Am I Allowed to Like Anything?
by Darian Symone Harvin
We live in this weird American culture where it's never cool to say when you like something. It feels like our critiques don't hold true worth unless we act skeptical before we act open minded. So I created a space where I can hop on record with a person I like to talk about what they do, and things we legitimately like.
Episodes
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Wellness Realness | Ep. 069 ft. Annya Santana
Founder of the gender fluid skincare brand Menos Mas, Annya Santana, joins me to talk about her wellness journey; growing up as the middle child of a family who emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the Bronx, high school days (bullying, acne, acting school), blossoming into who she is today,...
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Pushing Past The Internet's Expectations Of Us | Ep. 068 ft. Alex Wolf
Writer and digital anthropologist Alex Wolf joins me for her second time on #AIATLA (she first came on three years ago!). Since then, she left the company she started to become an artist. She catches me up on the process of publishing her first book, 'Resonate,' and first short documentary,...
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The (Ongoing) Process Of Becoming A Better Writer | Ep. 067 ft. Jasmine Sanders
After a long break, #AIATLA is back — and writer Jasmine Sanders joins me. She writes for Jezebel and her work appears in the New York Times, BuzzFeed News, Catapult and New York Magazine. Jasmine talks to me about her to desire to continue writing stories that illuminate and broaden how Black...
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Why Beauty Gets So Deep, So Quickly | Ep. 066 ft. Brooke DeVard
Brooke DeVard, host of the Naked Beauty podcast, joins me! Brooke is a marketing and strategy specialist formerly of Viacom and now Instagram. She’s had an amazing career in media two far, including working in London, where she met her now husband. We talk about her life growing up on the Upper...
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Fashioned Through The Fire And The Foolishness | Ep. 065 ft. Tre'vell Anderson
On this episode, I sat down with Los Angeles Times reporter Tre’vell Anderson to talk about his work covering Black and LGBTQ Hollywood, growing up an military brat, and our current skincare faves. +1 SEGMENT: - Cardi B + Amara Le Negra - My Jade Roller. FIGHT ME. And you can sign up to receive…
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Be A Force | Ep. 064 ft. Natalie James / NJinLA
Natalie James (also known as NJinLA) is a Los Angeles native who I met when I moved to the city. She’s a creative producer & music, travel and food writer. She's a radio host on NTS, DJ and is just getting started in A&R. We talk about her journey through therapy, how she got thrown into DJing…
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The #1 Rule: Be Clear | Ep. 063 ft. Symone Sanders
Political strategist Symone Sanders is optimistic because most of the time, she has no choice but to be. She’s the former National Press Secretary of Bernie Sanders, and right now, she’s the youngest commentator on cable TV. We have a frank conversation about the past two years of her life…
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Music Saved Her Life | Ep. 062 ft. Cherrie
When I came across Somali-Swedish R&B singer Cherrie's breakout song 163 För Evigt, I needed to find a way to have her on my podcast. We talk about being a Black girl growing up in Finland and Sweden, how she and other artists in Sweden are putting R&B and rap on their music charts, and her...
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#AIATLA LIVE at SXSW: The Glory Of Velour Suits | 061 ft. Sama'an Ashrawi
Live from SXSW in Austin, I interview film director and writer Sama'an Ashrawi about life growing up in Texas as a first generation Palestinian-American, working with some of Hip Hop’s legends, and the glory of velour suits. Follow Sama'an on Twitter! @SamaanAshrawi| IG! @sam3an Follow Darian on...
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We Are Figuring It All Out, HBU? | Ep. 060 ft. Lakin Starling
Writer Lakin Starling joins me to talk about life growing in the neo-soul capital, some of her proudest work at The FADER and the sacred space she's creating during her own interviews. And! We talk about what we're using on our faces these days, (because #skincare) before I found out about The...
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Bully Me Off Twitter, I'm Begging You! | Ep 059 ft. Ira Madison III
Culture writer Ira Madison III blesses the show. He's at the Daily Beasts and hosts his own podcast, Keep It. We talk about the soaps he grew up watching, and dig into our favorite people, television and songs of 2017. Follow Ira on IG: @kingirairaira | Twitter: @ira Follow Darian on IG: @darian…
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An Energy That's Difficult To Match | Ep. 058 ft. Briana Owens
Founder of Spiked Spin and spin instructor Briana Owens graces the podcast to talk about how her mission goes beyond wanting to help people feel good or empower them, but creating a space for people who are left out of the very experience boutique fitness scene — people of color. We talk about…
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#AIATLA LIVE at Well-Read Black Girl Festival ft. Bernice McFadden + Numa Perrier | Ep. 057
Author Bernice McFadden, whose novel "Book of Harlan" was recently optioned as a film and filmmaker Numa Perrier, who is working on a film and book based on her life titled "Jezebel" join me at Well-Read Black Girl's first festival in Brooklyn! We talk about why it seems more Black novels are…
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The Life of an Afro-Digital Immigrant | Episode 056 ft. André Singleton
Artist and teacher André Singleton is in the studio! He’s the co-founder of Very Black — a project founded in unapologetic Black love and solidarity — and we talk about his life as an Afro-digital immigrant, his journey battling cancer, trips to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil and what it means to be…
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#AIATLA LIVE: The Intersection Of Politics And Culture | Ep. 055 ft. Sopan Deb
New York Times culture writer Sopan Deb joins me to talk about the intersection of politics and culture, covering Donald Trump on the campaign trial and how his stand up comedy fits (or doesn't) into his work as a journalist. +1 SEGMENT For right now being the best time for theatre, in a long…
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The Highs and Lows of Being a Black Creative | Episode 054 ft. Melissa Kimble
Melissa Kimble is the founder of #blkcreatives, a platform known for their explosive Twitter chats that helps young, Black creatives work through their goals, insecurities and wins. I talk to Melissa about her upbringing, big moments of growth for #blkcreatives, her time at Ebony magazine and…
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2 Sagittarius's Walk Into A Bar | Ep. 053 ft. Yaya Mazurkevich Nuñez
This week, Yaya Mazurkevich Nuñez joins me. We talk about the drastic life changes that came with moving to the Bronx after a life in the Dominican Republic, her days in NYC’s nightlife and working the door at clubs downtown, her job now as an experiential producer at the agency Translation, how...
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Having Plenty | Ep. 052 ft. Chenoa Maxwell
This week Transformation Expert and Self Love Specialist Chenoa Maxwell joins me. Chenoa discusses her transition from both acting (she's well know for her leading role in "Hav Plenty" and in "Girlfriends"!) and photography, growing up at an early age, and why she continues to defy people's...
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TFW The Internet Revives A Good Moment | Ep. 051 ft. Yohana Desta
Vanity Fair Hollywood Writer Yohana Desta joins me! I reached out to Yohana after wanting to know more about her work as a writer in NYC covering Hollywood. We talk about the films she’s seen recently that really hit a nerve with her, her music writing aspirations and how nice it feels when the...
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Where Curiosity Will Lead You | Ep. 050 ft. Nicole Blades
Novelist, journalist and co-host of the podcast “Hey, Sis” Nicole Blades is here with me! Nicole and I talk about some of the cultural moments she remembers when coming up in the media industry. She’s getting ready to release her next book, 'Have You Met Nora?’ — the story of a woman who is mixed...
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Not The Bubbly Capitalist You Were Hoping For | Ep. 049 ft. Myles Johnson
Writer, editor, author and critic Myles Johnson joins me to talk about his work, his recent move to NYC + why it was time, Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN’ and what winning looks like, for him. +1 SEGMENT Myles: Seamless Darian: Instacart Both of us: TIME Footnotes:...
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A Tribute to Patron Saint Maxine Waters | Ep. 048 ft. Hunter Harris
This week, writer and Associate Editor at Vulture/NYMag Hunter Harris joins me! If that names sound familiar, it's because Hunter was the first #AIATLA guest! She comes back to update us on what she's working on. We talk a lot about movies and why it is the lens at which she critiques our…
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Booked, Busy, #Blessed | Ep. 047 ft. Kéla Walker
6 x Emmy nominated TV host & producer, and style authority Kéla Walker joins me. I’ve known Kéla since I was in college, and on this episode, we talk about how we got to know each other, mentorship and what it takes for a mentor/mentee relationship to work, plus what is actually catching Kéla's...
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Making Her Ancestors (And Beyoncé) Proud | Ep. 046 ft. Yvette Noel-Schure
So. About two years ago I interviewed Yvette Noel-Schure who is Beyoncé’s publicist (and has formerly repped Destiny’s Child, Mariah Carey, and Prince) for a project I never released. This week, I decided to release the interview on #AIATLA because so much of what Yvette talks about is still...
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On The Right Side of History | Ep. 045 ft. Lisa Lucas
Executive Director of the National Book Foundation Lisa Lucas stops by the show to talk about life growing up and the sort of work she was doing that led to her current role. We also talk about the ebbs of flows of reading and how books can serve as timestamps in your life. +1 SEGMENT…
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LEMONADE Gave Us More Than Any Grammy Could | Ep. 044 ft. Jasmyn Lawson
Culture Editor at GIPHY Jasmyn Lawson joins me to talk about some of the history making projects she's working on for Black History Month (and beyond.) Plus, Beyoncé and why LEMONADE gave us more than any Grammy could. +1 SEGMENT: - BET - The motivation + relaxation that comes with working out...
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Editor-in-Cool | Ep. 043 ft. Dodai Stewart
Dodai Stewart joins me! She's the Editor-In-Chief of fusion.net and formerly of Jezebel, where she served as Deputy Editor — and was also one of the first hires at the publication. Dodai talks to me about growing up in NYC, the inclusivity of teen culture and our <3 for it, battling the fatigue...
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Skincare Status | Ep. 042 ft. Ashley Weatherford
Ashley Weatherford is the Associate Beauty Editor over at NY Mag's The Cut, and if you’ve been following her work you know she expertly writes about the intersection of makeup, skincare, culture, women of color, hair and celebrities. We talk very intensely about skincare, the science behind...
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Who Are You Performing For? | Ep. 041 ft. Brittany Luse
Brittany Luse is the co-host and co-producer of the For Colored Nerds podcast with Eric Eddings and a host and producer at Gimlet Media, a podcast network. Brittany and I exchange survival tips for this ridiculous world we live in, talk about how we are consuming media after the election, and...
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If I Ruled The World (2016 Edition) | Ep. 040 ft. Darian
What sense does it make to have a podcast about liking things and not do a year-end wrap up?! I talk about all of my favorite + most meaningful personal and cultural moments of 2016. Footnotes: http://theseam.co/darian-2016-lit-lit-lit/ Follow me on IG: @darian
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Our Time, Our Values, Our World | Ep. 039 ft Gia Peppers
Entertainment journalist and on-air host Gia Peppers joins me. We're kind of on this career journey/figuring life out journey together. We talk about her work so far (NBA, Complex, Essence and lots of red carpet work), the entertainment industry and how she is making her dreams a reality. +1...
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Tanzina Vega's New York City | Ep. 036
I head over to CNN's NYC newsroom to meet up with CNNMoney Digital Correspondent Tanzina Vega. We talk about Netflix's 'The Get Down,' Tanzina's upbringing and life in NYC, and all of the feelings about diversity in media. +1 SEGMENT: - The Get Down. Black and Brown success that has been on the...
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"I'll Tell You How Free I Am" | Ep. 037 ft Carri Twigg
Carri Twigg is a public engagement strategist. Lately she’s been working with media companies to show them how to engage with young people in ways that are authentic during a time when race, political and social justice are now a part of the American media diet. Before this she worked at the…
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Context Is King, and So Is Ms. Tina | Ep. 036 ft Jason Parham
Writer and editor Jason Parham joins me. He's currently a Senior Editor at THE FADER and formerly of Gawker. We discover his Wikipedia page, talk about existing on the Internet, his literary magazine SPOOK and the times we met Ms. Tina Lawson. +1 SEGMENT: - Catching the feels for Instagram…
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The Insane, Motivating Life of Elise Peterson | Ft. 035
I stop by artist, teacher, writer Elise Peterson's crib in Brooklyn to talk about growing up in the suburbs (for better or worse), her days at Howard University, sex work, and of course, her writing and art. +1 SEGMENT: - Shout out to Elise’s girlfriend, her plus one for everything. - The...
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Food Over Everything | Ep. 034 ft Mayukh Sen
Mayukh Sen writes about the intersection of food culture, race and heritage for Food52. He joins me to talk about his writing, his old gig at This, M.I.A., and HBO's 'The Night Of.' +1 SEGMENT: - to Nicole Scherzinger and her 2011 single 'Right there' - Monica Ahanonu, who is an artist and After...
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This is How You Invest in Yourself | Ep. 033 ft Devi Dev
I give Devi Dev a call at 93.7 The Beat, where she's Music Director and a host at the Houston station. We talk about the biz, her new business, Karma Bliss, and how everything she's doing right now, for her, is about finding ways to empower (and inspire) people. +1 SEGMENT - 'Birth of a Nation'…
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Brittany Sky Is In Her Lane | Ep. 032
Brittany Sky joins me! Brittany is a DJ, influencer and creative who went from wanting to be a lawyer to launching a career that lets her travel the world for a living. We talk about music, her college days and what we're using on our faces. Follow Brittany Sky on Twitter & IG : @brittanysky...
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The Life Of a Local News Reporter | Ep. 031 ft Megan Mitchell
Recording from Cincinnati, Ohio I meet up with journalist and TV reporter Megan Mitchell. We talk about her current gig as morning anchor at Cinci’s WLWT, storytelling, and some of the people and communities she’s covered so far. +1 SEGMENT: - Vegetarianism. Adulting. - Bloop by Aminatou Sow and...
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From The Medical Field to Beyoncé's Dressing Room | Ep. 030 ft. Raquel Smith
Celebrity stylist Raquel Smith has been working with Beyoncé for the past 10 years. We talk about growing up in Georgia, tour life, making jewelry inspired by her father and motivational speaking. +1 SEGMENT: - Her styling career - Healthier paths toward life balance Find Raquel on Instagram:...
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Sold On the Vision | Ep. 029 ft. Terron Moore
Teen Vogue's Social Media Director Terron Moore joins me! We talk about what it takes to run a social platform for young women and men (aka THE TEENS), representation, growing up black in white spaces, and Harry Potter. Things we like: - The messages in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter, now that we're...
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The Risks Angela Flournoy Took | Ep. 028
I talk to novelist Angela Flournoy about her debut book, The Turner House, which has received wide recognition and accolades. Angela herself was nominated for a National Book Award and The Turner House was named a New York Times Notable Book of 2015. We talk about her book, the wide spectrum of…
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Blac Chyna's Revenge | Ep. 027 ft. Sylvia Obell
I talk to BuzzFeed's pop culture writer Sylvia Obell about her career so far in journalism, her upbringing, and her recent, explosive piece on Blac Chyna. 'How Blac Chyna Beat the Kardashians at Their Own Game' — by @SylviaObell: http://bzfd.it/25wWcaf Things we like: - Chance the Rapper's...
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The Cultural Tax | Ep. 026 ft. Eve Ewing
Scholar, writer, artist and teacher Dr. Eve Ewing joins me to talk about her hometown of Chicago, growing up around art, the significance of nick names in Black communities, and the importance of the intentional, pervasive dialogue around education inequality. +1 SEGMENT: - Writer Hanif…
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Drinking Beyoncé's Lemonade | Ep. 025 ft. Taj Rani Chrisp, Bené Viera, Clover Hope
Three guests join me to talk about their experiences with Beyoncé's latest project, the visual album LEMONADE. Bené Viera - @beneviera - is a journalist and writer who covers pop culture, gender and race. Clover Hope - @clovito - is a Senior Writer at Jezebel who covers and critiques pop culture....
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We Can't Short Change People | Ep. 024 ft. Brandon "Jinx" Jenkins
On this week's episode, I have Brandon "Jinx" Jenkins of Complex News on the show with me. We take stock of self, and everything we have been loving — The FADER's artists features, Blink 182, Grime in the UK, and keeping it 100. +1 SEGMENT: - Ultimate respect for Angie Martinez - radiooooo.com…
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Reminder: There's Power In Vulnerability | Ep. 023 ft. Ericka Pittman
I talk to Ericka Pittman, who is currently serving as the VP of Combs Enterprises Chairman's Office. We talk about her early days working on marketing and media, money and her new book coming out, "What Mommy Never Told You". +1 SEGMENT - United Airways - Yo Gotti's latest album, "The Art of...
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Food Is The New Hip-Hop! Everyone Has An Opinion. | Ep. 022 ft. Nicole Taylor
Southern food and Soul food continue to evolve though the hands of Black cooks, chefs and those a part of food culture. I talk to Nicole Taylor, author of 'The Up South Cookbook'. Nicole is an amazing cook, a podcast host and food culturist. We discuss food as the new Hip-Hop, Rock and the new...
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Rethinking New York Fashion Week | Ep. 021 ft. JJ Maxwell
JJ Maxwell is an accomplished creative and art director who has worked on both the agency and media side of the crazy fashion world. We talk about what he's working on now, and this week, we've got high- and low-brow +1's. +1 SEGMENT: - Bitch Sesh podcast - Savannah, Georgia - @refinery29...
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Saada Ahmed Wants You To Focus On Her Heart | Ep. 020
For the 20th episode of #AIATLA, I talk to Saada Ahmed who is the Co-Founder of one of NYC’s biggest Everyday People. We talk about how the party has evolved over time, our travels through Kenya, Ethiopia, Bali & Bangkok, plus running; and how we came to like it. Things we like: - Namaskar Health…
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About this show
We live in this weird American culture where it's never cool to say when you like something. It feels like our critiques don't hold true worth unless we act skeptical before we act open minded. So I created a space where I can hop on record with a person I like to talk about what they do, and things we legitimately like.
Hosted by
Darian Symone Harvin