Weekend listening
My recent appearances on three worthy podcasts
A brief message this holiday weekend to share a few podcast conversations that I’ve recently been a part of:
Defector
Five years ago, the writers at Deadspin quit in solidarity after a private equity takeover and launched their own collaborative, self-owned sports and culture website called Defector.
Part of the Defector team includes columnist Drew Magary and editor David Roth. They co-host Defector’s flagship podcast, “The Distraction,” and this week they were kind enough to invite me onto the show to talk about rising authoritarianism around the world, the role of tech in contributing to that authoritarian future, and the nostalgia of a Knicks v. Pacers Eastern Conference Finals (that’s NBA playoff basketball, for those unfamiliar).
Politicon
A few weeks earlier hosts Nayyera Haq and Jamal Simmons invited me onto the “Trailblaze” podcast to discuss the current battles over history in the United States. On social media and in politics, from libraries to museums, efforts are underway to try and dictate what histories get told and which are removed from public view.
Politicon is a non-partisan podcast and live event network that has been in existence for ten years. They have an array of podcasts and shows, including those hosted by former White House staffers such as Haq and Simmons, as well as those hosted by political commentator James Carville.
Real Clear Politics
Finally, I was invited recently onto the Real Clear Politics podcast to talk about the U.S. Library of Congress. The impetus for the conversation was the dismissal by President Trump of the most recent Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden.
Long-time readers of this newsletter know that I used to work at the Library of Congress. It is an institution that I cherish for its non-partisan work to continually provide wisdom and knowledge to Congress, the American public and people around the world. Whatever the motives for the dismissal, I told my friend and host Carl Cannon that ensuring the Library of Congress remains an open and welcoming site for everyone should be an imperative that we all share.
*Note: the YouTube link below is to the entire RCP episode; my segment begins at 22:45
More to come in the weeks ahead. Until then, have a wonderful weekend and a meaningful Memorial Day here in the U.S.
-JS
Good point about the need for unity in the anti-Trump movement. But I was surprised at your view that democracy is still so intact in our current society. You cited “separation of powers,” “functioning courts,” and “a lot of resistance. “ A lot of us are more skeptical.