Last Born In The Wilderness

Epidemiologist and writer Abby Cartus joins me in this interview to explore a fascinating set of questions: What does it mean for public health to fail? What does it mean for it to succeed? // Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Award-winning journalist, author, and activist Barrett Brown returns to the podcast to discuss his much anticipated new book, My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous: A Memoir. Brown provides updates on the subjects explored in our first interview in 2022, which fleshed out the complex web of media outlets, personalities, hackers, and intelligence community assets connected directly or indirectly with far-right Silicon Valley billionaire, Peter Thiel. I asked Brown how his bid for asylum in the UK has played out, and why he really isn’t worried about being deported or extradited to the United States, despite his current status in the country. And among other themes I wanted to focus on from his memoir, Brown discusses his experience in the United States federal prison system, and the hard truths he learned there about the declining American imperial project. // Content warning: Throughout this discussion, especially in the later half, there is mention of child sexual abuse and trafficking. I

Award-winning journalist, author, and activist Barrett Brown returns to the podcast to discuss his much anticipated new book, My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous: A Memoir. // Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Writer and agitator Vicky Osterweil returns to the podcast to discuss some of the themes raised in her essay, Feeling Good Doesn't Require the Democrats, published for her newsletter. The piece tackles the very vibes-based election cycle in the US, as Vice President Kamala Harris takes up the Democratic Party ticket to face up against Donald Trump this November. Vicky deftly navigates the affect-shift this change in the nominee, from current president Joe Biden to Harris, has had, both in its desired effect, and what is lost in riding this wave of "positive vibes only" while looking away from the realities that demand our fuller attention. In short, Vicky imparts this bit of wisdom that will remain relevant as we continue to move swiftly though our crises-laden times: don't give them the gift of our joy. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/vicky-osterweil-2 // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

Ecologist and author Carl Safina returns to the podcast to discuss his newest book, Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. Part memoir, part philosophical musing, Alfie and Me contains vignettes of ecological dreaming and profound critique. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/carl-safina-2 // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

Writer and agitator Vicky Osterweil returns to the podcast to discuss some of the themes raised in her essay, Feeling Good Doesn't Require the Democrats, published for her newsletter. The piece tackles the very vibes-based election cycle in the US, as Vice President Kamala Harris takes up the Democratic Party ticket to face up against Donald Trump this November. Vicky deftly navigates the affect-shift this change in the nominee, from current president Joe Biden to Harris, has had, both in its desired effect, and what is lost in riding this wave of "positive vibes only" while looking away from the realities that demand our fuller attention. In short, Vicky imparts this bit of wisdom that will remain relevant as we continue to move swiftly though our crises-laden times: don't give them the gift of our joy. // Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Ecologist and author Carl Safina returns to the podcast to discuss his newest book, Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe. Part memoir, part philosophical musing, Alfie and Me contains vignettes of ecological dreaming and profound critique. // Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Essayist and author Antonia Malchik joins me in this wandering, expansive discussion, touching on subjects at the heart of her writings and 2019 book, A Walking Life, and her upcoming book, No Trespassing. We discuss how the infrastructure of an automobile dependent society shapes our perception of nature and built environments, and in turn how we relate and move through it. I asked her about her more expansive view of walking and walkability, and how getting lost is good for our brains and souls. And near the later half of our time together, Antonia talks about her decision to ditch smartphones and social media, and how the creeping demands of our digital lives relate to her broader focus on enclosure, property, and reclaiming the commons. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/antonia-malchik // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness // Donate: https://www.paypal.me/lastbornpodcast

Essayist and author Antonia Malchik joins me in this wandering, expansive discussion, touching on subjects at the heart of her writings and 2019 book, A Walking Life, and her upcoming book, No Trespassing. We discuss how the infrastructure of an automobile dependent society shapes our perception of the nature and built environments, and in turn how we relate and move through it. I asked her about her more expansive view of walking and walkability, and how getting lost is good for our brains. And near the later half of our time together, Antonia talks about her decision to ditch smartphones and social media, and how the creeping demands of our digital lives relate to her broader focus on enclosure, property, and reclaiming the commons. // Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Social critic Alley Valkyrie returns to the podcast to provide analysis of the recent election in France. She discusses the French far-right's long-term efforts to remake their image and gather widespread support, in ways that are both surprising but contextually understandable, making tremendous gains in the first round of the parliamentary snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron. This interview was recorded on July 4th, before the second round of voting on Sunday, July 7th, which resulted in a left-wing coalition with Macron's centrist party far outpacing the National Rally in the election. While this interview was recorded before the final results came in, the analysis Alley brings to this discussion is deeply relevant to understanding the nuances of French and European political trends, especially for those who mainly consume information from Anglophone media. // Episode notes: https://www.lastborninthewilderness.com/episodes/alley-valkyrie-4 // Sustain + support: https://www.patreon.com/last

Social critic Alley Valkyrie returns to the podcast to provide analysis of the recent election in France. She discusses the French far-right's long-term efforts to remake their image and gather widespread support, in ways that are both surprising but contextually understandable, making tremendous gains in the first round of the parliamentary snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron. Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Ben Lorber and Shane Burley, co-authors of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, join me to discuss the absolutely timely moment and context this book is being published in. They raise the need for, and the strong historical legacies of, Jewish anti-Zionist solidarity with pro-Palestine movements, while articulating and bringing forward critical analysis of the shape, character, and histories of antisemitism in primarily Western Christian societies. With antisemitism and Islamophobia on the rise, Shane and Ben articulate a vision and present a radical guide to fight antisemitism and build safety through solidarity for Jewish and non-Jewish peoples and communities alike. Ben Lorber is a researcher, journalist and movement strategist. He works at Political Research Associates, a social movement think tank, as a Senior Research Analyst focusing on antisemitism and white nationalism. Lorber’s work has appeared in The Nation, Salon, Jewish Daily Forward, Religion Dispatches and more

Ben Lorber and Shane Burley, co-authors of Safety Through Solidarity: A Radical Guide to Fighting Antisemitism, join me to discuss the absolutely timely moment and context this book is being published in. They raise the need for, and the strong historical legacies of, Jewish anti-Zionist solidarity with pro-Palestine movements, while articulating and bringing forward critical analysis of the shape, character, and histories of antisemitism in primarily Western Christian societies. With antisemitism and Islamophobia on the rise, Shane and Ben articulate a vision and radical guide to fight antisemitism and build safety through solidarity for Jewish and non-Jewish peoples and communities alike. Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Author and journalist John Washington returns to the podcast to discuss The Case for Open Borders, the name and subject of his new book from Haymarket Press. John Washington places the current political rhetoric and policy fixated on the "border crisis" many Western nations are seemingly facing, particularly the United States, within the historical and material context of what the modern nation-state actually is. Borders are as much about building the infrastructure to prohibit and deter migrants and refugees from entering a territory, as it is a rhetorical weapon deployed by cynical politicians and nativist settlers to reify artificial differences among the human species. Stripping down the hyperbolic and nativist language exemplified across political parties, John makes clear what borders really are, and the violent realities this ever expanding infrastructure imposes on human and non-human life. John Washington is a staff writer at Arizona Luminaria, a community-focused media outlet where he writes about

Author and journalist John Washington returns to the podcast to discuss the case for open borders. He places the current political rhetoric and policy fixated on the "border crisis" many Western nations are facing, particularly the United States, within the historical and material context of what the modern nation-state actually is. Stripping down the hyperbolic and nativist language exemplified across political parties, John makes clear what borders really are, and the violent realities this ever expanding infrastructure imposes on human and non-human life. John is the author of The Case for Open Borders, published this year through Haymarket books. Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Writer and organizer Andrew Lee joins me to discuss their new book Defying Displacement: Urban Recomposition and Social War, published through AK Press and the Institute for Anarchist Studies. Defying Displacement grounds itself in one of the main sites of contemporary class struggle: communities facing the multi-headed hydra of gentrification. Andrew Lee directs our attention to the on-the-ground realities of urban displacement, and in turn, provides a new theory of the state and capitalism in the 21st century. “And all of a sudden, to maintain what we have—not improve, not get benefits. This isn’t the ‘60s. We aren’t talking about, give us ethnic studies and a health clinic. It’s much worse than that. It’s: don’t displace me. Let me keep paying rent to my landlord; let me keep paying property taxes on the family home; let me keep working a bad job; just don’t make my rent so high that my community is obliterated. “And the people that brings us into conflict with aren’t just a local regional rich dude.

Writer and organizer Andrew Lee joins me to discuss their new book Defying Displacement: Urban Recomposition and Social War, published through AK Press and the Institute for Anarchist Studies. Defying Displacement grounds itself in one of the main sites of contemporary class struggle: communities facing the multi-headed hydra of gentrification. Andrew Lee directs our attention to the on-the-ground realities of urban displacement, and in turn, provides a new theory of the state and capitalism in the 21st century. Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness

Investigative journalist Arun Gupta returns to the podcast to report on the pro-Palestine student encampments that have bloomed on university and college campuses across the United States and around the world over the past several weeks. He has been documenting the protests on campuses across New York City, including Columbia University and City College of New York (CCNY), which has seen some of the most high-profile repression from police and counter-demonstration agitators. “This movement is really about hope, and we should not lose sight of this fact. That is the most important story that should be coming out, that students acted because they had great hope. Hope is not woowoo; it is hardcore Marxist, materialistic, and dialectical. Hope comes from our collective strategizing and imagination, which is rooted in the material conditions. It is dialectical in the sense that you cannot achieve political change without having great hope and the imagination that we can do this: we will win—not that we can, but

Lydia Pelot-Hobbs and Jack Norton, co-editors of the collection The Jail is Everywhere, join me in this interview to discuss the “quiet jail boom” in numerous counties across the United States. They examine how the county jail has become the preeminent site of the adaptive, expansive, and shapeshifting carceral state, as well as the local and nationwide struggles to end it. The Jail is Everywhere: Fighting the New Geography of Mass Incarceration is edited by Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, Jack Norton, and Judah Schept, with contributions by, and interviews with, numerous anti-jail organizers across the United States. It was published through Verso Books. Lydia Pelot-Hobbs is an Assistant Professor of Geography and African American & Africana Studies at the University of Kentucky, and author of Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration and Struggles for Abolition Democracy in Louisiana. Jack Norton is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Governors State University, and was a senior research associate at the Vera Institu

Lydia Pelot-Hobbs and Jack Norton, co-editors of the collection The Jail is Everywhere, join me in this interview to discuss the “quiet jail boom” in numerous counties across the United States. They examine how the county jail has become the preeminent site of the adaptive, expansive, and shapeshifting carceral state, as well as the local and nationwide struggles to end it. Support the work and listen to the full interview: https://www.patreon.com/lastborninthewilderness