Known Associates | Episode 4: Ann Powers
In episode four of “Known Associates,” a podcast brought to you by New Pony in affiliation with Southwest Review, the Paranoid Style singer-songwriter and cultural critic Elizabeth Nelson talks to Ann Powers—feminist, writer, editor, and beloved NPR correspondent. With a career that began when she was just a teenager writing for The Rocket in Seattle, Powers has spent the better part of her life commenting and chronicling popular culture for our edification and enjoyment. She is the author of several books, including 2017’s Good Booty: Love and Sex, Black and White, Body and Soul in American Music and 2024’s Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell. One of her major passions is re-creating the rock and pop canon to focus on the achievements of women artists. She is a beacon.
During their conversation, Elizabeth and Ann talk about her new projects, including an NPR+ podcast with Daoud Tyler-Ameen and an upcoming, career-spanning anthology of her work from the University of Texas Press (2:27). They also discuss her work creating the “Turning the Tables” series and its attendant book How Women Made Music (9:35). Then, they dive into what it’s like being a woman critic in the rock space (17:14), as well as the current state of music and music criticism (26:43), and the role artists (and their fans) may or may not play in the telling of their stories (1:06:25). They dive into Ann’s recent Joni Mitchell biography, her process writing this book, and the decision to not speak to a subject (1:13:00). They also spend some time talking about legacy artists, the art of live performance, the notion of artistic authenticity, and the increasing role technology plays in the creative process (1:26:13). Finally, they discuss what it feels like to experience the despair of writer’s block and what techniques they use to overcome such an impasse (1:45:10).
Elizabeth Nelson is a DC-based journalist and singer-songwriter in the band the Paranoid Style. She hosts the New Pony/Southwest Review podcast Known Associates, where she speaks to fellow writers, artists, and musicians, and is also a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Ringer, the New Yorker, and other publications. Her new album—also titled Known Associates—will be released on Bar/None Records in February, 2026.
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