A list of my favourite podcasts, 'letters and instagram accounts
for more nuanced, climate-caring living and pure curiosity purposes ('cos to be a curious human is a noble thing indeed)
Dear Friends, I’m sitting solo on a pub balcony and it’s raining. I have a tent to go back to (and W. Somerset Maugham’s ‘Of Human Bondage’ by headlamp for company). I feel melancholy in all the good, expansive ways. To connect, we have to be alone, sometimes.
So, I’ll keep it simple. In this ‘letter I’m going to share where I get my news from.
I get asked so often that I figured I would put it all in one listicle (remember that term?). In This One Wild and Precious Life, I highlight the importance of “choosing better prophets” and practicing the art of discernment to stave off the bombardment, dumbing down, and acedia of 2021.
Reading the news, knowing about our world is a responsibility.
Truly.
But it’s also a privilege. Plus, it’s deeply satisfying to be a curious and informed human. Would you want to be any other kind?
Subscribe to newspaper newsletters
as in, choose bespoke sections and relish the thoughtfulness
I pay to subscribe to all of the below. Although you can subscribe for free to most of them, too (some have a limit of 10 reads a month if you don’t cough up).
The New York Times. I subscribe to the paper as well as their climate forward and opinion newsletters.
The Economist. I like the slant they take. Like this read on how cement may yet help slow global warming.
The Guardian. I also follow them on Instagram…their feed allows you to click through to articles from their Linktree in the bio. Their “please give us money” spiel is so charming it makes most people want to cough up.
The Atlantic. I love their pop culture slants on things. Once you subscribe, they give you the funniest newsletters to join.
The New Yorker. Awesome deep reads, plus you get one of them woke totes when you pay up; Bill McKibben wrote a weekly climate newsletter for them for ages (he recently stopped) and still does op-eds. They also cover a lot of literary stuff. I loved this still read about Rachel Held Evans. When the beloved Christian thinker died at 37 she left behind a legacy of constant spiritual questioning….
Be careful who you follow on Instagram
these accounts are a great way to get the news of the day
Some have links in their bio to the articles in their newspaper…
@thedailyaus is run by two millennials and it’s smart and fast.
@theguardian has really clear details and some good infographics.
@thebeetootaadvocate is a spoof site that nails the issues of the day in real-time.
@theclimatecouncil for climate details.
@shityoushouldcareabout for great intersectional stuff.
@seedmob for young indigenous perspectives on climate issues.
Smart Substack and medium climate and politics rants
by cluey ex-journalists
Michael West does fun, very informative rundowns about Australian political corruption.
Emily Atkin’s substack Heated is awesome. It’s about climate goings-on and she explains things super well. I highly recommend.
Podcasts that are not my own
and are much better than my own IMO
The Daily. The New York Times’ best columnists discuss big Zeitgeisty issues. Recently I listened to this one about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.
7am. This is run by Shwartz media in Melbourne and it covers the juicy news topic of the day using top journalists. It’s only 15-20 minutes and does a deep dive… into, say, how the gas industry shapes Australian politics, which was done with Marianne Wilkinson, or why Kanye West can’t be canceled.
The Sway. is an interview show hosted by Kara Swisher, “Silicon Valley’s most feared and well-liked journalist.” Try this one on What if Monica Lewinsky Had Twitter in 1998?
The Ezra Klein Show. I love this ep on how to be truly ethical when giving to charity…it’s freaky weird.
Intelligence Squared. It features two smart heads debating an issue… I enjoyed this one as I headed off hiking…Is COP26 a turning point for the planet?
And for fun
A bunch of extra podcasts and newsletters
Huberman Lab. This is next-level brain and health nerd podcasting…two-hour eps that breaks down when is the perfect time to wake, how smell and taste control you, and my all-time favorite, how to deal with dopamine to beat addictions.
Literary Hub. I loved this read on Martha Gellhorn, my faovurite wild war writer.
You’re Wrong About. A podcast by two laconic journalists (I adore Sarah Marshall) obsessed with the past who reconsider a person or event that's been miscast in the public imagination. It gets crazy, like when they discuss The McDonald's Hot Coffee Case.
OK. I’m theoretically on leave for a week to get back some brain juice and rebalance my cynicism levels. (Yep, the first day we were allowed to leave Sydney in 5 months, I went bush). So I’ll leave it there and get back to my wine and my tent.
It would be remiss of me not to flag my own podcast episode this week… I chat to British writer Oliver Burkeman about the fact we only have 4000 weeks to live and we discuss how to bloody max such a short time! And if you missed last week’s episode where I answer your questions on climate. My Dad rings in, which is cute.
See you with a clearer head next week.
Sarah xx
A list of my favourite podcasts, 'letters and instagram accounts
I love love love Sarah Marshall and the You're Not Wrong about podcast too - brilliant stuff! And thanks for these suggestions Sarah, have followed a number of the podcasts you've suggested, to try out.
So many good suggestions, Sarah. Quite a few I already read/follow but some I’ve never heard about and am now interested in checking out. Cheers for that 👍