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Episode overview: Guidione Machava has a confession: he's tired of being called an "African designer." The Mozambican product designer, now based in France and fresh from stints at Shopify and Paris-based 23point5, reckons that geographic qualifiers automatically strip away a third of your professional value before you've even started. It's a provocative stance from someone who's built his career bridging African markets and global tech giants. Since launching- MozDevz - Mozambique's largest developer community - over a decade ago, Machava has been methodically executing what he calls his "Maria Sharapova strategy": a systematic approach to becoming world-class that he lifted from a Tim Ferriss podcast. The strategy worked. From building communities across six African countries to creating a business directory that attracted 300,000 SMEs, to founding Kabum Digital (Mozambique's leading tech publication), Machava has consistently punched above his weight class. His secret? "Piggybacking" on successful people and refusing to let his environment dictate his ambitions. Andile Masuku probes Machava on the realities of designing for African versus Western markets, why physical product development taught him to appreciate software's forgiving nature, and his mission to prove that world-class design talent can emerge from anywhere, provided you're strategic about how you position it. Key insights: - On strategic positioning: Despite building African communities and solving African problems, Machava deliberately brands himself as a "world-class designer" rather than a "world-class African designer." His reasoning? International clients and collaborators unconsciously devalue geography-qualified talent, even when they won't admit it. - On market realities: Designing for Western markets versus African markets isn't just about different user needs, it's about fundamentally different quality bars. "In Africa, designing a product that works well is a plus. In France, it's the bare minimum," he observes. - On the intersection economy: His time at 23.5—building design tools for made-to-order, sustainable fashion—taught him that the intersection of digital and physical economies is where the hardest, most rewarding innovation happens. Unlike software, physical products offer no "rollback to previous version" option. - On manufactured serendipity: Rather than waiting for opportunities, Machava systematically identified people in positions he wanted to occupy, then found ways to provide value to them. The approach landed him interviews with executives from IDEO, Google, and Facebook for his World Class Designer podcast. Notable moments: 1. How a Tim Ferriss interview with tennis champion Maria Sharapova became Machava's career template for achieving world-class performance in design 2. Why Shopify's hierarchy of priorities—solve merchants' problems first, make money second, never reverse that order—fundamentally changed how he approaches product design 3. The brutal economics lesson he learned at 23point5: physical product margins are tiny, error tolerance is minimal, and mistakes literally end up in landfills 4. His unconventional path from economics degree to postgraduate design studies, convincing Open Window Institute for Creative Arts & Technologies to let him skip three years of undergraduate work The contrarian take: Machava's most provocative insight centres on geographic positioning. Whilst celebrating African innovation has become fashionable, he argues that leading with continental identity in global markets is a strategic error. "If you say just 'world-class designer,' it's a completely different perspective," he notes, drawing from conversations with international colleagues who've confirmed his suspicions about unconscious bias.
If you’ve got a high school kid in public school in New Orleans and your kid is interested in pursuing anything in the arts – like music, dance, theater, film, even creative writing – you find out pretty quickly, the school doesn’t have a budget for that. To put on a play, publish a newspaper, learn dance, or most other musical and artistic pursuits, the funds required generally come from fundraisers, or parents’ pockets. Now, when you get to a public high school like NOCCA – the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts – where education and excellence in the arts is the very reason for its existence – it would be impossible to expect bake sales or parents to foot the bill for those expenses. So where does that money come from? It comes from an organization dedicated to raising the funds that help power NOCCA, called the NOCCA Foundation. Adonis Rose is a NOCCA graduate who has gone on to a successful career as a jazz musician. Adonis has won a Grammy, he’s played on every stage that matters - including Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center - he’s accompanied legends like Dianne Reeves and Wynton Marsalis, and since 2024 he’s been Executive Director of the NOCCA Foundation. One of the arts your high school kid might like to study is film. If they do, maybe they’ll graduate and go to film school. And then, if they want to be in the film business they’ll have to move to someplace else where they make movies. Because everybody here seems to agree that apart from a few brief and wonderful years when we were known as “Hollywood South,” there’s no way to have a career in the film business in New Orleans. Don’t tell that to Kenny Morrison. Kenny has been making a nationwide career for himself as a New Orleans-based film-maker since 2001. He principally makes high-end and big-budget commercials – many of which you have certainly seen - for the likes of banks, shoes, hospitals and insurance companies. Kenny is what’s known in the film business as a triple threat – director, cinematographer, and an entrepreneurial film technologist, pioneering cutting-edge visual effects through his virtual-production company, Lucy XR. It used to be generally accepted that there were real jobs – like lawyers, doctors and plumbers – and then there were b.s. jobs like actors, musicians, and film makers. We don’t think so much like that anymore. Maybe it changed because an actor, Ronald Reagan, became one of the most popular Republican presidents of the 20th Century. Jay Z had a successful career as a musician before creating a music business empire. Artists have made millions of dollars selling works of art in the crypto space as NFT’s. Online content creators clean up collaborating with fashion houses and sneaker manufacturers. The demarcation line between art and business has gotten blurred. Locally, Adonis Rose and Kenny Morrison continue to demonstrate that creativity and commerce can happily co-exist. And that’s a lesson we need to take to heart here in New Orleans, perhaps more than any city in the country. Out to Lunch was recorded live over lunch at Columns in Uptown New Orleans. Andrew Ward sits in hosting for Peter Ricchiuti. You can find photos from this show at itsneworleans.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode, the hosts discuss various conspiracy theories surrounding George R.R. Martin's writing process, particularly in relation to the delays in finishing his series. They analyze the impact of the Game of Thrones show on fan expectations and reactions, especially regarding the controversial ending. The conversation shifts to the execution of storytelling in adaptations, the future of fantasy adaptations, and the role of AI in writing and creativity, raising ethical questions about the use of AI in the creative arts. In this conversation, the participants explore the evolution of ethics in the digital age, the importance of human connection, and the impact of AI on relationships. They discuss the challenges of modern dating, the expectations of social interactions, and the compartmentalization of friendships in a technology-driven world. The conversation also touches on the value of long-lasting friendships and concludes with updates on reading and writing, celebrating the community they have built together.Send us a messageSupport the showFilm Chewing Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2235582/followLens Chewing on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lenschewingSpeculative Speculations: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/speculative-speculationsSupport the podcast: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/7EQ7XWFUP6K9EJoin Riverside.fm: https://riverside.fm/?via=steve-l
Leslie Grandy is an author, speaker, and CEO advisor who guides companies, teams, and product leaders to expand their creative capacity to invent and innovate for customers, disrupt and grow their market opportunities, and maintain relevance in a fast-changing world. Organizations like Oracle, Starbucks, and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers turn to Leslie to ignite creativity across their workforce and empower everyone, regardless of role or level, to identify novel solutions and think expansively. Leslie's book, "Creative Velocity," debuts in early 2025.Leslie's career has taken her on a 25+ year journey, from a successful career in the film industry in Los Angeles as a member of the Directors Guild of America to iconic brands, such as Amazon, Best Buy, Discovery, T-Mobile, and Apple. She's built teams from the ground up and led multiple first-to-market products; she was on the front end of the earliest digital media subscription services from major content brands like Major League Baseball, NASCAR, CNN, and ABCNews and co-authored a patent currently held by Intel. Leslie has led internal innovation labs and is an IDEO-trained leader in Design Thinking. Leslie has educated product leaders and executives through The Product Guild, the University of Michigan College of Engineering's Center for Entrepreneurship, and as a guest lecturer at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She co-created and serves as the Lead Executive in Residence in the Product Management Leadership Accelerator, part of the Foster School's Executive Education program. She is a member of the Board of Advisors and Adjunct Faculty at Regis College's Marshall Sloane School of Business in Product Management and Service Design and West Virginia University's College of Creative Arts and Media.
Maureen Stanton joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about her writing beginnings in fiction and using the scenic and immersive to move readers, falling in love with creative nonfiction, revisiting and recreating a love story, discovering the question behind her book, facing the blank page, bad first drafts, writing an illness narrative, placing an essay in Modern Love, authenticity on the page, the long winding path to publishing, not thinking your book will ever get published, working on multiple projects while querying, how love evolves, and her new memoir The Murmur of Everything Moving. Also in this episode: -the fog of grief -killing our darlings -submitting to writing contests Books mentioned in this episode: -Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott -Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -The Liar's Club by Mary Karr -This Boys Life by Tobias Wolff -Argonauts by Maggie Nelson -Barbarian Days by William Finnegan Maureen Stanton is the author of The Murmur of Everything Moving: A Memoir, winner of the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literary Excellence; Body Leaping Backward: Memoir of a Delinquent Girlhood, winner of the Maine Literary Award for memoir and a People Magazine "Best Books Pick"; and Killer Stuff and Tons of Money: An Insider's Look at the World of Flea Markets, Antiques, and Collecting, winner of the Massachusetts Book Award in nonfiction and a Parade Magazine "12 Great Summer Books" selection. Her nonfiction has been widely published, including in The New York Times, Fourth Genre, Creative Nonfiction, Longreads, New England Review, Florida Review, River Teeth, The Sun and many others. Her essays have received the Iowa Review prize, The Sewanee Review prize, Pushcart Prizes, the American Literary Review award, and the Thomas J. Hruska award from Passages North. She's been awarded fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maine Arts Commission, the MacDowell Colony, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. She teaches creative writing at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and lives in Maine. Connect with Maureen: Website: https://www.maureenstantonwriter.com LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/maureenstanton41 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maureenstanton41 Threads: https://www.threads.com/@maureenstanton41 LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/maureen-stanton-6693ab11 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maureen.p.stanton Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/maureenstanton.bsky.social – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
Digital Health Talks - Changemakers Focused on Fixing Healthcare
In this impactful episode, Gene Bowen shares how Road Recovery uses music and mentorship to help teens overcome addiction and mental health challenges. Learn about their innovative peer-support model that pairs music industry professionals with vulnerable youth, the measurable outcomes they're achieving, and how healthcare leaders can support and replicate this evidence-based approach despite ongoing funding challenges.Gene Bowen, Founder & President, Road RecoveryJack Bookbinder, Co-Founder & Vice President, Road RecoveryMegan Antonelli, Chief Executive Officer, HealthIMPACT Live
On February 5th of this year, Steve Himelfarb, a longtime fixture in New Orleans' food scene and a true Renaissance man, passed away at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer. Kind, passionate, and endlessly creative, Steve took on many different roles in his life. He was by turns an acclaimed sound engineer, door-to-door cake salesman, café owner, king cake pioneer, teacher, and all-around community treasure.He was also our dear friend and colleague. Steve joined Louisiana Eats as a producer in 2022, working on this show over the last several years with his wife, Becky Retz. His contributions behind the scenes have been vital to what we do here.Over the years, Steve actually appeared on Louisiana Eats several times. In 2021, we interviewed Steve and Becky about the legacy of their beloved Marigny mainstay, Cake Café, and their love letter to diners: The Cake Café Cookbook. In 2023, Steve discussed how his specialty king cakes became a fundraising tradition at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.On this week's show, we remember our friend by bringing you extended versions of these two conversations. We also speak with sound engineer and producer Lu Rojas, who shares stories of Steve's esteemed music career.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.
Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Today is Saturday, May 24, 2025 The business director for the WV Secretary of State's office discusses entrepreneurship opportunities in #YesWV…all aboard the Potomac Eagle for a scenic trip along the south branch of the Potomac River…and an associate professor at WVU is documenting the state's garment history…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV SOS OFFICE – Join us for “Just Three Questions,” when West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner hosts Sarah Carey, the business division director for the Secretary of State's office. Secretary Warner and Director Carey discuss this year's West Virginia Entrepreneurship Conference at Shepherd University, the resources of the West Virginia Entrepreneurship Ecosystem and the innovative ways to do business with the West Virginia One Stop Business Center. Watch now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=_lOMWaobDhMojejx&v=5rWzykwn2LU&feature=youtu.be #2 – From WBOY-TV – The Potomac Eagle Scenic Railroad allowed 12 News to experience all of the magic behind its three-hour trough trip, which takes riders through the mountains of West Virginia to see eagles up close. The route begins at the Romney train station and travels along an old, historic line that was originally built by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The ride travels along the south branch of the Potomac River, an area you can only travel through by canoe, kayak or train. Due to the area being fairly isolated, it's an ideal spot for eagles to nest. Learn more and book your train ride at potomaceagle.com. Read more: https://www.wboy.com/wv-outdoors/how-you-can-spot-bald-eagles-on-the-potomac-eagle-scenic-railroad/ #3 – From WVU MAGAZINE – Katie Jones believes the garb of West Virginia's ghosts can tell us how those people lived and who they wanted to be. Jones is an associate professor at West Virginia University's College of Creative Arts and Media and is coordinator for the School of Art and Design's fashion design and merchandising program. She's one year into a five-year USDA-funded research project to bring garment and textile collections statewide out of dark closets and into public view. “We should be able to tell the story of how West Virginians have presented themselves to the world and how they've contributed to a fashion economy,” she said. Jones wants to document collections including anything people put on their bodies, from accessories and workwear to special-occasion garments like wedding dresses. She has started “as local as we can get,” digitizing WVU's own dress collection, which she estimates contains 3,000-5,000 pieces. Read more: https://magazine.wvu.edu/stories/2025/02/08/this-old-thing Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.
On February 5th of this year, Steve Himelfarb, a longtime fixture in New Orleans' food scene and a true Renaissance man, passed away at the age of 61 following a battle with cancer. Kind, passionate, and endlessly creative, Steve took on many different roles in his life. He was by turns an acclaimed sound engineer, door-to-door cake salesman, café owner, king cake pioneer, teacher, and all-around community treasure.He was also our dear friend and colleague. Steve joined Louisiana Eats as a producer in 2022, working on this show over the last several years with his wife, Becky Retz. His contributions behind the scenes have been vital to what we do here.Over the years, Steve actually appeared on Louisiana Eats several times. In 2021, we interviewed Steve and Becky about the legacy of their beloved Marigny mainstay, Cake Café, and their love letter to diners: The Cake Café Cookbook. In 2023, Steve discussed how his specialty king cakes became a fundraising tradition at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts.On this week's show, we remember our friend by bringing you extended versions of these two conversations. We also speak with sound engineer and producer Lu Rojas, who shares stories of Steve's esteemed music career.For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be sure to visit us at PoppyTooker.com.
Niall Boylan chats with Jessica Harris, a music therapist with the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists.
Sara Cashman from the Polwarth CWA discusses the upcoming Creative Arts and Home Crafts Exhibition.For further details visit https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079982313689
Yasmin Kawar, MTA, RCT, is a Jordanian-Canadian music therapist and counselling therapist. Yasmin specializes in working with clients in addiction recovery, as well as persons impacted by addiction, trauma & abuse, ADHD, anxiety/depression, and the criminal justice system. Yasmin works to meet clients where they are in their life journey to collaboratively explore challenges, develop personal insights & resources, and creatively mobilize chaos into positive empowered change. Yasmin serves as President for the executive board of the Atlantic Association for Music Therapy, and Secretary on the board of the Creative Arts in Counselling Chapter of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association.This conversation was a celebration of cross-training, client-centred approach, and connection within the landscape of music therapy. Yasmin's Links:AAMT - https://www.atlanticassociationmt.com/Psychology Today - https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/therapists/yasmin-kawar-halifax-ns/976910-- Subscribe to the Able Voice Podcast, leave us a review and connect with us (@ablevoicepodcast or @synergymusictherapy) to share your experiences and takeaways. We release new episodes every other Sunday between the end of January and end of August.AVP Theme Music by: Christopher Mouchette. Follow him on Soundcloud (Chris Mouchette).Episode audio edited by: Justis Krar (@immvproductions)Rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/able-voice-podcast/id1505215850
"Ghanaians pay tourism levies, so the creative arts industry should invest in local films. Comedy in these movies helps relieve stress, which is why Ghanaians are getting upset more easily." - Nana Kwadwo Jantuah.
A new Craftwork conversation with Maggie Smith, bestselling author of Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life, available from Washington Square Press. Smith's other books includeYou Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, Goldenrod, Keep Moving, and My Thoughts Have Wings. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received a Pushcart Prize, and numerous grants and awards from the Academy of American Poets, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, the Ohio Arts Council, the Greater Columbus Arts Council, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Series 3, Episode 6 of Artery features Adèle Commins and Daithí Kearney with Kayla Rush Musicologist Dr Adèle Commins is Head of Department of Creative Arts, Media and Music at Dundalk Institute of Technology. Her PhD from Maynooth University focused on the music of Irish-born composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Her recordings include contributions to an album of Irish piano accordion music released by Comhaltas in 2014 and vocal soloist on an album by Irish composer Sr Marie Dunne in 2015. She also contributes music in two local churches. Her recent research includes critically documenting the music of Co. Louth céilí bands from the mid-twentieth century. Her compositions featured in the seminal publications Tunes from the Women (2023) and some have been recorded by Cork-based Ceolta Sí (2020). Ethnomusicologist and geographer Dr Daithí Kearney is co-director of the Creative Arts Research Centre at Dundalk Institute of Technology, where he lectures in music, theatre and tourism. His PhD from University College Cork examined the geographies of Irish traditional music. An All-Ireland champion musician, he has toured and recorded as a musician, singer and dancer with a number of groups including Siamsa Tíre, The National Folk Theatre of Ireland, and performed for President Obama in The White House. He recorded the critically acclaimed album Midleton Rare with accordion player John Cronin in 2012 and continues to tour regularly. He wrote and produced the musical To Stay or Leave (2005, 2015) and his compositions have been recorded by groups including Nuada (2004) and Ceolta Sí (2020). As a composer, he has received commissions funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltachts and Cork County Council. Both Commins and Kearney have published extensively on music including contributions to the Companion to Irish Traditional Music and the Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland . In 2017 they released an album A Louth Lilt, featuring their own compositions, and produced the documentary The Road to Speyfest in 2016. International tours including North and South America, France, Scotland, Norway and England. They have composed and arranged a number of pieces for the Oriel Traditional Orchestra, of which they are musical directors. In 2024, they were commissioned by Louth County Council to compose the score for a music theatre production Brigid, Lady of Light for the 1500 celebrations of St Brigid in Co. Louth. Dr Kayla Rush is an assistant lecturer in music at Dundalk Institute of Technology. An anthropologist of art, music, and performance, her current research examines private, fee-paying rock music schools in global perspective. She previously held a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, supporting ethnographic research with Rock Jam, a private music education organisation in Ireland. Her work has appeared in Borderlands, Liminalities, Feminist Anthropology, Journal of Popular Music Education, and IASPM Journal, among others. She is the author of The Cracked Art World: Conflict, Austerity, and Community Arts in Northern Ireland (Berghahn, 2022). She is also a recognized teacher and practitioner of creative ethnography, with a particular interest in ethnographic science fiction. Artery is a podcast organised by Iza Kavedžija (University of Cambridge) and Robert Simpkins (SOAS, London) and supported by the AHRC. Music: Footsteps, by Robert Simpkins.
Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story (Barrelhouse Inc., 2025) is a genre-bending expedition into childbirth. Seamlessly blending memoir, fiction, and research into the fraught history of birth—from midwives to Victorian-era sedation through the Natural Childbirth Movement and modern L&D suites—Frontier lays bare visceral truths that are too often glossed over, and offers an incisive look at the momentous and terrifying transformations of motherhood. As she prepared to give birth to her first child, Erica Stern envisioned the idyllic experience promised by prenatal classes and diaper commercials. But when unexpected complications arose during labor, she found herself at the threshold of life and death, a liminal space that connected her to generations of mothers before her. From the chaos of the delivery room, Frontier opens into a parallel narrative: a Wild West ghost story. There, a mother who didn't survive the ordeal of childbirth roams her old homestead, tethered to the family she left behind. In this otherworldly hybrid memoir, Stern careens between this haunted past and the present horror of the hospital as she waits for her own son to wake up in the NICU. Erica Stern's work has been published in The Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, Denver Quarterly, and elsewhere. She has received support for her writing from the Vermont Studio Center and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. A New Orleans native, she lives with her family in Evanston, Illinois. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature
April 2025 Dante's Old SouthBuffalo Nichols: Texas based, Milwaukee raised, Buffalo Nichols is known as an acoustic blues guitarist and singer but that isn't the whole story. Two albums into his career, Nichols has proven himself to be an innovative songwriter with lyrics address both personal and political themes with biting insight. His influences range from his time playing in Baptist churches to his many years playing guitar in West African music bands. His experimental and hip-hop influences are displayed as well on his 2023 album, The Fatalist'. Nichols' self-titled debut, released in October 2021, ascended him to the national stage, earning praise and support from NPR Music (‘Tiny Desk (Home) Concert;' All Songs Considered ‘Best of October') to Rolling Stone ('The Fight to Reclaim the Blues' feature; ‘Song You Need To Know'), Bandcamp Daily (‘October Shortlist') to Guitar World, Texas Monthly to Uncut (UK), among many others. www.buffalo-nichols.com/www.instagram.com/buffalonicholsmusic/Odessa Blaine: General oddment and possible cryptid, Odessa haunts the mountains and coffee shops of North Georgia. Her novels and short stories incorporate elements drawn from her Appalachia roots. Odessa has honed her skills as a performance storyteller and loves sharing stories with live audiences. When she's not slinking through the woods or over-caffeinating, Odessa can be found encouraging the creative passions of others by serving multiple writer focused nonprofits based in the Southeast and providing marketing and project management to small businesses. substack.com/@odessablainebsky.app/profile/odessablaine.bsky.socialJenny Bates enjoys seven poetry books, published in numerous NC and international journals. Jenny was a judge for the Poetry in Plain Sight contest through the NC Poetry Society, 2024. Her book of poems, ESSENTIAL has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize 2024. Her newest collection, From Soil and Soul is available. Jenny's books are also available at Malaprops Bookstore in Asheville, Bookmarks, the Book Ferret and The Book House in Winston-Salem, Scuppernongs in Greensboro, NC.redhawkpublications.com/Poetry-c120141004www.malaprops.comthebookhousews.comwww.bookferret.comCynthia Atkins: (She, Her), is a prizewinning poet originally from Chicago, IL and the author of Psyche's Weathers, In the Event of Full Disclosure, and Still-Life with God, and Duets from Harbor Editions. Her work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review, BOMB, Diode, Cimarron Review, Los Angeles Review North American Review, Permafrost, Plume, and Verse Daily. Atkins has earned fellowships and prizes from Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. SWWIM Residency, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Writers at Work. Atkins lives on the Maury River of Rockbridge County, Virginia, with artist Phillip Welch and their family. More info at: www.cynthiaatkins.comOur Sponsors:Lucid House Press: www.lucidhousepublishing.comWhispers of the Flight: www.amazon.com/Whispers-Flight-Voyage-Cosmic-Unity-ebook/dp/B0DB3TLY43The Crown: www.thecrownbrasstown.comBright Hill Press: www.brighthillpress.orgInvisible Strings 113 Poets Respond to the Songs of Taylor Swift: www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777808/invisible-strings-by-edited-by-kristie-frederick-daughertyWe Deeply Appreciate:UCLA Extension Writing Program: www.uclaextension.eduMercer University Press: www.mupress.orgThe Red Phone Booth: www.redphonebooth.comNPR: https: www.npr.orgWUTC: www.wutc.orgAlain Johannes for the original score in this show: www.alainjohannes.comThe host, Clifford Brooks', The Draw of Broken Eyes & Whirling Metaphysics, Athena Departs, and Old Gods are available everywhere books are sold. Find them all here: www.cliffbrooks.com/how-to-orderCheck out his Teachable courses, The Working Writer and Adulting with Autism, here: brooks-sessions.teachable.com
Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story (Barrelhouse Inc., 2025) is a genre-bending expedition into childbirth. Seamlessly blending memoir, fiction, and research into the fraught history of birth—from midwives to Victorian-era sedation through the Natural Childbirth Movement and modern L&D suites—Frontier lays bare visceral truths that are too often glossed over, and offers an incisive look at the momentous and terrifying transformations of motherhood. As she prepared to give birth to her first child, Erica Stern envisioned the idyllic experience promised by prenatal classes and diaper commercials. But when unexpected complications arose during labor, she found herself at the threshold of life and death, a liminal space that connected her to generations of mothers before her. From the chaos of the delivery room, Frontier opens into a parallel narrative: a Wild West ghost story. There, a mother who didn't survive the ordeal of childbirth roams her old homestead, tethered to the family she left behind. In this otherworldly hybrid memoir, Stern careens between this haunted past and the present horror of the hospital as she waits for her own son to wake up in the NICU. Erica Stern's work has been published in The Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, Denver Quarterly, and elsewhere. She has received support for her writing from the Vermont Studio Center and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. A New Orleans native, she lives with her family in Evanston, Illinois. 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
Frontier: A Memoir and a Ghost Story (Barrelhouse Inc., 2025) is a genre-bending expedition into childbirth. Seamlessly blending memoir, fiction, and research into the fraught history of birth—from midwives to Victorian-era sedation through the Natural Childbirth Movement and modern L&D suites—Frontier lays bare visceral truths that are too often glossed over, and offers an incisive look at the momentous and terrifying transformations of motherhood. As she prepared to give birth to her first child, Erica Stern envisioned the idyllic experience promised by prenatal classes and diaper commercials. But when unexpected complications arose during labor, she found herself at the threshold of life and death, a liminal space that connected her to generations of mothers before her. From the chaos of the delivery room, Frontier opens into a parallel narrative: a Wild West ghost story. There, a mother who didn't survive the ordeal of childbirth roams her old homestead, tethered to the family she left behind. In this otherworldly hybrid memoir, Stern careens between this haunted past and the present horror of the hospital as she waits for her own son to wake up in the NICU. Erica Stern's work has been published in The Iowa Review, Mississippi Review, Denver Quarterly, and elsewhere. She has received support for her writing from the Vermont Studio Center and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. A New Orleans native, she lives with her family in Evanston, Illinois. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography
Dr. T and Truth Fairy welcome Greg Wrenn, a former Alabama state representative and long-time health policy advocate, who shares insights into how he became interested in the therapeutic use of psychedelics through personal research and professional exposure. Greg recently wrote a book called “Mothership” about coral reef research, ecological crisis, and his personal PTSD healing journey with ayahuasca. He discusses portions of the book and his experiences with Truth and Dr. T. Greg explores the growing interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy, particularly its potential to help individuals who struggle with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. He addresses the shift from viewing psychedelics as taboo to recognizing their potential under controlled, clinical settings. His personal stories, alongside those shared by Truth, highlight the positive impact psychedelic therapy can have and how his passion for the issue has been fueled. Truth Fairy, Dr. T, and Greg share concerns about the challenges of implementing beneficial psychedelic healing sessions, and they celebrate Greg's integration of tribal and liberating dance into the ayahuasca ceremony. They talk about the importance of regulation, ethical safeguards, and integration of Indigenous practices, and caution against the risks of commercialization. The episode is both vulnerable and informative, painting a hopeful picture of potential healing even in the face of difficult times.“You know, I'm no psychedelic evangelist. I don't think everyone should drink ayahuasca or work with psychedelics. I know I should, I know I need to. And so this is really important for my mission, which is to, I guess, spread a message of love and spread a message of the possibility of planetary healing, because planetary healing happens, at least with humanity, one brain at a time.” - Greg Wrenn__About Greg Wrenn:A former Stegner Fellow and Jones Lecturer at Stanford University, GREG WRENN is the author of the ayahuasca eco-memoir Mothership: A Memoir of Wonder and Crisis, an evidence-based account of his turning to coral reefs and psychedelic plants to heal from childhood trauma, and Centaur (U of Wisconsin Press 2013), which National Book Award-winning poet Terrance Hayes awarded the Brittingham Prize. Greg's work has appeared or is forthcoming in HuffPost, The New Republic, Al Jazeera, The Rumpus, LitHub, Writer's Digest, Kenyon Review, New England Review, The Iowa Review, and elsewhere. He has received awards and fellowships from the James Merrill House, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Vermont Studio Center, the Poetry Society of America, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the Spiro Arts Center. On his Mothership book tour, he spoke to audiences around the world, including at Yale School of Medicine, the University of Utah School of Medicine, Vancouver Island University, and the University of Virginia School of Nursing. Greg has also been on numerous podcasts, including Levi Chambers's PRIDE, and was recently interviewed by Emmy Award-winning journalist Elizabeth Vargas on NewsNation and by Jane Garvey on Times Radio (UK). As an associate English professor at James Madison University, he teaches creative nonfiction, poetry, and environmental literature and directs the JMU Creative Writing Minor. He also teaches in the Memoir Certificate Program at Stanford Continuing Studies. He was educated at Harvard University and Washington University in St. Louis.Greg is currently at work on a follow-up book to Mothership and sending out Homesick, his second poetry collection. A student of ayahuasca since 2019, he is a trained yoga teacher and a PADI Advanced Open Water diver, having explored coral reefs around the world for over 25 years. He and his husband divide their time between the mountains of Virginia and Atlantic Beach, Florida.Website: GregWrenn.comBook: “Mothership: A Memoir of Wonder and Crisis” by Greg Wrenn__Contact Punk Therapy:Patreon: Patreon.com/PunkTherapyWebsite: PunkTherapy.comEmail: info@punktherapy.com Contact Truth Fairy: Email: Truth@PunkTherapy.com
Rebe Huntman joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about who are we as women and what holds us together as a culture, following questions to their conclusions and changing in the process, running away from grief, magical thinking, reinventing ourselves, Afro-Cuban traditions and relationships to the dead, hungering for answers, permission to be more than one thing, losing mothers and finding them again through memoir, spiritual mothers and keeping the dead close, and her new memoir My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle. Also in this episode: -getting a do over -trusting the writing process -including the beautiful and the terrible Books mentioned in this episode: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Poetry by Richard Blanco Poetry by Aracelis Girmay REBE HUNTMAN is the author of My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle (February 2025, Monkfish Books), a memoir that traces her search to connect with her mother—thirty years after her death—among the gods and saints of Cuba. A former professional Latin and Afro-Cuban dancer and choreographer, for over a decade Rebe directed Chicago's award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its resident dance company, One World Dance Theater. She collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, and has been featured in LATINA Magazine, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Tribune, and on Fox and ABC. Rebe's essays, stories, and poems appear or are forthcoming in such places as The Southern Review, The Missouri Review, Parabola, Ninth Letter, The Cincinnati Review, and the PINCH, and have earned her an Ohio Individual Excellence Award as well as fellowships from the Macondo Writers' Conference, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center, and Brush Creek Foundation. She holds an MFA in creative nonfiction from The Ohio State University and lives in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and Delaware, Ohio. Both e's in her name are long. Find her at www. rebehuntman.com and on Instagram at @rebehuntman. Connect with Rebe: Website: www.rebehuntman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebehuntman Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebehuntmanauthor Links to purchase the book at www.rebehuntman.com/mymotherinhavana – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
What happens in your brain when you hear your favorite song? In our Music and Health podcast miniseries, we're exploring how music affects our minds, bodies, and communities. On this episode, host J. D. Talasek is joined by Sweta Adatia, a neurologist practicing in Dubai, and Fred Johnson, a community engagement specialist and artist in residence at both the National Academy of Sciences and the Straz Center for Performing Arts. They discuss their paths into combining music and science, how music impacts the brain, and how music can go beyond entertainment to create stronger, healthier communities. This series is produced in collaboration with Susan Magsamen and Leonardo journal.Resources:Listen to Fred Johnson's version of “Nature Boy,” and check out his website and his Instagram to listen to more of his music and mantras, and to see Johnson in an upcoming show. Visit Sweta Adatia's website to learn more about her work. Listen to previous miniseries episodes: The Creative Arts and Healing with Renée Fleming and Susan Magsamen.Dancing Together with David Leventhal and Constantina Theofanopoulou.
In this episode, we mark 100 years since the publication of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby and explore how its themes are still relevant today.Featuring Prof Philip McGowan, School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen's University Belfast; Prof Kirk Curnutt, executive director of the F Scott Fitzgerald Society and Professor and chair at the Department of English at Troy University in Alabama; and Dr Alexandra Peat from the School of English, Media and Creative Arts at the University of Galway.
192 To celebrate the release of Maggie Smith's new guidebook for writers called Dear Writer: Pep Talks and Practical Advice for a Creative Life, we're bringing back this beloved chat with Maggie about writing, self-trust, and life in the ellipsis! ---What do we do when the future we thought we'd have is wiped clean, and we're stuck in uncertainty? Bestselling author Maggie Smith joins us to talk about life in the in-between and how, even when we're at a loss, we can still trust ourselves. She also explores the writerly decisions she made in her most recent bestseller (and one of Nadine's favorite books of all time), You Could Make This Place Beautiful. She closes the conversation with incredible writing advice that will make you want to grab a pen and start writing. Covered in this episode:How to find beauty, even when our lives change in unexpected waysThe difference between a midlife crisis and midlife recoveryHow to turn up the volume of our inner voice and act on itThe wise women who've inspired Maggie & Nadine in life and in writingWhy writing hard things is actually enjoyable Why Maggie wrote her story in real-time rather than waitingWhat has and hasn't changed since the publication of You Could Make This Place Beautiful Maggie's favorite small pleasure–how she's treating herself well Want more Maggie? Grab a copy of You Could Make This Place Beautiful (now out in paperback), subscribe to her popular Substack For Dear Life, and preorder her forthcoming book, Dear Writer (April, 2025).Maggie Smith is the award-winning author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful, Good Bones, The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison, Lamp of the Body, and the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change. A 2011 recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, Smith has also received several Individual Excellence Awards from the Ohio Arts Council, two Academy of American Poets Prizes, a Pushcart Prize, and fellowships from the Sustainable Arts Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been widely published, appearing in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, and more. You can follow her on social media @MaggieSmithPoet.About Nadine:Nadine Kenney Johnstone is a holistic writing coach who helps women develop and publish their stories. She is the proud founder of WriteWELL, an online community that helps women reclaim their writing time, put pen to page, and get published. The authors in her community have published countless books and hundreds of essays in places like The New York Times, Vogue, The Sun, The Boston Globe, Longreads, and more. Her infertility memoir, Of This Much I'm Sure, was named book of the year by the...
Maggie Smith returns to Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about letting imposter syndrome go, fiercely guarding your interior life, getting back to the core place where creativity thrives, rewriting a book from scratch, how writing feels in the body, swerving out of your creative lane, battling the sophomore slump, what it feels like to be watched, when ego gets in the way, fears of paralyzing failure, playing the long game, the best advice she ever got, staying agile and awake in the creative process, and her new book Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life. Ronit's first interview with Maggie Smith: https://ronitplank.com/2023/04/11/lets-talk-memoir-episode-38-ft-maggie-smith/ Also in this episode: -the inner critic -assembling a book freestyle -tenacity and grit Books mentioned in this episode: Meander, Spiral, Explode by Jane Allison The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr Truth is the Arrow, Mercy is the Bow by Steve Almond Greywolf Press series “The Art of…” books Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of eight books of poetry and prose, including You Could Make This Place Beautiful: A Memoir (One Signal/Atria, 2023); My Thoughts Have Wings, illustrated by Leanne Hatch (Balzer+Bray/Harperkids, 2024); Goldenrod: Poems (One Signal/Atria, 2021); Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change (One Signal/Atria, 2020); and Good Bones (Tupelo Press, 2017). Smith's next book is Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life, forthcoming from One Signal/Atria in April 2025. Her poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Poetry, The Nation, The Best American Poetry, The Paris Review, The Atlantic, AGNI, Ploughshares, Image, the Washington Post, Virginia Quarterly Review, American Poetry Review, The Southern Review, and many other journals and anthologies. In 2016 her poem "Good Bones" went viral internationally; since then it has been translated into nearly a dozen languages and featured on the CBS primetime drama Madam Secretary. Smith has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Academy of American Poets, the Ohio Arts Council, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
Chris and Alex return to Japanese anime and Studio Ghibli for this reflection on The Wind Rises (2013), Hayao Miyazaki's then-final animated feature that plots the life of Japanese aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi, and which also offers a quasi-autobiographical tale of Miyazaki's own animated career and the spectacle of his ‘last designs' along the way. Joining in the discussion is very special guest Esther Leslie, who is Professor of Political Aesthetics in the School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication at Birkbeck. Esther's interests are largely related to political theories of aesthetics and culture and the poetics of science and technology, alongside an interest in expanded forms of animation, with publications that include the influential Hollywood Flatlands, Animation, Critical Theory and the Avant Garde (Verso, 2002). Topics for this episode include the film's reflexive register and status as a commentary on Ghibli animation; Japanese political history, representations of violence, and the plane as a historical figure of beauty; what the film does with its portrayal of fantastical worlds and the certainty of dreams; The Wind Rises' impressionistic visual style and its more ambivalent handling of the modernity/tradition division familiar from Studio Ghibli's earlier work; and how discourses of fatalism allow Miyazaki's film to be secure in showing us what we carry in our head, and how and when we fantasise. **Fantasy/Animation theme tune composed by Francisca Araujo** **As featured on Feedspot's 25 Best London Education Podcasts**
"Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey with special guests Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy of Trinity Irish Dance Company.In this episode of Dance Talk, host Joanne Carey chats with Mark Howard and Chelsea Hoy from the Trinity Irish Dance Company discussing their personal journeys into Irish dance, the company, and the cultural significance of Irish dance. The conversation highlights the innovative choreography that sets Trinity apart, the importance of imagination in the creative process, and the upcoming 35th anniversary season. The episode emphasizes the power of dance to connect with audiences and the mission of inclusivity and kindness within the art form.TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY (TIDC) was founded in 1990 to celebrate the pioneering work of its Founding Artistic Director Mark Howard. This uniquely Irish-American company “ushered in a new era for Irish step dance” (Chicago Tribune), opening new avenues of artistic freedom that led directly to commercial productions such as “Riverdance.”Considered an American treasure TIDC has performed sold-out tours in Europe, Asia, and North America, appearing in distinguished venues, such as New York's The Joyce Theater, Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center, Princeton's McCarter Theater, Ottawa's National Arts Center of Canada, Tokyo's Orchard Hall, and Chicago's Auditorium Theatre, among many others. The Company has entertained dignitaries as varied as Monaco's royal family, Irish and American presidents, Japanese royalty, and Indian meditation masters. TIDC offers both a highly skilled presentation of traditional Irish step dance and a brilliantly engaging interpretation of contemporary world vision.Mark Howard: Founding Artistic Director / Choreographer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer was born in Yorkshire, England, and raised in Chicago. He began dancing at 8 at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance and began teaching at 17. By 20 he had launched the Trinity Academy of Irish Dance, subsequently leading them to unprecedented World Championship team titles for the United States—the first when he was only 25. He redefined what was possible for American teams becoming the first to win gold in all categories.His pioneering work led to his unique transition from the competitive stage to the performing arts stage to coach then artistic director. Howard himself was a regular guest on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. He has been named three times as one of Irish American Magazine's “Top 100 Irish-Americans,” and he was honored by iBAM! in 2011 and in 2015 by Chicago's Lawyers For the Creative Arts for his outstanding contribution to the performing arts.Chelsea Hoy: Associate Artistic Director / Choreographer / Dancer. Born in Denver, Hoy's choreographic influence has significantly shaped TIDC's newest works. Hoy recently co-choreographed Taking the Mick alongside Howard, a versatile work following their first collaboration An Sorcas (The Circus), which previewed in Japan and had its world premiere at Chicago's historic Auditorium Theatre in 2019.Chelsea grew up dancing competitively for the Wick School of Irish Dance in Denver, Colorado. She joined TIDC in 2014 after she began her studies at Loyola University Chicago. She graduated in 2017 with Bachelors' degrees in Psychology and Photography. In addition to helping guide the company's future, she is a professional photographer, dance instructor, and visual artist. Hoy's love of empowering children through the arts continues to shape TIDC's outreach programming. Information for TIDC and to see their upcoming performances visithttps://trinityirishdancecompany.com/“Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey wherever you listen to your podcasts. https://dancetalkwithjoannecarey.com/... Follow Joanne on Instagram @westfieldschoolofdance Tune in. Follow. Like us. And Share. Please leave a review! “Dance Talk” ® with Joanne Carey"Where the Dance World Connects, the Conversations Inspire, and Where We Are Keeping Them Real."
In today's episode, Sheila talks with Aubrey Barnes, a talented poetry artist and founder of the creative arts organization Young Lions Roar, about how the uniqueness of utilizing and speaking out on poetry can help young people be more innovative and accomplished in the artistic world.
Inner Moonlight is the monthly poetry reading series for the Wild Detectives in Dallas. The in-person show is the second Wednesday of every month in the Wild Detectives backyard. We love our podcast fans, so we release recordings of the live performances every month for y'all! On 2/12/25, we featured poet Caitlin Cowan!Caitlin Cowan is the author of Happy Everything (Cornerstone Press, 2024). She has taught writing at the University of North Texas, Texas Woman's University, and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her work has received support from the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and the Vermont Studio Center. Caitlin works in arts nonprofit administration for Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, where she serves as Director of International Tours and as Chair of Creative Writing. She also serves as Poetry Co-Editor at Pleiades and writes PopPoetry, a weekly poetry and pop culture newsletter. Caitlin lives on Michigan's west coast with her husband, their young daughter, and two mischievous cats. Find her at caitlincowan.com.www.innermoonlightpoetry.com
Host Jason Blitman talks to Karissa Chen (Homeseeking) about musicals--particularly The Last Five Years' influence on her writing, dreams as well as idealism, the coincidence of reconnection, and the concept of seeking home. Jason is then joined by Guest Gay Reader Paul Lisicky (Song So Wild and Blue) and talk about all things Joni Mitchell. Homeseeking is the January 2025 Good Morning America Book Club selection. Karissa Chen is a Fulbright fellow, Kundiman Fiction fellow, and a VONA/Voices fellow whose fiction and essays have appeared in The Atlantic, Eater, The Cut, NBC News THINK!, Longreads, PEN America, Catapult, Gulf Coast, and Guernica, among others. She was awarded an artist fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts as well as multiple writing residencies including at Millay Arts, where she was a Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Creative Fellow and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, among others. She was formerly a senior fiction editor at The Rumpus and currently serves as the editor-in-chief at Hyphen magazine. She received an MFA in fiction from Sarah Lawrence College and splits her time between New Jersey and Taipei, Taiwan.Paul Lisicky is the author of seven books including Later: My Life at the Edge of the World (one of NPR's Best Books of 2020), as well as The Narrow Door (a New York Times Editors' Choice and a Finalist for the Randy Shilts Award), Unbuilt Projects, The Burning House, Famous Builder, and Lawnboy. His work has appeared in The Atlantic, BuzzFeed, Conjunctions, The Cut, Fence, The New York Times, Ploughshares, Tin House, and in many other magazines and anthologies. He has taught in the creative writing programs at Cornell University, New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, and elsewhere. He is currently a Professor of English in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Rutgers University-Camden, where he is Editor of StoryQuarterly. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. BOOK CLUB!Use code GAYSREADING at checkout to get first book for only $4 + free shipping! Restrictions apply.http://aardvarkbookclub.comWATCH!https://youtube.com/@gaysreading FOLLOW!Instagram: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanBluesky: @gaysreading | @jasonblitmanCONTACT!hello@gaysreading.com
Rebe Huntman is a memoirist, essayist, dancer, teacher and poet who writes at the intersections of feminism, world religion and spirituality. For over a decade she directed Chicago's award-winning Danza Viva Center for World Dance, Art & Music and its dance company, One World Dance Theater. Huntman collaborates with native artists in Cuba and South America, has been featured in Latina Magazine, Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Tribune, and has appeared on Fox and ABC. A Macondo fellow and recipient of an Ohio Individual Excellence award, Rebe has received support for her debut memoir, My Mother in Havana: A Memoir of Magic & Miracle (Monkfish Book Publishing Company, February 18, 2025), from The Ohio State University, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, PLAYA Residency, Hambidge Center and Brush Creek Foundation. "Writing with a physicality of language that moves like the body in dance, Rebe Huntman, a poet, choreographer, and dancer, embarks on a pilgrimage into the mysteries of the gods and saints of Cuba and their larger spiritual view of 'the Mother.' Huntman offers a window into the extraordinary yet seldom-seen world of Afro-Cuban gods and ghosts and the dances and rhythms that call them forth. As she explores the memory of her own mother, interlacing it with her search for the sacred feminine, Huntman leads us into a world of séance and sacrifice, pilgrimage and sacred dance, which resurrect her mother and bring Huntman face to face with a larger version of herself." Rebe also helps other writers. With over thirty years of experience as a writer and a coach, she shows writers the ropes, helps them build a powerful, personalized writing practice, and teaches writers step by step strategies to find their voices, become the best writers they can be, and deliver their work to the world. Rebe's essays, poems and short stories appear in The Missouri Review, The Southern Review, Parabola, CRAFT LIterary, The Cincinnati Review, Ninth Letter, South Loop Review, Sonora Review, Tampa Review, The Pinch & elsewhere. She lives in Delaware, Ohio and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Learn more: www.rebehuntman.com https://www.instagram.com/rebehuntman/ https://www.facebook.com/rebehuntmanauthor/
Naomi Moon Siegel is an award-winning trombonist, improvisor, composer and educator. In this episode we're highlighting her beautiful sextet album Shatter the Glass Sanctuary, and you'll hear her reflections on the valuable mentorship process with Allison Miller and brilliant collaborators including Marina Albero and Ray Larsen. Naomi reflected on her journey finding a supportive musical community, overcoming injury, and how she's advocated for intersectional gender justice for many years through her workshops for fellow educators and music students. We talked about some of her mentors including Kristen Strom, Wayne Horwitz, and her duo project the Syrinx Effect with Kate Olson. Naomi shared how her career path has been shaped by personal decisions and outlook, some of her experiences on several inspiring trips, as well as how she's able to find grounding and inspiration in both her new physical landscape in Montana and her new emotional landscape as a parent. Like all my episodes, you can watch this also listen to the podcast on all the podcast platforms, and I've also linked the transcript: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/naomi-moon-siegel Naomi Moon Siegel website (with albums linked) It's a joy to be able to bring these meaningful conversations to you, but this project costs me quite a bit of money and lots of time; please support this series through either my merchandise store or on my Ko-fi page. For the merch, it features a unique design by artist Steffi Kelly and you can browse clothes, notebooks, mugs and more, everything printed on demand. Sign up for my newsletter where you'll get access to exclusive information about upcoming guests. If you're finding this interesting, please text this episode to a friend! You may be also interested in some episodes I've linked directly to this one: J. Walter Hawkes Hillary Simms Katherine Needleman Meg Okura Colleen Allen EmmoLei Sankofa Renée Yoxon https://linktr.ee/leahroseman photo of Naomi: Rio Chantel Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:25) Shatter the Glass Sanctuary album, producer Allison Miller, pianist Marina Albero (09:37) clip of Shatter It from Shatter the Glass Sanctuary (link in show notes) (12:00) embracing a slower pace of life, move to Montana (16:29) excerpt from “Seep Into My Pores” from Shatter the Glass Sanctuary album (link in show notes) (19:48) sextet formation, listening party (25:05) finding supportive musical community, speaking out (30:11) other episodes you'll like, different ways to support this series (31:03) move to Seattle, overcoming injury, Seattle Music Partners (35:17) trip to Costa Rica, material for first album Shoebox View, Wayne Horwitz, (40:07) experience at Oberlin Conservatory, Wendell Logan (41:13) New Standards, women and non-binary composers, Terri Lyne Carrington (43:14) Syrinx Effect duo with Kate Olson (46:11) Cameronathon from Syrinx Effect's A Sky You Could Strike a Match On (link in show notes) (50:24) trips to The Gambia and Senegal, Thione Diop (53:22) workshops gender justice, also teaching improvisation (01:01:41) gender representation in jazz today (01:04:04) teaching improvisation (01:05:28) creative practice, artist residency Virginia Center for the Creative Arts
Send us a textLenny Zenith is more than an artist—he's a trailblazer in the transgender community, whose life and music have broken boundaries and shattered stereotypes. His career, spanning decades, includes leading iconic bands like Jenifer Convertible, Tenterhooks, Minor Planets, Pop Comb, and RZA as well as his collaborations with industry legends like James Murphy and Wharton Tiers. Lenny's genre-bending sound draws from his Cuban heritage, merging rock with jazz, electronica, and orchestral ballads, resulting in a body of work that's as diverse as it is powerful.Lenny's journey as a transgender man began in his youth in New Orleans, where he struggled to find acceptance while facing the challenges of adolescence. As a young transgender person, he found sanctuary at NOCCA (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts) and life-saving support from two compassionate doctors at Tulane Medical Center, who guided him through a difficult time.Yet, even with this support, Lenny's path was filled with hurdles. Outed in high school by a classmate, Lenny was forced to leave McMain Magnet School (New Orleans), completing his education in isolation. Despite these challenges, his strength and determination led him to continue his musical career, though his transgender identity remained hidden from the public eye for many years. Fear for his safety kept him silent, but Lenny's artistic expression always reflected his inner truth.Now, Lenny is no longer silent. In 2018, he fully embraced his identity with the release of What If The Sun, followed by the 2022 trans anthem “Where Is Safe,” a powerful response to the growing threats against transgender people, particularly youth, in the United States. With He/Hymn, Lenny steps forward once again—boldly sharing his story through music that speaks to the universal need for acceptance, love, and healing.With He/Hymn, Lenny Zenith's artistic vision reaches new heights, showcasing both his growth as an artist and the assured power of his voice. It is a remarkable testament to his journey and his extraordinary talent.His music doesn't just resonate with the transgender community—it speaks to anyone who has ever felt different, isolated, or in search of their true self. He/Hymn is a testament to his strength as both an artist and a transgender advocate, offering hope and a reminder that music, like identity, is a force of transformation and empowerment***If you would like to contact the show about being a guest please email us at Dauna@bettertopodcast.comFollow us on Social MediaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_d.m.needom/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettertopodcastwithdmneedomAudio production by Rich Zei of Third Ear AudioIntro and Outro music compliments of Fast Suzi©2025 Better To...Podcast with D. M.NeedomSupport the show
In part one of this two-part interview, trumpeter, composer, and 2024 NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard speaks about his deep musical roots in New Orleans and how the city's rich traditions shaped his artistry. He reflects on growing up in a household filled with music, his early piano lessons, and the pivotal moment when he switched to trumpet after hearing Alvin Alcorn. Blanchard discusses the educators who had a lasting impact on him, including Roger Dickerson and Ellis Marsalis, and his formative experiences at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Rutgers University. He also shares stories of touring with Lionel Hampton as a teenager, learning the ropes of the jazz world, and his time with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, where he honed his skills as a composer and bandleader. Blanchard also talks about forming a quintet with Donald Harrison and their commitment to innovation, as well as launching his solo career in the early '90s. He describes his unexpected entry into film composition, starting with Mo' Better Blues, and how that led to a decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee. Blanchard reflects on the challenges and rewards of storytelling through music. Stay tuned for part two of my conversation with Terence Blanchard, where he discusses his work in opera, his ongoing exploration of sound with his current band, taking on the role of artistic director of SFJAZZ, and his role as an educator mentoring the next generation of musicians.
In part one of this two-part interview, trumpeter, composer, and 2024 NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard speaks about his deep musical roots in New Orleans and how the city's rich traditions shaped his artistry. He reflects on growing up in a household filled with music, his early piano lessons, and the pivotal moment when he switched to trumpet after hearing Alvin Alcorn. Blanchard discusses the educators who had a lasting impact on him, including Roger Dickerson and Ellis Marsalis, and his formative experiences at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Rutgers University. He also shares stories of touring with Lionel Hampton as a teenager, learning the ropes of the jazz world, and his time with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, where he honed his skills as a composer and bandleader. Blanchard also talks about forming a quintet with Donald Harrison and their commitment to innovation, as well as launching his solo career in the early '90s. He describes his unexpected entry into film composition, starting with Mo' Better Blues, and how that led to a decades-long collaboration with Spike Lee. Blanchard reflects on the challenges and rewards of storytelling through music. Stay tuned for part two of my conversation with Terence Blanchard, where he discusses his work in opera, his ongoing exploration of sound with his current band, taking on the role of artistic director of SFJAZZ, and his role as an educator mentoring the next generation of musicians.
Practice makes perfect - discussing creative practice research at QMU. In this episode of the Queen Margaret University podcast series, members of the QMU Creative Practice Research Cluster discuss different interpretations of creative practice research and how art can "count" as research. Topics covered include the difference between art and research, advice for researchers and students considering working in this area, and personal experiences of balancing multiple identities such as practitioner, artist, researcher, academic, and pracademic. This podcast features contributions from Lecturer in Media Practice and doctoral candidate Andrew Rooke, Assistant Lecturer and filmmaker Regina Mosch, Lecturer in Drama and Performance Bianca Mastrominico, and Reader of Arts Management and Cultural Policy Dr Anthony Schrag.
From lullabies to movie soundtracks to workout playlists, music has the capacity to change how we feel. But what is the evidence that music's effects can transform physical health? On our new podcast miniseries, Music and Health, we'll explore the power of music to heal our minds, bodies, and even communities. On the first episode of this series, host J. D. Talasek is joined by Renée Fleming and Susan Magsamen. Fleming is an opera soprano, actress, and long time advocate for the healing powers of the arts. She recently edited a book called Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness. Magsamen founded the International Arts + Mind Lab, and created the NeuroArts Blueprint. They discuss health and arts research, current initiatives to use the arts to heal, and how this vital approach to care can be expanded. This series is produced in collaboration with Susan Magsamen and Leonardo journal. Resources Read Renée Fleming's book, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness, to learn more about how music and the creative arts are being used for health. The book was also recently reviewed in Issues by Susan Fitzpatrick, who called Fleming's introduction “beautifully written, providing a lyrical and comprehensive summary of the main ideas in the book.” Learn more about Susan Magsamen's work by visiting the International Arts + Mind Lab website, and check out Magsamen and Ivy Ross's book, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us. Visit the NeuroArts Blueprint website to find information on how the creative arts impact the brain. You can also find more information about and apply for the Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator Award. Visit the Sound Health Initiative website to learn more about the partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the Kennedy Center to research the potential of music to treat a wide range of conditions. Listen to the Real Young Prodigys' song “Where My Bus At” and learn more about how the song helped inspire change in Louisville. Thank you to the Real Young Prodigys for allowing use of their song in this episode!
Subscribe to Receive Venkat's Weekly Newsletter This episode is part of a series of conversations related to AI and Education. In this Episode, Dean Harper shares a Historical Perspective on AI, An approach to Gen AI, AI related Courses, Digital Infrastructure, Policies, Faculty use, Impact on Admissions Applications, Ethics, and Future of AI in Higher Ed. Topics discussed in this episode: Introducing Dean Graeme Harper, Oakland University [] Historical Perspective [] Approach to Gen AI [] AI Courses [] Digital Infrastructure [] AI Policies [] Faculty Use of AI [] Admissions Impact [] Ethics [] Future with AI [] Our Guest: Professor Graeme Harper is the Dean of the Oakland University Honors College, Rochester, Michigan. Dean Harper received the Bachelor of Arts degrees in History, English, Economic History from the University of Sydney. He then earned his Master of Letters from the University of New England (AU), PhD in Creative Arts from University of Technology Sydney. Dean Harper also received a PhD in from the School of English and American Studies from the University of East Anglia (UK). Memorable Quote: “We can't assume that the students are going to be AI literate, and the faculty are not. That's a blanket assumption that we can't make. So it's actually about all of us. It's about staff as well.” Dean Harper. Episode Transcript: Please visit Episode Transcript. Calls-to-action: Follow us on Instagram. To Ask the Guest a question, or to comment on this episode, email podcast@almamatters.io. Subscribe or Follow our podcasts at any of these locations: Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others.
Dr. Kanjana sits down with Dr. Thomas Baudinette and NIU history PhD student Kit Faulk to discuss the rise and propagation of Thai Boy Love (or BL) media. Baudinette goes in-depth into the history of the medium, beginning from its roots in Japan to its eventual explosion within Thai media culture. Together, they discuss the political and social ramifications of BL media within the context of Thailand and what it means for gender and sexuality within the country. Dr. Baudinette is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language, and Literature at Macquarie University. Focusing on the cultural development of gender and sexuality, he studies LGBTQIA+ culture within Southeast Asia.
Allan Weitz had little idea of the grand photographic adventures in store when he signed on as host of the B&H Photography Podcast shortly before the show's debut in October 2015. As a self-described big mouth, and with more than 40 years as a working pro fueling his curiosity about all things photographic, Allan quickly honed his chops to become the voice of the show. Today's episode marks a crossroads, as Allan passes his hosting mic to the show's incoming host, Derek Fahsbender, producer and host of the B&H Event Space. During a lively chat, we celebrate Allan's long and successful career, both on assignment and at the helm of the podcast, with some never before told stories and audio clips from memorable interactions with guests. A few of the many topics we cover include, how a kid from Sheepshead Bay made a name for himself photographing classic yachts, the ways in which Allan's time behind a New Jersey deli counter enhanced his ability to engage with people on a human level—among other benefits to career reinvention—and how his shift into podcasting taught him to use his voice as an instrument. As Allan aptly summarized for attendees of the podcast team's 2018 presentation of Podcasting 101: “It's not always what you say, but how you say it.” Guest: Allan Weitz Episode Timeline 3:38: Allan's B&H Event Space segment from Podcasting 101. 8:35: The back story to Allan's one-word podcast intro “Greetings!” 10:44: Allan's chat with digital camera inventor Steve Sasson about their shared Brooklyn roots. 13:56: Allan's hosting skills as a court jester—or Tummler in Yiddish. 16:12: Gear talk, and a clip from Allan's chat with Bellamy Hunt of The Japan Camera Hunter. 21:19: Allan waxes poetic about his love for the Hasselblad Superwide, plus his early adoption of digital gear. 28:24: Branching out from commercial assignments to tech writing and other things. 38:18: Episode break 39:27: Memorable stories and life lessons from Allan's assignment career. 44:22: Allan's entrée to the world of yachting photography and portfolio tips. 50:44: Allan's career evolution in the rarified 1980s photography landscape. 57:31: The art of the interview and the value of collaboration among the podcast team. 59:53: Getting beyond difficult pictures during an interview with Bruce Gilden 1:03:50: Upcoming plans and Allan's Kodachrome book project. 1:10:31: Allan offers listeners his Tusen Takks for their trust in his time behind the mic. Guest Bio: Allan Weitz started taking pictures when digital meant doing something with your fingers. A graduate of New York City's High School of Art and Design and the School of Visual Arts, Allan is the founding host of the B&H Photography Podcast, one of the highest-rated photography podcasts in Apple's Creative Arts category. For more than 50 years, Allan's photographs have graced the covers and inside pages of dozens of publications, including New York magazine, Esquire, GQ, Yachting, and Nautical Quarterly. Many of these images have won him awards from the New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey Art Directors Clubs, the Graphic Artists Guild, Art Direction Magazine, Print, and Graphis, among others. More recently, Allan has had great success exhibiting—and winning awards for—his photos as fine art prints, as well as dabbling with artificial intelligence using the traditional photos from his vast image library as source material. Stay Connected: Allan Weitz Website: https://www.allanweitz.com/ Allan Weitz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allanweitz/ Allan Weitz articles on the B&H Explora Blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/users/allan-weitz Podcasting 101 with the B&H Photography Podcast Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd2KDaNSjGI Steve Sasson Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/invention-of-digital-camera Japan Camera Hunter Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/podcast-the-japan-camera-hunter Graham Nash Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/graham-nash-ace-photographer-digital-printing-pioneer-music-legend-the-bh Bruce Gilden Podcast Episode: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/podcasts/photography/closer-look-bruce-gilden End Credits: Founding Host: Allan Weitz Incoming Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens
Music and mental health are deeply intertwined. In this episode, Eric Rosener and Chelsea Corbin of Dallas-based punk band Overshare sit down with Emmeline to talk about how mental health and music inform each other--both in composition and in band dynamics. They discuss how they met, how Chelsea's percussion complements Eric's lyrics and melody, and how the vulnerable nature of their music helps them connect more deeply with each other and with fans. Emmeline and Overshare also explore how unapologetic honesty can help build creative confidence--and chat about what's next for Overshare!To learn more about Overshare, or to follow their musical journey, follow them on Instagram or stream their music on Spotify. You can also check out their official website.For behind-the-scenes information and more about Journey of an Artist, visit the Journey of Series official webpage, or follow Emmeline on social media at @EmmelineMusic.
When was the last time you felt truly moved by something you saw or heard?It could be a piece of art or music, a line from a book or poem, being with someone you love, or even a perfect bite of food, but those moments that stop us in our tracks are more than fleeting pleasures.These “glimmers” create space for our bodies to exhale so that we can experience wonder, awe, and joy.Learning to recognize and lean into these moments isn't just about respite from the hard things; they help us navigate challenging times by reminding us that humans need connection, creativity, and hope. Today's guest is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work invites us into a world of creativity and intention. It is a testament to the necessity of nurturing creativity and wonder, and what's possible when we follow their pull as allies in our journey to love and lead with boldness and integrity.Amanda Jones is an artist, poet, and filmmaker living and working in the northern beaches of Sydney Australia. Amanda studied ‘Contemporary dance and choreography' at the School of Creative Arts and ‘Styling and creative direction' at Whitehouse Fashion Institute. She founded her film production company One Minute Film in 2015 working with clients such as The Iconic, Nimble Activewear, and Barre Body. In 2021 Amanda published her first book Diary of a Freelancer, its success shifted her work into her full-time art practice. Listen to the full episode to hear:How early experiences at the intersection of creativity and commerce shaped Amanda's career trajectoryHow Amanda realized that some pieces of her journals were meant to be sharedWhy her journaling practice is vital to both her personal life and her work lifeHow Amanda approached self-publishing her book to make it a piece of art and embrace its mistakesHow balancing play and discipline as she takes on a new medium helps Amanda combat imposter syndromeHow Amanda protects her creativity and imagination despite our challenging worldLearn more about Amanda Jones:WebsiteInstagram: @amanda______jonesDiary of a FreelancerLearn more about Rebecca:rebeccaching.comWork With RebeccaSign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader EmailResources:Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brené BrownThe Artist's Way, Julia CameronThe Name of the Wind, Patrick RothfussBleachers - Tiny MovesDrops of GodSeinfeld
We're joined by Kirven, the multi-talented Artistic Director behind Saint Louis Dance Theatre, formerly Big Muddy Dance Company. began his formal dance training at the Boston Arts Academy in 1999 and as a member of Boston Youth Moves under the artistic direction of Jeannette Neil and Jim Viera. He began his professional career as a member of Ailey II from 2002–2004 and performed at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival as a member of Battleworks Dance Company in 2003. In June 2004, Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing both nationally and internationally for 11 years. During his tenure with the company, he performed leading roles in works choreographed by Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Robert Battle, Ron K. Brown, Geoffrey Holder, Jiri Kylian, David Parsons, Camille A. Brown, Ulysses Dove, Christopher Wheeldon, Hofesh Shecter, Twyla Tharp, Wayne McGregor and Ohad Naharin. He joined COCA-Center of Creative Arts in 2015 as Co-Artistic Director of Dance with his husband Antonio Douthit-Boyd. In 2016, Mr. Douthit-Boyd joined Ron K. Brown/Evidence, A Dance Company as a guest artist.Saint Louis Dance Theatre, formerly The Big Muddy Dance Company, is a dynamic arts organization dedicated to providing world-class contemporary dance performances and exhilarating theatre experiences in our great city. Their 24-25 (RE)Imagine Season is sure to astound, with an exceptional repertoire created by celebrated artists from around the globe, and intentional efforts to pull audiences closer to our movement. Every moment behind the curtain is sure to captivate, every step is sure to inspire, and they will take every bow in celebration of the manifestation of their dreams. Come lose yourselves in this art! Support the show
I still cannot believe that I got the chance to talk to the guest you're about to hear. I found Jenn thanks to the magic of Google, possibly over a decade ago, when I was looking to see if anyone was working on or talking about veganism and eating disorder recovery. Back then, Jenn was speaking about her own journey of recovery from an eating disorder and was using her beautiful music to help inspire and support fellow people in recovery. For the first time, I heard an echo of what I had been feeling, that being vegan, in the deepest sense of the word aka coming from a place of ethics and a desire to protect animals, isn't an automatic link to developing disordered habits with food or an eating disorder. Although it involves inherent restriction, there is much more nuance than what you might take at face value, and although it is the case, and you've heard me mention this many times before, that for some people struggling with an ED it is best to push the pause button on going vegan, for many others, respecting their deep desire to not eat animals, can be incredibly important in their recovery journey. It's been a long journey since I first found Jenn. Since then she's helped so many people, vegans and non vegans alike by becoming a mental health counselor. On a personal note, I have to tell you that from the very first time I sat down to write lists of potential guests, Jenn's name was right there, in a paragraph titled DREAM guests, which in my mind meant guests I thought were such a long shot but a girl can dream. Lo and behold she is here. I still can't believe it even though I should, because Jenn is the most approachable, kind, compassionate, knowledgeable and generous person. Jenn Friedman, MA, MHC-LP, is a Mental Health Counselor with a Masters Degree in Counseling from Goldsmiths University of London where she trained in psychodynamic therapy. She also holds a Mental Health Counseling Advanced Graduate Certificate from the University at Buffalo and a certification in Creative Arts and Health from the New School for Social Research. She works with adults of all ages who present with a variety of issues, including relationships, career transitions, eating disorders, substance misuse, anxiety, depression, grief, and loss. She has specialized training working with dementia patients and their families. Because of her specialized interest in eating disorders and veganism, Jenn published her book, Veganism and Eating Disorder Recovery in 2022 (Routledge), which aims to improve the discourse about veganism in eating disorder recovery. In her book, Jenn proposes a vegan-informed treatment model, adapted from the existing trauma-informed approach. In this conversation we talk about all the nuance involved in the intersection between being vegan and in the process of recovery. It's a conversation that will be so helpful for people in treatment to feel seen and heard, for new vegans, for anyone who might be feeling that something is slightly off with their relationship with food, but it is also in my opinion, so important if you are a clinician and work with this demographic. Without further ado, join my conversation with Jenn Friedman by clicking play above, or listening wherever you get your podcasts. For all the links mentioned in today's episode, click here or visit brownble.com/blog
Sarah LaBrie joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the year her mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia and the legacy of mental illness in her family, rethinking ambitions in light of tragedy and grief, releasing emotional pressure with writing, when fiction doesn't cut it, finding company for our mental illness stories, knowing why you want to write a memoir, learning to stop punishing ourselves, being a workaholic, processing our stories through writing, and her new memoir No One Gets to Fall Apart. Also in this episode: -contemplating our parents' backstory -reading as much as you can -ketamine therapy Books mentioned in this episode: Beautiful Days by Zack Williams Heartberries by Terese Marie Mailhot The Book of Eels by Patrik Svensson Memorial Drive by Natasha Tretheway Braiding Sweetgrass and all books by Robin Wall Kimmerer Sarah LaBrie is from Houston, TX and is the author of the memoir No One Gets to Fall Apart (HarperCollins, October 2024). She is a TV writer, memoirist, and librettist. Sarah was most recently a producer on the HBO and Starz television show, Minx. She has also written on Blindspotting (Starz), Made for Love (MAX), and Love, Victor (Hulu/Disney). Her libretti have been performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall. Her fiction also appears in Electric Literature's Recommended Reading, Guernica, The Literary Review, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She has held residencies at Yaddo, UCross and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She holds an MFA from New York University, where she was a Writers in the Schools Fellow. Connect with Sarah: Website: https://www.sarahlabrielivesinlosangeles.com/ Get her book: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/no-one-gets-to-fall-apart-sarah-labrie?variant=41476933419042 IG: @itsmesarahlabrie twitter: @sarah_labrie tiktok: sarahlabrie62 – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and lives in Seattle with her family where she teaches memoir workshops and is working on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Newsletter sign-up: https://ronitplank.com/#signup Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://twitter.com/RonitPlank https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
A Special Thanksgiving Episode: Creativity, Community, and Gratitude In this special Thanksgiving episode of the Fueling Creativity in Education Podcast, hosts Cyndi Burnett and Matthew Worwood visit Dedham, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, to record live from the newly opened TLC Studios. TLC, short for Teaching, Learning, and Creativity, is the inspired creation of authors and educators Peter and Paul Reynolds, along with their sister Jane. This episode is a celebration of creative learning, featuring guest Donna Luther, a Montessori school principal, and highlighting the exciting Big Noise Summit. Together, the group reflects on the importance of gathering in person to discuss how creative learning spaces can transform education. They emphasize the power of community and the innovative approaches that reimagine what classrooms can be. Peter and Paul Reynolds share the vision behind TLC Studios: a vibrant, flexible space designed to spark collaboration and creativity. Unlike traditional classrooms, TLC Studios features modular, interactive areas filled with color and possibility. The conversation also highlights the crucial role parents play in fostering creativity and encourages educators to build strong connections with their communities. The episode ends on a high note—literally—with a symbolic “big noise,” representing the collective energy and commitment to spreading creativity in education. Full of heartfelt gratitude, this episode invites listeners to embrace creativity in their teaching and to cherish the community bonds that make education thrive. Tune in to be inspired to transform your own learning spaces! TLC- Teaching, Learning and Creativity Studios Our Guests: Donna Luther: An arts and creativity educator, Donna Luther is currently Head of Inly School, an all-gender independent, Montessori based day school in Massachusetts for students ages 2 – 14. She is a member of the Leadership Development faculty for the Creative Education Foundation, where she teaches Creativity in the 21st Century Classroom, Advanced Strategies for Educators, Facilitation through the Arts, and Integrating Creativity and Leadership to educators and business professionals worldwide. As an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University, she has taught in the national and international M.Ed. program for Creative Arts in Learning. She has presented at conferences throughout the United States and in Brazil, China, South Africa and Israel. Donna is founding director of Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts. Peter H. Reynolds Peter H. Reynolds is a renowned author, illustrator, and creativity advocate, celebrated for beloved books such as The Dot, Ish, Happy Dreamer, and The Word Collector. His collaborations include Someday with Alisan McGhee, the Judy Moody series with Megan McDonald, Going Places with his twin brother Paul, and the I AM series with Susan Verde. As the founder of FableVision, a Boston-based children's media company, Peter is dedicated to crafting "stories that matter, stories that move." Through FableVision Learning, he develops creativity tools that inspire educators and students to embrace imagination and innovation in the classroom. Deeply committed to fostering community and creativity, Peter co-founded The Blue Bunny, an independent bookshop in Dedham Square, MA, alongside his twin brother, Paul. Through his work, Peter continues to empower people of all ages to find their voice, make their mark, and share their unique stories with the world. Learn more at www.bluebunnybooks.com. Paul Reynolds: Paul is the CEO and Co-Founder of Boston-based FableVision, which creates and distributes educational media, mobile games, and apps aimed at improving the world. Under his leadership, FableVision has become a multimillion-dollar, internationally recognized multimedia developer and publisher with partnerships across various industries, including broadcast, museums, education, and technology. Paul also oversees FableVision Learning, the company's K12 edtech publishing group, and The Reynolds Center for Teaching, Learning & Creativity. He has collaborated with numerous organizations such as PBS KIDS, National Academy of Sciences, The Jim Henson Company, MIT Education Arcade, CDC, New York Hall of Science, and Carnegie Hall to inspire lifelong learning. In addition to his role at FableVision, Paul teaches digital media production at Boston College, where he has been adjunct faculty for over two decades. He is also a children's book author, collaborating with his twin brother, Peter H. Reynolds, on books such as "Going Places" and the "Sydney & Simon: Full STEAM Ahead!" series. Eager to bring more creativity into your school district? Check out our sponsor Curiosity2Create.org What to learn more about Design Thinking in Education? Do you want to build a sustained culture of innovation and creativity at your school? Visit WorwoodClassroom.com to understand how Design Thinking can promote teacher creativity and support professional growth in the classroom. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter!
Sarah LaBrie is the author of the debut memoir No One Gets to Fall Apart, available from Harper Books. LaBrie is a writer from Houston, Texas. Her libretti have been performed at Walt Disney Concert Hall and her fiction appears in Guernica, The Literary Review, and the Los Angeles Review of Books. She has held residencies at Yaddo, UCross and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She lives in Los Angeles where she has written for television shows including Minx (Starz), Blindspotting (Starz), Made for Love (MAX), and Love, Victor(Hulu). She holds an MFA from NYU where she was a Writers in the Schools fellow. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Twitter Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jason and Tony chat with with Kier-La Janisse. Janisse is a film writer, publisher, producer, acquisitions executive for Severin Films and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Communication and Creative Arts at Deakin University. She is the author of several books including House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films (2012/2022); and a prolific editor. She wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021), and produced the acclaimed blu-ray box sets All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror (2021) and The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle (2023), and now her newest release is ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS: VOLUME 2. The new box set includes 24 International Folk Horror Classics on 13 Discs, 55+ Combined Hours of Special Features, a 252 Page Hardcover Book…and More!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/castle-of-horror-podcast--4268760/support.
On this episode of The Downtown, we talk to Jaime with Catalyst Creative Arts. Catalyst will be hosting the Eclipse Pottery Exhibition starting this Friday, November 1, and going all the way through November 10th. We also hear local music from Zakk Magnum with “Fallen Love.” This song debuts to the world today on all streaming services. Enjoy!Apple Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/yf2yk2jzGoogle Podcasts - https://tinyurl.com/ybuxuvymSpotify - https://tinyurl.com/yh4xbgvuPodcast Addict- https://tinyurl.com/y9d7qcpySpreaker - https://www.spreaker.com/user/arlingtoncitizenmedia