Working: Eliot Laurence on His “Maximalist” TV Series Motherland: Fort Salem

This week, host June Thomas talks to Eliot Laurence, creator of the witchy supernatural series Motherland: Fort Salem. In the interview, Eliot discusses Motherland’s unique premise, its queer characters, and his decision to include tons of storylines and plot details.  After the interview, June and co-host Karen Han discuss supernatural premises, the “kill your gays” trope, and being an introverted boss.  In the exclusive Slate Plus segment, June asks Eliot about a specific piece of magic in Motherland.  Send your questions about creativity and any other feedback to working@slate.com or give us a call at (304) 933-9675.  Podcast production by Cameron Drews. If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Big Mood, Little Mood—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on Working. Sign up now at slate.com/workingplus. -- Thanks to our sponsor, Atlassian Work Check Thanks also to Avast.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices