Slow Stories

Feb 17 2025 61 ep. 42 mins 16
Slow Stories Podcast artwork

Hear from leading writers, artists, and innovators who share slow stories—and big ideas—about living, working, and creating more intentionally. Hosted by Rachel Schwartzmann Subscribe at slowstories.substack.com/

  Society & Culture  Arts
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Gloria Noto — "Awareness is a reflection."

Feb 17 2025 54 mins  
What is the role of beauty in this day and age? For some, it’s an aesthetic pursuit; for others, it’s simply a state of mind. If we’re talking about the global, multibillion-dollar industry, it’s something else entirely. But for Gloria Noto, beauty is more than meets the eye. As the founder of NOTO Botanics, a multi-use, gender-inclusive, clean cosmetic line, Gloria and her

Ayşegül Savaş — "We're always in the midst of it."

Dec 09 2024 59 mins  
What makes a day? Is it the routine of brewing morning coffee or walking through the neighborhood? Is it more meaningful if it's spent in the company of others? And if we do find ourselves alone, what are we able to see in our solitude? Ayşegül Savaş's affinity for the details brings these questions to the forefront. She has a talent for transforming mundane moments into compell

Lauren Elkin — "To me, it's all interesting."

Nov 26 2024 69 mins  
What does it mean to be faithful? This question is central to Lauren Elkin's debut novel, Scaffolding, which follows the trials and tribulations of two couples across time and space, occupying the same Paris apartment in 2019 and 1972. It is an incisive study of transformation—physical, emotional, geographical, familial. It is a question and questioning of desire: how we give it,

Rachel Schwartzmann — "Was it a beginning, or had the story been writing itself all along?"

Sep 30 2024 5 mins  
A note from Slow Stories' own Rachel Schwartzmann regarding her new book, SLOWING!— Order SLOWING: https://lnk.to/Slowing/ Subscribe to Slow Stories on Substack: https://slowstories.substack.com/ Read Rachel's essay in Literary Hub: https://lithub.com/against-perfectionism-and-productivity-on-embracing-flaws-as-a-writer/ Follow Rachel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rac

Amy Lin — "Grief is a problem of narrative."

Aug 19 2024 72 mins  
What does it mean to grieve? What does it look and feel like? Why is it still so hard for us to understand? These are just a few questions Amy Lin tackles in her astounding memoir Here After. In a series of crystalline vignettes, Amy recounts the unexpected death of her husband Kurtis, her subsequent medical crisis—and the winding journey to live after inconceivable loss. In many

Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka — "We're very conscious of that aliveness in our relationship."

Jul 25 2024 52 mins  
Shared vision is at the heart of every great partnership—but a good sense of humor helps, too. Claudia Dey and Heidi Sopinka understand this sentiment. The two creatives met as undergrads at McGill University—and later at a bush camp, cooking for tree planters—and have lived multiple lives since then. In 2012, they co-founded the conscious fashion brand HORSES, which values b

Victoria Chang — "It takes a lot of energy to be slow."

Jun 27 2024 48 mins  
"Point of view has a terrible memory. I've looked at photos scrolling up and over, zooming in and out, and realize it is not love I want, just the ability to zoom back out. A woman loses herself when she can no longer zoom out." This is one of the many resonant passages readers will encounter in Victoria Chang's latest poetry collection, With My Back to the World. Across three part

Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar — "Crying is a cool thing."

Apr 29 2024 52 mins  
When was the last time you cried? This question is at the heart of Brandon Stosuy and Rose Lazar's illustrated anthology, Sad Happens: A Celebration of Tears. With contributions from a wide range of voices, including Phoebe Bridgers, Zeba Blay, Sloane Crosley, and many more, Sad Happens is a gentle offering that reminds us to get to the heart of our own stories—and our own humani

Mason Spector — "I find a lot of value in the sadness."

Mar 23 2024 55 mins  
Authenticity has never been more critical in a world that celebrates fleeting trends. In an industry like fashion, and for entrepreneur Mason Spector, discerning design is just a small part of creating long-term impact and connection. As the co-founder of the Los Angeles-based clothing brand Madhappy, Spector and his team are committed to "using apparel, events, and experimental re

Chelsea Hodson — ”I’m genuinely excited about creating things.”

Aug 29 2023 72 mins  
An essay, Chelsea Hodson tells us, should be an attempt at clarity. That may be true for a writer, but clarity is the last thing that comes to mind when reading Chelsea's words. Instead, we are swept away by her striking prose, repetition, digressions. Chelsea's words pulse with desire, fear, and hope. Readers walk away from the page, not always knowing what to think but feeling so