Slate Careers Slate Podcasts

This week, guest-host Kristen Meinzer talks to Stephen Seals, an actor and historical interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia. In the interview, Stephen breaks down his process for researching and portraying Revolutionary War double-agent James Lafayette, a notable Black American whose story is seldom told. Stephen explains what it’s like to write for his character on the fly, to answer audience questions, and to add meaning and texture to an important historical figure. 

After the interview, Kristen and co-host Isaac Butler talk about how to handle harsh audience feedback. 

In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, Stephen describes a philosophy of “social history” which centers individual experiences instead of dry data alone. He also shares which historical figures he would like to play 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.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.

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Ever since it showed up on the Body Mass Index, the label “obese” has been used to judge and often shame people with larger bodies.
Medical providers, family and friends, even strangers make assumptions about fat people’s health solely based on their size.
At the same time, excess quantities of fat can lead to poor health outcomes such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
Over the decades, medical associations have evolved their understanding of obesity. The American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the American Obesity Society all classify obesity as a disease requiring medical treatment. 
How does that change the way medical providers care for their obese and overweight patients? And does that mean people with fatter bodies can now face less discrimination?
As a part of a series of ongoing conversations on Well, Now on weight and health, we discuss the current medical definition of obesity and how to treat it with Dr. Angela Fitch, former Associate Director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center.
If you liked this episode, check out: The Isolation of a Life-Threatening Diagnosis
Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with oversight from Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com
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It’s hard to imagine music fans mourning a break-up of Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation, as a Department of Justice lawsuit requests. But even with this monopolistic middleman out of the way, touring musicians still seem destined to struggle financially.

Guest: Laura Jane Grace, musician

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, Patrick Fort, and Anna Phillips.
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After waiting for two strikes to resolve, film and television crews across Hollywood were hungry to return to work. But the work has been slow to come back. As a number of crew union contracts expire at the end of July, how strong is their negotiating position?

Guests: 
Diane Haithman, Senior Entertainment Business Reporter, TheWrap
Diego Mariscal, IATSE local 80 dolly grip

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme and Rob Gunther.
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This week on Working Overtime, host Isaac Butler talks to AJ Ayers, a personal finance expert who specializes in helping creative people manage their money better. In the interview, AJ offers tips on everything from retirement accounts and taxes to homeownership and family planning. 

Do you have questions or advice of your own about the creative process? Reach out at (304) 933-9675 or email us at working@slate.com.

Podcast production by Cameron Drews.
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Each week, we’ve explored wellness from different perspectives, but we haven’t talked about what it means to live a full life while grappling with the real possibility of death. 
Most of us hope for a full, long life with “good” health. But a serious, possibly fatal diagnosis changes everything: Our relationships with work, loved ones, and even the way we see ourselves.
On this week’s episode of Well, Now we speak with author, journalist, and artist Suleika Jaouad. Many learned about her work in the Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony – which chronicled her marriage to musician Jon Baptiste as his career soared and her leukemia re-emerged. 
But Suleika began documenting illness and identity long before starring in an award-winning film.
If you liked this episode, check out: “People Feel Like They’re Drowning”: The Long COVID Survivors Left Behind
Well, Now is hosted by registered dietitian nutritionist Maya Feller and Dr. Kavita Patel.
Editing and podcast production by Vic Whitley-Berry with editorial oversight by Alicia Montgomery.
Send your comments and recommendations on what to cover to wellnow@slate.com 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices