Public Intellectual

The legendary cult expert and psychologist Robert Jay Lifton joins Public Intellectual to explain what the totalitarian experience shares with the …

Twitter is full of Nazis, Facebook is facilitating genocide, YouTube is, well, also full of Nazis but also child pornography. How did social media …

Jessa talks to Brandon Scott, currently the City Council President and hopefully the next mayor of Baltimore, to talk about how the language of …

With the revelations about the abuses of Harvey Weinstein and others like him came a scramble to uncover the misdeeds of other powerful men. Some …

What makes a feminist artist feminist? Is it just by being a woman and political? Is it something to do with the art itself, must it carry a specific …

Before DNA testing, the father was, ultimately, a question mark. Because paternity was always in question, there were legal, familial, societal, and …

Jessa speaks with Nathalie Olah about her new book, Steal As Much As You Can and the bland cultural landscape, created by upper classes and dominated …

Jessa speaks with cultural critic, academic, and leftist thinker Yasmin Nair about the exploitative, dumbed down, and click-baity hot take culture in …

Jessa speaks with Justin Ward about the disappearance of the working class journalist. With local, small, and alternative newspapers folding, there …

On the inaugural episode of “Public Intellectual,” Jessa Crispin invites writer & cultural critic Laura Kipnis to discuss her book, “Unwanted …

Jessa invites Breanne Fahs, Professor of Women and Gender Studies at Arizona State University and author of Out for Blood: Essays on Menstruation and Resistance, onto Public Intellectual to discuss Radical Feminism and …

Jessa invites Michelle Tea, author of “Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards” and “Black Wave,” onto the show to discuss Tarot’s relevance and application in the modern era. They …

Jessa made a joke on twitter saying that she wanted to write a book called “Heterosexuality is a Fucking Nightmare.” She received an e-mail from another user intrigued by the idea, Indiana Seresin, encouraging her to …

Jessa invites Zak Mucha, author of Emotional Abuse: A Manual For Self-Defense, onto Public Intellectual to discuss straight white men and the crisis …

Jessa invites author Bruce Benderson onto the show to discuss the disappearance of the spinster/grandma in film and how women’s roles have changed …

Jessa invites author Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore (The End Of San Francisco) onto Public Intellectual to discuss the transgender military ban & …

Jessa invites Irish author Mia Gallagher (Beautiful Pictures of the Lost Homeland) onto Public Intellectual for a thoughtful discussion on what it …

Jessa invites Pamela Bannos, author of the upcoming book “Vivian Maier: A Photographer’s Life and Afterlife” to discuss Vivian Maier’s life, the exploitation of her work, and the manufacturing of her image after her …

Jessa invites writer Neal Pollack onto the show to discuss the opportunism and profiteering of #Resistance writers in the age of Trump. They talk …

As we approach the 20th anniversary of Tori Amos’s “Boys for Pele,” Jessa invites her friend, Common Gore, onto the show to discuss Tori Amos, the …

Recently, Jessa attended a fascinating exhibition of mysticism and art at the IMMA in Dublin called “As Above, So Below: Portals, Visions, Spirits & Mystics.” Pádraic E Moore, writer/curator/art historian from …

There is a strong market for witchcraft these days. As practices such as astrology, tarot, crystals, and herbal medicine enter the mainstream, the …

Jessa invites Jessica Stites, executive editor of In These Times, onto the show for a conversation about the institution of marriage and why it …

What does it mean to be a global citizen? What does it mean to be a global citizen as a Westerner, when so much of the world has been molded to work …

It’s the 500 year anniversary of the Reformation, so Jessa invites Adrian Shirk onto the show to talk about religion and her new book, And Your Daughters Shall Prophesy: Stories from the Byways of American Women and …

South Side bureau reporter for WBEZ Chicago, Natalie Y. Moore, joins Jessa for a candid conversation about Gentrification vs. Development and the specific situation in Chicago. What is the current state of things? And …

There's nothing like reading a hateful book review. And though it is certainly pleasurable to read (and write), the bad book review serves an …

It’s Part Two of “What The Christ Is Wrong With Straight White Men?” For the second installment of this series, Jessa invites writer John Biguenet onto the show to discuss the straight white male writer. What are his …

Jessa invites writer Indiana Seresin back onto the show as the first repeat guest to discuss the TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel, …

Jessa invites writer Leah Finnegan (The Outline) onto the show to discuss the “shitty media men” list, the power imbalances in media (and elsewhere), and the current structures that protect sexual predators. Together, …

The second part in a series about the films of David Fischer and Paul Verhoeven. Jessa invites author/cartoonist David Rees onto the show to discuss …

This week, Jessa invites Ciara Cremin, author of Man-Made Woman: The Dialectics of Cross-Dressing, onto the show for a conversation about …

The third part in a series about the films of Paul Verhoeven and David Fincher. Jessa invites writer, translator, and producer of erotic gay manga, …

Why are women attracted to violence and brutality? Laura Elizabeth Woollett wrote a collection of short stories about this phenomenon called “The …

The fourth part in a series about the films of David Fincher and Paul Verhoeven. Jessa invites writer, Tech StartUp employee, and Harvard Alum Austin …

The fifth part in a series about the films of David Fincher and Paul Verhoeven. Jessa invites Manan Ahmed, Professor of Medieval Studies at Columbia …

Jessa sits down with journalist, poet and filmmaker Alissa Quart to discuss the rising maternal death rates and the place limited abortion access has in those figures, and how we are in this position where abortion is …

if you wanted to gauge the state of straight white men in America in the 80s and 90s, you could just watch Michael Douglas movies. The sixth part in …

Over the last few years, there have been a lot of white dudes who’ve taken up the task of defending the enlightenment. But for decades, women and …

The seventh part in a series about the films of Paul Verhoeven and David Fincher. Jessa invites writer Melissa Gira Grant onto the show to discuss …

The eighth part in a series about the films of Paul Verhoeven and David Fincher. Jessa invites film critic Sheila O'Malley onto the show to discuss …

Remember when people were desperately trying to find a silver lining to the Trump presidency and what they came up with, aside from “at least we'll …

Pankaj Mishra’s book “The Age Of Anger: A History of the Present” is the antidote to the defenders of the enlightenment, like Jordan Peterson and Steven Pinker, who are suddenly so big now. It examines the gap between …

There’s something alluring about conspiracy thinking. A way of understanding and giving order to a world that is mostly chaotic and unknowable. Why is there pain and suffering? Well, either God is doing it or the …

The ninth part in a series about the films of Paul Verhoeven and David Fincher. Elle is a film about power dynamics, the way men treat women, sexual …

The first episode in a new series about life in Berlin -- not just Berlin, but the new urban age. We'll be speaking with academics, journalists, writers, and other figures about housing issues and income inequality, how …

In America and in Europe, the left has a problem. Unable to control the rise of populism and the extreme right, the left has become powerless and …

Today we understand science and religion as being two wholly separate pursuits. They are not only separate, they are often hostile to one other. Yet, …

There are consequences to travel. From the environmental impact of international flights, to massive displacement in trendy neighborhoods for air bnb …

There is always a myth about a city that may or may not line up with the reality of what it’s like to live in that city. For Berlin, the myth is that it’s incredibly cheap, with endless resources, and everyone there is …

The Love Witch is the feminine version of Fight Club. Not only in the sense of it being an exploration of the extreme expressions of gender and all the societal pressures to perform that gender -- but also because the …

In Suzanne Leonard's new book, Wife Inc, she looks at the pop culture industry based around the idea of what a wife is. From reality television, to …

We’ve already done an episode about Paul Verhoeven’s Elle, but there are a few more things left to say about this film: in particular, the radical …

Lotta Meri Pirita Tenhunen is an activist in Madrid currently helping to organize and participate in the mass occupation of bank owned property in …

For her latest series about women directors, Jessa speaks with Ryan Nyburg of the Post-Culture Review about Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker, the …

The pressure to conform to very limited beauty standards has (as today’s guest would say) an ethical side — if you don’t use this 12 step skin care …

Jessa welcomes back special guest Margaret Howie for a conversation about terrible women, conmen, and fraudsters.  --- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS CONTENT, EARLY EPISODE …

This episode is one of our bonus eps that was recently released on our Patreon feed -- but today, we're migrating it over to the main feed for all Public Intellectual listeners. If you like this and want more bonus …

Jessa is married. What follows is a conversation with the man she married about his history of performing masculinity, jessa’s history of trying to …

Jessa sits down with Nicolás Melo to discuss David Fincher's Netflix series "Mindhunter" and the contagiousness of toxic masculinity.  --- …

Jessa speaks with Emil Ferris, author of the graphic novel “My Favorite Thing Is Monsters,” about living with art, the gift that ugliness can be, and their shared deep love of Chicago.  --- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Donna Haraway and Adele Clarke edited the potent little volume "Making Kin Not Population," as a way to think through alternatives to babies and ask …

Does it matter what we watch and read? Is it possible for a film to be just entertainment or are the stories that our mass media tells us shaping how we see the world? Peter Biskind, author of “The Sky Is Falling: How …

Jessa sits down with Johanna Hedva. They have been writing a series of pieces on illness called “This Earth, Our Hospital,” including the much referenced and much loved essay "Sick Woman Theory." They discuss why …

What is feminism still good for? What does feminist theory and a feminist worldview offer as we consider how to move into the future? How do we move …

Jessa sits down with Jennifer Porto to discuss the problem of the wife and why there is so little good literature on a role that is millennia old. …

In our continuing investigation into the reality of the lives of straight white men, we turn our attention to their artistic output. Jessa sits down with Irish playwright, Philip St. John, to discuss this, as well as …

Housing and city planning are feminist issues. Jessa speaks with Dorina Pojani, Professor at the University of Queensland, about urban planning and how we can begin to think about bringing feminism into urban planning …

Jessa speaks with poet/film critic Eileen G'Sell about the documentaries of Lauren Greenfield, specifically her latest film "Generation Wealth." --- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS …

Jessa sits down with Heidi Matthews to discuss the #MeToo movement and believing women. --- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS CONTENT, EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, SHOW NOTES, MERCH and …

Jessa is joined by Emily Yoshida to discuss Paul Verhoeven's 1987 film RoboCop, the masculinity of the hyper-80s action movie, and the TV dads that …

Gillian Flynn is having a moment. Jessa sits down with Nicolás R. Melo to discuss her work and their recent adaptations.  --- SUBSCRIBE to the …

In 2012, Michael Scott Moore was abducted in Somalia while working as a reporter. Two and a half years later, he was released after a ransom was paid. Now he has published the book, The Desert and the Sea, which is not …

Jessa talks with BD McClay, book critic and beloved frequent guest of the podcast, about year end book lists and the dominance of the first person …

Jessa talks with Christopher L. Miller about the literary faker and the idea of authenticity in an era where anyone can pretend to be whoever they want.  --- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to …

Jessa sits down with Leigh Goodmark, Professor of Law and Director of the Gender Violence Clinic at the University of Maryland Carey School of Law …

The 2018 Daphne Award presentation is here! The only award show that revisits fiction & non-fiction works published 50 years ago to determine …

Jessa speaks with Randy Shaw, Director of the Tenderloin Housing Clinic and author of new book Generation Priced Out: Who Will Live In The New Urban America?, about the limited conversations surrounding the housing …

Jessa speaks with Joseph Fischel, author of Screw Consent: A Better Politics of Sexual Justice, to talk about the word "consent" and how to think …

What can a city and a tenant do in order to prevent a population, neighborhood, or ethnicity from being displaced? Jessa speaks with head of the …

Jessa speaks with poet Alexis Aceves Garcia about how class, education, and diversity issues in the publishing world create a hostile environment for writers who aren’t of a certain race, educational background, and/or …

Glenn Close occupies an interesting place in American cinema and the feminist imagination. Jessa speaks with author Suzanne Leonard about her, the …

What does it take to start a new publication in this era, particularly an altweekly? Jessa sits down with Brandon Soderberg, who is helping to revive …

Jessa sits down with Barbara Bourland ("Fake Like Me") to discuss envy, especially in the writing community. --- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS CONTENT, EARLY EPISODE RELEASES, SHOW …

Jessa speaks with Sarah Lazare and Jessica Stites of In These Times Magazine about what we do now that Mueller has not saved everyone and the big distraction of Russia-gate is over. --- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Jessa sits down with Jennifer Porto to discuss American hostility to art, how this hostility becomes systemic due to lack of eduction and understanding of art’s value, and what it means to separate yourself from that …

Jessa speaks with Ben Miller, one half of "Bad Gays," a podcast about evil and complicated gay men in history, about uncovering the darker side of …

Jessa sits down with Leah Munsey to discuss The Paper Machete, a weekly show at the Green Mill in Chicago, what it’s like to run the show, and how to …

As several states pass legislation to block access to abortion services, Robin Marty’s book Handbook For Post-Roe America is an essential purchase. Jessa speaks with Robin about the dire state of abortion rights and …

Jessa speaks with writer Yasmin Nair about the state of criticism, what it means for criticism to be dead, and what the changing relationship is between those who make and those who have opinions. -- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Jessa sits down with critic and art historian, Ian Bourland, to discuss Guns n' Roses, of course! They talk Axl Rose, his legacy, and whether he …

Jessa speaks with Clare Chambers, author of Against Marriage, about a marriage-free state. What would a state that does not prioritize and privilege …

In an exclusive bonus episode pulled from the Public Intellectual Patreon, Jessa and Eileen G'Sell discuss the older woman/younger man romantic …

Jessa speaks with dear friend and returning guest Jennifer Porto about happiness — whether it exists, how social media tries to take it away from us, and whether happiness creates complacency. -- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Astrology is booming, and commodified within an inch of its life, so now feels like the perfect time to speak with Amelia Quint about the current …

Jessa Crispin contemplates the role of the writer in the age of hot takes, constant opinion, and explainers.

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Jessa and special guest Margaret Howie discuss the latest developments in the Epstein scandal, all of the married men who have been caught in his company, and the wives that stand by them. -- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Jessa speaks with author Nancy L Green about the limits of transnationalism, the language of the expat vs the migrant vs the immigrant, and who gets to count as a valuable citizen in troubled times. -- SUBSCRIBE to the …

Jessa speaks with Mikita Brottman, author of An Unexplained Death, about the new "true crime" wave and what it says about its mostly female audience. -- SUBSCRIBE to the #PublicIntellectual #Patreon page to access BONUS …

Eli Meyerhoff ("Beyond Education") delves into the many -- many -- scandals rocking higher education these days and sees the foundational problems …