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Emily Kircher-Morris talks with writer Amy Mackin, author of Henry's Classroom: A Special Education in American Motherhood, about her experiences navigating the special education system for her son, Henry. They discuss the challenges of accessing appropriate resources, the impact of social isolation, and how community support can make a huge difference. They talk about Amy's transition from public school to homeschooling, and the benefits of a more holistic approach to education that broadens the support group to include family and even medical professionals. TAKEAWAYS Early intervention is extremely important in special education. Community support is instrumental in educational advocacy. Social isolation is impactful for families with special needs children. A holistic approach to education can be transformative. Communication between medical and educational systems can be extremely beneficial. There can be a big financial toll on families navigating special education. Homeschooling can be an alternative educational path for some. Student voices should be included in the IEP process. Educational resources vary greatly based on the socioeconomic status of each school district. For information about inviting Emily to your organization or school district, or having her speak at your conference or event, check out the website and get in touch! Amy Mackin is a writer whose work explores the intersections of education, cultural history, public health, and social equity. Her essays and articles have appeared in The Atlantic, Chalkbeat, The Washington Post, Literary Mama, Witness, The Shriver Report, and other publications. She holds an MA in American Studies from the University of Massachusetts and an MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her debut hybrid memoir, Henry's Classroom: A Special Education in American Motherhood, was released in May 2025. BACKGROUND READING Facebook, Facebook (author page), LinkedIn, Instagram The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group.
Episode 495 / Jim GaylordJim Gaylord is a New York based artist known for his abstract, sculptural reliefs made from cutout paper. He earned an MFA from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. His work has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of the Berkeley Art Museum, the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum and The Museum of Modern Art in New York. He has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Joan Mitchell Foundation and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. He has completed residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo and the Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program. Jim is represented by Sperone Westwater in New York, where his work is currently on view in the group exhibition, "Sperone Westwater: 50 Years." His second solo show with the gallery will open in early 2026.
Sue William Silverman joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about evolving as a writer and bringing freshness to the same subject, experimenting with truncated and fractured forms, making a collection more cohesive, writing to feel centered, utilizing a recurring persona, the divided self in memoir, trusting the pieces will fall into place, giving ourselves new challenges, leaning into sensory details, writing as imagistically as possible, focusing on our obsessions, claiming our story, and her new collection Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader. Also in this episode: -using metaphor -our core narratives -casting a light on the narrator's interiority Books and resources mentioned in this episode: -Heating and Cooling by Beth Ann Fennelly -flash essays at Brevitymag.com -find Sue's complete list of book recommendations at SueWilliamSilverman.com Sue William Silverman is an award-winning author of nine works of nonfiction and poetry. Her new book, "Selected Misdemeanors: Essays at the Mercy of the Reader," is a collection of flash essays. Her book on the craft of writing, "Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul," won the 2024 IPPY Silver Award. Her memoir-in essays collection, "How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences," won the gold star in Foreword Reviews INDIE Book of the Year Award and the Clara Johnson Award for Women's Literature. Other works include "Love Sick: One Woman's Journey through Sexual Addiction," made into a Lifetime TV movie; "Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You," which won the AWP Award; and "The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew." She's co-chair of the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her media appearances include The View, Anderson Cooper-360, and PBS Books. Connect with Sue: Website: www.SueWilliamSilverman.com Facebook: SueWilliamSilverman Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suewilliamsilverman University of Nebraska Press: https://tinyurl.com/mwph3wvs Bookshop.org: https://tinyurl.com/56n9u9p5 Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/bsa7ay22 – 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
On this episode of the No Labels, No Limits Podcast, we welcome Jennifer Robin Wilson—leadership coach, author, and consultant—whose career has spanned midwifery, nonprofit leadership, and now coaching and writing.Jennifer's unique journey—from delivering babies to guiding organizations—reflects her passion for human connection through change. A certified Kolbe Consultant with an MBA in Leadership and MFA in Creative Nonfiction, she helps leaders and teams reduce burnout, improve collaboration, and align with their natural problem-solving instincts.Her latest book, The Heart of Homestay, draws on her 17 years leading the Canada Homestay Network and offers tools for navigating cultural differences, building compassion, and fostering psychological safety.In this conversation, Jennifer shares:How Kolbe assessments help reduce stress and unlock team dynamicsWhy understanding conation—how we naturally take action—transforms leadership in real timeThe parallels between hosting international students and creating healthy workplace culturesWhy failure and discomfort, when embraced, are powerful drivers of innovation and trustJennifer's grounded wisdom, combined with her soaring vision (yes, she's also a licensed pilot), makes this a conversation filled with practical insights and heartfelt stories.Jennifer also offers free leadership and host family resources through her website.Connect with Jennifer Wilson:Website: https://www.oakbaycoachingandconsulting.caLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/jenniferrobinwilson | https://linkedin.com/company/oak-bay-coaching-and-consultingInstagram: https://instagram.com/jenniferrobinwilsonFacebook: https://facebook.com/JenniferRobinWilsonLinktree: https://linktr.ee/jenniferrobinwilsonConnect with Sarah Boxx:Website: https://sarahboxx.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/strategicvisioncoach/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahboxxllc/X: https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FSarahBoxxLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahboxxsherpa/Check out our sister show, the Nonprofit Podcast, where we dive into strategies for nonprofit leaders and change agents driving real community impact. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts! https://shows.acast.com/nonprofits-today #heartofhomestay #nolabelsnolimits #podcast #personalgrowth #nlnlpodcast #changemakers #successmindset #inspiration #mindsetshift #jenniferwilson #womeninleadership #inspiringleaders #strengthbasedleadership Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kate Belew is an author, poet, and Witch. Her work exists at the crossroads of creativity and magic. She has taught and facilitated circles and workshops worldwide since 2017. She is dedicated to the spirit of poetry, the sacred wild of the planet, and seeks enchantment in all she does. She is a forever student of the plants and the stars. She has an MFA in Poetry from Sarah Lawrence College and is an initiated Green Witch. Her new book, Word Witch: How to Call Upon and Cultivate the Creative Magic Within You is out now.On this episode, Kate discusses the magic of wordcraft, how she works with creative ancestors, and why poetry is perhaps the most spellbinding form of writing. Pam also talks about the connection between language and spells, and answers a listener question about sacred and mundane ways to help with writing. Check out the video of this episode over on YouTube (and please like and subscribe to the channel while you're at it!)Our sponsors for this episode are Weiser Books, Witch Baby Soap, The Meta Muse Tarot, BetterHelp, Robin Rose Bennett, and Mithras CandleWe also have print-on-demand merch like Witch Wave shirts, sweatshirts, totes, stickers, and mugs available now here, and all sorts of other bewitching goodies available in the Witch Wave shop.And if you want more Witch Wave, please consider supporting us on Patreon to get access to detailed show notes, bonus Witch Wave Plus episodes, Pam's monthly online rituals, and more! That's patreon.com/witchwave
Tarot Emblemata is a magical and mystical tarot deck based on the 1551 book of emblems by Claude Paradin. Renaissance emblems are intimate illustrations with accompanying mottos that allegorically and symbolically express sentiments, concepts, societal concerns, and parables. These Renaissance emblems are a didactic genre of interpretive art and, within them, author and creator Nitasia Roland has discovered that their enigmatic imagery and “mottos” correspond dynamically and align perfectly with the seventy cards of the Major and Minor Arcana of the tarot.Among the many ancient and iconic images this deck portrays—plumes, helmets, swords, gemstone rings, coins, wands, clouds, wreaths, flowers, animals, and trees—Roland sees the evolution of tarot's wands, swords, cups, and coins, as well as evocative glimmers of the Major Arcana archetypes. Both secular and religious, Renaissance emblems were meant to crystallize virtue or vice and cover every sphere of early modern knowledge: ethics, natural philosophy, politics, science, religion, love, war, and everyday life, very much in the same way that modern tarot imagery provides insight and clarity today.The Tarot Emblemata deck will help readers expand on their path of embodiment, spiritual gnosis, inspired destiny, and empowerment. The accompanying guidebook presents tarot interpretations and elucidations on the symbolism of the emblems. Tarot Emblemata features a ribbon lift and gilded cards. It is an accessible deck for beginners and those familiar with the Rider-Waite-Smith system, while more experienced readers will enjoy a new and refreshing perspective. Find the deck and Natasia:Tarot Emblemata Deck: https://amzn.to/4mRCHWGWebsite: www.uraniapress.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nitasia_roland/ and https://www.instagram.com/urania_press/Nitasia Roland is a poet and writer of nonfiction with a focus on dovetailing the wisdom and practices of Western Esotericism, magic, myth, and mysticism. She resides in Maine, USA, surrounded by 75 acres of pastoral New England countryside. Nitasia works from home as an artist, independent researcher, editor, and indie tarot deck creator at her publishing company Urania Press. For her Interdisciplinary Master's Degree, she studied English, Poetry, Printmaking, Photography, and Design. In 2019 she received her MFA in Creative Writing. The current of Nitasia's Synchromystic path syncs a mélange of curios into a body of research, contemplation, and practice with poetic trance, synchronicity, Synthēmata & Symbola, theurgy, Hellenistic household worship, daimon & deity devotion, witchcraft, hedgecraft, divination, and ceremonial & planetary magic.
Notes and Links to Ellen Birkett Morris' Work Ellen Birkett Morris is the author of Beware the Tall Grass, winner of the Donald L. Jordan Award for Literary Excellence, judged by Lan Samantha Chang, published by CSU Press. She is also the author of Lost Girls: Short Stories, winner of the Pencraft Award and finalist for the Clara Johnson, IAN and Best Book awards. Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Saturday Evening Post, and South Carolina Review, among other journals. She is a winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for short fiction. Morris is a recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship for her fiction from the Kentucky Arts Council. Morris is also the author of Abide and Surrender, poetry chapbooks. Her poetry has appeared in The Clackamas Literary Review, Juked, Gastronomica, and Inscape, among other journals, and in eight anthologies. Morris won top prize in the 2008 Binnacle Ultra-Short Edition and was a finalist for the 2019 and 2020 Rita Dove Poetry Prize. Her poem “Abide” was featured on NPR's A Way with Words. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, AARP's The Ethel, Oh Reader magazine, and on National Public Radio. Morris holds an MFA in creative writing from Queens University-Charlotte. She attended the Kentucky Women Writers Conference on fellowship and teaches creative writing at The Virginia Piper Center at ASU in Tempe, Arizona and The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning in Lexington, Kentucky. Morris has spoken and taught at the 2018 Antioch Writers Workshop, 2019 Kentucky Women Writers Conference, 2022 Writer's Block Festival and 2022 Louisville Book Festival. Buy Beware the Tall Grass Ellen's Website Review of Beware the Tall Grass from Heavy Feather Review At about 3:40, Ellen responds to Pete's question about receiving the Donald L. Jordan Award for Beware the Tall Grass At about 5:30, Ellen talks about the different resonance the book has a year plus after its publication; she highlights feedback from people with interesting comments about the continuing resonance of the Vietnam War At about 7:10, Ellen provides a summary of the novel At about 8:20, Ellen relays seeds for the book, particularly based on a NPR segment from 2014 At about 10:30, Ellen responds to Pete's questions about any cynicism in exploring the stories of past lives' remembrance, and she expands on how she dealt with the spiritual/reincarnation At about 12:45, Pete and Ellen stan over Andrew Porter's (Episode 294 guest) The Imagined Life At about 13:25, Ellen speaks beautifully of her mother as an “advocate” At about 14:50, Ellen talks about how she put into practice the saying about “put your characters into trouble,” particularly with regard to Eve, one of two protagonists, and her mother At about 16:05, The two discuss the exposition for main character and one of two narrators, Thomas, and how the loss of his horse affects him At about 18:00, Ellen describes the agony in writing a particularly brutal and sad scene from the book At about 19:00, The two discuss Eve's friend, Amy, and ideas of peace and tranquility At about 20:00, Ellen reflects on the “hasty decision” pointed out by Pete, made by both Thomas in the novel and in real-life, for those who signed up for the army At about 21:30, Ellen talks about Dan in the novel and his family history that makes him act more logical even when the surreal comes out At about 23:00, The two discuss Thomas' decision to enlist for Vietnam, and how it was perhaps subtly influenced by his father's past service At about 24:00, We Were Soldiers Once and Young and Ellen's uncle and soldiers' logs are cited as inspirations for Ellen's writing At about 26:00, Pete lays out some of Charlie's At about 27:00, Ellen reflects on Carrie's faith in Thomas' coming back safe from Vietnam At about 27:40, The two reflect on connections in the novel to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried At about 28:50, The two discuss two crises that bring much stress to Eve At about 29:50, Ellen talks about a caustic and “sinister” fellow soldier of Thomas' and giving him some “roundness” At about 31:30, Ellen talks about the emotional difficulty in writing a death in the novel At about 34:40, Ellen cites her poet background as she discusses the book's titular metaphor and its multiple uses, and she describes the background of the book's cover At about 37:45, The two discuss family histories and shared traits over the generations in discussing Charlie's channeling of past traumas At about 39:00, At about 41:00, Pete asks Ellen about regression theory and therapists who deal with those thought to be experiencing past lives At about 43:20, Ellen responds to Pete's question about how home and Carrie and his child on the way inspire Thomas; Ellen tells an anecdote about almost changing POVs in the novel At about 44:30, Ellen talks about balancing the personal and the geopolitical in drawing up the Vietnam War scenes At about 46:40, The two discuss the idea of the story that repeats itself throughout the generations, and Ellen describes a moving and profound trip to Ireland that shows the “continuity of history” You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode. Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah Pittard, a recent guest, is up at Chicago Review. Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of flawed characters, protagonists who are too real in their actions, and horror and noir as being where so much good and realistic writing takes place. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show. This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form. The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com. Please tune in for Episode 303 with Amber Sparks, the author of the short story collections And I Do Not Forgive You and The Unfinished World. Her writing has appeared in The Paris Review, Granta, Slate, and elsewhere. This episode airs on October 14, Pub Day for her novel Happy People Don't Live Here. Please go to ceasefiretoday.org, and/or https://act.uscpr.org/a/letaidin to call your congresspeople and demand an end to the forced famine and destruction of Gaza and the Gazan people.
Learn how to write authentic, diverse characters without over-explaining or fearing criticism.Writing diverse characters can feel intimidating. You want to include different voices in your story, but worry about misrepresenting them. This leads many writers to either avoid diversity altogether or fall into the trap of over-explaining everything for a mainstream gaze, thereby diluting the power of their story.In this episode, I sit down with Tiffany Grimes, founder of Burgeon Design and Editorial and an MFA-trained editor who specializes in amplifying marginalized voices. After recognizing areas for growth in her own feedback, Tiffany has spent years helping writers shed performative expectations and write with radical honesty.Here's what we cover:[05:50] Tiffany's vulnerable experience writing about a Vietnamese character and learning she wasn't the right person to tell that story.[09:00] The core framework that separates writing "about" a community versus writing "to" your community from the inside.[19:00] Why you should give yourself permission to write the stereotype first in early drafts.[20:25] How Jesinia (a deaf character in the Fourth Wing) shows why trusting your audience creates better representation.[21:00] The protection question that helps you identify when you're diluting your story for mainstream audiences.[26:45] Understanding emotional clarity and how readers' experience goes deeper than just character representation.Whether you're writing characters from your own experience or exploring different perspectives, this conversation offers compassionate guidance for creating authentic, powerful stories that honor both your characters and your readers.
Amy is joined by Amie Souza Reilly, author of Human/Animal, for an eye-opening discussion about stalking and safety, about how patriarchy thrives on women's fears and about what we actually have to be afraid of.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyAmie Souza Reilly is a visual artist and multigenre writer from Connecticut. Her work has appeared in various journals, including Wigleaf, HAD, The Chestnut Review, The Atticus Review, Catapult, SmokeLong Quarterly, Barren, Pidgeonholes and elsewhere. She holds an MA in English Literature from Fordham University and an MFA from Fairfield University, and is the Writer-in-Residence and Director of Writing Studies at Sacred Heart University. She is the author of Human/Animal and works as the Director of Writing Studies at Sacred Heart University.
Jenifer DeBellis, MFA, is a PhD candidate, transformational speaker, and award-winning author of Warrior Sister, Cut Yourself Free (Library Tales Publishing), New Wilderness (Cornerstone Press), and Blood Sisters (Main Street Rag). She edits Pink Panther Magazine and hosts the Restore Your Inner Warrior® podcast. She's featured in Psychology Today and her writing appears in CALYX, Medical Literary Messenger, The Good Men Project, Solstice, and elsewhere.In This EpisodeJenifer's websiteJenifer's booksWarrior Sister, Cut Yourself Free: A Survivor's Guide to Healing from Assault & Abuse with Courage & HopeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.
Ren Cedar Fuller joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about how when we love people we want their world to be bigger, raising a transgender child, having a disability, writing a lot of drafts for the right structure to snap into place, revising for months, not forcing an ending, writing about other people, including our children in our work, putting a collection together, finding themes in our work, entering contests, moving toward creativity and also toward organization, shaping a memoir-in-essays vs. an essay collection, and her award winning collection Bigger. Also in this episode: -using the Poets & Writers database to research contests and presses -studying in an MFA program -a close look at a hermit crab essay Books mentioned in this episode: -H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald -Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel -In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado Ren Cedar Fuller's debut book, Bigger, won the 2024 Autumn House Press Nonfiction Prize and was a finalist for the 2024 Iron Horse Prize and the Santa Fe Writers Project 2023 Literary Awards Program. Her creative nonfiction essays have won Under the Sun's Summer Writing Contest in 2022, been a finalist in the 2022 Terry Tempest Williams Prize for Creative Nonfiction at North American Review, and placed second in the 2022 Eunice Williams Nonfiction Prize. Ren's essays have appeared in HerStry, Hippocampus, New England Review, North American Review, and Under the Sun, and have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Best American Essays. Ren is a parent facilitator at TransFamilies, an online hub for families with gender diverse children. She taught public school in California, Oregon, and Washington before founding a nonprofit early learning center in the Seattle area, where she continues teaching parent education.Ren lives in Seattle with her husband, Jason, and loves to kayak on the Salish Sea. She is currently in the M.F.A. in Writing program at Pacific University. https://www.instagram.com/ren.cedar.fuller/ https://www.rencedarfuller.com/ Book purchase: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bigger-essays/f18b41d10d1216d8?ean=9781637681084&next=t&affiliate=21790 – 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
Spencer Robert Young sits down with Jared to talk about their path from punk music concertgoer to writing a chamber opera. Plus, Spencer and Jared discuss pattern and rupture in poetry, the pros and cons of staying in academia versus taking time off, the beauty and collaboration of editing, and life in Moscow, Idaho.Spencer Robert Young (they/them) is a poet, essayist, and editor. They write about embodiment, punk music, queerness, climate change, and good books. Spencer holds an MA in Creative Writing and Literature from Kansas State University and an MFA in Poetry from the University of Idaho. While earning their MFA, Spencer edited reviews and interviews for Fugue Literary Journal, and they currently judge chapbooks for the Cow Creek Chapbook Prize. A recipient of an Academy of American Poets Prize, their work has been published in a handful of literary magazines and journals, and their original chamber opera, Let's Blow Up a Gas Station!, premiered with Seattle Opera in 2024. Find them at spencerrobertyoung.my.canva.site. MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.BE PART OF THE SHOWDonate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Submit an episode request. If there's a program you'd like to learn more about, contact us and we'll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.STAY CONNECTEDTwitter: @MFAwriterspodInstagram: @MFAwriterspodcastFacebook: MFA WritersEmail: mfawriterspodcast@gmail.com
At Oktane 2025, leaders from across the security ecosystem shared how identity has become the new front line in protecting today's AI-driven enterprises. As SaaS adoption accelerates and AI agents proliferate, organizations face an explosion of human and non-human identities—and with it, growing risks like misconfigured access, orphaned accounts, and identity-based attacks. In this special Enterprise Security Weekly episode, we bring together insights from top experts: Dor Fledel (Okta) explains how teams can gain visibility into AI agents, uncover risks, and enforce appropriate access controls. Alexander Makarov (Adyen) shares how a global fintech unified and streamlined identity with Okta, improving both security and employee experience across 200+ countries. Aaron Parecki (Okta) highlights the importance of open standards—like IPSIE, MCP, and A2A—for building secure, interoperable AI ecosystems and centralized control over AI-driven interactions. Heather Ceylan (Box) discusses how Box embeds AI into workflows to enhance data protection, even for highly regulated industries. Matt Immler (Okta) offers lessons from the field on strengthening defenses with behavioral monitoring, automation, and a security-first culture to counter attackers who now “log in” instead of hacking in. Nitin Raina (Thoughtworks) warns about AI-driven social engineering—from deepfakes to multi-channel phishing—and shares practical strategies like phishing-resistant MFA, zero-trust architecture, and better employee training. From open standards to privileged access management and AI-powered defense, these Oktane 2025 conversations explore how identity-driven strategies are shaping the future of enterprise security. Segment Resources: https://www.okta.com/newsroom/articles/old-security-challenges--new-ai-risks--managing-authorization-in https://www.okta.com/newsroom/press-releases/okta-introduces-cross-app-access-to-help-secure-ai-agents-in-the/ https://www.okta.com/blog/ai/securing-the-ai-agent-ecosystem/ https://www.okta.com/customers/adyen/ https://www.okta.com/newsroom/?sort=featured&filters=okta%3Acategories%2Fidentity-security https://www.okta.com/customers/thoughtworks/ This segment is sponsored by Oktane by Okta. Visit https://securityweekly.com/oktane to learn more about them! Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/esw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/esw-427
What happens when an artist, educator, curator, returns to the wilds that raised her and dares to reimagine what a museum could be? Francesca de Brock is the extraordinary chief curator at the Anchorage Museum in Alaska. Her work braids together social practice, environmental justice, a fierce commitment to care, and a deep understanding of what artists need to thrive. KEY TAKEAWAYS Growing up in Alaska, the wildness of the place and problem-solving in a challenging environment shaped Francesca´s creativity and approach to art. Francesca is committed to climate-conscious exhibitions, artist access, onboarding, and amplifying community voices. Leadership is about asking better questions and inviting others into the process, rather than having all the answers. BEST MOMENTS “Our mission is to be a museum of people, place, planet and potential in service of a sustainable and equitable north, with creativity and imagination for what is possible.” “Exhibitions are ephemeral, but the ripple effects on institutions, audiences and relationships can be lasting and transformative.” Francesca Du Brock www.anchoragemuseum.org https://www.instagram.com/fdubrock Francesca Du Brock is Chief Curator at the Anchorage Museum. Her work is informed by her background as an artist and educator and is grounded in social engagement, place-based storytelling, environmental justice, and experimental museum practice. Recent projects including Dog Show (2025), How to Survive (2023), Black Lives in Alaska: Journey, Justice, Joy (2021), and Extra Tough: Women of the North (2020), which focus on topics of care, climate, interdependence, representation, Northern feminisms, and immigration. In 2020, she established the Museum's Virtual Artist Residency program, which continues to provide unrestricted support to artists, sharing process and behind-the-scenes insights into their lives and practices. She is currently a fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership and is the recipient of the 2025 Marica Vilcek Prize in Art History from the Vilcek Foundation. Born and raised on Dena'ina Ełnena in Anchorage, Alaska, she holds an MFA and M.Ed and brings experience living and working across the US and Latin America to her current role. PODCAST HOST BIO With over 35 years in the art world, Ceri has worked closely with leading artists and arts professionals, managed public and private galleries and charities, and curated more than 250 exhibitions and events. She sold artworks to major museums and private collectors and commissioned thousands of works across diverse media, from renowned artists such as John Akomfrah, Pipilotti Rist, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer and Vito Acconci. Now, she wants to share her extensive knowledge with you, so you can excel and achieve your goals. **** Ceri Hand Coaching Membership: Group coaching, live art surgeries, exclusive masterclasses, portfolio reviews, weekly challenges. Access our library of content and resource hub anytime and enjoy special discounts within a vibrant community of peers and professionals. Ready to transform your art career? Join today! https://cerihand.com/membership **** Unlock Your Artworld Network Self Study Course Our self-study video course, "Unlock Your Artworld Network," offers a straightforward 5-step framework to help you build valuable relationships effortlessly. Gain the tools and confidence you need to create new opportunities and thrive in the art world today. https://cerihand.com/courses/unlock_your_artworld_network **** Book a Discovery Call Today To schedule a personalised 1-2-1 coaching session with Ceri or explore our group coaching options, simply email us at hello@cerihand.com **** Discover Your Extraordinary Creativity Visit www.cerihand.com to learn how we can help you become an extraordinary creative. This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media https://disruptivemedia.co.uk
In the third installment of this Shoptalk series, host David Carothers and guest Zane Goldthorp of ProWriters shift the focus to proactive risk management for cyber insurance. They make the case that even in a soft market, a responsible business owner's focus should be on security, not just on meeting minimum carrier requirements. The conversation covers the essential security controls every business should have, including MFA, MDR, and employee training. They also dive into a real-world claim scenario that highlights a critical coverage gray area—the "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) issue—and discuss the potential conflicts between carrier-provided security services and an agent's referral relationships with Managed Service Providers (MSPs). Key Highlights: Essential Risk Management Controls Zane Goldthorp outlines the foundational security measures agents should be discussing with their clients. While carriers may have relaxed some requirements, essentials like MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication), regular backups, and email security are non-negotiable. He also notes the industry's shift from EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) to the more proactive MDR (Managed Detection and Response). The Human Element: Employee Training The conversation stresses that one of the most effective and overlooked risk management tools is consistent employee training. With phishing and business email compromise being the source of most breaches, training employees to spot increasingly sophisticated attacks can be the make-or-break difference in preventing a major claim. A Critical Coverage Lesson: The BYOD Problem David shares a story from a real claim that exposed a major potential coverage gap: whether a breach is covered if it originates on a personal device not owned by the company. This "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) issue highlights the critical importance of understanding policy nuances and working with an expert wholesaler who knows the forms inside and out. Navigating Carrier Services and MSP Relationships Many cyber carriers now offer security services as part of their policies. While valuable, David cautions agents to be mindful of their referral relationships with MSPs (Managed Service Providers). An MSP may view these carrier offerings as direct competition, potentially damaging a crucial referral source. The key is clear communication to ensure all parties are aligned. Connect with: Zane Goldthorp LinkedIn David Carothers LinkedIn Kyle Houck LinkedIn Visit Websites: Power Producer Base Camp ProWriters Killing Commercial Crushing Content Power Producers Podcast Policytee The Dirty 130 The Extra 2 Minutes
Author Meagan Church unpacks the hidden lives of women in her chilling novel, The Mad Wife, as we explore the history of hysteria in women's health diagnoses.If you loved Meagan Church's historical fiction, you'll be captivated by the bold turn she takes in The Mad Wife, her third novel. Rooted in the untold medical stories of women's lives, this book lulls readers into the familiar rhythms of mid-century domesticity, before flipping the script with a shocking plot twist.In our revealing conversation, we explore:Building a Vivid 1950s World – From S&H stamps to molded salads, how Meagan nailed the texture of the era, weaving ordinary domestic details into a setting that feels both authentic and unsettling.From History to Suspense – Why Meagan pivoted from a traditional historical fiction lens in her earlier novels to the creeping tension of domestic suspense, and how she made the genre shift feel authentic to her writing process. We discuss the bravery required for this project and how she felt haunted, both in real life and on the page, as she told Lulu's story.The Medical History of “Hysteria” – What her chilling research revealed about diagnoses like hysteria, prescriptions like Miltown, and procedures like lobotomy and ECT that shaped women's lives in disturbing ways.
Let us know what you enjoy about the show!A church choir, a missed criminology path, and a flyer for Jesus Christ Superstar—Jaime Lozano's origin story doesn't sound like a straight line to Broadway, but it sings like one.We sit down with Mexican Broadway composer, lyricist, orchestrator, and music director Jaime Lozano to unpack how a series of gut-led choices, generous communities, and a stubborn belief in possibility shaped his art and life. From becoming the first Mexican graduate of NYU's musical theater MFA to rebuilding after a visa scam forced him to return to Monterrey, Jaime shares the real immigrant journey behind Songs by an Immigrant and the musicals that center Latinx voices with heart, humor, and cultural depth.We explore why representation in musical theater matters, how Spanish, English, Spanglish—and every accent—belong in the story, and what it means to write honestly when life is loud. Jaime opens up about composing with his child dancing in the living room, swapping projects when inspiration sparks, and choosing Times Square's chaos or a quiet Rhinebeck lake with equal joy.With wisdom on prioritizing the important over the urgent, trusting that deadlines serve the work and not the other way around, and measuring success by impact on his community, Jaime reminds us that art is a language for belonging.
Join us for Episode 234 of the K-12 Tech Talk Podcast as we dive into the latest in educational technology and policy. This episode covers significant developments including the confirmed merger of Chrome and Android, the FCC's proposed changes to the E-rate program affecting school bus Wi-Fi and hotspots, and a critical discussion on controlling student account spamming and its associated risks like internal spam, data exfiltration, and privilege escalation. We'll also touch on solutions for student-friendly MFA options and other preventative measures. Email your questions to info@k12techtalkpodcast.com Referenced Links: https://chromeunboxed.com/its-official-google-says-the-android-and-chromeos-merger-is-coming-next-year/ https://www.k12dive.com/news/fcc-erate-hotspot-school-bus-wifi-carr/759432/ https://statescoop.com/cisa-confirms-its-ending-ms-isac-support/ https://k12six.org/compromise 00:00:00-Intro 00:03:52-ChromeOS & Android Update 00:05:11-Federal Funding Shifts 00:14:49-Compromised Student Accounts Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!! -------------------- NTP Managed Methods Arista VIZOR Fortinet -------------------- Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals) Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!! Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com Call us at 314-329-0363 X @k12techtalkpod Facebook Visit our LinkedIn Music by Colt Ball Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
Sasha Timan is a fearless storyteller whose work bridges documentary realism with emotional, character-driven narratives. A former TV journalist in Moscow and Washington, DC, Sasha now creates intimate films rooted in human rights, immigration, motherhood, and survival. Based in Los Angeles and holding an MFA from UCLA, her latest short Timelessness follows a Russian pianist seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. Her award-winning film Holy Water, about an elderly woman trapped in a televangelist's scheme, earned Best Student Film at LA Indies Film Fest.Darya Ekamasova is a Russian award-winning actress whose performances have been featured at Cannes, Venice, and Berlinale. Known for her nuanced and powerful portrayals, she starred in The Americans and most recently played a striking role as a ruthless oligarch mother in the Oscar-winning Anora.Marc Thureau-Dangin is a UCLA Film & TV alum and seasoned 1st Assistant Director. With experience across French television and international productions, he's worked on projects filmed in prestigious locations like the Élysée Palace and continues developing his voice as a director and producer.Hosted by BraveMaker founder Tony Gapastione, this LIVE episode recaps the most powerful moments from BraveMaker Film Fest 2025, and dives into Sasha's creative journey, process, and passion for telling stories that matter.Watch the weekly LIVE stream on BraveMaker YouTube.Follow BraveMaker on social media:InstagramTikTok#BraveMaker #BraveMakerPodcast #BraveMakerFilmFest #WomenInFilm #IndieFilm #BraveStories
Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month brings a wave of tips: update your software, enable MFA, use strong passwords. But what good is any of that if the people behind the defenses are feeling burned out?In this episode of Talos Takes, Hazel sits down with Joe Marshall for a candid, vulnerable conversation about the human cost of cybersecurity. Joe opens up about his experience during the VPNFilter campaign — months of secrecy, long hours, immense pressure, and the trauma it left behind. Hazel shares her own journey with burnout, and together they talk about how to recognise the warning signs.They close with practical steps: building a personal “incident response playbook” that includes boundaries, peer support, and self-care. Because at the end of the day, you can't patch a system if you're burned out.
Nijla Mu'min is a powerful creative voice shaped by poetry, music, fiction, and dance. Born and raised in the East Bay Area, she weaves deeply personal and socially resonant narratives that spotlight the intersections of identity, justice, and belonging.Her debut feature Jinn — a coming-of-age story about faith, freedom, and first love — premiered at SXSW, where it earned her the Special Jury Award for Screenwriting, and went on to be named a New York Times Critics Pick. Since then, Nijla has made her mark directing episodes of Queen Sugar, Insecure, Swagger, Blindspotting, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, All Rise, and more.She is a Sundance Institute alum, a recipient of the MPAC Media Award for Courage and Conscience, and a ReFrame Rise fellow. She's currently developing her second feature, Mosswood Park, which was awarded the SFFILM Rainin Grant. Her academic background includes a dual MFA in Film Directing and Creative Writing from CalArts and a BA from UC Berkeley, where she studied under the legendary poet June Jordan.Nijla's work is bold, intimate, and evocative — and this conversation will dive into how she tells stories that stay with you long after the credits roll.Watch the weekly LIVE stream on BraveMaker YouTube.Follow BraveMaker on social media:InstagramTikTok#BraveMaker #BraveMakerPodcast #WomenInFilm #Filmmakers #IndieFilm
⚠️ The Middle East is in the RED ZONE. Tensions between Iran and Israel are rising again, bringing the region closer to the brink of war. At sea, the Freedom Flotilla sails toward Gaza — and tonight we're joined live from aboard the vessel as it nears its destination. Meanwhile, Trump is pushing his “Gaza peace plan” — but will it succeed, or is it doomed from the start?
Episode 143: Do They Still Have Bulletin Boards? Our discussion of Alyx Chandler's poems has us considering the liminal space between girlhood and womanhood, summer and fall, print and digital cultures, good bug and bad, Slushies. With these poems, we're swooning over summer's lushness, marveling over kudzu's inexorable march, and thinking back to steamy afternoons running through sprinklers with skinned knees. Set at the end of girlhood, these poems makes us think of the Melissa Febos book of the same name. Jason is charmed by the poet's hypotactic syntax and her control of the line. Be sure to take a look at the poems' format at PBQmag.org. As our own summers wrap up, Lisa saves monarch caterpillars while Sam smushes lantern flies. Kathy shares her new secret for a solid eight hours of sleep. Looking to the future, we're celebrating forthcoming chapbooks and books. Dagne's chapbook “Falldown Lane” from Whittle, Jason's book “Teaching Writing Through Poetry,” and Kathy's “Teaching Writing Through Journaling,” both from a new series Kathy is editing at Bloomsbury. As always, thanks for listening. At the table: Dagne Forrest, Samantha Neugebauer, Jason Schneiderman, Kathleen Volk Miller, Lisa Zerkle Author bio: Alyx Chandler (she/her) is a poet from the South who now teaches in Chicago. She received her MFA in poetry at the University of Montana, where she was a Richard Hugo Fellow and taught poetry. In 2025, she won the Three Sisters Award in Poetry with Nelle Literary Journal, received a Creative Catalyst grant from the Illinois Arts Council, and was awarded for residencies at Ragdale and Taleamor Park. She is a poet in residence at the Chicago Poetry Center and facilitates workshops for incarcerated youth with Free Verse Writing Project. Her poetry can be found in the Southern Poetry Anthology, EPOCH, Greensboro Review, and elsewhere. Author website: alyxchandler.com Instagram @alyxabc Love Affair with a Sprinkler I've only got so many days left to wet this face to rouse enough growl to go back where I came from to build a backbone hard as sheet metal from the engine of dad's favorite truck the one I can never remember though it carried me everywhere I needed to go and of course where I didn't short-shorts trespassing abandoned kudzu homes scraped legs inching up water towers creeping down stone church rooftops girlhood a fresh-cut lawn where secrets coiled like a water hose stuck in kinks spouting knots writhing in grass begging to spit at every pepperplant sate all thirst I want to drown to be snake-hearted again my stride full of spunk and gall half-naked in an embrace with the spray of irrigation jets their cold drenching my kid-body good and sopping-wet in hose-water rivulets under its pressure I shed regret molt sunburn squeal hallelujah in a hot spell— such a sweet relief I'd somehow after so many years forgotten. Once I Lived in a Town where grocery stores dispensed ammunition from automated machines, all you needed was an ID and license, the sign advertised, but there are ways around that, a cashier told me, snuff a bulge half-cocked in his cheek. But my target? The choose-your-own-adventure bulletin board. If you were brave, you'd let some guy named John shoot you with their dad's old Nikon film camera. Girls only. No tattoos, the ink of the red-lettered flyer bled. Those days I craved someone—anyone—to lock and load my rough-hewn beauty like a cold weapon. Ripen the fruit of my teenage face. Save me. Instead I washed the ad in my too-tight jeans, let it dye my pocket grapefruit pink. Once I lived in a town where daily I wore a necklace with a dragonfly wing cured in resin, gifted from a lover, a lifelong bug hater. Love can live in the crevice of disgust, I found, but lost it within the swaths of poison oak where I shot my first bullet into wide- open sky and felt death echo its curious desire, automatic as the gun's kickback. My legs mottled in pocked rash. Then a hole I didn't know existed. A souring. Bitter and salt the only taste craved, a rotten smell in the fried fatback I ate. Once I lived in a town where the first boy I kissed in the wreathed doorway of my childhood home left Earth too soon from a single shot. I can't ask: is this what the military taught him? I only know the cruel way high school relationships end, 5-word text then never again. His fine- line dragon doodles and i-love-you notes still in my Converse shoe box in an attic, twelve years untouched. I once lived in a town where obits never contained the word “suicide”—everyone is a child of Christ, and I mean everyone, our pastor used to say, a joke staining his sincerity. God, how I undercompensate, use safety pins for my grief when I need weapons-grade resistance, a cast-iron heart. Once I lived in a town where I found a primed handgun under the bed of a boy I cheated with. Delirious, I buried it in a dumpster until he cried that it was his great-grandfather's, an heirloom he couldn't forget or forgive and after that I never saw him again. I didn't have the language to ask him what I needed to know, Prozac newly wired in my brain, a secret I could barely contain. Once I crushed my trigger finger between the door of who I wanted to be and who I actually was; I let that town press me like a camellia between a book, inadequate as a cartoon-decorated band aid trying to stop the blood flow from a near-miss bullet. The Brooder beneath nest boxes a squawk sinks out so docile it turns me over both startles and settles me this sudden birdbrain how domestication is a brawl inside me: the cockatrice papering my chicken heart with pockets of wire I peel back its cuticle remove the bloom to clean the coop and find a little yolkless moon an eyeball I push open and memorize then chuck over my roof until a hen digs a crack with her beak breaks speckled curtains of turquoise consumes her newest creation without pity or pause
In this episode of Reimagining Cyber, cybersecurity expert Tyler Moffitt unpacks one of the most shocking cybercrime stories in recent years—the rise and supposed shutdown of Scattered Spider. From social engineering mastery and high-profile breaches to teenage ringleaders and sudden “retirements,” this group has rewritten the playbook on digital extortion.Tyler walks us through:Who Scattered Spider really is and how they operated as elite access brokersThe group's role in major incidents like MGM Resorts, Caesars, UK retailers, telecoms, and even government agenciesThe arrests spanning the UK, US, and Spain—including suspects as young as 17The bizarre shutdown announcement promising apologies, rehab, and deleted dataWhy most experts expect rebrands, not retirementThe episode closes with practical takeaways for CISOs: protecting identity, hardening help desks, modernizing MFA, and preparing for the next wave of copycats. Whether the group is gone for good or merely regrouping, their tactics will continue to echo across the threat landscape.Follow or subscribe to the show on your preferred podcast platform.Share the show with others in the cybersecurity world.Get in touch via reimaginingcyber@gmail.com As featured on Million Podcasts' Best 100 Cybersecurity Podcast and Best 70 Chief Information Security Officer CISO Podcasts rankings.
Gina Tron joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about coming of age in the aftermath of the Columbine massacre, the myth of the bullied school shooter, revenge fantasies, her advocacy work, capturing the 1990s, connecting a personal story through journalism and interviews, being a suspected school shooter, when a publisher gets cold feet, leaning into shame, not wanting to be a problem author, confronting the dark and the embarrassing, giving ourselves grace, being as honest and vulnerable as possible, trying to paint the most accurate version of ourselves, and her new memoir Suspect. Also in this episode: -having multiple editors -working with contracts -keeping lots of journals Books mentioned in this episode: -On Writing by Stephen King -The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion -It's Kind of a Funny Story -Books by Hunter S. Thompson Gina Tron is the author of several memoirs and poetry books, including her debut 2014 memoir "You're Fine,” called "vibrant, darkly funny, and courageously candid,” by Interview Magazine. She wrote reported pieces for several outlets, including The Washington Post, VICE, Politico, and The Daily Beast. The Rumpus says her newest memoir-journalism hybrid "Suspect" captures the 1990s "without sentimentality, and with a very clear lens." Gina's work advocating for rape victim-survivors has helped lead to several bills and the DOJ investigation into the NYPD's Special Victims Department. She received her MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts and is an adjunct professor at Norwich University in Vermont. Connect with Gina: Website: www.ginatron.net Instagram: instagram.com/ginatron Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gina.tron/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ttcm45uxu7xamlv7a6tq2tuv X: https://x.com/_ginatron Get the book: https://whiskeytit.com/product/suspect/ https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/suspect-gina-tron/1146576658?ean=9781952600586 – 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, Maggie Tokuda-Hall speaks about refusing to write to market expectations. She reflects on her experience with censorship and her picture book Love in the Library—which ultimately led to her being a founding member of Authors Against Book Bans. Maggie also shares what it's like to author graphic novels, including The Worst Ronin and Squad, and to collaborate with artists throughout the process. She also highlights information on how listeners can fight book bans, as well as the most important action they can all take right now. On the topic, Olivia shares an opportunity for individuals to join a Banned Books Week Read-In this October to protest ongoing censorship. Read the full transcript: Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get two additional credits to use on any audiobooks—meaning you'll have three from the start. About Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Maggie Tokuda-Hall has an MFA in creative writing from USF, and BA in art from Scripps College. She's the author of numerous award winning, best-selling children's and young adult books including Love in the Library, The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea duology, Squad, and The Worst Ronin. She has been called “... one of the most unflinching voices in contemporary genre literature.” Maggie is a founding member and national leader of Authors Against Book Bans. She is the co-host of the Failure to Adapt podcast. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband, children, and objectively perfect dog. Get Maggie's Books: Love in the Library The Siren, the Song, and the Spy The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea Books discussed on today's episode: Cantoras by Caro De Robertis Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti Banned Books Week resources: Banned Books Week Read-In near you Ways to learn more about and fight bans
Isabella DeSendi is a Latina poet and educator, and a finalist for the 2023 Rattle Poetry Prize. Her debut poetry collection, Someone Else's Hunger, is just out from Four Way Books. Her chapbook, Through the New Body, won the Poetry Society of America's Chapbook Fellowship and was published in 2020. Recently, she has been named a 2025 New Jersey Poetry Fellow, a finalist for the Ruth Lilly Fellowship, and was included in the 2024 Best New Poets anthology, among other awards. Isabella has attended Bread Loaf Writers' Workshop, the Storyknife Writers' Residency in Alaska, and holds an MFA from Columbia University. She currently lives in Hoboken, New Jersey. Find more info here: https://www.isabelladesendi.com/ As always, we'll also include the live Prompt Lines for responses to our weekly prompt. A Zoom link will be provided in the chat window during the show before that segment begins. For links to all the past episodes, visit: https://www.rattle.com/rattlecast/ This Week's Prompt: Write a persona poem that includes the word “prompt.” Next Week's Prompt: Orange you glad you get to write a prompt poem? The Rattlecast livestreams on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, then becomes an audio podcast. Find it on iTunes, Spotify, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.
Welcome back, friends, to Your World of Creativity—the podcast where we explore inspiration, innovation, and imagination from around the globe. I'm your host, Mark Stinson, and today we're diving into a fascinating intersection of creativity, consciousness, and cutting-edge technology.My guest is Schuyler Dragoo—an interdisciplinary artist and researcher whose work spans painting, performance, music, video, sculpture, and beyond. But what sets Schuyler apart is her deep inquiry into the intersections of technology, neurodivergence, and nonhuman perception. She's recently completed an MFA at Tufts and an MA in Psychology, bringing together art, science, and strategy in ways that are absolutely captivating.Schuyler's Website @painted.goose on Instagram 1. Art and Awareness Across Species“You explore nonhuman perception and interaction—something most artists never even think about. What first drew you to this idea of creating work that bridges the human and nonhuman experience?”Sensory translation, AI interpretations of animal behavior, or speculative interaction.Examples from her painting, sculpture, or video installations.2. Neurodivergence as a Creative Lens“You've mentioned neurodivergence in your work—not just as a subject, but also as a mode of perception and creativity. How does neurodivergence inform the way you see or create systems, art, and technology?”Non-linear thought, pattern recognition, or how psychology and art intersect in her process.3. From Concept to Code: Building Tools, Not Just Ideas“Unlike many artists, you actually build things—AI bots, automation systems, narrative engines. Can you share an example of a tool you've created that brought together creativity, strategy, and real-world performance?”Her work in performance marketing or AI-driven behavior tools.How does creative strategy function like anthropology?4. Making Systems Feel Human“You've said you approach creative work as a system—and you design systems that feel human. What does that look like in practice? And how do you make sure technology doesn't lose its emotional resonance?”Walkthrough of design thinking + behavioral insightDiscussion on ethics, empathy, and human-centered design.5. What's Next in the Ecosystem of Your Work?“With your background in psychology, tech, and performance art—what kinds of projects are on the horizon for you? Where do you see the biggest potential for impact next?”MFA and MA capstone projectsUpcoming collaborations, gallery shows, or tool launchesVision for AI and neurodiverse design spacesSchuyler, thank you for opening up your world of creativity with us today. From speculative design to neurodiverse intelligence, your work really reminds us how broad and brilliant the creative landscape can be when we embrace systems thinking and cross-domain fluency.As always, we want to thank our sponsor—White Cloud Coffee Roasters. Listeners, you can enjoy a 10% discount off your first order when you use the code CREATIVITY at checkout. Just visit WhiteCloudCoffee.com.Until next time, keep exploring your world of creativity. Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast on your favorite app. We'll see you in the next episode!
A Chinese state-sponsored group exploited enterprise devices in a global espionage effort. The UK Government guarantees £1.5 billion financing to help Jaguar Land Rover's recovery efforts. A maximum-severity flaw in Fortra's GoAnywhere Managed File Transfer product is under active exploitation. The AI boom faces sustainability questions. Akira ransomware bypasses MFA on SonicWall devices. Dutch teens are arrested for allegedly spying for Russia. Luxury retailer Harrods confirms a data breach. An Interpol crackdown targets African cybercrime rings. We've got our Monday business briefing. Brandon Karpf joins us to discuss the cybersecurity ecosystem in Japan. Cyber crooks offer a BBC journalist an early retirement package. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our daily intelligence roundup, Daily Briefing, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow CyberWire Daily on LinkedIn. CyberWire Guest Today our guest is Brandon Karpf, friend of the show, and he joins to discuss the Cybersecurity ecosystem in Japan. Selected Reading Chinese hackers breached critical infrastructure globally using enterprise network gear (CSO Online) UK government bails out Jaguar Land Rover with $2 billion loan (Metacurity) Maximum severity GoAnywhere MFT flaw exploited as zero day (Bleeping Computer) The AI boom is unsustainable unless tech spending goes ‘parabolic,' Deutsche Bank warns: ‘This is highly unlikely' (Fortune) Akira ransomware breaching MFA-protected SonicWall VPN accounts (Bleeping Computer) Dutch teens arrested for trying to spy on Europol for Russia (Bleeping Computer) Harrods: Hackers contact firm after 430,000 customer records stolen (BBC) Africa cybercrime crackdown includes hundreds of arrests, Interpol says (The Record) Cyberbit acquires RangeForce. Terra Security raises $30 million. (N2K Pro) 'You'll never need to work again': Criminals offer reporter money to hack BBC (BBC) Share your feedback. What do you think about CyberWire Daily? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts with us by completing our brief listener survey. Thank you for helping us continue to improve our show. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at cyberwire@n2k.com to request more info. The CyberWire is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week we welcome Melissa Febos back to Memoir Nation to discuss her latest book, The Dry Season. Melissa is a fountain of inspiration and information and this episode covers topics as diverse as how to cultivate discernment in our reading to why memoir is the opposite of self-indulgent. We drill down into solitude as a creatively regenerative space, and get into some memoir craft, too. Hard to resist when we have a writing professor on the show. Melissa never disappoints, and this interview is one you'll come back to when you need to fill your creative well. Melissa Febos is the author of five books, including the national bestselling essay collection, Girlhood; the craft book, Body Work (2022), which was also a national bestseller and an LA Times bestseller. Her new memoir, The Dry Season, was published in June 2025. She holds an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College and is the Roy J. Carver Professor at the University of Iowa, where she teaches in the Nonfiction Writing Program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jason Mott is the author of two poetry collections, including We Call This Thing Between Us Love and five novels including The Returned, which was a New York Times bestseller and was made into a TV series that ran for two seasons. His novel Hell of a Book was named the winner of the National Book Award for fiction. He has a BFA in fiction and an MFA in poetry from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. His new novel is called People Like Us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Coming up on this episode of Flirtations, we're talking anxiety, overthinking, and perfectionism in dating! You know that feeling when you replay every text, second-guess what you said on a date, or try so hard to show up as your “best self” that you forget to just be yourself? Joining us for this conversation is Dr. Jennifer Wolkin. Dr. Jen is a neuropsychologist, writer, and ADHD advocate, here to help us make peace with our brains, understand ourselves a little bit more, and why we do think the things we do! Inside the episode, we'll hear about what happens in the brain when we're overthinking, how perfectionism can sabotage connection, and where dating anxiety really comes from. Dr. Jen shares simple practices for grounding yourself before a date, how we can reframe perfectionism and worry, and building self-compassion along the way. This one is all about the neuroscience behind our emotions in dating and how we can not all anxiety and overthinking to run the show. Alright Flirties, let's take a breath, let go of the “what-ifs,” and meet Dr. Jen! Watch on YouTube! Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review Flirtations on your favorite podcast platform, and share this episode to spread BFE - big flirt energy, all over the world! Enjoying the show and want to support my work? Buy the Flirt Coach a coffee! Take the FREE Flirt Styles Quiz Get INSTANT ACCESS to my anti-anxiety flirting and dating guide Download my FLIRTING AND TEXTING CONVERSATION GUIDE Grab my FREE Dating App Survival handbook Book your 1:1 Flirting Audit Ask the Flirt Coach About our guest: Dr. Jen, PhD, MFA, is a licensed psychologist, and Harvard-trained neuropsychologist. She founded a private practice with an appreciation that our mind, body, and brain are intimately intertwined and impacted by one another. She is also a writer, speaker, mindfulness practitioner, and mental health advocate. Her first book, Quick Calm: Easy meditations to short-circuit stress using mindfulness and neuroscience, was published in 2021. Her next book about finding your ADHD Blueprint is forthcoming from Tarcher in 2026. She has her MFA in poetry, and has published in multiple literary journals, mostly writing what she likes to name "neuro-poetry." Dr. Jen is in Menopause, and unabashedly neurodiverse. You can connect with Dr. Jen on Instagram (ADHD Page/Personal Page) Buy the book, Quick Calm: Easy Meditations About your host: Benjamin is a flirt and dating coach sharing his love of flirting and BFE - big flirt energy - with the world! A lifelong introvert and socially anxious member of society, Benjamin now helps singles and daters alike flirt with more confidence, clarity, and fun! As the flirt is all about connection, Benjamin helps the flirt community (the Flirties!) date from a place that allows the value of connection in all forms - platonic, romantic, and with the self - to take center stage. Ultimately, this practice of connection helps flirters and daters alike create stronger relationships, transcend limiting beliefs, and develop an unwavering love for the self. His work has been featured in Fortune, NBC News, The Huffington Post, Men's Health, and Yoga Journal. You can connect with Benjamin on Instagram, TikTok, watch on YouTube, and stream the Flirtations Flirtcast everywhere you listen to podcasts (like right here!), and find out more about working together 1:1 here.
EPISODE 597 - Kate Woodworth - Little Great Island, A Story of a Commuity of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies impacted by Climate ChangeKate Woodworth is the award-winning author of the novel Racing into the Dark, which Publishers Weekly said, “hits the mark repeatedly with emotional truths and fluid prose” and which Kirkus Reviews called, “vivid and honest, dramatic and without pat resolutions: an impressive debut”.A passionate lover of the natural world, Kate is the author of essays on the impact of climate change on fishing and farming that have been published by the Climate Fiction Writers League and on her Substack, “Food in the Time of Climate Change.” Her novel about love, community, and climate change, Little Great Island, has been called “an extraordinary achievement and a pure pleasure to read” by National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award winner Ha Jin. Kate is the founder and creative force behind “Be the Butterfly”, a grassroots climate action initiative that invites everyone to do one small thing to help mitigate climate change. Kate received her MFA from Boston University.Little Great IslandOn Little Great Island, climate change is disrupting both life and love.After offending the powerful pastor of the cult where she's lived for a decade, Mari McGavin must flee with her six-year-old son. With no money and no place else to go, she returns to the tiny Maine island where she grew up—a place she swore she'd never see again. There Mari runs into her lifelong friend Harry Richardson, one of the island's summer residents, now back himself to sell his family's summer home. Mari and Harry's lives intertwine once again, setting off a chain of events as unexpected and life altering as the shifts in climate affecting the whole ecosystem of the island…from generations of fishing families to the lobsters and the butterflies.Little Great Island illustrates in microcosm the greatest changes of our time and the unyielding power of love.“An uplifting and grown-up novel in which two lost souls find love and purpose”—Kirkus Reviews“…utterly grounded and achingly empathetic, developed with gorgeous, flowing prose and a steady, sometimes heart-wrenching plot.”—Booklisthttps://katewoodworth.com/Support the show___https://livingthenextchapter.com/podcast produced by: https://truemediasolutions.ca/Coffee Refills are always appreciated, refill Dave's cup here, and thanks!https://buymeacoffee.com/truemediaca
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Haynes. Deborah Zlotsky received a 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship and NYFA Artist Fellowships in Painting in 2012 and 2018. Her work is in a variety of public, private, and corporate collections in the US and abroad and she has been awarded recent residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, the Bogliasco Foundation, and the Bemis Center. Zlotsky is represented by McKenzie Fine Art and Markel Fine Art, both in New York City, Robischon Gallery in Denver, Sandler-Hudson Gallery in Atlanta, and Bernay Fine Art in Great Barrington, MA. She has a BA in art history from Yale University and an MFA in painting and drawing from the University of Connecticut. She teaches at the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in the Hudson Valley. Deborah Zlotsky, Ghost lines 3, acrylic gouache on panel, 2025, 14” x 11” Photo courtesy of Liz Dejeuness. Deborah Zlotsky, Not a line but a constellation, oil on canvas, 2025, 14” x 11” Photo courtesy of Liz Dejeuness. Deborah Zlotsky, Tragedy plus time, oil on canvas, 2025, 60” x 60” Photo courtesy of Liz Dejeuness.
Tell us what you though of the episode
A novel about being in an MFA (but not necessarily an MFA novel) with all the horror that implies. What if your creative process involved doing unethical things to dumb animals, and what if you have a hard time separating your creative process from your sex life?
If your small business still thinks that a dusty old firewall and a sprinkle of MFA is “good enough,” this episode is your cybersecurity reality check. Picture your company as a lemonade stand with a cash box—hackers are thirsty, and you're wide open for business. We're diving into why SMBs are now hacker playgrounds, how AI is helping cybercriminals get sneakier, and why your robot vacuum may be more security-conscious than your network gear. It's everything you didn't want to know about being a prime target—served up with a twist of humor, a splash of horror, and a tall glass of truth. More info at HelpMeWithHIPAA.com/528
When we talk about AI at cybersecurity conferences these days, one term is impossible to ignore: agentic AI. But behind the excitement around AI-driven productivity and autonomous workflows lies an unresolved—and increasingly urgent—security issue: identity.In this episode, Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli speak with Cristin Flynn Goodwin, keynote speaker at SecTor 2025, about the intersection of AI agents, identity management, and legal risk. Drawing from decades at the center of major security incidents—most recently as the head cybersecurity lawyer at Microsoft—Cristin frames today's AI hype within a longstanding identity crisis that organizations still haven't solved.Why It Matters NowAgentic AI changes the game. AI agents can act independently, replicate themselves, and disappear in seconds. That's great for automation—but terrifying for risk teams. Cristin flags the pressing need to identify and authenticate these ephemeral agents. Should they be digitally signed? Should there be a new standard body managing agent identities? Right now, we don't know.Meanwhile, attackers are already adapting. AI tools are being used to create flawless phishing emails, spoofed banking agents, and convincing digital personas. Add that to the fact that many consumers and companies still haven't implemented strong MFA, and the risk multiplier becomes clear.The Legal ViewFrom a legal standpoint, Cristin emphasizes how regulations like New York's DFS Cybersecurity Regulation are putting pressure on CISOs to tighten IAM controls. But what about individuals? “It's an unfair fight,” she says—no consumer can outpace a nation-state attacker armed with AI tooling.This keynote preview also calls attention to shadow AI agents: tools employees may create outside the control of IT or security. As Cristin warns, they could become “offensive digital insiders”—another dimension of the insider threat amplified by AI.Looking AheadThis is a must-listen episode for CISOs, security architects, policymakers, and anyone thinking about AI safety and digital trust. From the potential need for real-time, verifiable agent credentials to the looming collision of agentic AI with quantum computing, this conversation kicks off SecTor 2025 with urgency and clarity.Catch the full episode now, and don't miss Cristin's keynote on October 1.___________Guest:Cristin Flynn Goodwin, Senior Consultant, Good Harbor Security Risk Management | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristin-flynn-goodwin-24359b4/Hosts:Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.comMarco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com___________Episode SponsorsThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974BlackCloak: https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb___________ResourcesKeynote: Agentic AI and Identity: The Biggest Problem We're Not Solving: https://www.blackhat.com/sector/2025/briefings/schedule/#keynote-agentic-ai-and-identity-the-biggest-problem-were-not-solving-49591Learn more and catch more stories from our SecTor 2025 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/cybersecurity-technology-society-events/sector-cybersecurity-conference-toronto-2025New York Department of Financial Services Cybersecurity Regulation: https://www.dfs.ny.gov/industry_guidance/cybersecurityGood Harbor Security Risk Management (Richard Clarke's firm): https://www.goodharbor.net/Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-and-cybersecurity-conference-coverageWant to share an Event Briefing as part of our event coverage? Learn More
Episode 233 discusses the newest tensions between AI and schools: teenagers using AI companions and alarming incidents tied to platforms like Character.ai that have drawn federal attention. Josh talks about his student MFA pilot using Clever, how onboarding works (and how MFA can be network-aware to reduce classroom friction), and using student-led help desks to test the rollout. The guys discuss a post from Jay on K12TechPro asking about IT leadership background (educators and non‑educators in K12 tech dept roles). The episode's guest is Peter Kaplan from Fortinet, an E‑Rate expert. He breaks down why E‑Rate matters, outlines the FCC's cybersecurity pilot (challenges with procurement, reporting, and evaluating success), and discusses gaps left by potential MS‑ISAC funding changes. He also highlights CISA's K12 resources and Fortinet's no‑cost cybersecurity awareness materials for schools. Our new Swag Store is OPEN - Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!! -------------------- NTP Managed Methods Arista VIZOR Fortinet -------------------- Join the K12TechPro Community (exclusively for K12 Tech professionals) Buy some swag (tech dept gift boxes, shirts, hoodies...)!!! Email us at k12techtalk@gmail.com OR our "professional" email addy is info@k12techtalkpodcast.com Call us at 314-329-0363 X @k12techtalkpod Facebook Visit our LinkedIn Music by Colt Ball Disclaimer: The views and work done by Josh, Chris, and Mark are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions or positions of sponsors or any respective employers or organizations associated with the guys. K12 Tech Talk itself does not endorse or validate the ideas, views, or statements expressed by Josh, Chris, and Mark's individual views and opinions are not representative of K12 Tech Talk. Furthermore, any references or mention of products, services, organizations, or individuals on K12 Tech Talk should not be considered as endorsements related to any employer or organization associated with the guys.
Weekly shoutout: A new essay on HowlRound by theatermaker and friend of the show, Anne Mason! -- Hi there, Today I am delighted to be arts calling author Monica Macansantos! (monicamacansantos.com) About our guest: Monica Macansantos is a Filipino writer from Baguio, and is currently a Marguerite and Lamar Smith Fellow with the Carson McCullers Center in Columbus, Georgia. She is the author of the essay collection, Returning to My Father's Kitchen (Curbstone/Northwestern University Press, 2025), and the story collection, Love and Other Rituals (Grattan Street Press), 2022. She was a 2024-25 Shearing Fellow with the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV, and her work has appeared in Colorado Review, The Hopkins Review, Bennington Review, River Styx, Electric Literature, Literary Hub, and Katherine Mansfield and Children (Edinburgh University Press), among other places. She earned her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, and her PhD in Creative Writing from the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. Her work has been recognized as Notable in Best American Essays 2016 and 2021-2023. RETURNING TO MY FATHER'S KITCHEN, now available from Northwestern University Press/Curbstone Books: Purchase from Northwestern University Press: https://nupress.northwestern.edu/9780810148390/returning-to-my-fathers-kitchen/ From Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/returning-to-my-father-s-kitchen-essays-monica-macansantos/ Purchase from Book People in Austin, which sells signed copies of the book! https://bookpeople.com/book/9780810148390 Also from Monica, LOVE & OTHER RITUALS, a collection of stories: https://www.monicamacansantos.com/loveandotherritualsselectedstories.html Thanks for this amazing conversation, Monica! All the best! Arts Calling is produced by Jaime Alejandro. HOW TO SUPPORT ARTS CALLING: PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING A REVIEW, OR SHARING THIS EPISODE WITH A FRIEND! YOUR SUPPORT TRULY MAKES A DIFFERENCE! Much love, j artscalling.com
In this episode of SaaS Fuel, host Jeff Mains sits down with David Ebner, founder of Content Workshop and author of "A Content Marketing Story." Together, they dive deep into the power of storytelling for brands, especially in a world increasingly dominated by AI-generated content. David shares his journey from an MFA in creative writing to agency founder, highlighting how classic storytelling techniques breathe life into business content—even for "boring" brands. The conversation covers why emotion trumps logic in B2B sales, aligning brand stories with real customer pain points, and how AI is changing (but not replacing) creative content. They also explore building trust, the need for strong brand values, and practical frameworks for developing compelling narratives that make both customers and investors take notice.Key Takeaways00:00 Evolving Content Strategies and Trust04:50 Founding Content Workshop: Storytelling Essentials09:00 Evolving Beyond Early Success11:55 "Post-COVID Digital Shift"12:57 Emotional Connection in Marketing16:21 "Helping, Not Selling"20:53 "AI Refines Quality Content Production"22:57 Glossary's Impact on Content Traffic28:51 Hybrid Content Creation Process31:54 "Prioritizing Quality Over AI Automation"35:28 "Customer-Centric Corporate Values"36:14 "Opinionate Only on Relevant Issues"40:39 "Value Through Personal Engagement"44:31 "Building Trust for Long-Term Value"47:10 Faceless Case Studies Boost Relatability51:22 Story-Driven Business StrategiesTweetable QuotesRethinking Corporate Values: "And your values really should be derived from again, the people you're helping. That's really where your value should come from." — David Ebner "giving away value is the best way that you can kind of build that trust with the audience, influence having your brand influence the relationship with your target audience." — David Ebner Viral Topic: Why "Sticky" Audiences Matter"Sticky is just a business term for trust. Having a sticky audience. Sticky client base is valuable, extremely valuable." — David Ebner The Power of Storytelling in SaaS: "Telling great stories builds more trust than a security badge and closes faster than a limited time offer pop up." — Jeff Mains The Real Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI: "The difference maker isn't volume. I mean, there's plenty of that slop out there. It's voice."— Jeff Mains Digital Accessibility is Profitable: "digital accessibility isn't just ethical, it's profitable." — Jeff Mains SaaS Leadership LessonsStorytelling is StrategyWeave classic narrative elements into your brand to forge stronger connections and lasting differentiation.Know Your Audience DeeplyBuild and update personas regularly, because markets and customer priorities change.Emotion Precedes Logic in Every SaleNo matter the industry, purchase motivation starts with emotion—lead with empathy.Stay Human in the Age of AIUse AI to enhance productivity, but protect and amplify your unique voice.Brand Trust Is a Long GameInvest in evergreen content and consistent value, even if ROI isn't immediate—it pays dividends in loyalty.Tested Values Define Your BrandValues are...
In cybersecurity, identity has become the primary attack vector. We explore identity in CXOTalk 892, with the CEO of RSA Security, Rohit Ghai, who explains how stolen credentials, social engineering, and AI-enabled impersonation break defenses. And what boards, CISOs, and executives must do now.What you'll learn:-- Why credential theft remains the #1 initial access vector and what “phishing resistant” MFA actually requires-- How attackers bypass MFA via help desk social engineering and voice impersonation, and how to stop it-- Managing identity across the joiner–mover–leaver lifecycle to close high-risk gaps-- The “assume breach” mindset: zero trust, least privilege, and blast radius reduction-- The CISO's evolving mandate: business vs. technology, board communication, and risk quantification-- AI in cyber: sword, shield, and attack surface, and the changing economics of attack vs. defense-- Ransomware beyond backups: data theft, response playbooks, and legal/PR readinessWho should watch:Board members, CEOs, CISOs, CIOs, and security leaders who seek clear actions to improve resilience without slowing the business.
The panel covers multiple tech updates, starting with another Plex data breach and the importance of password hygiene, passkeys, and MFA. Chuck Joiner, David Ginsburg, Marty Jencuis, Web Bixby, Jim Rea, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Brian Flanigan-Arthurs, and Norbert Frassa discuss FDA clearance for Apple Watch hypertension detection and its impact on health monitoring. The group reviews the latest Apple Sports app improvements, including CarPlay integration and live updates. The show wraps with analysis of TikTok's uncertain U.S. future and broader concerns over social media algorithms. Today's MacVoices is supported by Insta360 and their new GO Ultra, the tiny 4K camera that goes everywhere with you. Visit store.Insta360.com and use the code “MacVoices” for a free set of Sticky Tabs. Show Notes: Chapters: [0:00] Intro and sponsor mention[0:40] Another Plex data breach and password advice[2:38] Passkeys, MFA, and password hygiene humor[3:47] FDA clears Apple Watch hypertension detection[4:49] Health monitoring stories and awareness[6:08] Plex security reminders and MFA[6:33] Apple Sports app update and widgets[8:06] CarPlay integration and live activities[8:54] Score updates, delays, and fan frustrations[11:29] TikTok's uncertain U.S. future[15:30] Algorithm control and political concerns[17:12] Broader social media manipulation discussion[19:57] Privacy, platforms, and user data debates[21:35] Social platforms, cookies, and tracking anecdotes[22:55] Closing notes and support links Links: Another Plex data breach sees company urge users to change their passwordhttps://9to5mac.com/2025/09/09/another-plex-data-breach-sees-company-urge-users-to-change-their-password/ Apple Watch hypertension alerts feature receives FDA clearancehttps://9to5mac.com/2025/09/11/apple-watch-hypertension-alerts-feature-receives-fda-clearance/ Apple Sports app gets widgets for live scores and schedules on your home screenhttps://9to5mac.com/2025/09/16/apple-sports-app-gets-widgets-for-live-scores-and-schedules-on-your-home-screen/ TikTok's U.S. future rests on Trump–Xi meeting this weekhttps://searchengineland.com/tiktok-us-future-trump-xi-462002 Guests: Web Bixby has been in the insurance business for 40 years and has been an Apple user for longer than that.You can catch up with him on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but prefers Bluesky. Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him on Twitter, by email at embolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast. Brian Flanigan-Arthurs is an educator with a passion for providing results-driven, innovative learning strategies for all students, but particularly those who are at-risk. He is also a tech enthusiast who has a particular affinity for Apple since he first used the Apple IIGS as a student. You can contact Brian on twitter as @brian8944. He also recently opened a Mastodon account at @brian8944@mastodon.cloud. Norbert Frassa is a technology “man about town”. Follow him on Twitter and see what he's up to. Jeff Gamet is a technology blogger, podcaster, author, and public speaker. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's Managing Editor, and the TextExpander Evangelist for Smile. He has presented at Macworld Expo, RSA Conference, several WordCamp events, along with many other conferences. You can find him on several podcasts such as The Mac Show, The Big Show, MacVoices, Mac OS Ken, This Week in iOS, and more. Jeff is easy to find on social media as @jgamet on Twitter and Instagram, jeffgamet on LinkedIn., @jgamet@mastodon.social on Mastodon, and on his YouTube Channel at YouTube.com/jgamet. David Ginsburg is the host of the weekly podcast In Touch With iOS where he discusses all things iOS, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and related technologies. He is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users. Visit his YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/daveg65 and find and follow him on Twitter @daveg65 and on Mastodon at @daveg65@mastodon.cloud. Dr. Marty Jencius has been an Associate Professor of Counseling at Kent State University since 2000. He has over 120 publications in books, chapters, journal articles, and others, along with 200 podcasts related to counseling, counselor education, and faculty life. His technology interest led him to develop the counseling profession ‘firsts,' including listservs, a web-based peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Technology in Counseling, teaching and conferencing in virtual worlds as the founder of Counselor Education in Second Life, and podcast founder/producer of CounselorAudioSource.net and ThePodTalk.net. Currently, he produces a podcast about counseling and life questions, the Circular Firing Squad, and digital video interviews with legacies capturing the history of the counseling field. This is also co-host of The Vision ProFiles podcast. Generally, Marty is chasing the newest tech trends, which explains his interest in A.I. for teaching, research, and productivity. Marty is an active presenter and past president of the NorthEast Ohio Apple Corp (NEOAC). Jim Rea built his own computer from scratch in 1975, started programming in 1977, and has been an independent Mac developer continuously since 1984. He is the founder of ProVUE Development, and the author of Panorama X, ProVUE's ultra fast RAM based database software for the macOS platform. He's been a speaker at MacTech, MacWorld Expo and other industry conferences. Follow Jim at provue.com and via @provuejim@techhub.social on Mastodon. Support: Become a MacVoices Patron on Patreon http://patreon.com/macvoices Enjoy this episode? Make a one-time donation with PayPal Connect: Web: http://macvoices.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/chuckjoiner http://www.twitter.com/macvoices Mastodon: https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chuck.joiner MacVoices Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/macvoices/ MacVoices Group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/macvoice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckjoiner/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chuckjoiner/ Subscribe: Audio in iTunes Video in iTunes Subscribe manually via iTunes or any podcatcher: Audio: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesrss Video: http://www.macvoices.com/rss/macvoicesvideorss
Cas Holman grew up playing make-believe in the woods and helping her mechanic step-dad fix cars and dune buggies. Always knowing that she didn't check the stereotypical gender boxes, she never gave any of the other arbitrary “boxes” much credit either, instead preferring to focus on the outside-the-box possibilities that could be accessed through play, curiosity, and exploration. While getting her MFA, she began working on Geemo, a building toy, which kicked-off her life's mission of designing for play. Since then, she's established herself as a champion of open-ended play, designing notable play systems like Rigamajig. She's worked with global business leaders to incorporate play into company culture, leading to more innovative outcomes, greater trust and safety, and improved resilience. With her upcoming book, Playful, she is on a campaign to help adults reconnect with play throughout their lives because she knows, and has the research and science to prove it, that with play we ALL become more creative, joyful, and productive. Ain't that good news!Images and more from Cas Holman on our website!Special thanks to our sponsor:Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alertsVISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodesSAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydeversSpecial thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jocelyn Jane Cox joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the challenges and guilt around caretaking, her childhood experience as a competitive figure skater, telling a story in the structure of a day, using the directed “you” in a book, writing about what has shaped us and played a role in the story we are trying to tell, using Post-It Notes, ordering our backstory, listmaking a low pressure way to get material on the page, as the process of adding and subtracting, exploring divisions within ourselves, developing and exploring metaphor in our narratives, and her new memoir Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss, and Skating on Thin Ice. Also in this episode: -reducing page count -relying on Beta readers -the silver tsunami Books mentioned in this episode: -Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf -On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong -The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr -Fast Draft Your Memoir: Write Your Story in 45 Hours by Rachel Herron Jocelyn Jane Cox joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss, and Skating on Thin Ice. Jocelyn Jane Cox holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Sarah Lawrence College. She competed in the United States Figure Skating Championships with her older brother Brad four times (twice in pair skating and twice in ice dance). She has been coaching kids, teenagers, and adults in both skating and writing for over 25 years. Her creative nonfiction was included in the anthology Awakenings: Stories of Body Consciousness, edited by Diane Gottlieb (2023). Among other publications, her work has appeared in The New York Times, Slate, Newsweek, Good Men Project, WIRED, Belladonna Comedy, The Offing, HAD, Cleaver, Litro Magazine, Literal Latte, and Colorado Review. Her fiction has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She lives with her son and husband in the Hudson Valley of New York. Connect with Jocelyn: Website: https://www.jocelynjanecox.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelynjanecoxwriter/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JocelynJaneCoxWriter BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/jocelynjanecox.bsky.social – Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, Poets & Writers, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and teaches memoir through the University of Washington's Online Continuum Program and also independently. She launched Let's Talk Memoir in 2022, lives in Seattle with her family of people and dogs, and is at work on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Subscribe to Ronit's Substack: https://substack.com/@ronitplank Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank https://bsky.app/profile/ronitplank.bsky.social Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
Former stand-up comedian Max Delsohn sits down with Jared to talk about how humor and detailed line-level revision show up in his work for the stage and the page. Plus, he discusses a pleasure-forward writing process, switching MFA programs after the first year, and his experiences with big-name faculty like George Saunders and Mary Karr.Max Delsohn is a third-year MFA candidate in fiction at Syracuse University. His writing appears in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, VICE, Joyland, The Rumpus, Passages North, Nat. Brut, and the essay anthology Critical Hits: Writers Playing Video Games, edited by J. Robert Lennon and Carmen Maria Machado, among other places. He has been awarded fellowships and residencies from the Saltonstall Foundation for The Arts, Mineral School, and Hugo House, and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize three times. His debut short story collection, CRAWL, is forthcoming in fall 2025 from Graywolf Press. Find Max on social media @maxdelsohn, and sign up for alerts to pre-order his collection via his website, www.maxdelsohn.com.This episode was requested by Amy Peltz, Sarah Blood, and Frank Turner. Thank you all for listening!MFA Writers is hosted by Jared McCormack and produced by Jared McCormack and Hanamori Skoblow. New episodes are released every two weeks. You can find more MFA Writers at MFAwriters.com.BE PART OF THE SHOWDonate to the show at Buy Me a Coffee.Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts.Submit an episode request. If there's a program you'd like to learn more about, contact us and we'll do our very best to find a guest who can speak to their experience.Apply to be a guest on the show by filling out our application.STAY CONNECTEDTwitter: @MFAwriterspodInstagram: @MFAwriterspodcastFacebook: MFA WritersEmail: mfawriterspodcast@gmail.com
In this episode of Reboot IT, host Dave Coriale, President of DelCor, is joined by Andrew Leggett, Director of Cybersecurity, and Chris Ecker, CTO, to explore the evolving cybersecurity landscape for associations and nonprofits. They discuss the shift toward phishing-resistant MFA, the impact of AI on cyberattacks, and the importance of layered security strategies. The conversation emphasizes how organizational culture, user training, and smart technology choices work together to protect sensitive data and systems. Themes and Topics: Phishing-Resistant MFA Traditional MFA tokens are vulnerable to interception during phishing attacks. Passkeys and QR codes offer encrypted, device-specific authentication. User experience improves with passwordless logins and fewer steps. AI-Enabled Cyber Threats AI lowers the barrier to entry for attackers by automating phishing and scripting. Tools like Copilot can be used maliciously to locate sensitive data quickly. Organizations must train users to monitor prompt history and unusual activity. Layered Security Strategy Effective cybersecurity requires training, monitoring, and prevention tools working together. Threat detection systems vary in effectiveness depending on configuration and attacker location. Layering includes phishing-resistant MFA, identity monitoring, and user education. Cybersecurity Culture & Training A top-down approach is essential; executives must model secure behavior. Encouraging users to report suspicious activity without fear of blame is key. Training must be ongoing and integrated into organizational culture. Copilot and Oversharing Risks Copilot indexes all tenant data and honors existing permissions, but overshared files are vulnerable. Organizations must audit and remediate permissions in SharePoint, OneDrive, and email. Misconfigured access can expose sensitive data like salary or ACH info. Cyber Insurance & Compliance MFA is already a requirement for most cyber insurance policies. Phishing-resistant MFA may soon become a standard requirement. Organizations without it may face higher premiums or denial of coverage.
“Don't look around—just run your own race. That's what I'd tell my younger self about writing.”-Melanie Anagnos Melanie Anagnos has worn many hats—waitress, attorney, stay-at-home mom—but her true calling emerged when she pursued her MFA at Sarah Lawrence College. Now, she's making waves in the crime fiction world with her novel Night Swimming, a police procedural set in her hometown of Paterson, New Jersey. In this conversation, Melanie shares what draws her to 1970s crime fiction, the social upheaval that inspires her stories, and how she finally found her voice as a writer. Key Takeaways: Roots in Patterson, NJ: Melanie's novels draw inspiration from her hometown, which also serves as the backdrop for Night Swimming. Journey to Writing: After a career in law, Melanie embraced creative writing later in life, proving it's never too late to start. The 1970s as Creative Muse: Social upheaval, shifting gender roles, and cultural tensions of the decade fuel her storytelling. The Allure of Police Procedurals: She loves the pacing, character focus, and slower-burn suspense of classic crime fiction. Finding Her Voice: Melanie stresses the importance of writing authentically, not trying to “sound like a writer.” On MFA Programs: While her Sarah Lawrence MFA was valuable, she believes what you put in matters more than the credential itself. Recognition and Validation: A New York Times review affirmed her efforts to go deeper with her storytelling Buy Nightswimming Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JLav9P Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781962931151 Connect with Melanie Website: https://melanieanagnos.com/ Substack: melanieanagnos.substack.com Connect with Mike Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/ If you liked this episode, please share it with a friend. If you have not done so already, please rate and review Uncorking a Story on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. #UncorkingAStory #MelanieAnagnos #NightSwimming #CrimeFiction #WritersJourney #PoliceProcedural #AuthorInterview #1970sCrime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this month's Five Minute Breakdown, Sheri dives into Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want by Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA.Maria — an Emmy-winning producer and part of the original Survivor team — uses her filmmaking background to show how you can write, direct, and produce your own life story. The book lays out eight essentials of happiness, from faith and love to gratitude and abundance, with practical tools she calls “happiness shots.”Sheri shares what worked, what didn't, what critics are saying, and her own honest thoughts. No extras, no filler — just the heart of the book in under five minutes.
This week we have a fun episode that examines point of view in memoir. We're talking about personal narrative that falls outside of first person, which means points of view that are second, third, and plural. We consider this style, which used to be far less common in memoir than it is now, with author Elizabeth Crane, whose memoir, This Story Will Change, implements all the points of view to great effect. We had fun with this one and we hope our writer-listeners will have fun experimenting with point of view, too. Don't miss Brooke's underrated Substack post on 5 Ways to Use “You” in Memoir. And especially don't miss this incredible list of publishers that are accepting unsolicited manuscripts for memoir. Thank you, Becker! Elizabeth Crane is the author of four collections of short stories, two novels, and one memoir. Her work has been translated into several languages and has been featured in numerous publications including Other Voices, Nerve, Ecotone, Swink, Guernica, and many other outlets. She's a recipient of the Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award, and her work has been adapted for the stage by Chicago's Steppenwolf Theater company, and has also been adapted for film. She teaches in the UCR-Palm Desert low-residency MFA program. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices