In this hour-long episode, Israel sits with Kaothar Kadir—writer and curator behind Chaos & Kismet (4,000+ subscribers)—for a memorable conversation on:
1. Lantern publications & early inspirations 1:46–7:16.8
2. Academia & Creative Writing 7:16.8—11:44
3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ocean Vuong, George R.R. Martin, Sidney Sheldon, Clarice Lispector 11:44–17:41
4. Kaothar, Chaos & Kismet 17:41–20:15
5. Making a statement with writing, & Writer’s Block 20:15–25:45
6. Substack, content, the algorithm, social media, & building community 25:45–30:33
7. Wattpad, Disney & Success as a writer 30:33–38:20
8. Authenticity, internet culture & writing as a tool for social change 38:20–47:57
9. Current WIP & Dream Project 47:57–49:39
10. Genre Preferences 49:39–51:34
11. Small casing & AI 51:34–56:32
12. Femininity, beauty standards, vulnerability & addressing personal insecurities through writing 56:32–1:04:40
13. Myths about being Kaothar Kadir, adulting & aging 1:04:40–1:08:40
14. Fan fiction & the beauty of short stories 1:08:40–1:18:32
15. Conclusion: 1:18:32
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Quotes from the episode:
“Just because something is complicated doesn’t mean it’s profound.”
“School is horrible.”
“I recognize that every time I write something and someone reads it, it becomes more than I am and it goes out into the world and it has the potential to be a lot more than I am and even transform into something different.”
“I think it’s nice to find humour in the things that scare you.”
Essays/Books/Films/Resources Mentioned: