Matthew Felix On Air: People Who Create. People Who Make a Difference.

In this, the final episode of Matthew Félix on Air, recorded live on September 25, 2019 at LitWings at Book Passage in Corte Madera (San Francisco Bay Area), I trace the trajectory of the video podcast from its inception to this last episode. Thanks to all of you who have watched and listened over the past year and a half! I’ll be back in 2020 with new podcasts! Meanwhile, keep up on the latest on matthewfelix.com!

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On this episode, which aired in July of last year, Dandelion Chocolate’s Greg D’Alesandre tells us what it’s like to travel the world eating chocolate. He also talks about the craft-chocolate movement, why relationships with producers matter, and much more about the story behind both Dandelion itself and the beans behind the bars!

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On today’s show, which aired in June of last year, Anne Devereux-Mills, founder of Parlay House, Executive Director of the Emmy-nominated The Return, and Chairwoman of the Board of Marchex, Inc. shares how starting over led her to look at how we—and women, in particular—can not only have deeper, more meaningful interactions but how they can have an inspiring, empowering cascade effect on others.

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On this episode, which aired in July of last year and is also included in my Words and Images podcast, award-winning artist and writer Paul Madonna talks about the joys and lingering challenges of a trip to France, how his All Over Coffee series and novel Close Enough for the Angels deconstructed then rethought the relationship between words and images, and his series in the Nob Hill Gazette, Quotable City.

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On this episode, which aired in June of last year, I talk with Jamison Watts, Executive Director of the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT), about MALT’s history and mission, their recent successes and current goals, and how agricultural land is preserved—and why it matters. MALT has worked with 85 farming families to preserve over 52,000 acres!

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On this episode, which aired in March of last year, my friend Susan Violante shares how in her 20s she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a chronic autoimmune-system-related disorder. Her diagnosis, however, was a long-time coming—and is an unbelievable story. We talked about Susan's experiences, as well as how she managed the disease into remission and now leads a happy, healthy life.

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. On this episode, which aired in March of last year, I talk with San Francisco Bicycle Coalition’s Communications Director, Chris Cassidy. We discuss the Coalition’s history, mission, and initiatives. Chris also clues us into the the state of biking in San Francisco, including issues facing bikers and progress being made toward not only an increasingly bikable city—but an increasingly bikable world.

The show is on hiatus for the summer, so I’m digging into the archives for some great episodes from the recent past. This episode, which aired in July of last year, is the first of two episodes I did with Litquake co-founders Jane Ganahl and Jack Boulware; this being the one with Jane. Litquake is a literary festival based in San Francisco. In 2017 Litquake featured 850 authors, had 14,300 attendees, and held 180 events, 86% of which were free. And that’s not even including the many Litquake spinoff events held in cities throughout the United States and abroad. I specifically dug this episode out of the archives now because Litquake is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, and while the main festival doesn’t happen until October, festivities are already underway. In this episode, I talk with co-founder Jane Ganahl about the organization’s origins, its incredibly successful namesake festival, its year-round initiatives, and much more.

For this, my last live show until fall, my guest was Guide Dogs for the Blind CEO and President, Chris Benninger. We talked about GDB's mission and programs, including how puppies become guide dogs (from breeding to socializing to puppy raising to training) and how people with visual impairments connect with guide dogs. We also talked about what happens to career-change dogs (i.e., those deemed better suited to other life paths), when and what happens in retirement, and how people can adopt career-change or retired guide dogs. All Guide Dogs for the Blind programs and services are free of charge, so I asked Chris about ways people can help, from contributing financially to volunteering and more. A great conversation with a delightful, inspiring guest about a wonderful organization making a difference for so many throughout North America. Christine Benninger joined Guide Dogs for the Blind in April of 2014. Prior to joining GDB, she spent 17 years leading the Humane Society Silicon Valley, during which she and her team helped save the lives of tens of thousands of animals and greatly reduce pet overpopulation problems in Santa Clara County. Chris honed her business skills as an auditor with Arthur Andersen, as well as in her 15 years at Hewlett Packard, where she held managerial positions in the U.S., as well as in Europe. Chris holds an MBA from Stanford University, and she gives back to the community through her role on the board for non-profit Wildlife Impact, which is committed to protecting the diversity of wildlife and natural habitats throughout the world.

Rachel Howard’s gripping, moving debut novel, The Risk of Us, is just out, the story of a woman who longs to be a mother and the captivating yet troubled child she and her husband take in. In this second of two episodes, Rachel and I discuss the fears the adoptive couple has, as well as the incredible challenges they face when interacting with the system. Matthew asks Rachel about how she created and sustained the tension felt throughout the novel, issues the couple faces with the potential adoptive child, and how our pasts affect our abilities to give and receive unconditional love - and whether it’s even possible. Rachel Howard earned her MFA in fiction from Warren Wilson College and is the author of a memoir, The Lost Night, featured on This American Life. Rachel is the recipient of a MacDowell Colony fellowship, and her fiction, essays, and dance criticism have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere.

Rachel Howard’s gripping, moving debut novel, The Risk of Us, is just out, the story of a woman who longs to be a mother and the captivating yet troubled child she and her husband take in. In this first of two episodes, Rachel and I discuss how she got started writing, an unlikely job that had a major influence on her work, and an overview of the novel. We also talked about the main characters in the novel and how trauma is a significant trait of two of them - and why it matters. Matthew also shares some foster care and adoption facts. Rachel Howard earned her MFA in fiction from Warren Wilson College and is the author of a memoir, The Lost Night, featured on This American Life. Rachel is the recipient of a MacDowell Colony fellowship, and her fiction, essays, and dance criticism have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere.

Ernest White II is producer and host of the upcoming public television travel show Fly Brother. In this second of two episodes, we discussed what’s involved in getting a show onto and collaborating with public television; the first season of Fly Brother, including listening to a sneak peak from the first episode; and what’s involved in producing each episode. Ernest also shared the time he ate fire for an episode and we discussed the effect of overtourism on some travel destinations.

TAKING OFF SOON ON PUBLIC TELEVISION! ✈️ (Part 1 of 2) Ernest White II is producer and host of the upcoming public television travel show Fly Brother. In this first of two episodes, we discussed his recent experience at the Cannes Film Festival, his love of travel and how it led to Fly Brother, and the challenges and advantages of independently producing a TV show.

Bees have been in the news a lot the past few years, both for the critical problems they’ve been facing and our increasing awareness of how important they are not only intrinsically, but to our own survival. I talked all things bees with urban beekeeper Derek Garnier. We discussed why we need our fuzzy friends, the challenges they face, and how you can help. We also talked the how-tos of beekeeping, making honey, and much more!

“She upended a 1000-year old Sicilian tradition.” In 1966 a young girl in Sicily upended 1000 years of Sicilian custom by refusing to marry the man who raped her. I talked with author Natalie Galli about her new book, which recounts her quest - over twenty years later - to try to find The Girl Who Said No. Natalie Galli has written two illustrated children’s books, and her writing has been anthologized in Italy, A Love Story. She has worked as an editor and proofreader for Burning Books, as a columnist for The Berkeley Monthly, and as a freelance contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Mia Funk not only paints and writes, but she interviews accomplished creators as part of her Creative Process Exhibition, founded at the Sorbonne and traveling to 40 leading universities worldwide. I talked with Mia about her own work, the exhibition, and interviewing. We also discussed the Notre Dame catastrophe - which we witnessed firsthand together - her own creative process, both as it relates to her writing and to her painting, and much more.

Happy Easter! Author, filmmaker, and LitWings founder Erin Byrne has had - and continues to have - a long love affair with Paris. She’s written and edited books about it, and is currently working on another. She’s made a film here. She holds an annual event here. I talked with Erin about how it all began, the books and film, and, of course, her recent LitWings event, which was the impetus for my own trip. We also talked magical guides, past and present; writing; Erin’s time at a Paris institution, Shakespeare & Company bookstore; travel; and much more. We went deep, we had a lot of laughs. Erin even decided to hijack my close! :o Erin Byrne is the author of Wings: Gifts of Art, Life, and Travel in France, editor of two Vignettes & Postcards anthologies—one for Paris and one for Morocco—and she is writer of The Storykeeper film. Erin’s travel essays, poetry, fiction, and screenplays have won many awards including three Grand Prize Solas Awards, the Foreword Indies Book of the Year, an Accolade Award for film, and the Pinnacle Achievement Award. Erin is Travel Writing curator for The Creative Process Exhibition, which was launched at the Sorbonne and travels to the world’s leading universities. Her screenplay, Siesta, is in pre-production in Spain, and she is working on a novel set in the Paris Ritz during the occupation. Next show Artist, author, and Creative Process Exhibition founder Mia Funk.

Bonjour de Paris! Are you interested in Paris? Do you like suspenseful literary novels? Two unrelated questions, except that on this episode I talked about both with author David Downie. David is a San Francisco native who has lived in Paris for over thirty years and has written a new novel that takes place in the Pacific Northwest. We talked about Paris, his new novel, and much more. David Downie has written for over 50 publications worldwide including Bon Appétit, The Los Angeles Times, Town & Country Travel, The San Francisco Chronicle, epicurious.com, and Salon.com. He is the author of the critically acclaimed Paris, Paris: Journey into the City of Light, three Terroir guides, as well as several cookbooks and crime novels.

SF Weekly said that “Grover is funny as hell.” And I agree. Author, poet, and artist Martha Grover and I had a great chat about writing and visual art, her zine, Somnambulist, and her memoirs, including The End of My Career - a finalist for the 2017 Oregon Book Awards in creative nonfiction. We also discussed process, some of the main themes in her work (work, illness, sex and relationships, humor), and her current project, a graphic memoir. Through it all, we also had a lot of laughs! A fun, inspiring conversation. Next show Writer, filmmaker, and LitWings founder Erin Byrne and I chat in Paris, France!

It was great having fellow Marsh-ian, stage performer, and podcast producer Natacha Ruck in the studio! We compared our recent experiences developing and performing our solo stages shows at San Francisco’s The Marsh theater, talked about Natacha’s other stage work, and much more! Natacha Ruck's documentary work has appeared at the MoMA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, as well as on National Geographic, NBC NY, and Link TV. Her podcasting work has appeared on NPR affiliates nationally and locally. She teaches multimedia storytelling at the University of San Francisco (USF), is workshopping a solo performance, and runs DoTellDo.com, a storytelling service company.

We laughed. We (nearly) cried. We had a fantastic conversation! I loved having award-winning author Nona Caspers in the studio! We talked Edgar, writing, and all about her beautiful book, The Fifth Woman, this week named a Lambda Literary Award Finalist AND Foreword INDIES Book of the Year finalist- and already awarded the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction! While we were at, we also discussed grief, magical realism, the malleability of time - and humor! Nona's work has been supported by a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and her stories have appeared in literary reviews such as Kenyon Review, Glimmer Train, and The Sun. She is a professor of creative writing at San Francisco State University.

Janis Feichtmeir, Licensed Acupuncturist, is co-founder of Clouds Rest Healing Center in San Francisco. I talked with Janis all about acupuncture, from what it is to why it works to needles and herbs and much more, including moxibustion, cupping, and qi!

MURDER IN PARIS

Valerie Stimac is founder and editor of Space Tourism Guide. She started the site after realizing how many friends and family had never seen the Milky Way, and that space tourism was going to unlock the next great travel destination: space! . For this, my first show of 2019, I talked with Valerie about what “space tourism” encompasses, from happenings here on Earth (e.g., stargazing, watching rocket launches, and her experience at space camp!) to when we might be able to plan our next vacation on Mars (i.e., the latest on space-travel efforts underway by Branson, Musk, Bezos, and more).

More than 80% of the world and more than 99% of the U.S. and European populations live under light-polluted skies. Scientists estimate that in about 10 years, America will have only three dark patches of land where people will be able to clearly see the Milky Way. I talked with photographer and writer Sivani about Dark Sky Conservation, a movement working to protect the night skies - and why it’s so important. Sivani Babu is the co-founder and Creative Director of online magazine Hidden Compass. She is an award-winning writer and photographer who has contributed work to BBC Travel, CNN, Backpacker, Outdoor Photographer, Nature Photographer, Iron Horse Literary Review, and more.

In the lead-up to our Book Passage Morocco event with Erin Byrne and Deep Travel Workshops next Friday, 12/7, I talked with NPR storyteller and Emmy-nominated writer Doug Cordell about the art of storytelling, including what he taught on a workshop in Morocco - and what he learned from a legendary traditional Moroccan storyteller. Doug Cordell’s true-life radio stories air on NPR’s Snap Judgment and APM's Marketplace. He delivers talks and workshops on the Power of Storytelling, and is a member of the Writers Guild of America with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Writing. Doug’s television credits include PBS, Disney and Nickelodeon.

I talked with coffee expert Willem Boot all about specialty coffee: the business, the art, the ethics and more. We also discussed Willem’s company, Boot Coffee, including its offerings (consulting, courses, trips), Willem’s farms in Ethiopia and Panama, and the coffee that turned his world upside down. Willem Boot is the founder of Boot Coffee, located in San Rafael, California. He’s also a coffee expert who has advised coffee companies, coffee associations, development banks and governments around the world. Willem appears in Dave Egger’s recent book, The Monk of Mokha. He has never lived in Istanbul, despite what a blog on his website might claim.

Linda Watanabe McFerrin is a poet, travel writer, novelist and founder of Left Coast Writers. Linda has a new collection of her work coming out in 2019 and is editor of a Cuba anthology out soon. We talked poetry and prose, travel, zombies, staying connected to loved ones who have passed on, her books - including her two forthcoming ones - and much, more more. A great conversation!

With the 11/11 release date just one week away, Matthew presented his new book, Porcelain Travels: Humor, Horror and Revelation in, on and around Toilets, Tubs and Showers for the very first time - both from the studio and a couple of other unorthodox - but very fitting - locations. Porcelain Travels has already been designated an Amazon #1 New Release in both Travel Humor and Literary Travel.

Anne Sigmon had it all: love, career, world travel. Then, at the young age of 48, she also had a stroke. I had the pleasure of reading Anne’s unreleased memoir, “Scrambling Back,” which describes how her life was changed overnight - and how she fought hard to reclaim much of what was lost, including her passion for traveling the world. We talked about stroke and memory loss, autoimmune disease, and much, much more. Anne Sigmon is an award-winning writer and traveler whose work has been published in national magazines and ten anthologies including Good Housekeeping and Stroke Connection magazines; The Good Housekeeping and American Heart Association websites; and the digital magazines Best Travel Writing.com, GeoEx.com, Wanderlust and Lipstick, and Southern Sampler.

LGBTQ seniors face a unique set of challenges as they age, particularly when trying to find affordable housing. They are much more likely to be single, live alone, and have no children compared to the general population, as a result of which they tend to be more isolated and have less support. In care homes, LGBTQ seniors often confront homophobia and unfair treatment that drives them back into the closet. San Francisco’s Openhouse helps to provide housing, direct services, and community programs to Bay Area LGBT seniors. I talked with Director of Programs about Openhouse’s missions, programs, and successes.

The LA Times called Literary Death Match “...the most entertaining reading series ever." In the lead-up to next week’s 10/17 San Francisco Literary Death Match, I talked with producer Matthew DeCoster about what it is, how it attracts such top-notch talent and celebrity judges, and why it’s been such a success the world over, from New York to London to Shanghai and beyond. Matthew DeCoster is a producer at Literary Death Match San Francisco and a former member of Litquake's Executive Committee. At Litquake, he produced Write On and hosted Barely Published Authors. He's been published in sPARKLE & bLINK, SFWire, and BANG OUT, and featured at numerous reading series.

Cannabis activists David Goldman and Michael Koehn talk about the past, present, and future of pot, from medical marijuana to legalization of recreational pot to current cannabis-related issues on the political scene. David Goldman and Michael Koehn have lived in San Francisco for over 45 years. Active in the past in the civil rights movement for the LGBT community, for the past 12 years, they have worked tirelessly for the rights of medical cannabis patients and for cannabis law reform. From 2008 through 2013, they were on the leadership team of the San Francisco chapter of Americans for Safe Access, the nation's largest organization devoted to medical cannabis advocacy. In 2014, they became leaders in the San Francisco chapter of the Brownie Mary Democratic Club, continuing their work on cannabis law reform. David served on San Francisco's Medical Cannabis Task Force from 2009 - 2011.

Litquake co-founder Jack Boulware filled us in on what’s in store for this year’s San Francisco festival, October 11 - 20! Litquake is an annual literary festival started in 1999 in San Francisco that has since spread to cities throughout the country and abroad. The festival consists of readings, discussions, and themed events, and it’s heralded as the largest literary event west of the Mississippi. To date 7,100 authors and 145,854 attendees have participated in the festival.

Director of Programming for the Mill Valley Film Festival, Zoë Elton, talks about what’s going on in film and what’s in store for this year’s festival, which takes place 10/4 - 10/14! In addition to a who’s who of A-listers, including past guests Helen Mirren, Ryan Gosling, Glenn Close, Edward Norton, and too many others to mention, every year the 11-day Mill Valley Film Festival welcomes more than 200 filmmakers and 60,000 attendees from around the world.

Travel writers Kimberley Lovato and Jill Robinson presented their new book, for tourists and locals alike! We had a hilarious and informative talk ranging from why they decided to write a book for people about to die; the truth about fortune cookies, the color of the Golden Gate Bridge (not gold!), and the name of San Francisco’s fog. We also learned about Irish coffee, how Jill became a certified ninja demi-goddess of tequila, and the risks involved running naked in San Francisco’s famed Bay to Breakers race. And much, much more (seriously)…

Nahid Fattahi is a humanitarian, storyteller, poet, yogi, and soon-to-be psychologist. She is also an Afghan refugee. We talked about her incredible escape from Afghanistan, the work she’s done with refugees both in Greece and with Partnerships for Trauma Recovery, and why she decided to give up her lucrative marketing career to become a psychologist. We also pondered her beguiling love of Canada’s Tim Horton’s coffee, clarified for listeners that Afghanistan is not located in Africa, and mused upon the difference between mules and donkeys—without coming to any conclusions. Nahid also read for us a poem in Farsi, and another in English, which she wrote for her son. An engaging, fun, and illuminating conversation.

A wide-ranging talk with Borderlands Books' owner and founder Alan Beatts. Matthew and Alan discussed Borderlands' history -- including the controversy that garnered it unexpected national attention in 2015, landing Alan everywhere from the pages of the New Yorker to on camera for Fox and other news outlets. Matthew and Alan also talked about what the climate is like today for indie bookstores, both how they've dealt with Amazon and some of the innovative ways they continue to adapt to the future. Borderlands Books is a new and used bookstore specializing in science fiction, fantasy, mystery and horror, located in San Francisco's Mission District. Borderlands is one of the largest stores in their specialty in the world, with nearly 30,000 titles in stock. The store has been mentioned in AAA's travel magazine VIA, Gourmet Magazine, and the Washington Post. Last April, Borderlands made Atlas Obscura’s list of 62 of the World's Best Independent Bookstores.

Matthew has a fascinating talk with dream expert Jane Carleton about dreams, dreaming, dream work, and more! What are dreams? Why do they matter? How can we remember them? What about nightmares? Recurring dreams? How can we understand what they might be trying to tell us? How can dreams be used to heal? Jane Carleton has a BA in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MA in Consciousness and Transformative Studies, as well as a Graduate Certificate in Dream Studies from John F. Kennedy University. She has taught graduate level courses on dreams, the imagination, and synchronicity at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, and she is a presenting member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

For his first-ever video podcast episode, Matthew's first guest was...himself! After author, filmmaker, and LitWings founder Erin Byrne was on a previous episode of the show, she enthusiastically declared she wanted to turn the tables and interview Matthew. And so, for the inaugural video podcast episode, she did just that. Erin and Matthew talked about his two published books, as well as his forthcoming one; his time living in Spain, France, and Turkey; and his recent trip to Central Asia. The conversation also ventured into intuition, the show itself, and much more. A fun, in-depth, wide-ranging interview.