Varn Vlog

Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Varn Vlog is the pod of C. Derick Varn. We combine the conversation on philosophy, political economy, art, history, culture, anthropology, and geopolitics from a left-wing and culturally informed perspective. We approach the world from a historical lens with an eye for hard truths and structural analysis.

Podcasting since 2021 • 433 episodes

Varn Vlog

Latest Episodes

An Inconvenient Woman and the Reactionary South with Keri Leight Merritt

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn sits down with historian, writer, and independent scholar Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt (author of Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South) to discuss her new book, "An Inconveni...

October 22, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 111 • 1:25:13

Green Scare And The Radical Environmental Movement with Scott Parkin and Thomas Zietzoff

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn is joined by Scott Parkin (organizing director at Rainforest Action Network and co-host of the Green & Red Podcast) and Dr. Thomas Zeitzoff (professor at America...

October 19, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 110 • 1:32:12

Silicon Empires: How Big Tech Is Re-Mapping Geopolitics and Labor with Nick Srnicek

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn sits down with political economist, academic, and author Dr. Nick Srnicek (King's College London) to cut through the extreme hype and knee-jerk dismissals surrounding artificial intelligence....

October 15, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 109 • 1:32:31

Leninism in the Age of Populism: Anti-Economism, Strategy & The Left with PK Gandakin

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn sits down with PK Gandakin, editor-in-chief of Geese Magazine and communist organizer, to discuss the state of the American left, the limits of modern economism, and the strategic relevance of Lenin t...

October 12, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 108 • 2:16:35

The Masculinity Vacuum with Bram Geiben

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by Bram Geiben, editor at Revol Books and host of Strange Exiles, to discuss the evolving crisis of masculinity, the limits of modern identity politics, and how theory gets transformed into ...

October 08, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 107 • 3:25:40

See All Episodes

Fan Mail

As an old-school Varn head (have been listening since the Diet Soap days), I have to say that your recent conversation with Adam Turl ranks as one of my favorite episodes thus far. Can't (yet) put my finger on extactly why that is. But overall, as it relates to our present state of affairs, I think everything covered in that episode is as spot-on as spot-on can be. Salient, relevant, and maybe even prescient. Subtley profound and practically insightful. To me, listening to this episode is like walking along a fruitful path of inquiry, analysis, critique, and exploration, and then arriving at genuine understanding. I know, I know - I'm really pouring it on! Just trying to express/point out how much of a stand out episode it is (for me at least). Hopefully you see where I'm coming from! Take Care, - J.

R API D City, South Dakota