Episodios

  • 70 Million Songs: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 7

    70 Million Songs: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 7
    Jul 17 2025

    The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the fifth essay of the collection, Playlist of Tears.

    The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET. The book club is for yearly paid Substack subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription at www.theunspeakablepodcast.com.

    About The Catastrophe Hour "One of our most important essayists . . . The Catastrophe Hour is proof that writers and readers can choose to engage with their lives in a manner that is radically disengaged with the pointless noise of the day.” — Washington Examiner From the acclaimed author of The Unspeakable and The Problem with Everything comes a new collection of unputdownable essays. Written between 2017 and 2024, these essays are classic Meghan Daum, showcasing her wit, her intellect and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Arranged in the order that they were written, the essays touch on themes of aging, solitude, creative life, money, the changing media landscape, death, and the meaning of home. Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists.
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    6 m
  • Do Women Owe Men An Apology? with Dr. Carole Hooven

    Do Women Owe Men An Apology? with Dr. Carole Hooven
    Jul 14 2025
    This episode starts with a Very Special introduction in which I explain what’s been going on with the podcast over the last six months (lots of different offerings, which possibly caused some confusion) and talk about the ongoing challenges of the subscriber model. (Short version, please stick around!) I then have the great pleasure of interviewing evolutionary biologist Dr. Carole Hooven, who’s been a speaker at several Unspeakeasy events but never actually a guest on the podcast. As we approach the four-year anniversary of the publication of her book, T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us, Carole recounts how a media appearance defending “male” and “female” as meaningful scientific categories led to unexpected controversy and her eventual departure from Harvard, where she’d taught for many years. She talks about how ideological influence has made even basic scientific facts about sex contentious and cites the importance of precise use of language, especially on topics like sex differences and women’s rights, which she feels have been muddied by cultural and political agendas. Most fascinatingly (to me, anyway), Carole argues that a predominantly female, progressive teaching culture favors girls’ learning styles—while boys, wired differently by biology, are stigmatized and alienated. Meanwhile, it’s become culturally verboten to even acknowledge men’s intense sexual drives and emotional vulnerability, and she calls for a return to rites of passage that acknowledge male biology without shame. Finally, we talk about a recent controversy surrounding her husband, MIT philosophy professor Alex Byrne (who was a guest on the podcast back in March 2024), after he was invited to contribute to a U.S. Health and Human Services report on sex and gender. Although the team was politically diverse, Alex’s name was leaked via PDF metadata, and he faced fierce criticism from activist students and colleagues. He responded with a Washington Post op-ed explaining his position. GUEST BIO Dr. Carole Hooven is a human evolutionary biologist, the author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us, and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. HOUSEKEEPING 📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here. 📘 The Catastrophe Hour book club for yearly paying subscribers starts June 11 and will run for 14 consecutive Wednesdays, 3-4 pm ET. We will meet on Zoom. 📹 The Unspeakeasy Live livestream takes place every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for a notification on your Substack app when we’re live. Stuff to read and listen to: New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help Recent(ish) solo episodes: January 9: The First 24 HoursJanuary 16: The Immaterial WorldJanuary 27: Housing WarsFebruary 5: Remembrance Of Things PastFebruary 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?"March 2: A Mental InfectionMarch 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style 📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube. ✈️ The Unspeakeasy’s 2025 retreat season is underway. It includes a just-announced COED retreat with more attendees and multiple speakers. October 11-12 in New York City. Programming and ticketing info here. Housekeeping 📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube. ✈️ The Unspeakeasy has new retreats for 2025. We’ll be in Texas, New York, Los Angeles, and more. 🥂 Join The Unspeakeasy, my community for freethinking women.
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    1 h y 25 m
  • The Unbearable Halfness Of Being: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 6

    The Unbearable Halfness Of Being: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 6
    Jul 10 2025

    The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the fifth essay of the collection, Playlist of Tears.

    The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET. The book club is for yearly paid Substack subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription at www.theunspeakablepodcast.com.

    About The Catastrophe Hour "One of our most important essayists . . . The Catastrophe Hour is proof that writers and readers can choose to engage with their lives in a manner that is radically disengaged with the pointless noise of the day.” — Washington Examiner From the acclaimed author of The Unspeakable and The Problem with Everything comes a new collection of unputdownable essays. Written between 2017 and 2024, these essays are classic Meghan Daum, showcasing her wit, her intellect and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Arranged in the order that they were written, the essays touch on themes of aging, solitude, creative life, money, the changing media landscape, death, and the meaning of home. Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists.
    Más Menos
    8 m
  • Death On A Movie Set - Rachel Mason on Last Take, her documentary about the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust

    Death On A Movie Set - Rachel Mason on Last Take, her documentary about the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust
    Jul 9 2025
    In this episode, I speak with filmmaker Rachel Mason about her documentary Last Take*: Rust and the Story of Halyna*, which explores the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of Rust. On October 21, 20221, Alec Badwin, who starred in the film, pulled the trigger on a gun he thought was not loaded, killing Halyna and injuring director Joel Souza. Through the lens of grief, media spectacle, and justice. Rachel, a close friend of Halyna’s, offers an intimate perspective on the aftermath of the incident and how it was experienced by those who knew Halyna beyond the headlines. We also talk about Rachel’s recent docuseries, An Update on Our Family, which investigates the world of family vlogging on YouTube—particularly the story of Myka and James Stauffer, whose decision to rehome their adopted son sparked public outrage and raised ethical questions about online parenting content. Toward the end of our conversation, Rachel talks about her next project, a collaborative effort to unravel a legendary unsolved murder case in Los Angeles. It's a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation that touches on art, ethics, personal loss, and the complexities of telling true stories in a digital age. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. GUEST BIO Rachel Mason is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker. She received an Emmy Nomination for her Netflix Original Documentary Circus of Books, based on her biographical telling of growing up the child of owners of an adult bookstore that was a fixture of the gay community during the height of the AIDS era. In 2025 a series Mason directed called “An Update on Our Family” was released on HBO MAX and has been cited in legal arguments proposing legislation changes regarding children on the internet. Following that, Hulu released the authorized documentary about her friend Halyna Hutchins death on the Alec Baldwin film Rust. She is currently completing a documentary about the murder of a young gay man in 1990 named Billy London, which was until 2022 a cold case. The film is being made independently and has been a volunteer effort from the community, who helped to solve the crime. Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna- Hulu An Update on Our Family- HBO Max Circus of Books- Netflix Want to hear the whole conversation? Upgrade your subscription here. HOUSEKEEPING 📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here. 📘 The Catastrophe Hour book club for yearly paying subscribers starts June 11 and will run for 14 consecutive Wednesdays, 3-4 pm ET. We will meet on Zoom. 📹 The Unspeakeasy Live livestream takes place every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for a notification on your Substack app when we’re live. Stuff to read and listen to: New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help Recent(ish) solo episodes: January 9: The First 24 HoursJanuary 16: The Immaterial WorldJanuary 27: Housing WarsFebruary 5: Remembrance Of Things PastFebruary 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?"March 2: A Mental InfectionMarch 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style 📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube. ✈️ The Unspeakeasy’s 2025 retreat season is underway. It includes a just-announced COED retreat with more attendees and multiple speakers. October 11-12 in New York City. Programming and ticketing info here.
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    30 m
  • Playlist of Tears: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 5

    Playlist of Tears: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 5
    Jul 4 2025

    The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the fifth essay of the collection, Playlist of Tears.

    The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET. The book club is for yearly paid Substack subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription at www.theunspeakablepodcast.com.

    About The Catastrophe Hour "One of our most important essayists . . . The Catastrophe Hour is proof that writers and readers can choose to engage with their lives in a manner that is radically disengaged with the pointless noise of the day.” — Washington Examiner From the acclaimed author of The Unspeakable and The Problem with Everything comes a new collection of unputdownable essays. Written between 2017 and 2024, these essays are classic Meghan Daum, showcasing her wit, her intellect and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Arranged in the order that they were written, the essays touch on themes of aging, solitude, creative life, money, the changing media landscape, death, and the meaning of home. Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists.
    Más Menos
    7 m
  • Species Of Grief: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 4

    Species Of Grief: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 4
    Jun 30 2025

    The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, July 2, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the fourth essay of the collection, Species Of Grief.

    The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET, beginning June 11. The book club is for yearly paid subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription.

    Species Of Grief was written in May of 2019 and appeared as one of my columns in Medium’s GEN Magazine.

    Want to hear the whole recording? Upgrade your subscription here.

    HOUSEKEEPING

    📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here.

    📘 The Catastrophe Hour book club for yearly paying subscribers starts June 11 and will run for 14 consecutive Wednesdays, 3-4 pm ET. We will meet on Zoom.

    📹 The Unspeakeasy Live livestream takes place every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for a notification on your Substack app when we’re live.

    Stuff to read and listen to:

    New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help

    Recent(ish) solo episodes:

    • January 9: The First 24 Hours
    • January 16: The Immaterial World
    • January 27: Housing Wars
    • February 5: Remembrance Of Things Past
    • February 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?"
    • March 2: A Mental Infection
    • March 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style

    📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube.

    ✈️ The Unspeakeasy’s 2025 retreat season is underway. It includes a just-announced COED retreat with more attendees and multiple speakers. October 11-12 in New York City. Programming and ticketing info here.
    Más Menos
    8 m
  • Basically Dead: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 3

    Basically Dead: The Catastrophe Hour Book Club Week 3
    Jun 19 2025

    The next meeting of The Catastrophe Hour Book Club is scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 3:00 p.m. ET. We will discuss the third essay of the collection, Basically Dead.

    The book club meets for 14 consecutive Wednesdays at 3:00 p.m. ET. The book club is for yearly paid Substack subscribers only, so if you want to join, please upgrade your subscription at www.theunspeakablepodcast.com.

    How to Join The Book Club

    Yearly subscribers will receive a reminder email on Tuesdays. If you are only a monthly subscriber, you will not receive the email. To update your subscription:

    1. Navigate to your profile image in the top right corner and click.

    2. Go to “Manage Subscription”

    3. Next to your subscription type, select “Change.”

    4. Select yearly and confirm.

    About The Catastrophe Hour "One of our most important essayists . . . The Catastrophe Hour is proof that writers and readers can choose to engage with their lives in a manner that is radically disengaged with the pointless noise of the day.” — Washington Examiner From the acclaimed author of The Unspeakable and The Problem with Everything comes a new collection of unputdownable essays. Written between 2017 and 2024, these essays are classic Meghan Daum, showcasing her wit, her intellect and her uncanny ability to throw new light on even the most ubiquitous of subjects. Arranged in the order that they were written, the essays touch on themes of aging, solitude, creative life, money, the changing media landscape, death, and the meaning of home. Daum’s unflinching honesty and exacting observations secure her reputation as one of our most important and enduring essayists.
    Más Menos
    8 m
  • What Illness Can Teach Us About Uncertainty - Jonathan Gluck on his new memoir about cancer and coming to terms with not knowing

    What Illness Can Teach Us About Uncertainty - Jonathan Gluck on his new memoir about cancer and coming to terms with not knowing
    Jun 16 2025

    In his new memoir, An Exercise In Uncertainty, journalist and editor Jonathan Gluck chronicles more than 20 years of living with multiple myeloma, an incurable but treatable cancer. He joined me to talk about how he’s coped with illness, why he chose this moment to write about it, and, most importantly, how he’s learned to deal with a condition all of us face to one degree or another: uncertainty.

    Jon explains the concept of “predemption”—a mindset that’s helped him find something positive, even in the toughest moments—and describes the invisible aspects of cancer, how it affected family dynamics, and the honest conversations he’s had with his kids about his condition. He reflects on the strain illness can have on relationships, especially marriage, and how fly fishing became a crucial form of therapy and connection.

    GUEST BIO

    Jonathan Gluck is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He was deputy editor of New York magazine for ten years, after which he worked as managing editor of Vogue. His work has been recognized with multiple National Magazine Awards.

    Want to hear the whole conversation? Upgrade your subscription here.

    HOUSEKEEPING

    📖 Order my new book, The Catastrophe Hour: Selected Essays, on Amazon or directly from the publisher here.

    📘 The Catastrophe Hour book club for yearly paying subscribers starts June 11 and will run for 14 consecutive Wednesdays, 3-4 pm ET. We will meet on Zoom.

    📹 The Unspeakeasy Live livestream takes place every Thursday at 3:00 p.m. ET. Look for a notification on your Substack app when we’re live.

    Stuff to read and listen to:

    New York Times, Jan 31, 2025: The L.A. Fires Taught Me To Accept Help

    Recent(ish) solo episodes :

    • January 9: The First 24 Hours
    • January 16: The Immaterial World
    • January 27: Housing Wars
    • February 5: Remembrance Of Things Past
    • February 13: What Is A "Catastrophe?"
    • March 2: A Mental Infection
    • March 31: Dignity Is Out Of Style

    📺 Visit The Unspeakable on YouTube.

    ✈️ The Unspeakeasy’s 2025 retreat season is underway. It includes a just-announced COED retreat with more attendees and multiple speakers. October 11-12 in New York City. Programming and ticketing info here.
    Más Menos
    23 m