It's Been a Minute Folgen

Spooky season is upon us, so we decided to sink our teeth into the world of vampires. Host Brittany Luse kicks off the conversation with Kendra R. Parker, who teaches a class at Georgia Southern University about Black vampires in film and literature. They talk about the racial and sexual politics of vampire narratives and why humans continue to find vampire stories compelling.Then Brittany sits down with Jacob Anderson, star of the AMC reboot of Interview with the Vampire. The two get into the shaky ethics of vampirism and the trauma of immortality. Follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin or email us at ibam@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Every fall, with the same regularity as birds flying south, Spirit Halloween materializes in locations across the country. The superstore sells all manner of trappings for spooky season, including costumes, props and décor. It boasts about 1,400 pop-ups nationwide, and often takes over temporary leases in malls where a big-box retailer struggled to stay open. This penchant for swooping in on failing businesses has led many consumers to see the company as a kind of Grim Reaper of retail – and turned the store into an internet meme. This week, host Brittany Luse sits down with Planet Money's Kenny Malone to dive into the origin story of Spirit Halloween, and what the store's success says about the economy and the future of retail. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin or email us at ibam@npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

The It's Been a Minute team gives you a sneak peek at the event of the season: BravoCon, where our producer met his favorite housewife, and the Salt Lake City stars spill the tea to host Brittany Luse.Then, Brittany sits down with Julio Torres, a comedian, actor, writer and creator of HBO's Los Espookys. They discuss the influences behind his unique world-building.Finally, if you're a Taylor Swift fan, this was a pretty big week, with Swift releasing her 10th studio album, Midnights. It seems that Swift is as big as ever. What is it about her and her music that's so enduring? Brittany sat sat down with an avid Swiftie and Rolling Stone writer, Brittany Spanos – who also teaches a class on Swift. They talk about the artist's evolution and how she's navigated the music industry through the years.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy