Podcasts about finalist

CLIMBer! Imagine this...you co-write a Rascal Flatts smash that shoots to number one, your phone won't stop buzzing, and your career path looks like a ski jump, and then you walk away. Not because you hate the work necessarily, but because you're rebuilding the human that does the work. Today, we unpack the rare story in the music business, how to climb back with better songs, better systems, and a better heart. Connect With Chris Sligh Here: Facebook: @ChrisSligh Instagram: @ChrisSligh YouTube: @TheChrisSligh Website: https://www.chrissligh.org/home Spotify: @ChrisSligh Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gaar Adams joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about living amongst and depicting queer and migrant communities in the Gulf states, falling in love with Arabic literature and translation, the undeniable parallels between queerness and migration, exploring subversive acts, capturing ourselves in less than flattering ways, combating self-censorship, concern with how loved ones might perceive us, protecting our memory, calibrating interiority, writing into periods of discomfort, the importance of chosen families, transcribing and organizing vast amounts of material and interviews, allowing for a multiplicity of voices, intentional interrogation of stories that aren't being told, and his new book Guest Privileges: Queer Lives and Finding Home in the Middle East.   Also in this episode: -the fallacy of the solo artist -knowing when to let go -protecting our memory   Books mentioned in this episode: Notes on a Foreign Country by Suzy Hansen  Sea State: A Memoir by Tabitha Lasley Maximum City by Suketu Mehta The Pink Line by Mark Gevisser   Gaar Adams is the author of Guest Privileges: Queer Lives and Finding Home in the Middle East, longlisted for the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize. His reporting from the Middle East and South Asia has been featured in The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Rolling Stone, Bloomberg, VICE, Slate, and elsewhere. He received his Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Glasgow and currently teaches on the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Hull. He lives in London, UK.   Connect with Gaar: Website: https://gaaradams.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gaar.adams/ X: https://x.com/gaaradams   – 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

A final voyage for Blackbeard's treasure turns out to be more than the boys bargained for.  Ralph D. Paine, today on The Classic Tales Podcast.   Welcome to The Classic Tales Podcast. Thank you for listening.   The Audiobook Library Card is the perfect solution if you can't get enough classic audiobooks. Unlimited downloads and streaming of the entire Classic Tales Library for $9.99 a month. Use the coupon code CLASSICTALES2 and save $3 on your first month. You can also subscribe yearly at the lower price, if you like. Go to audiobooklibrarycard.com or follow the link in the show notes.   The Audiobook Library Card is an all-you-can-listen smorgasbord of classics I've been building for the last 18 years. Many have won awards! Only about a quarter of the library has been on the podcast. And with the Audiobook Library Card, you gain access to everything.   So head on over to audiobooklibrarycard.com and start listening.   I'm pleased to announce that my recording of P.G. Wodehouse's The Intrusion of Jimmy is a Finalist for a Narrator of Distinction Award from the Professional Audiobook Narrators Association (PANA). It's such an honor to be named a finalist among such esteemed narrators. You can listen to this title in the Winner's Circle category at the website at classictalesaudiobooks.com. Or, if you have the Audiobook Library Card, it's in the Winner's Circle category there, as well. I'm so glad this title is getting some more attention. It was an absolute delight to record.   And now, Blackbeard: Buccaneer, Part 8 of 8, by Ralph D. Paine   Follow this link to get The Audiobook Library Card for a special price of $6.99/month       Follow this link to subscribe to our YouTube Channel:       Follow this link to subscribe to the Arsène Lupin Podcast:     Follow this link to follow us on Instagram:     Follow this link to follow us on Facebook:

Bridey Thelen-Heidel joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about growing up with a mom who was addicted to everything including dangerous men, revisiting and writing about a traumatic childhood forty plus decades later, when you have to let go to protect yourself, choosing to balance the heaviness and dysfunction in a story with pop culture and lightness, writing creatively with an audience in mind, speaking for the child you once were, being true to your past experience, learning to let go and trust editorial feedback, knowing the ending of your book as you live it, literary devices and motifs, being a hybrid author and her 3 Cs for rocking book promotion, grieving the mother she never had, and her award-winning memoir Bright Eyes.   Also in this episode:  -trauma bonding with music -enmeshed relationships -investing in yourself Books mentioned in this episode: -Some Bright Morning I'll Fly Away by Alice Anderson -The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott -Fearless Writing by William Kenower  -Fast-Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Life Story in 45 Hours by Rachael Herron -Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert -The Creative Act by Rick Rubin   Bridey Thelen-Heidel is a teacher, TEDx speaker, and cast member of Listen To Your Mother NYC. Her memoir, Bright Eyes, earned a Zibby Award “Best Story of Overcoming,” New York City Big Book Award “Distinguished Favorite,” and Runner-up from the San Francisco Writers' Festival. A fierce LGBT+ youth advocate, Bridey has been celebrated by the California Teachers' Association. She's also partnered with NAMI and numerous domestic violence and child abuse resource agencies, speaking about defeating our monsters but also learning to live without them.  Connect with Bridey: Website: bridey-thelenheidel.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/brighteyesthememoir/ Insta: https://www.instagram.com/brighteyesauthor/ TikTok: @brighteyes_author TEDx Talk: ROB the Trauma: Steal Back Your Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT6rvXyjsZU&t=152s   – 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

Do you shower at night or in the morning? Halle Berry has an intimacy line; Kate Middleton went blonde and now she's back to brunette; Vulture's 2025 movie fantasy league; Great British Bake Off Review with American finalist, Nicole Aufderhar! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Robin Sellick arrived at Don Dunstan’s Norwood home in the early 1990s having accidentally addressed his letter to “Sir Donald Dunstan” – a mistake that could have ended the conversation before it began. Instead, it launched one of the most distinctive portrait photography careers in Australian cultural history. From that swimming pool session with our most colourful premier to intimate moments with Julia Gillard before her rise to power, Sellick’s lens has documented the moments when Australia stopped apologising for itself and started celebrating. The SA Drink Of The Week features tasting notes of Beresford’s latest pinot noir, where winemaker John Gledhill guides us through savoury raspberry and that curious sensation Steve describes as “freshly cut red lawn” – a vintage perfect for the upcoming Pinot and Pasta Afternoon at McLaren Vale. Our Musical Pilgrimage takes a melancholic turn with an original composition mourning the loss of the West End Brewery, capturing not just the building’s demolition but the dissolution of simple pleasures that once bound South Australian communities together. You can navigate episodes using chapter markers in your podcast app. Not a fan of one segment? You can click next to jump to the next chapter in the show. We’re here to serve! The Adelaide Show Podcast: Awarded Silver for Best Interview Podcast in Australia at the 2021 Australian Podcast Awards and named as Finalist for Best News and Current Affairs Podcast in the 2018 Australian Podcast Awards. And please consider becoming part of our podcast by joining our Inner Circle. It’s an email list. Join it and you might get an email on a Sunday or Monday seeking question ideas, guest ideas and requests for other bits of feedback about YOUR podcast, The Adelaide Show. Email us directly and we’ll add you to the list: podcast@theadelaideshow.com.au If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review in iTunes or other podcast sites, or buy some great merch from our Red Bubble store – The Adelaide Show Shop. We’d greatly appreciate it. And please talk about us and share our episodes on social media, it really helps build our community. Oh, and here’s our index of all episode in one concisepage. Running Sheet: Photographing Australian Icons With Robin Sellick 00:00:00 Intro Introduction 00:04:05 SA Drink Of The Week Th SA Drink Of The Week is the Beresford Estate 2024 Emblem Pinot Noir. Winemaker John Gledhill (from Gledhill Vignerons and our regular wine palate) joins Steve for the tasting of Beresford’s latest cool climate expression from Adelaide Hills fruit. The wine presents as light, translucent crimson with legs suggesting moderate alcohol content sitting around 12 to 12.5 percent. Steve’s unusual tasting note of “freshly cut red lawn” proves surprisingly apt, capturing the wine’s distinctive red fruit character that Gledhill translates as autumn leaves and forest floor earthiness. The palate delivers a ball of fruit on entry followed by crisp acid structure, with minimal tannin creating what Gledhill describes as “soft and round” mouthfeel. The conversation flows naturally toward food pairing, with Gledhill suggesting tomato-based pasta dishes with mild salami and black olives – perfect for Beresford’s Pinot and Pasta Afternoon scheduled for September 13th at their McLaren Vale cellar door. 00:13:05 Robin Sellick and The Sellick Archive Robin Sellick started taking dog portraits in Broken Hill at 15, not knowing he’d spend the next three decades documenting Australia’s cultural coming of age. From Don Dunstan‘s Norwood loungeroom to Cate Blanchett‘s first editorial shoot, from Sir Donald Bradman‘s quiet Adelaide home to Kylie Minogue on a North Adelaide balcony, his lens captured the moments when we stopped apologising for being Australian and started celebrating it. His portraits hang in the National Portrait Gallery, but more than that, they’ve shaped how we see ourselves. Today, he’s releasing museum-grade collector editions from his archive of over 600+ portrait sessions via is website gallery, The Sellick Archive. What intrigues me about Robin is that he didn’t just document our stars, he helped create the visual language that made Australia look like somewhere that mattered. The conversation begins with photography’s fundamental challenge: separating snapshot from art. “The key with photography is you have to be able to look at something emotionally and objectively within five seconds of the same thing,” Sellick explains, describing the mental gymnastics required to capture more than mere documentation. His journey from 15-year-old dog portrait photographer in Broken Hill to documenting Australia’s cultural awakening reveals an artist who understood that great portraiture demands risk-taking. Sellick’s approach stems from Henri Cartier-Bresson’s decisive moment theory, but with a crucial difference. “Every photograph you take, you are in because you made a decision to point the camera in that direction,” he notes. Where photojournalism seeks objectivity, portraiture embraces collaboration. “A portrait is always a collaboration… you involve the person in that process.” The Don Dunstan swimming pool photograph emerged from this collaborative boldness. Arriving at the Norwood home, Sellick complimented the pool, Dunstan mentioned his morning swim, and within moments South Australia’s most flamboyant premier was diving back into his Speedos. “I’m not there to take an ordinary photograph. I’m there to take a great photograph to the best of my ability,” Sellick recalls of his unflinching approach. The technical mastery behind his distinctive 1990s look came from cross-processing slide film in colour negative chemicals – a technique discovered accidentally during his Broken Hill photo lab days. This created the hyperreal, saturated images that helped define Australian editorial photography. “Back then, the only photographic awards in Australia were through the Australian Institute of Professional Photography… they were still very much in the late seventies mindset. So these pictures that I produced were just right out of the box.” His famous Julia Gillard portrait required different psychology. Photographing her in 2006 at her home, Sellick positioned her against a shed – traditionally masculine domain – lit with purple light. “It was an image about this woman stepping into the domain of men,” he explains. The prescience proved remarkable: within years she would become Australia’s first female Prime Minister. The technical challenges of film photography created their own discipline. Shooting the Bradman portrait on 400 ASA film pushed five stops to 12,800 ASA created that distinctive grain, but it was calculated risk. “You underexpose it by five stops… 32 times underexposed,” he explains. “You’ve gotta walk across the high wire to get to the good stuff.” The Kylie Minogue session broke new ground as the first major celebrity shoot conducted outside Sydney or Melbourne. Working from his Palmer Place mansion in North Adelaide, Sellick convinced Mushroom Records to trust Adelaide’s creative infrastructure. The balcony shot that became iconic was the day’s final frame, taken after the production machine dispersed. “I sent the assistants away and it was just her and me,” creating intimacy impossible amid the dozen-person entourage. His approach to celebrities reveals portraiture’s deeper psychology. “You actually fall in love with the person while you’re taking their photograph… you go through the process of falling in love with them before the shoot, and then you’re in love with them while you’re taking the photograph. And then it’s over.” The Steve Irwin elephant photograph required moving the elephant rather than the hyperactive conservationist. “Every time I started to take photographs, he started to perform… it was easier to move the elephant than it was to move Steve.” This anecdote captures Sellick’s ability to navigate celebrity psychology whilst maintaining his artistic vision. Looking toward Australia’s photographic identity, Sellick identifies our cultural immaturity. “We still tend to celebrate mimicry rather than celebrate individuality and expression that expresses the identity of Australia.” He traces creative development through four stages: mimicry, experimentation, commitment, legacy. “We get stuck in that mimicry stage and we don’t seem to encourage experimentation.” His current archive project offers museum-grade collector editions of more than 600 portrait sessions, using German papers and high-end giclée printing for works designed to last centuries. The photographs document not just individuals but Australia’s cultural coming of age – moments when a young nation found confidence to celebrate its own stories. 01:34:45 Musical Pilgrimage In the Musical Pilgrimate, we play a track by Steve Davis & The Virtualosos, Shout Your Mates Another Round, his reflection on the loss of the West End Brewery. Steve Davis & The Virtualosos deliver a melancholic tribute to the demolished West End Brewery, mourning not just architecture but the simple pleasures that bound South Australian communities. The song weaves together memories of shared amber glass bottles, family tables where beer flowed freely, and the brewery’s role supporting local sports teams. The composition balances nostalgia with acceptance, acknowledging that whilst West End “wasn’t great, it wasn’t best, but it was ours from east to west.” The Pickaxe bottle imagery connects to South Australia’s brewing heritage, when consortiums created shared glass manufacturing to serve multiple breweries across the state. Steve’s personal connection deepened when his father revealed the family link: his grandfather worked at the original Hindley Street brewery before operations consolidated in Thebarton. This discovery adds genealogical weight to the cultural mourning, emphasising how industrial heritage intertwines with personal memory.Support the show: https://theadelaideshow.com.au/listen-or-download-the-podcast/adelaide-in-crowd/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textS7 Ep6: Beyond the Cloak – Resilience, Recovery & the Truth by BBC 'The Traitors' finalist, Andrew JenkinsIn this live episode from the 2025 Mindset Unlimited Festival, The Traitors finalist Andrew Jenkins — and this time, it's no game.Andrew's story is one of grit, trauma, and radical transformation. After a car crash at 21 left him in a coma, doctors told him he'd never walk or talk again. But through sheer determination and an unshakable mindset, Andrew not only recovered — he built a life of purpose.Now, as the founder of Strength In You Ltd, he uses his story to inspire others to stop hiding, start healing, and find their power in vulnerability.This episode dives into:

Michael Jamin joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about his career as a TV writer, moving from mimicking to discovering and trusting our own voice, allowing our style to evolve, making sense of ourselves through art, imposter syndrome and feeling displeased with our work, comedy writing, performing staged readings to test out material, building a bridge between separate sections of our story, infusing comedy with drama, asking permission from children before we write about them, breathing life into relationships on the page for readers to witness, showing up generously for newer writers, getting a moment to land, and his memoir A Paper Orchestra.   Also in this episode: -doing stand up -debunking writing myths -having a spouse as trusted reader   Books mentioned in this episode -Books by David Sedaris -David Bowie making art video YouTube   Michael Jamin is a TV writer/author. His many television credits include King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-Head, Just Shoot Me, Wilfred, Maron, Rules of Engagement, Brickleberry, and Tacoma FD. His debut collection of personal essays (a cross between David Sedaris and Neil Simon) was just named one of Vulture's “Best Comedy Books of 2024.”    Connect with Michael:  Website: michaeljamin.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MichaelJaminWriter/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/michaeljaminwriter/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@michaeljaminwriter YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/MichaelJaminWriter Threads https://www.threads.net/@michaeljaminwriter A Paper Orchestra: michaeljamin.com/book Catch Michael Jamin on tour: michaeljamin.com/upcoming Mining Your Life for Stories: (memoir writing course) https://michaeljamin.com/sp/mining-sales/   – 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

Sarah Boon joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about allowing elements of a memoir to reveal themselves, radical acceptance of what we need as a writer and what we can feasibly accomplish with the resources we have, getting to know who we are as creatives, publishing with an academic press and the peer review process, navigating refusals, struggling with narrative arc, her experience as a woman and a scientist doing research in remote locations, breaking away from science writing to write a science memoir, living with bipolar II and anxiety, the effect of mental illness on creative process, being gentler with ourselves, pivoting from working alone to sharing a personal story, and her new memoir Meltdown: The Making and Breaking of a Field Scientist.   Also in this episode: -writing groups -living with an invisible illness -discovering the trajectory for your book   Books mentioned in this episode: The Solitude of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich The Only Woman in the Room  Eileen Pollack  Mean and Lowly Things: Survival: Snakes, Science, and Survival in the Congo by Kate Jackson   Sarah Boon, PhD, has published essays, book reviews, and author interviews for the LA Review of Books, Hippocampus, The Rumpus, Brevity Blog, Science, Nature and other outlets. Her first book, Meltdown: The Making and Breaking of a Field Scientist, came out with University of Alberta Press in June of 2025. She lives on southern Vancouver Island with her husband and dog, and is working on her next book.   Connect with Sarah: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHjQHnRpPTG/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/snowhydro.bsky.social FB: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.boon.31 www.melt-down.ca www.watershednotes.ca Get the book:  For Canadians: https://www.indiebookstores.ca/book/9781772127911/ For Americans: https://bookshop.org/p/books/meltdown-the-making-and-breaking-of-a-field-scientist-sarah-boon/21630061?ean=9781772127911   – 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

The Gateway Podcast – Brian J. Cano – History of the Paranormal, the Mobile Exhibit Date: Sept. 2, 2025 Episode: 92 Discussion: History of the Paranormal, the Mobile Exhibit About Brian: Brian Cano is a television personality, paranormal researcher, curator, lecturer, and author. He is currently a featured analyst on Travel Channel's Paranormal Caught on Camera and Doomsday Caught on Camera. He has also appeared as a guest on History Channel's The Curse of Oak Island and The UnXplained, and is well known as the tech specialist for SyFy's Haunted Collector team. Beyond television, Brian is the visionary behind the History of the Paranormal Mobile Exhibit—a groundbreaking, immersive experience that explores the evolution of supernatural belief systems. The exhibit highlights ghost stories, cryptids, and other paranormal phenomena, offering visitors a rare journey through the lore that has shaped human history. Brian is also the author of Grains of Sand: Tales of a Paranormal Life, which was named a 2022 Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. In the book, he shares firsthand encounters, expert analysis, and profound insights drawn from years of dedicated research in the field. Contacts: https://www.neverstopsearching.com/ Host: CL Thomas C.L. Thomas travels widely every year as a fine arts photographer and writer exploring various afterlife research, OBEs, metaphysics, folklore, and lectures at events. C.L. does "Spirit" art on request. She is the author of the haunting memoir "Dancing with Demons" and the acclaimed historical-fiction novel “Speaking to Shadows”. C.L. is the creator and host of The Gateway Podcast & Small Town Tales Podcast. She has written many articles and maintains a blog on legends, folklore magic, and paranormal stories. Currently, she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her beloved Golden Retriever and Maine Coon cat. www.clthomas.org Follow CL on Social Media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cl.thomas.428549/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_cl_thomas/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@clthomas

Melissa Fraterrigo joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the personal and emotional toll of being female, becoming a mother and watching her daughters navigate culture, making sense of our world through memoir and essay, discovering a softness for the younger versions of ourselves, when the fictional world doesn't hold our attention, processing different time periods, making sure there are universal truths in memoir as well as our own story, not inviting people others into the space while we're drafting, memoir as permission to explore our own life, taking the time to get to know ourselves and our process, how are we changed by writing, and her new memoir The Perils of Girlhood.   Also in this episode: -Lafayette Writers Studio -sharing of ourselves -keeping our channels open   Books mentioned in this episode: -Writing Past Dark by Bonnie Friedman -The Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard -How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee -Spilt Milk by Courtney Zoffness -Books by Melissa Febos -Negative Space by Lilly Dancyger Melissa Fraterrigo's new memoir is The Perils of Girlhood published by the University of Nebraska Press. She is also the author of the novel Glory Days (University of Nebraska Press, 2017), which was named one of “The Best Fiction Books of 2017” by the Chicago Review of Books as well as the short story collection The Longest Pregnancy (Livingston Press, 2006). Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies from storySouth and Shenandoah to Notre Dame Review, Sou'wester and The Millions. A graduate of the University of Iowa (BA) and Bowling Green State University (MFA), she teaches creative writing at Purdue University, and is also the founder and executive director of the Lafayette Writers' Studio in Lafayette, Indiana, where she offers classes on the art and craft of writing. She lives with her husband and two daughters in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Connect with Melissa:  Website: melissafraterrigo.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.fraterrigo Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissafraterrigo/ Lafayette Writers' Studio: lafayettewritersstudio.com Get her book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-perils-of-girlhood-a-memoir-in-essays/6da6408eda085813 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1496242203?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_XZ0VSR4RDAFX5FBRZYB6 https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496242204/the-perils-of-girlhood/   – 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

Family, this week on Queer News Anna DeShawn is still celebrating her birthday so we're bringing you something special, a Chicago connection that runs deep. She sat down with singer-songwriter Jim Verraros, who you may remember from the very first season of American Idol, where he made history as the first openly gay contestant on national TV back in 2002. In this candid conversation, Jim reflects on coming out at a time when queer visibility was scarce, the pressures and trauma of reality TV, and how representation has shifted in the 20 years since. We talk about Nico Lang's Rolling Stone exposé on queer Idol contestants, the resilience it takes to return to music after 15 years, and Jim's brand new album Explicit.This is a story about survival, reinvention, and the power of queer joy. Let's get into it.  Want to support this podcast?

Katherine Davis-Gibbon is an award-winning children's book author, publisher, certified yoga and Pilates teacher, and mother of two Generation Alpha kids. She founded Riverlet Press in 2021, as a platform for books that illuminate and enrich the child's inner life. Her debut book, My Old Friend, Then, received praise from critics, teachers, therapists, and parents, as well as the following awards recognition: Distinguished Favorite in the 2022 New York City Big Book Awards; Finalist in the 2022 American Book Fest's Best Book Awards; and Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 Independent Press Awards. Her forthcoming book, Words, is already receiving high praise from multiple outlets, including being selected as an Editor's Pick by Publishers Weekly BookLife Reviews.Prior to becoming a children's book author, Davis-Gibbon was a contemporary dancer and choreographer for many years, performing in New York City, St. Louis, Albuquerque, and throughout California. By day, she taught Pilates and yoga—initially at Performing Arts Physical Therapy, in Los Angeles, where she worked with a diverse clientele ranging from seriously injured people to Olympic athletes and Hollywood stars—and ultimately opening her own studio. She has a B.A. in Dance from Scripps College, a Pilates Teaching Certificate from Joseph Pilates' lifelong protégé, Romana Kryzanowska, and more yoga certifications than she can count.You can find her books at her imprint, Riverlet Press, https://riverletpress.com.Don't miss this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we revisit the premiership standards for every finalist, and Jake gives each club a percentage chance of winning the flag. Plus we preview all four finals and name the X-factor to watch for each team! Join Matt Walsh, Jake Michaels, and Champion Data's Christian Joly on the ESPN Footy Podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this inspiring episode of Aspire to Lead, Todd Nesloney shares insights from his new online course, Culture Unleashed: Your Guide to Creating a School Kids Deserve. Together, we explore how school culture isn't accidental—it's intentionally built through vision, relationships, and purposeful action. Todd unpacks strategies for creating classrooms and campuses where joy, connection, and growth thrive. Whether you're a teacher seeking to reenergize your classroom or a leader aiming to transform your campus, this conversation provides the tools and encouragement to unleash the culture your students truly deserve. About Todd Nesloney: Todd Nesloney is the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA). He was previously a Principal/Lead Learner at a PreK-5 school in Texas. He is an award winning author for his work in co-authoring Kids Deserve It! and Sparks in the Dark. He has also written the book Stories from Webb and published a children's book, Spruce & Lucy. Todd has been recognized by John C. Maxwell as a Top 10 Finalist for the 2018 Transformational Leadership Award, by the White House as a Connected Educator “Champion of Change”, the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Education, the Center for Digital Education as one of their “Top 40 Innovators in Education”, the BAMMYs as the “National Elementary Principal of the Year” and the “National Elementary Teacher of the Year”, and the Texas Computer Education Association as their “Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year”. FREE RESOURCE: 4 Simple Steps to Difficult Conversations No one likes to have difficult conversations but they don't have to be…..difficult! When you sign up for Todd's email list you get these 4 easy steps on how to make every difficult conversation a success! Follow Todd Nesloney:  Website: https://www.toddnesloney.com/ Twitter (x): https://twitter.com/TechNinjaTodd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ToddNesloney/ — BIG NEWS! I'm speaking at The Thrive Conference on September 4th and I can't contain my excitement! As one of 10 educators sharing real strategies that actually WORK, I'll be joining amazing sessions like "PLC's Against Humanity" and "Art That Makes Kids Better Learners." ✨ September 4th, 3-8pm CST ✨ 100% FREE via Zoom ✨ 5 PD hours for IL & OK educators ✨ No travel needed - join from anywhere! This isn't your typical sit-and-get PD. We're talking game-changing strategies from educators who are in the trenches making magic happen every day! Ready to transform your teaching...

Gail Eisnittz joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about structuring her memoir around her pursuit of answers to a lifelong medical mystery, coming to terms with her own humanness, writing about her career in animal advocacy, exposing the underbelly of the meat industry and effecting change for millions of animals, working on difficult and hard-to-sell material, not sharing a book project with friends and loved ones until it's complete, weathering a difficult submission process, allowing herself to soften emotionally, becoming more in touch with self-compassion, and her new memoir Out of Sightz: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival.   Also in this episode: -factory farms -writing what feels right -discovering what holds the book together   Books mentioned in this episode:  The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku The Choice by Dr. Eva Edith Eger The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris Gail A. Eisnitz, winner of the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Medal for outstanding achievement in animal welfare, has been working for decades to document and expose the shocking underbelly of the U.S. meat industry. She is chief investigator for the Humane Farming Association and author of the forthcoming memoir, Out of Sight: An Undercover Investigator's Fight for Animal Rights and Her Own Survival. Eisnitz and her first book, Slaughterhouse: The Shocking Story of Greed, Neglect, and Inhumane Treatment inside the U.S. Meat Industry, were the driving force behind a front-page exposé in the Washington Post that resulted in an annual multimillion dollar Congressional appropriation for enforcement of the Humane Slaughter Act – the first funding ever allocated for a law that had been on the books for more than forty years. Eisnitz's work has resulted in exposés by ABC's Good Morning America, PrimeTime Live, and Dateline NBC, has been featured in such newspapers as the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Miami Herald, Detroit Free Press, Texas Monthly, Denver Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report, and her interviews have been heard on more than 1,000 radio stations. In her new memoir, Eisnitz takes readers on a journey of self-discovery as she fights to document and expose scandalous animal abuse, all in the face of a rare visual processing disorder that she has grappled with since childhood. The disease, which was only identified in the scientific literature a mere ten years ago – was diagnosed after she began writing her memoir – and is revealed at the book's climax.  Connect with Gail: Website: www.GailEisnitz.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gail.eisnitz Humane Farming Association: www.hfa.org   – 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

This week, RoCo and Rocket discuss all the early mail in player movememt circles, and review the season of every non-finalist. Join Rohan Connolly and Rodney Eade on the Footyology podcast. West Coast: 20:05 Richmond: 26:30 North Melbourne: 32:00 Essendon: 37:45 Melbourne: 43:55 Port Adelaide: 50:20 St Kilda: 55:55 Carlton: 1:01:50 Sydney: 1:08:00 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alex DiFrancesco joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about using rituals and tarot as a framework in a manuscript, Italian folk tradition as a spiritual outlet, the sometimes difficult path to publishing, being sued for defamation, finding a publisher brave enough to publish our work, writing about sexual assault, thinking in sections, using books as inspiration, complex PTSD, hiding who we are, alters, saints, and card divination, taking it slow, keeping our body in working order, making our own magic, and their new memoir Breaking the Curse.   Also in this episode: -anti-SLAPP laws -seeking protection -multi-tonal books -Snakes and Acey's Print Shop: https://www.snakesandaceys.com/   Books mentioned in this episode: 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack  The Part That Burns by Jeannine Ouellette Aura by Hillary Leftwich Saint Dymphna's Playbook by Hillary Leftwich  Glory Guitars by Gogo Germaine I Liked You Better Before I Knew You So Well by James Allen Hall   Alex DiFrancesco is the author of ALL CITY, PSYCHOPOMPS, TRANSMUTATION, and BREAKING THE CURSE. Their work has appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Tim House, and more. They are a 2022 recipient of the Ohio Atts Council's individual excellence awards, as well as the first transgender awards finalist in over 80 years of the Ohioana Book Awards.  Connect with Alex: Website: www.alexdifrancesco.com Get the book: https://www.sevenstories.com/authors/453-alex-difrancesco?srsltid=AfmBOor0TGaH2gWxGoaqEPlv2rNOrjiALa2iEha3b-z1m0s6mFIosnja   – 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

Finalist #9 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] Ollantay is a three-act play written in Quechua, an indigenous language of the South American Andes. It was first performed in Peru around 1775. Since the mid-1800s it's been performed more often, and nowadays it's pretty easy to find some company in Peru doing it. If nothing else, it's popular in Peruvian high schools as a way to get students to connect with Quechua history. It's not a particularly long play; a full performance of Ollantay takes around an hour.1 Also, nobody knows where Ollantay was written, when it was written, or who wrote it. And its first documented performance led directly to upwards of a hundred thousand deaths. Macbeth has killed at most fifty people,2 and yet it routinely tops listicles of “deadliest plays”. I'm here to propose that Ollantay take its place. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-ollantay

Finalist #8 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] I. The Men Are Not Alright Sometimes I'm convinced there's a note taped to my back that says, “PLEASE SPILL YOUR SOUL UPON THIS WOMAN.” I am not a therapist, nor in any way certified to deal with emotional distress, yet my presence seems to cause people to regurgitate their traumas. This quirk of mine becomes especially obvious when dating. Many of my dates turn into pseudo-therapy sessions, with men sharing emotional traumas they've kept bottled up for years. One moment I'm learning about his cat named Daisy, and then half a latte later, I'm hearing a detailed account of his third suicide attempt, complete with a critique of the food in the psychiatric ward. This repeated pattern in my dating life has taught me three things: I am terrible at small talk. Most men are not accustomed to genuine questions about their well-being, and will often respond with a desperate upwelling of emotion. The men are not alright. This is a review of dating men in the Bay Area. But more than that, it's an attempt to explain those unofficial therapy sessions to people who never get to hear them. It's a review of the various forms of neglect and abuse society inflicts upon men, and the inevitable consequences to their happiness and romantic partnerships. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-dating-men-in-the-bay

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. 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

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of ReligionExplores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal waysIn Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (NYU Press, 2022), Rima Vesely-Flad examines the distinctive features of Black-identifying Buddhist practitioners, arguing that Black Buddhists interpret Buddhist teachings in ways that are congruent with Black radical thought. Indeed, the volume makes the case that given their experiences with racism—both in the larger society and also within largely white-oriented Buddhist organizations—Black cultural frameworks are necessary for illuminating the Buddha's wisdom.Drawing on interviews with forty Black Buddhist teachers and practitioners, Vesely-Flad argues that Buddhist teachings, through their focus on healing intergenerational trauma, provide a vitally important foundation for achieving Black liberation. She shows that Buddhist teachings as practiced by Black Americans emphasize different aspects of the religion than do those in white convert Buddhist communities, focusing more on devotional practices to ancestors and community uplift.The book includes discussions of the Black Power movement, the Black feminist movement, and the Black prophetic tradition. It also offers a nuanced discussion of how the Black body, which has historically been reviled, is claimed as a vehicle for liberation. In so doing, the book explores how the experiences of non-binary, gender non-conforming, and transgender practitioners of African descent are validated within the tradition. The book also uplifts the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer Black Buddhists. This unique volume shows the importance of Black Buddhist teachers' insights into Buddhist wisdom, and how they align Buddhism with Black radical teachings, helping to pull Buddhism away from dominant white cultural norms. Please also check out her forthcoming book, The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lordre. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Nina B. Lichtenstein joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about writing to metabolize, using body parts as portals, pivoting from academic writing to memoir, discovering an authentic writer's voice, finding the right form as a neurodivergent writer, allowing various stories to cross-pollinate, opening doors with exploration, transforming shame into a shared experience, writing about the memories lodged within our bodies, being a Viking Jewess, the body as record keeper, the complex emotions around shame, moving from reactive and blameful writing to discovery, giving ourselves permission to tell our story, and her new memoir Body: My Life in Parts. Also in this episode: -leaning into literary community -publishing shorter pieces first -In a Flash literary magazine    Books mentioned in this episode: Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create by Elissa Altman Bird by Bird by Anne Lammott Still Writing by Dani Shapiro Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch   Nina B. Lichtenstein is a native of Oslo, Norway, and holds a PhD in French literature from UCONN and an MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast program. She is the founder and director of Maine Writers Studio, and the co-founder and co-editor of In a Flash Lit Mag. Her writing has appeared in various journals, magazines, and outlets, as well as in several anthologies. Her book, Sephardic Women's Voices: Out of North Africa, was published by Gaon Books in 2017, and her memoir, Body: My Life in Parts by Vine Leaves Press. She has three adult sons, and lives in Maine with her husband.    Connect with Nina: Website: https://www.ninalichtenstein.com/ Maine Writers Studio: https://www.mainewritersstudio.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ninalich/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vikingjewess/ Substack: https://ninablichtenstein.substack.com/ Get the book: https://vineleavespress.myshopify.com/products/body-my-life-in-parts-by-nina-b-lichtenstein   – 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

Award winning filmmaker, Susie Singer-Carter and spokesperson for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE, a nursing home exposé, proudly announced today that the documentary has been named a Finalist in Health Awareness - Film, Video, Television or Show in The 4th Annual Anthem Awards.   No Country for Old People: A filmmaker chronicles the last 6 months of her mother's life in a 5-star nursing home and discovers the system designed to protect our most vulnerable has been flouted by venture capitalists and real estate investment trusts. For decades greed has caused millions of people insufferable consequences and even death, yet most of the public has no idea until it's too late. No Country for Old People is a cautionary tale and a public rally for change.   No Country for Old People is on Amazon now followed by Hoopla, Spectrum, Charter, Cox, Xfinity, Tubi, VA Media, Prime AVOD, Gan Jing World, and Vyre Network (Dates and times TBA)   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Sonita Alizada joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about surviving the Taliban in Afghanistan, speaking up against forced child marriage and racism, finding a voice through music, when we have nothing else to help us survive but art, protesting against an oppressive government, fighting for an education, the lack of meaningful action from NGOs, how much we can live through and endure, survivor's guilt, becoming the subject of a documentary, risking what you have for your dreams, and her new memoir SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom. Speak up against for marriage against racism and around, not just about hardship but about survival resistance and hope it's about celebration what Art can do when we have nothing else to use and no other resources to use to really fight for ourselves to find our voices to chase our dreams Also in this episode; -not putting everything into the book -the fatigue of advocacy work -fighting for those who don't have a voice   Books mentioned in this episode: Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls On Writing by Stephen King   Sonita Alizada is an Afghan rapper and activist and the author of the new book: “SONITA: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom." Through her music and advocacy work, Sonita has campaigned for women's rights and against child marriage, partnering with notable NGOS. She has performed at the U.S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards and has been recognized with prestigious honors, including TIME Magazine's Next Generation Leader, Forbes 30 Under 30, the Cannes Lions Humanitarian Award, and was included in BBC's 100 Women in 2015. Sonita, who learned English upon coming to the U.S., graduated from Bard College in 2023. In October 2025, she will be pursuing a master's degree at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.    Connect with Sonita: Website: www.sonita.net Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonitalizadeh – 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

It is a pleasure to welcome award-winning writer Tim Cummings to The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast.  Tim is the author of the multiple-award-winning coming-of-age novel, Alice the Cat, published by Fitzroy Books. It was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts.Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins' contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, The Townies Inc. in Ojai, runs private workshops, and coaches authors. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner of 19 years and their dog. Tim grew up with a severely epileptic brother. His name was Matthew. They shared a room growing up. The seizure scenes in The Lightning People Play between Kirby and Baxter are drawn from real life. Matthew succumbed to epilepsy in the summer of 1997 when he died of complications caused by a grand-mal seizure. He was 26. With this story, Tim manifested a different destiny for Matthew–and for his heart. On this episode of The Jake's Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Tim Cummings shared his origin story and how both Alice the Cat and The Lightning People Play teach essential life lessons to its readers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jake-s-take-with-jacob-elyachar--4112003/support.

While Teresa Watkins is touring the Highland braes of Scotland, Better Lawns and Gardens host emeritus, Tom MacCubbin, interviews Krista Devor, Lukas Nursery and answering Florida gardeners' questions and texts on WFLA-Orlando. Better Lawns and Gardens Hour 1 – Coming to you from the Summit Responsible Solutions Studios.  Better Lawns and Gardens Host emeritus, Tom MacCubbin is in the iHeart studio answering gardening questions.  Sign up for Teresa's monthly gardening newsletter, “In Your Backyard” where you can read Teresa's what to do in your landscape tips, Landscape Malpractice: How to know when to fire your landscaper,” Teresa's Design Tips; and more.  https://rb.gy/gf8k3s Art in Bloom Garden Tours Sublime garden tours you don't want to miss! Small groups. Beautiful vistas. Destinations for 2026 include Philadelphia Flower Show, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States with the Revolutionary Garden Tours, the Best of English Gardens and the Chelsesa Flower Show, the Newport Flower Show and Martha's Vineyard, Gardenwalk Buffalo and Niagara Falls, The 50 Shades of Green Ireland garden tour, and the Brandywine Valley Garden Tour. Come join Teresa on these incredible garden tours! Graphic credit: Teresa Watkins, Photo Credit: Ali Sarkhosh, UF/IFAS Listen every Saturdays from 7am - 9am EST on WFLA- Orlando. Call in with your garden questions and text messages on 1-888.455.2867 and 23680, Miss the live broadcast? Listen on Audioboom podcast 24/7. https://rb.gy/gf8k3s Join me on Facebook, Instagram. #WFLF #WFLA #FNN #WNDB #BetterLawns #gardening #Florida #planting #gardeninglife #radio #southflorida #northflorida #centralflorida #Deland #SHE #Orlando #Sarasota #Miami #FortLauderdale #podcast #syndicated #BLGradio #WRLN #WiOD #gardening #SummitResponsibleSolutions #QualityGreenSpecialists #BlackKow 

Maura Casey joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the toll longterm illness has on a family, her sister Ellen's kidney disease and researching the history of kidney transplants for her memoir, when alcohol is a member of the family, growing up with a manipulative parent who didn't keep promises, sibling dynamics, being a lifelong diary keeper, her decades in journalism and transitioning to memoir, joining a writer's group, keeping chapters short, deciding on a structure, portraying complicated love, leaving space for forgiveness, and her new memoir Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery.   Also in this episode: -parentified children -medical trauma -supporting independent bookstores   Books mentioned in this episode: -I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou -Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt -The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr   Maura Casey is a native of Buffalo NY, and is the youngest of six in a big Irish family. She's been a writer since the age of 12 and grew up to have a more than three decade career in journalism, writing opinion for four newspapers- including as a member of The NY Times editorial board. She has won more than 40 awards in journalism. Her book, “Saving Ellen: A Memoir of Hope and Recovery,” will be release by Skyhorse Publishing in April of 2025. Connect with Maura: Website: www.caseyink.com Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/maura.casey.57/ BlueSky: @mauracasey.bsky.social Get the book: https://a.co/d/79edoZ3 – 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

Listen to 11 entrepreneurs from across the United States as they pitch their brands and products as part of the Naturally Rising pitch competition, hosted by Naturally Network, and in partnership with New Hope Network, Cambium Analytica, Beyond Brands, FoodBevy, NIQ, and us, Brands for a Better world! Each of these entrepreneurs won a regional competition for the chance to compete on the national stage Newtopia Now, 2025!Listen to all pitches, then click here to tell us which brand, product, and entrepreneur you'd vote for!https://forms.gle/UKuHfdUjkCxSDdsW9If you want to buy a pitch product's sample box featuring these brands (brought to you by FoodBevy) or register for the live Pitch Competition on August 21st at Newtopia Now in Denver, CO, visit Naturally Networks' event registration page here.Starting from the West Coast and moving our way out east, here's who you'll hear from.Naturally Seattle's Stephanie McGregor pitching Ringa, a canned moringa and apple cider vinegar based, functional beverage. https://drinkringa.com/Naturally NorCal's Brandie Miller pitching Mochi Love, a chewy, cream-filled mochi snack. https://www.mochilove.co/Naturally Los Angeles' Jocelyn Rameriz pitching Todo Verde, a true-to-culture taco seasoning. https://todoverde.org/Naturally San Diego's Sydney Chasin pitching Chasin' Dreams Farm, seed oil free baked puffs made from sorghum and whole grain brown rice. https://chasindreamsfarm.com/Naturally Colorado's Anna Zesbaugh pitching Corpse Reviver, a canned hydration drink with electrolytes and essential elements. https://drinkcorpsereviver.com/Naturally Austin's Ashley Waldman pitching Jubilee's, the only flavored milk with secret veggies. https://drinkjubilees.com/Naturally Minnesota's Simon Solis-Cohen pitching Huxley, a canned superfruit energy drink featuring cascara. https://drinkhuxley.com/Naturally Wisconsin's Deed Ziegler pitching Rec Pak, an ultralight meal replacement for outdoor adventurers. https://recpak.co/Naturally Chicago's Ivan Gutierrez pitching Tierra Negra, a premium dark Mexican salsa. https://www.tierranegrasalsa.com/Naturally New York's Damiano Messineo pitching Loopini, high-protein, healthy frozen pizza handcrafted in Italy. https://eatloopini.com/Naturally New England's Holly Arbuckle pitching Singing Pastures, pasture raised, traditionally crafted meat and salami. https://singingpastures.com/Links:Vote for your favorite brand, product, and entrepreneur here:https://forms.gle/UKuHfdUjkCxSDdsW9…Naturally Network - https://www.naturallynetwork.org/Naturally Rising - https://www.naturallynetwork.org/naturally-rising…Newtopia Now - https://www.newtopianow.com/…Naturally Seattle - https://www.naturallyseattle.org/Ringa - https://drinkringa.com/Stephanie McGregor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieleemcgregor/…Naturally NorCal - https://naturallynorcal.org/Mochi Love - https://www.mochilove.co/Brandie Miller - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandie-miller-482bab41/…Naturally Los Angeles - https://www.naturallyla.org/Todo Verde - https://todoverde.org/Jocelyn Rameriz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelyncramirez77/…Naturally San Diego - https://naturallysandiego.org/Chasin' Dreams Farm - https://chasindreamsfarm.com/Sydney Chasin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-chasin-074a158a/…Naturally Colorado - https://www.naturallycolorado.org/Corpse Reviver - https://drinkcorpsereviver.com/Anna Zesbaugh - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-zesbaugh-a79897b9/…Naturally Austin - https://www.naturallyaustin.org/Jubilee's - https://drinkjubilees.com/Ashley Waldman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyverrill/…Naturally Minnesota - https://www.naturallyminnesota.org/Huxley - https://drinkhuxley.com/Simon Solis-Cohen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-solis-cohen/…Naturally Wisconsin - https://www.naturallywisconsin.org/Rec Pak - https://recpak.co/Deed Ziegler - https://www.linkedin.com/in/deed-ziegler-bba39a6/…Naturally Chicago - https://www.naturallychicago.org/Tierra Negra - https://www.tierranegrasalsa.com/Ivan Gutierrez - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-m-gutierrez-3b169b69/…Naturally New York - https://www.naturallynewyork.org/Loopini - https://eatloopini.com/Damiano Messineo - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damiano-messineo-53354018a/…Naturally New England - https://www.naturallyne.org/Singing Pastures - https://singingpastures.com/Holly Arbuckle - https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-arbuckle-ba56a61b8/…FoodBevy - https://www.foodbevy.com/FoodBevy Insider's Box - https://insider.foodbevy.com/...Brands for a Better World Episode Archive - http://brandsforabetterworld.com/Brands for a Better World on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-for-a-better-world/Modern Species - https://modernspecies.com/Modern Species on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-species/Gage Mitchell on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gagemitchell/…Print Magazine Design Podcasts - https://www.printmag.com/categories/printcast/…Heritage Radio Network - https://heritageradionetwork.org/Heritage Radio Network on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-radio-network/posts/Heritage Radio Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HeritageRadioNetworkHeritage Radio Network on X - https://x.com/Heritage_RadioHeritage Radio Network on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heritage_radio/Heritage Radio Network on Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@heritage_radioSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In dieser Folge des Performance Manager Podcast begrüßen wir Manuel Niederhofer, Chief Digital Officer der Aachener Grundvermögen und Finalist des CIO des Jahres 2024. Gemeinsam sprechen wir über das Projekt „Data Circus de Cologne“ – ein herausragendes Beispiel für erfolgreiche Datenstrategie und digitale Transformation. Sie erfahren: Wie Datenquellen integriert und harmonisiert werden Warum Datensicherheit bei sensiblen Informationen oberste Priorität hat  Wie Automatisierung und Echtzeitdaten manuelle Prozesse ablösen  Welche Rolle Change Management beim Aufbau einer datengetriebenen Kultur spielt Ein praxisnaher Einblick, wie Unternehmen mit einer klaren Datenstrategie Effizienz steigern, Kosten optimieren und nachhaltige Entscheidungen treffen können. Hören Sie jetzt rein und erfahren Sie, wie datenbasierte Strukturen echte Wettbewerbsvorteile ermöglichen.

Linda Trinh joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about her personal spiritual journey, opening a memoir with a question, sparks of creativity even when we're not actively writing, focusing on voice, owning our many identities and communities, making meaning from experience, paying attention to both the external and internal search, memoir as a time capsule, being okay with the version of ourselves as it is on the page, being gentle with ourselves, recognizing we are works in progress, Buddhism and world mythology, becoming comfortable with the unknown, and her new memoir Seeking Spirit.    Also in this episode: -book promotion -owning our identities -paying attention to the nudge   Books mentioned in this episode: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Blue Nights by Joan Didion Embers by Richard Wagamese Body and Soul: Stories for Skeptics and Seeker by Susan Scott Perspehones Children by Rowan McCandless   Linda Trinh is a Vietnamese Canadian author of nonfiction and fiction for adults and children. Her creative nonfiction has appeared in literary magazines such as The Fiddlehead, Room, and Prairie Fire. She has been nominated for two National Magazine Awards. Seeking Spirit: A Vietnamese (Non) Buddhist Memoir is her first book for adults. Her award-winning early chapter book series, The Nguyen Kids, explores Vietnamese culture and identity with elements of the supernatural, spirituality, and social justice woven in. She lives with her family in Winnipeg, Canada. Connect with Linda: Website: https://lindaytrinh.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LindaYTrinh Get her book: https://guernicaeditions.com/products/seeking-spirit?srsltid=AfmBOor-knwnqu9qqq7QBvtBJYsWYRYebw3JrIr9cV-rjFzEwe2oP2nL – 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

Creativity through the lens of an Author and Actor"Creativity feels like a life line, like another vein in my body."Tim Cummings is the author of the multiple-award-winning coming-of-age novel, Alice the Cat, published by Fitzroy Books. It was chosen as an American Book Awards 'Best Book' Finalist for 2023, received a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Feathered Quill Book Awards, and is a Finalist in both the 2024 National Indies Excellence Awards for Teen Fiction and the Independent Author Network's Book of the Year Awards. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a BFA from NYU/Tisch School of the Arts. Since 1984, he has appeared in over 200 projects across theatre, film, television, voice-over, and new media. Recent publications of short fiction, essays, and poetry include F(r)iction, Scare Street, Lunch Ticket, MeowMeow PowPow, From Whispers to Roars, Drunk Monkeys, Hare's Paw, Lit Angels, and Critical Read/RAFT, for which he won the ‘Origins' contest for his essay, “You Have Changed Me Forever.” He teaches writing for UCLA Extension Writers' Program, The Townies Inc in Ojai, runs private workshops, and coaches authors. He lives in Los Angeles with his partner of 19 years and their dog. Website: timcummings.ink  InstagramSend us a text

In dieser Folge des Performance Manager Podcast begrüßen wir Manuel Niederhofer, Chief Digital Officer der Aachener Grundvermögen und Finalist des CIO des Jahres 2024. Gemeinsam sprechen wir über das Projekt „Data Circus de Cologne“ – ein herausragendes Beispiel für erfolgreiche Datenstrategie und digitale Transformation. Sie erfahren: Wie Datenquellen integriert und harmonisiert werden Warum Datensicherheit bei sensiblen Informationen oberste Priorität hat Wie Automatisierung und Echtzeitdaten manuelle Prozesse ablösen Welche Rolle Change Management beim Aufbau einer datengetriebenen Kultur spielt Ein praxisnaher Einblick, wie Unternehmen mit einer klaren Datenstrategie Effizienz steigern, Kosten optimieren und nachhaltige Entscheidungen treffen können. Hören Sie jetzt rein und erfahren Sie, wie datenbasierte Strukturen echte Wettbewerbsvorteile ermöglichen.

Seth catches up with his former teammate: Head Coach DeMeco Ryans, Sean talks with Texans LB Azeez Al-Shaair, Seth and B-Scott lay out some expectations for tomorrow's preseason game, our PD Parker Hillis stops by to announce the station as a Marconi Radio Award finalist for Sports Station of the Year, and Reggie and Lopez tell us what the question of the day is.

Seth and B-Scott lay out some expectations for tomorrow's preseason opener for the Texans, bring in our PD Parker Hillis for some special news about the station, and see what Lopez and Reggie have for the question of the day.

Amber Rae joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about meeting her soulmate while already married, living a story as you write it, allowing a book to show you what it needs to be, writing for our own growth and delight, slowing scenes down to put readers in our lived experience, holding onto the larger intention of the book, wounds we're afraid to look at, facing both old and new shame, compassionate understanding, learning how to mother ourselves, revealing intimate details of our lives in public forums, authentically inserting our voice into our chosen medium, healing through the process of writing, choosing to be as brave as possible on the page, and her new memoir Loveable: One Woman's Path from Good to Free.   Also in this episode: -setting boundaries -tracing original patterns -bringing readers  into our interior world   Books mentioned in this episode: -Untamed by Glennon Doyle -You Could Make this Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith -Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth GIlbert   Amber is the international bestselling author of Choose Wonder Over Worry (translated into 8 languages), The Answers Are Within You, and The Feelings Journal. Her writing and illustrations reach millions of people per month in nearly 200 countries, and she's been featured in The New York Times, NYMag, TODAY, SELF, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. She's a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator who's worked with Kate Spade, Meta, Microsoft, Merrill Lynch, Lululemon, Unilever, TED, SAP, and more. A Seth Godin alum, Amber helped launch his publishing company with Amazon and supported authors like Steven Pressfield and Derek Sivers. She's also mentored over 1,000 writers and helped more than a dozen land six-figure book deals. As a creative entrepreneur, Amber has launched global journaling challenges, art movements, life accelerators, and book birthing workshops. Her personal journaling practice spans 30 years, forming the foundation of her inner work and creative clarity. Her new memoir is Loveable: One Woman's Path from Good to Free.   Connect with Amber:  Website: https://www.amberrae.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyamberrae/   – 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

Finalist #6 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] When the prefect of Alexandria's daughter converted to Christianity, nothing in particular happened - it wasn't as though the laws outlawing the cult would be enforced against her. She was smart, she was pretty (beautiful, even) and she had connections. So long as she kept quiet, Catherine could have a comfortable life. She didn't keep quiet. https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/your-review-joan-of-arc  

Send us a textHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul. This week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am proud to welcome Alissa Musto, Recording Artist, Singer, Pianist, Actor, Miss America Finalist. And Alissa performs as a guest entertainer onboard cruise ships. I am as passionate about music and comedy as I am about cruising so when I get a chance to have a conversation with an entertainer who also has performed on cruise ships, I am in my glory. What a resume! Alissa's website describes her as “Retired pageant queen playing piano around the world,”A Musician, Singer-Songwriter, Actor, Miss Massachusetts 2016 & Miss America Finalist, World Traveler, Vanlifer, Sailor, Reality TV Contestant, Harvard 2016, University of Miami (MM?) 2019, and, 30 under 30. Wow, I want to hear about it all. Of course, what we on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, most want to hear about is Alissa being a guest entertainer for Holland America, Princess, Celebrity, MSC and Norwegian Cruise Lines. Alissa has dazzled audiences while sailing through over 50 countries. The song quickly hit 20,000 views on Facebook and Alissa's story was featured in Conde Nast Traveler, GEN (a Medium publication), The Washington Post, the cover page of The Herald News, NBC Boston, Good Morning America and ABC's national lifestyle network, Localish.Do you have a dream car?Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

“The biggest mindset coming off of Paris was that because I had made the biggest final there is, it was a message to me that no matter who's on the track, you deserve a lane. I belong here and I've proven myself. That message was definitely something that I carried into my senior year: just knowing that I belong here. That was very powerful for me.”My guest for today's episode is Savannah Sutherland, a 21 year old Canadian hurdler who just made history in more ways than one, hailing from Borden, Saskatchewan. Savannah was named a finalist for the Bowerman, which is the highest honor in NCAA track and field, awarded annually to the most outstanding collegiate athletes in the sport.She's the first Canadian female track athlete to ever reach the finalist status. I recently made an appearance on the CBC's Trackside show where I revealed that as a Bowerman voter, I already casted my vote. Savannah was ranked #1 for me.She put together a jaw-dropping season at Michigan. She didn't just win her second NCAA title in the 400m hurdles, but she obliterated the NCAA record too with a time of 52.46 seconds, becoming the second woman in NCAA history to go under 53 seconds. The record that she broke previously belonged to Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.Savannah broke her own Canadian record, climbed to the 9th fastest of all time, and last year she even took 7th place in the Olympic final in Paris. In this episode, we chat about how she got so good at this event, her hopes and expectations for this summer's World Championships in Tokyo, and so much more.Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on InstagramGuest: Savannah Sutherland | @sav.sutherland on InstagramProduced by: Jasmine Fehr | ⁠⁠@jasminefehr on Instagram⁠⁠SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Straight out of Bikini Bottom, Olipop's limited edition SpongeBob cans have arrived. Pineapple Paradise features a burst of juicy pineapples and a splash of mandarin. It's on shelves now at Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, Circle K, Amazon, and select stores nationwide. You can check out all of their flavors and get 25% off your orders at DrinkOlipop.com using code CITIUS25 at checkout.NEW BALANCE: The FuelCell Rebel v5 was built to feel fast—and look the part. With a sleek, race-inspired mesh upper and lightweight PEBA/EVA foam blend, it offers a responsive, energetic ride that's ideal for everything from steady miles to speedwork. A redesigned heel and added forefoot rubber provide comfort and traction, making this your go-to for runs when you want to pick up the pace. The Rebel V5 shows up every time. ⁠⁠Find the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5 at newbalance.com or your local running shop today.⁠

Amy Mackin joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the disability landscape and advocating for our children, special education and early intervention, struggling to get kids the help they need, parental guilt and shame, mom rage,  flexible education programs, balancing how we write about loved ones, changing names for privacy, showing the parts of us that are really cranky, wondering if we're getting it wrong, beginning a memoir in MFA program, using a hybrid memoir form, placing work in literary journals, trusting our intuition and voice, staying true to our own style and vision, and her new memoir Henry's Classroom: A “Special” Education in American Motherhood.   Also in this episode: -family and gender roles -feeling as if we don't fit in -conflicting feedback from agents   Books mentioned in this episode: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Lit by Mary Karr Mom Rage by Minna Dubin Screaming on the Inside by Jessica Grose books by Barbara Ehrenreich books by Nora Ephron   Amy Mackin writes at the intersection of education, cultural history, public health, and social equity. Her essays have been featured in The Atlantic, Chalkbeat, The Washington Post, Literary Mama, The Writers Chronicle, The Shriver Report, and elsewhere. She earned her MA in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts and her MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her new memoir is Henry's Classroom: A “Special” Education in American Motherhood from Apprentice House/Loyola University Press.    Connect with Amy: Website: www.amymackin.com Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AmyMackinWriter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amymackin/ X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mackinwriting Get the book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/henry-s-classroom-a-special-education-in-american-motherhood-a-memoir-amy-mackin/22134318?ean=9781627205726&next=t&affiliate=109363   – 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

In this episode, we speak with Tony Steuer, CLU, LA, CPFFE, an internationally recognized financial fluency advocate, award-winning author, and host of The Get Ready Money Podcast. Financial fluency and planning mirrors much of what individuals experience in their career planning and progression. Think of mindset, personal preferences, emotions, and life goals. Topics in the discussion include: How goal setting can help you choose various paths that align with what you want in life Financial fluency is something people can learn at any point in life Understanding job and financial scams, and things to be on the lookout for if they come to you As the founder of The Get Ready Movement, Tony is leading a shift in how we think about money—not just as numbers, but as a tool for living a more intentional and empowered life. Through his books, podcast, curated recommendations, and expert insights, Tony helps financial professionals, educators, and individuals ask better questions, foster meaningful money conversations, and take purposeful action. He is the Chief Evangelist at Yetworth Collaborative and serves as an advisor to Insurance Nerds and Dingo Technologies. Tony's thought leadership has earned recognition as a Finalist in ThinkAdvisor's LUMINARIES Class of 2022 for Thought Leadership & Education. He has served as a Judge for the MAIA Awards and the 2023 Finder Innovation Awards, and as a longtime member of the California Department of Insurance Curriculum Board. A trusted voice in the media, Tony contributes as an expert content reviewer for Nerdwallet, Bankrate, and Forbes Advisor, and has been featured by ABC's Seven on Your Side, CNBC, Cheddar TV, The New York Times, Washington Post, Fast Company, Chicago Tribune, and Fox Business News. Tony's website is https://www.tonysteuer.com/ The episode is moderated by Justyn Makarewycz, Deputy Director, Employer and Recruiter Relations at the GCMC (https://www.linkedin.com/in/justyndm/)

Jul 26, 2025 Finalist #5 in the Review Contest [This is one of the finalists in the 2025 review contest, written by an ACX reader who will remain anonymous until after voting is done. I'll be posting about one of these a week for several months. When you've read them all, I'll ask you to vote for a favorite, so remember which ones you liked] Introduction The Astral Codex Ten (ACX) Commentariat is defined as the 24,485 individuals other than Scott who have contributed to the corpus of work of Scott's blog posts, chiefly by leaving comments at the bottom of those posts. It is well understood (by the Commentariat themselves) that they are the best comments section anywhere on the internet, and have been for some time. This review takes it as a given that the ACX Commentariat outclasses all of its pale imitators across the web, so I won't compare the ACX Commentariat to e.g. reddit. The real question is whether our glory days are behind us – specifically whether the ACX Commentariat of today has lost its edge compared to the SSC Commentariat of pre-2021. A couple of years ago Scott asked, Why Do I Suck?. This was a largely tongue-in-cheek springboard to discuss a substantive criticism he regularly received - that his earlier writing was better than his writing now. How far back do we need to go before his writing was ‘good'? Accounts seemed to differ; Scott said that the feedback he got was of two sorts: “I loved your articles from about 2013 - 2016 so much! Why don't you write articles like that any more?”, which dates the decline to 2016 “Do you feel like you've shifted to less ambitious forms of writing with the new Substack?”, which dates the decline to 2021 Quite a few people responded in the comments that Scott's writing hadn't changed, but it was the experience of being a commentor which had worsened. For example, David Friedman, a prolific commentor on the blog in the SSC-era, writes: A lot of what I liked about SSC was the commenting community, and I find the comments here less interesting than they were on SSC, fewer interesting arguments, which is probably why I spend more time on [an alternative forum] than on ACX. Similarly, kfix seems to be a long-time lurker (from as early as 2016) who has become more active in the ACX-era, writes: I would definitely agree that the commenting community here is 'worse' than at SSC along the lines you describe, along with the also unwelcome hurt feelings post whenever Scott makes an offhand joke about a political/cultural topic. And of course, this position wasn't unanimous. Verbamundi Consulting is a true lurker who has only ever made one post on the blog – this one: Ok, I've been lurking for a while, but I have to say: I don't think you suck… You have a good variety of topics, your commenting community remains excellent, and you're one of the few bloggers I continue to follow. The ACX Commentariat is somewhat unique in that it self-styles itself as a major reason to come and read Scott's writing – Scott offers up some insights on an issue, and then the comments section engages unusually open and unusually respectful discussion of the theme, and the total becomes greater than the sum of the parts. Therefore, if the Commentariat has declined in quality it may disproportionately affect people's experience of Scott's posts. The joint value of each Scott-plus-Commentariat offering declines if the Commentariat are not pulling their weight, even if Scott himself remains just as good as ever. In Why Do I Suck? Scott suggests that there is weak to no evidence of a decline in his writing quality, so I propose this review as something of a companion piece; is the (alleged) problem with the blog, in fact, staring at us in the mirror? My personal view aligns with Verbamundi Consulting and many other commentors - I've enjoyed participating in both the SSC and ACX comments, and I haven't noticed any decline in Commentariat quality. So, I was extremely surprised to find the data totally contradicted my anecdotal experience, and indicated a very clear dropoff in a number of markers of quality at almost exactly the points Scott mentioned in Why Do I Suck? – one in mid-2016 and one in early 2021 during the switch from SSC to ACX. https://readscottalexander.com/posts/acx-your-review-the-astral-codex-ten 

Natasha Williams joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about caring for her schizophrenic father and the jeopardy of being in his life, narcissism and her mother's limited parenting resources, handling misbehaving parents and reckoning with the toll they took on her childhood, precocious and feral kids, getting clarity on family through writing, re-understanding childhood stories and our parents' stories, finding an entry point to our narrative, balancing the character and narrator in memoir, beta readers, staying in relationship with loved ones living with mental illness, and her new memoir The Parts of Him I Kept: The Gifts of My Father's Madness.   Also in this episode: -setting boundaries -the heritability of mental illness -checking in with our kids before writing about them   Books mentioned in this episode: The Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward Hurry Down Sunshine by Michael Greenberg We the Animals by Justin Torres   Author Bio- Natasha Williams has worked as an adjunct biology professor at SUNY Ulster in the Hudson Valley of New York and as a consultant for the International Public-School Network, coaching science teachers. She has an MA from the University of Pennsylvania. In the summer of 2020, she continued working on the manuscript summers at the Bread Loaf School of English and at the Bread Loaf Writers Conference in 2023. Excerpts of The Parts of Him I Kept, forthcoming April 2025 from Apprentice House Press, have been published in the Bread Loaf Journal, Change Seven, LIT, Memoir Magazine, Onion River Review, Writers Read, Post Road, and South Dakota Review. Connect with Natasha: Website: Natashawilliamswriter.com Get the book: https://www.natashawilliamswriter.com/memoir/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natasha-williams-5998949/ X: https://x.com/NatashaW_writes – 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

Ed Latimore joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about growing up in an urban warzone and surviving domestic violence, poverty, and limited resources, life in the boxing ring, writing about alcoholism and sobriety, building up the muscle of sharing and being vulnerable, when an agent tells you your approach to your book is all wrong, giving ourselves time to process, sharing our stories to help others, rebalancing the cosmic scales, the difference between gratitude and entitlement, coping with resentment, betting on ourselves, risking ostracism, using our life to teach, forgiving ourselves and forgiving others, and his new memoir Hard Lessons from the Hurt Business: Boxing and the Art of Life.   Also in this episode: -building platforms -making new connection with our connections  -embracing new version of ourselves   Books mentioned in this episode: Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins The Art of Learning by Josh Whiteskin Travels by Michael Crichton   Ed Latimore is an author, former professional American heavyweight boxer, competitive chess player, and the founder of Stoic Street-Smarts. He holds a degree in physics and is a veteran of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He lives and works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Connect with Ed: Website: edlatimore.com X: https://x.com/edlatimore Instagram: https://instagram.com/edlatimoore Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edlatimore/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EdLatimore1   – 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

Today we are talking about Working from home, heading back to the office, and the current state of remote work with guest Kaleem Clarkson. We'll also cover Microsoft 365 Connector as our module of the week. For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/513 Topics Exploring Remote Work with Kaleem Clarkson Trust Issues in Management Employee Red Flags and Data-Driven Decisions Managerial Concerns with Return to Office Policies Respectful Implementation of Return to Office Challenges of Enforcing Office Mandates Benefits of In-Person Work Hybrid Work Models and Their Challenges Variations in Hybrid Work Policies Impact of Seniority on Office Policies Cutting DEI Initiatives: Fear and Legal Risks Employer Brand and Social Contracts Resources Blend Me Inc Guests Kaleem Clarkson - kclarkson Hosts Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Rich Lawson - richlawson.co rklawson MOTW Correspondent Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Brief description: Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to integrate with Microsoft 365, so users can log in with their Azure AD credentials, and then have direct access to shared files, see recent emails, and more? There's a module for that. Module name/project name: Microsoft 365 Connector Brief history How old: created in July 2019 by immoreel, though the most recent release is by Boris Doesborg (batigolix), both of Finalist, a Dutch Drupal shop Versions available: 5.0.22 and 5.1.0-beta1, the latter of which supports Drupal 9.4, 10, and 11 Maintainership Actively maintained Security coverage Test coverage Two documentation guide available Number of open issues: 18 open issues, 1 of which is a bug, though it is postponed waiting for more info Usage stats: 365 sites Module features and usage This module integrates your Drupal site with the Microsoft Graph API, a unified API that provides a single endpoint for accessing data and intelligence from Microsoft 365 services, including Exchange, SharePoint, OneDrive, and more Microsoft 365 Connector includes more than a dozen submodules, each of which provide specific capabilities like Single Sign-On, syncing data to Drupal user accounts, sending Teams messages from within Drupal, and more You can also use this module to do things like automatically add an event node to your Outlook calendar, and invite other people at the same time It's worth noting that in the documentation guide the submodules are named “Office 365”, which is probably what the module was named until around 5 years ago when Microsoft retired the Office 365 name Finally, setting up this module requires registering an app in Azure AD, so it's not for the casual user. But if you're working on an intranet or similar collaboration platform for an organization that is heavily invested in the Microsoft 365 suite, this could make for a compelling integration

Mallory McDuff joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about expanding a project from straight memoir to broaden its accessibility and audience, feedback from editors about what's marketable, placing an essay to help sell a book, starting a memoir  in the middle of the story, death and choices we can make that align our final wishes with the values we hold in our life, conversations around burial, making less of an impact on the earth, how detachment from death and dying is relatively new in our culture, allowing scenes to stack upon themselves, how to weave the personal throughout the whole book to take the reader with us, and her new memoir Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love.    Also in this episode: -living with and on the earth -climate justice -mirroring real conversations in memoir   Books mentioned in this episode:  The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl Wild Spectacle by Janisse Ray Soil by Camille Dungy Briefly Perfectly Human by Alua Arthur The Green Burial Guidebook by Elizabeth Fournier From Here to Eternity by Caitlin Doughty   Mallory McDuff writes and teaches environmental education at Warren Wilson College, a liberal arts school that integrates academics with work and community engagement. She lives on campus with her two daughters in a 900-square foot house with an expansive view of a white barn, a herd of cows, and the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina, an area still recovering from the impacts of Hurricane Helen. Her writing examines the intersection of people and places for a better world.    She is the author of the books Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice (Broadleaf Books); Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books); Sacred Acts: How Churches are Working to Protect Earth's Climate (New Society Publishers); Natural Saints: How People of Faith are Working to Save God's Earth (Oxford University Press) and co-author of Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques, 2nd Ed., (Oxford University Press).    In addition, she has published 20 articles in academic journals and more than 50 essays in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post, Sojourners, and more. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, M.S. from the University of South Alabama, and B.S. from Vanderbilt University.  Connect with Mallory: Website: https://mallorymcduff.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mallory.mcduff Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mallorymcduff1/ X: https://x.com/malmcduff Link to purchase Our Last Best Act: https://bookshop.org/p/books/our-last-best-act-planning-for-the-end-of-our-lives-to-protect-the-people-and-places-we-love-mallory-mcduff/16147581?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAu8W6BhC-ARIsACEQoDCXXHpQuMQxxUoTaRQmdReLz7lFh-2qI4DYUvze6KyZm6hPclcqrZ4aAkMzEALw_wcB   – 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

Katy Grabel joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about a childhood immersed in professional magic, when a parent's dream because ours, wanting to be famous, searching hard for self, trying to understand the allure of our parents' choices, using journals to familiarize ourselves with our emotional life from the past, what drives someone to want to be a magician, seeing the whole person when writing about loved ones and accepting their good and their bad, going deep, not including everything just because it's a true story, waiting to publish a memoir until after loved ones are gone, drawing parents carefully and with love, and her new memoir The Magician's Daughter.    Also in this episode: -being honest with ourselves  -accepting imperfections  -knowing what you want to say   Books mentioned in this episode: -Riding the White Horse Home by Teresa Jordan Katy Grabel lives in Taos, New Mexico, where she fits right in as the daughter of the Human Cannonball. A former newspaper reporter, her stories about professional magic have been published in ZYZYYVA and New Millennium Writings. She shares her time between an old rambling adobe house in Taos with her guitar, fancy dreams and penchant for dancing in her kitchen, and a lovely book-filled casita in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico. She has always seen herself as a magician's assistant, taking notes, and believes daughters of magicians—even more than sons—must make their own way: Daughters must decide whether to be the willing assistant, command the spotlight, or turn away with a story untold. And all will be lost unless we recognize the resiliency and strength of our mothers as they lay down on the sawing table. Yet who can deny, late at night, when the dark is crowded by our failures, that every daughter of a magician must find her own magic.   Connect with Katy: www.TheMagiciansDaughter.com www.LeeGrabelMagic.com Facebook.com/KatyGMagic Instagram.com/KatyGMagic   – 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

This week, we're spotlighting two incredible TV writers whose journeys were meaningfully shaped by the Austin Film Festival. Sylvia Batey Alcalá (A MAN ON THE INSIDE, PRIMO) and Mac Smullen (SOUVENIR, ALASKA) share how AFF helped get their names out there —building momentum, sparking connections, and opening doors that had long felt closed. But a festival isn't the finish line — it's the starting gate. Sylvia and Mac walk us through the real (and rewarding) work it takes after recognition: rewriting, building reps, pitching, and staying ready for the moment when things start to move. It's a candid, thoughtful, and energizing conversation about what breaking in looks like today — and how festivals like AFF can help writers get in the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices