The Art of Asking Everything
Amanda Palmer
Amanda Palmer is a rock star, best-selling author, TED speaker and community leader who does everything on her own terms simply by asking. Now, she turns the tables on her colleagues and heroes to find out how they create art, love difficult people, work for change, and survive the worst moments of their lives. From porn stars to empathy researchers, and cartoonists to climate scientists, no topic is out of bounds.
Susan Cain: Longing for The Beautiful World
Amanda sits down to discuss art, life, why goth matters, and the process behind star TED speaker and author Susan Cain's new #1 Bestseller, "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole".She is the author of the NYT bestselling 2012 non-fiction book “Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.” Check out 32 Bittersweet Flavors: Amanda Palmer’s Most Bittersweet Playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/playlist/4VHmXJkysFpy5IHCWMWapK?si=9b0534a0a76e4f39Buy her books at https://
Highlights of The First Season or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Podcast
A crowdsourced episode! You asked, we answered with this episode: A collage of the best moments so far.From New Zealand to Portland, London to Austin, and Edinburgh to Melbourne; this podcast was recorded all over the world while I toured There Will Be No Intermission. The podcast premiered in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. What a year it’s been. With the help of my Patrons calling in and writing to me, I’ve assembled this episode of your favorite moments and reflections on how we’
Sherry Turkle: Is Technology Killing Our Hearts?
Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self.Sherry studies psychoanalysis and human-technology interaction. In books such as, “The Second Self,” “Life on the Screen,” and “Alone Together,” Sherry focuses on the psychology of human relationships with technology.Sherry’s 2012 TED Talk is entitled, “Connected, but
Dr. Rola Hallam: The Fuckery of Philanthropy
Dr. Rola Hallam is a punk rock doctor. She is the founder of CanDo; a crowdfunding platform that puts resources in the hands of the frontline healthcare workers in war-affected communities. In 2011, when war first broke out in her home country Syria, Hallam became involved in the humanitarian response. Working with various Syrian-led NGOs, she played an integral part in building 7 hospitals in Syria including the first ever crowdfunded hospital. To address the issues she had found within the aid
Clare Bowditch: Putting Hope into The World
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Clare Bowditch, recorded March 6th, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia.Clare Bowditch is an Australian actor, radio presenter, and entrepreneur. She started performing in the Melbourne pub circuit at seventeen years old.In 1998, she formed the band Red Raku and recorded two albums along with producer and drummer Marty Brown—who is now her husband, producer and music manager.Her memoir, Your Own Kind of Girl, is an exploration into her own inner crit
Madison Young: Can Porn Be Feminist? (Spoiler alert: Yes it can)
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Madison Young, recorded June 11, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.Madison Young is an erotic artist, filmmaker, and performer. She entered the world of erotic filmmaking first as a performer in 2002 and later started directing films in 2005.She is a noted expert on sex, BDSM, and sexual power dynamics.Madison has taught workshops, given lectures, and acted as a panelist on the topics of sexuality, feminist porn studies, and the politics of BDSM at ins
Madison Young: Can Porn Be Feminist? (Spoiler alert: Yes it can)
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Madison Young, recorded June 11, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.Madison Young is an erotic artist, filmmaker, and performer. She entered the world of erotic filmmaking first as a performer in 2002 and later started directing films in 2005.She is a noted expert on sex, BDSM, and sexual power dynamics.Madison has taught workshops, given lectures, and acted as a panelist on the topics of sexuality, feminist porn studies, and the politics of BDSM at ins
Rachel Jayson: I Want The Thing
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Rachel Jayson, recorded September 10, 2019 in Woodstock, NY.Rachel Jayson is musician, educator and fashion designer. She is the violist in two bands: Jaggery and Walter Sickert & the ARmy of BRoken TOys. She also teaches music and conducts two award-winning orchestras at Lexington High School outside of Boston. Rachel has also designed footwear for John Fluevog Shoes and makes her own clothing.In this episode we talk about what it means to be
Wayne Muller: A Chat with my Therapist
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Wayne Muller, recorded July 15, 2019 at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY.Wayne Muller is a minister, therapist, and leadership mentor, and best-selling author.Wayne’s many books include, “A Life of Being: Having and Doing Enough,” “Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives,” and, “Legacy of the Heart: The Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood.” A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, he has spent the last thirty-fiv
Fred Leone: Song Man
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Fred Leone, recorded March 6, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. Fred Leone is a musician with Australian Aboriginal, Tongan, and South-Sea Islander heritage. One of the few Butchulla song men, he is a cultural custodian preserving their language through music. He the front man for the hip hop group Impossible Odds. Fred is also a passionate community activist and a First Nations advocate. He is committed to passing down the cultural knowledge of
Masarat Daud: I Am Not Responsible for your Ignorance
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Masarat Daud, recorded October 29, 2019 in London, England.Masarat Daud is an alumnus of Cambridge International School, Dubai. She later studied at the American University of Dubai and also completed a certificate course in Tech Tools and Skills in Emergency Management through TechChange.Masarat is the Founder of 8 Day Academy, a global education movement with a mission to make education accessible and relevant to all communities. She has als
Tim Flannery: The Need for Drawdown
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Tim Flannery, recorded July 23, 2019, in Edinburgh, Scotland.Tim Flannery is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, conservationist, explorer and public scientist. He has discovered more than 30 mammal species including a new type of tree kangaroos. Tim served as the Chief Commissioner of the Climate Commission, a Federal Government body providing information on climate change to the Australian public. In 2013, Tim annou
Tim Minchin: Accidentally Brave
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Tim Minchin, recorded February 20, 2020, in Sydney, AUS.Tim Minchin is a world-renounded Australian comedian, actor, writer, musician, composer, lyricist, and director.He is the composer and lyricist of the Olivier Award-winning, Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-nominated show Matilda the Musical, based on the book by Roald Dahl.His musical Groundhog Day, based on the 1993 film, opened in London in 2016, winning his second Olivier Award, an
Dan Savage: Sex Rules Us
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Dan Savage, recorded June 4, 2019 in Seattle, WA.Dan Savage is an author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. He is the long-time writer of Savage Love, an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column and the author of books such as, “The Commitment,” “The Kid,” and, “American Savage.” Dan is also the host of his own hit podcast, The Savage Lovecast, and also serves as the editorial director of the weekly S
Tim Ferriss: The Fear of No
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Tim Ferriss, recorded March 15, 2019 in Austin, TX.Tim Ferriss is a best-selling author, speaker, early-stage technology investor, advisor, and host of one of the most popular podcasts in the world, The Tim Ferriss Show.Tim’s books include, “The 4 Hour Workweek,” “The 4 Hour Body,” and, “Tools of Titans.”He has two TED Talks: “Smash fear, learn anything” and “Why you should define your fears instead of your goals.”In this interview we talk abo
Storm Large: Know Who You Are Not
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Storm Large, recorded June 11, 2019 in Portland, OR. Born in Southborough, MA, Storm graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York before moving to San Francisco and later to Portland, which she now calls home. Storm is the co-lead vocalist for the band Pink Martini along with China Forbes. Her band, Storm and the Balls, has toured the world, playing mash-up covers of rock hits of the ’70s and ’80s. In 2006, she appeared as
KT Tunstall: The Land of I Don’t Give a Fuck
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with KT Tunstall, recorded October 15, 2019 in London. KT Tunstall is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. Her award winning debut album, Eye to the Telescope, was released in 2004. Her latest album, WAX, was released in 2018. In total, she has released 6 albums which have all been met with critical and commercial success. KT has toured the world and has performed on talk shows in the US and Europe. She also composes music for film and tele
Jamil Zaki: Tuning Your Empathy Fork
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Jamil Zaki, recorded remotely on April 11, 2019 in Woodstock, NY and Stanford, CA.Jamil Zaki is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Laboratory. By combining psychology and neuroscience, Jamil and his colleagues study how empathy works, and ultimately how we can empathize with each other more effectively.Jamil is the author of "The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fracture
Nadya Tolokonnikova: Pussy Rioting Now
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Nadya Tolokonnikova. Recorded October 4th, 2020.Nadya Tolokonnikova is a Russian conceptual artist, political activist, and co-founder of Vladimir Putin’s least favorite band, Pussy Riot.In 2012, she was convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after a performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and served two years in prison.She is the author of “How to Start a Revolution” and “Read & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide to Ac
Leslie Salmon Jones: The Heart Doesn’t Lie
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Leslie Salmon Jones, recorded July 5, 2019 at The Omega Institute. Leslie Salmon Jones is a professional dancer, yoga instructor, wellness coach, public speaker, and community activist. Along with her husband, Jeff W. Jones, she is the cofounder of Afro Flow Yoga. The pair work with community organizations to help develop mastery over their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-beings. AFY offers weekly classes, monthly workshops, tea
Eli Pariser: How We Can Actually Use the Internet for Good Things
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Eli Pariser, recorded July 24, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Eli Pariser wants to make technology and media serve democracy, instead of the other way around. He is an author, activist, and entrepreneur who became executive director of MoveOn.org in 2004, where he helped pioneer the practice of online citizen engagement. Eli is also the co-founder of Upworthy, a website for meaningful viral content, and Avaaz, a global citizen's organization. Hi
Laura Jane Grace: Punk Guilt
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Laura Jane Grace. Recorded March 15, 2019 in Austin, TX. Laura Jane Grace is the founder, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the punk rock band Against Me!They’ve come out with 7 studio albums. Grace is one of the first highly visible punk rock musicians to come out as transgender and has become an outspoken advocate for transgender awareness. Her column Mandatory Happinesswas published by Vice for years. Her autobiography is entitled,
BJ Miller: An Expert on Death Talks About Life
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with BJ Miller. Recorded May 9th, 2019 in Marin, CA. BJ currently sees patients and families via telehealth through Mettle Health, a company he co-founded with the aim to provide personalized, holistic consultations for any patient or caregiver who needs help navigating the practical, emotional and existential issues that come with serious illness and disability. At the age of 19, BJ was electrocuted and lost 3 of his limbs. This accident led him d
Lenny Henry: Humor, Trauma, and Flipping the Cosmic Spatula
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Lenny Henry, recorded December 17, 2019 in London. Lenny Henry is one of the most successful British stand-up comedians of all time. In 1975, at just 17, his career took off when he was a repeat winner on the weekly TV talent show, "New Faces.” He went on to host his own sketch comedy program, "The Lenny Henry Show," starting in 1984. Later, Lenny stared in the 90’s BBC sitcom, “Chef!" Lenny is a founder, front-man and a creative force behind
Elizabeth Lesser: Bullshit is Everywhere
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Elizabeth Lesser. Recorded Aug 14, 2019 in Woodstock, NY. Elizabeth Lesser is an author and healer who co-founded Omega Institute in 1977.She is the author of Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow,Marrow: Love, Loss & What Matters Most, The Seekers Guide: Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure and, most recently,Cassandra Speaks: When Women Are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes.In 2008 she helped Oprah Winfrey produce a ten
Introducing... Everything
One day in my early forties I looked around and realized that I occupied a very strange social space: I was good friends with both doctors and porn activists, climate scientists and avant-garde writers and musicians. When I began recording these conversations, I realized that I'd accidentally created what I've always yearned for: an excuse to randomly call up really creative and compassionate people, dispense with the superficial chat, and get to the core heart-to-heart discussion about what's i