The Cardamom Pod

Hey Cardababies!We're excited to share a new podcast, Swords & Wigs, hosted by (our very own) Nadya Agrawal & Caroline Fulford. Each week, they dig into High Fantasy and YA books to talk about story telling traditions, swords fights, and chosen ones."You're no knight." This week Nadya and Caroline review David Lowery's The Green Knight starring Dev Patel. They dig into the sweeping landscapes, satisfying casting, and deep themes of honor and death.

Food is a deeply political topic, whether we’re talking about the way it’s made or about the people who cover it. This week Nadya talks to James Beard award-winning food writer Mayukh Sen about the power of the profile and his upcoming book Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America.

It’s been a year since we’ve gone to the movies. But with streaming, even with the new releases launching across HBO or Netflix, there’s still something missing. This week Nadya talks to film critic and podcaster Priya Arora about their work reviewing Indian films and TV and their podcast Queering Desi.

Last summer we saw the country pour into the streets to protest the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Tayler, Tony McDade and others at the hands of police. And this time felt like a promise that leaders would do better. But almost a year on, it’s clear that protest isn’t the only way to make change, just as electoral politics aren’t. What we really need to focus on is organizing. This week Equality Labs’ Sharmin Hossain joins Nadya to talk about organizing, white supremacy, and the political crucible we’re living in.

Publishing is a weird, shadowy industry with weird, shadowy practices. And the people most often left out of the loop are writers of color. South Asian writers looking to get published have to contend with racism, xenophobia, corniness, overused tropes, and more. This week Nadya talks to writer, translator, critic, and the host of the Desi Books podcast Jenny Bhatt about her collection of short stories Each of Us Killers and what it takes for South Asian writers to breakthrough.

The Cardamom Pod is back with a big episode full of the team’s favorite movies, books, tv, music, and more from brown makers from the last 10 years. Some of our recommendations include: About LoveWhite Tiger on NetflixSave Yourselves on HuluMirzapur on Amazon PrimeLibrariesMasaba Masaba on NetflixShalom Bollywood on Amazon PrimeIf They Come For Us by Fatimah AsgharArrow by Sumita ChakrabortyWorld of Wonders by Aimee NezhukumatathilLucid by RaveenaJoy Crookes’s music and InstagramQais Essar’s music and Tear a Root From the EarthMarbled by Abhi the NomadThe Nazranaa Diaries on YouTubeRainbowPlantLife on YouTube@rowisingh on InstagramBadaam clothing

South Asian futurism is about imagining what the future scape could look like – utopias with futuretech, lush green spaces, energy-efficient skyscrapers, possibly yes, but also unity in diversity, faith, creation, and more. This week Nadya speaks to comic artist Bishakh Som whose graphic short story collection Apsara Engine engages with South Asian futurism to imagine a creative, queer, verdant future.

Diaspora art on Instagram is its own thing. Often commenting on “universal” brown girl experiences, like overbearing parents and marginalization, the genre still pulls punches when it comes to cultural commentary. This week Nadya talks to artist Manuja Waldia, whose depictions of brown women coming together in community have broken through the stale conversations online to create a new template for diaspora expression.

Every presidential term has brought with it a new type of comedy from the South Asian community. What will four years of Biden-Harris bring? This week Nadya talks to internet comedy duo Jeremy and Rajat who are known for their offbeat videos parodying digital stories.