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
26 episodes
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
Jamie Ford - Generational Trauma
On a very special episode of A Fresh Face in Hell I talk to my pal, New York Times bestselling author Jamie Ford about generational trauma, epigenetics, two themes in his most recent novel, 'The Many Daughters of Afong Moy'. Jamie and I will ta...
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Episode 7
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55:52
Stephanie Land - Class in America
This week, I’ll talk to New York Times bestseller, activist, and public speaker Stephanie Land, author of Maid (also a hugely popular Netflix series), and most recently, Class. Stephanie and I will discuss class in America. We’ll talk specifica...
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Episode 6
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57:04
Joe Posnanski - Baseball and Sabermetrics
This week, I’m gonna rap with legendary sportswriter, and New York Times Bestselling Author Joe Posnanski about the cult of sabermetrics, and how analytics are changing the way baseball is played, as well as changing the culture as a whole. We ...
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Episode 5
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47:15
Sander van der Linden Phd. - Fighting Misinformation
This week I talk with Sander van den Linden, author of Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity. Sander is one of the world’s leading experts on misinformation. He’s going to lay out a crucial new parad...
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Episode 4
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55:50
Danny O'Neil - Grudges
This week, I talk to my pal, journalist, radio personality, and longtime Seahawk insider, Danny O’Neil. Danny is a man who spends a lot of time thinking about grudges, he even publishes a newsletter called Grudgery (subscribe @
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Episode 3
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59:59
Kasey Meehan - Book Banning
As an artist, rattling cages is often part of the job description. Growing up in punk bands it was basically my objective in life as a teenager. When I wrote my fifth novel, Lawn Boy, in 2016, I was trying to rattle some cages about wealth ineq...
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Episode 1
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56:04
Steve Turner - Collecting and Stuff
I talk to my old pal, super fuzzy guitar legend and writer of punk rock folk songs, Steve Turner of Mudhoney. We’re gonna talk about collecting records, the early days of the Seattle punk scene, Steve’s long journey in music, from basements to ...
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Episode 2
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1:01:11