A Fresh Face in Hell with Jonathan Evison
A Fresh Face in Hell with Jonathan Evison is an hour long, conversation based, format. Guests include writers, musicians, athletes, actors, philosophers, scientists, and an array of experts across a variety of disciplines. Subjects will be treated with a mix of humor and thoughtful exploration.
Episodes
33 episodes
Willy Vlautin - Write Me a Love Song Where Nobody Gets Decapitated
Jonathan speaks with his old friend and great American fiction writer, Willy Vlautin. Willy is the author of seven novels, including his most recent, The Horse, which helped earn him the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Three of his books have bee...
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Episode 32
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1:07:20
Peter Blackstock - No Depression: Roots Music & Culture
Today I talk with famed music journalist Peter Blackstock about his time discovering and reviewing bands in Austin, Nashville, North Carolina, and Seattle. Together with his partner Grant Alden, Peter launched the roots music magazine, No Depre...
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Episode 31
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1:04:34
Dalton Conley - Nature & Nurture
Turns out the idea of nature vs. nurture is an overly simplistic way of describing how our genes correlate with our environments. For 150 years, scientists, sociologists, theologians, politicians, and philosophers have argued over this binary i...
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Episode 30
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59:36
Charles Peterson's Nirvana
Today I talk with an old friend from the halcyon days of grunge, photographer Charles Peterson. Charles is known for capturing some of the most iconic B&W shots of that era, many of which were used by Sub Pop for album cover art including, ...
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Episode 29
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57:12
Marc Hartzman - The UFO Episode
Today I open the X-Files with author Marc Hartzman. We dive into all things extraterrestrial, from outer space to the outer limits. We discuss shaved monkeys, frozen brains, and interdimensional beings. We explore the idea of visitations to anc...
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Episode 28
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58:47
Chris Wilcha - Keeping the Dream Alive
I speak with filmmaker Chris Wilcha about the themes of his new film, "Flipside." In the film, Chris tells his career story beginning as a young, idealistic filmmaker who sets out to become a documentarian but finds himself later in life as a c...
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Episode 27
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1:00:39
Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna - The AI Con
To follow up last week's conversation on the robot hordes I talk with authors and podcasters, Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna about AI hype. The two argue in their new book The AI Con, that there is nothing intelligent about machine learning and...
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Episode 26
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1:01:29
Allison Pugh - The Last Human Job
AI and data analytics have created some miraculous efficiencies over the last couple of years. AI helps me stay organized and assists with research and interview prep. Sometimes, you just need a mindless automaton. That said, when it comes time...
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Episode 25
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54:52
Jim Thomsen - "There's Always Work at the Post Office"
I recently read a New York Times article titled "The Gen X Career Meltdown," which discussed how GenXers are aging out of the workforce early due to technology and the collapse of the creative industries. It reminded me of an old friend, journa...
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Episode 24
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57:01
JW Ocker - How to Start a Cult
Author JW Ocker is a man who has devoted himself to the study and research of bizarre cultural phenomena. In his book Cult Following: the Extreme Sects that Capture our Imagination - And Take Over our Lives, he sets his sights on cults. This we...
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55:58
Danny Bland - Rock n' Roll Road Warrior
Today we hear stories from the road with rock n' roll tour manager Danny Bland. After decades of playing in bands like Cat Butt, Best Kissers in the World, and The Dwarves, Danny used his experience to become a legendary tour manager. From Dave...
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43:43
Nurse Lexi - Stories from the Emergency Room
When doing research for my novels, I often consult historians, scholars, and professionals to create more nuanced profiles for my characters. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with some truly fascinating people in incredible ca...
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Episode 21
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1:03:02
Kevin Davies - CRISPR for Dummies
Been going down a CRISPR rabbit hole lately and wanted to talk to someone that is up to date on the world's most powerful gene editing technology. Kevin Davies is an Oxford trained science journalist and the author of Editing Humanity: The CRIS...
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57:37
Dr. Arik Kershenbaum - Why Animals Talk
Humans are not the only species who have devised complex languages. How do their languages differ from ours? What can we learn from their languages? Do Spanish dogs understand Japanese dogs? How can our own knowledge of animal language help us ...
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Episode 19
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58:07
Ellen Vora, MD - The Anatomy of Anxiety
Today, I speak with Ellen Vora, MD, about understanding, treating, and living with anxiety—a condition she thoroughly explores in her book The Anatomy of Anxiety. Ellen and I discussed some of my experiences with anxiety over the...
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Episode 18
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57:14
Claire Dederer - Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma
Today, I speak with an old friend, Claire Dederer, about her seminal book, Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma. We ask the question: Is it possible to appreciate an artist's work if the artist's behavior is monstrous? Is the work of artists like Woody Al...
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Episode 17
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55:18
Jeff Ament - The Origins of Pearl Jam
Today, I have a conversation with my old friend Jeff Ament. We discussed his incredible rock 'n' roll journey—from the Seattle hardcore scene of the '80s to the rise of '90s Grunge, and eventually becoming the rock star bassist of Pearl Jam. Je...
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Episode 16
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1:01:19
Rita Omokha - Resist!
Today I speak with journalist and author Rita Omokha about her new book, Resist. We discuss how young Black activists like Ella Baker, Barbara Johns, and Johnetta Elzie have shaped our understanding of the power of organized action—not just in ...
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Episode 15
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48:07
Carl Zimmer - Germs!!
Renowned NY Times science columnist, Carl Zimmer, talks with me about his new book, Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. We talk about the air we breathe, the gazillions of microbes, bacteria, fungus and viruses that f...
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Episode 14
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54:17
Warren Etheredge - Comedies
I thought we could all use something a little lighthearted this week — a welcome distraction from the constant news cycle. So today, I’m catching up with my old friend Warren Etheredge. Warren is a producer, author, playwright, festival program...
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Episode 13
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1:00:31
Steve Almond - Against Football
My friend and NY Times bestselling author, podcast contributor, teacher, and political activist, Steve Almond, joins me to discuss his seminal book Against Football. We dive deep into our toxic love affair with the gridiron, exploring its narra...
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Episode 12
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52:30
Andrew Hirschman & David Rivers - Two Pastors
This week, we talk about church--specifically Christian church. I’ll be talking with two Evangelical pastors, Andrew Hirschman of Calvary Ballard, and David Rivers of Calvary Sequim, about being a pastor in 2025. We’ll talk about the threat of ...
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Episode 11
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1:10:21
Josh Fernandez - Anti-Fascist English Teacher
Josh Fernandez is one of my favorite people. Antifa organizer, anarchist, community activist and college educator. Josh walks the walk. When he’s not punching nazis, he’s taking care of his community in a myriad of ways, volunteering and coordi...
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Episode 10
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47:36
Brian McVeigh - The Origins of Consciousness
This week, I talk to writer and anthropologist, Brian McVeigh, about Julian Jaynes's bicameral mind theory, as detailed in his seminal work, The Origins of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. It’s a theory that forces us to qu...
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Episode 9
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56:06
Jim and Will Pattiz - National Parks
Filmmakers, explorers and brothers, Jim and Will Pattiz, talk with Jonathan about the National Parks ranking they do yearly for their popular site "More Then Just Parks". Some great tips and inspirations as well as some thoughts about preservat...
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Episode 8
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1:01:38