Life and Art from FT Weekend

This week, we talk about the longstanding American rock band Sleater-Kinney and their 11th album, Little Rope, which came out this month. The band rose out of the grunge and riot grrrl movements in the late 1990s with a raw, rage-filled sound and feminist lyrics. And they’re one of the few all-women bands to have had a career this long. How has their sound evolved? And where did the angry countercultural music of the 90s go? Lilah is joined by FT's music critic Arwa Haider and FT Weekend Magazine editor Matt Vella.  -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Little Rope by Sleater Kinney is available everywhere–Lilah, Matt and Arwa highly recommend the music video for their song ‘Say It Like You Mean It’: https://youtu.be/Vp2z1cL6qoU – Here are three of Arwa’s recent reviews: Tate McRae's pop album Think Later: https://on.ft.com/3HyfIxG, Dominique Dalcan's electronic album Last Night a Woman Saved My Life https://on.ft.com/3SuiXwi, Maluma's reggaeton album Don Juan: https://on.ft.com/3SvMCoG – Matt Vella is on X @mattvella. Arwa is @ArwaHaider  More or less: – Arwa wants more daytime raves, such as Annie Mac’s Before Midnight Party. The 90s raves she mentioned were Sunny Side Up, Everything But the Girl and Sunday Best– Matt wants to see more bad fakes, something that helps us improve our deepfake literacy. The FT Magazine article he mentioned by Tim Harford is here: https://on.ft.com/499eKDC – Lilah wants to go to more small local music venues. She went to the New York club Blue Note to see jazz singer Samara Joy. Watch out for Lilah’s interview with Samara in HTSI, and an episode with her here, in a few weeks!-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Loma Vista and Kill Rock Stars. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tim Harford is a busy guy. He’s got two podcasts, has written 10 books, and has a standing column in the FT called the Undercover Economist. But recently he’s been trying to do less – and not just less bad stuff. He’s cutting down on good things, too, like kickboxing practice and reading New Yorker articles. The idea came to Tim after reading a book called Subtract by Leidy Klotz, in which Klotz looks at research that shows that humans have a bias against subtraction. Instead, our idea of fixing things often involves adding more. Tim tells Lilah how his subtraction experiment is going, and why giving up on one activity can help you enjoy the activities that you choose to stick with.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on X and Instagram @lilahrap. You can email us at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Tim recently wrote about the art of subtraction here: https://on.ft.com/3U5A3BK– He is on X @TimHarford– You can check out recent episodes of Tim’s “More or Less” podcast from the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qshd/episodes/player-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take on the remake of the 2004 teen movie classic, “Mean Girls”. The original “Mean Girls”, starring Lindsay Lohan and written by Tina Fey, was a phenomenon. It’s been called one of the most quotable movies of all time. This new musical remake, based on the original film and the Broadway show, is in theatres now. What did the original film represent for us? Did we need this new version? And what generation is it for? Lilah is joined by the FT’s US financial editor Brooke Masters and Life and Art producer Lulu Smyth to figure it out.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap, where she’s posting a photo of Breen and his burn book. You can email us at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – “Mean Girls”, written by Tina Fey, is out in cinemas in the US and UK now. – The FT’s review of the film is here: https://on.ft.com/3Snt7yJ – Brooke is on X @brookeamasters– We also loved this piece by Miranda Green on modern “Mean Girls” and the impact of social media (June 2023) : https://on.ft.com/48ZWRHy More or Less: – Lulu wants to see more respected male actors in romcoms: specifically Joaquin Phoenix in the next “High School Musical”– Brooke wants to see fewer universe expansions and more original content– Lilah recommends reading new plays – and if you’re in New York, seeing Appropriate”, starring Sarah Paulson. The play is written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. You can read it online here: https://hilsee.com/ApproPlayText.pdf-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Paramount Pictures.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Untold, a new podcast from the special investigations team at the Financial Times. In its first series, The Retreat, host Madison Marriage examines the world of the Goenka network, which promotes a type of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Thousands of people go on Goenka retreats every year. People rave about them. But some people go to these meditation retreats, and they suffer. They might feel a deep sense of terror, or a break with reality. And on the other side, they’re not themselves anymore. Untold: The Retreat launches Jan. 24.Subscribe and listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, the FT’s fashion editor Lauren Indvik made a pledge that surprised us. She vowed to buy just five new items of clothing and shoes all year long. The number comes from a study that says in order to stick to the Paris Agreement’s goals, five new items of fashion a year is the optimal goal for those who live in the world’s richest countries. Lauren tells Lilah how the experiment went and whether she stuck to five things. She also shares her tips for buying fewer new clothes. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Lauren’s article about the ‘five things pledge’ and how it went: https://on.ft.com/4aO1WV3– Lauren recommends using TheRealReal for second-hand luxury clothes in the US; in the UK she shops the Vestiaire Collective– The report from the Hot or Cool Institute that inspired Lauren: https://hotorcool.org/unfit-unfair-unfashionable/– Lauren also mentions the Ellen Macarthur Foundation: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/– Lauren is taking a break from her Fashion Matters newsletter while she is on parental leave, but you can start receiving it when she’s back if you sign up now: https://on.ft.com/48QdvJv-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as we enter the depths of January, we return to an old comfort classic: the 2003 Nancy Meyers romcom Something’s Gotta Give, starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson. In it, two middle-aged people fall in love, but only after one heart attack, two younger lovers, some unexpected midnight pancakes and ample bickering. Does the movie still work today? How has the way we depict aging in film changed? And do we miss Nancy Meyers movies? Joining Lilah is comedian Negin Farsad, host of the podcast Fake the Nation, and FT senior corporate finance correspondent Eric Platt. This is one of his favourite movies.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email the show at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is available to rent on streaming services– You can find Negin’s podcast Fake the Nation wherever you listen, or here: https://headgum.com/fake-the-nation– Here’s a recent piece she wrote about a magic mushroom retreat in Jamaica: https://www.afar.com/magazine/what-a-mycomeditations-magic-mushroom-retreat-is-really-like– Eric writes about corporate finance for the FT. You can find his most recent piece here: https://on.ft.com/4220z12– Negin is on X at @NeginFarsad. – You might also like our conversation with the author Curtis Sittenfeld about romcoms and her novel Romantic Comedy: https://on.ft.com/48RggtW-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the height of the coronavirus pandemic, our US banking editor Josh Franklin began a travel hobby that became an out-and-out goal. He wanted to see more of America, so he decided to visit all 50 states, from Alabama to Wyoming. He joins Lilah to tell us what he learned about the country, when he felt “this was worth it” and “this was a huge mistake”, what tips he has for our own road trips, and places in the US we might want to visit ourselves.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Josh’s piece about travelling to every US state: https://on.ft.com/3NNgYAA – Josh’s four places: Ocean Springs, Mississippi; North OR South Dakota; the Upper Peninsula along the great lakes in Michigan; and Duluth, Minnesota– Our travel team’s 43 holidays to take in 2024: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOwY – Another great recent travel piece: ‘My weekend as a monk: a Scottish spiritual retreat’: https://on.ft.com/3RFoOgs -------Special FT subscription and trial offers for Life and Art podcast listeners are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Friday, for our first episode of 2024, we discuss The Boy and The Heron, the latest film from legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and his team at Studio Ghibli. It is the most expensive Japanese film ever made, and has received widespread critical acclaim. But what, exactly, is it about? Lilah chats through it with political columnist Stephen Bush and Leo Lewis, the FT’s Asia Business editor, who has co-written a book on anime. Is it about his past, or the future of animation? Where does it sit in the Studio Ghibli canon? And is Miyazaki ever really done?-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The FT’s review of The Boy and the Heron is here: https://on.ft.com/3S47ZNS – Leo’s book on anime, co-authored with Roland Kelts, is called Japanamerica. His exclusive FT interview with Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki is here: https://on.ft.com/3TPuVBQ – Here’s a recent FT interview with Miyazaki’s closest collaborators: https://on.ft.com/47oXc56 – The other films we mentioned are Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle and Castle in the Sky– Stephen wants less expensive video games. He recommends the indie game I Was A Teenage Exocolonist– Lilah recommends the docuseries 10 years with Miyazaki, which is available for free on NHK World Japan, and Italianamerican, which is available on Max– Leo is on X @Urbandirt. Stephen Bush is @stephenkb– You can get a free trial to Stephen’s political newsletter Inside Politics – which includes a daily cultural recommendation – by clicking here-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco and Simon Panayi.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Christmas, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, tens of thousands of people in the UK have retrained as psychotherapists or counsellors. What is it about the field that has attracted so many, and what does this phenomenon tell us about work? Host Isabel Berwick speaks to the FT’s Bethan Staton, who wrote a brilliant piece on this topic, to find out more. Later, she speaks to Michael Skapinker, who worked as an FT reporter, senior editor and award-winning columnist before training as a counsellor. Michael tells us what his new line of work has taught him and why he wishes he’d thought about it sooner.-------We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – ‘Profession of the century’: why so many people are retraining as therapists– Letter: Therapy is no cure for a society in crisis External Link– Therapy at work: banks and law firms among those offering counselling as staff perk-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart—--Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life & Art presents a special episode from Slate’s Culture Gabfest podcast, hosted by culture critics Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens and Julia Turner. The three hosts first explore Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé with Slate culture writer (and Beyhive stan) Nadira Goffe. Then, they consider Todd Haynes’ May December, an emotionally curious, tonally dissonant study of life’s grey areas starring Natalie Portman, longtime collaborator Julianne Moore and Charles Melton. Finally, the three are joined by EEFOP (Exceedingly Exceptional Friend of the Pod), Slate writer Dan Kois to discuss Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Lost Christmas!, a posthumous sequel to Theodor Geisel’s iconic 1957 children’s book. Life & Art will return with regular episodes next week.-------We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Life & Art presents an episode of History of Literature. After taking a look at Emily Dickinson's Poem #269 ("Wild Nights - wild nights!"), Jacke Wilson talks to novelist Anne Enright about growing up in Ireland, her writing career and her new book The Wren, The Wren. Plus, Dublin literary historian Christopher Morash (Dublin: A Writer's City) stops by to select the last book he will ever read.Episode link here. -------We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our last episode of 2023, we’re bringing you a special discussion on ‘Wonka’, this year’s family Christmas film and a musical extravaganza. Starring Timothée Chalamet, it follows the life of a young Willy Wonka as he struggles to set up his first chocolate shop. Does it work? Can Chalamet sing? Do we need another Roald Dahl adaptation? Lilah’s joined by FT House and Home editor Nathan Brooker and US investments correspondent Madison Darbyshire to talk through it.  -------We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – ‘Wonka’, starring Timothée Chalamet directed by Paul King, is out in UK and US cinemas.– The FT’s review of Wonka, by Danny Leigh, is here: https://on.ft.com/3v8Jru0 – Madison’s column on why Cosmopolitans are conquering New York City: https://on.ft.com/4awUOvW – Keep an eye out for Lilah’s column about boredom, out in the FT soon. -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clips courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures.  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s almost the end of 2023, which means one thing: it’s time for our annual predictions episode! You sent in your suggestions – and today, FT magazine editor Matt Vella joins Lilah to talk through them. Will films get shorter? Will primal scream therapy get cool? Is cabbage in? Will there be more nuance, or less nuance?-------As this episode suggests, we love hearing from you! Stay in touch. You can email at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Links: – Matt is on Twitter @mattvella.– The magazine piece Matt mentioned on microplastics is here: https://on.ft.com/3GKYNHO– Our colleague Emma Jacobs wants to see more 90-minute films like Rye Lane and Past Lives. Here’s the FT’s review of Rye Lane: https://on.ft.com/3NtzgGM and Past Lives: https://on.ft.com/4anSIOR– You can follow Emma on X @emmavj. Eric Platt, who wants crop tops to make a comeback, is @ericgplattHere are some roundups of the FT’s favourite cultural things from 2023:– Pop albums: https://on.ft.com/3GNur7v – TV shows: https://on.ft.com/470629p – Films: https://on.ft.com/3RINMgb – Video games: https://on.ft.com/3tiY7pQ -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Friday, we are bringing you a festive music extravaganza! We’re talking all things Christmas music: the classics, the duds, the Cher album, and how the genre is changing. What are the best and worst Christmas songs? Why are old songs suddenly charting? And the eternal question: how soon is too soon to pull out the playlists? Lilah is joined by pop music critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney, and Taylor Nicole Rogers, the FT’s Labour and Equality correspondent. -------We love hearing from you! Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Look out for Ludo’s Christmas round up, out next weekend. In the meantime, here’s his roundup of the best pop albums of 2023, including Lana Del Rey and The Chemical Brothers: https://on.ft.com/3RKPtdm – Ludo is on X at @ludohunter. Taylor is at @TaylorNRogers We have compiled a Spotify Christmas playlist for you, with all of the songs we talked about! Listen to it here. -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clips courtesy of Sony Legacy, Fervent, A&M, Republic Records, Island Records, and Motown. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we talk books. The FT’s books team recently published our annual books of the year special, and they join us to share their personal recommendations. They also answer listener questions: what books will get you out of ‘reader’s block’? What’s a good gift for a family member who loves history, or a friend who’s anxious about the world? What book could you pair with a candle and some socks? Lilah speaks with literary editor Fred Studemann and deputy books editor Laura Battle. -------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap.-------Recommendations and links (all FT links get you past the paywall): Some great lists from our books of the year special:– Best fiction: https://on.ft.com/4a4xjds– Best history: https://on.ft.com/4a9ErFx– Best audiobooks https://on.ft.com/3t9tVNT– Critics’ picks: https://on.ft.com/3RyWH3H– For getting past your reader’s block, Laura and Fred recommend Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell and The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Laura also loved The Fraud by Zadie Smith– Fred’s picks for history lovers are Revolutionary Spring by Christopher Clark and King: a Life by Jonathan Eig; Laura’s is Red Memory by Tanya Branigan– For a stocking stuffer, Lilah suggests Love and Other Poems by Alex Dimitrov. Laura likes The Cabin by Natasha Preston and other books about the outdoors. Fred is going with Claire Keegan’s So Late in the Day-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Historian Sir Simon Schama and FT deputy arts editor and film expert Raph Abraham join Lilah to discuss the historical epic ‘Napoleon’. Ridley Scott’s new two-and-a-half-hour-long film stars Joaquin Phoenix, and documents a lot: Napoleon’s rise and fall, some of his most famous battles, and his relationship with his wife, Josephine. But how well does it represent his character? We discuss what the film got right and wrong (historically and dramatically), why Napoleon continues to loom so large in culture, and whether historical epics still satisfy us.-------We are still collecting your cultural predictions for 2024! What’s one thing you think will happen (or want to happen) in culture next year? Write us. You can email us at [email protected] or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. -------Links (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Simon’s FT Weekend essay on Napoleon, and why so many writers and filmmakers try to depict him: https://on.ft.com/4861gbn– the FT’s official review of Napoleon by Danny Leigh: https://on.ft.com/484moPh– An essay from Janan Ganesh on why Napoleon still matters: https://on.ft.com/3uWF8Sj– Simon recommends the 2012 movie ‘Lincoln’, directed by Steven Spielberg– Raph is a fan of Pablo Larrain’s ‘Jackie,’ from 2016, and the Leonard Bernstein biopic ‘Maestro’, directed by Bradley Cooper and available on Netflix on December 20– We interviewed Pablo Larrain in 2021 about his creative process: https://on.ft.com/3oofjVO – Lilah wrote a column about learning to draw: https://on.ft.com/46NBaZt – Simon is on X @simon_schama-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we prepare for our end of year predictions episode, we want to hear from you: what is one thing that you think will happen (or you want to happen!) culturally in 2024?Write us — or even better, open your voice memo app and record us a voice note — and email it to [email protected]! Or message Lilah on Instagram @lilahrap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla came out in the US recently and will be out in the UK in January. The film, which follows Elvis Presley’s wife Priscilla through their relationship, is visually stunning, and today, Lilah speaks with its celebrated lead production designer, Tamara Deverell. To recreate Elvis’s homes, including the infamous Graceland, Tamara had to imagine it all from Priscilla’s perspective. Tamara tells Lilah about her creative process and why she sees Priscilla as the story of many women in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, as told through hair and makeup.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – ‘Priscilla’ is out now in the US and will be out in theatres in the UK on January 1. – Earlier this year, Sofia Coppola gave an exclusive interview to the FT’s HTSI: https://on.ft.com/412E2jU -------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Friday, we talk through the final season of The Crown. Its first four episodes recently dropped on Netflix, and its depiction of Princess Diana’s death has been controversial. What did we think of the first part of the season? How did The Crown sustain its nine-year journey as a series? And will we see big ambitious prestige TV like it again? Lilah is joined by UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley and deputy news editor India Ross.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The first four episodes of The Crown S6 are available on Netflix now. The final four episodes will air on December 14. – Robert’s FT Weekend Magazine satirical column on the ‘ghost of Diana’ scene: https://on.ft.com/47Vpmp5  – The FT’s review of Season 6: https://on.ft.com/3uK2YRa – Robert is on X at @robertshrimsley. More or less recommendations:– Robert recommends the show Slow Horses, which is on Apple+, and the novel series it’s based on by Mick Herron– India wants more good TV, like Euphoria, White Lotus and (controversially) The Idol– Lilah recommends Rocky 2. Just kidding. She recommends doing the thing! Run up the steps like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky 2-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner. Clip courtesy of Netflix.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Thanksgiving, we’re sharing an episode of Tech Tonic, the FT’s technology podcast hosted by innovation editor John Thornhill. This is part one of a two-part series about whether AI can help us speak to animals. Search ‘Tech Tonic’ where you listen or look here for part two: https://on.ft.com/3sQh1DR Here’s what it’s about: A hardware revolution in recording devices and a software revolution in artificial intelligence is enabling researchers to listen in to all kinds of conversations outside the human hearing range, a field known as bioacoustics. Some scientists now believe these developments will also allow us to ‘translate’ animal sounds into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love ask whether we’re moving closer to being able to ‘speak whale’ or even to chat with bats.  Free links:– Google Translate for the zoo? How humans might talk to animals– Karen Bakker, scientist and author, 1971-2023– How generative AI really worksCredits: Sperm whale sounds from Project CETI; honeyhunter calls from Claire Spottiswoode Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the Life and Art team takes a break for Thanksgiving, we’re sharing an episode of Working It, the FT’s workplace podcast hosted by Isabel Berwick. Here’s what it’s about: Do you ever find yourself lost for words? Or maybe you have too much to say? This week’s episode features a masterclass in chit-chat from Matt Abrahams, a lecturer in communications at Stanford University, podcast host and author of the book 'Think Faster, Talk Smarter'. Good conversation is an essential tool of self-promotion in the office. So what do we make of Matt’s advice here at the FT office? Host Isabel Berwick gets the views of award-winning FT columnist Pilita Clark and Stephen Bush, who writes the FT’s daily Inside Politics newsletter.  If you’re an FT subscriber, you can find Isabel’s newsletter at https://www.ft.com/newsletters-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin Lane Fox is one of the foremost gardening experts in the world. He’s been the FT’s gardening columnist for 53 years. And he joins us today to talk about what to do with your plants in winter. As it gets colder and darker, what should we do to keep our plants happy, indoors and out? The conversation is a delight. We’ve shared all of his recommendations below.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected]’s recommendations (all FT links get you past the paywall):–Robin’s public gardens, ‘the kissing fields’, are the gardens he runs at New College, Oxford. Here’s a video of him giving an exclusive tour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae1lCrnsm3kRobin’s outdoor winter suggestions for the UK are: the winter flowering cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella autumnalis). He also recommends the family of flowering Viburnum shrubs (Viburnum x bodnantense 'dawn' is pink, and 'Deben' is white), and above all, his best tip: hellebores, especially the Ashwood hybrids, and the Harvington hybrids.Here’s Robin’s column on November flowers: https://on.ft.com/3uiNPWWRobin’s book suggestion for Japanese gardening is My World of Hepaticas by John MasseyFor indoor plants in cold regions, try Phalaenopsis orchids. If you have too many orchids, here are some other options: Cyclamen, azaleas, poinsettia, and white jasmine.Robin’s current bestselling book is Homer and His Iliad.Robin’s selection from last year of Christmas gifts for gardeners is here: https://on.ft.com/3ucX6j9-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Friday, we’re talking about the deification of Dolly Parton, or, as we like to call her, Saint Dolly. Her new release Rockstar comes out today – a 30-track rock album that features duets with artists such as Paul McCartney, Sting, Elton John and Stevie Nicks on cover versions of their classic songs. The album feels a bit like a karaoke album, but we had a lot of fun listening to it – partially because Parton is so easy to love. So how did Parton become such a cultural icon? What does she represent? And why do we want a Saint Dolly? Lilah is joined by US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou and FT Magazine’s food and drink editor (and long-time Dollyhead) Harriet Fitch Little. -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – Rockstar by Dolly Parton is available to stream now, on all music streaming platforms. – Here’s the FT’s review of Rockstar, by our pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney: https://on.ft.com/3ufuiql – Harriet unpacks the history of Parton’s hit ‘9 to 5’ for the FT column Life of a Song: https://on.ft.com/49F9Uiz– Anna is on X @annanicolaou, Harriet is on X at @HarrietFL and Instagram at @huffffleMore or less: – Harriet recommends Jury Duty, available to stream free on Amazon Prime– For great local-feeling restaurants in New York, Lilah has a hundred recommendations, but here are three: Claud, a wine bar in the East Village, Names in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, and (the classic) Frankie’s in Carroll Gardens– Here’s the article Harriet mentioned, ‘The UK’s 19 cosiest winter restaurants – according to FT writers’: https://on.ft.com/3MNmZwy– Anna hates grey wood floors-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Big Machine Records.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as it gets colder and darker, we discuss cosy, warming winter recipes that don’t rely on a big hunk of meat. Bestselling cookbook author Hetty McKinnon joins us to talk plant-based winter cooking, from ways to use kale and broccoli, to layering flavour, to her favourite spices and herbs. Hetty’s newest cookbook, Tenderheart, came out this spring.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram and X @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected]. -------Links: – Hetty’s kale and orzo recipe can be found in Tenderheart. Her other bestselling cookbook is called To Asia With Love– Hetty is on Instagram at @hettymckinnon. She also has a newsletter, To Vegetables With Love– Here’s a delicious winter lentil stew from the FT Weekend Magazine recipe columnists, Honey & Co: https://on.ft.com/3ujlPCk– And a piece Lilah recommends from Laila Gohar about winter cabbage: https://on.ft.com/3MEv2vp-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For our first Friday culture chat, we talk about the new cringe-drama-comedy show The Curse, which dropped on Paramount Plus today. Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone play a couple who are making a problematic reality TV show, Flipanthropy, whose goal is to “ethically gentrify” an American neighbourhood. When they’re cursed by a child, their lives are turned upside down. Lilah’s joined by FT columnist Stephen Bush and assistant arts editor Rebecca Watson to talk about the show and how prestige TV is changing comedy. Why are we laughing less, and cringing more? And why is comedy so complicated right now? -------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected] (all FT links get you past the paywall): – The Curse can be streamed on Paramount Plus and Showtime in the US from November 10. It airs on Paramount Plus in the UK from November 11– The other shows we discussed are Nathan For You (2013-2017) and The Rehearsal (2022)– Look out for the FT’s review of The Curse. TV critic Dan Einav’s review of The Rehearsal is here: https://on.ft.com/3SASwFM – Rebecca Watson’s novel is called Little Scratch. She’s on X at @rebeccawhatsun– Stephen Bush’s daily UK politics newsletter is called Inside Politics. You can trial it for free here. He’s on X at @stephenkb– Stephen recommended, as films where children act like children, the new British film Scrapper and the 2021 Belgian film Playground. Rebecca added the 2022 film Aftersun– Lilah recommended the comedian Rachel Kaly-------Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our inaugural episode of Life and Art from FT Weekend, we go to Athens. The FT’s Greece and Cyprus correspondent Eleni Varvitsioti is a lifelong Athenian, and for the past 16 years she has lived in the centre of town, in the shadow of the Acropolis. But as Athens has become more popular with tourists, the centre has become less and less livable. This week, Eleni tells us what exactly is causing the congestion, and what should be done about it. She and Lilah also suggest alternate Greek itineraries, from coastal day trips within an easy drive from Athens, to their favourite islands.-------We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram and X @lilahrap. You can email her at [email protected]. -------Links: – Eleni’s essay on living in Athens’ city centre: https://on.ft.com/3QJo373Greece recommendations:– From Athens, Eleni suggests you drive 15km-20km along the coast to around Cape Sounio, where there are beautiful beaches. Visit the Temple of Poseidon and visit a taverna underneath it.– Lilah recommends Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, about 500km north of Athens. There are two perfect restaurants for sit-down gyros and soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs): Diagonios and Diavasi.– Eleni suggests, if you’re visiting Thessaloniki, to also visit Vergina, which is the tomb of Philip II of Macedon (Philip the Great).– For islands, Eleni recommends Sifnos. Lilah recommends Skopelos, and the much less discovered southern coast of Crete.– Other recommendations that we didn’t have space for in the episode: Eleni suggests taking a drive from Athens down along the coastlines of the Peloponnese, or to visit the northwest of the country, Ioannina, if you like nature and hiking. Lilah recommends climbing Mount Olympus, which is an actual thing you can do (you can take day hikes or stay overnight at the peak), and visiting Meteora, a complex of 14th century monasteries built precipitously on the tops of immense towering rocks.-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Sony Pictures.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Starting Monday we will be bringing you a whole new show! It’s called Life and Art, from FT Weekend. Join host Lilah Raptopoulos for two new episodes each week right here in this feed. On Mondays, we’ll talk about life and how to live a good one. We’ll chat about food, creativity, travel and more. On Fridays, Lilah will host a roundtable that will dive deep into a piece of culture that’s in the air right now. Every week, we’ll invite two colleagues from around the FT for the conversation.So don’t go anywhere! Life and Art from FT Weekend debuts this Monday November 6. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re entering Halloween weekend, so today we’re bringing you a special episode about why we like to be scared, and what scares us! We are dissecting the 1978 horror classic Halloween, by John Carpenter. This week marks its 45th anniversary. The film follows a masked serial killer, Michael Myers, as he returns to his hometown on a killing spree, and is 19-year-old Jamie Lee Curtis’ debut. It’s become one of the most popular horror franchises in history. But how does it hold up now? We’re joined by FT magazine editor/scary movie aficionado Matt Vella, and executive audio producer/occasional horror fiction writer Manuela Saragosa to talk about the film and what makes a horror film work. They also try to convince Lilah that horror films are, indeed, important and good. Be sure to listen to the intro for a special announcement!-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We tweet @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Manuela’s short story appears in ‘Six Scary Stories selected by Stephen King’ (2016). – You can find Matt and Manuela on X, formerly Twitter, @mattvella and @manuelasaragosa – Our film review of Dr Jeckell: https://on.ft.com/3Q9oBBD – FT’s video interview with Jamie Lee Curtis, ‘A Life in Acting in a Changing Hollywood’ (May): https://on.ft.com/3QdBJWl – Check out Luke Edward Hall’s column on how to host a pagan Halloween party (2021): https://on.ft.com/3QwpoxI  – This isn't halloween related, but we loved this recent piece on how to cook a six-dish autumn feast (the formatting of the recipes really makes it easy to throw a dinner party): https://on.ft.com/3rXgzE0 -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clip courtesy of Sony Pictures.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’re talking about the show, and pop star, of the century: Taylor Swift just released the film version of her Eras concert in theatres, and it’s already breaking records. Lilah hosts a roundtable on both the film and the Taylor phenomenon with HTSI Editor Jo Ellison and US media correspondent Anna Nicolaou. How did we all get wrapped up in the hype? Is there anywhere else for Swift to go? Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or at http://ft.com/ftweekendpodcast.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We tweet @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – the FT’s review of the Taylor Swift concert documentary: https://on.ft.com/46Hl0lh– Anna has been writing about the Taylor Swift phenomenon for years, including here and here– read Jo's column on seeing Taylor, which came out the day this episode dropped. You can find Jo on Twitter and Instagram at @jellison-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we bring you a conversation about food memoirs from the recent FT Weekend Festival. Cooking and eating are two of the most sensory and universal experiences we have, which makes food an excellent vehicle for stories. And food memoirs have become an extremely popular genre. Lilah speaks about it with three food-based storytellers: chef and FT columnist Ravinder Bhogal; 19-year-old baker and Instagram star Kitty Tait, who wrote a book about how baking bread saved her life; and Angela Hui, who wrote a popular memoir about growing up in a Chinese takeaway in rural Wales.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: -Ravinder’s most recent recipe is here: https://on.ft.com/3ZVQiCz-Angela’s book is called Takeaway: Stories from a Childhood behind the Counter-Kitty’s book is called Breadsong: How baking changed our lives-Kitty is on Instagram @kittytaitbaker-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk to harpist Mary Lattimore. Mary is known for her earthy, experimental music and has collaborated with musicians like Kurt Vile and Kesha. As she releases her new album, Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, she tells guest host Lulu Smyth about what it's like to compose and perform in a whole new way on the 47-string instrument.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Mary’s new album Goodbye, Hotel Arkada is out now. – ‘Baltic Birch’ and ‘It Feels Like Floating’ are from Mary’s 2018 album Hundreds of Days. – Mary is touring a number of cities in the US, including Brooklyn, New York on November 3-5th. – You can follow Mary on X @marylattimore and Instagram @maryoverthere -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. Clips courtesy of Ghostly International. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk about morality with the author Andrew Lipstein. Andrew's novel The Vegan is a satire about a hedge fund manager, Herschel, who decides to go vegan after accidentally poisoning one of his dinner party guests. Andrew talks about the novel, the state of ethics today, and why our actions don't always match our intentions.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Andrew’s new novel is called The Vegan, and is out now. – His first novel is called Last Resort. – You can follow Andrew on X, formerly Twitter, at @ailipstein-------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Lilah is talking to the FT's food and drink editor, Harriet Fitch Little, about how to host the perfect dinner party. And by "perfect" Harriet means one that you as the host will actually enjoy! Harriet shares practical tips and tricks for putting together a spread and an ambiance, but most importantly she wants you to be yourself – even if that means foregoing homemade everything.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links:– Tim Hayward on ‘no effort dinner parties’: https://on.ft.com/3rfKiHU – ‘Who’d invite their boss to dinner?’ by Anjili Raval: https://on.ft.com/46mwf1S – Harriet’s dinner music recommendation is A Piano and A Microphone by Prince– From the magazine’s wine special, Jancis Robinson answers 121 of your questions about wine: https://on.ft.com/3EMh5Y8 ,  The FT Magazine’s dinner party special is out this weekend. It features hosting tips and recipes from Bao founder Erchen Chang. -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk to country-pop sensation Shania Twain, one of the best-selling female artists of all time. Shania is touring in the UK this month and has just released an extended edition of her iconic 90s album Come on Over, which features her greatest hits. After more than a decade of battling Lyme disease, she tells us how it feels to be back on stage. -------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: Lulu’s interview with Shania Twain, ‘Writing a novel is easier than writing a three-minute, 22-second story that says something profound’: https://on.ft.com/3sDklCc Come on Over: The Diamond Edition is available now. Shania’s 2023 album is called Queen of Me.  Shania Twain is performing at the O2 in London on 16 and 17 September. Her Vegas residency is announced for May 2024. -------Special FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoClips courtesy of Republic and Mercury Records.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe now to the FT's Tech Tonic podcast: Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn to ‘speak whale’ or even chat with bats? And if so, can we trust ourselves to do so responsibly?Presented by John Thornhill, produced by Persis Love, sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The announcement last winter that the world’s top restaurant, Noma, will close in 2024, has spawned dozens of think pieces asking whether this is the end of fine dining. So this weekend, we went to the FT’s renowned food critic Tim Hayward to learn about the state of the industry. Running a restaurant has never been more expensive in cities such as New York and London. And now, in the middle of a cost of living crisis, Tim says a bloodbath is coming: in order to stay afloat restauranteurs must ditch a corporate business model and return to more nimble roots. Tim tells Lilah that the good news is that he’s seeing it happen.--------------Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links and mentions from the episode: – ‘The restaurant industry faces a bloodbath. But there are ways to survive’, by Tim Hayward: https://on.ft.com/3lfo2u6 –The column Tim mentions on The North Circular’s Ace Cafe, which has perfect hospitality: https://on.ft.com/3Yl3dMr –Tim’s piece ‘A 14-course tasting menu? Don’t. Just don’t’: https://on.ft.com/40GuBGq – Our previous episode on Noma is here: https://www.ft.com/content/04bd9722-1d17-496d-aefc-fdae46d5d3b2 – Tim Hayward is on Twitter and Instagram @timhayward.  Clips from The Menu, copyright Searchlight Pictures—-------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we explore Chinese cuisine with cook and food writer Fuchsia Dunlop. In the west, misconceptions and prejudices surround Chinese food: that it’s unhealthy, or oily, or simple. In reality, it’s a cuisine with ancient roots, that Fuchsia strongly believes is “endlessly thrilling”, and among the best and most sophisticated in the world. Fuchsia is the author of six books on Chinese food, including her newest, Invitation to a Banquet. She tells Lilah there’s a lot the west can learn from how people in China approach food.-------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Fuschia’s book is called Invitation to a Banquet: The Story of Chinese Food– Our episode with Fuschia on the noodles of Shanxi on Apple, Spotify and our website– The FT’s review of Fuchsia’s book: https://www.ft.com/content/29a158e8-6b30-494e-91d4-d6348a12cfde A few relevant pieces we love published in the FT by Fuchsia: – “Tofu is a cornucopia of taste. No, really” https://www.ft.com/content/ea3d24e8-fd27-42e8-8f9d-805da91769d1 – ”The west hasn’t got a clue about bamboo”: https://www.ft.com/content/aea65ab3-f6c0-402b-83fa-e27f8262af3f– ”How to cook with lettuce — a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe”: https://www.ft.com/content/1cfbee9f-b92a-444e-a468-aaeea3f0e605 –Fuchsia is on Instagram at @fuchsiadunlop-------Join us at the FT Weekend festival, on Saturday September 2 at Kenwood House in London. It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: https://www.ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://www.ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we go to one of the world’s largest museums, so a former guard can teach us new ways to appreciate art. Patrick Bringley was a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a decade. He recently wrote a memoir about his time there titled All the Beauty in the World. He takes Lilah on a tour of the museum, and they explore how to appreciate the nuances of the space: everything from how lighting changes how loud people talk in a gallery, to why it is important to visit museums alone. How do you figure out if you like Van Gogh? Should you be asking that question in the first place?  -------We love hearing from you. You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Patrick Bringley’s memoir is called All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me– The Water Lilies by Monet that Patrick and Lilah were looking at: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437137 – A recent review of the current Met show of Van Gogh’s Cypresses, by Ariella Budick: https://on.ft.com/3qDrKRB – An FT series on the world’s best house museums: https://on.ft.com/3KU6tdk -------Join us at the FT Weekend festival, on Saturday September 2 at Kenwood House in London. It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.-------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're talking about the politics of Italian food. Earlier this year, the FT's Marianna Giusti wrote a viral article called "Why everything I, an Italian, thought about Italian food was wrong", which looked at the origins of classic Italian dishes like pizza and pasta carbonara. In response she got dozens of furious emails and was condemned by some of Italy's top politicians. Today Mari is on with the man whose research she profiled, historian Alberto Grandi, to discuss how Italy's right wing has taken up what Alberto calls “gastronationalism”.– Mari’s viral article with Alberto: ‘Everything I, an Italian, thought about Italian food is wrong’ https://on.ft.com/45yV1LO – The FT’s Amy Kazmin on Italy’s efforts to protect Italian food against insect protein and lab-grown meat: https://on.ft.com/45iq3b9– Slate’s Decoder Ring also featured Alberto and Mari on the origins of parmesan cheese: https://slate.com/podcasts/decoder-ring/2023/07/parmesan-cheeses-journey-from-italy-to-wisconsin-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Our FTWeekend Festival is back on Saturday, September 2 at Kenwood House in London! It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is Sergei Leontiev? To the US asylum system, he’s an exiled Russian banker who was persecuted by the state and forced to flee. To Russia, he’s said to be responsible for massive fraud. On The Russian Banker, a new series from the Financial Times, reporters Courtney Weaver and Stefania Palma try to uncover the truth, and find a story that tells us about Russia today and how people in the west build stories about who’s good and who’s bad. The Russian Banker is a special series that will run on the Behind the Money podcast starting Aug. 30. Listen to The Russian Banker by subscribing to the Behind the Money podcast here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, musician Jenny Lewis joins Lilah to break down how she writes a song. Lewis’s music has paved the way for many famous pop stars and singer-songwriters today. She brings us through her trajectory: from child actor supporting her family, to lead singer of the beloved indie band Rilo Kiley, to solo artist who just, at 47, came out with her fifth solo album, Joy’All. Lilah asks her what she had for breakfast, she says “one weed gummy”, and they’re off.– Read Lilah’s profile of Lewis at https://on.ft.com/45jih08-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Our FTWeekend Festival is back on Saturday, September 2 at Kenwood House in London! It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoClips used: Psychos and Giddy Up from the album Joy’all (2023), Blue Note RecordsRabbit Fur Coat from the album Rabbit Fur Coat (2006), Team Love RecordsRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shanna Swan is a scientist who has spent decades chasing a mystery: why global sperm counts have seemingly dropped significantly since the 1930s. At its heart, this story is simply a brilliant yarn. It has got all the elements of a Hollywood movie: this heroic dog-with-a-bone scientist, recalcitrant big business in the role of the baddie, and the looming threat of a global fertility crisis caused by harmful chemicals in everyday plastics such as baby bottles, garden hoses, andthat Tupperware you use to heat up your lunch.You can also find this story in FT Edit, an iPhone app that gives you a taste of the very best of FT journalism. After a month’s free trial, it is 99p or 99 cents a month for the next six months. Try it out if you want the best global politics, analysis and opinion pieces.Learn more about FT Edit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, musician David Byrne joins Lilah in the FT’s New York newsroom to talk about how he makes creative choices. Byrne has been an enduring cultural figure for more than four decades, known for always doing something new. His current project is Here Lies Love, a disco musical on Broadway about Imelda Marcos, a former politician and first lady in the Philippines. He’s also revisiting his days with Talking Heads, as a remastered version of their seminal concert documentary Stop Making Sense will be rereleased this month by the indie studio A24. Byrne rewatched it recently, about 40 years after its release. “I’m looking at my younger self … and he seems like a stranger,” he tells Lilah. “And I go, ‘Who is this strange guy?’” – Read Lilah’s profile of Byrne at https://on.ft.com/44SpQLK-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Our FTWeekend Festival is back on Saturday, September 2 at Kenwood House in London! It’ll be a day of debates, tastings, Q&As and more. For £20 off your festival pass, use promo code FTWeekendPod here: http://ft.com/festivalSpecial FT subscription offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoClip of Burning Down The House is from Stop Making Sense (1984)Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some of our most popular articles from the FT Edit app.Elemental, the new movie from Pixar studios, recently disappointed at the box office.On this episode, Chris Grimes, the FT’s Los Angeles correspondent, takes us inside Disney, the owner of Pixar, and asks whether it can regain its creative crown after a few years of concentrating on lucrative sequels to its existing franchises and on its streaming business, Disney+. It has been a long time since Toy Story, and critics are fretting that Pixar has lost its touch. Even Marvel, which was reliably turning out annual blockbusters, has stumbled recently with the likes of Ant-Man. Chris wrote this article shortly after the release of Elemental.You can also find this story in FT Edit, an iPhone app that gives you a taste of the very best of FT journalism. After a month’s free trial, it is 99p or 99 cents a month for the next six months. Try it out if you want the best global politics, analysis and opinion pieces.Learn more about FT Edit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, as wildfires rage across Greece, Italy and Algeria, we talk about why fires have become so much bigger, wilder and more dangerous. The FT's chief features writer Henry Mance takes us to a wildfire training camp in Poland, where experts from around the world are struggling with how to handle these new megafires. Because of climate change, they behave differently than old fires: they burn quicker and longer, they leap across trees and rivers, and they defy most traditional rules of firefighting. Henry tells us what it's like to confront them, and whether it's possible to prevent them.-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Henry’s article, https://on.ft.com/3DvKtRF – The FT’s coverage of wildfires in Rhodes: https://on.ft.com/3Oxpbte   – The FT”s coverage of wildfires in Algeria: https://on.ft.com/3KgCFqISpecial offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.  Archival clip in this episode from the BBC. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the next few weeks, we will be bringing you some of our most popular articles from the FT Edit app.This week, it’s a story about one of the world’s most loved foods: pizza. Every year, the top 700 or so pizza chefs gather in Parma, in the north of Italy, for the Pizza World Championship. And this year, an English chef from Norfolk named Danny Child is hoping to win. But can a self-trained chef beat Italy's finest pizza masters?You can also find this story in FT Edit, an iPhone app that gives you a taste of the very best of FT journalism. After a month’s free trial, it is 99p or 99 cents a month for the next six months. Try it out if you want the best global politics, analysis and opinion pieces.Learn more about FT Edit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, author Lorrie Moore is on the show. Lorrie is one of the most celebrated living writers in the United States, drawing comparisons with Chekhov and Alice Munro. And she just released her novel, I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home. It's her first in 14 years, and it is hard to describe. Let's call it a magical realist love story, in which a man takes a road trip with the corpse of his dead ex-lover. Lorrie talks to Lilah about her writing process, and how she treads the line between hilarious and devastating.-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Lorrie Moore’s novel is called I Am Homeless if This is Not My Home– FT review: https://on.ft.com/44puMaB – Lorrie’s best-known books include A Gate at the Stairs (2009), Who Will Run the Frog Hospital? (1994), and Self-Help (1989).Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.  Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we explore the question of what it means to privatise justice. The FT's Kadhim Shubber explains how, in the UK, private companies are hired to file and prosecute legal cases — even when the police think those same cases shouldn't be tried. Kadhim and Lilah discuss how private prosecutions work, why they exist, and what it could mean for the future of the justice system.Correction: This episode has been updated to remove suggestions that private prosecution does not exist in the United States. Private prosecutions exist in a more limited form in the United States.--------------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected], we’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. --------------Links: – Kadhim’s magazine piece: https://on.ft.com/3qxsKGj – Follow Kadhim on Twitter @kadhim--------------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: We want to be clear that this episode does include material that has been generated by Financial Times journalists using AI tools...we've done it to illustrate just how much AI is influencing the music industry.-------AI has arrived in the music world, and the industry is being forced to wrangle with it. The technology is now sophisticated enough to create entirely new deepfake songs. This year, millions of fake covers, and songs that clone the voices of musical artists, have appeared online. The FT’s pop critic Ludo Hunter-Tilney has fallen down a wormhole to make sense of how these programs work. He actually made a song of his own, an original fake song in the style of Tom Waits. He plays it for us, and it’s pretty bad.-------We love hearing from you! You can email us at [email protected]. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap.-------Links: – Ludo’s piece for FT Life and Arts: Can AI make me a musical star? https://on.ft.com/3XRMnoZ – Ludo is on Twitter @ludohunter – Anna Nicolaou on why Spotify has ejected thousands of AI-made songs: https://on.ft.com/3rvSqnq – One of Ludo’s recent stories – a review of Glastonbury festival: https://on.ft.com/3rvSq6U -------Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial are here: http://ft.com/weekendpodcast.--------------Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.  Songs played: “Downtown Train” written by Tom Waits, published by Island Records. “Gritty Troubador’s Backstreet”, written by chatGPT, Ludo Hunter-Tilney, Voicify.ai and Boomy.Songs referenced: “Dancing Queen” written by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson, published by Stockholm Records and MCA/Universal. “Ni**as in Paris” written by Kanye West, Shawn Carter, John Altschuler, Dave Krinsky, Jeff Cox and Dave Cox, published by Roc-A-Fella, Roc Nation and Def Jam. “A Thousand Miles” written by Vanessa Carlton, produced by Ron Fair and Curtis Schweizer, published by A&M.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US economy remains confusing. Markets continue to predict a slowdown but unemployment remains low. Today on the show, we try to figure out what job numbers, manufacturing and credit can tell us about a possible recession and an end to rate rises. Also, we are long the bros at Three Arrows Capital (sort of), and the US stock market. Subscribe to the Unhedged newsletterFollow Ethan Wu (@ethanywu) and Katie Martin (@katie_martin_fx) on Twitter Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.