Hello, Protagonists!

Welcome to another episode of the Creative, Inspired, ALIVE podcast—where we go behind the scenes with the storytellers shaping our culture.

Our guest, Jessica Goldstein, is a style, arts, and humor writer. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Marie Claire, Vulture, and the humor site McSweeney’s Internet Tendency. Her debut novel, Retro, published by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, is out now.

Today, we talk about:

* the ins and outs of time travel,

* crafting humor,

* books in pop culture,

* writing opinion pieces in major publications,

* and so much more.

💕 Joanna

🎥 Watch the Conversation

You can watch the full video on:→ Our Website | Youtube | Substack app

Captions and full transcripts are always available on the website version (just click the “CC” button or the transcript tab below the video).

🎧 Prefer to Listen?

Stream the episode wherever you get your podcasts:→ Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Audible | or your favorite platform

🎙️ Browse all past episodes HERE

📝 Want to Ask a Future Guest a Question?

We invite the community to submit questions via our community chat—available in your browser or in the Substack app. We love including your curiosities in the conversation!

Connect with Jessica Goldstein:

You can find Jessica on X, Bluesky, and her website. Her newest novel, Retro, is available in bookstores everywhere!