American Spark With May-Lily Lee

American Spark correspondent Kyle Brown talks with Heidi McElrath about her passion for the Bard. Find out why Shakespeare’s work is still relevant today, and learn how to appreciate Shakespeare’s works — even if you never thought you could!

Meet Roddy Barnes, composer and singer whose piano virtuosity has taken him across the globe. Host May-Lily Lee talks with Roddy about what the blues means to him, musically and personally. Find out about the kids’ piano playbook he’s developing, and hear some of Roddy’s most popular songs! Visit Roddy’s website: www.roddybarnes.com

Phyllis Theroux is beloved among writers, and yup, readers love her, too! It’s something about her acute observations and insight. And the lady’s got a keen sense of humor. Phyllis has penned The Journal Keeper, The Good Bishop, Giovanni’s Light, California and Other States of Grace and more, and was an essayist for The NewsHour on PBS. May-Lily Lee sits down with Phyllis for some banter, and even a little about her famous actor-screenwriter son, Justin Theroux…

Tom Guerra is an American rock guitarist who’s collaborated with the likes of the Yardbirds, Max Weinberg and Johnny Winter, and he’s the co-founder of the New England classic rock band, Mambo Sons. In the world of here-today-gone-tomorrow, Tom’s dedication to music has yielded four decades of rock ‘n’ roll… with no end in sight. American Spark correspondent Carol Vassar talks with Tom about his work and latest project, American Garden…

American Spark correspondent Carol Vassar holds court with a Connecticut attorney who moonlights as a romance novelist. She’s published Harlequin and Entangled titles such as The Billionaire in Her Bed and Triple Dare, Triple Score, and Triple Time. While Regina’s busy writing legal briefs and taking depositions during the day, at night — usually from 9:00 p.m. until midnight or 1:00 a.m — she passionately puts her imagination to work on her next steamy romance novel. Check out her website: www.ReginaKyle.com

On this episode of American Spark, correspondent Kyle Brown shares the mic with Seattle dancer Kara Burrows. Kara has performed in numerous Washington showcases, including Seattle International Dance Festival’s Spotlight on Seattle, MOVE Tacoma, and Chop Shop Bodies of Work. She danced for three seasons with Ballet Bellevue, and in 2012 was a demi-soloist in their original production of “Handel’s Messiah: Opera Ballet.” She has been a dance ambassador and model for Lululemon Athletica in Bellevue, WA. For about a decade, Kara has been teaching ballet, pointe, and contemporary at American Dance Institute in Seattle: https://www.americandanceinstitute.com/staff

University of Hartford’s Karen Cook sheds light on a little known field of music study, ludomusicology. American Spark correspondent Carol Vassar introduces us to Karen and her fascinating work. “When I’m thinking historically about music, many times I’m not even worried about the piece itself. I’m more interested in the people around it. I want to know what their lives were like... what challenges they faced.” — Karen Cook

Join us as American Spark correspondent Carol Vassar introduces us to the Host and Executive Producer of SUNDAY BAROQUE on Public Radio… Suzanne Bona! American Spark correspondent Carol Vassar with Suzanne Bona

Massachusetts poet and educator Nancy Boutilier wants you to break free of the constraints keeping you from writing — and creating. Learn her techniques and crack open your creative chi. “What are you feeding your writer? What’s your diet? I ask [my students] to keep a log of their diet. I ask them to write down — what have you read this week?” “Jane Kenyon said: Be a good steward of your gifts. This whole quote is about attitudes and actions... there’s a goodness to this, living a good life.”

Meet Ruth Perkinson, a Virginia writer whose smarts and wit illuminate her spiritual work in the Course in Miracles. She discusses her book, Letters from the J Underground. RuthPerkinson.com “I can walk through this life knowing that it’s not about physical eye sight. It’s about spiritual sight. I know that what I’m seeing is a world beyond this world.” “As writers you have to really unzip your soul and flop it out there for people to read, because nobody’s interested in anything else. They’re interested in the hard stuff. ”

May-Lily talks with fine art photographer Pam Fox. Says Pam, “What intrigues me about photography is its compelling allusion to physical reality.” Check out her work at PamFox.net then listen to this American Spark podcast...

Meet Deshia Williams, an artist who wasn’t. Deshia talks with May-Lily about a devastating accident that led her from sketchbook to gallery bookings. Art as salvation on this episode of American Spark. Visit: DeshiaWilliamsArt.com

Cathryn Hankla sits down with May-Lily Lee on St. Patrick's Day to discuss her new book of poetry, Galaxies.

May-Lily Lee talks with Jeannette Walls about her writing process and how her memoir-turned-movie, "The Glass Castle" took 20 years to come to fruition.Visit our website for more stories: www.AmericanSpark.tv