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Slate Culture

Culture Gabfest: Sorry, Straight White Male Novelist Edition

Slate Culture

Slate Podcasts

Arts, Tv & Film, Music

4.42K Ratings

🗓️ 9 July 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On this week’s show, Julia and Dana are joined by June Thomas for a decidedly feminist discussion. They start with Sorry, Baby, the debut feature from writer, director, and actor Eva Victor, about a young academic’s life after a terrible trauma. The panel debates whether the film— which was a Sundance hit for A24 — is a tart, surprising traumedy or a frustratingly evasive experiment. Next, they get into Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print, the HBO documentary about the pioneering feminist magazine. Finally, they take up a recent New York Times piece to determine whether the straight white male novelist is a thing of the past—and if we should care. Steve hops on the call to offer his token male perspective, naturally. In an exclusive plus bonus episode, the feminist discourse continues with a conversation about  the oft overlooked fashion designer Claire McCardell, who is the subject of a recent biography Claire McCardell: The Designer Who Set Women Free by Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson and book review by our very own Julia Turner. Endorsements: Dana: The essay “It’s Only An Island If You Look At It From The Water” by Elizabeth Cantwell in Bright Wall Dark Room about the film Jaws on its 50th anniversary. June : The action film Heads of State starring John Cena and Idris Elba, or “Mamma Mia! with explosions.” Julia -  The new book Empire of the Elite by Michael Grynbaum about the magisterial publishing reign of Condé Nast. (Recently excerpted in the New York Times.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

I'm Julia Turner, and this is the Slate Culture Gab Fest, Sari Straight White Male Novelist edition.

0:17.0

It's Wednesday, July 9, 2025, and on today's show, we're talking about Sorry Baby,

0:22.6

a Sundance breakout from writer, director, and star Eva Victor.

0:26.4

It's about trauma and its repercussions, but it's also tart, surprising, and often funny.

0:32.0

We'll discuss.

0:33.5

Then, we'll examine Dear Miz, an interestingly structured new HBO documentary that traces the dawning days of Ms. Magazine.

0:41.1

Many of their discoveries and debates still echo today.

0:44.8

And finally, we'll get into that New York Times piece about the death and life of the straight white male novel.

0:51.7

Is it gone? And do we miss it?

0:57.0

I'm joined today by Dana Stevens. Hello, Dana.

1:06.0

Hey, hey. And sitting in for Steve Metcalf is the great June Thomas from across the pond. Hello.

1:12.3

Hello, friends. How are you? I am very delighted, particularly with this set of topics, to be discussing with you two esteemed colleagues, but I will shout out that we will be inviting

1:18.4

Steve on to tackle the end of the straight white male novel to join us. So wait and watch as we

1:24.3

harpies tear him to shreds.

1:28.5

Spoiler alert.

1:31.8

To be honest, we haven't recorded the conversation.

1:33.0

Maybe he'll subdue us.

1:37.4

The five-pound meal deal from McDonald's.

1:40.3

Get a cheeseburger or mayo chicken, medium fries,

1:43.1

four McNuggets, and a medium soft drink for guess what?

1:45.0

That's right, five pounds. It's not called the five pound meal deal for nothing.

1:48.0

From 11 AM, not available on delivery.

...

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