irRegular People

In this episode we continue our conversation with Gabriel Levinson, founder of ANTIBOOKCLUB, a tiny, indie publishing house. ANTIBOOKCLUB works tirelessly to bring readers "the wild, the stunning, the essential since 2011." This conversation was recorded in December of 2020. Gabriel Levinson started ANTIBOOKCLUB by himself, publishing about one book per year. While working for Make Magazine in Chicago and Penguin Random House (among other day jobs) Gabriel has spent his nights, weekends, and any money he can scrape up to make the books he believes need to see the light of day (or the light of a reading lamp). Here are some of ANTIBOOKCLUB's accolades, according to their website:  "Beautiful Gravity was named an ALA Stonewall Honor Book of 2017 and was a Lambda Literary Awards finalist (it was also rated one of the top book cover designs of the year by Electric Literature and The New York Times Book Review); The End of the World was adapted into the Academy Award-nominated film World of Tomorrow; and the surreal, subversive "shock novel" The Diesel has an entry and essay in The Global Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Literature. Many of our titles have been taught in universities and high schools across the United States.We are a small but dedicated crew who count world-renown authors, translators, and designers among our ranks. We are here to shatter and shape your literary sensibilities, one book at a time."ANTIBOOKCLUB recently published a collection of never before published works by Terry Southern, entitled The Hipsters. It was a decade-long project that Gabriel worked on closely with Terry Southern's son, Nile. Also recently published is Silver Skin, a coming-of-age novel written by Spanish author Javier Calvo, "an elegy to the transformative powers of art, imagination, and the imagined other."In Part Two of The Degenerates, we talk about Gabriel's experience publishing Practical Blasphemy, the fictionalized memoir of author LJT, featured in Episode 3 of the podcast. We talk about eBooks and ANTIBOOKCLUB's evolution on its stance regarding them; ANTI's relationship with Amazon and Gabriel's decision to pull his books from their shelves; German media firm Bertelsmann and its acquisition of yet another giant in publishing; Bookshop.org, and more. We think this episode is of particular interest to readers and writers who want to know more about the editing process and how our choices in how and where we purchase books affects both the publishing ecosystem itself and our exposure to new content.You don't want to miss this conversation with Gabriel Levinson, a brilliant, frustrated, dedicated, bitingly funny renegade publisher. Find ANTIBOOKCLUB on Instagram @antibookclub.---------------EPISODE CREDITS:Produced, Engineered, and Edited by Calvin MartyMusic written, produced, and performed by Calvin Marty

In this episode we welcome Gabriel Levinson, founder of ANTIBOOKCLUB, a tiny, indie publishing house. ANTIBOOKCLUB works tirelessly to bring readers "the wild, the stunning, the essential since 2011." This conversation was recorded in December of 2020.Gabriel Levinson started ANTIBOOKCLUB by himself, publishing about one book per year. While working for Make Magazine in Chicago and Penguin Random House (among other day jobs) Gabriel has spent his nights, weekends, and any money he can scrape up to make the books he believes need to see the light of day (or the light of a reading lamp).-----------Here are some of ANTIBOOKCLUB's accolades, according to their website:  "Beautiful Gravity was named an ALA Stonewall Honor Book of 2017 and was a Lambda Literary Awards finalist (it was also rated one of the top book cover designs of the year by Electric Literature and The New York Times Book Review); The End of the World was adapted into the Academy Award-nominated film World of Tomorrow; and the surreal, subversive "shock novel" The Diesel has an entry and essay in The Global Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Literature. Many of our titles have been taught in universities and high schools across the United States.We are a small but dedicated crew who count world-renown authors, translators, and designers among our ranks. We are here to shatter and shape your literary sensibilities, one book at a time."-----------ANTIBOOKCLUB recently published a collection of never before published works by Terry Southern, entitled The Hipsters. It was a decade-long project that Gabriel worked on closely with Terry Southern's son, Nile. Also recently published is Silver Skin, a coming-of-age novel written by Spanish author Javier Calvo, "an elegy to the transformative powers of art, imagination, and the imagined other."Gabriel and ANTIBOOKCLUB are responsible for the publication of LJT's powerful, fictionalized memoir, Practical Blasphemy - the center of Episode 3 of this podcast. In Part One of the Degenerates, Gabriel and Calvin talk about: the beginnings of ANTIBOOKCLUB; working for Penguin Random House; money and morals; what it's like to publish as a small, indie press; some of the issues with surviving as an artist in today's America; The Hipsters; publishing translated works; the sale of Gabriel's beloved collections to fund the publication of his titles; and much more.You don't want to miss this conversation with Gabriel Levinson, a brilliant, frustrated, dedicated, bitingly funny renegade publisher. Find ANTIBOOKCLUB on Instagram @antibookclub.-----------EPISODE CREDITS:Produced, Engineered, and Edited by Calvin MartyMusic written, produced, and performed by Calvin Marty

In Episode 5 of irRegular People, we take a much-needed break from the heavy material of 2020. It's been a hard year for most of us, in one way or another, and we thought perhaps a little Christmas Special might be nice. So, today we're joined by two younger siblings of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Martha May and Chris May are both the children of Robert L May, the man who wrote the original story of Rudolph. Chris May opens the episode by reading written remarks that he prepared. He tells a brief and beautiful history of his father and the creation of the beloved story of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Then Martha and Chris deepen the tale with memories and stories about their father and their own childhood. Most of us grow up accepting Rudolph as a part of some ancient Christmas folklore, perhaps passed down for hundreds of years. But, that's just simply not the case. So, here's a short little trip into the life and mind of Robert L May, the man who created Rudolph, and some gifts from the hearts and memories of two of his children, Martha and Chris.EPISODE CREDITS:Produced, engineered, edited, and hosted by Calvin Marty.Music composed and performed by Calvin Marty.

In this episode of irRegular People we're joined by Pito Rodriguez, a 42-year-old Chicago man who contracted Covid-19, suffered through it, and survived. We're in the middle of the worst surge of Covid cases in America since the pandemic began. Just yesterday - November 12, 2020 - over 160,000 new cases were reported in America, while the daily death average is at over 1000 people.We're tired, we're lonely, we want to see our family and friends. But the risks that many of us continue to take, coupled with the lack of a national strategy, are leading to more suffering and continued deaths. Indeed, some of the risks we've been taking are forced by that very lack of a national strategy. But, the severity of the spread can be linked to some behavior that is very much under our control.Despite the efforts of epidemiologists (and some of our leaders) to convince us to stay as safe as possible, we keep making mistakes. No matter how many times we hear the same facts about the virus, we seem to be able to convince ourselves to take unnecessary risks.Perhaps it's because often, if something is not right in front of us, we can't seem to grasp its reality or consequences. Sometimes, we need the human component.But waiting - until the virus affects you or someone you love - to take it seriously, is not a good idea. Take it from today's guest: Pito Rodriguez. He spent the last 8 months being very careful, very safe. But then he let his guard down -  one time, maybe two. And that was all it took. Listen to this generous, funny, well-spoken young man tell you what it was like for him - and why he doesn't want anyone to have to go through what he did. ----------------------EPISODE CREDITS:A production of Once Upon A Westler.Created, produced, hosted, engineered, and edited by Calvin Marty. Music composed and performed by Calvin Marty. ----------------------ABOUT PITO RODRIGUEZ:Pito Rodriguez tends the bar at world-renowned, beloved Chicago neighborhood bar, Best Intentions. He was born in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Soon after, Pito was taken to his family's native land of Puerto Rico. Still a child, Pito was brought back to Chicago for his schooling. He was raised in the very Puerto Rican neighborhoods of Humboldt Park and Logan Square. He graduated from the great Lane Technical High School.At the age of 25, he moved back to Puerto Rico. It was there that he got his first taste of the hospitality industry. Pito worked at his Godmother's restaurant in the pueblo of his hometown, San Lorenzo. Having always been drawn to the energy and feel of bars, Pito frequented them since he was underage in Chicago. Eventually, Pito was introduced to the other side: he was the one doing the serving.Moving back to Chicago once again, he worked in financial services in various capacities but soon realized he hated it. After pondering his future, he remembered how much he truly enjoyed serving guests at the restaurant back home in Puerto Rico. And so, he decided to start his official career in hospitality.Pito blends his influences from Puerto Rico and Chicago - two of the greatest places on Earth - to serve as an Ambassador of Puerto Rican Good Times.

WARNING: This podcast contains content that may not be suitable or appropriate for all listeners. Suicide and other subjects are discussed explicitly. If you are experiencing suicidal ideation, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline now at 1-800-273-8255. Even if you are not experiencing thoughts of suicide but consider yourself to be in a fragile psychological state of any kind, consider listening to this episode at a different time and/or with others. ------------In this third episode of irRegular People, we're joined by LJT, author of Practical Blasphemy: The New Testament. Her intense and groundbreaking book is a fictionalized memoir of her suicidal act and subsequent stay at a psych ward. LJT generously shares with us about her own experiences living with Bi-Polar 2 Disorder with psychosis. We talk about the book itself; the accompanying soundtrack; psych wards; medication; the way Hollywood depicts mental illness; Joker; the importance of human connection between patients; the religiosity of psych ward group therapy; living with mental illness; and more. This book is a masterpiece. It deserves a larger audience of both mental health professionals and serious readers interested in the real experience of someone who suffers from a debilitating mental disorder. LJT's brilliant use of the written word brings the torment she herself has endured off of the page and into the mind of the reader. It might be a challenging experience for you, but you will not regret reading this work. This is the kind of vital artistic endeavor that we must insist more people discover. The most essential works of art are often unappreciated at first; this mostly unknown book is a fierce look at suicide, mental illness, and our country's failed attempts to treat those in great need. It is also, despite its subject matter, wildly entertaining; it is an experience.Buy the book HERE.------------EPISODE CREDITS:Created, produced, hosted, engineered, and edited by Calvin Marty. Music composed and performed by Calvin Marty. Trigger Warning voiced by Meghann Marty. ------------RESOURCES:National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 1-800-273-8255.The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line: The Veterans Crisis Line and Military Crisis Line connect veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. 1-800-273-8255 Press 1.Crisis Text Line: Crisis Text Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.

In Episode 002 of irRegular People, I'm joined by John Roman Saint-Jon, a hospitality professional living and working in the city of Chicago. John tells us about growing up on both the South and North sides of the city, about coming out as gay to his mother, and about the evolution of their relationship. We talk about his experience in the hospitality industry both before and during the age of Covid19, and about how much passion matters to John and to the world of food and beverage at large. John is tells the story of the end of his last relationship with a white man. The breakup happened during the pandemic and during the first week of the protests and riots surrounding the death of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many other Black citizens who have died at the hands of police. I asked John to come onto the show and tell us the story of the end of his last relationship. One of the things that he told me that kept ringing in my head was, "Loving a Black person doesn't mean fighting for their rights." John found that out - first hand.John Roman Saint-Jon was born on the Southside of the city of Chicago. When he was around the age of seven, his mother moved him to the Northside neighborhood of Rogers Park. John moved from the all-Black environment of Southside housing project Stateway Gardens to an area populated mostly by white and LatinX residents. He was one of the only Black students at a private high school in the Portage Park neighborhood. John has spent his professional life in the hospitality industry in Chicago. He's been a busboy, a server, and a general manager - just to name a few of the positions he's held. He's worked for small, family-run establishments and high-volume behemoths run by large restaurant groups. John has worked with Rick Bayless, at one point traveling to Mexico City with him. John has a love of performance and theatre and hopes to work his way into the world of acting.---------Episode Credits: Produced, edited, engineered, and hosted by Calvin MartyMusic by Calvin Marty

The very first episode of irRegular People features Casey Murtaugh and Miriam Dolnick, two Chicago art teachers who believe that in-person teaching in the Fall of 2020 is a bad idea, despite the necessity for close teacher-student relationships.We also talk about how stressful teaching can be, how both women find the outdoors and hot yoga life-saving remedies, collaboration and community, and the difficulties of balancing their own work as artists with the demands of their jobs.Bios and photos of both teachers can be found at www.irregularpeople.show, along with more info regarding their work. There's also a link to their August 6th, 2020 presentation with Gallery 400/UIC; it's a great way to dig further into their minds as artists and teachers.irRegular People is a production of Once Upon A Westler LLC.Episode Credits: Produced, hosted, edited, and mixed by Calvin Marty.Theme music: Calvin Marty.