Jazmina Barrera : The Queen of Swords

Randa Abdel-Fattah’s new novel Discipline is set in Sydney, Australia in 2021 during Ramadan. Discipline follows two Palestinians there, one in media and one in academia, where each has to confront questions of silence and complicity in their respective fields. As Israel intensif ...  Show more

Caren Beilin’s first appearance on the show, in 2022 to discuss her book Revenge of the Scapegoat, was so unforgettable, and spurred so much enthusiasm and electrifying conversation in its wake, that I couldn’t say “no” to being in conversation with her again, this time live a ...

Today’s poem is Ode to Bones by Lynne Thompson.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. We’re taking a break this week, so we’re sharing some of our favorite episodes from the archive. We’ll be back with new episodes on January 6, 2025. This episode was originall ...

Punk-poet laureate PATTI SMITH inaugurates ARE WE ON AIR? with Arman Naféei, chronicling the soundtrack to her life: from memories tears as a child to Eleanor Steber, to the unique cultural exchange of the Chelsea Hotel. https://areweonair.com/patti-smith https://www.instagram.co ...  Show more

Today’s poem is Echo by Christina Rossetti.

The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem calls back to a deceased beloved, to return to this side of existence, to traverse the layers of time — an incantation that wishes to ...

Novelist Oana Aristide discusses her debut novel Under the Blue, about a reclusive artist forced to abandon his home and follow two young sisters across a post-pandemic Europe in search of a safe place. It has been described as eco-fiction and it explores themes of environmental ...  Show more