Fan Favorite: Alison Bechdel’s Superhuman Strength

Doree Shafrir Serves Aces and Saves the Cat

Doree Shafrir - author of Startup [https://bookshop.org/p/books/startup-a-novel-doree-shafrir/d86bb4de366aa9fd?ean=9780316360364] and Thanks for Waiting [https://bookshop.org/p/books/thanks-for-waiting-the-joy-weirdness-of-being-a-late-bloomer-doree-shafrir/f857935e7cb11034?ean=9780593156742&next=t], and co-host of the Forever35 Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forever35/id1329229319] - shares with Sebastian her newfound love of tennis, how training for a marathon helped her tackle her first novel, and the joy of seeing your kid be proud of you. The two also discuss the role of plot in novels, and go deep on the acclaimed writing template detailed in Save the Cat [https://bookshop.org/p/books/save-the-cat-the-last-book-on-screenwriting-you-ll-ever-need-blake-snyder/fc9de51860f861ab?ean=9781932907001]. Plus, she helps Sebastian come to a realization about the activity in his life that commands his full attention. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Fan Favorite: Alison Bechdel’s Superhuman Strength

In honor of our New York Times debut [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/opinion/fitness-influencer-manosphere-health.html]and our 4-month anniversary, we're rereleasing our pilot episode with Alison Bechdel! Legendary cartoonist Alison Bechdel, author of Fun Home [https://bookshop.org/p/books/fun-home-a-family-tragicomic-alison-bechdel/a3d768fd9e8b8693?ean=9780618871711]and Spent, [https://bookshop.org/p/books/spent-a-comic-novel-alison-bechdel/db269ce76de065de?ean=9780063278929] shares with Sebastian the weightlifting routine she’s been doing for over 20 years and discusses the magic of long bike rides and cross country skiing. The two go deep on Bechdel’s book The Secret to Superhuman Strength [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-secret-to-superhuman-strength-alison-bechdel/8f78327b3316e2f6?ean=9780544387652] and bond over their mutual love of rollerblading. Plus, she outlines her tried and true tip for making sure she gets her workout in.   ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Carolina A. Miranda’s Aesthetically Pleasing Aerobic Adventure

In this month’s episode of Rest Day Radio, award-winning arts writer Carolina A. Miranda joins Sebastian to discuss her recent tour of 1980s exercise videos, including Buns of Steel and Jane Fonda’s Workouts.  She details the history of those franchises and analyses what drove their aesthetics versus the starker aesthetics more common today.  She also goes into how she became an arts writer and how it changed the way she sees the world, and she and Sebastian share their admiration for author Álvaro Enrigue.  Plus, she makes the case against the word “protein.” ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Sondre Lerche Flips the Running Order & Lands New Love

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche joins Sebastian to discuss his new album Acrobats [https://www.sondrelerche.com/], his journey to a sub-three hour marathon, and how starting to run in his 30s expanded his approach to music & boosted his performances.  He shares why he’s taking a new, lower-key approach to running these days, but also why he’ll never give it up.  Plus, he reveals the connection between Acrobats and Seinfeld. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Isaac Butler’s Perfect Moment for Pilates

Award-winning writer Isaac Butler — author of The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-method-how-the-twentieth-century-learned-to-act-isaac-butler/cb4afb9c409c78c1]; and The Perfect Moment: God, Sex, Art and the Birth of America’s Culture Wars [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-perfect-moment-god-sex-art-and-the-birth-of-america-s-culture-wars-isaac-butler/56e7f5b850cbfc11] — shares with Sebastian how Pilates unlocked a consistent exercise habit for the first time in his life, why he’s learning the bass, and what the culture wars of the 80s and 90s can tell us about the way society views the body. The two also trade thoughts on their favorite Yo La Tengo albums and reminisce about 2 Live Crew. Plus, Sebastian and Austen celebrate Secretly Sporty’s first award [https://calendar.austinchronicle.com/best-of/2026/sports-and-recreation-critics-picks/best-inspo-for-tapping-into-your-inner-athlete-14117822]! ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.