Christina Kowalski

Spacecraft / The Stuff of Life by Timothy Morton

Timothy Morton is Rita Shea Guffey Chair in English at Rice University, USA. They are the author of 16 books, including Being Ecological (2018) and Humankind: Solidarity with Nonhuman People (2017), and 200 essays on philosophy, ecology, literature, music, art, architecture, design and food.   We begin this philosophical conversation with an overview of Object-Oriented Ontology, the school of thought in which both Spacecraft and The Stuff of Life are rooted. Tim discusses how they came to describe life through ‘stuff’, touching on bananas, concealer, electric peanuts, and the Battersea Power Station. Stay tuned for lively tête à tête on Star Wars versus Star Trek. Spoiler: both franchises are good and beloved by both parties, but their philosophical outlooks differ in important ways. We learn of Tim’s connection to Sir Patrick Stewart as well as their favorite spacecraft, then veer into the relationship between spacecraft and human treatment of ecology, the environment, and the individual. Take a listen.   If you would like to buy your own copy of Spacecraft or The Stuff of Life, go to the Bloomsbury website and use code POD35 followed your respective country code, US, UK, CA, AU, depending on where you are located.   Americas customers (excluding Canada): POD35US UK and rest of world customers: POD35UK Canada customers: POD35CA Australia and New Zealand customers: POD35AU Check out this episode!

Britney Spears’ Blackout cover

Britney Spears’ Blackout by Natasha Lasky, part two

In part two of this episode, we discuss Spears’ conservatorship, and the public discussion around it as well as disability rights in general. Then, we look at stan culture and the influence of (social) media on celebrity and vice versa and how social media has changed since this album was released, looking at its impact on stars like Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift, plus what Britney Spears’ Instagram looks like today. Take a listen.

Nuclear Russia book cover

Nuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 2

This is part two of our episode on Nuclear Russia, and we are continuing our conversation with Paul Josephson, Professor of History at Colby College, USA. We’ll be discussing the groups that have suffered as a result of Russia’s pursuit of nuclear power, a nuclear themed beauty contest, and the evolution of Russia’s nuclear culture. Then looking forward, we consider what Russia’s recent self-proclaimed nuclear power ‘renaissance’ could mean for international security and the environment and what could be done to combat this nuclear resistance. Take a listen.

Nuclear Russia book cover

Nuclear Russia by Paul Josephson, part 1

This is part one of our episode on Nuclear Russia, we start off with an overview of the history of nuclear physics and how its emergence in Russia compares with other parts of the world. We’ll then delve into the ways in which nuclear power influenced the Cold War and vice versa before moving into a discussion of the ramifications Chernobyl had on the Soviet Union and the rest of the world. Take a listen.

Queer Data by Kevin Guyan

How do we decide who counts? Kevin Guyan, queer author, activist and scholar, joins us to discuss his latest book Queer Data: Using Gender, Sex and Sexuality Data for Action to break down how data shapes the world around us, and how we in turn, shape it. Take a listen.

Cover of Black British Queer Plays and Practitioners

Black British Queer Plays and Practitioners, part two

In part two of our episode, we’ll be talking about issues of accessibility in theatre and how that impacts playwrights, audiences, and even this collection. To combat this accessibility issue, we’ll delve into how practitioners and theatre-goers can benefit from reading this collection, particularly the intergenerational ‘in-conversation’ pieces. Then, the editors will be giving us a behind the scenes look at how the collection evolved over time as well as their own work in the theatre space. Take a listen.

The Godfather, part two

In part two of this episode, we will be exploring what the relationship between Hollywood and crime was like before and after this movie as well as how the film got its reputation as “high art” in the Western canon. Then, we talk about New Hollywood, the power of the director, the idea of the auteur, and what the future for medium-sized indie films could look like. Take a listen.

The Godfather, part one

In this episode, we will be discussing film’s revolutionary visual style, the political context for the film, and its unusual production history—was the film partly funded by the mob? We’ll find out. We’ll also be talking about the theme of assimilation into (white) America and the depiction of women in the films. Take a listen.

The Empire Strikes Back, part two

In part two of this episode, we will be talking about the relationship between fandom and franchise, including the ways profit-making gets in the way of storytelling and the impact that fans can have on casting or the plot of a movie. Then we’ll be turning back to the franchise that started it all to discuss how it directly gave life to the Marvel-ization of the film industry, how the Star Wars fandom continues to affect the “canon,” and the ways that the meaning and reception of this movie has shifted over the past 40 years.

The Empire Strikes Back, part one

In part two of this episode, we will be talking about the relationship between fandom and franchise, including the ways profit-making gets in the way of storytelling and the impact that fans can have on casting or the plot of a movie. Then we’ll be turning back to the franchise that started it all to discuss how it directly gave life to the Marvel-ization of the film industry, how the Star Wars fandom continues to affect the “canon,” and the ways that the meaning and reception of this movie has shifted over the past 40 years.