Sometimes you buy organic, sometimes you hit a restaurant that's plant-based, or at least you choose the veggie option. Maybe the fish option at the market or the restaurant is marketed as being sustainable. Maybe you compost. It's all useful. But we've been doing it for a while and it's…
This week, Claire and Quinn dig into the minefield of youth sports: understimulated kids who are getting on everyone's nerves vs. overscheduled families who have no time to breathe, the horrors of early-season kid-pitch baseball, the importance (or not) of having "hustle", and what is the point of kids sports,…
We've spent the last few years learning up close how a crisis like a global pandemic reveals and deepens all of our faults, inequalities, biases, and outright failures of empathy. But here's the kicker: it's not the first time. Plagues and epidemics have always shown us who we really are.…
This week, Claire and Quinn lament on the endless influx of STUFF that children seem to magically manifest in your home. From mysterious bouncy balls to apple juice containers full of sand to fantasies of cleansing fires, they explore the anxiety and dread created by attempting to manage the unmanageable…
This week: You’ve never had a better opportunity to improve one person’s life than you do right now. I would argue, in fact, that there’s never been a better time to improve one person’s life than there is today. Sounds crazy, right, considering all the destructive nonsense? Here's What You…
This week, Claire and Quinn unpack the often messy, often thankless job of solo parenting while your partner is away. We cover why you should never, EVER call your partner with "options" while the kids are listening, the cursed timing of arriving home during bedtime (just drive a few extra…
One of the ways this Trump administration is different from the last is, relatively at least, how much more unconstitutional, how much more organized and comprehensive the attacks on our institutions, particularly the scaffolding we built for ourselves the most precious parts of of our societies: immigration, agriculture, the VA,…
This week, Claire and Quinn take a break (mostly) from their existential dread to talk about the awkward, hilarious world of music and parenting. From deciding if Freak Like Me is appropriate for the carpool to facepalming when your kid asks if Beyoncé is still alive, they navigate the terrain…
We didn't always call our work science for people who give a shit. But ever since we did, we've welcomed at least two types of people to our flock. The first is people who are deeply invested in science, but are unsure how to tie it into measurable action on…
This week, Claire and Quinn dive into the messy reality of all the different ways we cope with parenting, while everything else is happening. From that stomach-dropping moment when your kid asks you "Did you get a call from school?" to balancing mental health with the news cycle, they explore…
This week, Claire and Quinn explore the impossible question many parents are facing more frequently: how do you explain disasters, displacement, and uncertainty to your kids? From the Los Angeles wildfires to home insurance nightmares to tornado drills in the basement, they tackle the tough conversations about our changing world…
What can we do about land power? It's the most important question and my guest today is Mike Albertus. Mike is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago. He's the author of the new book, Land Power. Who has it? Who doesn't? And how that determines the…
This week Claire and Quinn dive into how the show got its name - the eternal parental struggle of "Not Right Now" - from TikTok bans and VPN-savvy kids to fighting for five minutes alone in the bathroom. Plus: the special horror of watching your kids figure out technology faster…
This week: Not. Right. Now. I hope you enjoy our new show. It’s super, super informal, and fun, and full of profanity, and personal, and — I hope — something you or a parent in your life can identify with, and maybe get some relief from. It’s intentionally and decidedly…
In our debut episode, Claire (Evil Witches) and Quinn (Important, Not Important) dive into the chaotic reality of raising tiny humans in these wild times. From behavioral reflection forms and schoolyard diplomacy to the eternal question of "how many water bottles does one child need?", we explore the messy, hilarious,…
Not Right Now is a new podcast for parents navigating the impossible task of raising kids while *gestures wildly at everything*. Join Quinn Emmett (Important, Not Important (https://www.importantnotimportant.com/) ) and Claire Zulkey (Evil Witches (https://evilwitches.substack.com/) ) for honest conversations about parenting in an era of climate change, artificial intelligence, social…
This week: I’m not religious. But I did (barely) successfully major in religious studies. For better and often for worse, the history of faith and organized religion has been the backbone of human history, political science, culture, wars, sexual ethics, and more. Subtle or not, religion and faith are most…
This week: You're wasting your talent on bullshit while the world burns. You — yes, you — can actually use your very unique set of skills for good. Even and especially at scale, even — yes — right now. Here's What You Can Do: • Donate to the Electronic Frontier…
We (Quinn) has been avoiding this question for quite a while. I even wrote a few thousand words about it a couple months ago and didn't publish it because it was a bit of a downer. But that's kind of malpractice in a way because we promised we don't shy…
This week: Be prepared — because these fires that are still burning are only the beginning. Start somewhere, start right in front of you, do what you can. Here's What You Can Do: LA isn’t the only place suffering this week, but it was home for a long time, so…
This week: It’s been a minute. Thanks for your patience. Please check out my 2025 preview, and if you’d be so kind, share it widely. Here's What You Can Do: • Donate to Everytown (https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ss/c/u001.e2J9-W7GlwsjVhGxrZHMKatxQsVTlu5OZoym792iZQWuYulamNns8JyL2mDZBQMqeTUEAch12Q7ptpfmXgJpCh15gL4KQRANB82f6w0tM7C2-bNbYLaJWE-MzZ7jH3tAg2oK4Yh7bUrGqQ5wgek_CaR3NryGdHuoVRXNp4jle29B296yEUUIZZjPALybVg87HatsU9Lw-9B7OJc9vqPTbQ/4cg/1n9Q0aWGSeuVf5w-ljh9TA/h16/h001.tp3FR6mMtUhiQdfjYM1p_GKhEUf147xqVN0BEoCkw_Q) to support their efforts to end gun violence, community by community. • Volunteer with Communities…
What's the missing link in local journalism? That's today's big question, and my guest is Lyndsey Gilpin. Lyndsey is the Senior Manager of Community Engagement at Grist. Lyndsey was the founder and executive editor at Southerly, a nonprofit media organization that equipped people who face environmental injustices and are at…
This week: This entire (short!) episode is a call to action. It's time to do this thing...do the thing, but also take care of yourselves and your loved ones these next couple weeks. It's a lot right now. Here's What You Can Do: • Donate to the groups that are…
Is multisolving the future? Is it today? Should we do more? That's all today's big question and my guest is Dr. Elizabeth Sawin. Dr. Sawin is the Founder and Director of the Multisolving Institute, which is convenient for our conversation. She's an expert on solutions that address climate change while…