Reckless A-Talk: Rowan Zeoli (Rascal News)

Hello listeners! Welcome to another episode of Reckless A-Talk, our TTRPG interview show where we sit down with some of our favorite writers, players, GMs, and streamers to get to know a little bit more about what makes them who they are.

I am as always your host GM Nathan, and I’m so excited to be back for our first full episode of 2024, PARTICULARLY with this wonderful and DARE I SAY NEWSWORTHY interview.

I got to once again be a huge nerd about tabletop games AND about journalism, as I got to enjoy a very fun, very thought-provoking chat with co-founder of TTRPG news outlet Rascal Rowan Zeoli.

Rowan is one of the big, independent news voices in the space, with phenomenal work done particularly in the review and interview spheres. In this episode, we talk a lot about her experiences doing both for Rascal, a new independent, reader-supported, worker-owned outlet covering tabletop games and shows. But we also talk a lot about identity, creativity, the twists and turns of life, collaborative critique, and what journalism as a service means.

Most interestingly and refreshingly, we talked a LOT about the importance of news coverage and critical review in the tabletop and actual play world.

Rowan just has some really wonderful perspectives and is so clearly a very thoughtful AND funny person, so this was frankly a very easy interview to conduct because talking to cool people is easy and good and fun turns out.

Before I throw you to the episode, I want to do a small appeal to everyone listening. I was a hyper-local journalist for many years, and I cannot stress enough how important I personally believe small outlet journalism is to the world. Please find outlets in your hometowns, outlets that cover things you care about, and other people doing the hard work of shining a spotlight where there is darkness. And then, if you’re able, pay them money to keep doing what they’re doing, or at least subscribe to newsletters and otherwise vote with your dollars and attention.

Anyway, that’s enough from me - as always if you enjoy this episode please go check out our other Reckless A-Talk interviews and maybe even our actual play episodes.

We have links to all the stuff we talk about in the episode in the show notes including lots of links to Rowan’s journalism. With that - I’ll see you next time!

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Edited by Nathan Lurz

Rascal: https://www.rascal.news

Selected Rowan work:

Queer Dungeons & Transgender Dragons: Exploring Gender Through Imagined Worlds: https://www.autostraddle.com/queer-trans-dungeons-and-dragons/  

https://www.rascal.news/d-ds-short-lived-latam-ambassador-program/ 

https://www.rascal.news/what-is-the-future-of-dimension-20/ 

https://www.rascal.news/marvels-giant-sized-special-is-a-super-powered-ad-in-an-actual-play-mask/ 

https://www.rascal.news/faster-purple-worm-kill-kill-is-your-improv-uncles-new-favorite-actual-play/ 

Harlem Hellfighters Never Die: https://www.queenscourt.games/streaming/harlem-hellfighters-never-die

WriteHive: https://writehive.org