Episodios

  • Episode 38 — Novelist Marilynne Robinson on Writing, Memory, and Truth with host Chloe Aftel

    Episode 38 — Novelist Marilynne Robinson on Writing, Memory, and Truth with host Chloe Aftel
    Apr 1 2026
    American novelist and essayist Marilynn Robinson sits down with host Chloe Aftel to discuss the idea of writing as a practice of honesty, reflection, and attention to lived experience while allowing both real life and remembrance to help shape narratives. Robinson emphasizes the importance of truth in writing and frames her approach as taking in the world around you, and translating it into words. She views simplicity not as a limitation, but as a discipline that requires careful attention and sincerity. They also discuss the relationship between memory and storytelling, and how personal history informs perspective. Robinson reflects on writing as an ongoing practice, emphasizing that the act itself holds just as much value as the final outcome.

    Highlights:
    • Marilynn Robinson discusses her approach to writing, speaking about how evocation and lived experience informs a narrative
    • She describes the act of writing as an act of reflection rather than performance, requiring honesty on behalf of the writer
    • She discusses her perspective on simplicity in writing, viewing it as a way to make stories more accessible

    Biographies:

    Marilynn Robinson is an American Novelist born in Sandpoint, Idaho in 1943. She studied at Pembroke College for her undergraduate and later received her PhD in English from the University of Washington in 1977. She speaks about writing as an ongoing process of observance, remembrance, and expression, viewing it not as something to perfect, but something to practice. To her, writing is a way to process life, make sense of events and emotions, and preserve them in a form that remains both accessible and genuine. Her body of work highlights the value of authenticity and attentiveness in both writing and life, with some of her notable pieces include Housekeeping (1980), Gilead (2004),and Home (2008). She has won thePulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2005, National Humanities Medal in 2012, and the 2016 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2009, National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction in 2004 & 2015, PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay in 1999 and others.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19’s impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel’s first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    1 h y 5 m
  • Episode 37 — In Conversation with Acclaimed Writer Nana Ama; Immigration, Perspective and Truth

    Episode 37 — In Conversation with Acclaimed Writer Nana Ama; Immigration, Perspective and Truth
    Mar 1 2026
    Ghanaian American writer Meri Nana-Ama Danquah sits down with host Chloe Aftel to discuss immigration, mental health, and self preservation. They talk about Danquah’s experience having learned about her undocumented status as an adult, and how that severely impacted not only her life, but her mental health. She remarks on the irony of the fact that though she was highly regarded and often asked to speak on issues of mental health, she wasn’t able to speak on one of the key causes of her own depression due to the danger it would put her in. They discuss her writing process, noting that she writes about her experiences not to ruminate but to give other people the opportunity to understand and dissect what it means to exist as a person whose identity and life experience is inherently intersectional.


    Highlights:
    • Danquah talks about her own experience being an immigrant who spent many years of her life undocumented and how though the modern day anti immigrant rhetoric is both frightening and harmful, it’s also something that has always existed
    • They discuss her writing, with her stating that she believes that writing involves both responsibility and a willingness to tell the truth
    • They talk about California Proposition 187, an initiative that passed in 1994 that aimed to prohibit undocumented immigrants from accessing healthcare, social services, and education
    • Danquah discusses the suicide rates amongst activists and stresses the importance of self preservation and self care, and how community building is an inherent part of that
    • Danquah brings up the topic of gender identity and healthcare, going into depth about her own experiences with menopause, endometriosis, and the stigma that surrounds those topics
    Biographies:

    Meri Nana-Ama Danquah is an acclaimed Ghanaian American author, editor, journalist, and public speaker who is best known for her memoir entitled Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression. Born on September 13, 1967 in Accra, Ghana, Danquah would immigrate to the United States at the age of six, three years after her mother had immigrated. She eventually learned as a young adult that she was undocumented, despite having come legally. After coming to terms with this information and following the birth of her daughter, Danquah relocated to Washington DC where she would then come to understand that she had been suffering from clinical depression, something she would start exploring more in her writing. She went on to be chosen by the National Health Association to act as spokesperson for their campaign on Clinical Depression. She then went on to earn her Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College and has taught at various universities across the globe.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    1 h y 22 m
  • Episode 36 — Alain Deneault on Corporate Accountability, Tax Havens, and the Ethics of Resistance

    Episode 36 — Alain Deneault on Corporate Accountability, Tax Havens, and the Ethics of Resistance
    Feb 1 2026
    Description:

    French Canadian author Alain Deneault sits down with host Chloe Aftel to discuss what it means to hold multinational corporations accountable for the ecological harm and human rights abuses they enact, as well as the importance of organizing in the face of injustice rather than falling into a cycle of despair. They break down the difference between individualistic cultures versus collectivist cultures, and analyze the different philosophies that surround it. Deneault sheds light on Canada’s role in the development of tax havens and the impact that has on working class families citing his years of research. He emphasizes the importance of acting now and creating relationships with both the land and within your communities that aren’t exploitative but rather set a foundation for a more just and ethical world.


    Highlights:
    • Deneault discusses how due to the fact that his work covers topics that can often times feel despairing, he has to take great care in how he presents the information as he aims to encourage people to organize locally, build connections with their communities, and understand the role that failure plays in achieving long term goals
    • He discusses how everything in our society from media and work culture to political and systemic structures are designed to not only exhaust and overwhelm the working class, but to lower their standards and to dissuade their ability to think too critically on the root causes of societal issues
    • Deneault states that he views philosophy as an opportunity to discover concepts that allow you to give meaning and understanding to different situations and contexts, without being dominated by it
    • They discuss the lawsuit that Barrick Gold sent to Deneault after the publication of Noir Canada: Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique, along with his researchers and publisher, with many describing the lawsuit to be a strategic lawsuit against public participation and an attempt to silence those who are willing to speak out against these corporations and hold them accountable for the harm they cause

    Biographies:


    Alain Deneault is a notable French Canadian author who is best known for his book entitled Noir Canada: Pillage, corruption et criminalité en Afrique, a work which analyzed the impact of Canadian mining corporations in Africa and shone a light on the destruction they caused. Deneault was born in Outaouais, Quebec and went on to study at the Centre Marc Bloch in Berlin where he received his research doctorate, following it up with a PhD in Philosophy from Paris 8 University. He has written books on various topics such as corporate tax havens, mining corporations, banking, multinational corporations, and the oil industry. His goal is to present information in a way that is both accessible but not negligent to the complexities of the issues at hand, and to encourage people to organize and build relationships locally in order to have a global impact. Some of his other works include Offshore: Paradis fiscaux et souveraineté criminelle (2010), Gouvernance : Le management totalitaire (2013), and Bande de colons. Une mauvaise conscience de classe (2020).

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.



    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    1 h y 39 m
  • Episode 35 — Acclaimed Cinematographer Benoît Debie on Intuition and Experimentation in Film with Host Chloe Aftel

    Episode 35 — Acclaimed Cinematographer Benoît Debie on Intuition and Experimentation in Film with Host Chloe Aftel
    Dec 31 2025
    Acclaimed Belgian cinematographer Benoît Debie joins host Chloe Aftel to discuss the way that encouraging experimentation and improvisation in film can push the story even further and make the visuals even more impactful to the audience. Debie discusses how his process came to be, citing his time working on his first feature film, Gaspar Noé’s Irreversible (2002), and how having the limitation of only using natural lighting in that project while also trying to preserve the color in the scenes taught him to embrace spontaneity and intuition as a part of his artistic process. He discusses some of the techniques, tools, and processes he uses to create these visuals, emphasizing the importance of experimentation and how failure can create the most inspiration towards a better final image. Debie also discusses the importance of respecting not just the story and the audience, but also the creatives as well, discussing how his collaboration with his crew is the most significant part of his process and how leading with respect creates an environment that actualizes potential through failure, embracing unknowns and always learning.


    Highlights:
    • Debie talks about intentional accidents and how working with Gaspar Noé has helped him embrace being willing to tackle a project with flexibility and intuition in mind
    • He brings up the flexibility that working in both feature film and commercial work allows him, saying that by working in both it gives him the freedom to be more selective about the projects he decides to pursue
    • Debie talks about his approaches to portraying female characters, especially when the scene involves sensitive topics, stating that it’s important to respect both the story and the character, and how the use of exploitation in those visuals would only take away from the impact of the story
    • He discusses various different techniques he uses to create different effects, including using older lenses when shooting digitally to help give the visuals a more natural and analog look

    Biographies:

    Benoît Debie is an acclaimed Belgian cinematographer, best known for his innovative and experimental approaches when it comes to lighting and color grading. He grew up in Belgium and began his career working as a camera assistant after graduating from the Institut des Arts de Diffusion. Throughout his early career he worked both in television and on various short films and commercials, but he would eventually get contacted by frequent collaborator, Argentinian director Gaspar Noé, to work as a director of photography on Noé’s 2002 feature film Irréversible, a project he said working on helped create the foundation for his visual style. Since then he has worked on various feature projects, including Innocence (2004), Enter the Void (2009), Spring Breakers (2012), and The Sisters Brothers (2018), the latter in which his work on ended up earning him a César Award for Best Cinematography the same year.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    1 h y 4 m
  • Catholic Priest and Activist Michael Pfleger Takes on the Lightning Round!

    Catholic Priest and Activist Michael Pfleger Takes on the Lightning Round!
    Dec 15 2025
    Welcome to our 'Lightning Round' with Other podcast guest and Catholic Priest Michael Pfleger! The idea is to ask questions that he — and hopefully you — don't expect, and that the answers will be as equally interesting and hopefully amusing. Please enjoy.


    Biographies:

    Michael Pfleger is an American Catholic priest and social activist who has gained notoriety in recent years for being outspoken about the countless systemic issues and injustices that exist within the Catholic Church and how they impact the world around us. Pfleger was ordained as a priest in May of 1977 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, after studying at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Loyola University, and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. He would then go on to lead the Parish of Saint Sabina, a predominantly black church located in the heart of Chicago where he has been since 1981. In his work he emphasizes leading with love rather than judgement and has dedicated his time to running food drives, encouraging sex worker outreach, and helping lead local anti drug campaigns. Under his leadership, Saint Sabina has also been able to develop various programs to provide resources for their community, including an elder’s home, a social center, and an employment resource center.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    4 m
  • Episode 34 — Michael Pfleger on Community Care, Systemic Justice, and Practicing Faith with Action

    Episode 34 — Michael Pfleger on Community Care, Systemic Justice, and Practicing Faith with Action
    Dec 1 2025
    American Catholic Priest and social activist Michael Pfleger sits down with host Chloe Aftel to discuss the weaponization of faith to target marginalized populations, the importance of taking care of your communities, and what it means to practice your faith through action. Pfleger discusses how he believes that justice and faith are inherently intertwined and in order to create safe and inclusive environments for those who most need it, they need to be met where they are with love rather than judgement. He criticizes many Republican leaders who use faith as a means to justify their attacks on the rights of vulnerable populations as well as the systems they rely on. He also brings light to some of the issues that are pushing young people away from the church, validating their concerns and emphasizing the importance of speaking up and holding institutions accountable.


    Highlights:
    • Pfleger talks about the impact that ICE raids have had on local communities and the fear and trauma that they result in
    • Pfleger discusses the Republican Party and how, despite the fact that they claim to be representative of Christianity, they are often acting in opposition to its teachings
    • Pfleger brings up the hypocrisy of the pro life movement, stressing that if you are not willing to advocate for the social systems that provide children and mothers with the means to not only survive but, to thrive, then you are not pro life
    • Aftel and Pfleger discuss Zohran Mamdani and how despite the fact that today many young people have given up on faith and government, grassroot campaigns like the one run by Mamdani have encouraged young people to take action, resulting in one of the largest youth voter turnouts in recent elections
    • Pfleger discusses how he believes that accountability is a Christian obligation and that justice is an idea that is central to the faith, citing moments from the bible where Jesus not only cared about and protected those who were vulnerable, but actively spoke out against the institutions that rendered them vulnerable to begin with

    Biographies:

    Michael Pfleger is an American Catholic priest and social activist who has gained notoriety in recent years for being outspoken about the countless systemic issues and injustices that exist within the Catholic Church and how they impact the world around us. Pfleger was ordained as a priest in May of 1977 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, after studying at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Loyola University, and the University of Saint Mary of the Lake. He would then go on to lead the Parish of Saint Sabina, a predominantly black church located in the heart of Chicago where he has been since 1981. In his work he emphasizes leading with love rather than judgement and has dedicated his time to running food drives, encouraging sex worker outreach, and helping lead local anti drug campaigns. Under his leadership, Saint Sabina has also been able to develop various programs to provide resources for their community, including an elder’s home, a social center, and an employment resource center.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    1 h y 2 m
  • Food Scientist and Health Advocate Marion Nestle Takes on the Lightning Round!

    Food Scientist and Health Advocate Marion Nestle Takes on the Lightning Round!
    Nov 15 2025
    Welcome to our 'Lightning Round' with Other podcast guest and food scientist Marion Nestle! The idea is to ask questions that she — and hopefully you — don't expect, and that the answers will be as equally interesting and hopefully amusing. Please enjoy.


    Biographies:

    Marion Nestle is an award winning author, molecular biologist, and health advocate. She received her Bachelors in bacteriology from UC Berkeley in 1959, as well as a Ph.D. in molecular biology and a MPH in public health nutrition. She went on to teach at NYU, where in 1996 she co founded the university’s Food Studies program in collaboration with food consultant Clark Wolf, paving the way for other universities to introduce food science programs into their curriculum. In 2013 she received the Healthful Food Council’s Innovator of the Year Award and the James Beard Leadership Award, as well as the Public Health Association of New York City’s Media Award the following year. She has written and received critical acclaim for several of her books, including Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics, and her 2022 memoir Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life In Food Politics. Her research primarily focuses on Food Politics with an emphasis on the ways in which food choice, food safety, and public health are impacted by both scientific and socioeconomic influences.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    3 m
  • Episode 33 — Marion Nestle on the Intersection of Food Politics, Industry, and the Health Crisis it Creates

    Episode 33 — Marion Nestle on the Intersection of Food Politics, Industry, and the Health Crisis it Creates
    Nov 1 2025
    Renowned American molecular biologist, nutritionist and health advocate Marion Nestle joins host Chloe Aftel to discuss the ways that politics, industry, and food production have created the health crisis and distrust in science that now dominates our news cycles. Throughout the years, Nestle has written countless articles on these topics and has won a number of awards for her writing, including The American Public Health Association’s Food and Nutrition Section Award for Excellence in Dietary Guidance, The James Beard Literary Award, and a Harry Chapin Media Award for Best Book. They discuss Nestle’s education and career, as well as her body of work regarding her research into Food Politics and nutrition. Nestle’s research shines a light on how the intersection of socioeconomic and scientific influences impact food choice, public health, and food safety, emphasizing the role that marketing plays into these discussions.


    Highlights:
    • Nestle talks about her career in education and how many advances in health have taken place over the course of her lifetime, as well as ways the general public's view on health and food has shifted over the years
    • Nestle brings informed focus to how our culture’s current food system is designed to prioritize profit over public health, leading to food insecurity and a reliance on food that has been heavily processed
    • How to trust science when there are active efforts from the current U.S. administration to erase and delegitimize scientific findings from previous decades
    • Aftel and Nestle additionally discuss how to get involved and the importance of advocacy plus being a part of local politics


    Biographies:

    Marion Nestle is an award winning author, molecular biologist, and health advocate. She received her Bachelors in bacteriology from UC Berkeley in 1959, as well as a Ph.D. in molecular biology and a MPH in public health nutrition. She went on to teach at NYU, where in 1996 she co founded the university’s Food Studies program in collaboration with food consultant Clark Wolf, paving the way for other universities to introduce food science programs into their curriculum. In 2013 she received the Healthful Food Council’s Innovator of the Year Award and the James Beard Leadership Award, as well as the Public Health Association of New York City’s Media Award the following year. She has written and received critical acclaim for several of her books, including Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics, and her 2022 memoir Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life In Food Politics. Her research primarily focuses on Food Politics with an emphasis on the ways in which food choice, food safety, and public health are impacted by both scientific and socioeconomic influences.

    Chloe Aftel has spent her career working in commercial photography, photojournalism, and film. She’s an established name in modern photography with work featured in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Playboy, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Germany, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue Italia, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, and more. Aftel has photographed victims of sexual violence, reported on COVID 19's impact on the trans community, and gained access as the first reporter in COVID wards of the West Coast’s hardest-hit hospitals. She has covered underground abortion providers, the impact of gender pronouns on daily life, and clergy abuse. Aftel's first book, Outside & In Between, is an award-winning anthology covering gender non-conforming people across the United States.

    Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-other-pod-with-chloe-aftel--6567483/support.
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    58 m