Episodes

Today’s episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera moderating a discussion at the opening of Interconnectedness, an exhibition of fourteen works by Lydia Dona, Nicole Parcher, and Stephen Pusey—three brilliant artists, each of whom reenvisions abstraction in dynamic and exceptional ways. The show in New York City is open for public viewing at New York Insight Meditation Center until January 31, 2026.

Happy birthday, Eugene Lim! Celebrate by listening to our podcast conversation with him, which we posted in 2019! This episode features writer Eugene Lim reading from and discussing his short fiction, his novel Dear Cyborgs, and his novel-in-progress; not to mention writing and literature, reading, books, editing, editors, libraries, librarians, experimental fiction, Jorge Luis Borges, publishing, Ellipsis Press, Third Space Theory, Renee Gladman, Miranda Mellis, Joanna Ruocco, Evelyn Hampton, ...

Happy 83rd birthday, Samuel R. Delany! Celebrate by listening to our 2019 podcast conversation with the literary giant (and Big Other contributor)! Also celebrate by reading a compendium of quotes from Delany’s writing we published in celebration of his 78th birthday. This episode features Samuel R. Delany reading “A Night in the Lonesome October,” an as-yet unpublished short fiction. We talk about this and about some of Delany’s recently published books: Voyage, Orestes, The Atheist in the Att...

Today’s episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with Daniel Hill, William Lamson, Daria Panichas, Taney Roniger, and Jim Toia, five artists whose work was featured in Post-Posthuman, the art exhibition in New York City that marvelously foregrounded materiality, interconnectedness, and contingency, each piece in the show deeply informed by deep ecology, a vital philosophy of ecological harmony and equilibrium. (Image: Xavi Bou’s Ornithography 172)

Today’s episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with Professor Jasmine Syedullah, black feminist political theorist of abolition. Among the things discussed: system racism, the origins of modern policing, the current nationwide of protests against police brutality, the ways policing as an institution reinforces race and class inequalities by design, police and prison abolition, alternatives to policing and incarceration, and more besides. The show opens with poet Brendan ...

Today’s episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with Professor Richard D. Wolff. Among the things discussed are capitalism, neoliberalism, socialism, Bernie Sanders, Trump, the two-party oligarchy/plutocracy, voting, democracy, and “disaster socialism.” Professor Richard D. Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he taught economics from 1973 to 2008. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in Internationa...

Today’s episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with writer Kurt Baumeister, writer/musician Matthew Binder, artist/musician Hieronymus Bogs, and musician Jeremiah Hosea sharing encouraging words and/or their thoughts about what gives them hope during the contagion. Listen to part one of this series, which features writers Carol Guess, Davis Schneiderman, and Tony Trigilio. Listen to part two of this series, which features writers Hillary Leftwich and Antonio Nadal. Li...

This episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with great writers Robert Lopez, Joe Milazzo, and Angela Woodward about life during the contagion. Brendan Lorber also appears with a lyrical weather forecast. And Rikki Ducornet closes the show with a reading from Plotinus, her luminous current work-in-progress. Listen to part one of this series, which features writers Carol Guess, Davis Schneiderman, and Tony Trigilio. Listen to part two of this series, which features write...

This episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with great writers Hillary Leftwich and Antonio Nadal about life during the contagion. Among the many things talked about are social distancing, lockdown, shelter in place, quarantine, and/or stay at home; about how their workplaces and modes of working, playing, living, etc., have been affected; about self-care; about ways to stay creative, to stay active, to stay connected; and much more besides. Listen to part one of this s...

This episode features Big Other‘s editor John Madera in conversation with superb writers Carol Guess, Davis Schneiderman, and Tony Trigilio about life during the contagion. Among the many things talked about are social distancing, lockdown, shelter in place, quarantine, and stay at home; about how their workplaces and modes of working have been affected; about remote instruction and distance learning; about self-care; about ways to stay creative, to stay active, to stay connected; about walking...