Rough Drafts

About Rough Drafts

Rough Drafts is a Black digital salon hosted by Maurice Rippel and Luke McGowan-Arnold. Maurice and Luke, classmates from their time at a small liberal arts college in the 2010s, reconnected after their respective odyssey in the early 2020s. Through their work facilitating writing groups and public events at a bookstore in Philadelphia, the idea for this podcast emerged, and in fact, was requested. Rough Drafts is exactly what it sounds like: ideas in their nascent stages, first impressions, best foot forward. The concept of each episode is simple: we bring a topic, present a question, or a works-in-progress; we do some research, then have a conversation (often with a guest who commits to reading, research and hot takes). The goal is to start a conversation, and commit to learning, growing, and building for the next draft.

Publisher

Rough Drafts

Category

arts · news · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

18 Oct 2024

Latest episode

5 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

24 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   5 Nov 2026

   Episode 208: Freestyling in Houston w/ Kendre

   Luke and Maurice interview Kendre, an educator and lifelong resident of Houston, Texas. Maurice asks Kendre about what it was like to grow up in Houston in the 2000s and 2010s, and what it meant to leave home for school (4:40), and he shares what it meant for him to grow up in a matriarchal family, and the education pathway programs that supported his trajectory to college. Maurice asks Kendre about what it meant to go from the south to a school in the north (10:44), and vice versa, what it meant to return to Houston from the north  (14:12). Luke and Maurice reflect on their “Welcome to Houston” moment on the bus, and relate it to preliminary reflections on a recent trip to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. Collectively, they think about the unique anti-Black aspects of Houston, including reflections on the use of the n-word by non-Black people (25:26). They then turn to a conversation about education in Houston, the impact of AI and its relationship to the so-called literacy crisis. (36:48). Kendre offers his perspective teaching at an all boys school in computer science for 9th-11th graders, and how that’s changed cheating, reading, critical thinking, and more. They then turn to a conversation about social media addiction, the psychological effects of isolation, and the consequences of passive consumption (47:58). Kendre offers educators some ways he’s adapted his classroom to the changing technological and pedagogical demands of the moment. The conversation concludes with some talk about Kendre’s recent foray into film criticism, reflecting on his favorite horror films, his feelings on Sinners (58:22), and the portrayal of toxic parenthood and masculinity in 28 Years Later. They wrap up with Kendre’s reflection about what it means to be American at 250. Find more about Kendre on his tik-tok where he covers gaming content–everything but sports games! : @tesarcos_gaming Notes BbyMutha, “The Mutha of Tears” (2018)Incantation (2022)Sharif El-Mekki, “A Viral ‘Can You Read?’ Moment Shows It Takes a Village To Get Our Youth Literate (May 2026)Rose Horowitch, “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books” (Oct. 2024)World War Z (2006)Night of the Living Dead (1968)The Conjuring  (2013)The Purge (2013)28 Years Later (2025)Monaleo, “Sexy Soulaan” (2025)

2. 

   29 Oct 2026

   Episode 207: American Literature at 250 w/ Ross Barkan

   In this episode, the Rough Drafts boys head back up to Brooklyn to talk with Ross Barkan, a writer and editor of the Metropolitan Review magazine, to talk about his novel, Colossus. In the interview, they talk about his inspiration for setting Colossus in a small Michigan town as a native New Yorker. Later on, Ross talks about class dynamics in small American towns (6:23) and how public schools are less segregated by class (9:45) in rural areas. The conversation moves to a discussion about how gentrification and development exists even in small towns like the fictionalized town of Pine Haven, Michigan (16:36). Ross ends up talking then about balancing his work as a political journalist with his work as a fiction writer. (23:16) He talks also about how the worlds of literature and journalism have bifurcated in our current era. (24:25). Briefly, he discusses his run for office and having Zohran Mamdani as his campaign manager (31:48). Finally, Maurice asks Ross about his opinions on America 250. Ross talks in depth about histories of racism and the need for progress and optimism (37:25). Read more from Ross on his Substack Political Currents at https://rosselliotbarkan.com/. His novel Colossus is out and available wherever you get your books! Notes: Colossus by Ross Barkan Cherry by Nico WalkerDead Stars by Bruce Wagner Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys Anora (2025)Bugonia (2025)Weapons (2025)

3. 

   22 Oct 2026

   Episode 206: Art Advice w/ Talia Pockhai

   Talia Pockhai is an art advisor and writer who lives in London. She operates her own art advising business, I&I Worldwide. In this episode of Rough Drafts, Luke and Maurice travel to Manhattan to interview Talia about art. She talks about the most recent Venice Biennale (5:45) and the boom in portraiture as a form (9:50). Later on, Maurice asks a question about art mentors, which comes from the bell hooks book, Art of My Mind. Talia talks about her neighbor, Laurie Sims (19:15), and her initial forays into the art world. The conversation ends up going to a discussion of cultural appropriation (25:30) and how that relates to both art and literature. Finally, the conversation goes to her art writing and art business. Talia gives suggestions for young art collectors (38:10) and why it’s critical to support avant-garde artists early in their careers. We talk about how Black artists' labor often for years and die in obscurity (40:50). Find Talia on Instagam @2.pock and @i.and.i.worldwide Notes: Howardena Pindel: Off the Grid by Talia Pockhai Art on My Mind: Visual Politics by bell hooks Jack Whitten Charles White The Waterbearers: A Memoirs of Mothers and Daughters by Sasha Bonet Black Woman - An Album by Sonny Sharrock

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

14,013

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.2 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

10 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

9

Social presence

0

YouTube

76

Engagement

32