The Sleeper Hit

A weekly podcast where guests talk about what's underrated, over drinks. Hosted by Meryl Williams, writer and roller derby skater.

Ella Dawson & Romance Novels 03/01/2021

Ella Dawson & Romance Novels Ella Dawson is a sex & culture critic who drinks too much diet coke. In her writing, she digs into topics we usually avoid in polite company: from our dehumanizing culture of casual sex, to how shame keeps us silent about our mental and sexual health. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/18128765

Mandy Shunnarah and Waffle House 02/22/2021

Mandy Shunnarah and Waffle House Mandy Shunnarah is an Alabama-born writer who now calls Columbus, Ohio, home. Her essays, poetry, and short stories have been published in Electric Literature, The Rumpus, Entropy Magazine, and more, as well as an essay forthcoming in the New York Times. She's currently working on a book about her half-Southern redneck, half-Palestinian family. She runs the book blog Off the Beaten Shelf and the vintage shop Posh&Page Vintage. You can learn more about all this stuff at mandyshunnarah.com. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/17958113

Talking Real with Allie Ryan 12/21/2020

Talking Real with Allie Ryan Allie Ryan works in healthcare marketing. She loves animals, wine, and coffee. She wholeheartedly believes in human rights and that she is a good plant mom and decent cat guardian to her feline friend, Shandy. Allie and Meryl Discuss "Real Talk", self care, and finding the right Primary Care Physician. They play a round of Over/Under, Weird Habit, and Either/ Or. Allie is on and Follow Meryl on Twitter and Instagram . Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) Editing by /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/17227976

Liz Juranek & Band of Brothers 11/23/2020

Liz Juranek & Band of Brothers Liz Juranek is a former writer and editor who now works for a medical association doing neither of those things. She has two Instagrams: one for makeup and one for following hamster and other small rodent accounts. She is also Meryl's co-host on Texas Forever, their podcast about the acclaimed show Friday Night Lights. Liz also is an advocate for the Liz and Meryl play a round of Over/Under, Secret Snack, and Either/Or. Follow Meryl on Twitter and Instagram . Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) Editing by /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/16894952

Liza Lovegood & Burlesque 11/16/2020

Liza Lovegood & Burlesque Liza Lovegood stops by the show to discuss burlesque as well as some of the podcasts she's been listening to while shut-in due to the pandemic. She also plays a round of Over/Under, Unexpected Fav, and Weird Habit. Liza Lovegood dances burlesque in Athens, OH and loves to make you feel special with her deep throaty… vocal stylings. She also loves musicals and Harry Potter which influences her dances and even her name! Liza on Liza on Follow Meryl on Twitter and Instagram . Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) Editing by **Editor's note: apologies for the occasional echo in this episode. The Sleeper Hit Crew is working out new and better ways to interview guests! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/16820540

Will Fogle & Medical Marijuana 11/09/2020

Will Fogle & Medical Marijuana Will Fogle stops by the show to discuss Medical Marijuana, CBD, and his absolute hate for Black licorice. He also plays a round of Over/Under, Unexpected Fav, and Either/Or. Will is an Emergency Medicine Physician and former Helicopter Physician with nine-years’ experience leading multi-disciplinary teams. He is the owner of Fogle’s Emergency Specialist LLC, providing telemedicine/telehealth urgent care to patients around the country. He is also the owner of , offering medical marijuana recommendations in Ohio and New York, expanding soon to Illinois. Follow Meryl on Twitter and Instagram . Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) Editing by /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/16652840

Mini Episode: More Games with Daniel Clark 10/26/2020

Mini Episode: More Games with Daniel Clark It's time once again for a mini ep! Daniel Clark, Meryl's husband, stops by the show to play some games, including Over/Under, Secret Snack and Either / Or. Daniel Clark is a mainframe systems programmer for the bureau of the fiscal service. He has a six-year-old son and loves home brewing, biking and running on his treadmill. Follow Meryl on Twitter and Instagram . Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) Editing by /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/16540502

Mini Episode: Games with Gina Watters 09/28/2020

Mini Episode: Games with Gina Watters Returning guest Gina Watters is back on the show for a games mini episode! Gina is sometimes-writer with a day job in nonprofit development. She lives in Chicago where she staves off existential dread by trying to fight the good fight from her couch, in between episodes of Schitt’s Creek. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/16176479

Sarah Morton Taggart & PBS Kids 09/14/2020

Sarah Morton Taggart & PBS Kids Returning guest Sarah Morton Taggart stops by to share some kids' TV shows that won't make you tear your hair out, thanks to the magic of PBS Kids. Sarah also plays Be Boss and Best Buy after a round of Over/Under! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15994343

Andrew McIntire & Avatar - The Last Airbender 09/09/2020

Andrew McIntire & Avatar - The Last Airbender Andrew McIntire stops by the pod to make a case for Avatar: The Last Airbender (the TV show) as well as its sequel, Legend of Korra. He also plays Over/Under, Either/Or, and Secret Snack! Andrew is a father of 3 and husband who worked in professional politics for 5 years. He has been a political junkie ever since. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15939047

Bonnie Tawse & the Cookie Table Tradition 08/31/2020

Bonnie Tawse & the Cookie Table Tradition Bonnie Tawse is this week's guest and the author of The Belt Cookie Table Cookbook, published this past June by Belt Publishing out of Cleveland. She is a writer and educator committed to exploring the connections between food, community, culture and the environment. She lives in Chicago with her husband and two sons. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15813806

Stefanie Seskin & Supporting Creators 08/24/2020

Stefanie Seskin & Supporting Creators Meryl's very good friend Stefanie Seskin stops by for what was meant to be a mini games episode and turned into a great discussion of why it's important to support the creators whose work you enjoy and appreciate. Stefanie plays Over/Under, Best Buy, and Secret Snack! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15726833

David Cross & Mocktails 07/27/2020

David Cross & Mocktails David Cross stops by the pod to talk about the merits of making and ordering mocktails! He also plays Over/Under, Two Truths and a Lie and Weird Habit. Listen to his podcast Award Weiners! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15361106

Mini Episode: Games with Daniel Clark 07/20/2020

Mini Episode: Games with Daniel Clark It's time for a mini ep! Daniel Clark, Meryl's husband, stops by the show to play some games, including Over/Under, Super Group and Best Buy. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15273851

Kelsey Funk & Making Clothing 07/13/2020

Kelsey Funk & Making Clothing Long time listener Kelsey Funk stops by the pod to talk to Meryl about making your own clothing! If you too want to cut down on the amount of fast fashion in your closet *and* have pieces that are tailored to your exact measurements, Kelsey has some ideas for where you can start. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15179267

Brad Pierce & Children of Men 07/06/2020

Brad Pierce & Children of Men This week's guest Brad Pierce sells Meryl on Children of Men's message of optimism. This 2006 dystopian thriller tanked at the box office but was an underrated critical darling that resonates today more than ever. Brad also plays Over/Under, Secret Snack and #FamousBae! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15093095

Colleen Pierce & Investing for Financial Freedom 06/29/2020

Colleen Pierce & Investing for Financial Freedom Colleen Pierce left the corporate world of marketing and communications after 12+ years. Now, she is living in the freelance writing world, writing mostly for the life science industry. Colleen is on the show talking about how anyone, but especially women, can build wealth. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/15001181

Sara Bir & Indie Publishing 06/22/2020

Sara Bir & Indie Publishing Sara Bir is a chef and a writer and the author of two cookbooks. Sara's topic is indie publishing, and she goes into the lack of diversity in publishing at large, including in food media. Meryl & Sara play Over/Under, Be Boss, and First Date and talk about the challenges of dating during a pandemic. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/14900009

Levi Funk & The Grateful Dead 06/15/2020

Levi Funk & The Grateful Dead Levi Funk is a mental health counselor, musician and Twitch streamer. He stops by to talk up The Grateful Dead! Meryl & Levi play Over/Under, Two Truths and a Lie, and Best Buy and talk about why it's okay to not be productive during quarantine. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/14818775

Sarah Arnold & Star Wars Rebels, Clone Wars 06/08/2020

Sarah Arnold & Star Wars Rebels, Clone Wars The Sleeper Hit Podcast is back for a third season! Sarah Arnold is the owner and founder of Clutch MOV, an online lifestyle magazine about the Mid-Ohio Valley. Sarah's topic is two Star Wars animated shows she thinks fans should be watching. Meryl & Sarah play Over/Under, Best Buy and Secret Snack and talk about road trips. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/14720561

The Sleeper Hit Podcast Returns 05/19/2020

The Sleeper Hit Podcast Returns The Sleeper Hit Podcast is coming back to your feed after a long hiatus. What's underrated in 2020? /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/14474729

MINI EP: Meryl's Winter Recommendations 01/22/2018

MINI EP: Meryl's Winter Recommendations Meryl goes over some TV shows, podcasts, movies, and books she's been digging this winter. Will 'This Is Us' be too bleak for January? Is Slate's new podcast about Watergate helping ease her anxieties about the Trump administration? Only time and therapy will tell! To get links to some of these things and more, sign up for Meryl's newsletter! Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca () /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/6173615

#54: Stefanie Seskin & Christmas Rom Coms 01/04/2018

#54: Stefanie Seskin & Christmas Rom Coms It's a special holiday episode! Meryl's BFF, Stefanie Seskin, talks about the appeal of holiday-themed romantic comedies and how they're often dismissed because they are made for an audience of women. Meryl & Stef play Over/Under and Best Buy and share their opinions on re-gifting. Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/6115159

SPECIAL EPISODE: Texas Forever Podcast Pilot 12/27/2017

SPECIAL EPISODE: Texas Forever Podcast Pilot The Sleeper Hit is still on hiatus, but Meryl recorded a pilot episode of a new Friday Night Lights podcast with her friend, Liz Juranek. If you like FNL, or like Meryl and Liz, give it a listen and give us your feedback! Texas Forever, y'all! Liz's twitter: Meryl's twitter: Show's twitter: /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/6092720

MINI EP: Meryl's Fall Recommendations 10/16/2017

MINI EP: Meryl's Fall Recommendations Meryl discusses Dirty John, What Happened, Riverdale, and more. /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5840671

#53: Laura Chanoux & Cabin Pressure 10/02/2017

#53: Laura Chanoux & Cabin Pressure Writer Laura Chanoux talks about the hilariously entertaining BBC radio drama Benedict Cumberbatch did *before* he became famous as Sherlock Holmes. She also shares who would be at her best-ever dinner party, and who her #1 celebrity crush is. Follow Laura on Twitter and read her stuff on and ! Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5801189

#52: Megan Burbank & Birth Control 09/18/2017

#52: Megan Burbank & Birth Control First-ever returning guest Megan Burbank schools us on birth control, and how it's portrayed and misrepresented in politics. She also shares why what's best for her or Meryl or you may not be best for everyone! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5750519

#51: Owen Williams & Kids Cartoons with Wide Appeal 09/11/2017

#51: Owen Williams & Kids Cartoons with Wide Appeal High school art teacher and graphic design artist Owen Williams (aka, Meryl's big brother!) talks about the appeal and depth of great cartoons like Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, and Star Vs. The Forces of Evil. He also plays a great round of Over/Under, along with Unexpected Fav and Best Buy. Follow Owen's classroom on Instagram @ and Owen on Twitter @geekierthanthou! Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5729422

#50: Nicholas Dekker & "Grip It and Rip It" Traveling 09/05/2017

#50: Nicholas Dekker & "Grip It and Rip It" Traveling Nicholas Dekker of came on the show to advocate for "grip it and rip it"-style traveling, which is not for the faint of heart, but is maybe the best way to see the most of a new city. Listen to where he and his wife visited (and ate) on trips everywhere from Manhattan to Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood. Nick has been writing about breakfast at for the last decade. Follow him on twitter @breakfastwnick! /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5707001

#49: Christina M. Rau & Diners 08/29/2017

#49: Christina M. Rau & Diners Poet Christina M. Rau stops by to talk up America's classic diners and the joy of being able to order anything from a 2 a.m. waffle to a "garbage plate." Christina is the author of "Liberating The Astronauts" and the chapbooks "WakeBreatheMove" and "For The Girls, I." Follow Christina on Twitter @ChristinaMRau! Theme song: "Sleeper Hold," by Saintseneca (@saintseneca) /episode/index/show/sleeperhitpod/id/5685282

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