Origin Stories

New Yorker staff writer Patrick Radden Keefe is the author of several books, including “Empire of Pain” and “The Snakehead.” He talks with Matthew about “Say Nothing,” an award-winning book that was later adapted into a TV series on FX. On the agenda: The importance of outlining, the joys of research, and learning how and when to trust your gut. To Keefe, great reporting in 2025 must be accessible:” Personally, I want people to read what I'm writing,” he says. There's a point beyond which I'm

Connie Walker, a veteran Cree journalist, was the first podcaster to win both the Pulitzer Prize and a Peabody Award in the same year. She talks about the backstory of “Stolen: Surviving St. Michael's," a deeply-personal investigation of the Canadian Indian residential school system, which she reported while at Gimlet, then the biggest podcast company in the world. To Connie, all great audio documentaries should hinge on “a question that you're trying to answer. It doesn't have to be the

Dan Taberski is a writer, director, and former producer at The Daily Show. He joins Origin Stories to discuss the podcast “Hysterical,” which centers on a strange illness that afflicted a group of girls in the New York town of LeRoy. “Hysterical,” a 2025 Pulitzer finalist in the audio reporting category, went on to win a range of awards, including Show of the Year at the Ambies, the podcasting equivalent of the Oscars. In this episode, Dan discusses his reporting and outlining approach and the

Noah Hawley is a screenwriter, novelist, and Emmy-winning director. He joins Matthew to talk about his latest TV series, Alien: Earth, which grew out of a memo he was once asked to prepare for FX chief John Landgraf. Hawley discusses his creative process, his writing regimen, and the challenges and pleasures of adapting a beloved horror franchise for a modern audience. To Hawley, good ideas have to be carefully nurtured lest they dissipate before they can be executed upon. “It's kind of like trying

Origin Stories is a podcast by creatives –– and for anyone curious about the workings of the creative mind. Hosted by veteran journalist Matthew Shaer, every episode of the show takes you behind the scenes of your favorite book, magazine article, TV show, podcast, or movie –– from the initial spark of curiosity to the long sessions in front of a white board. Nothing is off the table: not the frustrations and the joys, not the setbacks and the successes. Coming this September.