Rough Drafts

Rough Drafts
  • 4.2 (5)
  • Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

Rough Drafts is a Black digital salon hosted by Maurice Rippel and Luke McGowan-Arnold. Maurice and Luke, classmates from their time at a small liberal arts college in the 2010s, reconnected after their respective odyssey in the early 2020s. Through their work facilitating writing groups and public events at a bookstore in Philadelphia, the idea for this podcast emerged, and in fact, was requested. Rough Drafts is exactly what it sounds like: ideas in their nascent stages, first impressions, best foot forward. The concept of each episode is simple: we bring a topic, present a question, or a works-in-progress; we do some research, then have a conversation (often with a guest who commits to reading, research and hot takes). The goal is to start a conversation, and commit to learning, growing, and building for the next draft.

  1. 2d ago

    Episode 203: Quilombo, Nostalgia, and Grief w/ Ice City Maroon

    Ice City Maroon is a Muslim poet and rapper who joins the pod to talk about his debut book, Quilombo. The conversation begins with a discussion of his inspiration on the title and the project more broadly centering new Afrikan resistance. Ice then talks about his process. Throughout the conversation, Ice City sits with the grief he’s experienced from the gentrification and passing of loved ones (10:25). He gives insight into the archive he draws on throughout his book, particular the book’s photographs (23:33). Luke notes in one of these photos the space that intergenerational friendships between men hold (32:30) and Ice goes on to note how these intergenerational relationships formed him and other men in his community. Maurice asks him about the differences between when his words are on the page and when he performs his work (37:06). Ice talks about not being a traditionally trained musician and how it impacts his process, citing influences like billy woods. The conversation concludes with some reflections on the possibilities for future change outside nonprofits and moderate reforms, and commentary on Zendaya’s The Drama.  Find IG on @icecitymaroon and buy his book Quilombo: shadedspace.bigcartel.com    Notes Darius Simpson, You’ll Never Catch Me George Jackson, Blood In My eye Kristoffer Borgli, The Drama Michael Mann, Heat  Soft Landing by billy woods and Kenny Segal

  2. Sep 24

    Episode 202: Thinking and Writing in Translation w/ Mordecai Martin

    On this episode of Rough Drafts, the Rough Drafts boys interview writer and translator Mordecai Martin in Baltimore. This interview took place while they were in town for the AWP Conference. Mordecai talks to them about his Yiddish translation work specifically around the literature from 1880-1945 and how that relates to family history with his great-grandfather Julius. Mordecai talks about a novel in progress he’s been working on called Keep Reading Said the Dead Man which features both a frame narrative and a translation of a Yiddish detective story called A House on Staten Island. This prompts Luke to ask questions about the intersection between fiction and anti-zionist Jewish organizing (19:10) as it relates to the project. Eventually, there’s a discussion about political zionism (31:45) and how it related to the broader Jewish Left back in the day. We finally talk a bit about Mexico City and Mordecai’s move there (49:56) as it relates to some of his work with translation. To read more of Mordecai’s work, check out his website and his Substack Fartaytsht un Farbesert: Thoughts on translation and craft.    Notes and Sources:  Mordecai Martin Translates William Gropper : https://anmly.org/ap38/mordecai-martin-translates-william-gropper/  Romance of American Communism, Vivian Gornick  A Hunt for Optimism - Viktor Shklovsky, Translated by Shushan Avagyan Bowstring: On the Dissimilarity of the Similar - Viktor Shkylovsky, Translated by Shushan Avagyan  VOLODYA - Vladimir Mayakovsky, edited by Rosy Carrick

  3. Sep 17

    Episode 201: Music Musings w/ Ant Smith

    Season 2 Premiere! Ant is an educator and organizer from West Philly. Reflecting on a recent journey to New Orleans, Ant shares the albums and songs that he’s been listening to, including “Fallen Soldiers” by G Herbo,” (9:30), “By the Grace of God” by Clipse (27:45) and “Not In the Whip” By Big Krit (42:38). What does it mean to listen to albums in the age of the “15 second clip”? (3:30) When folks listen to music more with their eyes re: tik-tok, than they do full albums? What does it say about our consumption practices? Ant pushes back on the “fast food consumption” of music, especially music that is meant to honor the dead. They share critiques of how Black men’s pain is consumed, even by other Black men. They also talk about survivor’s guilt (34:00), what it means to honor the sacrifice of their ancestors, the loss of third spaces and the right to the city (49:16).    Notes and Sources: 21 Savage and G Herbo, “Code of Honor” Ben Passmore, “Black Arms To Hold You Up” Biggie Smalls, “Suicidal Thoughts” Big K.R.I.T., “Not in the Whip” Clipse, “Let God Sort Em Out” David Simon, “The Wire” Forrest Stuart, Ballad of the Bullet: Gangs, Drill Music, and the Power of Online Infamy G Herbo, “Ballin’ Like I’m Kobe” G Herbo, “Fallen Soldiers” from the album “Lil Herb” Jay-Z, “You Must Love Me” Kali Uchis, “Sincerely” Laurence Ralph, Renegade Dreams: Living Through Injury in Gangland Chicago Mobb Deep, “Survival of the Fittest” Walter Rodney, “How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” ----more---- Hosts: Luke McGowan-Arnold and Maurice Rippel Produced by Aliyah Dominique Jefferies in collaboration with Baltimore Ave Productions Mixed by Jules Siler Music Composition: Blake Parker Content Manager: Dimo Ortiz. This podcast wouldn’t be possible without the support of the People’s Media Fund and The Neighborhood Martial Arts Project.

  4. 10/07/2025

    Episode 115: Black Arms to Hold You Up (w/Ben Passmore)

    On this episode of Rough Drafts, L and M interview political cartoonist Ben Passmore about his newly released graphic novel Black Arms to Hold You Up, a book about Black armed struggle histories in the United States. L introduces Ben at the beginning of the episode and talks about his involvement as a researcher for the book. Ben talks about inserting himself into the novel (15:55) as a character in relation to Black radical histories. The conversation also touches on humor in the graphic novel when writing about Black radical histories with a respect and reverence (24:45). M asks Ben about his artistic process, panels and inspirations in regard to the graphic novel (30:30). Finally, Ben talks about white readership and career opportunities as a Black author (48:08). Ben has an upcoming release event on October 9th at Making Worlds in West Philadelphia. You can buy the book wherever books are sold. Follow him at @daygloayhole on Instagram and Patreon.    Notes and Sources:  Maus by Art Spiegelman (mentioned by Ben early in the episode) Letter from a Stone Mountain Jail: https://thenib.com/letter-from-a-stone-mountain-jail/ Your Black Friend:  https://www.silversprocket.net/your-black-friend/

  5. 09/08/2025

    Episode 114: The Past, Present and Future of American and Global Wars

    What does war mean in the context of the 21st century? How has 9/11 and the so-called War on Terror shaped American life? And, what do the conflicts of the future look like?  M reflects on his brief stint at the United States Military Academy, and L shares about the military’s influence on the manosphere. They think about the role of technological innovations like drones, artificial intelligence, and robots, as well as present-day conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine, and the formidability of non-state actors in Myanmar and Hamas (18:30). They further reflect on the military’s relationship with shaping national pride and identity, tracing the shift away from the draft to a professionalized military with family ties (35:30). They conclude by asking what war will look like when it is brought against the state’s own citizens, with particular attention to the roles National Guards may play (44:00).  Notes and Sources *This episode was recorded in October 2024; since then, the U.S. armed forces under Pete Hegseth have banned affirmative action at service academies * “America Isn’t Ready for the Wars of the Future,” Mark A. Milley and Eric Schmidt, https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/ai-america-ready-wars-future-ukraine-israel-mark-milley-eric-schmidt?utm_medium=social “Barack Obama doubles US troop levels for War against ISIS in Iraq” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/07/obama-doubles-us-troop-levels-iraq-isis  Frederic Jameson, “An American Utopia: Dual Power and the Universal Army” https://archive.org/details/americanutopiadu0000jame  “Megacities and Urban Warfare in the 21st Century: The City as Cemetery of Revolutionaries and Resources”  https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2189&context=jss “Robot-delivered lethal explosive in Dallas police standoff was a first, experts say” https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/robot-delivered-lethal-explosive-in-dallas-police-standoff-was-a-first-experts-say  “The U.S. Military’s Recruiting Crisis” https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/02/10/the-us-militarys-recruiting-crisis

  6. 08/15/2025

    Episode 113: Parasocial Relationships (w/Dimo O.)

    What is a parasocial relationship, and have you ever been in one? In this episode, Luke and Maurice invite Dimo back to the pod to define and share stories about their primary social relationships (with references to One Direction, Frank Ocean, Bob Dylan and Tyler the Creator). They break down the historical evolution of parasocial relationships–mediated by different medium forms such as radio, television, and social media–as well as the various types of parasocial relationships, including fictophilia (26:00). The group also discusses the impact of parasocial relationships in the political sphere, including its impact on Zohran Mamdani’s primary victory in the New York City mayoral race. Throughout the episode they return to the affective registers of entitlement and sincerity that influence our seeking out of parasocial relationships.   Notes and Sources: Arthur C. Brooks, “Parasocial Relationships Are Just Imaginary Friends for Adults”  https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2023/04/parasocial-relationships-imaginary-connections-fans-celebrities/673645/  Monique Judge, “What we should leave behind: Parasocial relationships with celebrities”:  https://andscape.com/features/snoop-dogg-trump-inauguration-parasocial-relationships/  National Geographic, “What are parasocial relationships doing to our brains?” https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/parasocial-relationships-social-media  The (not so) Simple Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WAavEUyxMg  Being Bobby Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HS4u3896mdk  Free Britney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GegdKMHnxxY

  7. 08/08/2025

    Episode 112: Major Topics (w/ Major Eason)

    Major Eason is a PhD student at Harvard University in the Department of Sociology who studies environmental racism and environmental justice. In a wide-ranging conversation with L+M, Major addresses attacks on DEI, the relationship between race, sport and childhood (17:00), and American car culture (31:00). They also discuss the phenomenon of Dr. Umar (42:50), Black Lives Matter Global (48:50), and grifting/black misleadership more broadly. They return to themes of narrative and perception in social movements, as well as the ritual/drama of modern political theater.    Elijah Anderson, A Place on the Corner (1978): https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo3619613.html  Zandria Robinson, The B-Side of Blackness: https://www.thebeliever.net/the-b-side-of-blackness/ Ellen Cushing, Americans Need to Party More: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2025/01/throw-more-parties-loneliness/681203/   Common, The Corner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mnKNr2Tiq8 Monaleo, Beating Down your Block: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnMPEfV0bSA Project Row Houses, Houston TX: https://projectrowhouses.org/

  8. 07/11/2025

    Episode 111: Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

    In this episode, Luke and Maurice sit with Vinson Cunningham’s novel, Great Expectations (2024). The novel follows the campaign of a historic presidential campaign narrated by a young Black man who works on the campaign. The hosts reflect on their own memories of the campaign, with Maurice reflecting on having to “act” as Obama for a school performance, and Luke sharing his own school reminiscences. They put Cunningham’s text in conversation with Alexander Chee’s How to Write an Autobiographical Novel, and a documentary of the Obama campaign. Ultimately, they wonder about the impact of the campaign on contemporary political movements, returning to their themes of political hope and nihilism.   Note: Luke spends significant time in the episode recounting a false memory of seeing Obama on the campaign trail; the hosts have included that part rather than redacting to emphasize the overarching allure/power of the campaign on individual and collective memory.    Great Expectations: A Novel by Vinson Cunningham https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/690565/great-expectations-by-vinson-cunningham/  “How Barack Obama Won the 2008 Presidential Election: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7EmNLpkP8s  How to Write An Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee  https://www.alexanderchee.net/autobiographical-novel

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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Rough Drafts is a Black digital salon hosted by Maurice Rippel and Luke McGowan-Arnold. Maurice and Luke, classmates from their time at a small liberal arts college in the 2010s, reconnected after their respective odyssey in the early 2020s. Through their work facilitating writing groups and public events at a bookstore in Philadelphia, the idea for this podcast emerged, and in fact, was requested. Rough Drafts is exactly what it sounds like: ideas in their nascent stages, first impressions, best foot forward. The concept of each episode is simple: we bring a topic, present a question, or a works-in-progress; we do some research, then have a conversation (often with a guest who commits to reading, research and hot takes). The goal is to start a conversation, and commit to learning, growing, and building for the next draft.

Information

  • Creator
    Rough Drafts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Rough Drafts