logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2022
44m 5s

How To!: The Art of Gathering

Slate Podcasts
About this episode

‘Tis the season of gathering with friends and family. It’s also a time where some of us yearn for a closer community, like this week’s listener. Morgan is looking for a way to hang out with friends in a consistent, meaningful manner. On this episode of How To!, Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, explains how to transform a lackluster hang-out where people just sit around drinking beer into a party with a purpose where guests want to come back. She tells us how to create an event that meets a need with the right rules and the right guest list. She even has tips for sprucing up your next holiday party. 


If you liked this episode, check out: “How To Cook One Perfect Meal.”


Do you have a question without an answer? Send us a note at howto@slate.com or leave us a voicemail at 646-495-4001 and we might have you on the show. Subscribe for free on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen.


Podcast production by Derek John, Rosemary Belson, and Kevin Bendis.  


If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get an ad-free experience across the network and exclusive content on many shows—you’ll also be supporting the work we do here on How To!. Sign up now at slate.com/howtoplus to help support our work.


Want a behind-the-scenes look at how we create the show? Check out Slate's Pocket Collections for research and reading lists, as well as additional insights into how we think about the stories behind the episodes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jun 21
Alison Bechdel Explains Selling Out the Progressive Way
David Plotz talks with author Alison Bechdel about her new book, Spent. They discuss what’s memoir and what’s less than memoir in the comic novel, David’s own contribution to the book, and more. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages cou ... Show More
33m 39s
Jun 14
ICYMI: It’s International Bestselling Author Quan Millz
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Wired senior writer and producer of Black Twitter: A People’s History, Jason Parham, to attempt to explain the enigma that is “international bestselling author” Quan Millz. With titles like Old THOT Next Door and My Baby Daddy Is A Bedbu ... Show More
44m 30s
May 31
ICYMI: Will MomTok Actually Change Mormonism?
Candice Lim and Kate Lindsay are joined by Sara Petersen, author of Momfluenced, to chat about season two of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Mormon women once pioneered mommy blogging, so how did we get from vlogging to…swinging? The influencers who make up the reality show cas ... Show More
50m 10s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2022
How To Throw a Party They’ll Remember
‘Tis the season of gathering with friends and family. It’s also a time where some of us yearn for a closer community, like this week’s listener. Morgan is looking for a way to hang out with friends in a consistent, meaningful manner. On this episode of How To!, Priya Parker, auth ... Show More
44m 5s
Oct 2023
How To Let Go of Kid Clutter
Kids generate so…much…stuff. A lot of it is memorable. Videos of their first words? So cute. Colorful drawings that progressively get better? Masterpieces. Trophies, stuffies, books? All valuable. The problem: There’s no way to keep everything. So how do you figure out what to ch ... Show More
38m 12s
Dec 2022
Our Favorite Advice of 2022
Here at How To! headquarters, we give and receive a lot of good advice. This year we saved the planet, unbroke the news, discovered our style, sat in silence, found pleasure, put a small town on the map, learned to laugh, ran for office (without being an a**hole), and talked poli ... Show More
39m 59s
Mar 2022
How To!: Make Friends... Like a Man
After Zach heard our “How to Make Friends as an Adult” episode, which coincidentally featured all women, he and a few other male listeners wrote in questioning how useful it was for men. He wondered if we could address the unique challenges men face when it comes to making new fr ... Show More
36m 16s
Apr 2024
How To Bring a Big Idea to Life
Mia is a professional violinist. She’s played in symphonies. She’s played in improv groups. She’s played as a form of personal exploration. But now she’s taking on a big, conceptual project that may have nothing to do with music. Instead, she wants to create a piece rooted in con ... Show More
43m 38s
Dec 2023
How To Carve Out Creative Time
Allison is on the hunt for her next hobby. One that’s satisfying. One that she can stick with. One that will fit into her family’s very busy schedule. Except…maybe she’s thinking about that last part all wrong. On this episode of How To!, Courtney Martin brings on Eve Rodsky, aut ... Show More
43m 18s
Nov 2022
How To Talk Politics With Your Dad (Without Yelling) Pt 2
Today we’re going to see if one American family can flip the usual, tortured and tedious script for arguing about politics and do something more interesting. Jenn and Todd Brandel sit down with their dad, Bruce, to see if they can come to a better understanding about what has sha ... Show More
55m 42s
Apr 2023
How To Face the A.I. Revolution
If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT, chances are you will soon. Maybe you’ve tried casually playing with the artificial intelligent chatbot. Maybe you’ve tried avoiding it. Or maybe ChatGPT is the new host of this podcast and you haven’t realized it yet. Either way, we’re on the prec ... Show More
40m 48s