The Organist
Take a weird, thoughtful and pleasurable journey into literature, music, art, philosophy, the internet, language, and history with McSweeney's and KCRW. This unconventional arts-and-culture magazine features contributors and guests like Miranda July, George Saunders, Lena Dunham, Tig Notaro, and Sarah Silverman.
The Organist is an experimental arts and culture podcast from award-winning independent publisher McSweeney’s. We find our subjects not on the star-studded boulevards, but in the back alleys that connect them. We uncover the unexpected connections between artists and ideas..
How did 1960s luminaries of comedy and the avant garde shape advertising? How does surveillance intersect with contemporary art? How are our fears about cyborgs shaped by colonial narratives in science fiction?
We’re interested in the ways that we see and hear the world, the way perception itself works.
The Organist features in-depth literary coverage, innovative approaches to audio storytelling, short-form comedy, audio dramas, as well as writers and artists tackling politics, disabilities, and more.
Contributors and guests on the show have included Nick Offerman, Greta Gerwig, Tommy Pico, Meshell Ndegeocello, St. Vincent, Kyle Mooney, Neko Case, George Saunders, Tig Notaro, Greil Marcus, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, and Harmony Korine.
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Get in touch by emailing us at organist@mcsweeneys.net
Organist Playlist
This playlist includes music we’ve featured on the show, including songs selected by St. Vincent, Neko Case, Louis Chude-Sokei, and others.
Credits:
Hosted by Andrew Leland
Executive producer: Ross Simonini
Managing Editor: Ben Bush
Contributing Editors: Jenny Ament, Niela Orr, David Weinberg, Myke Dodge Weiskopf
Senior Editor at KCRW: Nick White
Editorial Fellow: Jonna McKone
Intern: Laura Irving
Technical direction: Mario Diaz, Kat Yore