualities of Champion, and his specialization in opera and opera alone. 

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss their own creative routines and practices. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Speedo talks about the opera roles he would like to tackle in the future.

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

To see Ryan Speedo Green perform in Champion or to see a special screening of the show in theaters on May 3rd, visit metopera.org. 

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 

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This week, host Karen Han talks to stand-up comedian and writer Josh Gondelman, whose hour-long special People Pleaser is now available on multiple streaming platforms. In the interview, Josh explains how he compiled material for the special and created a logical flow of jokes. He also talks about his stage presence and what it was like to find his authentic voice as a comedian. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Karen and producer Cameron Drews discuss the ideas of “persona” and “voice” in creative work. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Josh shares what it’s like to write for shows like Last Week Tonight, Desus & Mero, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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This week on The Waves, a special episode from Slate's podcast How To!

When Leslie landed her dream engineering job right out of college, she was elated but also worried she was a tad unqualified—even though she has the skills and expertise. Since then imposter syndrome has reared its ugly head on a regular basis. Besides being the youngest in her department, she’s one of the only women and the only person of color, which has made things even more isolating. On this episode of How To!, host Amanda Ripley brings on Dr. Jessica Esquivel, physicist, advocate for marginalized communities in STEAM, and author of Our Queer Universe. Dr. Esquivel has some wise, hard-earned advice for shifting the burden of being enough, learning to fail, and making systemic changes so people don’t feel imposter syndrome so acutely. 

If you liked this episode, check out: “I’m Great at My Job. So Why Do I Feel Like a Fraud?”

Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, Kevin Bendis, and Jabari Butler.  

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This week, host June Thomas talks to drag queen, author, and activist Lil Miss Hot Mess. In the interview, LMHM explains the origins of her drag persona and drag name and discusses the skills she had to build up early in her career. Then she discusses her work with Drag Story Hour and talks about what it means for drag to be simultaneously more mainstream and constantly under attack. Finally, she discusses her two children's books, The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish and If You’re a Drag Queen and You Know It. 

After the interview, June and co-host Isaac Butler talk about the importance of playfulness and humor in creative work. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, LMHM talks about the current hostile political climate and her feud with senator Maro Rubio. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus to help support our work.

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On this week’s episode of The Waves - the freelancing side of acting with Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actress Caroline Aaron. Slate senior supervising producer Daisy Rosario is joined by Caroline Aaron - a familiar face in movies for over forty years, if not a household name. They discuss building a life with an unstable career path, how women’s stories are done a disservice in film and television, and how Caroline’s show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel seeks to overturn all of that. 

In Slate Plus, Caroline discusses working with strong women like Amy Sherman Palladino and Nora Ephron.

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Daisy Rosario and Alicia Montgomery.

Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to thewaves@slate.com.

Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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This week, host Isaac Butler talks to writer John Cotter, whose new memoir Losing Music tells the story of a mysterious illness that degraded John’s hearing and caused periods of vertigo. In the interview, John explains how writing became a necessary tool that helped him make sense of his illness and his changing world. 

After the interview, Isaac and co-host June Thomas discuss how creative practices can change drastically as people get older and their lives change. They also expand on a writing tip that Isaac mentions in his interview with John. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, John talks about how his teaching informs his writing and vice versa. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 

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Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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Emily is a successful career and executive coach in Ohio, who has done well finding clients through word-of-mouth. But in order to expand her business she knows she has to up her online marketing game. The only catch? She is terrified of social media. On this episode of How To!, co-host Amanda Ripley brings in Suzy Wagner, president of Brand & Buzz. Suzy has some surprising advice for creating a social media strategy that cuts through the noise while being realistic and authentic to yourself.

If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Beat Hackers at Their Own Game.”

Do you wonder how best to use your time? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show.

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.

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This week, host Karen Han talks to artist and ornithologist Isaiah Scott, whose popular Instagram account features vibrant photos, illustrations, and information about birds. In the interview, Isaiah talks about his process for organizing bird-watching hikes in his community and his mission to make bird-watching more welcoming. He also discusses the growing community of Black bird enthusiasts and his effort to bring more style and fun to the birding hobby. 

After the interview, Karen and co-host June Thomas talk about the best ways to welcome newcomers into your field. They also discuss how to figure out boundaries for ambitious creative projects. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Isaiah shares more details about a field guide he’s designing. 

Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews. 

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Make an impact this Earth Month by helping Macy’s on their mission to bring more parks to more people across the country. Go to macys.com/purpose to learn more.

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

This week, Felix Salmon, Emily Peck, and Elizabeth Spiers are joined by Kevin Delaney, co-founder of Charter. They discuss the layoffs that have swept across multiple industries, and if letting workers go actually solve the issues CEOs say they are. They also take a look at how work has changed during the pandemic, digging into how middle managers have the worst jobs, and how having too many meetings sucks. 

In the Plus segment: Who does the radical candor system actually help? 

If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and an additional segment of our show every week. You’ll also be supporting the work we do here on Slate Money. Sign up now at slate.com/moneyplus to help support our work. 

Podcast production by Anna Phillips and Patrick Fort.

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Baltimore is one of many aging American cities that is plagued with both a lack of affordable housing, and a surplus of vacant homes. But a local non-profit is addressing both those issues, and teaching community members to rebuild their neighborhoods one house at a time. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson is joined by Shelley Halstead, who founded Black Women Build in Baltimore. 

Guest: Shelley Halstead, founder of Black Women Build

Podcast production by Ahyiana Angel

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