The ending of 2025 allowed us to reflect on some of our favorite episodes of the year. We had so many rich conversations in 2025 that this is by no means a complete list, but merely a sampler.

February — Aaron Robertson, The Black Utopians

Explores the hidden history of Black utopian communities in America—visions born from struggle, fueled by hope, political imagination, and self-determination, from Promised Land, Tennessee to radical Black movements in Detroit. Listen.

March — Amanda Becker, You Must Stand Up

Examines the fallout from the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, documenting legal chaos, ongoing threats to reproductive rights, and how activists, doctors, and voters continue the fight for abortion access. Listen

March — Omar El-Akkad, One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This

A powerful critique of empire, media silence, and Western complicity in violence, written through the lens of Gaza; a deeply personal reckoning with responsibility, morality, and witnessing atrocity in real time. Listen

Ray Nayler, Where the Axe Is Buried

A dystopian novel about AI-ruled governments, mass surveillance, and the dangers of unchecked technological power—raising urgent questions about ethics, capitalism, and resistance. Listen

Silvia Park, Luminous

A haunting, philosophical novel questioning what happens when AI blurs the boundary between human and machine, exploring slavery, autonomy, inequality, and whether true human-robot equality is even possible. Listen

Bruce Holsinger, Culpability

A deeply human story about a family shattered by a self-driving car tragedy, exploring AI ethics, responsibility, grief, and who bears moral accountability when machines make life-altering decisions. Listen

May — Brian Goldstone, There Is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America

A devastating and deeply reported portrait of working families experiencing homelessness in the U.S., revealing how poverty, prosperity inequality, and policy failures create a humanitarian crisis far larger than official counts admit. Listen

Reality Winner — I Am Not Your Enemy

A gripping conversation with the NSA whistleblower about why she leaked evidence of Russian election interference, the government’s harsh punishment, and what her case reveals about secrecy, democracy, and justice. Listen

November Double-Bill — Cory Doctorow, Inshittification

Explains how tech platforms decay from user-friendly tools into exploitative corporate machines—and what systemic solutions like antitrust enforcement and tech worker resistance could change. Listen

November Double-Bill — Bill McKibben, Here Comes the Sun

A surprisingly hopeful conversation about how renewable energy is reshaping global power, offering real potential for economic justice, climate repair, and a rebalanced world.

1000th Episode — Julian Brave Noisecat, We Survived the Night

A moving memoir weaving Indigenous oral tradition, history, and contemporary struggle, exploring land, culture, trauma, resilience, and what we can learn from Indigenous ways of connection and community. Listen

We hope you’ll join us in 2026 for more of Writer’s Voice — compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.