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PODCAST

Slow Stories

Rachel Schwartzmann

Hear from leading writers, artists, and innovators who share slow stories—and big ideas—about living, working, and creating more intentionally. Hosted by Rachel Schwartzmann Subscribe at slowstories.substack.com/

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

01:03:55

Maggie Smith — "You're a human before you're an artist."

Slow Stories ·

2025/05/19

What ingredients are necessary to write? Where does a story begin and end? Why is the blank page both endlessly exciting and daunting? For renowned poet, memoirist, and educator Maggie Smith, these questions are the center of her life and work. And in her latest book, Dear Writer, she offers something bigger than answers.Across ten principles, readers are greeted with a wealth of inspiration that invites artists of all genres to tap into their creative practice. Maggie extolls the beauty of

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01:10:45

Pico Iyer — "Words are only as rich as the silence...

Slow Stories ·

2025/04/15

What moves you—and where? Who are you when everything else falls away? What can you find in stillness? Renowned travel writer and speaker Pico Iyer has pursued these questions throughout his storied career and brings them close to home in his latest book, Aflame.In 1990, after narrowly escaping a devastating California wildfire—with only his mother’s cat in tow—Pico was ultimately rendered homeless. At the recommendation of a friend, he eventually found himself at a Benedictine hermitage in Big

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50:11

Caleb Femi — "Poetry never leaves you."

Slow Stories ·

2025/03/16

Think about the last time you felt connected to night: the moon’s luminous glow, the rhythms of a house party, the pulsing of the music, the heartbeat of a community. Caleb Femi’s modern epic, The Wickedest, offers a way back to those feelings—and asks us to consider what lies beneath the surface.From 10:45 PM to 4:45 AM, readers attend the longest-running house party in South London’s shoob scene, always held at an undisclosed inner-city spot. Rendered in minute-by-minute poetry, photographs, and

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54:05

Gloria Noto — "Awareness is a reflection."

Slow Stories ·

2025/02/17

What is the role of beauty in this day and age? For some, it’s an aesthetic pursuit; for others, it’s simply a state of mind. If we’re talking about the global, multibillion-dollar industry, it’s something else entirely. But for Gloria Noto, beauty is more than meets the eye. As the founder of NOTO Botanics, a multi-use, gender-inclusive, clean cosmetic line, Gloria and her team are committed to “championing ferocious individuality while cultivating a creative and mindful community along the

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59:17

Ayşegül Savaş — "We're always in the midst of it."

Slow Stories ·

2024/12/09

What makes a day? Is it the routine of brewing morning coffee or walking through the neighborhood? Is it more meaningful if it's spent in the company of others? And if we do find ourselves alone, what are we able to see in our solitude?Ayşegül Savaş's affinity for the details brings these questions to the forefront. She has a talent for transforming mundane moments into compelling prose that lingers long after a story ends. Her latest books—The Anthropologists, a slim novel following a young

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01:09:27

Lauren Elkin — "To me, it's all interesting."

Slow Stories ·

2024/11/26

What does it mean to be faithful?This question is central to Lauren Elkin's debut novel, Scaffolding, which follows the trials and tribulations of two couples across time and space, occupying the same Paris apartment in 2019 and 1972. It is an incisive study of transformation—physical, emotional, geographical, familial. It is a question and questioning of desire: how we give it, show it, (try to) contain it, and ultimately let it shape us. Lauren is known for nonfiction works like Flâneuse and Art

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05:13

Rachel Schwartzmann — "Was it a beginning, or had the...

Slow Stories ·

2024/09/30

A note from Slow Stories' own Rachel Schwartzmann regarding her new book, SLOWING!— Order SLOWING: https://lnk.to/Slowing/ Subscribe to Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ Read Rachel's essay in Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/against-perfectionism-and-productivity-on-embracing-flaws-as-a-writer/ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelschwartzmann/ RSVP to SLOWING's New York launch event at P&T Knitwear on 10/21:

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01:12:01

Amy Lin — "Grief is a problem of narrative."

Slow Stories ·

2024/08/19

What does it mean to grieve? What does it look and feel like? Why is it still so hard for us to understand? These are just a few questions Amy Lin tackles in her astounding memoir Here After. In a series of crystalline vignettes, Amy recounts the unexpected death of her husband Kurtis, her subsequent medical crisis—and the winding journey to live after inconceivable loss.In many ways, Here After is a story of falling—in love, apart, out of time. It's a story that alerts us to our hearts and

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52:10

Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka — "We're very conscious...

Slow Stories ·

2024/07/25

Shared vision is at the heart of every great partnership—but a good sense of humor helps, too. Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka understand this sentiment.The two creatives met as undergrads at McGill University—and later at a bush camp, cooking for tree planters—and have lived multiple lives since then. In 2012, they co-founded the conscious fashion brand HORSES, which values beauty, utility, wildness, and endurance. They've also translated their artistic prowess into writing and have crafted

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48:30

Victoria Chang — "It takes a lot of energy to be slow."

Slow Stories ·

2024/06/27

"Point of view has a terrible memory. I've looked at photos scrolling up and over, zooming in and out, and realize it is not love I want, just the ability to zoom back out. A woman loses herself when she can no longer zoom out." This is one of the many resonant passages readers will encounter in Victoria Chang's latest poetry collection, With My Back to the World. Across three parts, Victoria engages with the work of renowned artist Agnes Martin, who ultimately provides a portal for the writer to

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52:40

Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar — "Crying is a cool...

Slow Stories ·

2024/04/29

When was the last time you cried? This question is at the heart of Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar's illustrated anthology, Sad Happens: A Celebration of Tears. With contributions from a wide range of voices, including Phoebe Bridgers, Zeba Blay, Sloane Crosley, and many more, Sad Happens is a gentle offering that reminds us to get to the heart of our own stories—and our own humanity. Off the page, Brandon and Rose have lent this thoughtful sensibility to various endeavors. Brandon is the co-founder

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55:04

Mason Spector — "I find a lot of value in the sadness."

Slow Stories ·

2024/03/24

Authenticity has never been more critical in a world that celebrates fleeting trends. In an industry like fashion, and for entrepreneur Mason Spector, discerning design is just a small part of creating long-term impact and connection. As the co-founder of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Madhappy, Spector and his team are committed to "using apparel, events, and experimental retail spaces to explore a personal expression as a means to an improved state of mind."Words like "optimism" and

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01:12:04

Chelsea Hodson — ”I’m genuinely excited about...

Slow Stories ·

2023/08/30

An essay, Chelsea Hodson tells us, should be an attempt at clarity. That may be true for a writer, but clarity is the last thing that comes to mind when reading Chelsea's words. Instead, we are swept away by her striking prose, repetition, digressions. Chelsea's words pulse with desire, fear, and hope. Readers walk away from the page, not always knowing what to think but feeling something primal just the same.The words, in this case, are from Chelsea's debut essay collection, Tonight I'm Someone

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54:32

Katherine May — ”It’s okay to get on with the...

Slow Stories ·

2023/07/12

How do we find and maintain a sense of wonder in a world that's become so unpredictable? Katherine May (author of Wintering and The Electricity of Every Living Thing) tackles this pressing question in her latest book, Enchantment, which is “an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.” Calling upon the natural elements—earth, water, fire, and air—Katherine launches a personal and collective investigation into how we can

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53:09

Tembe Denton-Hurst — ”Growing isn’t always in the big...

Slow Stories ·

2023/05/30

The world can learn a lot from Tembe Denton-Hurst—like how to tell a story and, perhaps more importantly, how to tell the truth. She does this and more in her stunning debut novel, Homebodies, which “is a testament to those trying to be heard and loved in a world that refuses to make space.” In this electric story, readers follow Mickey Hayward, a writer in New York navigating the crossroads of personal, professional, and romantic tumult. After an unjust, devastating job loss, Mickey takes the

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01:06:40

Allie Rowbottom — ”The questions in your writing are...

Slow Stories ·

2023/05/08

Who are you when no one is looking? This question came to mind when reading Allie Rowbottom's incisive debut novel, Aesthetica. The story follows Anna, a former Instagram celebrity, on her path of reflection and redemption as she seeks to undergo a high-risk elective surgery called Aesthetica™, which is said to “reverse all her past plastic surgery procedures, returning her, she hopes, to a truer self.” As readers bounce between Anna's past and present, Allie paints a nuanced portrait of a woman

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46:00

Ross Gay — ”There’s always a gathering inside of us.”

Slow Stories ·

2022/12/20

To hold joy in your hand means to honor sadness in your heart, for the two are inextricable. This sentiment is one that many of us will recognize after a prolonged period of chaos and transformation. But for poet and author Ross Gay, studying these modes has paved the way for art that will stand the test of time. Enter Inciting Joy, Ross's latest essay collection, which “considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life's inevitable hardships.” Through lenses like

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45:40

Tarajia Morrell — ”We imagine our future, our family,...

Slow Stories ·

2022/11/30

From Chopped to Top Chef to restaurant dreams, Fatima Ali's star was on the rise. But after a devastating cancer diagnosis upended her plans, the young chef vowed to experience all she could with the time she had left. Yet as her illness suddenly worsened, Fatima pivoted once again, this time turning to the page as a place to reflect on her identity, food, family, and life. The result is Savor, a collection of intimate vignettes from Fatima and her mother guided by collaborator Tarajia Morrell,

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59:34

Ella Frances Sanders — ”People ask questions...

Slow Stories ·

2022/10/26

How do you define beauty? Where does beauty come from? Why is beauty important? For Ella Frances Sanders, these questions take center stage in her latest book, Everything, Beautiful, an artful guide that encourages readers to “find hidden beauty in the world.” With elegant prose and calming illustrations, Everything, Beautiful provokes deeper inquiry into how we've come to understand beauty and our potential to see it anew. But off the page, Ella also understands that it can be difficult to envision

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33:54

Naj Austin — ”What does it mean to put ourselves on a...

Slow Stories ·

2022/09/27

Think about the places you frequent most. What’s the experience like? How does it make you feel? How are you connecting? And who are you connecting with? Whether online or offline, Naj Austin has been exploring these questions through her visionary endeavors, which include Ethel’s Club and, most recently, Somewhere Good, an “audio platform for intimate community conversations.” With its distinct, design-driven app and a growing suite of partnerships and offline offerings, Somewhere Good is poised to

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65 results

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