Beyond The Table
Beyond the Table is a cinematic podcast exploring stories of culture, memory, and meaning. Hosted and produced by Amanda Clemons, each episode blends sound, storytelling, and reflection tracing how art, history, and everyday life shape who we are. Each week, pull up a seat for immersive storytelling and conversation that celebrates connection, reflection, and creativity. New episodes every Tuesday.
info_outline
What’s Cooking? (2000) - Where Culture and Queer Truth Share a Table
11/18/2025
What’s Cooking? (2000) - Where Culture and Queer Truth Share a Table
To mark the film’s 25th anniversary, this episode revisits What’s Cooking? (2000) a groundbreaking multicultural Thanksgiving film directed by Gurinder Chadha. Four families. Four kitchens. One holiday lived through Black, Latin, Vietnamese, and Jewish identities including one of the earliest and most tender portrayals of queer family truth in early 2000s cinema. Amanda explores why this film was ahead of its time, how it reflected the real America long before Hollywood embraced intersectionality, and why its message still matters today. Continue the Thanksgiving Arc, if you enjoyed this episode… Listen to Thanksgiving Everywhere a tour of gratitude festivals and harvest traditions around the world. Next week… Stay tuned for Echoes of the Feast, one meal told across centuries, where every table keeps a piece of history.” Resources & References Emanuel Levy, “What’s Cooking? Film Review” – Variety (2000). Kevin Thomas, “'What’s Cooking?' Simmers in Los Angeles Melting Pot” – LA Times (2000). Mary Pattillo, Black Picket Fences (University of Chicago Press, 1999) Karyn Lacy, Blue-Chip Black: Race, Class, and Status in the New Black Middle Class (University of California Press, 2007) Rubén G. Rumbaut – “Assimilation and Its Discontents” (International Migration Review) Jay Michaelson – “Queer Theology and the Traditions of Judaism” Loan Thi Dao – “Negotiating Culture: Intergenerational Conflict in Vietnamese American Families”Journal of Comparative Family Studies Andrea Weiss – Vampires and Violets: Lesbians in Film (Penguin, 1992) Patricia White – UnInvited: Classical Hollywood Cinema and Lesbian Representability (Indiana University Press, 1999) Dan Jurafsky, The Language of Food (W. W. Norton, 2014) Trailer Attribution Contains a brief excerpt from the official What’s Cooking? (2000) theatrical trailer — © Lions Gate Films. Used under fair use for commentary and criticism. Credits Written & Produced by Amanda Clemons Instagram: @BeyondTableShow Email: You can find Beyond the Table wherever you listen to podcasts — including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Copyright © 2025 Beyond the Table Podcast. All rights reserved.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/39073405
info_outline
Living Colour: Sound, Rage & Revolution
11/13/2025
Living Colour: Sound, Rage & Revolution
In this bonus episode of Beyond the Table, we explore the power, defiance, and cultural impact of Living Colour the groundbreaking Black rock band that reshaped the sound and politics of late-20th-century rock. From Cult of Personaility to Desperate People to Funny Vibe and Which Way to America, we examine how their music confronted racism, capitalism, and identity while redefining what Black artistry in rock could be. We also look at Corey Glover’s solo album Hymns especially “One” and “Little Girl” and how his vocal storytelling deepens the band’s emotional legacy. This episode blends history, cultural memory, and musical meaning into a ten-minute immersive story. Living Colour Playlist A curated selection of songs inspired by this episode. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: Living Colour Sound, Rage & Revolution Songs Mentioned Living Colour Cult of Personality Desperate People Funny Vibe What’s Your Favorite Color Which Way to America Open Letter to a Landlord Corey Glover — Hymns One Little Girl Interviews & Articles 1. Rolling Stone – “Living Colour on Their Legacy and the Future of Black Rock” 2. Guitar Player Magazine – “Vernon Reid Breaks Down His Sound” 3. NPR Music – “Living Colour: Cult of Personality and the Politics of Rock” 4. The Guardian – “Living Colour: Still Loud, Still Necessary” 5. New York Times Archive – Coverage of Vivid and Time’s Up Books & Scholarly Sources 6. Black Rock Coalition Manifesto – Founding Principles (Vernon Reid co-founder) 7. Rip It Up and Start Again by Simon Reynolds 8. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America by Tricia Rose Support the Show If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeartRadio, it helps the show grow. Connect Instagram: @BeyondTableShow Email:
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/39020300
info_outline
Thanksgiving Everywhere
11/11/2025
Thanksgiving Everywhere
Before there was an American Thanksgiving, there was gratitude spoken in every language under the sun. In this immersive episode, Beyond the Table travels across continents and centuries to explore how people around the world give thanks through food, ritual, and community. From the yam festivals of West Africa to Caribbean Harvest Sundays, Indigenous harvest ceremonies, and modern diaspora feasts — Thanksgiving, Everywhere reveals that gratitude isn’t bound by borders or myth. Written and produced by Amanda Clemons, this story-rich soundscape blends history, memory, and music to remind us that giving thanks is not a holiday it’s a way of living. Explore the episode references below to learn more: 🌍 Cultural & Historical References: Jessica B. Harris, High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America (Bloomsbury, 2011) Michael W. Twitty, The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South (Amistad, 2017) Toni Tipton-Martin, The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks (University of Texas Press, 2015) Isabel Wilkerson, The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration (Random House, 2010) Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage – African American Foodways Collection National Museum of the American Indian – Harvest and Green Corn Ceremony Resources Caribbean “Harvest Sunday” traditions documented by the Barbados Museum & Historical Society and Jamaica’s Institute of Jamaica If this episode resonated with you, share it stories like these travel best by word of mouth. To connect with me, email beyondthetablecast@gmail.com You can find Beyond the Table wherever you listen to podcasts — including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeartRadio.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38990245
info_outline
November Trailer — Stories of Gratitude & Belonging
11/09/2025
November Trailer — Stories of Gratitude & Belonging
This November, Beyond the Table explores stories of gratitude and belonging where culture, memory, and meaning come together in sound. Hosted and produced by Amanda Clemons, this special preview invites you to pull up a seat for a month of reflection, creativity, and connection. New stories every Tuesday.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38963945
info_outline
The Grocery Store Revolution Lesbian Pulp and the Secret Shelf of Desire
11/04/2025
The Grocery Store Revolution Lesbian Pulp and the Secret Shelf of Desire
In the 1950s, you could find them between the canned goods and the cigarettes paperbacks with neon covers and whispered stories of women who loved women. Before Pride marches or queer bookstores, there was pulp: printed on thin paper, sold for a quarter, and hidden in plain sight. In this cinematic episode, Amanda explores the rise of lesbian pulp fiction the grocery store paperbacks that became lifelines. Featuring the stories of Women’s Barracks, Spring Fire, Beebo Brinker, and the readers who turned shame into survival. References & Resources Mentioned: Women’s Barracks (1950) — Tereska Torrès Spring Fire (1952) — Vin Packer (Marijane Meaker) Odd Girl Out and Beebo Brinker Chronicles — Ann Bannon Strange Sisters: The Art of Lesbian Pulp Fiction — Jaye Zimet Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold — Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy and Madeline D. Davis Archives: (Brooklyn, NY) (Los Angeles, CA) Documentary: Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives (1992, National Film Board of Canada) New episodes drop every Tuesday. For questions email .
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38905125
info_outline
The Black South and the Supernatural
10/28/2025
The Black South and the Supernatural
Halloween Feature: In the Black South, the supernatural isn’t a story told just for scares it’s a history of faith, protection, and remembrance. In this cinematic Halloween bonus, Amanda explores: African spiritual traditions that shaped hoodoo and rootwork. The legends of haints, boo hags, and night doctors and the real histories behind them. How the church merged ancestral belief with the Holy Ghost. Everyday rituals of protection the “science” of brick dust, coins, and psalms. The evolution of Black supernatural storytelling in film and culture. This is the kind of story told by moonlight one that lingers long after the last word. Resources and References: All materials are shared for educational and cultural commentary under fair use. Zora Neale Hurston, Mules and Men (1935) Yvonne P. Chireau, Black Magic: Religion and the African American Conjuring Tradition (2003) Harriet A. Washington, Medical Apartheid (2007) Kasi Lemmons, Eve’s Bayou (1997) Ashon Crawley, Blackpentecostal Breath (2016) Catherine Yronwode, Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic (2002) Drums and Shadows (WPA, 1940) Lovecraft Country (HBO, 2020) The South Carolina Encyclopedia Guide to South Carolina Folklife (2014) Stay Connected: 📸 Follow the show on Instagram: @BeyondTableShow ✉️ Reach Amanda at b 🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday follow the show wherever you listen.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38803770
info_outline
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E3:Heart of the Matter
10/28/2025
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E3:Heart of the Matter
In Episode 3 of Beyond the Table, Amanda and her pit bull Priscilla dive into “Heart of the Matter,” which aired on July 12, 2000. Directed by Kevin Hooks and written by Patricia Green, this episode asks what happens when we stop performing strength and start facing the truth. Amanda explores themes of perception, honesty, and control as the Joseph family begins to unravel and rebuild in unexpected ways. In the Legacy Check-In, she looks at how the year 2000 was defined by image from glossy magazines. Soul Food stood out by doing the opposite: showing what happens when the masks come off and the truth finally shows through. It’s an episode about honesty, perception, and the courage to get to the heart of what really matters. Follow @BeyondTableShow on Instagram and email for feedback, memories, or your favorite Soul Food moments.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38805360
info_outline
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E2:The More Things Stay the Same
10/22/2025
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E2:The More Things Stay the Same
In Episode 2 of Beyond the Table, Amanda joined again by her pit bull Priscilla dives into Season 1 Episode 2 od Soul Food The Series: “The More Things Stay the Same,” which aired on July 5, 2000. This episode digs deeper into the Joseph family’s secrets and the cost of keeping them. Amanda connects those cultural shifts to the reality of Black business ownership about 1.2 million Black-owned firms in 2000 versus over 3.6 million today tracing how secrecy, resilience, and self-reliance shaped both family and entrepreneurship. It’s an episode about what we share, what we hide, and how truth becomes legacy. Follow @BeyondTableShow on Instagram.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38737765
info_outline
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E1: The More Things Change
10/21/2025
Soul Food Rewatch - S1E1: The More Things Change
In the debut episode of Beyond the Table, Amanda joined by her pit bull Priscilla begins the rewatch journey through Soul Food: The Series. We start with “The More Things Change” the pilot episode that aired June 28, 2000. Directed by Eriq La Salle and written by Felicia D. Henderson, it reintroduces us to the Joseph sisters Maxine, Teri, and Bird as they try to hold their family together after Big Mama’s passing. Amanda explores how the series carried forward the heart of the 1997 film while building a new world for weekly television. She looks at themes of grief, responsibility, and what happens when love and legacy collide. In the Legacy Check-In, we step back to the summer of 2000: Be With You by Enrique Iglesias tops the Billboard charts, The Perfect Storm rules the box office, and BET’s $3-billion sale to Viacom reshapes Black media ownership. It’s soulful, nostalgic, and thoughtful the start of a rewatch rooted in memory, culture, and connection. Follow @BeyondTableShow on Instagram or send an email to beyondthetablecast@gmail.com for updates, behind-the-scenes notes, and upcoming episode drops.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38720705
info_outline
Trailer — Welcome to Beyond the Table
10/05/2025
Trailer — Welcome to Beyond the Table
Beyond the Table continues to grow widening its lens and deepening its sound. What began as a Soul Food rewatch has evolved into a cultural magazine: a cinematic sound journey through stories of Black culture, queerness, memory, and belonging. Inthis Beyond the Table Trailer, host Amanda Clemons shares the spirit of the show and its new rhythm ten-minute stories released each week, where culture, sound, and soul meet. 🎧 New episodes every Tuesday 📱 Follow @BeyondTableShow on Instagram Written, produced, and narrated by Amanda Clemons. © 2025 Beyond the Table. All rights reserved.
/episode/index/show/74592754-3ed1-4d6a-aaf0-95afa95fb3ae/id/38468050