The Art of Asking Everything

Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer is a rock star, best-selling author, TED speaker and community leader who does everything on her own terms simply by asking. Now, she turns the tables on her colleagues and heroes to find out how they create art, love difficult people, work for change, and survive the worst moments of their lives. From porn stars to empathy researchers, and cartoonists to climate scientists, no topic is out of bounds. read less
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Episodes

Highlights of The First Season or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Podcast
21-04-2021
Highlights of The First Season or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Podcast
A crowdsourced episode! You asked, we answered with this episode: A collage of the best moments so far.From New Zealand to Portland, London to Austin, and Edinburgh to Melbourne; this podcast was recorded all over the world while I toured There Will Be No Intermission. The podcast premiered in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. What a year it’s been. With the help of my Patrons calling in and writing to me, I’ve assembled this episode of your favorite moments and reflections on how we’ve all managed to stay connected throughout a year of isolation. We laughed, we cried, we sang songs. And I learned how to podcast. Hear my reflections on the first season, insights from listeners, and what’s coming up later this year. Playlist of music from my amazing guests: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5Rujpb8gyMKxNaAucbYXgQ?si=4SnK2MlsRD2FR6vXRjzBpQGet all our Team AFP book recommendations:https://www.patreon.com/posts/47078444  Watch the Crowdcasts:https://www.crowdcast.io/afp#FreePussyRiot: https://youtu.be/ZUiU8QamHi0Please fill out our listener survey:https://forms.gle/vaXtDVctgYYwFMi68And check out the merch sale:http://linktr.ee/AFPxDolls  Support my guests on Patreon:Storm Largehttps://www.patreon.com/stormlargeMadison Young https://www.patreon.com/MadisonYoungPussy Riot https://www.patreon.com/pussyriotKT Tunstall https://www.patreon.com/KTTunstallNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Sherry Turkle: Is Technology Killing Our Hearts?
14-04-2021
Sherry Turkle: Is Technology Killing Our Hearts?
Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self.Sherry studies psychoanalysis and human-technology interaction. In books such as, “The Second Self,” “Life on the Screen,” and “Alone Together,” Sherry focuses on the psychology of human relationships with technology.Sherry’s 2012 TED Talk is entitled, “Connected, but alone?”Her latest book is an autobiography called, "The Empathy Diaries." In it, Sherry reflects on growing up in Brooklyn and Rockaway, New York, navigating academia as a woman in the 1960’s and 70’s, and reconnecting with her estranged father as an adult.We talked about being difficult women, how Marvin Minsky hates Bambi, defiance in thought, vulnerability in tech, how brilliant ideas launder bad behavior, and radical humility.Buy "The Empathy Diaries"https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/585731/the-empathy-diaries-by-sherry-turkle/Watch her TED Talk, “Connected, but alone?”https://www.ted.com/talks/sherry_turkle_connected_but_aloneFollow Sherry on Twitter and IG @STurkleFor more visit sherryturkle.mit.eduNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcastAmanda Palmer and Dresden Dolls merch sale on now! https://linktr.ee/AFPxDolls
Dr. Rola Hallam: The Fuckery of Philanthropy
15-03-2021
Dr. Rola Hallam: The Fuckery of Philanthropy
Dr. Rola Hallam is a punk rock doctor. She is the founder of CanDo; a crowdfunding platform that puts resources in the hands of the frontline healthcare workers in war-affected communities. In 2011, when war first broke out in her home country Syria, Hallam became involved in the humanitarian response. Working with various Syrian-led NGOs, she played an integral part in building 7 hospitals in Syria including the first ever crowdfunded hospital. To address the issues she had found within the aid system, she established CanDo, a not-for-profit social enterprise and crowdfunding platform for local humanitarian organizations. She ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2016 called People's Convoy, which raised money to build a Hope Hospital for children after the last children's hospital in Aleppo was destroyed having been bombed for the 6th time. She and the Convoy drove the entire provision of medical equipment for the hospital from London to the Turkey-Syria border in December 2016. She says, “Hope Hospital was built because thousands of people came together from around the world and said: It is not acceptable to bomb hospitals, it is not ok to bomb children. And we will rebuild.”March 15, 2021 is the 10-year anniversary of the ongoing war in Syria. Hallam is now fundraising to help protect children who are being targeted in schools. Go to SaveSyriasSchools.org to help purchase early-warning systems for 150 schools. DONATE NOW - Save Syria's SchoolsSaveSyriasSchools.org ‘Saving Syria’s Children’ documentaryhttps://vimeo.com/140567469TED Talkhttps://www.ted.com/talks/rola_hallam_the_doctors_nurses_and_aid_workers_rebuilding_syria/up-next‘Open Letter: Let us Treat Patients in Syria’https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)61938-8/fulltextThe People’s Caravanhttps://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-38528360No ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Madison Young: Can Porn Be Feminist? (Spoiler alert: Yes it can)
02-02-2021
Madison Young: Can Porn Be Feminist? (Spoiler alert: Yes it can)
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Madison Young, recorded June 11, 2019 in Portland, Oregon.Madison Young is an erotic artist, filmmaker, and performer. She entered the world of erotic filmmaking first as a performer in 2002 and later started directing films in 2005.She is a noted expert on sex, BDSM, and sexual power dynamics.Madison has taught workshops, given lectures, and acted as a panelist on the topics of sexuality, feminist porn studies, and the politics of BDSM at institutions such as Yale University, UC Berkeley, and the Berlin Porn Film Festival.She is the founder of the Erotic Film School, a three-day erotic filmmaking training program held in San Francisco, CA, that introduces students to the pre-production, production, and post-production process of making erotic film.She is also the founder of the now-closed Femina Potens Art Gallery, a nonprofit art gallery and performance space in San Francisco that served the LGBTQ and Kink communities.Along with Moorea Malatt, she hosts the podcast, Wash Your Mouth Out.Madison published her memoir Daddy in 2014.In this interview we talk about Madison’s life as a sex worker, being a bondage model, transitioning to director, the body as an artistic medium, creating a queer performance space in San Francisco, our fandom of Annie Sprinkle, black box theaters, and the importance of being a pleasure activist.Website:https://iammadisonyoung.wordpress.comPodcast:http://www.washyourmouthoutpodcast.comInstagram:@therealmadisonyoungBook:https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17341771-daddyNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Masarat Daud: I Am Not Responsible for your Ignorance
05-01-2021
Masarat Daud: I Am Not Responsible for your Ignorance
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Masarat Daud, recorded October 29, 2019 in London, England.Masarat Daud is an alumnus of Cambridge International School, Dubai. She later studied at the American University of Dubai and also completed a certificate course in Tech Tools and Skills in Emergency Management through TechChange.Masarat is the Founder of 8 Day Academy, a global education movement with a mission to make education accessible and relevant to all communities. She has also worked as a columnist for the Khaleej Times and as Deputy News Editor for CPI Dubai.She is the curator of TEDx Shekhavati; a conference that takes place in rural Rajasthan. In her TEDx talks, she discusses how to break stereotypes and how she learned to love her burka.In this episode we talk about the importance of stoking your curiosity about people different from you, the power of core values to bring people together, keeping a world view of abundance, Masarat’s dinners with Twitter friends, the cult of feminism, the importance of visibility and taking up space, nudity, and not taking responsibility for other people’s ignorance.Twitter:@masaratTED:https://blog.ted.com/why-i-wear-the-burka-masarat-daud-at-ted2014/8 Day Academy:https://www.facebook.com/8dayacademy/timelineNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Tim Flannery: The Need for Drawdown
29-12-2020
Tim Flannery: The Need for Drawdown
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Tim Flannery, recorded July 23, 2019, in Edinburgh, Scotland.Tim Flannery is an Australian mammalogist, palaeontologist, environmentalist, conservationist, explorer and public scientist. He has discovered more than 30 mammal species including a new type of tree kangaroos. Tim served as the Chief Commissioner of the Climate Commission, a Federal Government body providing information on climate change to the Australian public. In 2013, Tim announced that he would join other fired commissioners to form the Independent Climate Council. Tim is a professorial fellow at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute. His books include The Future Eaters and The Weather Makers. His TED Talk is entitled, “Can Seaweed Help Curb Global Warming?”In this episode we talk about the power of seaweed to draw down large greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, the vastness and unexplored nature of the Australian Outback, the death of The Great Barrier Reef, how different countries view the climate crisis, the convict roots of Australia and its effects on modern politics, the lack of climate change coverage in the mainstream media, how to be a leader on climate change in your own community, and the battle against tribalism and skepticism.@FlanneryTexBooks:https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/27157.Tim_FlanneryTED:https://www.ted.com/speakers/tim_flanneryNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Dan Savage: Sex Rules Us
15-12-2020
Dan Savage: Sex Rules Us
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Dan Savage, recorded June 4, 2019 in Seattle, WA.Dan Savage is an author, media pundit, journalist, and LGBT community activist. He is the long-time writer of Savage Love, an internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column and the author of books such as, “The Commitment,” “The Kid,” and, “American Savage.”  Dan is also the host of his own hit podcast, The Savage Lovecast, and also serves as the editorial director of the weekly Seattle newspaper, The Stranger.  In 2010, Dan and his husband, Terry Miller, began the It Gets Better Project to help prevent suicide among LGBT youth. Dan also coordinates the annual Hump Pornography Festival, which is made up of clips on any pornographic topic, submitted by viewers.In this interview we talk about the power of the mute button and marijuana, weeding out toxic critics, how open relationships need to constantly be renegotiated, lessons from monogamous hospice care, the problems with compartmentalizing feelings and sex, the complications of being polyamorous, and the logistics of being openly married with children. Twitter @fakedansavageInstagram @dansavageSavage Love Podcast:https://www.savagelovecast.comWeb:https://www.thestranger.com/authors/259/dan-savagehttps://humpfilmfest.comNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon.Become a member. Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Nadya Tolokonnikova: Pussy Rioting Now
10-11-2020
Nadya Tolokonnikova: Pussy Rioting Now
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Nadya Tolokonnikova. Recorded October 4th, 2020.Nadya Tolokonnikova is a Russian conceptual artist, political activist, and co-founder of Vladimir Putin’s least favorite band, Pussy Riot.In 2012, she was convicted of "hooliganism motivated by religious hatred" after a performance in Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour and served two years in prison.She is the author of “How to Start a Revolution” and “Read & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide to Activism.” Her prison correspondence with philosopher Slavoj  Žižek was compiled into the book, “Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavoj.”In this interview we talked about coping with a pandemic, Putin’s never-ending reign, storming the Russian Parliament, the influence of riot grrrls, female empowerment, the advantages of being a multimedia artist, building an institution as a statement of punk, creating your own rules, rebelling against expectations, reuniting with your parents, and the importance of reading books when you have lost your freedom.@tolokno on Twitter@nadyariot on Instagram.Check out everything from music videos to anti-surveillance makeup tutorials on Pussy Riot’s YouTubewww.youtube.com/channel/UCQYcCfKYfYMcuCsem8z5CyQRead & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide to Activismwww.harpercollins.com/products/read-riot-nadya-tolokonnikova?Comradely Greetings: The Prison Letters of Nadya and Slavojwww.goodreads.com/en/book/show/20819758-comradely-greetingsGet your Destroy the Patriarchy merchandise at pussyriot.storeSupport Nadya and Pussy Riot on Patreon:Patreon.com/pussyriotNo ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media.Exclusive content is available to Patrons only.Go to Patreon. Become a member. Get extra stuff.Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Leslie Salmon Jones: The Heart Doesn’t Lie
03-11-2020
Leslie Salmon Jones: The Heart Doesn’t Lie
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Leslie Salmon Jones, recorded July 5, 2019 at The Omega Institute. Leslie Salmon Jones is a professional dancer, yoga instructor, wellness coach, public speaker, and community activist. Along with her husband, Jeff W. Jones, she is the cofounder of Afro Flow Yoga. The pair work with community organizations to help develop mastery over their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-beings. AFY offers weekly classes, monthly workshops, teacher trainings and outreach programs to promote diversity and inclusion in Boston, New York, and worldwide. AFY workshops and retreats are also offered at The Omega Institute, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Festivals, Schools, Colleges and Universities, private events and at studios worldwide including Hawaii, Jamaica, Costa Rica, Bali, and Canada. Leslie’s work has been featured in Yoga Journal, Black Enterprise, Essence and Oprah Magazines, NPR, NBC, and ABC News. In this conversation, we talk about Leslie’s amazing family, growing up Black in an affluent Toronto neighborhood, learning how to speak your truth, The Cloud Club, how one’s body remembers trauma, the importance of self-compassion, finding your light in the darkest of times, and why the best way to mend your mind and body is through your breath. @AfroFlowYoga lesliesalmonjones.comafroflowyoga.com No ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media. Exclusive content is available to Patrons only. Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff. Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast
Eli Pariser: How We Can Actually Use the Internet for Good Things
27-10-2020
Eli Pariser: How We Can Actually Use the Internet for Good Things
Amanda Palmer presents an intimate conversation with Eli Pariser, recorded July 24, 2019 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Eli Pariser wants to make technology and media serve democracy, instead of the other way around. He is an author, activist, and entrepreneur who became executive director of MoveOn.org in 2004, where he helped pioneer the practice of online citizen engagement. Eli is also the co-founder of Upworthy, a website for meaningful viral content, and Avaaz, a global citizen's organization. His book, “The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You” not only introduced the term “filter bubble” to the world, but also kicked off a conversation about online discourse that has only become more pressing. He is the author of two TED Talks that focus on social media’s responsibility to the greater good. He currently co-directs, with Talia Stroud, the Civic Signals Project, which aims to support the creation of more flourishing digital public spaces. Check out his recent piece in Wired about how to create public spaces online.  In this episode we talk about how we should attribute people’s actions to their situation instead of their character, controlling your environment to change your behavior for the good, applying urban planning theories to The Internet, inviting in the things you want in your life, why it is so hard to be an artist in America, having empathy for people you don’t agree with, the struggle to raise children with the right amount of determination and grit, and how shame is a cultural tool to create conformity. @elipariser https://www.elipariser.org TED:https://www.ted.com/speakers/eli_pariser Civic Signals:http://civicsignals.io/ Wired:https://www.wired.com/story/to-mend-a-broken-internet-create-online-parks/  No ads.No sponsors.No censorship.We are the media. Exclusive content is available to Patrons only. Go to Patreon.Become a member.Get extra stuff. Join the community at amandapalmer.net/podcast