Sebastian Smee on the legacy of Alice Munro

In the past few weeks, Elon Musk has posted thousands of times on his social media platform X about British politics, the far-right activist Tommy Robinson and conspiracy theories over a decades-old sex abuse scandal. Now, the British government’s agenda has stalled as the prime minister faces questions about the theories Musk has elevated.  It’s a stark example of how the world’s richest man can influence politics in any country, and comes at a time when competitors like Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg are trying to copy Musk’s playbook. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper, Elle Hardy, on how Musk and Zuckerberg are reshaping the internet and democracy.    Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Contributor to The Saturday Paper Elle HardySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 federal election campaign has already begun, even if unofficially. While most Australians are still enjoying their summer, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton are already in fight mode. For Labor, the stakes are high. To secure a second term, they’re hoping to reverse their losses in Queensland and regain popularity with an apathetic electorate. For the Coalition, it’s about regaining ground in suburban seats and capitalising on the government’s self inflicted wounds.  Today, The Saturday Paper’s associate editor, Martin Mackenzie-Murray, on the “shadow campaign” already underway – and what Labor insiders say is the biggest threat to the government winning a second term. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Associate editor of The Saturday Paper Martin Mackenzie-MurraySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From afar, Alice Springs/Mparntwe is a whirlpool of myth and truth. It’s a town with competing interests and few solutions, marked by chaos and decades of government overreach.  Today, Yorta Yorta man and host of 7am Daniel James traces the origins of the so-called crime crisis in Alice Springs and reflects on all the interventions, big and small, that have led to this point.  Please enjoy “Children of the Intervention” by Daniel James, a companion piece to 7am’s three-part podcast series This is Alice Springs.    Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram Guest: Yorta Yorta man, award winning writer and broadcast, host of 7am Daniel JamesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tucked away in a Sydney suburb is one of Australia’s largest landfill sites. Here lies a stark reminder of the millions of tonnes of waste that form the collateral of our modern lives. Author and critic James Bradley visited the landfill to reflect on our relationship with private consumption and investigate why there is so little accountability for the damage caused by our waste. Please enjoy “The Tipping Point”, read by James Bradley and first published in the September edition of The Monthly.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Author and critic James BradleySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Indonesia’s recently sworn in President Prabowo Subianto is many things. To millions of young Indonesians, he is a daggy dancer on TikTok. But to a cohort of voters with longer memories, he is a veteran of a brutal and oppressive military force.Today, principal fellow of the Indo-Pacific Research Centre at Murdoch University Jacqui Baker charts Prabowo Subianto’s extraordinary climb to the presidency and what it means for Indonesia’s fragile democracy. Please enjoy “Forcing History”, read by Jacqui Baker and first published in the Australian Foreign Affairs October issue.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Principal fellow of the Indo-Pacific Research Centre at Murdoch University Jacqui BakerSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, Andrea Robin Skinner, the daughter of the late Nobel Prize-winning Canadian author Alice Munro, revealed something about her mother that had stayed hidden throughout Munro’s entire life. When Skinner was nine years old, Munro’s husband – who was also Andrea's stepfather – had assaulted her. Today, art critic and author Sebastian Smee reads his piece on the author Alice Munro. It’s an insightful and sharp piece of writing by one of the best observers of the art and literary worlds. Please enjoy ‘Into the Dark: The Legacy of Alice Munro”, read by Sebastian Smee, first published in The Monthly’s November edition.Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Art critic and author Sebastian SmeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Dutton’s first major promise when he became opposition leader was to build nuclear power plants. It was a curious idea with no cost attached, and polling suggested it had little community support.Today, journalist Marian Wilkinson joins with her investigation into the conservative charity group figures driving the opposition leader’s pivot to nuclear energy.  Marian’s sharp reporting on the nuclear lobby only becomes more relevant with each day we inch closer to the next federal election. Please enjoy “Dutton’s nuclear power plants”, read by Marian Wilkinson and first published in The Monthly earlier this year. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Twitter and InstagramGuest: Investigative reporter Marian WilkinsonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elif Shafak is an award-winning British Turkish novelist whose work has been translated into fifty-five languages. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael chats with Elif about her latest novel, There are Rivers in the Sky, which follows a single drop of water across millennia.Reading list:The Bastard of Istanbul, Elif Shafak, 2006The Forty Rules of Love, Elif Shafak, 2009Honour, Elif Shafak, 201110 Minutes 38 Seconds In this Strange World, Elif Shafak, 2019The Island of Missing Trees, Elif Shafak, 2021There are Rivers in the Sky, Elif Shafak, 2024You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterGuest: Elif ShafakSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winner of both the Miles Franklin Award and the Stella Prize, author Evie Wyld writes dark and often trauma-informed books, but she also has a remarkable capacity to capture the tenderness of memory. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael is joined by Evie for a conversation about her latest book The Echoes, which explores how we tell stories around and into the absences that define us.Reading list:After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, Evie Wyld, 2009All The Birds, Singing, Evie Wyld, 2013The Bass Rock, Evie Wyld, 2020The Echoes, Evie Wyld, 2024You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterGuest: Evie WyldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Writer Leslie Jamison is celebrated for her ability to link the personal to the cultural to the critical in ways that resonate and move and connect with readers. In this episode, from Schwartz Media’s podcast Read This, Michael sits down with Leslie to discuss her latest book, Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, a memoir about rebuilding a life after the end of a marriageReading list:The Gin Closet, Leslie Jamison, 2010The Empathy Exams, Leslie Jamison, 2014The Recovering, Leslie Jamison, 2018Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison, 2024You can find these books and all the others we mentioned at your favourite independent book store. Socials: Stay in touch with Read This on Instagram and TwitterGuest: Leslie JamisonSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.