Everyday Anarchism
Episodes
174. Rules, Games, and Anarchy -- Jay Dragon
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ever since C. Thi Nguyen appeared on the podcast, I've been trying to use games to understand more about the relationship between rules and life. Jay ...
173. From William Morris to Bauhaus to Midcentury Modern -- Robin Schuldenfrei
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robin Schuldenfrei rejoins me to talk more Bauhaus! In this episode, we discuss her book Luxury and Modernism, covering the complexities of the Bauhau...
172. Liberty as Independence -- John McGowan
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John McGowan joins me to discuss Liberty as Independence, Quentin Skinner's new book about the way that our ideals of liberty were formed in in 17th a...
171. Reel Politik -- Nathan Gelgud
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan Gelgud joins me to discuss Reel Politik, a comics collection about a group of Brechtian revolutionaries who take over the movie theatre they wo...
170. The Biblical Curse of Wealth -- Pastor Micah
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pastor Micah joins me to share a radical reading of the Book of Genesis in which wealth isn't a blessing on God's people, but a curse!I recently appea...
169. The Teacher and Society -- Alfie Kohn
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alfie Kohn returns to the show to discuss his new podcast, the role of teachers in social progress, and why someone's view on chatbots in the classroo...
168. Enshittification -- Cory Doctorow
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's not your imagination: everything is getting worse. And there's a reason why.
167. Henry Fonda for President -- Alexander Horwath
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The film Henry Fonda for President is showing this Thursday, October 2 at Duke University. Please join us if you are in the area!https://cinematicarts...
166. Goliath's Curse -- Luke Kemp
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
According to conventional history, the last 12,000 years has seen the steady march of progress from primitive savagery to enlightened civilization.In ...
165. Politics in Hollywood Westerns-- Ruth Kinna
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Happy 4th Anniversary to Everyday Anarchism! For this year's anniversary episode, Ruth Kinna comes on to talk about a couple of Hollywood Westerns: Fo...
164. Slow Cinema as Democratic Cinema -- Paul Schrader
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In normal cinema, the goal of the director is to control the audience, to direct their gaze, to dictate their emotions.What does it mean when director...
163. Capitalism and Nature -- Alyssa Battistoni
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alyssa Battistoni joins me to discuss her new book Free Gifts: Capitalism and the Politics of Nature. Capitalist theory generally describes nature as ...
162. Divorcing Anarchism and Liberalism -- Alexandre Lefebvre
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex comes back on the podcast and we try to separate liberalism and anarchism, with some success! (I think the problem is that what Alex and I agree ...
161. The German Peasants' War -- Lyndal Roper
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lyndal Roper joins me to discuss her book The Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants' War. 500 years ago, German peasants learned that Martin L...
160. Marrying Anarchism and Liberalism -- Alexandre Lefebvre
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alexandre Lefebvre, author of Liberalism as a Way of Life, joins me to discuss the many ways that anarchism and liberalism are compatible. Later this ...
159. The Folksinging Anarchist Tradition -- Willi Carlisle
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In celebration of his new album Winged Victory, Folksinger Willi Carlisle joins me to discuss the connections between folk music and leftism, especial...
158. Tolkien's Romantic Anarchy -- Meredith Veldman
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Everyday Anarchism goes back to where it all began: the romantic anarchism of J.R.R. Tolkien. Meredith Veldman, author of Fantasy, The Bomb, and the G...
157. Nietzsche's Twilight of the Idols -- David Hill
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My colleague David Hill rejoins the show to discuss Twilight of the Idols, one of Nietzsche's last works, and one in which Nietzsche directly discusse...
156. Bauhaus and the Anarchic City -- Robin Schuldenfrei
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Robin Schuldenfrei joins me to discuss her new book Objects in Exile, which is about the many afterlives of the Bauhaus school and its practitioners. ...
155. Baseball Utopia in Eephus -- Carson Lund
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
"What is joy when everything has been monetized and optimized?" For Carson Lund, the answer is rec league baseball, and his new film Eephus is about h...
154. Hannah Arendt and Civil Disobedience -- John McGowan
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
John McGowan joins the podcast again to discuss a recent republication of Hannah Arendt's essay "Civil Disobedience, which responds to Plato's Crito, ...
153. Organizing in the 21st Century -- Jaz Brisack
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jaz Brisack joins me to discuss their new book, Get on the Job and Organize. Jaz and I discuss why billionaires take union organizing personally, how ...
152. Why Billionaires Love AI -- Brian Merchant
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Merchant, author of the newsletter Blood in the Machine, returns to the show to talk about the newsletter, ai, tech oligarchs, the neoliberal "a...
151. Graeber's Debt Chapter 12, The Beginning of Something Yet to Be Determined
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In which I end my series on David Graeber's Debt, apologize for mistakes, and offer some hope for a new world in which we have more money and less mon...
150. Secret Mall Apartment -- Jeremy Workman and Michael Townsend
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When capitalists developed their neighborhood with a giant mall, eight artists developed an abandoned space in the mall into an apartment. It was art ...
149. Anarchy in the Big Easy -- Max Cafard and Vulpes
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Max Cafard (which is a pen name) and Vulpes (which is also a pen name) join me to discuss their fantastic new graphic novel Anarchy in the Big Easy, w...
148. Debt Discussion 12, In the Middle of Something New with Yanis Varoufakis
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yanis Varoufakis joins me to discuss his new book, Technofeudalism, how the world economy has changed since Graeber wrote Debt, and where things might...
147. Luigi Mangione and Anarchist Terrorism -- Constance Bantman
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Constance Bantman joins me to discuss the history of anarchist political violence through the prism of Luigi Mangione - and vice versa. Some of the qu...
146. James C. Scott's Two Cheers for Anarchism -- Luke Kemp
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Kemp returns to the show to discuss Two Cheers for Anarchism, James C. Scott's six essays or "fragments" applying an anarchist squint to the worl...
145. Debt Discussion 11, The Great Divergence with Christopher Isett
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Isett joins me to discuss the rise of capitalism and "The Great Divergence," in which Christendom transformed itself from an obscure corne...
144. Victor Serge, Anarchist Bolshevik -- Mitchell Abidor
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Today Mitch Abidor joins me to discuss Victor Serge: acclaimed novelist, anarchist, Bolshevik, anticommunist, and all-around 20th century contradictio...
143. Graeber's Debt Chapter 11: Age of Great Capitalist Empires
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is capitalism?It's not efficient markets, factories, and free labor.It's the financialization of empire and slavery, using greed, shame, indignat...
142. Green Earth -- Kim Stanley Robinson
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Stanley Robinson returns to discuss his novel Green Earth, a technothriller about a near future world in which scientists work to solve the global...
141. A New Model for Food and Politics -- Mark Bittman
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Bittman returns to Everyday Anarchism to discuss Community Kitchen, his new model for how we can do restaurant food better by running nonprofit r...
140. Graeber's Hidden Truth of the World -- Shawn from SRSLY Wrong
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shawn Vulliez from SRSLY Wrong joins me to discuss the new collection of David Graeber essays, The Ultimate Hidden Truth of the World. Shawn and I tal...
139. Hill's The World Turned Upside Down -- Ann Hughes (English Revolution)
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A spectre is haunting the Everyday Anarchism series on the English revolution: the spectre of Christopher Hill's 1972 book The World Turned Upside Dow...
138. Debt Discussion 10, Debt in the Middle Ages with Eleanor Janega
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Eleanor Janega, the very first guest on the Graeber's Debt series, comes back on the show to discuss what the middle ages were, how they were a global...
137. Mao and Anarchism -- Karl Gerth
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Karl Gerth, professor of modern Chinese history at the University of California, San Diego, to discuss the Chinese Communist Revolution ...
136. Graeber's Debt Chapter 10: The Middle Ages
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Graeber's middle ages, empires fell apart while temples and monasteries kept everything together with metaphysical debt. Oh, and Europe isn't very ...
135. Graeber's Debt Chapter 9: The Axial Age
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Following on my discussion with John Weisweiler, more detail on Graeber's account of the Axial Age
134. Debt Discussion 9, the Axial Age with John Weisweiler
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode in my series on Graeber's Debt, I'm joined by John Weisweiler to discuss Chapter 9, "The Axial Age." John and I discuss Graeber's insi...
133. 3rd Anniversary Episode! -- Ruth Kinna
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ruth Kinna comes back on the show to celebrate 3 years of Everyday Anarchism. We talk about the relationship between anarchism and protest, and where ...
132. Debt Discussion 8, Cycles of History with Luke Kemp
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Luke Kemp joins me to discuss Chapter 8 of Debt, asking the question: Is Graeber right when he says that history follows clear cycles?Sort of!
131. The Case Against Competition -- Alfie Kohn
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Alfie Kohn to discuss No Contest: The Case Against Competition, his 1986 book about how competition hurts rather than helps people do th...
130. Graeber's Debt Chapter 8: Credit vs. Bullion, and the Cycles of History
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Debt series returns, hopefully to finish by early 2025.This my reading of Chapter 8 (and a little of Chapter 7), soon to be followed by a discussi...
129. The Everyday Anarchy of Colin Ward -- Roman Krznaric
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode publishes on the hundredth anniversary of Colin Ward! Colin was one of the popularizers of many of the ideas featured in this podcast, an...
"Games are Perfect Anarchist Practices" -- Miguel Sicart
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Here's a crossover episode from my other podcast, Plumbing Game Studies.Things have been crazy lately, and I have emails from back in April I haven't ...
128. Hobbes' Leviathan -- Alison McQueen (English Revolution)
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who create the modern theory of political sovereignty?Thomas Hobbes.What was Hobbes afraid of?Anarchy.What made Hobbes so afraid of anarchy?The Englis...
127. Debt Discussion 7, Honor and Dignity with Clif Mark
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Clif Mark, host of the Good in Theory podcast, joins me to discuss honor and degradation in Graeber's Debt. Also I make Clif talk about representation...
126. Milton's Radicalism -- Nick McDowell and Nigel Smith (English Revolution)
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most famous author's in the English language, John Milton, was a 17th century English radical who not only supported but also worked for th...
125. Graeber's Debt Chapter 7, Honor and Degradation
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A little belatedly, here's my episode about Graeber's Debt, Chapter 7. A discussion on honor and dignity will be coming later this month with Clif Mar...
124. The Early Quakers -- Kate Peters (English Revolution)
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Peters, author of Print Culture and the Early Quakers, joins me to discuss the Quakers, the last of the radical groups we're covering the English...
123. Debt Discussion 6: Graeber as Grand Theorist with Fuad Musallam
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this debt discussion, Fuad and I discuss Chapter 6 of Debt, "Games with Sex and Death," and especially the way that Graeber is writing in the grand...
122. The Fifth Monarchists -- Bernard Capp (English Revolution)
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In the next episode of Radicalism in the English Revolution, I'm joined by Bernard Capp to discuss The Fifth Monarchists - a radical protestant sect t...
121. Graeber's Debt Chapter 6, Games with Sex and Death
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Graeber explains human economies, economies in which money can only be used to shore up social relations, and can't be used to buy things - to the utt...
120. Richard Rorty's Anti-Authoritarianism -- John McGowan and Meili Steele
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
My former professors John McGowan and Meili Steele join me to discuss Richard Rorty's final book, Pragmatism as Anti-Authoritarianism.
119. Debt Discussion 5: The Sterility of Economics with James K. Galbraith
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
James K. Galbraith joins me to discuss the flaws in the field of economics and its pseudoscientific justifications
118. The Films of Preston Sturges -- Stuart Klawans
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Stuart Klawans joins me to discuss his recent book Crooked but Never Common about the films of Preston Sturges, the first writer-director of the Holly...
117. Graeber's Debt Chapter 5, The Moral Ground of Economic Relations
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The chapter of Debt which inspired this podcast - get ready to hear the origin of everyday anarchism!
116. Seeing Like a Game -- C. Thi Nguyen
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Philosopher of games C. Thi Nguyen joins me to discuss his current work on the intersection of anarchism and games studies. The conversation was so mu...
115. Debt Discussion 4: Henry Farrell on His Internet Argument with Graeber
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I'm joined by Henry Farrell, who got into an internet spat with David Graeber over Debt. Henry recently wrote a reflection on the kerf...
114. Revolution and Anarchism in The Mars Trilogy -- Kim Stanley Robinson
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Stanley Robinson to talk about his Mars trilogy, the theory of revolution that animates it, and where anarchism and anarchists fit in. This conver...
Rerun: Anarchism is...Mardi Gras with Meredith King
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Happy Mardi Gras! The show should be back publishing new episodes in March. In the meantime, here's a rerun, and a link to a couple of interview I did...
113. The Ranters -- Nigel Smith (English Revolution)
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Radicalism in the English Revolution gets to the Ranters, the radical group of protestants who may or may not have practiced free love - but definitel...
Rerun: Anarchism is...Santa Claus! -- Ruth Kinna
24 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For my very first repeat episode, I'm reposting a conversation with Ruth Kinna about Santa Claus, Kropotkin, and the prefigurative practice of Christm...
112. The Puritan Christmas Wars -- Diane Purkiss (English Revolution)
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Diane Purkiss joins me to discuss the Christmas Wars, in which Puritans attempted to prevent the celebration of Christmas in the 17th century. Christm...
111. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 4, Cruelty and Redemption
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Debt Chapter 4, in which Jesus and Nietzsche show up!
110. Luddism: 19th Century Direct Action against TechnoCapitalism -- Brian Merchant
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
I'm joined by Brian Merchant to discuss his new book, Blood in the Machine. Brian argues persuasively that the Luddites weren't anti-technology but we...
109. Anarchism is...Homeschooling -- Andrewism
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a break from the two ongoing series, in this week's episode I'm joined by the anarchist YouTuber Andrewism. Andrew and I discuss homeschooling, our...
108. Radicalism in the English Revolution 4: Oliver Cromwell - - John Morrill
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John Morrill, whose work I first encountered in Mike Duncan's podcast about the English Revolution, joins me to discuss the career of Oliver Cromwell....
107. Debt Discussion 3: Anthropology and Everyday Anarchism with Bill Maurer
15 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the third episode of Debt Discussions, the anthropologist Bill Maurer joins me to talk about Chapter 3 of Debt, Primordial Debts. Bill and I talk ...
106. Radicalism in the English Revolution 3: The Diggers -- Ariel Hessayon
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ariel Hessayon returns to discuss The Diggers, the radical group whose farming community most closely resembles the ideas of anarchist communism as ex...
105. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 3, Primordial Debts
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt, this episode looks at chapter 3, which introduces the other big myth which Graeber says underpins our modern i...
104. Radicalism in the English Revolution 2: The Levellers -- Rachel Foxley
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emerging from both civilian and military backgrounds, the Levellers were a radical group who advocated for expanded voting rights and freedom of consc...
103. Debt Discussion 2: Economics and Other Science Fictions with Cory Doctorow
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the second episode of Debt Discussions, Cory Doctorow returns to the show to talk about Chapter 2 of Debt, The Myth of Barter. Cory and I talk abo...
102. Radicalism in the English Revolution 1: General Introduction -- Ariel Hessayon
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ariel Hessayon joins me to start a new series, Radicalism in the English Revolution. Before we get to all the delightful radical groups - like Diggers...
101. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 2, The Myth of Barter
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing my series on Graeber's Debt, this episode looks at chapter 2, which is all about the silly stories that economists tell themselves to expla...
100. The Pacific Edge (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In just over two years, Everyday Anarchism hits 100 episodes!Kim Stanley Robinson returns to discuss The Pacific Edge, the third volume of his Three C...
099. Debt Discussion 1: Moral Confusion and Garden Parties with Eleanor Janega
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Medieval historian Eleanor Janega joins me as the first guest in Graeber's Debt series. We discuss the big ideas in chapter 1, especially garden parti...
098. The Responsibility of Anarchist Intellectuals -- Ruth Kinna
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For my second anniversary episode, frequent guest Ruth Kinna joins to talk about academic/intellectual anarchism. What's the point of this work? How d...
097. Graeber's Debt: Chapter 1
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At long last, my thoughts on Graeber's Debt, chapter 1.Get ready for a discussion of this chapter, and the garden party, with Eleanor Janega later thi...
096. The Gold Coast (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Gold Coast, the second volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how the Reagan era served as the in...
095. Everyday Utopia -- Kristen Ghodsee
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kristen Ghodsee joins me to discuss her new book, Everyday Utopia. Kristen and I discuss the history of utopian communities, the promise and perils of...
094. A Usable Progressive Past -- James Fallows
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Frequent guest James Fallows returns to the podcast as the first ever guest host! James interviews regular host Graham Culbertson about the legacy of ...
Trailer: David Graeber's Debt
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Finally, it's happening! My series on David Graeber's book Debt is finally starting for real on September 6. This trailer tells you what to expect, an...
093. The Wild Shore (Three Californias) -- Kim Stanley Robinson
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kim Stanley Robinson and I discuss The Wild Shore, the first volume of his Three Californias triptych. We discuss how his career started, the inspirat...
092. Star Trek Into Anarchy -- Avi Khalil
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Avi Khalil joins me to discuss the concept of everyday anarchism with respect to Star Trek. Although Star Trek purports to be a perfect neoliberal bur...
091. George Orwell, Tory Anarchist -- Peter Wilkin
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Peter Wilkin joins me to discuss the concept of tory anarchism, how George Orwell articulated the idea, how it differs from other forms of conservativ...
090. From Queering Anarchism to Sacred Anarchy -- Vishwam Heckert
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Vishwam Heckert joins me to discuss his journey from anarchist queer theorist to practitioner of the ancient anarchy of yoga. We conclude with heart m...
Trailer: Kim Stanley Robinson's Three Californias
01 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Announcing a mini-series of episodes: three conversations with Kim Stanley Robinson about his first trilogy, Three Californias. We will cover one book...
089. The Impossible Community of Anarchism -- John P. Clark
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
John P. Clark comes on the show to discuss his book The Impossible Community: Realizing Communitarian Anarchism. John and I discuss how Hegel was a hi...
088. An Appeal to the Young
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With apologies to Peter Kropotkin.Original here: https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/petr-kropotkin-an-appeal-to-the-young
087. Graeber's Against Economics -- Dirk Ehnts
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just like when the Debt series gets going in earnest, I'll have a monthly episode with my thoughts on Graeber and then a conversation later that month...
086. Library Socialism -- SRSLY Wrong Crossover
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shawn from the SRSLY Wrong podcast joins me in a crossover episode to discuss what everyday anarchism and library socialism have in common. (Hint: It'...
085. Graeber's Debt Prequel: Against Economics
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Later this year (hopefully!), I'll start a year-long series analyzing and explaining David Graeber's first big book Debt. This episode is a prequel th...
084. What Were the Left Neoliberals Thinking? -- James Fallows
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
James Fallows returns to the show to discuss what left neoliberalism was and its place in the late New Deal era.Anyone who has ever enjoyed a craft be...
083. Ancient Athenian Democracy and Plato -- Good in Theory Crossover with Clif Mark
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is a crossover with Good in Theory, a political theory podcast by Clif Mark. I highly recommend Clif's podcast; in addition to interviews...
082. Unrest, a film about the young Kropotkin -- Cyril Schäublin
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last year I recorded this interview with Cyril Schäublin, the director of the new film Unrest. Unrest is a masterpiece. The film tells the story of u...
081. Running Rome: 60 Million Subjects, Zero Middle Managers -- James Corke-Webster and Lisa Eberle
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, following up on my conversation about Byzantium with Anthony Kaldellis and leading to my conversation about democratic Athens with Cl...
080. Voltairine de Cleyre - - Leonard Williams
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this discussion episode of Anarchism 101, Leonard Williams and I discuss the American anarchist Voltairine de Cleyre and her work "Anarchism and Am...