I’m currently the supervising editor on the NPR podcast and weekend radio show It’s Been a Minute. As supervising editor, I manage the team, lead editorial direction of the show, shape pitches, edit interview questions, finesse scripts and have a really good time. I started in the summer of 2022, following the departure of Sam Sanders. I helped stabilize the show and brought on the new host, Brittany Luse. Below are a few episodes we’ve produced since relaunching the show with Brittany behind the mic.
Brittany Luse talks to Stacey Abrams herself — about the power and pitfalls of being an icon; how Abrams deals with criticism from inside her own party; and what it will take to shift the politics of the Deep South. Brittany also brings on Christina Greer, political scientist at Fordham University, to discuss Abrams' strategy and how the former minority leader mirrors other Black women politicians who made history.
The Kardashians. Whether you're into them or not, one thing is true: You can't avoid them. Host Brittany Luse talks to MJ Corey, who applies media theory to the Kardashians' antics, breaks down their rise to the heights of American society and power – and how they got there using beauty, traditional milestones and a media playbook that might look similar to another first family. Then, Brittany is joined by cultural critic Jessica DeFino to break down why skincare can feel morally superior to makeup – all while the body positive movement has yet to extend above the neck.
Every fall, with the same regularity as birds flying south, Spirit Halloween materializes in locations across the country. The superstore sells all manner of trappings for spooky season, including costumes, props and décor. It boasts about 1,400 pop-ups nationwide, and often takes over temporary leases in malls where a big-box retailer struggled to stay open. This penchant for swooping in on failing businesses has led many consumers to see the company as a kind of Grim Reaper of retail – and turned the store into an internet meme.
Brittany Luse kicks off the conversation with Kendra R. Parker, who teaches a class at Georgia Southern University about Black vampires in film and literature. They talk about the racial and sexual politics of vampire narratives and why humans continue to find vampire stories compelling. Then Brittany sits down with actor Jacob Anderson, star of the AMC reboot of Interview with the Vampire. The two get into the shaky ethics of vampirism and the trauma of immortality.