Best Interdependent Study Podcasts (2025)

1
Literal and Metaphorical Fires 28:32

5d ago28:32

28:32

The impact of the 2025 Southern California wildfires has been devastating, but the revitalization and regeneration efforts by communities in Altadena is a true inspiration. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Between Fires in Los Angeles and Fascism in America” by Robin D.G. Kelley in Hammer & Hope, which chronicles the impact of and resp…

1
104: Manufacturing Homelessness feat. Brian Goldstone 1:50:00

2d ago1:50:00

1:50:00

Abby and Patrick welcome journalist and anthropologist Brian Goldstone to discuss his new book, There is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. A devastating and essential read, There is No Place for Us tells the stories of five Atlanta families as they join the ranks of an ever-growing class of Americans: the unhoused. Against the grain…

1
103: Ayahuasca and Climate Grief feat. Sarah Miller 6:09

9d ago6:09

6:09

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby and Patrick are joined by one of their favorite writers, Sarah Miller, to talk about her new essay in n+1. Entitled “Pirates of the Ayahuasca,” it’s a first-person narrative, at once understated and devastating, …

1
Authoritarians at Home and Abroad 27:50

12d ago27:50

27:50

Fascism, authoritarianism, and the far-right insurgency here in the United States and in Europe are on the rise and undoubtedly devastating for all of us. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Donald Trump and the Far-Right Insurgency in Europe” by Gary Younge in Hammer & Hope, which outlines and analyzes the history, rise, leaders, and man…

1
The Relentless and Recurring Nakba 33:48

19d ago33:48

33:48

Without a doubt, Palestinian humanity deserves more than it has been given. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Perfect Victims: And the Politics of Appeal by Mohammed El-Kurd (and published by Haymarket Books), which examines and analyzes the concepts of humanity and perfect victimhood in regards to Palestine and the Palestinian people thr…

1
102: Reparations, Responsibility, and Climate Justice feat. Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò 1:39:23

23d ago1:39:23

1:39:23

Abby and Patrick welcome philosopher Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò on the occasion of the new edition of his book Reconsidering Reparations: Why Climate Justice and Constructive Politics Are Needed in the Wake of Slavery and Colonialism. Reconsidering Reparations is a magisterial work that ties together global history, data from economics and public health, philo…

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101: Mailbag: On Pain, Learning, and the Problem of Other Minds Teaser 9:57

30d ago9:57

9:57

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness In the second half of our their hundred-episode Mailbag spectacular, Abby, Patrick, and Dan field some overdetermined questions best kept snug behind the Patreon paywall. Among other things, the three take on what thi…

1
Police, Prosecutors, and Politicians Vs. the People 22:39

1M ago22:39

22:39

There continues to be much to learn from the stories of people and communities that have worked tirelessly throughout history for racial and social justice in this country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the second episode of the docuseries “Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest” titled “Trapped 1989-1995” (directed by Sa…

1
100: Mailbag: An Embarrassment of Riches 1:30:39

1M ago1:30:39

1:30:39

Abby, Patrick, and Dan mark one hundred episodes of Ordinary Unhappiness! They start by looking back on the show’s run so far, and what they’ve gotten from engaging with psychoanalysis as a living body of knowledge, as a corpus of classic texts, as a way of seeing the world, and more. They then turn to the episode’s primary focus: a mailbag chock f…

1
Time for a General Strike? 25:13

1M ago25:13

25:13

There’s been an increase in the number of organizers, activists, and organizations calling for a national strike in the United States to combat the fascism and violence we face at the hands of our government. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “What would a general strike in the US actually look like?” by Jeremy Brecher in Waging Nonviole…

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99: Wild Analysis: The White Lotus feat Sam Adler-Bell Teaser 4:41

1M ago4:41

4:41

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby and Patrick are joined by returning guest Sam Adler-Bell, co-host of the Know Your Enemy podcast and columnist at New York magazine, to talk about the HBO series The White Lotus. From plotlines involving taboos l…

1
Criminalization of Librarians 24:38

2M ago24:38

24:38

The right’s onslaught of attacks on books, education, and learning have also included attacks on and the criminalization of librarians. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss an essay titled “Criminalizing Librarians: Threats and Realities” by Mariame Kaba and published by Interrupting Criminalization, which highlights some of the attacks on librarians…

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98: From Boundaries to Attachment: The Uses and Abuses of Pop Psychology feat. Lily Scherlis 1:47:38

2M ago1:47:38

1:47:38

Abby and Patrick are joined by writer and artist Lily Scherlis for a provocative reflection on the ideological subtexts, historical contexts, and real-world value of some of our moment’s most bandied-about concepts and terms. Beginning with her 2023 essay for Parapraxis, “Boundary Issues: How Boundaries became the Rule for Mental Health – and Every…

1
Abolition through the Years 28:14

2M ago28:14

28:14

We must continue our movement for abolition and fight against state violence, oppression, and punishment at all costs. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Abolition: Politics, Practices, and Promises, Vol. 1 by Angela Davis (and published by Haymarket Books), which is a collection of Davis’ essays analyzing the history of abolitionist pract…

1
97: Standard Edition Volume 2 Part 2: Studies on Hysteria, Part II: Anna O. 3:38

2M ago3:38

3:38

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan turn to the first case study in Freud and Breuer’s Studies on Hysteria: Fräulein Anna O. It is a paradoxical and deeply overdetermined text. This troubled young woman was a patient of Breuer’s, …

1
Lessons from Economic Crises & Epidemics 27:07

2M ago27:07

27:07

There is so much to learn from the stories of people and communities that have worked tirelessly for racial and social justice in the Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the first episode of the docuseries “Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest” titled “America, Don’t Look Away 1977-1988” (dir…

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96: Mediating Motherhood feat. Hannah Zeavin 1:33:16

2M ago1:33:16

1:33:16

Abby and Patrick welcome returning guest Hannah Zeavin – scholar, write, editor, co-founder of the Psychosocial Foundation and Founding Editor of Parapraxis magazine – to talk about her brand-new book, Mother Media: Hot and Cool Parenting in the 20th Century. It’s an exploration of the complex relationships that have tied together the figure of the…

1
Disrupting Business as Usual 23:33

2M ago23:33

23:33

The labor movement faces a critical moment that could impact generations to come. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a piece titled “For Labor, Caution Is Fatal” by Stephen Lerner in In These Times, which highlights and analyzes the current moment the labor movement is in right now and the challenges that the new administration poses to its progres…

1
95: Wild Analysis: Severance Teaser 5:34

2M ago5:34

5:34

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness By popular request, it’s the Ordinary Unhappiness Severance episode! Abby, Patrick, and Dan reflect on the hit show from the perspectives of political economy and libidinal economy, from Adam Smith to Adam Scott to Ka…

1
The Not-So-Slow Death of the Bill of Rights 22:30

2M ago22:30

22:30

It is clear that the Trump administration is targeting colleges and universities, as well as students protesting in support of Palestine. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a piece called “Trump’s targeting of students protesting genocide opens new lines of attack” by Neha Madhira in Prism, which highlights how the detainment of Mahmoud Khalil and …

1
UNLOCKED: 42: Wild Analysis: The President’s Analyst 1:25:55

3M ago1:25:55

1:25:55

Unlocked Patreon episode. Support Ordinary Unhappiness on Patreon to get access to all the exclusive episodes. patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness In a perfect pairing with our ongoing series on Lacan, we come in from the cold and go underground by watching Theodore Flicker’s neglected classic, “The President’s Analyst” (1967). James Coburn stars as a …

1
Guidance for Troublemakers 25:14

3M ago25:14

25:14

It is no secret that the state uses violence and coercion to suppress social movements in this country. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss a resource titled “A Troublemakers Guide: Principles for Racial Justice Activists in the Face of State Repression” by the Catalyst Project,…

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94: Standard Edition Volume 2 Part 1: Pearls of Suffering: Studies on Hysteria, Part I Teaser 3:44

3M ago3:44

3:44

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby and Patrick begin the Standard Edition Volume II. Their first text is Freud and Breuer’s famous Studies on Hysteria (1895), specifically its opening sections. First, they unpack the layered and suggestive series …

1
Delusions of White Supremacists 21:22

3M ago21:22

21:22

The connections between white supremacy and fascism to sci-fi and fantasy are clear. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Fascism” by Sherronda J. Brown in Scalawag, which analyzes and critiques the ways that imagination and fantasy get used by white supremacist and fascist worldviews to advance outrageous and dangerou…

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93: On Emma Jung feat. Ann Conrad Lammers 1:23:34

3M ago1:23:34

1:23:34

Abby and Patrick welcome Ann Conrad Lammers, a Jungian psychotherapist and the primary editor and assistant translator of Dedicated to the Soul: The Writings and Drawings of Emma Jung, a brand-new volume from Princeton University Press. Going against the grain of traditional narratives that present Emma as a helpmeet to her more famous husband, thi…

1
Lessons from Bayard 24:45

3M ago24:45

24:45

Bayard Rustin was a key figure and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, but because he was a gay man, he was mostly relegated to the background and cast as an outsider. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary “Brother Outsider: The Life of Freedom Fighter Bayard Rustin” (co-produced and co-directed by Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer), whi…

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92: Gerontophallocracy 2025: The Primitive Accumulation Monster Dad at the End of History Teaser 4:02

3M ago4:02

4:02

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness For the first time since the inauguration, our series metabolizing the ongoing chaos of American politics returns. That’s right: Gerontophallocracy is back! The topic is a certain grandiose deadbeat manchild patriarch…

1
Black Anti-Fascism 28:21

3M ago28:21

28:21

The fight against fascism across the globe is necessary for the survival of Black people. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book The Black Antifascist Tradition: Fighting Back From Anti-Lynching to Abolition by Jeanelle K. Hope and Bill V. Mullen (published by Haymarket Books), which chronicles the history of the fight against fascism and anti…

1
Resist Overwhelm 23:32

4M ago23:32

23:32

We must resist the government takeover by the billionaire Right and fascists at all costs. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “In the Face of Overwhelm” by Asha Ransby-Sporn in In These Times, which analyzes the ongoing government takeover by fascists and the billionaire Right and highlights what we can and must do to resist being overwhe…

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91: Feminism, Antagonism, and Solidarity feat. Sophie Lewis 1:37:05

4M ago1:37:05

1:37:05

Abby and Patrick welcome author Sophie Lewis to discuss her latest book, Enemy Feminisms: TERFs, Policewomen, and Girlbosses Against Liberation. Together, they explore the history of a variety of feminisms, self-identified and otherwise, that can justifiably provoke anxiety and even rejection in those invested in feminism as an emancipatory concept…

1
Fight the Anti-Trans Agenda 23:02

4M ago23:02

23:02

Despite the flurry and onslaught of anti-trans legislation and actions by the new administration, we must stand committed to defending the humanity of trans people and fight this fascist, anti-trans agenda at all costs. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Trump’s Latest Anti-Trans Actions and How We Can Fight Back” by Kelly Hayes in her n…

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90: Standard Edition Volume 1 Part 12: The Project for a Scientific Psychology Part 3 Teaser 4:20

4M ago4:20

4:20

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan close out The Project for a Scientific Psychology - and the first volume of the Standard Edition - in its entirety! First, they unpack the key steps of Freud's quantitative argument" from the na…

1
Ceasefire is a beginning 22:24

4M ago22:24

22:24

There is still much work to be done regarding the future of the struggle to disrupt the distribution of United States weaponry and support to Israel in the ultimate hope to dismantle Zionism and imperialism. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Our Fight Doesn’t End at Cease-Fire” by Nashwa Bawab in In These Times, which features parts of …

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89: Breath, Vulnerability, and Interdependence feat. Jamieson Webster 1:08:16

4M ago1:08:16

1:08:16

Abby and Patrick welcome psychoanalyst and author Jamieson Webster to discuss her brand-new book, On Breathing: Care in a Time of Catastrophe, out in March 2025 from Catapult. It’s a wide-ranging conversation that traverses clinical, social, and political domains while remaining firmly grounded in one of the most basic prerequisites for human life:…

1
Reading Toni Morrison's Racism & Fascism 7:41

4M ago7:41

7:41

We've got a solo episode today. Aaron revisits and reads Toni Morrison's 1995 essay Racism and Fascism. We explored and appreciated this essay in October 2024 thanks to In These Times decision to republish it. We felt a sense of truth-telling that continues to reverberate 30 years later. Follow us on social media and visit our website! ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠…

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88: On Hate and Aggression, Part IV Teaser 2:30

4M ago2:30

2:30

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan put Winnicott’s ideas about hate and aggression to work. What everyday situations, personal experiences, and institutional practices get clarified when we consider them as reflecting displaced f…

1
Carry Dr. King's Torch 27:28

5M ago27:28

27:28

The inauguration of Donald Trump on the same day as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday highlights the fact that we are witnessing and living through a significant clash of opposing visions. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “MLK’s Legacy Is One of Class Struggle. To Fight Trump, We Must Carry His Torch.” by Nicholas Powers in Truthout, …

1
Episode 87: On Hate and Aggression, Part III 1:46:48

5M ago1:46:48

1:46:48

Abby, Patrick, and Dan conclude their close reading of Winnicott’s “Hate in the Counter-Transference,” unpacking and tying together its three biggest arguments. First, there’s the connection Winnicott draws between the therapeutic encounter and childhood development: more than just an analogy, these two environments are directly connected, and in f…

1
Teach Truth & Commit Truthcrime 27:32

5M ago27:32

27:32

Given the countless and relentless political attacks on education and learning across the country, the need for antiracist education and educators is paramount. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Teach Truth: The Struggle for Antiracist Education by Jesse Hagopian, which explores and analyzes the concept and disturbing power of uncritical …

1
86: On Hate and Aggression, Part II Teaser 3:55

5M ago3:55

3:55

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan start close-reading Winnicott’s famous paper, “Hate in the Counter-Transference” (1949, originally delivered as a paper two years earlier). They start with its place and time, situating Winnicot…

1
Uranium & Nuclear Colonialism 24:25

5M ago24:25

24:25

Nuclear colonialism and racism are at the core of the Indigenous struggle for healthy and viable sacred land in the American Southwest. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the documentary Demon Mineral (directed by Hadley Austin), which chronicles the ongoing Indigenous struggle to reclaim healthy and sacred land among the uranium mines and radioact…

1
85: On Hate and Aggression, Part I 1:35:35

5M ago1:35:35

1:35:35

Abby, Patrick, and Dan take up a topic that couldn’t be more relevant to the contemporary zeitgeist – aggression – as theorized by an unlikely source: the British analyst and pediatrician D.W. Winnicott. What did this beloved and famously gentle figure have to say about aggression, and our taboos and fantasies surrounding it? Where does aggression …

1
Where to from here? 28:35

5M ago28:35

28:35

With the 2024 election behind us, it is important to figure out where we go from here. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “Donald Trump’s Victory, the Elitism of Democrats, and the Need to Build a Hospitable Left” in Hammer & Hope, which features a conversation between Daniel Denvir and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor analyzing the 2024 president…

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84: New Year Vibe Check: I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On 11:23

5M ago11:23

11:23

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan get together for a looking-forward, looking-backward session surveying the year that was and assessing the year ahead. It’s a suitably ambivalent, Janus-faced assessment of political development…

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83: Religion and Neurosis feat. Nathan Rein Teaser 9:47

6M ago9:47

9:47

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby and Patrick sit down with religious studies scholar and Reformation historian Nathan Rein to discuss Freud’s “Obsessive Actions and Religious Practices” (1907). This is Freud’s first extended treatment of religio…

1
2024 Year in Review 23:49

6M ago23:49

23:49

2024 is almost over so it’s time for our last episode of the year! Listen as Aaron and Damien reflect on the past year of our podcast, and each share our top 5 moments from the show. Thank you so much for listening to Interdependent Study! We’ll see you in 2025! Follow us on social media and visit our website! ⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

1
Abolition Democracy 29:06

6M ago29:06

29:06

There has been much debate over the years about the actions of the United States around the globe as the world’s leading democracy. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the book Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture by Angela Davis, which is a collection of interviews of Davis discussing her critiques of democracy, the connections …

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82: Effing the Ineffable feat. Simon Critchley 1:26:57

6M ago1:26:57

1:26:57

Abby and Patrick are joined by philosopher Simon Critchley to discuss his new book, On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy. They discuss how, for Critchley, mysticism represents "a way of thinking about existential ecstasy that is outside and more than the conscious self.” Exploring the book’s survey of key figures and texts in the Western Christi…

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81: Mailbag Part II: Readings and Misreadings Teaser 6:18

6M ago6:18

6:18

Subscribe to get access to the full episode, the episode reading list, and all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/OrdinaryUnhappiness Abby, Patrick, and Dan shake off the Holiday Syndrome torpor to continue our previous mailbag episode – including even more feedback from you! The over-arching theme is movement: what sparks different journeys for dif…

1
Punishment & Fascism 22:02

6M ago22:02

22:02

History and everyday life have proven that the prison industrial complex and fascism are connected. Listen as Aaron and Damien discuss the piece “The Punishment System and Fascism Go Hand in Hand” by Rachel Herzing, Amelia Kirby, and Jack Norton in Hammer & Hope, which analyzes the importance of understanding the role that the prison industrial com…

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