The Plot: Conversations on Writing

The founder of New Masculinities Group on how dismantling dangerous masculine stereotypes can give us better art, deeper relationships, and a more just society.

The playwright and host of American Theatre's podcast The Subtext discusses his show, post-pandemic productions, and navigating life's daily moral dilemmas.

Journalist Alex Mohajer discusses the future of film and TV about the Trump administration--and what stories he wants to see get told next.

We reflect on The Prey--the first Cambodian film to come to Netflix--while examining how new American streaming habits are helping global film and TV industries.

Playwright Christopher Shinn on building a Patreon community and his fears about social media.

Medievalist Kelly Williams on some of the world's greatest epics, romances, and poetry—and how to tell a good Spider-Man story.

The playwright of The Niceties on history, incremental vs. perfect progress, and staying humble in the face of great moral uncertainty.

Authors like James Baldwin or Haruki Murakami are major literary voices. Why aren’t they taught more in schools?

In part one of this series, we look at the most-assigned books on college syllabi to ask: what is the literary canon? Who shapes it, and what could a more inclusive canon look like?

For this episode we’ll be looking back on the legacy of Toni Morrison with Nambi E. Kelley. Kelley is an actor, playwright, and screenwriter. As an actor she’s appeared in numerous onstage roles with leading regional theaters, as well as in TV shows like Search Party, Madame Secretary, Elementary, and The Beast opposite Patrick Swayze. Her writing career has included plays like Xtigone, For Her as a Piano, and, perhaps most prominently, an acclaimed adaptation of Richard Wright’s novel Native Son, which has been widely produced and is currently running Off-Broadway in a production by The Acting Company. Her latest play, however, is an adaptation of Toni Morrison’s novel Jazz, written at Morrison’s request. Given Morrison’s recent passing, this seemed like a perfect opportunity to reflect on her literary impact, as well as to catch up with Kelley on her busy artistic life—which now also includes writing for the third season of Showtime’s series The Chi. If you’re a fan of either of these writers’ work, I think you’re going to enjoy this conversation on what it was like for Kelley to spend the last few years delving into Morrison’s writing, including the unexpected phrase she found that, to quote her, “blew her mind.” But in addition to discussing her adaptation of Jazz, she also shares an inside look at how she got her new job in television, and somehow this interview even ends with her father’s advice on relationships. So if you wanted some TV and dating tips thrown in with your coverage of the late Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize-winning legacy, this show has you covered. Follow us:Nambi E. Kelley--Website: http://www.nambikelley.com/Twitter: @NambiKelleyThis show--The Plot: @ThePlotPodcastSean Douglass: @_SeanDouglass_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I'm joined by playwright Karen Zacarías for a conversation on playwriting and Marvel’s Squirrel Girl. Zacarías is one of our country’s most produced playwrights, and among her latest plays is “Squirrel Girl Goes to College: A Squirrel Girl Play,” developed with Marvel as part of their new Marvel Spotlight collection. Marvel Spotlight, which also includes plays by Christian Borle and Masi Asare, is a new collection of short plays from Marvel and Samuel French aimed at students and young adults. And in Zacarías’s play Squirrel Girl, whose real name is Doreen Green, must battle the likes of Doctor Doom and other villains all while trying to maintain a normal life as a college freshman. If you’re not familiar with Squirrel Girl and her super strength, sharp claws, and power to communicate with squirrels—don’t worry. In this interview Zacarías will tell you all you need to know about this powerful and comedic hero who’s always down to “eat nuts and kick butts.” She also describes what it’s like to write a play for Marvel, creating positive role models for young women, and what animal she would command if she, too, could commune with wildlife. Whether you’re into theater—or even if you’re not and just into Marvel and the comic books, movies, or video games—I think you’re really going to like this conversation. Follow us:Karen Zacarías--Website: http://www.karenzacarias.comTwitter: @KarenZacarias6This show--The Plot: @ThePlotPodcastSean Douglass: @_SeanDouglass_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this episode I’m excited to be joined by author and cook Jessica Tom for a conversation on food fiction. Tom is the author of the novel Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit, set in the cutthroat restaurant world of New York City. She has also been a recurring presence on Food Network, including winning Food Network Star in 2018. Tom’s website jessicatom.com is a wealth of both recipes and writing advice, so in the spirit of cooking I’m going to change up my interview format a bit and prepare one of her dishes in the process. With me again is my friend and cohost Lauren McCrimmon, and we will be making Tom’s coconut peach resin pudding with mango. If you’d like to try it yourself, you can find the recipe here. I will note that, since this show was recorded in my kitchen and not in my usual recording space, it might sound slightly different from listeners are used to.  We got the louder things like blending out of the way first, but you will hear some ambient sounds of the pudding-making process as we discuss the intersections of both writing and food culture. How did Tom navigate the long road to publishing her first novel? How has winning Food Network Star shaped her career as both a chef and an author? And what exactly is a food whore? We’ll dig into these questions, and a terrific summer dessert, in this special food-themed episode of The Plot. Follow Jessica Tom:Twitter: @Jessica_Tom Instagram: @Jessica_Tom Follow us: Sean Douglass: @_SeanDouglass_ The Plot: @ThePlotPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Plot, I'm joined by playwright and journalist Winter Miller. Miller is a widely produced playwright and has also written extensively for The New York Times. In the mid-2000’s she traveled with Nicholas Kristof to the Sudan border, for research on what eventually became her best-known play In Darfur. In Darfur premiered at The Public Theater, followed by a standing room only performance at their 1800-seat Delacorte Theater in Central Park, a first for a play by a woman. She was a founding member of the Obie Award-winning playwriting collective 13P and has taught widely at universities, venues like New York Theatre Workshop and the Sundance Institute, as well as refugee camps in Northern Uganda and Palestine. In 2016, her play Spare Rib was read at an event, presented by Gloria Steinem, Samantha Bee, and others, honoring Christian OBGYN and abortion provider Dr. Willie Porter, and raised $20,000 in one night for southern abortion clinics.Miller’s newest play No One is Forgotten is about two women imprisoned under unknown circumstances. It was inspired by the many recent stories of journalists captured abroad and runs Off-Broadway at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater from July 8 to July 27. In this talk, she discusses the current geopolitical climate, what we can do to keep journalists safe, and how she ran a particularly successful Kickstarter campaign to make the play possible. (One tip: it helps to have a very cooperative cat!)If you would you like to help promote a safer world for journalists, consider supporting Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, or The Committee to Protect Journalists. You can also become a paying subscriber to your favorite news outlets.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Plot! In part one, I interview playwright and filmmaker Mia McCullough and actress Elizabeth Laidlaw (The Red Line, Chicago P.D.) on their new web series The Haven. The Haven, set at a domestic violence shelter, is just one of many examples of quality Chicago-based shows, so what does that say about the future of Chicago and TV? Then, in part two, my cohost Lauren McCrimmon hops on to join me for a conversation on science fiction where we’ll unpack Ted Chiang’s new short story collection Exhalation. To watch The Haven, you can visit www.thehavenweb.com, and you can follow the show on Twitter @TheHavenWeb. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.