Some Things Considered: Season 3 Recap
🎧 Season 3 of Some Things Considered: Deep Dives, Sharp Minds, and Stories That Stay With You
What do a jazz mystic, a crypto whistleblower, a radical essayist, and a stomach-troubled novelist have in common?
They all showed up — open, engaged, and full of insight — for Season 3 of Some Things Considered.
This season was a dispatch from the edge of our cultural moment. Politics, literature, technology, climate, media, and the creative life — it’s all here. Below, you’ll find a rundown of each episode, complete with themes, questions, and what I hope you take away from them.
If you’ve been riding with the show, thank you. If you’re just tuning in, this is a great place to start.
🧠 Jacob Silverman: Casino Capitalism, MAGA Tech, and the Messaging Collapse
Journalist Jacob Silverman joined to talk about the fraud economy — crypto, casino capitalism, Trumpism 2.0 — and how Silicon Valley libertarians are quietly remaking the culture. We went long on media, democracy, and the tragic inability of Democrats to communicate anything resembling a coherent vision. One for the political realists and media skeptics.
🎙️ Listen here →
🎹 Matthew Shipp: Jazz, Discipline, and the Black Mystery School
Avant-garde pianist and composer Matthew Shipp brought the heat. We discussed his new book Black Mystery School Pianists, the NYC scene of the ’80s, his influences, and why creating is a spiritual vocation. A conversation that spiraled through art, survival, solitude, and cosmic awareness.
🎙️ Listen here →
🗣️ Jessa Crispin: Narrative, Class, and the Culture We Deserve
No one cuts through the noise quite like Jessa. We covered politics, class, education, media stagnation, and the toll of performing online identity. If you’re interested in why it’s still hard to make a living as a writer — and what effective narrative can do — this one’s a must.
🎙️ Listen here →
🌍 Leeya Mehta & Bill Miller: The Cheuse Center and Literary Citizenship
A celebration of 10 years of the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center. We talked about translation, teaching, global literature, and why building creative community is both deeply necessary and quietly radical. Bill and Leeya are doing vital, unsung work.
🎙️ Listen here →
🐋 Ed Simon: Moby-Dick, Melville, and the Great American Novel
Is the “Great American Novel” still worth chasing? Ed Simon says yes — and explains why in a sweeping conversation on literature, identity, and nationhood. We nerd out on Hawthorne, Morrison, Faulkner, and the power of mythic storytelling to name a country’s soul.
🎙️ Listen here →
🎤 Jason Zinoman: Comedy, Cancel Culture, and the Artist as PR Agent
Culture critic Jason Zinoman breaks down the current state of stand-up comedy — why comics are now marketers, how “cancel culture” is shaping routines, and whether modern promotion is helping or hurting art. Essential listening for anyone thinking about public life and creative work.
🎙️ Listen here →
🤢 Will Boast: Indigestion, Literature, and Writing from the Gut
Will’s longform essay “From the Gut” launched us into a discussion of bodily affliction, literary genius, and the strange links between writing and illness. Twain, Beckett, Voltaire, and… RFK Jr. all make appearances. Weird and wonderful.
🎙️ Listen here →
🌱 Ryan Flahive: Climate Change, Storytelling, and the Long Game
Ryan is a rare hybrid: activist, tech strategist, and storyteller. We talked about his podcast CLIMATE CHANGERS, the art of building movements, and why storytelling is the secret weapon for anyone trying to change the world. Practical, philosophical, and deeply hopeful.
🎙️ Listen here →
🤖 Dr. Shawn DuBravac: AI, Fear, and the Shape of Tomorrow
Futurist and economist Shawn DuBravac came through to explain why we always fear new tech — and why those fears are often wrong. From AI to education to creative labor, Shawn helped make sense of where we’re headed and how to navigate it with nuance.
🎙️ Listen here →
🌿 Paula Whyman: Nature, Memoir, and the Wild Within
With Bad Naturalist, Paula Whyman has written a deeply personal and deeply ecological memoir. We talked bugs, invasive species, literary life, and what nature teaches us about writing and survival. A generous, grounded conversation with a sharp and soulful writer.
🎙️ Listen here →
✨ Final Thoughts
Season 3 was, in many ways, a meditation on attention: how we pay it, what we ignore, and where we still manage to care. I’m so grateful to the guests for showing up with candor and curiosity — and to you, the listeners, for being part of the ride.
If you heard something that resonated, please share the show. These conversations matter more than clicks, and word of mouth is still the most powerful tool we’ve got.
Be safe and stay curious,
Sean Murphy
