Chuck interviews Truthout's Kelly Hayes on the article she co-wrote the Boston Review essay with past guest Mariame Kaba, “How Much Discomfort Is the Whole World Worth?: Movement building requires a culture of listening—not mastery of the right language.” 

Jeff returns with a Moment of Truth in which he travels back 39 years to revisit his visit to Morocco.

Movement Building Involves Discomfort / Kelly Hayes

We wrap up the week with lecturer in philosophy at Gonzaga University, Joan Braune who will speak with us about her book, "Understanding and Countering Fascist Movements: From Void to Hope." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Joan's book here: https://www.routledge.com/Understanding-and-Countering-Fascist-Movements-From-Void-to-Hope/Braune/p/book/9780367696986

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access weekly bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Effective Antifascism Requires Understanding Fascism / Joan Braune

Zac Chapman and Nairuti Shastry discuss their article at The Forge, "Will the Revolution Be Funded?," which is against big philanthropy and argues for community 'self-funding.'

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access weekly bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Will the Revolution Be Funded? / Zac Chapman & Nairuti Shastry

Cory Doctorow on his Financial Times article, "‘Enshittification’ is coming for absolutely everything: The term describes the slow decay of online platforms such as Facebook. But what if we’ve entered the ‘enshittocene’?" "Rotten History" follows the interview.

Cory also has a new novel, The Bezel. 

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access weekly bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Best of 2024: Enshittification / Cory Doctorow

Sonali Kolhatkar, author of “Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice” joins us to discuss her new book “Talking About Abolition: A Police-Free World Is Possible”, published by Seven Stories Press.

Purchase the book at this link: https://sevenstories.com/books/4670-talking-about-abolition?srsltid=AfmBOopfJr7eEoqqTYOKWx9Q_aJhojtOxT5fyipK4DfbqnIfm4q0VBy1

Sonali Kolhatkar’s website: https://www.sonalikolhatkar.com

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Defunding the Police and Abolition as Forms of Democracy / Sonali Kolhatkar

Liz Pelly joins This Is Hell! to discuss her Harper's cover article titled "The Ghosts in the Machine: Spotify's Plot Against Musicians," excerpted from her new book, Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist (One Signal Publishers). An all-new Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Liz's article: https://harpers.org/archive/2025/01/the-ghosts-in-the-machine-liz-pelly-spotify-musicians/

And her book: https://lizpelly.info/book

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Spotify's Plot Against Musicians / Liz Pelly

Sarah Jaffe, author of “Work Won't Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keeps Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone and Necessary Trouble: Americans in Revolt” joins us to discuss her new book “From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire”, published by Bold Type Books.

Purchase the book at this link: https://bookshop.org/p/books/from-the-ashes-grief-and-revolution-in-a-world-on-fire-sarah-jaffe/21156243?ean=9781541703490

Sarah Jaffe’s website: https://sarahljaffe.com/

Jeffrey Dorchen also brings us his latest "Moment of Truth".

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Our Grief and Mourning can Interrupt the Flow of Capitalism / Sarah Jaffe

Maya Schenwar returns to This is Hell! Maya will be joined by the co-editor Kim Wilson who are co-editors of the new collection, "We Grow the World Together: Parenting Toward Abolition" from Haymarket Books. Maya is editor in-chief of truthout. Kim is the cofounder, cohost, and producer of Beyond Prisons, a podcast on incarceration and prison abolition.

Rotten History from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview.

Check out their new edited volume here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2446-we-grow-the-world-together

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Parenting Toward Abolition / Maya Schenwar & Kim Wilson

Jeff Bryant joins us to discuss his recent writing on the threats facing community public education and the ways schools and communities are resisting them. Articles to be discussed include "How a Struggling Boston School Found Success in the Roots of its Haitian American Community," and "Voters Across the Political Spectrum Gave Public Education Important Wins in the 2024 Election," both available at The Progressive. Rotten History from Renaldo Migaldi and The Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen both follow the interview.

Check out Jeff's recent writing at The Progressive here: https://progressive.org/topics/jeff-bryant/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Putting the Community in Community Schools Can Save Public Education / Jeff Bryant

Award-winning journalist Natasha Hakimi Zapata joins us to discuss her new book, “Another World Is Possible: Lessons For America From Around The Globe”, published by The New Press. Her articles can be found be found in In These TImes, The Nation, and The New York Times.

Purchase the book at this link: https://thenewpress.com/books/another-world-possible

Natasha Hakimi Zapata’s website: https://www.natashahakimizapata.com/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

What Different Parts of the World Has That the US Lacks / Natasha Hakimi Zapata

Journalist and historian Eoin Higgins, author of the new book, "Owned: How Tech Billionaires on the Right Bought the Loudest Voices on the Left." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Eoin's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/eoin-higgins/owned/9781645030461/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

How Thiel, Musk, and Other Tech Billionaires Bought the Liberal Media / Eoin Higgins

Disinformation and far-right digital media scholar Becca Lewis, who posted The Guardian article, “‘Headed for technofascism’: the rightwing roots of Silicon Valley."

Check out Becca Lewis new Guardian piece at this link: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2025/jan/29/silicon-valley-rightwing-technofascism?fbclid=IwY2xjawIYf-tleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHc2nPsngc-4BdtZ_VAwm84lbBIMTOkq8WaTAvn1nYmXhUWlgWa_lfeyW2w_aem_L7nLbYIVbWoIlBoxR9OKLw

Becca served as an expert witness in the defamation lawsuits brought against Alex Jones by parents of Sandy Hook shooting victims. She is currently writing a book on the rise of reactionary politics in Silicon Valley and online.

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

How Technofacism is Rooted in Silicon Valley / Becca Lewis

Mike German, co-author with Beth Zasloff of the new book, "Policing White Supremacy: The Enemy Within," returns to This is Hell! Mike is a former FBI agent who went undercover in the far right whtie supremacsit movement and has appeared on the show a couple of times. "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Mike's book here: https://thenewpress.com/books/policing-white-supremacy

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Law Enforcement Needs to Get Serious About the Far Right / Mike German

Chuck is out of action this week COVID, so we are featuring past interviews with upcoming guests who all have new books coming out on the days we are scheduled to interview them in upcoming weeks. Today's episode features two guests whose work imagine a more emancipatory, dignified, sustainable future should socialist imperatives govern the future of human development. First up is political scientist Jodi Dean, who joined us in 2022 to discuss her book "Socialist Reconstruction: A Better Future for the United States"  from 1804 Books. Physicist and researcher Erald Kolasi follows in a 2021 interview in which he outlines his vision for a more ecologically sustainable future as discussed in his Monthly Review article titled "The Ecological State."

Rotten History from our dear friend and comrade Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview.

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Chuck has Covid pt. 1: Socialist Futures / Jodi Dean & Erald Kolasi

Chuck is out of action this week COVID, so we are featuring past interviews with upcoming guests who all have new books coming out on the days we are scheduled to interview them in upcoming weeks. Today's episode features two listener-favorite historians. First up is Quinn Slobodian on his 2023 book "Crack-Up Capitalism: Market Radicals and the Dream of a World Without Democracy." Greg Grandin follows with a discussion of his Pulitzer Prize-winning 2020 book "The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America."

A classic Moment of Truth with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Chuck has Covid pt. 2: Technoauthoritarian Frontiers / Quinn Slobodian & Greg Grandin

Physicist Erald Kolasi returns to “This Is Hell!” to talk about his new book, "The Physics of Capitalism: How a New Political Ecology Can Change the World”, published by the Monthly Review.

Check out Erald’s book here: https://monthlyreview.org/product/the-physics-of-capitalism-how-a-new-political-ecology-can-change-the-world/

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

A New Political Ecology Is Needed to Change the World / Erald Kolasi

Historian Timothy W. Ryback joins us to discuss his Atlantic essays, "How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days: He used the constitution to shatter the constitution," "The Oligarchs Who Came to Regret Supporting Hitler They helped him in pursuit of profit. Many ended up in concentration camps," and, "‘Herr Hitler, Do You Really Believe Me Capable of Such a Dirty Trick?’ The chancellor rewarded loyalty with loyalty. Until he didn’t."

Timothy is director of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in The Hague. He is the author of several books on Hitler’s Germany, most recently, "Takeover: Hitler’s Final Rise to Power."

"The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Timothy's writing at The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/timothy-w-ryback/ 
Check out his new book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/727483/takeover-by-timothy-w-ryback/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Hitler's Takeover Was Completely Constitutional / Timothy Ryback

Journalist and cultural critic Kristen Martin joins “This Is Hell!” to talk about her new book, "The Sun Won’t Come Out Tomorrow: The Dark History of American Orphanhood”, published by the Bold Type Books.

Check out Kristen’s book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/kristen-martin/the-sun-wont-come-out-tomorrow/9781645030348/?lens=bold-type-books

Visit Kristen’s website: https://www.kristenmartin.net/

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

The Dark History of American Orphanhood / Kristen Martin

Labor scholar Eric Blanc joins us to discuss his new book published just today by the University of California Press titled, "We Are the Union: How Worker-to-Worker Organizing Is Revitalizing Labor and Winning Big." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Eric's book here: https://www.ucpress.edu/books/we-are-the-union/paper

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Worker-to-Worker Organizing / Eric Blanc

Award-winning author Omar El Akkad joins “This Is Hell!” to talk about his new book, "One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This”, published by the Penguin Books.

Check out Omar’s book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485/one-day-everyone-will-have-always-been-against-this-by-omar-el-akkad/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI9NZpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRHlIY5dAk3hrnB8dk0wOc9P_cL3vOlRO6pa78Ux07cr9tv4PR_GhwkMrg_aem_ltRUIYUqFxKHG-AUz9rHsg

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

Sustaining a Politics of Extermination and Climate Chaos / Omar El Akkad

Lindsay Koshgarian joins us to discuss the Institute for Policy Studies report, "The High Moral Stakes of the Policy Battles Raging in Washington." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out their report here: https://ips-dc.org/summary-high-moral-stakes/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

MAGA Rule by the Numbers / Lindsay Koshgarian

Tanner Mirrlees on the new Cost of War paper from the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University entitled, "The Militarization of Movies and Television." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Tanner's writing here: https://home.watson.brown.edu/research/research-briefs/militarization-movies-and-tv

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Covertly Manufacturing Consent for US Imperialism and Militarism in Hollywood / Tanner Mirrlees

Noliwe Rooks returns to This Is Hell! to discuss her recent book, "Integrated: How American Schools Failed Black Children" from Penguin. "Rotten History" from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview.

Check out Noliwe's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/721962/integrated-by-noliwe-rooks/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

How School Integration Failed Black Students / Noliwe Rooks

Award-winning author Pankaj Mishra returns to “This Is Hell!” to talk about his new book, “The World After Gaza: A History”, published by the Penguin Random House.

Check out Pankaj’s book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/780437/the-world-after-gaza-by-pankaj-mishra/

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

How Will History Judge Us After Gaza / Pankaj Mishra

Valeria Graziano, Marcell Mars and Tomislav Medak discuss their book, "Pirate Care: Acts Against the Criminalization of Solidarity." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen and "Rotten History" by Renaldo Migaldi both follow the interview.

Check out their book here: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349800/pirate-care/

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

Pirate Care / Valeria Graziano and Tomislav Medak

Author Quinn Slobodian returns to “This Is Hell!” to talk about his new book, “Hayek’s Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ and the Capitalism of the Far Right”, published by Zone Books.

Check out Quinn’s book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9781890951917?srsltid=AfmBOopa361sL5mow9Y4zSXDsHQXyvTQBZ0YZASHJvW-UyhbliOMShxt

Keep TiH! free and completely listener supported by subscribing to our weekly bonus Patreon podcast or visiting thisishell.com/pages/support

Neoliberalism Turning To Nature To Defend Inequality / Quinn Slobodian

Alec Karakatsanis returns to talk about his new book, “Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News.” Alec founded the Civil Rights Corps, an organization that challenges systemic injustices in the U.S. legal system. "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Alec's book here: https://thenewpress.org/books/copaganda/

Copaganda / Alec Karakatsanis

Alec Karakatsanis returns to talk about his new book, “Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News.” Alec founded the Civil Rights Corps, an organization that challenges systemic injustices in the U.S. legal system. 

Check out Alec's book here: https://thenewpress.org/books/copaganda/

Chris Hedges discusses his new book, "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine."

Check out Chris's book here: https://www.sevenstories.com/books/4716-a-genocide-foretold

Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell

A Genocide Foretold / Chris Hedges

Malcolm Harris Returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his new book, "What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Malcolm's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/whats-left/9780316577410/?lens=little-brown

What Paths Remain for Preventing Climate Apocalypse? / Malcolm Harris

Malcolm Harris Returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his new book, "What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis." 

Check out Malcolm's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/whats-left/9780316577410/?lens=little-brown

Greg Grandin returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his new book, "America, América: A New History of the New World." "Rotten History" from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview.

Check out Greg's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/747326/america-america-by-greg-grandin/

This Is Hell!

Popular tracks