<p>Podcasting is a privilege as Steve is joined by Dan Kois and Rebecca Onion to unpack and cackle at the domestic thriller schlockfest <em>The Housemaid. </em>Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfried star in the Paul Fieg-directed tale of two women facing off to rule the McMansion roost.</p><br><p>Next, Seyfried proves she’s got the range as the panel joins the chorus appraising her performance in <em>The Testament of Ann Lee</em>, the epic tone poem and musical biopic about the founder of the Shakers directed by Mona Fastvold.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Finally, Julia hops on the call to join a conversation with Alia Hanna Habib, the influential book agent who is divulging hard-won publishing world insights in a new book <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/take-it-from-me-an-agent-s-guide-to-building-a-nonfiction-writing-career-from-scratch-alia-hanna-habib/b7510641576321a7?ean=9780593700877&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Take It from Me</em></a><em> </em>and in the Substack <a href="https://aliahabib.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Delivery &amp; Acceptance</a>.</p><br><p>In a Slate Plus bonus episode, the panel addresses a listener questioner from a U.S. history teacher about syllabus-worthy pop culture.</p><br><p><strong>Endorsements</strong></p><br><p><strong>Dan</strong>: The <a href="https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/5768" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ruth Asawa retrospective at MoMA</a> which illuminates the work and life of the prolific artist.</p><br><p><strong>Rebecca</strong>: A bunch of books including <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/canticle-janet-rich-edwards/4df7a471ba93dfdc?ean=9781966302056&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Canticle</em></a> by Janet Rich Edwards, <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-ax-donald-e-westlake/2e2a83364fed3de5?ean=9780892965878&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>The Ax</em></a> by Donald E. Westlake, and <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/true-grit-charles-portis/5ac45463b35e7b22?ean=9781590204597&amp;next=t" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>True Grit</em></a> by Charles Portis.</p><br><p><strong>Steve</strong>: The essay "<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/online/2025/12/18/east-side-story-marty-supreme/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">East Side Story</a>" about <em>Marty Supreme </em>by Nawal Arjini in the New York Review of Books.</p><br><p>---</p><br><p>Email us your thoughts at <a href="mailto:[email protected]" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">[email protected]</a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>