Best Isaac Goff Podcasts (2025)

1
Shuwanza Goff 54:34

2d ago54:34

54:34

Shuwanza Goff made history as the first Black woman to lead any administration's legislative strategy as Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs in the Biden White House. With thirteen years of experience in the office of former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, including as Floor Director, Shuwanza helped secure landmark legislation like the Amer…

1
97 The Sacred Geese of Juno 3:42

8d ago3:42

3:42

Not all heros wear capes, sometimes they wear goose feathers. Sources: https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/sacred-geese/?srsltid=AfmBOopjJHDlP5lG_5yxl_xVBQcBZdVi1O12iGF_-4JMD8Vn8ajgBnsj Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

1
Endings: The Last Days of Roger Federer 1:11:30

7d ago1:11:30

1:11:30

We kick off the final season of Book Fight with a guest-free episode--like the old days! Our reading this week is Geoff Dyer's 2022 book The Last Days of Roger Federer, and Other Endings. Which seemed thematically appropriate as we come to our own ending (of the podcast; we're not dying or anything).…

1
96 Constitution Grove 5:34

11d ago5:34

5:34

What does the Navy and a forest in Indiana have in common? The Constitution. Sources: https://ambrook.com/research/land/naval-boat-forest-Indiana-Old-Ironsides https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/ Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

1
Anne Filipic 51:36

13d ago51:36

51:36

Anne Filipic – CEO of Share Our Strength – has more than 20 years of experience at the highest levels of government, campaigns, and advocacy. She has worked on House and Senate campaigns, at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the White House (twice), the DNC, and served as CEO of Enroll America, the organization tasked with signing up …

1
Rob Bonta 51:07

2M ago51:07

51:07

As the state’s chief legal officer, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is at the forefront of addressing some of the country’s most pressing challenges. Hear what he has to say about the role of his department in meeting this moment, why people looking for new opportunities should consider joining the CA DOJ, and what inspires him to keep fighti…

1
In Defense of Staffers: A Response to DOGE 6:43

2M ago6:43

6:43

In light of all that has been happening to government employees over the last six weeks, we are releasing a special edition of STAFFER to recognize the invaluable work staffers do for our communities. Indiscriminate, poorly reasoned firings threaten more than the people directly affected – they threaten the functioning and fabric of our democracy. …

1
95 Book Bats 4:05

2M ago4:05

4:05

Bats, the first line of defense of Portugese literature. Sources: https://magazine.1000libraries.com/these-bats-are-keeping-hundreds-of-books-safe/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioteca_Joanina Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

1
Holiday Spectacular: SKRUJ! 1:21:47

4M ago1:21:47

1:21:47

It's that time of year again: our annual holiday episode, where we invite several members of the Barrelhouse editorial team to read and discuss a very sexy holiday-themed novel. This year's book is SKRUJ: Holidate with an Alien, by bestselling author Honey Phillips. The book is a retelling, of a sort, of the Dickens Christmas classic, but starring …

1
The Pink Panther 1:06:20

5M ago1:06:20

1:06:20

We wrap up our noir season with one final episode, this one discussing the 1963 Peter Sellers movie The Pink Panther, and the series more generally, which spoofed many of the tropes of the noir/detective genres. We also look back at the season--what we learned from diving into the noir genre, and our favorite books. If you like this episode, we've …

1
Bruce Mehlman 52:20

5M ago52:20

52:20

STAFFER guest Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, has been on Washingtonian Magazine’s list of 500 Most Influential People for three years running. Prior to founding his own firm, Bruce served as counsel at the NRCC, General Counsel and Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, Policy Counsel at Cisco, and Assistant Secretary o…

1
Nadira Goffe on Blacktop Wasteland 1:12:40

5M ago1:12:40

1:12:40

We welcome Nadira Goffe (culture writer for Slate) to talk about a Black, Southern noir from S.A. Cosby. We learn about Nadira's love of the Fast and the Furious franchise, her fear of actual driving, and her mixed feelings about an over-the-top metaphor. Plus: Mike gets pedantic about dialogue tags, and Tom realizes there's a limit to how many car…

1
Carlos Monje 37:46

5M ago37:46

37:46

Carlos Monje has worked in government for some of the biggest names in DC, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg, over the course of his nearly 25-year career. In this episode, he shares stories about his experience working in the Senate, on presidential campaigns, at the White House and Department of Transportation…

1
Tod Goldberg on Winter's Bone 1:22:05

5M ago1:22:05

1:22:05

We welcome back best-selling crime novelist Tod Goldberg to talk about one of his favorite books, by one of his favorite authors. Daniel Woodrell's 2006 novel was the basis for the 2012 film of the same name, which netted Jennifer Lawrence an Oscar nomination at the age of 20. The movie is a pretty faithful adaptation of the novel, though the book'…

1
Daniel DiFranco on Do Evil in Return 1:09:52

5M ago1:09:52

1:09:52

We're joined by novelist and high-school music teacher Daniel DiFranco (Panic Years, Devil on My Trail) to discuss the Margaret Millar novel Do Evil in Return, a staple of the noir genre. We talk about the line between serious and campy, how to move plot forward in a novel, and the difficulty of endings. For more about our guest, including where to…

1
Joanna Pearson on Mary Gaitskill 1:13:41

6M ago1:13:41

1:13:41

We welcome Joanna Pearson (author, most recently, of Bright and Tender Dark), who makes the case that we should put Mary Gaitskill's short stories in the "noir" category--or at least mark them as noir-adjacent. We discuss two specific Gaitskill stories, "The Other Place" and "The Girl on the Plane," as well as the particular darkness of the Gaitski…

1
Steph Cha on The Postman Always Rings Twice 56:30

6M ago56:30

56:30

We're joined by Steph Cha (author of Your House Will Pay) to talk about a famous California hardboiled novel none of us had ever read. What will it took us about tramps, insurance fraud, and the relative difficulty of staging a fake car-related murder? And what's the deal with that postman, with his infernal ringing? Steph, who has written several …

1
Charlie Demers on The Comedy is Finished 1:18:13

6M ago1:18:13

1:18:13

We're joined by comedian and writer Charlie Demers to discuss a novel that the famous crime writer Donald Westlake finished in the early '80s but which wasn't published until after his death. At the time, he apparently worried that the plot--about a famous comedian kidnapped by a Weather Underground-style group of revolutionaries--was too similar t…

1
Nicole Isaac 49:38

6M ago49:38

49:38

Nicole Isaac has worked for the US State Department, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Vice President's office, and the President’s office, where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs during the Obama Administration. She has worked in external relations for the…

1
In a Lonely Place w/ Isaac Butler 1:16:23

6M ago1:16:23

1:16:23

The 1947 Dorothy Hughes novel In a Lonely Place is considered a hallmark of the noir genre, and also something of a feminist reimagining of those genre's tropes. We're joined by Isaac Butler (author of The Method: How the 20th Century Learned to Act) to talk about some of the book's narrative tricks, including an unreliable third-person narrator, a…

1
Keenan Austin Reed 52:50

6M ago52:50

52:50

Keenan Austin Reed is known as one of the most impactful government relations experts in Washington D.C. — and with good reason. She spent over a decade in local politics, on Capitol Hill, and on the campaign trail; co-founded and now chairs the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance; and rose through the ranks at the Alpine Group and is set to be CE…

1
Sarah Weinman on The Blunderer 59:41

7M ago59:41

59:41

We're back! This episode kicks off a new season of the podcast, and this one's all about noir. In our first installment, guest Sarah Weinman (author of Scoundrel, and The Real Lolita) joins us to discuss a Patricia Highsmith novel, The Blunderer, about a rather hapless man who, despite not actually killing his wife, manages to convince nearly every…

1
94 Elmer McCurdy 5:39

7M ago5:39

5:39

Elmer McCurdy, The Embalmed Bandit Sources: https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2018/07/elmer-mccurdy-traveling-corpse/ https://www.npr.org/2015/01/09/376097471/the-long-strange-60-year-trip-of-elmer-mccurdy Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

1
Greta Lundeberg 47:11

7M ago47:11

47:11

STAFFER guest Greta Lundeberg spent more than 13 years working as a foreign policy expert in the Senate, State Department, and the White House, where she served as Senior Director for Legislative Affairs for the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President. Following her time in government, she spent ten years at Boeing and is n…

1
93 The Steagles 5:51

7M ago5:51

5:51

Desperate times, desperate measures. Sources: https://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/the-steagles-an-unforgettable-1943-season https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/remembering-the-steagles-pennsylvanias-wartime-nfl-team/ https://www.steelcityunderground.com/2020/06/18/steelers-throwback-thursday-history-of-the-1943-steagles-football-team/ Music…

1
A show announcement & training camp talk 1:12:39

9M ago1:12:39

1:12:39

Nick and Colton discuss the future of the show, plus a bunch of stuff from Lions training camp. Notes: none -You can follow Nick on X/Twitter- @nickbaumgardner -You can follow Colton on X/Twitter- @colton_pouncy Hosts: Nick Baumgardner & Colton Pouncy Producer: Brian Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
2024 Lions Training Camp Preview 1:12:59

10M ago1:12:59

1:12:59

Nick and Colton break down what to watch for as Detroit Lions training camp begins. -You can follow Nick on X/Twitter- @nickbaumgardner -You can follow Colton on X/Twitter- @colton_pouncy Hosts: Nick Baumgarder & Colton Pouncy Producer: Brian Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices…

1
Dave Housley on Bridget Jones's Diary 1:12:46

11M ago1:12:46

1:12:46

In the final episode of our "marriage plot" season, we welcome fan favorite Dave Housley (author, most recently, of The Other Ones, and founding editor of Barrelhouse Magazine) to talk about a book that updated the 19th-century marriage plot novel for the 1990s: Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary. Dave had seen the movie version of the novel mu…

1
Lucas Mann on The Marriage Plot 1:16:39

11M ago1:16:39

1:16:39

We couldn't do a season on "the marriage plot" in literature without reading the Jeffrey Eugenides novel that's literally titled The Marriage Plot. Guest Lucas Mann (author, most recently, of the essay collected Attachments, and co-owner of Riffraff Bookstore and Bar in Providence, Rhode Island) joins us to discuss Eugenides' novel, which contains …

1
Beth Ann Fennelly on How to Stay Married 1:12:53

11M ago1:12:53

1:12:53

Poet and novelist Beth Ann Fennelly (Heating & Cooling, The Tilted World) joins us to talk about an unconventional love story, Harrison Scott Key's How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told. We talk about learning life lessons from memoirs, how to write about difficult relationships--especially when you're still in them--and Beth An…

1
On Ben Johnson’s decision to stay with the Lions 39:02

11M ago39:02

39:02

Nick and Colton discuss the unique situation surrounding Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and much more on this week’s show. -You can follow Nick on X/Twitter- @nickbaumgardner -You can follow Colton on X/Twitter- @colton_pouncy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Chris Burke, Nick Baumgardner

1
Curtis Sittenfeld on Alice Munro 1:23:25

11M ago1:23:25

1:23:25

We continue our "marriage plot" season with guest Curtis Sittenfeld (Prep, American Wife, Romantic Comedy) who talks us through one of her favorite Alice Munro stories, why she admires it, and how it's influenced her own work. Plus: Are trains romantic? Is some writing trying too hard to be sexy? And what's the ideal bathroom situation for a marria…

1
Sean Kennedy 51:33

11M ago51:33

51:33

This guest was named one of Washington DC’s most influential people four years in a row, and for good reason. Learn more about Sean Kennedy – the National Restaurant Association’s EVP of Public Affairs – and his experience in government from congressional intern to Senate Chief of Staff to the White House. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Insta…

1
Peter Ho Davies on Ben Lerner's 10:04 1:22:03

11M ago1:22:03

1:22:03

Our "marriage plot" season continues, but with a twist: on this episode, novelist Peter Ho Davies introduces us to "the parent plot," which he argues is a contemporary successor to all those 19th-century novels about choosing a mate. For many, becoming a parent is not only one of life's biggest choices, but also a cultural marker of adult responsib…

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