Silent Generation

Ep. 98: Art Deco

Art Deco is an art and design style relevant from the 1920s to 1930s that is best characterized by its use of metallic colors, geometric patterns, futuristic forms, and references to ancient civilizations. It is the most celebrated of all of the design styles that can be grouped under Interwar Modernism, but what makes it so popular? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by charting Art Deco’s emergence in France to its eventual dissemination at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. They then detail two Art Deco skyscrapers (the Carbide & Carbon Building and the Guardian Building) before delving into a conversation about Art Deco and American identity. The episode rounds out with an analysis of Art Deco in three pieces of media: Bioshock (2007), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Metropolis (1927).
 
Links:
Art Deco Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/art-deco/ 
Art Deco of the 20s and 30s by Bevis Hillier (1968) 
Art Deco Architecture: Everything You Need to Know as the Style Turns 100 by By Katherine McLaughlin and Elizabeth Stamp
Art Deco: Everything You Wanted to Know 
Ep. 110: Consumer Aesthetics Research Podcast w/ Evan Collins
A History - Vienna Secession
Secession Building 
Stoclet Palace
Carbide and Carbon Building
The History of The Guardian Building: An Art Deco Landmark
Lobby murals at Buffalo City Hall
Sen̓áḵw
Bioshock (2007)
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Metropolis (1927)
North & Pulaski 
 
Artwork:
The "Spirit of Light" sculpture on the Niagara Mohawk Building in Syracuse, NY
 
Recorded on 3/16/2026

Ep. 97: Early Skyscrapers

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien explore the early development of skyscrapers in Chicago, beginning with the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 1885. They note that nine early Chicago skyscrapers have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status and examine two in depth: the Monadnock Building and the Auditorium Building. The episode also traces the life of Louis Sullivan, whose tripartite theory shaped skyscraper design for generations. Finally, they examine several early skyscrapers in Sebastien’s hometown of Buffalo, New York (the Guaranty Building, the Ellicott Square Building, and the Dun Building) before debating the extent to which skyscrapers are monuments to capital.
 
Links:
Skyscraper | Encyclopedia Britannica 
Early Chicago Skyscrapers (UNESCO)
The Monadnock’s original Egyptian Revival facade
The Chicago Auditorium, an Architectural Pride
Center for New Deal Studies 
The World's Tallest buildings in 1930
It looks like a fairy tale city, perhaps the Emerald City or smth like that [Historical photo of the Chicago Loop]
Artwork:
Guaranty Building, 1895 Church and Pearl Streets, Buffalo (NY, USA). Dankmar Adler et Louis Sullivan, architectes. © Wayne Andrews / Esto
 
Recorded on 3/2/2026

Introducing Sebastien

In this special announcement, Nathan welcomes Sebastien as the newest cohost of Silent Generation! Nathan begins by noting that Sebastien will be the main cohost until Breanna officially moves to Chicago. Nathan then interviews Sebastien about his background (his life in Buffalo, his passion for photography, and his interest in urbanism) before outlining the future of Silent Generation. 
 
Links:
Sebastien’s Instagram
sebastienbowen.com
 
Artwork:
Photographed by Katie
 
Recorded on 3/2/2026

Ep. 96: Fine Dining

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Breanna begin by discussing how fine dining transitioned from an activity enjoyed at home to an activity enjoyed at restaurants. They then survey primary figures in the world of fine dining (A. Boulanger, Marie-Antoine Careme, Eugénie Brazier, Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, Joel Robuchon, and Gordon Ramsey) before discussing the pillars of fine dining. The two then detail the history of the Michelin Guide before reflecting on their recent dining experience at a restaurant in Dallas that was awarded one Michelin star, Mamani. The episode concludes with a discussion about where they want to see fine dining go moving forward.
 
Links: 
Origins of the Restaurant
Boulanger and the restaurant: the snowballing of a myth
Eugénie Brazier: The legendary 'mother of French cuisine' by Anna Richards
Bazaar Classics: Liquid Olives
What Is Molecular Gastronomy!?
The MICHELIN Guide 101
What Is The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Award?
Eating at Alinea. Chicago. 3 Michelin Stars. An Amazing 9 Course $345 Tasting Menu
Culinary Theatre at Alinea in Chicago | World's Best Restaurants | Our Taste
Chef’s Table - Season 2 Episode 1 (2016)
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
American Psycho, Fine Dining, and Scams
VSauce - Molecular Gastronomy
 
Artwork:
Etrusca restaurant in San Francisco 
from Restaurants in California (Restaurant Design 3) (1993)
 
Recorded on 2/15/2026

Ep. 95: Dinner Parties

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Breanna discuss all things dinner parties. The two begin by discussing what they like about dinner parties and their personal experiences hosting and attending them. They then review common features of traditional dinner parties (cocktail hour, place settings, multiple course meals, and after-dinner entertainment) before detailing how they have changed over time. Amongst other things they discuss how Emily Post and Martha Stewart presented competing visions of the high-effort dinner party, how the depreciation of dining-related antiques demonstrates the decline of dinner parties in America, and how modern dinner parties emphasize a relaxed approach that is best demonstrated by Allison Roman’s Nothing Fancy. 
 
Links:
Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics, and at Home by Emily Post
How Dinner Parties Became the Fuzzy Blanket of Adulthood by Alissa Wilkinson
The Dinners That Shaped History by Brenda Wineapple
Eating Together : Food, Friendship and Inequality Alice P. Julier
The Pleasure of Your Company (but No Gaucheries, Please!): Dinner Parties in 19th-Century America by mansionmusings
Entirely Entertaining: Dishing Dinner Party Trends Through the Decades
I Tracked Down The Company Ruining Restaurants
The Art of Entertaining
Why Dinner Parties Still Matter
Entertaining by Martha Stewart
Martha (2024)
Martha Stewart wheelbarrow clip
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Why the dinner party is a declining art by Harmeet Kaur
Politics on the menu in Seoul as Donald Trump dines on shrimp from disputed waters and 360-year-old soy sauce by Nicola Smith
Cameron praises Obama at lavish state dinner by Mark Madell
Presidents at State Dinners: A Historical Overview
Nothing Fancy by Allison Roman
Alison Roman’s “Nothing Fancy” and the Art of the Unpretentious Dinner Party by Michele Moses
With 'Nothing Fancy,' Alison Roman Aims To Rebrand Having People Over For Dinner by Wynne Davis
 
Artwork:
Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton (and others) at a party given for Rudolph Valentino
 
Recorded on 02/08/2026

Ep. 94: Soft Colonial Wanderlust

Soft Colonial Wanderlust is a Victorian-inspired consumer aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. It consists of black and white photographs, hand-colored photographs, antiquated technology, chinoiserie, japonisme, and general orientalism. Nathan and Breanna detail the aesthetic in this week’s episode of Silent Generation, from its murky origins in ‘60s/‘70s British animation to its eventual identification by CARI in 2017. They discuss how Twee is the “girl version” of Soft Colonial Wanderlust, how hand-colored photographs serve as the foundation for the aesthetic’s color scheme, and how Soft Colonial Wanderlust differentiates itself from Steampunk by eschewing digital technology. 
 
Links:Soft Colonial Wanderlust Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/soft-colonial-wanderlust/Soft Colonial Wanderlust CARI PageSoft Colonial Wanderlust Aesthetics Wiki PageWhat is Soft Colonialist Wanderlust? Facebook GroupSoft Colonialist Wanderlust Are.na Pagehttps://anemptyblissbeyondthisworld.neocities.org/CARI/soft-colonialThe surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000sThe Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello
 
Artwork:Hendrick's Gin "Escape"
 
Recorded on 01/31/2026

Introducing Breanna

In this special announcement, Nathan welcomes Breanna as the newest cohost of Silent Generation! The two kick things off by reflecting on their time in Dallas and the activities they shared the day before. Nathan then interviews Breanna about her background (who she is, where she has lived, and what lenses she uses for cultural analysis) before outlining the future of Silent Generation. 
 
Links:Breanna’s InstagramLabyrinth of ArtBreanna’s TikTokBreanna’s Letterboxd
 
Artwork:Photograph by Studio Solaire
 
Recorded on 01/31/2026

Bidding Farewell to Joseph

In this important announcement, Joseph shares his plans to leave Silent Generation and Nathan shares his plans to continue it. The podcast will relaunch in two to three months with a new co-host that is familiar to the community. Nathan also shares that he is open to adding other regular contributors, and that a Discord member named Juniper is going to make a commemorative zine for the first iteration of the podcast. 
 
Links:
Nathan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathan_knize/
Silent Generation’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silent.generation/
 
Recorded on 12/3/2025

Ep. 93: Bicoastal Lifestyles w/ Nevadastyles

Nevada (also known as Nevadastyles on Instagram) is a hair artist from New York City who has lived a bicoastal lifestyle for the last half decade. For the majority of that time she has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, but her career as a hair artist has brought her all over the world. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, she joins Nathan for a conversation about why she and other creatives aspire to live bicoastal lifestyles. They begin with a conversation about the pros and cons of New York City and Los Angeles, focusing on key geographic and cultural differences. Nathan then argues that the rise of bicoastal living represents the latest stage in the elite’s drift toward rootlessness and cosmopolitanism, a pattern described by Christopher Lasch in The Revolt of the Elites. The episode concludes with a discussion about whether having roots (and not being bicoastal) is a status symbol and the common traits shared by big city natives. 
 
Links:
@nevadastyles - Instagram Profile 
https://www.nevadaraffaele.com/
New Data Tool and Research Show Where People Move as Young Adults by 
Nathaniel Hendren, Sonya R. Porter and Ben Sprung-Keyser
The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan
The Revolt of the Elites by Christopher Lasch
The messy, viral fight over America's fourth 'major' city by Tessa Mclean
What are the 4 major US cities? The internet can't decide. Vote for your picks by Melina Khan
 
Artwork:
New York 1971 by Hans-Peter Balfanz
CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Boyle Heights, 1979 by John Humble
 
Recorded on 11/19/2025

Ep. 92: Adult Contemporary

Adult contemporary is a radio format and marketing category originally created by Billboard magazine. It has encompassed many genres, starting with easy listening in the 1960s. What could be considered adult contemporary changed over the decades as genres like rock and roll and electronic music grew older, and older listeners found their sounds more palatable. But what does “adult contemporary” mean, and why do the songs that get grouped into the category appeal to adults so much?
 
This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on adult contemporary music in the 1990s and 2000s. Joseph and Nathan begin by outlining the history of the radio format before discussing the common features of adult contemporary songs. They then review the music of U2, Vanessa Carlton, The Verve, Zero 7, Ivy, and After. The episode concludes with a discussion of what happened to adult contemporary, focusing on why the radio format no longer has a distinct sound. 
 
Links:
Adult Contemporary Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/…
Adult Contemporary Music Guide: What Is Adult Contemporary? 
The Adult Contemporary Billboard Chart
When Rock Bands Become Adult Contemporary (part 1)  by Eduard Banulescu
90s Adult Contemporary - Totally 80s and 90s Recall
Clocks by Coldplay
Beautiful Day by U2
A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton 
Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve
Destiny by Zero 7
Disappointed by Ivy
Deep Diving by After
Most craziest American Idol contestant ever, Mary Roach
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere
The Story of 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton
White Chicks (2004) - A Thousand Miles Terry Crews Scene
The greatest songwriting theft of all time - David Hartly
Ivy Talks Making the Seminal Y2K Dreampop LP ‘Long Distance’ by Myke Dodge Weiskopf
Meet After, the L.A. Duo Making Y2k-Inspired Pop That Feels Like Right Now by Jeff Ihaza
You’re deep diving - @aftertheband
Gen X Soft Club - CARI page
List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2025
Adult Contemporary 100 week of 11/09/2025
Where Have All the Adult Contemporary Artists Gone? - Daniel Montoya Jr. 
 
Artwork:
U2 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, Summer 2000
 
Recorded on 11/12/2025