Podcasts about The arts

If no one is around, is anyone watching? Lady of the Lake Georgia's Lake Lanier seems like the perfect spot to spend the Fourth of July. But beneath the calm blue waters… something's watching.  Thank you Alyse for sharing your story with Spooked! Produced by Erick Yáñez, original score by Yari Bundy, scouted by Evan Stern, artwork by Teo Ducot. Fluffy Guardians  Loral has always been a friend to the neighborhood cats. When danger lurks, will those kitties return the favor? Thanks Loral for telling us your story! Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Sandra Lawson-Ndu. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Martial-arts icon and Christian nationalist Chuck Norris has died at the age of 86. Seth has thoughts (plus your calls).VIDEO of this streamBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/thethinkingatheist--3270347/support.

In this episode, Kyle introduces musician and Chek Institute trainee Adam Fallen, an advanced BioGeometry student trained under the late Dr. Robert Gilbert. Fallen recounts growing up in Charleston's School of the Arts, starting guitar at 12, gigging professionally by 15, touring with Clay Aiken at 18, moving to New York, and performing with Queen Latifah at the Super Bowl while also touring with major pop artists. Burnout and health issues on the road led him to holistic medicine, ayahuasca, Stanislav Grof's birth-trauma ideas, and ultimately Paul Chek's teachings. He describes a BioGeometry intervention that restored his hearing, deeper study of EMFs and “centering” quality, and how BioGeometry improved the host's sleep and home environment. Fallen explains moving from LA to Austin after New Zealand building-biology study, fires, and illness, then outlines his upcoming book EARS (Energy, Awareness, Rhythm, Sauce), his Fallen Frequency Podcast, and a free energy assessment offer. Connect with Adam here: Instagram Fallen Frequency From Kyle: The Community is coming! Click here to learn more   Our Sponsors: Let's level up your nicotine routine with Lucy. Go to Lucy.co/KKP and use promo code (KKP) to get 20% off your first order. Lucy offers FREE SHIPPING and has a 30-day refund policy if you change your mind. These are the b3 bands I was talking about. They are amazing, I highly recommend incorporating them into your movement practice.   Connect with Kyle: I'm back on Instagram, come say hey @kylekingsbu Twitter: @kingsbu Our Farm Initiative: @gardenersofeden.earth Odysee: odysee.com/@KyleKingsburypod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Kyle-Kingsbury Kyle's Website: www.kingsbu.com - Gardeners of Eden site   If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe & leave a 5-star review with your thoughts!

This is the Thursday Lenten evening liturgy for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/. CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #8 - Lent” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Compline #9 - Desert” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Ash Wednesday's Early Morn” by Nelson Koscheski (BMI), Ryan Flanigan (BMI); © 2018 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), Ryan Flanigan Music (BMI) (admin by Capitol CMG Publishing). CCLI #7123490.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame. SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love.Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwaDiscover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love!Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwa

EP 25 - Finding Clarity in the Chaos | Bridgette Bramlage | Collage ArtistIn this energizing and thought-provoking episode, Nicole Thomas welcomes Bridgette Bramlage, a bold and dynamic collage artist from Chicago, who transforms vintage magazines and advertisements into powerful, humorous, and deeply feminist visual narratives. What began as a way to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic blossomed into an award-winning career, featuring gallery exhibitions, artist residencies in the U.S. and France, and a signature analog aesthetic grounded in storytelling, commentary, and craft.

Martha C. Nussbaum, distinguished service professor of law and philosophy at the University of Chicago and the author of The Republic of Love: Opera & Political Freedom (Oxford University Press, 2026), offers her analysis of opera as an arm of the Enlightenment, from Mozart to today.   cover image courtesy of the publisher

PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents the Tuesday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast with guest co-host Rich Fann, a PWTorch columnist.Ronda Rousey's debut for AEW at Revolution on Sunday, the social media reaction, Rousey's baggage, and her potential to help AEW (and Toni Storm, in particular)More social media controversies regarding WWE assigning people to watch AEW, Ricochet's comment to a detractor regarding his MS, and Britt Baker on her AEW statusThe Randy Orton appearance on Raw and thoughts on his turn on Cody Rhodes and the story they're tellingThe latest with C.M. Punk and Roman Reigns on Raw, and in particular points that were scored by eachMore WWE notes on AAA relationship, Dominik benefiting from AAA, Penta, Judgment Day, and Oba Femi-Brock Lesnar-Paul Heyman-Seth RollinsWill Ospreay's return to action on AEW Dynamite tomorrowA preview of Dynamite announced matchesOverall thoughts on AEW RevolutionMAILBAGWas AEW a big moment of growth for them compared to WWE given the energy in the building and the big surprises and just how much more of an event it felt like compared to WWE PLEs?Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

I loved the Bread Loaf School of English program at Middlebury College. It's a unique summer program leading to a Masters in English, catering almost entirely to English teachers. So the class conversations are literary, but somehow it's all infused with teaching ideas, since it's almost all teachers in every room. Through this program, I spent two summers in Vermont, two in Santa Fe, and one in Oxford. I'd be happy to talk about it here, in today's episode on masters programs, but I already shared a complete review, from my perspective, of The Bread Loaf School back in episode 223, so I'm going to direct you over to that episode if you're looking for a masters in English right now that you can do in person while you teach.  But then there's the other option for an English teacher - a masters in the field of education. There are soooo many possibilities that it's a bit hard to know where to start. So here I'm going to round up some top candidates that I considered when I recently decided to go back and get a second masters. They all appeal in different ways. In the blog post, I'll let you know the name of the program, the format, the length, the description as given on the program website, and the current deadline to apply that they have listed for the nine programs I considered. In the podcast version, I'm going to zoom in on my personal top candidates. I'll also share links in this blog post and the podcast show notes to the many ongoing conversations on masters programs always taking place in Creative High School English, and to the U.S. News and World Report Rankings for top programs. All the Links!  The Masters in Teaching & Curriculum at Michigan State University (all online): https://online.msu.edu/programs/teaching-curriculum  The Master of Arts in Education from Arizona State University (all online): https://asuonline.asu.edu/online-degree-programs/graduate/masters-in-education/   Learning Design, Innovation and Technology Program (in person):  At Harvard: https://www.gse.harvard.edu/degrees/masters/program/ldit  At Stanford: https://ed.stanford.edu/ldt  Interested in a Masters in ENGLISH? To learn about a summer in-person program for teachers that I did and loved, check out Episode 223: The Bread Loaf School of English Want to read the most current conversations about masters programs in Creative High School English? Here they are: https://www.facebook.com/groups/256927044749038/search/?q=masters%20program  The U.S. News and World Report ranking for best programs in Curriculum & Instruction: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/curriculum-instruction-rankings  The U.S. News and World Report ranking for best programs in Secondary Instruction: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/secondary-teacher-education-rankings  Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Grab the free Better Discussions toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram.  Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the 'gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you!   

It's Wednesday, March 18th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Timothy Reed Swedish Christian family guilty of “religious extremism” for going to church The European Court of Human Rights refused to hear an appeal of a Swedish Christian family in a case involving parental rights and religious freedom. Back in 2022, officials in Sweden separated Daniel and Bianca Samson from their two eldest daughters. The state found no evidence of abuse but accused the family of “religious extremism” for simply attending church three times a week. Morales Sancho, Legal Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom International, stated, “The element of religious discrimination is also unmistakable in this case. The state labeled the family as religious extremists solely because of their active practice of their Christian faith.” Psalm 14:4 asks, “Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up My people as they eat bread, and do not call on the LORD?” Swedish population embraces sexual perversion Sadly, people in Sweden are the most likely to view homosexuality as morally acceptable in a recent Pew Research survey. The study surveyed 30,000 people across 25 countries. People in European countries were also among the most likely to be morally accepting of homosexuality, abortion, and divorce.   Christianity's decline in England People in Britain are worried about the decline of Christianity in the nation. A study by Whitestone Insight found that 52% of Brits believe that drifting from their Christian roots is bad for future generations. Fifty-eight percent also said that Christianity plays a beneficial role in public life.  This comes as Christian identification has declined. Only 44% of adults in Britain identified as Christian last year, down from 54% in 2018. Carrie Prejean, who objected to Zionism, was fired by Trump's religious liberty commissionIn the United States, a member of the U.S. President's Religious Liberty Commission, Carrie Prejean Boller, was removed from her position after she registered opposition to Zionism last month.  A recent convert to Catholicism, Boller challenged the tenets of Zionism, claiming they were incompatible with her faith. She also sent a letter to President Donald Trump after her removal, explaining her misgivings. She appeared on the podcast of LifeSiteNews.com editor John-Henry Western. BOLLER: “I know there's three Catholics that are thinking about running for president in 2028 so I don't think now is the time to really dismiss Catholics, fire Catholics, remove Catholics, simply because I'm standing up for my Catholic faith. “So, I'm hopeful that he's going to make the right decision. Otherwise, this religious liberty commission should be completely shut down. If I don't have my religious freedom on a Religious Freedom Commission, it's not a religious freedom commission.” Christian workplaces thrive Employees in Christian-led workplaces report high levels of engagement in their work according to a new report.  The State of the Christian Workplace 2026 report released new data on 40,000 employees in over 400 Christian organizations in the U.S. Sixty-one percent of employees in Christian-led workplaces reported being engaged in their work. These engagement levels are nearly twice that of the U.S. workforce overall.  Jay Bransford, President & CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, noted, “Engaged employees bring energy, enthusiasm, commitment, and passion that directly fuel Kingdom impact.” Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” U.S. federal workforce shrunk by 10.3% Pew Research reports that the U.S. federal workforce shrank by 10.3 percent in 2025.  Nearly 350,000 people quit, retired, were laid off, or otherwise left the federal government last year. That's an 80 percent increase compared to 2024. Agencies with the most job cuts included the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, and the Education Department. 18-year-old rescues brother from axe-wielding man And finally, an 18-year-old is thanking God after protecting his brother from an ax-wielding man in Florida over the weekend.  Fox News reports Leodan Pino and his 16-year-old brother were closing up a car wash in Ocala. That's when the suspect approached while yelling and threatening.  Pino told the man he had to leave. The man refused and pulled out an ax.  Thankfully, Pino is a military recruit and trained in mixed martial arts. He proceeded to execute a take down and subdued the suspect until police arrived.  Listen to his comments afterward.  PINO: “I'm very thankful that God gave me the opportunity and gave me the strength to be able to control that situation. Very thankful that I was the one closing with my brother and no one else was. Because I'm not too sure if any of my co-workers would have done the same thing as I would have.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, March 18th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Nate Lindberg and Kevin Cattani discuss Izzi Dame vs. Tatum Paxley in a steel cage, Jacy Jayne vs. Sol Ruca vs. Zaria, Hank & Tank vs. Uriah Connors & Stacks, Fallon Henley vs. Wren Sinclair, Los Americanos vs. Vanity Project, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

There is a new book out from Ave Maria Press. It's called “A Book of Everyday Blessings”—and today's host, Eric Clayton, was eager to get his hands on it. He knew this would be one of those books to reach for time and again to begin a meeting, to ground a retreat, to start moments of personal prayer. It's just full of beautiful, nuanced and poignant blessings for every moment of life. Eric was so excited about it that he wanted to learn more about the author, Christine Valters Paintner. In his research, he discovered that she is the online abbess for the Abbey of the Arts. He poked around the website, abbeyofthearts.com, and found in so many ways the workings of a kindred spirit. Here was someone—a whole community of someones—who cared deeply about the intersection of creativity and spirituality. But where we at the Jesuit Media Lab approach these questions through the lens of the Ignatian tradition, the Abbey of the Arts and its abbess, Christine Paintner, approach these questions and the journey they beget through the monastic tradition. Eric knew he had to talk to her. And in reaching out, he came to learn that—not only is she Jesuit educated, with degrees from Fordham and Santa Clara, among many other credentials—but she has written a library worth of books including, “The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom.” They had a really delightful conversation. For those of you who—like all of us at the Jesuit Media Lab—live at this intersection of creativity and spirituality, we believe you'll find the integration of another spiritual tradition helpful. Abbey of the Arts: https://abbeyofthearts.com/ A Book of Everyday Blessings: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/a-book-of-everyday-blessings The Artist's Rule: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/The-Artists-Rule

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (3-15-2021), PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn guest hosts for Wade Keller and is joined by PWTorch contributor and host of the “MMA Talk for Pro Wrestling Fans” Dailycast, Robert Vallejos, to talk WWE Monday Night Raw with listener calls and emails. Discussion points include the weak hype for Fastlane, WrestleMania overshadowing Fastlane promotion, pros and cons of declaring Drew McIntyre as the number one contender to Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania, problems with Shane vs. Strowman, next steps for the Raw women's division, how to better use the three-hour Raw format, and more. Enjoy!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

This is the Wednesday Lenten evening liturgy for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/. CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #8 - Lent” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Compline #9 - Desert” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Ash Wednesday's Early Morn” by Nelson Koscheski (BMI), Ryan Flanigan (BMI); © 2018 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), Ryan Flanigan Music (BMI) (admin by Capitol CMG Publishing). CCLI #7123490.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame. SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love.Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwaDiscover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love!Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwa

The couple's view of life is smiling and informing getting set for a rescheduled to view the cranes in Nebraska. We also include the Oscars, William Powell, John Mayer, Bruce Hornsy, Aixois, new books for each of us, and much more including Jayne rightly correcting Danny's pronunciation of Cilliam Murphy. How Reconcilable!!

What happens when artists step forward not just to create, but to defend the freedom to create?In this opening episode of a new Art in Action series produced with the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, Bill Cleveland speaks with Joni Doherty, Senior Program Officer for Democracy and the Arts. Their conversation begins with a rediscovered 1964 speech by Martin Luther King Jr. in Dayton, Ohio, and unfolds into a powerful exploration of how artists today are confronting censorship, recovering buried histories, and expanding the civic imagination.As Doherty explains, the arts are not merely decoration for democracy—they are one of its most powerful engines.Through stories of collaboration between artists, poets, dancers, and community leaders in Dayton, the conversation reveals how creative work can become a living civic process, one that helps communities reflect on their past, confront their present, and imagine new futures.In this episode we explore:How an almost forgotten Martin Luther King Jr. speech sparked a multi—disciplinary arts movement in Dayton, Ohio.How artists are confronting censorship and cultural erasure by reclaiming hidden histories and expanding the frame of what we see.Why artistic creativity may be one of democracy's most powerful tools—what Cleveland calls a kind of “creative cold fusion.”Listen in as Joni Doherty shares how artists, community leaders, and cultural institutions are working together to defend freedom of expression, and why the work of imagination is essential to the future of democracy.Notable MentionsPeopleJoni Doherty – Senior Program Officer for Democracy and the Arts at the Charles F.Kettering Foundation, working to build collaborations between artists and civic institutions that strengthen democratic life.Bill Cleveland – Artist, writer, and host of Art Is Change, known for documenting the role of community—based arts in social transformation.Martin Luther King Jr. – Civil rights leader whose philosophy of nonviolent resistance and moral courage continues to inspire movements for justice and democratic freedom.Willis “Bing” Davis – Dayton-based visual artist and community arts leader whose work explores American history, identity, and cultural resilience.Sharon L. Davies – President and CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, leadinginitiatives focused on democracy, civic engagement, and innovation.Debbie Blunden Diggs – Executive Director and Artistic Director of the DaytonContemporary Dance Company, one of the nation's leading modern dance organizations.Sarah Lewis – Art historian and author whose work explores perception, race, and representation in visual culture.Sierra Leone — Governor's Award winner, poet and writer Sierra Leone is the president, artistic director and cofounder of OFP Theatre and Production Company. For more than a decade, Ohio has benefitted from Sierra's vision of creative urban arts as a powerful artistic medium to bring communities together across racial, cultural, ideological, and economic divides.OrganizationsBlack Palette Art Gallery — Owned by artist James Pate and his partner Shola Odumade, the gallery is located in Dayton's historic Wright Dunbar district. Along with the EboNia Gallery, it co—hosted the Visual Voices exhibition discussed in the podcast.Charles F. Kettering Foundation — A nonpartisan research foundation focused on affirming and advancing inclusive democracy and countering authoritarianism.Democracy and the Arts — One of the Kettering Foundation's five focus areas. The Democracy and the Arts program integrates the unique power of the arts into the foundation's work locally, nationally, and globally.Dayton Art Institute A major regional art museum that hosts exhibitions and community arts programming.Dayton Contemporary Dance Company – One of the nation's premier modern dance companies, known for work rooted in African American cultural traditions.EboNia Gallery — A gallery owned by Willis “Bing” Davis that exhibits contemporary African—American artwork. Located in the Wright—Dunbar District in Dayton, it co—hosted the Visual Voices exhibition discussed in the podcast.Smithsonian Institution – The United States' national museum and research complex, referenced in the conversation in relation to debates over cultural representation and censorship.Events & Historical ReferencesCold Fusion Announcement (1989) – A controversial scientific claim made by chemists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons that nuclear fusion had been achieved at room temperature.The Third Reich – Nazi Germany (1933—1945), referenced as an example of authoritarian regimes suppressing artistic freedom.Stalinist Russia – Period of Soviet rule marked by strict political control and censorship of artistic expression.Cambodian Genocide – Under the Khmer Rouge regime (1975—1979), artists,intellectuals, and cultural practitioners were systematically persecuted.PublicationsThe Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America – A book by Sarah Lewis that examines hos visual culture and perception shape racial understanding and historical memory.Visual Voices: An Exhibition of African American Artists Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's 1964 Dayton Speech — A catalog that includes all of the works in the exhibition discussed in the podcast.Visual Voices: Storytelling Through Poetry — An anthology of ekphrastic poems created in response to the artwork in Visual Voices: An Exhibition of African American Artists Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's 1964 Dayton Speech..*******Art Is CHANGE is a podcast that chronicles the power of art and community transformation, providing a platform for activist artists to share their experiences and gain the skills and strategies they need to thrive as agents of social change.Through compelling conversations with artist activists, artivists, and cultural organizers, the podcast explores how art and activism intersect to fuel cultural transformation and drive meaningful change. Guests discuss the challenges and triumphs of community arts, socially engaged art, and creative placemaking, offering insights into artist mentorship, building credibility, and communicating impact.Episodes delve into the realities of...

Today we jump back 15 years to the Mar. 15, 2011 episode of the PWTorch Livecast featuring host PWTorch editor Wade Keller and Prowrestling.net's Jason Powell. They took live calls for an hour on a variety of subjects including a focus on Sunday night's TNA Victory Road main event mess with Jeff Hardy vs. Sting, the previous night's Raw including the latest WrestleMania hype, and a variety of other subjects brought up by callers.Then in the previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow, they discussed in-depth most segments of Raw.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Why do some people get promoted while others stay stuck—despite working just as hard? In this powerful re-release episode of the Live Greatly podcast, Kristel Bauer sits down with workplace expert Michelle P. King Ph.D. to break down the hidden dynamics behind career advancement, promotions, and success at work. If you're looking to grow your career, strengthen your leadership skills, and stand out in today's competitive workplace, this conversation is packed with insights you can start using right away. Dr. King shares key concepts from her book How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself, including how informal networks, self-awareness, and social dynamics play a major role in who advances—and why. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why some people get promoted faster than others The hidden factors influencing career advancement How to build and leverage informal networks at work The role of self-awareness in leadership and career growth Common relationship dynamics that create stress at work Practical ways to improve how you work with others Why high performers don't always get ahead—and how to change that A powerful approach to asking better questions for feedback Whether you're an emerging leader, seasoned professional, or someone looking to take the next step in your career, this episode offers valuable strategies to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. ABOUT MICHELLE KING Ph.D:  Dr. Michelle P. King is a globally recognized expert on inequality and organizational culture. Based on over a decade's worth of research, Michelle believes that we need to learn how workplaces work, so we can make them work for everyone. She is the host of a popular podcast called The Fix. Michelle is the author of the bestselling, award-winning book: The Fix: Overcome the Invisible Barriers that are Holding Women Back at Work. Her second book, How Work Works: The Subtle Science of Getting Ahead Without Losing Yourself, publishes internationally on October 10th, 2023 (HarperCollins).  Michelle is an award-winning academic with five degrees including a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Organizational Psychology, a Master of Arts in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, a Master of Business Administration, a Postgraduate Degree in Journalism and a PhD in Management. Michelle is pursuing a post-doctoral research fellowship with Cranfield University in the United Kingdom. In addition, Michelle is an award winning speaker, having spoken at over 500 events worldwide including conferences like the Nobel Peace Prize Conference, Ellevate Network Conference, The Massachusetts Conference for Women, Texas Conference for Women, SXSW, She Summit and the Pennsylvania Conference for Women.  Michelle is represented by London Speakers Bureau and regularly hosts keynotes, fireside chats or masterclasses with companies like, Amazon, FIFA, Guardian, Dior, FedEx, Netflix, BNP Paribas, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley and Met Life to name a few. Michelle is the founder of The Culture Practice, a global consultancy that provides leaders with the assessment, development, and inclusion coaching needed to build cultures that value difference. In addition, Michelle is a Senior Advisor to the UN Foundation's Girl Up Campaign, where she leads the NextGen Leadership Development Program, which enables young women to navigate and overcome the barriers to their success. Before this, Michelle was the Director of Inclusion at Netflix. Before that, she was the head of UN Women's Global Innovation Coalition for Change, which includes managing over 30 private sector partnerships to accelerate the achievement of gender equality and women's empowerment. Michelle has two decades of international experience working in the private sector. Website: https://www.michellepking.com  Book: https://www.michellepking.com/how-work-works/  Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/michellepenelopeking  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellepenelopeking/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/michellepking  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellepking/?originalSubdomain=uk  Hosted by Kristel Bauer, keynote speaker, author, and performance expert. Book Kristel for Your Event or Team Bring these strategies to your organization:

Today we jump back five years to the Mar. 11 and 18, 2026 episodes of the All Elite Aftershow.3/11/2021: What a show! Mike and Andrew begin talking about Christian signing with AEW (spoiler: they're not fans of the way it was handled). From there, they talk about the lack of explosion in the Revolution main event, and Mike rants and raves a bit about how he's concerned by AEW's apparent unwillingness to be held accountable for anything. From there, they run through a bunch of emails on Dynamite and Revolution.3/18/2021: Mike and Andrew begin this week's show talking about a terrific Dynamite main event between Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker. Then they get into some of Tony Khan playing a “GM” role on Dark Elevation this week, and they take listener emails touching on a bunch of different topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

Riad Kassis joins Mark Labberton from Beirut as airstrikes continue, 700,000 people have been displaced across Lebanon, and children's toys are visible in the rubble. He leads Langham Partnership and has spent decades serving the church across one of the world's most contested regions. He names the spiritual danger of sanctifying power with religious narrative while insisting peace cannot be forced by violence. "Peace does not come by power. It comes by genuine love and concern. It comes when you invest in the education of new generations." In this episode, Kassis reflects on war, displacement, pastoral witness, and hope in God's sovereignty from the middle of Lebanon's crisis. Together they discuss the civilian toll of the war, how religious fundamentalism operates across traditions, the Psalms and Habakkuk as tools for lament, and what American Christians can actually do. Together they ask what it means for the church to hold protest and hope together when cycles of war feel endless and religiously justified. Episode Highlights "It is not an operation. It is a war on Lebanon." "When power—whether political, military, financial, or technological—is sanctified by religious narratives that justify everything, that is what really bothers me." "No one cures and destroys with more passion than someone who believes that God is on their side." "When I think that these 85 children were killed mainly by American ammunition and weapons, I cannot comprehend this—even as a Christian and as a theologian." "Peace does not come by power. It comes by genuine love and concern. It comes when you invest in the education of new generations." About Riad Kassis Riad Kassis is a Langham Scholar from Lebanon and is deeply committed to global theological education. He has served as International Director of the International Council for Evangelical Theological Education (ICETE), Regional Director for Overseas Council, as well as visiting professor of Old Testament at The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary and Near East School of Theology in Beirut, and the Dean of the Program for Theological Education by Extension in Syria and Lebanon. Riad obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Economics in Damascus, Syria. He went on to obtain his Master of Divinity from Alliance Biblical Seminary, Manila, Philippines and Master of Theology from Regent College, Canada. Riad received his Doctor of Philosophy in Old Testament as a Langham scholar from The University of Nottingham, UK and his Master of Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. Helpful Links and Resources Riad Kassis, Frustrated with God: A Syrian Theologian's Reflections on Habakkuk https://www.amazon.com/Frustrated-God-Theologians-Reflections-Habakkuk/dp/1533513171 Langham Partnership https://us.langham.org/  Show Notes Kassis speaking live from Beirut as war unfolds around him Home in Bika Valley, Mount Hermon visible each morning—Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine converging "It is not an operation. It is a war on Lebanon." 150 airstrikes in 24 hours; 550+ killed, 1,500+ injured, including 85 children 700,000 displaced; 200,000 children; many still on the streets of Beirut Schoolbooks and children's toys found in the rubble Christian village of Alma ordered to evacuate; mayor on television in tears A Catholic priest who stayed to help an injured family was killed in a second strike His wife Izdihar's center for Syrian refugee women and girls shut down; staff now distributing meals, mattresses, medical care in shelters Hoped the war could be avoided—feared it could not "When power—political, military, technological—is sanctified by religious narratives that justify everything, that is what really bothers me." Iranian author Shiha Dejani, herself a survivor of the Iranian regime: if your vision of liberation comes through destroying innocent lives, it is not freedom you are after Grew up admiring America as a beacon of democracy and discovery; that view has changed "When I think these 85 children were killed mainly by American ammunition, I cannot comprehend this—even as a Christian and as a theologian." "No one cures and destroys with more passion than someone who believes that God is on their side." Walter Wink: the dominant religion on the planet is not Christianity, Islam, or Judaism—it is the pervasive faith in violence Preaching Habakkuk two days before this conversation; the cry "how long, O Lord?" as pastoral anchor Psalms of disorientation as communal tools for protest, lament, and stubborn hope Lent and Ramadan overlapping: identifying suffering with Christ's suffering; "after Friday, we will experience an amazing Sunday" 2,000 years of Arab Christian presence in this region—not just survival, but witness and contribution "Peace does not come by power. It comes by genuine love and concern. It comes when you invest in the education of new generations." Asks for prayer for the war's end, for political wisdom, for his canceled flight—he is trying to reach his first grandson's dedication Labberton closes in prayer: for restraint of ego-driven leaders, for human dignity, for a peace that is both merciful and just #ConversingWithMarkLabberton #RiadKassis #Lebanon #MiddleEast #Peacebuilding #ChristianWitness #Theology #Habakkuk #LanghamPartnership #WarAndFaith Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment Magazine and Fuller Seminary.  

PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch's Nick Barbati from the VIP Podcast "The Nicky's Club" covering WWE each week. They discuss at length the third face-to-face segment in the build to WrestleMania between Roman Reigns and C.M. Punk, plus Oba Femi-Brock Lesnar-Seth Rollins, why Danhausen works and who he compares to in pop culture historically, and much more with live caller and chat interactions throughout.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

This is the Tuesday Lenten evening liturgy for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/. CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #8 - Lent” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Compline #9 - Desert” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Ash Wednesday's Early Morn” by Nelson Koscheski (BMI), Ryan Flanigan (BMI); © 2018 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), Ryan Flanigan Music (BMI) (admin by Capitol CMG Publishing). CCLI #7123490.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame. SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love!Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwaDiscover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love.Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwa

It was an encounter with beauty that changed Winfield Bevins' life. As a result, Winfield quit his job and founded Creo Arts, a non-profit that exists to bring beauty, goodness, and truth to the world through the arts.Dr. Winfield Bevins is an internationally recognized author and artist. He is also an affiliate professor at several academic institutions and artist-in-residence at Asbury Theological Seminary, where he champions the integration of art, theology, and mission.  In today's episode, Winfield discusses his latest book, entitled How Beauty Will Save the World: Recovering the Power of the Arts for the Christian Life. Specifically, he highlights a renewed longing for beauty and transcendence he's noticed recently, both inside and outside the church, as well as a Renaissance of the arts in communities of faith. Winfield also shares what art teaches all of us, how beauty brings hope into the world, and why we are all invited to be missionaries of beauty.Buy Melissa L. Johnson's book, Soul-Deep Beauty: Fighting for Our True Worth in a World Demanding Flawless, here. Learn more about Impossible Beauty and join the community here.

Winning is rarely about talent, luck, or working more hours. In this episode, we break down the three things consistently happening behind the scenes for creatives and entrepreneurs who are actually moving forward and seeing results. Join Carina as she tells you what she is seeing from successful designers.Links to help new designers:What's New: https://www.carinagardner.comUniversity of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Studies of forms of media have focused on either political or cultural histories of media. Political histories study media growth and literacy, and the emergence of liberal democratic institutions in Western and postcolonial societies. Cultural histories study the multiple origins of media technologies, seek lost or marginalised cultural objects, and examine how artefacts are connected to earlier modes of production and consumption. What is lost in both is the idea that media and technologies have an independent existence, with their own lives, histories, and afterlives. Inhabiting Technologies/Modernities: Media and Cultural Practices in South Asia (Orient BlackSwan, 2025) fills this gap, showing how media and technologies create the human condition even as they are created by it. The authors highlight this through everyday artefacts like the book, newspaper, radio, photograph, film, television and activism on digital media. P. Thirumal is Professor of Communication Studies at the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad. Carmel Christy K. J. is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at Syracuse University and is affiliated with the South Asian Studies program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Nick Lantz's poem "Dolorimetry" appeared in issue 88 and won the 2026 Neil Postman Award for Metaphor. He's the author of five collections of poetry, most recently The End of Everything and Everything That Comes After That (University of Wisconsin Press, 2024). His poetry has received several awards, including the Larry Levis Reading Prize, the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writer Award, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. He teaches in the MFA program at Sam Houston State University and lives in Huntsville, Texas, with his wife and cats. Find more info here: https://www.nick-lantz.com/ As always, we'll also include the live Prompt Lines for responses to our weekly prompt. Submit your poems through Submittable by midnight Sunday for a chance to be invited: https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/269309/rattlecast-prompt-poems-online For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/page/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Write a poem about a time you couldn't keep the correct time straight. Include at least one temporal shift. Next Week's Prompt: Pick an obscure holiday that occurs during the next week, and write a poem that celebrates accordingly. Include which holiday/date in the notes of your submission. The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.

Ali Beheler reads her poem "Vessel," and Bern Mulvey reads his poem "Snowfall at Aojima Shrine, New Year's Day."Ali Beheler's recent work appears in The Shore, SRPR, Rogue Agent, Tupelo Quarterly, Harpur Palate, ballast journal, and elsewhere. Winner of the SRPR Editor's Prize (2024) and the Milton J. Kessler Memorial Prize in Poetry (2025), as well as residencies at Sundress Academy for the Arts and Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, she teaches at Hastings College in Hastings, NE. Find her at www.alibeheler.com.Bern Mulvey lived in Japan for seventeen years. His first book, The Fat Sheep Everyone Wants, won the Cleveland State University Poetry Center Prize, and his second book, Deep Snow Country, won the FIELD Poetry Prize. He lives now in Arizona and teaches writing at Eastern Arizona College.

The meat slicers and the orders are on overdrive this week at an iconic Chicago deli.

Studies of forms of media have focused on either political or cultural histories of media. Political histories study media growth and literacy, and the emergence of liberal democratic institutions in Western and postcolonial societies. Cultural histories study the multiple origins of media technologies, seek lost or marginalised cultural objects, and examine how artefacts are connected to earlier modes of production and consumption. What is lost in both is the idea that media and technologies have an independent existence, with their own lives, histories, and afterlives. Inhabiting Technologies/Modernities: Media and Cultural Practices in South Asia (Orient BlackSwan, 2025) fills this gap, showing how media and technologies create the human condition even as they are created by it. The authors highlight this through everyday artefacts like the book, newspaper, radio, photograph, film, television and activism on digital media. P. Thirumal is Professor of Communication Studies at the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication, University of Hyderabad. Carmel Christy K. J. is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies at Syracuse University and is affiliated with the South Asian Studies program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Sam Sanders, host of The Sam Sanders Show on KCRW, recaps the winners, losers, and culture-defining moments from the 2026 Academy Awards ceremony. Photo: Michael B. Jordan, winner of the Best Actor Award for his role(s) in “Sinners,” poses in the press room during the 98th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 15, 2026 in Hollywood, California. Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images.  

What makes a character so compelling that readers will forgive almost anything about the plot? How do you move beyond vague flaws and generic descriptions to create people who feel pulled from real life? In this solo episode, I share 15 actionable tips for writing deep characters, curated from past interviews on the podcast. In the intro, thoughts from London Book Fair [Instagram reel @jfpennauthor; Publishing Perspectives; Audible; Spotify]; Insights from a 7-figure author business [BookBub]. This show is supported by my Patrons. Join my Community and get articles, discounts, and extra audio and video tutorials on writing craft, author business, and AI tools, at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn This episode has been created from previous episodes of The Creative Penn Podcast, curated by Joanna Penn, as well as chapters from How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book. Links to the individual episodes are included in the transcript below. In this episode: Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' trifecta, how to hook readers on the very first page Define the Dramatic Question: Who is your character when the chips are down? Absolute specificity. Why “she's controlling” isn't good enough Understand the Heroine's Journey, strength through connection, not solo action Use ‘Metaphor Families' to anchor dialogue and give every character a distinctive voice Find the Diagnostic Detail, the moments that prove a character is real Writing pain onto the page without writing memoir Write diverse characters as real people, not stereotypes or plot devices Give your protagonist a morally neutral ‘hero' status. Compelling beats likeable. Build vibrant side characters for series longevity and spin-off potential Use voice as a rhythmic tool Link character and plot until they're inseparable Why discovery writers can write out of order and still build deep character Find the sensory details that make characters live and breathe More help with how to write fiction here, or in my book, How to Write a Novel. Writing Characters: 15 Tips for Writing Deep Character in Your Fiction In today's episode, I'm sharing fifteen tips for writing deep characters, synthesised from some of the most insightful interviews on The Creative Penn Podcast over the past few years, combined with what I've learned across more than forty books of my own. I'll be referencing episodes with Matt Bird, Will Storr, Gail Carriger, Barbara Nickless, and Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer. I'll also draw on my own book, How to Write a Novel, which covers these fundamentals in detail. Whether you're writing your first novel or your fiftieth, whether you're a plotter or a discovery writer like me, these tips will help you create characters that readers believe in, care about, and invest in—and keep coming back for more. Let's get into it. 1. Master the ‘Believe, Care, Invest' Trifecta When I spoke with Matt Bird on episode 624, he laid out the three things you need to achieve on the very first page of your book or in the first ten minutes of a film. He calls it “Believe, Care, and Invest.” First, the reader must believe the character is a real person, somehow proving they are not a cardboard imitation of a human being, not just a generic type walking through a generic plot. Second, the reader must care about the character's circumstances. And third, the reader must invest in the character's ability to solve the story's central problem. Matt used The Hunger Games as his primary example, and it's brilliant. On the very first page, we believe Katniss's voice. Suzanne Collins writes in first person with a staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short declarative sentences—that immediately grounds us in a survivalist mentality. We care because Katniss is starving. She's protecting her little sister. And we invest because she is out there bow hunting, which Matt pointed out is one of the most badass things a character can do. She even kills a lynx two pages in and sells the pelt. We invest in her resourcefulness and grit before the plot has even begun. Matt was very clear that this has nothing to do with the character being “likable.” He said his subtitle, Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love, doesn't mean the character has to be a good person. He described “hero” as both gender-neutral and morally neutral. A hero can be totally evil or totally good. What matters is that we believe, care, and invest. He demonstrated this beautifully by breaking down the first ten minutes of WeCrashed, where the characters of Adam and Rebekah Neumann are absolutely not likable, but we are completely hooked. Adam steals his neighbour's Chinese food through a carefully orchestrated con involving an imaginary beer. It's not admirable behaviour, but the tradecraft involved, as Matt put it—using a term from spy movies—makes us invest in him. We see a character trying to solve the big problem of his life, which is that he's poor and wants to be rich, and we want to see if he can pull it off. Actionable step: Go to the first page of your current work in progress. Does it achieve all three? Does the reader believe this is a real person with a distinctive voice? Do they care about the character's circumstances? And do they invest in the character's ability to handle what's coming? If even one of those three is missing, that's your revision priority. 2. Define the Dramatic Question: Who Are They Really? Will Storr, author of The Science of Storytelling, came on episode 490 and gave one of the most powerful frameworks I've ever heard for character-driven fiction. He explained that the human brain evolved language primarily to swap social information—in other words, to gossip. We are wired to monitor other people, to ask the question: who is this person when the chips are down? That's what Will calls the Dramatic Question, and it's what he believes lies at the heart of all compelling storytelling. It's not a question about plot. It's a question about the character's soul. And every scene in your novel should force the character to answer it. His example of Lawrence of Arabia is unforgettable. The Dramatic Question for the entire film is: who are you, Lawrence? Are you ordinary or are you extraordinary? At the beginning, Lawrence is a cocky, rebellious young soldier who believes his rebelliousness makes him superior. Every iconic scene in that three-hour film tests that belief. Sometimes Lawrence acts as though he truly is extraordinary—leading the Arabs into battle, being hailed as a god—and sometimes the world strips him bare and he sees himself as ordinary. Because it's a tragedy, he never overcomes his flaw. He doubles down on his belief that he's extraordinary until he becomes monstrous, culminating in that iconic scene where he lifts a bloody dagger and sees his own reflection with horror. Will also used Jaws to demonstrate how this works in a pure action thriller. Brody's dramatic question is simple: are you going to be old Brody who is terrified of the water, or new Brody who can overcome that fear? Every scene where the shark appears is really asking that question. And the last moment of the film isn't the shark blowing up. It's Brody swimming back through the water, saying he used to be scared of the water and he can't imagine why. Actionable step: Write down the Dramatic Question for your protagonist in a single sentence. Is it “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you brave enough to love again?” or “Will you sacrifice your principles for survival?” If you can't answer this with specificity, your character might still be a sketch rather than a person. 3. Get rid of Vague Flaws, and use Absolute Specificity This was one of Will Storr's most important points. He said that vague thinking about characters is really the enemy. When he teaches workshops and asks writers to describe their character's flaw, most of them say something like “they're very controlling.” And Will's response is: that's not good enough. Everyone is controlling. How are they controlling? What's the specific mechanism? He gave the example of a profile he read of Theresa May during the UK's Brexit chaos. Someone who knew her said that Theresa May's problem was that she always thinks she's the only adult in every room she goes into. Will said that stopped him in his tracks because it's so precise. If you define a character with that level of specificity, you can take them and put them in any genre, any situation—a spaceship, a Victorian drawing room, a school playground—and you will know exactly how they're going to behave. The same applies to Arthur Miller's Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, as Will described it: a man who believes absolutely in capitalistic success and the idea that when you die, you're going to be weighed on a scale, just as God weighs you for sin, but now you're weighed for success. That's not a vague flaw. That's a worldview you can drop into any story and watch it combust. Will made another counterintuitive point that I found really valuable: writers often think that piling on multiple traits will create a complex character, but the opposite is true. Starting with one highly specific flaw and running it through the demands of a relentless plot is what generates complexity. You end up with a far more nuanced, original character than if you'd started with a laundry list of vague attributes. Actionable step: Take your protagonist's flaw and pressure-test it. Is it specific enough that you could place this character in any situation and predict their behaviour? If you're stuck at “she's stubborn” or “he's insecure,” keep pushing. What kind of stubborn? What kind of insecure? Find the diagnostic sentence—the Theresa May level of precision. 4. Understand the Heroine's Journey: Strength Through Connection Gail Carriger came on episode 550 to discuss her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey, and it completely reframed how I think about some of my own fiction. Gail explained that the core difference between the Hero's Journey and the Heroine's Journey comes down to how strength and victory are defined. The Hero's Journey is about strength through solo action. The hero must be continually isolated to get stronger. He goes out of civilisation, faces strife alone, and achieves victory through physical prowess and self-actualisation. The Heroine's Journey is the opposite. The heroine achieves her goals by activating a network. She's a delegator, a general. She identifies where she can't do something alone, finds the people who can help, and portions out the work for mutual gain. Gail put it simply: the heroine is very good at asking for help, which our culture tends to devalue but which is actually a powerful form of strength. Crucially, Gail stressed that gender is irrelevant to which journey you're writing. Her go-to examples are striking: the recent Wonder Woman film is practically a beat-for-beat hero's journey—Gilgamesh on screen, as Gail described it. Meanwhile, Harry Potter, both the first book and the series as a whole, is a classic heroine's journey. Harry's power comes from his network—Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix, his friendships with Ron and Hermione. He doesn't defeat Voldemort alone. He defeats Voldemort because of love and connection. This distinction has real practical consequences for writers. If you're writing a hero's journey and you hit writer's block, Gail said, the solution is usually to isolate your hero further and pile on more strife. But if you're writing a heroine's journey, the solution is probably to throw a new character into the scene—someone who has advice to offer or a skill the heroine lacks. The actual solutions to writer's block are different depending on which narrative you're writing. As I reflected on my own work, I realised that my ARKANE thriller protagonist, Morgan Sierra, follows a hero's journey—she's a solo operative, a lone wolf like Jack Reacher or James Bond. But my Mapwalker fantasy series follows a heroine's journey, with Sienna and her group of friends working together. I hadn't consciously chosen those paths; the stories led me there. But understanding the framework helps me write more intentionally now. Actionable step: Identify which journey your protagonist is on. Does your character gain strength by being alone (hero) or by building connections (heroine)? This will inform every plot decision you make, from how they face obstacles to how your story ends. 5. Use ‘Metaphor Families' to Anchor Dialogue and Voice One of the most practical techniques Matt Bird shared on episode 624 is the idea of assigning each character a “metaphor family”—a specific well of language that they draw from. This gives each character a distinctive voice that goes beyond accent or dialect. Matt explained how in The Wire, one of the most beloved TV shows of all time, every character has a different metaphor family. What struck him was that Omar, this iconic character, never utters a single curse word in the entire series. His metaphor family is pirate. He talks about parlays, uses language that feels like it belongs in Pirates of the Caribbean, and it creates this incredible ironic counterpoint against his urban setting. It tells us immediately that this is a character who sees himself in a tradition of people that doesn't match his immediate surroundings. Matt also referenced the UK version of The Office, where Gareth works at a paper company but aspires to the military. So all of his language is drawn from a military metaphor family. He doesn't talk about filing and photocopying; he talks about tactics and discipline and being on the front line. This tells us that the character has a life and dreams beyond the immediate scene—and it's the gap between aspiration and reality that makes him both funny and believable. He pointed out that a metaphor family sometimes comes from a character's background, but it's often more interesting when it comes from their aspirations. What does your character want to be? What world do they fantasise about inhabiting? That's where their language should come from. In Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a spiritual hermit, but his metaphor family is military. He uses the language of generals and commanders, and that ironic counterpoint is part of what makes him feel so rich. Actionable step: Assign each of your main characters a metaphor family. It could be based on their job, their background, or—more interestingly—their secret aspirations. Then go through your dialogue and make sure each character is consistently drawing from that well of language. If two characters sound the same when you strip away the dialogue tags, this is the fix. 6. Find the Diagnostic Detail: The Diagonal Toast Avoid clichéd character tags—the random scar, the eye patch, the mysterious limp—unless they serve a deep narrative purpose. Matt Bird on episode 624 was very funny about this: he pointed out that Nick Fury, Odin, and eventually Thor all have eye patches in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Eye patches are done, he said. You cannot do eye patches anymore. Instead, look for what I'm calling the “diagonal toast” detail, after a scene Matt described from Captain Marvel. In the film, Captain Marvel is trying to determine whether Nick Fury is who he says he is. She asks him to prove he isn't a shapeshifting alien. Fury shares biographical details—his history, his mother—but then she pushes further and says, name one more thing you couldn't possibly have made up about yourself. And Fury says: if toast is cut diagonally, I can't eat it. Matt said that detail is gold for a writer because it feels pulled from a real life. You can pull it from your own life and gift it to your characters, and the reader can tell it's not manufactured. He gave another example from The Sopranos: Tony Soprano's mother won't answer the phone after dark. The show's creator, David Chase, confirmed on the DVD commentary that this came from his own mother, who genuinely would not answer the phone after dark and couldn't explain why. Matt's practical advice was to keep a journal. Write down the strange, specific things that people do or say. Mine your own life for those hyper-specific details. You just need one per book. In my own writing, I've used this approach. In my ARKANE thrillers, my character Morgan Sierra has always been Angelina Jolie in my mind—specifically Jolie in Lara Croft or Mr and Mrs Smith. And Blake Daniel in my crime thriller series was based on Jesse Williams from Grey's Anatomy. I paste pictures of actors into my Scrivener projects. It helps with visuals, but also with the sense of the character, their energy and physicality. But visual details only take you so far. It's the behavioural quirks—the diagonal toast moments—that make a character feel genuinely alive. That said, physical character tags can work brilliantly when they serve the story. As I discuss in How to Write a Novel, Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike is an amputee, and his pain and the physical challenges of his prosthesis are a key part of every story—it's not a cosmetic detail, it's woven into the action and the character's psychology. My character Blake Daniel always wears gloves to cover the scars on his hands, which provides an angle into his wounded past as well as a visual cue for the reader. And of course, Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar isn't just a mark—it's a direct connection to his nemesis and the mythology of the entire series. The rule of thumb is: if the tag tells us something about the character's interior life or connects to the plot, it's earning its place. If it's just there to make the character visually distinctive, it's probably a crutch. Game of Thrones takes character tags further with the family houses, each with their own mottos and sigils. The Starks say “Winter is coming” and their sigil is a dire wolf. Those aren't just labels—they're worldview made visible. Actionable step: Start a “diagonal toast” notebook. Every time you notice something strange and specific about someone's behaviour—something that feels too real to be made up—write it down. Then gift it to a character who needs more texture. 7. Displace Your Own Trauma into the Work Barbara Nickless shared something deeply personal on episode 732 that fundamentally changed how I think about putting pain onto the page. While starting At First Light, the first book in her Dr. Evan Wilding series, she lost her son to epilepsy—something called SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy. One day he was there, and the next day he was gone. Barbara said that writing helped her cope with the trauma, that doing a deep dive into Old English literature and the Viking Age for the book's research became a lifeline. But here's what's important: she didn't give Dr. Evan Wilding her exact trauma. Evan Wilding is four feet five inches, and Barbara described how he has to walk through a world that won't adjust to him. That's its own form of learning to cope when circumstances are beyond your control. She displaced her genuine grief into the character's different but parallel struggle. When I asked her about the difference between writing for therapy and writing for an audience, she drew on her experience teaching creative writing to veterans through a collaboration between the US Department of Defense and the National Endowment for the Arts. She said she's found that she can pour her heartache into her characters and process it through them, even when writing professionally, and that the genuine emotion is what touches readers. We've all been through our own losses and griefs, so seeing how a character copes can be deeply meaningful. I've always found that putting my own pain onto the page is the most direct way to connect with a reader's soul. My character Morgan Sierra's musings on religion and the supernatural are often my own. Her restlessness, her fascination with the darker edges of faith—those come from me. But her Krav Maga fighting skills and her ability to kill the bad guys are definitely her own. That gap between what's mine and what's hers is where the fiction lives. Barbara also said something on that episode that I wrote down and stuck on my wall. She said the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul. I've been thinking about that ever since. On my own wall, I have “Measure your life by what you create.” Different words, same truth. Actionable step: If you're carrying something heavy—grief, anger, fear, regret—consider how you might displace it into a character's different but emotionally parallel struggle. Don't copy your exact situation; transform it. The emotion will be genuine, and the reader will feel it. 8. Write Diverse Characters as Real People When I spoke with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673—Sarah is Choctaw and a historical fiction author honoured by the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian—she offered a perspective that every fiction writer needs to hear. The key message was to move away from stereotypes. Don't write your American Indian character as the “Wise Guide” who exists solely to dispense mystic wisdom to the white protagonist. Don't limit diverse characters to historical settings, as though they only exist in the past. Place them in normal, contemporary roles. Your spaceship captain, your forensic scientist, your small-town baker—any of them can be American Indian, or Nigerian, or Japanese, and their heritage should be a lived-in part of their identity, not the sole reason they exist in the story. I write international thrillers and dark fantasy, and my fiction is populated with characters from all over the world. I have a multi-cultural family and I've lived in many places and travelled widely, so I've met, worked with, and had relationships with people from different cultures. I find story ideas through travel, and if I set my books in a certain place, then the story is naturally populated with the people who live there. As I discuss in my book, How to Write a Novel, the world is a diverse place, so your fiction needs to be populated with all kinds of people. If I only populated my fiction with characters like me, they would be boring novels. There are many dimensions of difference—race, nationality, sex, age, body type, ability, religion, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, class, culture, education level—and even then, don't assume that similar types of people think the same way. Some authors worry they will make mistakes. We live in a time of outrage, and some authors have been criticised for writing outside their own experience. So is it too dangerous to try? Of course not. The media amplifies outliers, and most authors include diverse characters in every book without causing offence because they work hard to get it right. It's about awareness, research, and intent. Actionable step: Audit the cast of your current work in progress. Have you written a mono-cultural perspective for all of them? If so, consider who could bring a different background, perspective, or set of cultural specifics to the story. Not as a token addition, but as a real person with a real life. 9. Respect Tribal and Cultural Specificity Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer on episode 673 was emphatic about one thing: never treat diverse groups as monolithic. If you're writing a Native American character, you must research the specific nation. Choctaw is not Navajo, just as British is not French. Sarah described the distinct cultural markers of the Choctaw people—the diamond pattern you'll see on traditional shirts and dresses, which represents the diamondback rattlesnake. They have distinct dances and songs. She said that if she saw someone in traditional dress at a distance, she would know whether they were Choctaw based on what they were wearing. She encouraged writers who want to write specifically about a nation to get to know those people. Go to events, go to a powwow, learn about the individual culture. She noted that a big misconception is that American Indians exist only in the past—she stressed that they are still here, still living their cultures, and fiction should reflect that present reality. I took a similar approach when writing Destroyer of Worlds, which is set mostly in India. I read books about Hindu myth, watched documentaries about the sadhus, and had one of my Indian readers from Mumbai check my cultural references. For Risen Gods, set in New Zealand with a young Maori protagonist, I studied books about Maori mythology and fiction by Maori authors, and had a male Maori reader check for cultural issues. Research is simply an act of empathy. The practical takeaway is this: if you're going to include a character from a specific cultural background, do the work. Use specific cultural details rather than generic signifiers. Sarah talked about how even she fell into stereotypes when she was first writing, until her mother pointed them out. If someone from within a culture can fall into those traps, the rest of us certainly can. Do the research, try your best, ask for help, and apologise if you need to. Actionable step: If you're writing a character from a specific culture, identify three to five sensory or behavioural details that are particular to that culture—not the generic version, but the real, researched, lived-in version. Consider hiring a sensitivity reader from that community to check your work. 10. Give Your Protagonist a Morally Neutral ‘Hero' Status Matt Bird was clear about this on episode 624: the word “hero” simply means the protagonist, the person we follow through the story. It's a functional role, not a moral label. We don't have to like them. We don't even have to root for their goals in a moral sense. We just have to find them compelling enough to invest our attention in their problem-solving. Think of Succession, where every member of the Roy family is varying degrees of awful, and yet the show was utterly compelling. Or WeCrashed, where Adam Neumann is a narcissistic con artist, but we can't look away because he's trying to solve the enormous problem of building an empire from nothing, and the tradecraft he employs is fascinating. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, readers must want to spend time with your characters. They don't have to be lovable or even likable—that will depend on your genre and story choices—but they have to be captivating enough that we want to spend time with them. A character who is trying to solve a massive problem will naturally draw investment from the audience, even if we wouldn't want to have tea with them. Will Storr extended this idea by pointing out that the audience will actually root for a character to solve their problem even if the audience doesn't actually want the character's goal to be achieved in the real world. We don't really want more billionaires, but we invested in Adam Neumann's rise because that was the problem the story posed, and our brains are wired to invest in problem-solving. This connects to something deeper: what does your character want, and why? As I explore in How to Write a Novel, desire operates on multiple levels. Take a character like Phil, who joins the military during wartime. On the surface, she wants to serve her country. But she also wants to escape her dead-end town and learn new skills. Deeper still, her father and grandfather served, and by joining up, she hopes to finally earn their respect. And perhaps deepest of all, her father died on a mission under mysterious circumstances, and she wants to find out what happened from the inside. That layering of motivation is what turns a flat character into a three-dimensional one. The audience doesn't need to be told all of this explicitly. It can emerge through action, dialogue, and the choices the character makes under pressure. But you, the writer, need to know it. You need to know what your character really wants deep down, because that desire—more than any external plot device—is what drives the story forward. And your antagonist needs the same depth. They also want something, often diametrically opposed to your protagonist, and they need a reason that makes sense to them. In my ARKANE thriller Tree of Life, my antagonist is the heiress of a Brazilian mining empire who wants to restore the Earth to its original state to atone for the destruction caused by her father's company. She's part of a radical ecological group who believe the only way to restore Nature is to end all human life. It's extreme, but in an era of climate change, it's a motivation readers can understand—even if they disagree with the solution. Actionable step: If you're struggling to make a morally grey character work, make sure their problem is big enough and their methods are specific and interesting enough that we invest in the how, even if we're ambivalent about the what. 11. Build Vibrant Side Characters Gail Carriger made a point on episode 550 that was equal parts craft advice and business strategy. In a Heroine's Journey model, side characters aren't just fodder to be killed off to motivate the hero. They form a network. And because you don't have to kill them—unlike in a hero's journey, where allies are often betrayed or removed so the hero can be further isolated—you can pick up those side characters and give them their own books. Gail said this creates a really voracious reader base. You write one series with vivid side characters, and then readers fall in love with those side characters and want their stories. So you write spin-offs. The romance genre does this brilliantly—think of the Bridgerton books, where each sibling gets their own novel. The side character in one book becomes the protagonist in the next. Barbara Nickless experienced this firsthand with her Dr. Evan Wilding series. She has River Wilding, Evan's adventurous brother, and Diana, the axe-throwing research assistant, and her editor has already expressed interest in a spin-off series with those characters. Barbara described creating characters she wants to spend time with, or characters who give her nightmares but also intrigue her. That's the dual test: are they interesting enough for you to write, and interesting enough for readers to demand more? As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, characters that span series can deepen the reader's relationship with them as you expand their backstory into new plots. Readers will remember the character more than the plot or the book title, and look forward to the next instalment because they want more time with those people. British crime author Angela Marsons described it as readers feeling like returning to her characters is like putting on a pair of old slippers. Actionable step: Look at your supporting cast. Is there a side character who is vivid enough to carry their own story? If not, what could you add—a specific hobby, a distinct voice, a compelling backstory—that would make readers want more of them? 12. Use Voice as a Rhythmic Tool Voice is one of the most important elements of novel writing, and Matt Bird helped me think about it in a technical, mechanical way that I found really useful. He pointed out that the ratio of periods to commas defines a character's internal reality. A staccato rhythm—lots of periods, short sentences—suggests a character who is certain, grounded, or perhaps survivalist and traumatised. Katniss in The Hunger Games has a period-heavy voice. She's in survival mode. She doesn't have time for complexity or qualification. A flowing, comma-heavy style suggests someone more academic, more nuanced, or possibly more scattered and manipulative. The character who qualifies everything, who adds sub-clauses and digressions, is a different kind of person from the character who speaks in declarations. This is something you can actually measure. Pull up a passage of your character's dialogue or internal monologue and count the periods versus the commas. If the rhythm doesn't match who the character is supposed to be, you've found a mismatch you can fix. Sentence length is the heartbeat of your character's persona. And voice extends beyond rhythm to the words themselves. As I discussed in the metaphor families tip, each character should draw from a distinctive well of language. But voice also encompasses their relationship to silence. Some characters talk around the thing they mean; others say it straight. Some are self-deprecating; others are blunt to the point of rudeness. All of these choices are character choices, not just style choices. I find it useful to read my dialogue aloud—and not just to check for naturalness, but to hear whether each character sounds distinct. If you could swap dialogue lines between two characters and nobody would notice, you have a voice problem. One practical test: cover the dialogue tags and see if you can tell who's speaking from the words alone. Actionable step: Choose a key passage from your protagonist's point of view and read it aloud. Does the rhythm match the character? A soldier under fire should not sound like a philosophy professor at a wine tasting. Adjust the ratio of periods to commas until the voice feels right. 13. Link Character and Plot Until They're Inseparable Will Storr made the case on episode 490 that the number one problem he sees in the writing he encounters—in workshops, in submissions, even in published books—is that the characters and the plots are unconnected. There's a story happening, and there are people in it, but the story isn't a product of who those people are. He said a story should be like life. In our lives, the plots are intimately connected to who we are as characters. The goals we pursue, the obstacles we face, the same problems that keep recurring—these are products of our personalities, our flaws, our specific ways of being in the world. His framework is that your plot should be designed specifically to plot against your character. You've got a character with a particular flaw; the plot exists to test that flaw over and over until the character either transforms or doubles down and explodes. Jaws is the perfect example. Brody is afraid of water. A shark shows up in the coastal town he's responsible for protecting. The entire plot is engineered to force him to confront the one thing he cannot face. Will pointed out that the whole plot of Jaws is structured around Brody's flaw. It begins with the shark arriving, the midpoint is when Brody finally gets the courage to go into the water, and the very final scene isn't the shark blowing up—it's Brody swimming back through the water. Even a film that's ninety-eight percent action is, at its core, structured around a character with a character flaw. This is the standard I aspire to in my own work, even in my action-heavy thrillers. The external plot should be a mirror of the internal struggle. When those two are aligned, the story becomes irresistible. Will also made an important point about series fiction, which is where most commercial authors live. I asked him how this works when your character can't be transformed at the end of every book because there has to be a next book. His answer was elegant: you don't cure them. Episodic TV characters like Fleabag or David Brent or Basil Fawlty never truly change—and the fact that they don't change is actually the source of the comedy. But every episode throws a new story event at them that tests and exposes their flaw. You just keep throwing story events at them again and again. That's a soap opera, a sitcom, and a book series. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, character flaws are aspects of personality that affect the person so much that facing and overcoming them becomes central to the plot. In Jaws, the protagonist Brody is afraid of the water, but he has to overcome that flaw to destroy the killer shark and save the town. But remember, your characters should feel like real people, so never define them purely by their flaws. The character addicted to painkillers might also be a brilliant and successful female lawyer who gets up at four in the morning to work out at the gym, likes eighties music, and volunteers at the local dog shelter at weekends. Character wounds are different from flaws. They're formed from life experience and are part of your character's backstory—traumatic events that happened before the events of your novel but shape the character's reactions in the present. In my ARKANE thrillers, Morgan Sierra's husband Elian died in her arms during a military operation. This happened before the series begins, but her memories of it recur when she faces a firefight, and she struggles to find happiness again for fear of losing someone she loves once more. And then there's the perennial advice: show, don't tell. Most writers have heard this so many times that it's easy to nod and then promptly write scenes that tell rather than show. Basically, you need to reveal your character through action and dialogue, rather than explanation. In my thriller Day of the Vikings, Morgan Sierra fights a Neo-Viking in the halls of the British Museum and brings him down with Krav Maga. That fight scene isn't just about showing action. It opens up questions about her backstory, demonstrates character, and moves the plot forward. Telling would be something like: “Morgan was an expert in Krav Maga.” Showing is the reader discovering it through the scene itself. Actionable step: Look at the main plot events of your novel. For each major turning point, ask: does this scene specifically test my protagonist's flaw? If not, can you redesign the scene so that it does? The tighter the connection between character and plot, the more powerful the story. 14. The ‘Maestra' Approach: Write Out of Order If you're a discovery writer like me, you may feel like the deep character work I've been describing sounds more suited to plotters. But Barbara Nickless gave me a beautiful metaphor on episode 732 that reframes it entirely. Barbara described her evolving writing process as being like a maestra standing in front of an orchestra. Sometimes you bring in the horns—a certain theme—and sometimes you bring in the strings—a certain character—and sometimes you turn to the soloist. It's a more organic and jumping-around process than linear writing, and Barbara said she's only recently given herself permission to work this way. When I told her that I use Scrivener to write in scenes out of order and then drag and drop them into a structure later, she was genuinely intrigued. And this is how I've always worked. I'll see the story in my mind like a movie trailer—flashes of the big emotional scenes, the pivotal confrontations, the moments of revelation—and I write those first. I don't know how they hang together until quite late in the process. Then I'll move scenes around, print the whole thing out, and figure out the connective tissue. The point is that discovery writers can absolutely build deep characters. Sometimes writing the big emotional scenes first is how you discover who the character is before you fill in the rest. You don't need a twenty-page character worksheet or a 200-page outline like Jeffery Deaver. You need to be willing to follow the character into the unknown and trust that the structure will emerge. As Barbara said, she writes to know what she's thinking. That's the discovery writer's credo. And I would add: I write to know who my characters are. Actionable step: If you're stuck on your current chapter, skip it. Write the scene that's burning in your imagination, even if it's from the middle or the end. That scene might be the key to unlocking who your character really is. 15. Use Research to Help with Empathy Research shouldn't just be about factual accuracy—it's a tool for finding the sensory details that create empathy. Barbara Nickless described research as almost an excuse to explore things that fascinate her, and I feel exactly the same way. I would go so far as to say that writing is an excuse for me to explore the things that interest me. Barbara and I both travel for our stories. For her Dr. Evan Wilding books, she did deep research into Old English literature and the Viking Age. For my thriller End of Days, I transcribed hours of video from Appalachian snake-handling churches on YouTube to understand the worldview of the worshippers, because my antagonist was brought up in that tradition. I couldn't just make that up. I had to hear their language, feel their conviction, understand why they would hold venomous serpents as an act of faith. Barbara also mentioned getting to Israel and the West Bank for research, and I've been to both places too. Finding that one specific sensory detail—the smell of a particular location, the specific way an expert handles a tool, the sound of a particular kind of music—makes the character's life feel lived-in. It's the difference between a character who is described as living in a place and a character who inhabits it. As I wrote in How to Write a Novel, don't write what you know. Write what you want to learn about. I love research. It's part of why I'm an author in the first place. I take any excuse to dive into a world different from my own. Research using books, films, podcasts, and travel, and focus particularly on sources produced by people from the worldview you want to understand. Actionable step: For your next piece of character research, go beyond reading. Watch a documentary, visit a location, talk to someone who lives the experience. Find one sensory detail—a smell, a sound, a texture—that you couldn't have invented. That detail will make your character feel real. Bonus: Measure Your Life by What You Create In an age of AI and a tsunami of content, your ultimate brand protection is the quality of your human creation. Barbara Nickless said that the act of producing itself is a balm to the soul, and I believe that with every fibre of my being. Don't be afraid to take that step back, like I did with my deadlifting. Take the time to master these deeper craft skills. It might feel like you're slowing down or going backwards by not chasing the latest marketing trend, but it's the only way to step forward into a sustainable, high-quality career. Your characters are your signature. No AI can replicate the specificity of your lived experience, the emotional truth of your displaced trauma, or the sensory details you've gathered from a life of curiosity and travel. Those are yours. Pour them into your characters, and they will resonate for years to come. Actionable Takeaway: Identify the Dramatic Question for your current protagonist. Can you state it in a single sentence with the kind of specificity Will Storr described? Is it as clear as “Are you ordinary or extraordinary?” or “Are you the only adult in the room?” If you can't answer it with that kind of precision, your character might still be a sketch. Give them a diagonal toast moment today. Find the one hyper-specific detail that proves they are not an imitation of life. And then ask yourself: does your plot test your character's flaw in every major scene? If you can align those two things—a precisely defined character and a plot that exists to test them—you will have a story that readers cannot put down. References and Deep Dives The episodes I've referenced today are all available with full transcripts at TheCreativePenn.com: Episode 732 — Facing Fears, and Writing Unique Characters with Barbara Nickless Episode 673 — Writing Choctaw Characters and Diversity in Fiction with Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer Episode 624 — Writing Characters with Matt Bird Episode 550 — The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger Episode 490 — How Character Flaws Shape Story with Will Storr Books mentioned: The Secrets of Character: Writing a Hero Anyone Will Love by Matt Bird The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr The Heroine's Journey by Gail Carriger How to Write a Novel: From Idea to Book by Joanna Penn You can find all my books for authors at CreativePennBooks.com and my fiction and memoir at JFPennBooks.com Happy writing! How was this episode created? This episode was initiated created by NotebookLM based on YouTube videos of the episodes linked above from YouTube/TheCreativePenn, plus my text chapters on character from How to Write a Novel. NotebookLM created a blog post from the material and then I expanded it and fact checked it with Claude.ai 4.6 Opus, and then I used my voice clone at ElevenLabs to narrate it. The post Writing Characters: 15 Actionable Tips For Writing Deep Character first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In this week's Flagship Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast from ten years ago (3-15-2016), PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by Jason Powell from ProWrestling.net for their weekly live discussion with caller, email, and Twitter contributions looking at preview night's Raw, Roadblock, the Vince-Shane-Undertaker summit, the Brock Lesnar-Dean Ambrose hype, Triple H's chance of turning babyface soon, and much more.Then in the previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow, Wade and Jason discussed a range of topics suggested by emails from listeners including more on Raw, Roadblock, WrestleMania 32, and beyond WrestleMania 32, plus ROH and TNA topics.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is Jamilla Okubo!Who is Jamilla Okubo: A Washington, D.C.-based multidisciplinary artist whose work spans painting, collage, illustration, and print design. Her work centers the Black silhouette, using pattern, ornament, and saturated color to explore identity, self-possession, and cultural memory—drawing from African textile traditions, fashion, and Black feminist thought.In our conversation, Jamilla traces her journey from Duke Ellington School of the Arts to Parsons, where she initially planned to focus on painting but discovered her multidisciplinary approach after making a dress from magazine paper. She breaks down how she developed her signature use of the Black silhouette—blacking out white models in fashion magazines with Sharpie, then tracing and painting them in bold colors to represent Black people in a positive light. Jamilla talks through the tension between her illustration work and fine art practice, explaining how client deadlines can feel like "being a machine" while her studio work requires patience and time to let ideas fully develop. She shares her creative breakthrough ritual: boxing at the gym followed by steam room sessions where she works through mental blockages. We also dig into community, the importance of trusting your gut ("if it's not a hell yes, it's a hell no"), and what it means to be in this for the long haul—creating meaningful work instead of chasing fleeting fame.Don't miss Jamilla Okubo's work—her bold, layered silhouettes tell stories of identity, heritage, and belonging you won't want to overlook. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). Host: Rob LeeMusic: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.Production:Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel AlexisEdited by Daniel AlexisShow Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and TransistorPhotos:Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.Support the podcastThe Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas (Fundraising): https://www.fracturedatlas.orgThe Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetruthinthisart.bsky.socialThe Truth In This Art Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truthinthisart/?hl=enThe Truth In This Art Podcast Website: https://www.thetruthinthisart.com/The Truth In This Art Podcast Shop: Merch from Redbubble ★ Support this podcast ★

In our post-PPV "Wrestling Night in America" format, PWTorch's Brian Zilem and Taylor Halley, hosts of the Collision Cafe VIP podcast, discuss in-depth the AEW Revolution event. In the brutal main event, MJF defeats “Hangman” Adam Page in a Texas Death Match, leaving Hangman's future in AEW uncertain. The show also featured FTR retaining the AEW World Tag Team Titles in an incredible opener against The Young Bucks, plus shocking returns from Cope & Christian Cage, Kenny Omega, and Will Ospreay. Elsewhere on the card, Toni Storm defeats Marina Shafir with the Big Package, while the post-match chaos raises the question: Is Ronda Rousey joining the Death Riders? They also discuss new Women's Tag Team Champions, new Trios Champions, and the breakout performance of Konosuke Takeshita against Jon Moxley.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

Philip Schultz is the author of nine poetry collections, including the Pulitzer Prize–winning Failure. Some of his other works include Like Wings, winner of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters award in literature; Deep within the Ravine awarded the Academy of American Poets Lamont prize; The Holy Worm of Praise Living in the Past and The God of Loneliness: Selected and New Poems. He is the founder and director of The Writers Studio and has been teaching creative writing since 1971. His new collection is Enormous Morning. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ray Bercini and Sara Elander join Dr. Sandie Morgan to explore what's really at stake when a city like Los Angeles hosts the World Cup — and why the biggest trafficking risk might not be what you think.Chapters(00:00) - Introduction: What LA's Preparing for and Why It Matters (01:04) - Meet Ray and Sara: Roles at Saving Innocence and the LA Task Force (06:19) - Building a Legacy Committee: Planning for FIFA and Beyond (09:03) - Law Enforcement Readiness: Operations, Agencies, and Coordination (11:50) - Separating Myth from Reality: What the Data Actually Shows About Trafficking and Major Events (16:36) - Preparing for the Surge: Tips, Leads, and Victim Services Coordination (24:18) - Vetting Outside Organizations and Staying in Your Lane (32:37) - What Does Success Look Like After FIFA? Ray Bercini and Sara ElanderRay Bercini serves as Task Force Coordinator and Law Enforcement Liaison at Saving Innocence. With 31 years at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department — including six years dedicated to human trafficking work — Ray brings deep cross-sector expertise to the intersection of law enforcement and victim services. He has been instrumental in building the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force into one of the largest co-located task forces in the nation, and has played a key role in preparing Los Angeles for major events including the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup, and LA28 Olympics.Sara Elander is Director of Programs at Saving Innocence and Victim Service Coordinator for the LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force. With over six years of experience in program management and trauma-informed care, Sara leads a team of crisis case managers and oversees survivor-centered services across LA County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Community Advocacy and Social Policy from Arizona State University and is committed to healing-centered approaches that empower survivors toward long-term recovery and stability.Key PointsThe widely repeated claim that major sporting events dramatically spike sex trafficking lacks supporting data — but the absence of proof isn't proof of absence, and LA is launching a research study around FIFA to finally generate real, local data.Labor trafficking is the more evidence-based concern around large-scale events, with exploitation rising sharply in the lead-up to events through construction, hospitality, and vendor supply chains.The LA Regional Human Trafficking Task Force launched a Sports and Major Events Committee with roughly 30 members and six subcommittees, designed as a legacy infrastructure that can serve future events beyond just FIFA.Coordinating tips during a major international event is a complex, unsolved challenge — multiple agencies including FBI, HSI, LAPD, and LASD will all have tip lines, and the team is working to centralize reporting without losing coverage.One of the most important lessons from the 2022 Super Bowl was that outside organizations parachuting in with good intentions — but without coordination — can undermine local trust and misdirect survivors away from local resources.Effective multi-agency collaboration requires every organization to clearly define what they uniquely bring to the table, stay in their lane, and go through a vetting process before engaging in high-stakes response work.Sara's definition of success after FIFA centers on community empowerment — if hospitality workers, transportation staff, and community members leave better equipped to identify and report trafficking indicators, that's a lasting win.Ray's measure of success is straightforward: survivors of all forms of trafficking — sex and labor — are identified, connected to resources, and treated with dignity, which no single agency can accomplish alone.ResourcesSaving InnocenceLA Regional Human Trafficking Task ForceNational Human Trafficking HotlineCompass ConnectionsBlue CampaignLA Regional Crime StoppersGlobal Center for Women and JusticeEnding Human Trafficking Podcast

Dannelle is back for another Teacap and we're getting into some really interesting conversations about womanhood, culture, and relationships.We start by talking about a few movies, books, and shows that we think really capture the experience of being a woman and why certain stories resonate so deeply with us. Since it's around International Women's Day, we also share what being a godly Christian woman means to us, why we genuinely love being women, and some of the incredible women who have shaped our lives.Then we get into some culture tea — including a viral story about a married couple whose relationship turned into a polyamorous triad and what that says about how modern culture is redefining relationships and commitment. We also talk about a recent controversy involving Timothée Chalamet and his comments about ballet and opera, which sparked a bigger conversation about how society values art and tradition.It's a fun, thoughtful conversation about femininity, culture, faith, and the world we're all trying to navigate.Articles in the episode:Timmy ClipTimmy ArticlePolyamory Chapters00:00 Introduction to Pop Culture Perspectives03:54 Celebrating Community and Personal Connections06:40 International Women's Day Discussion12:05 Empathy and Strength in Womanhood17:47 Representation of Women in Media23:29 Embracing Femininity and Strength29:18 The Balance of Femininity and Professionalism32:45 Office Dynamics and Gender Roles34:20 Cultural Commentary on Arts and Entertainment44:54 Exploring Polyamory and Relationship DynamicsFollow on Instagram:TOG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thoseothergirlspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@malyourgalpal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Danelle: @dannellelashae⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠This is a Other Girls Media production.You are able to listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Podcast, Amazon Music, Pandora PLUS YouTube.Join our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsors:Garnuu:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://garnuu.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "othergirls10"The Pink Rose:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shopthepinkrose.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ "othergirls10"Want more TOG?Get the⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Those Other Girls Youtube Channe⁠⁠l⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (3-17-2021), we flash back to the "PWT Talks NXT" episode featuring Nate Lindberg and Tom Stoup discussing Austin Theory vs. Dexter Lumis, Dakota Kai vs. Zoey Stark, LA Knight's in-ring debut and his ceiling, Ciampa vs. Marthel Barthel, Walter's return, the Adam Cole and Kyle O'Reilly feud, Finn Balor & Karrion Kross vs. Oney Lorcan & Danny Burch, Raquel Gonzalez's new championship contract, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

This is the Monday Lenten evening liturgy for the Compline podcast from the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University. For more about the Center for Worship and the Arts, as well as the resources we provide, visit us at https://www.samford.edu/worship-arts/. CREDITS:© 2021 Center for Worship and the Arts, Samford University.Engineered and produced by Wen Reagan for the Center for Worship and the Arts at Samford University.SPOKEN WORD:Wen Reagan, Stacy Love, Tracy Hanrahan, Meagan Kennedy, Pierce Moffett, Eden Walker.MUSIC:“Compline #8 - Lent” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Compline #9 - Desert” by Wen Reagan, © 2020 Sursum Corda Music (BMI).“Ash Wednesday's Early Morn” by Nelson Koscheski (BMI), Ryan Flanigan (BMI); © 2018 Common Hymnal Digital (BMI), Ryan Flanigan Music (BMI) (admin by Capitol CMG Publishing). CCLI #7123490.TEXTS:The liturgical words for this podcast series include original phrasings, but were primarily curated and designed from several public domain sources, including “An Order for Compline” from the Anglican and Episcopal Book of Common Prayer and collects collected from Grace Cathedral and the University of Notre Dame. SOUNDS:The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA."Door, Front, Opening, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org."Door, Front, Closing, A.wav" by InspectorJ (www.jshaw.co.uk) of Freesound.org.“06 – Crackling Candle.wav” by 14GPanskaLetko_Dominik of Freesound.org.“Lights a Candle Light with a Match” by straget of Freesound.org.The following sound effects were used in this podcast series and are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.“Soft Shoes Walking on a Dirt Road” by Nagwense of Freesound.org.“Match Being Lit.wav” by Jeanet_Henning of Freesound.org.“Candle Blow.wav” by Bee09 of Freesound.org.Mentioned in this episode:Discover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love.Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwaDiscover Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts - the creator of the Compline episodes you know and love!Samford's Center for Worship and the Arts provides resources, connections, and intergenerational development opportunities to engage and explore topics related to worship, theology, and the arts. Our goal is to help churches design, test, and implement new models for nurturing the religious lives of teenagers to engage them more fully in their congregation…. helping them develop as lifelong followers of Jesus Christ. Discover our worship arts camp, Animate, Worship exchange events for ministry leaders, our Online certificates, and other resources by visiting samford.edu/go/cwa

Joe Massaro brought an unbuilt Frank Lloyd Wright design to life and weathered 20 years of criticism from Wright purists; Corbett Jones share his new documentary on Arts and architecture magazine and the Case Study Houses; Glenn Kurtz gracked down the men in Lewis Hine's iconic Empire State Building photographs, turning symbols into real people; and musical guest Jenna Esposito keeps the 60's alive. 

This week, we share Northern Colorado community news, starting with the upcoming NOCO Urban Ultra and Relay (a 50-mile individual or team event) and a March 22 documentary release at The Lyric from AJ Fountain's band A Brother's Fountain about their 120-mile, 23-day Snake River music journey.  They note Loveland's Fourth Street reopening near Loveland Aleworks, then highlight Ginger and Baker's April 11 spaghetti-and-meatballs teaching kitchen camp for kids 10–16, Fort Collins' Third Friday FoCo Foodie Walk (including Hot Sauce Realm), and Wellington's St. Patrick's-themed Mingle on Main. Arts picks include the March 22 Cinderella ballet in Greeley, Foothills Mall's “Stillness In the Rush” window exhibit through March 31, and ZZ Top on March 24.  Community support includes Breeze Thru river cleanups, the Women's Fund's March 21 Decadent Desserts fundraiser, and the Abundance Foundation's May 3 sober music event. They plug an April 29 “Cultivate Culture” workshop, recommend Old Town Food Tour, celebrate a birthday dinner at The Still Whiskey Steaks, and crown Silver Grill's corned beef hash as the St. Patrick's Day MVP. The LoCo Experience Podcast is sponsored by: Purpose Driven Wealth Thrivent: Learn more

In this episode, we get into the newest (and dumbest) YouTube feature: the Hype button… which quickly turns into a full-on roast of NFTs, fake value, and why anyone who “knows a lot” about NFTs might actually be the problem. Then we somehow end up debating advocacy vs. self-interest, whether it “counts” to fight for a cause you're personally impacted by (spoiler: we argue both sides), and how the internet loves to weaponize “good intentions” like it's a sport. And to close it out, we bring you a clip from our live Three's Comedy Tour show at the Cain Center for the Arts — featuring a crowd-voted “Would You Rather” that immediately derails into chaos: Turn into a werewolf every night (9pm → sunrise)… with NO memory of what you do OR Turn into a chicken every time you lie (for 2 hours)… and yes, we debate flight capacity There's yelling. There's applause. There's at least one “make him a chicken” moment. And somehow… a gay chicken is born.  Follow us on IG: Jordan Centry: @JordanCentry Jason Allen King: @KingJasonAllen Jonathan Williams: @MrWilliamsComedy  Don't forget to subscribe, like, and if you're feeling generous… hit that ridiculous Hype button.

Chloé Zhao became only the second woman to win an Oscar for Best Director, for 2020's “Nomadland,” and she is nominated once again for “Hamnet,” starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley. Based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel of the same name, the film follows a young William Shakespeare and his wife, and their grief at the loss of their only son. “Hamnet” is also nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress, and five other awards.  Speaking with Michael Schulman, Zhao talked about the origins of “Hamnet,” the centrality of nature imagery in her work, and how the I.P. in a Marvel film is not so different from adapting a literary novel.   This segment originally aired on December 5, 2025. Further reading: “Chloé Zhao Has Looked into the Void,” by Michael Schulman New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.

On this week's edition of Le Show, Harry brings us regular features like News of the Godly, News of Musk Love, News of the Olympic Movement, News of the Warm, News of the Arts, Truth Social Audio with Donald Trump, News of A.I., The Apologies of the Week, and News of Crypto-Winter.

Send a textThis episode features two long-time Jefferson Township leaders whose careers reflect a shared commitment to student growth, community, and leadership. Jeanne Howe brings more than 31 years of experience in education, beginning as a science teacher and rising through roles including Assistant Principal, Middle School Principal, Assistant Superintendent, and now Superintendent. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Rutgers University and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from New Jersey City University. Throughout her career, Jeanne has focused on building environments where students can thrive academically, socially, and personally, while supporting educators and staff who serve the Jefferson Township community every day.Joining her is Bill Koch, the Athletic Director at Jefferson Township High School since 2018. Bill spent a decade teaching Physical Education and Health at Jefferson Township Middle School before moving into athletic administration, including a year as Athletic Director in Montville Township. He earned his undergraduate degree from Springfield College and a Master's in Educational Leadership and Education from Centenary University. A lifelong coach, Bill has led cross country, wrestling, and boys lacrosse programs and remains active in youth sports. Beyond school, he is a husband to his wife Nicole and a proud father of three—Olivia, William, and Amelia. Together, Jeanne and Bill offer a unique perspective on education, leadership, athletics, and the impact schools have on the lives of students and families.Find The Suffering PodcastThe Suffering Podcast InstagramKevin Donaldson InstagramApple PodcastSpotifyYouTubeSupport the showThe Suffering Podcast Instagram Kevin Donaldson Instagram TikTok YouTube

In this week's Interview Classic podcasts, we jump back to ten years ago this week (3-10-2016) when PWTorch editor Wade Keller welcomes Brian Fritz, who interviewed Vince McMahon this week at the press conference announcing WrestleMania was coming back to Orlando, Fla. next week. He talks about his history in wrestling reporting, his approach to interviewing Vince McMahon, in person impressions of Vince at age 70, Roman Reigns's push, the video game/pro wrestling connection, and speculation on the WM33 line-up and where various returning injured names might land, who among the new crop could be featured, and what's likely for John Cena, Undertaker, and Roman Reigns. A mix of questions via email and phone call were included.Then, in a bonus segment from the previous day, PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill welcomed former WCW star Disco Inferno back to the Livecast for a full-length interview discussing the latest pro wrestling happenings, his philosophy on what's wrong with today's wrestlers, working with upcoming stars, and more topics with live calls and emails.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Today we jump back ten years to the March 14, 2016 WWE Fastlane post-show featuring PWTorch columnist Greg Parks and Pat McNeill with live calls going in-depth on Raw three weeks before WrestleMania including hype for Hell in a Cell with Shane McMahon and Undertaker.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (3-17-2021), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch.com contributor Tyler Sage to discuss AEW Dynamite. They discussed the main event bloodbath with Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker, a breakdown of Christian's debut AEW promo and why his approach could backfire, MJF's explanation from splitting with Inner Circle, Cody vs. Penta, Darby-Lance Archer, Brian Cage's apparent turn, and much more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

When Flora heads to China to spend time with family for the summer, she realizes her young cousin is acting weird. Almost like he's someone… or something else entirely. Thank you, Flora, for sharing your story with us! Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Doug Stuart, artwork by Teo Ducot. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.