Podcast appearances and mentions of Nathan Chen

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight on APEX Express, join the Powerleegirls Host Miko Lee speaks with children's book authors Lorraine Nam, Uma Krishnaswami and Maggie Tokuda-Hall about Library Joy in honor of National School Library Month! To Learn More Lorrraine Nam, illustrator and  author Michael Threet's book: I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy    Uma Krishnaswami Her books: Book Uncle Triology   Maggie Tokuda-Hall Her book: Love in the Library  Every Library Authors Against Book Bans   Show Transcript [00:00:00] Opening: Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   [00:00:35] Ayame Keane-Lee: Welcome to tonight's episode of Apex Express Celebrating Library Joy. I'm Ayame Keane-Lee the editor of tonight's show, and part of the PowerLeeGirls bringing you the introduction to tonight's show. Did you know that April is National School Library Month and in just 10 days from April 19th to 25th is National Library Week? The theme for this year's National Library Week is Find Your Joy with Honorary Chair Mychal Threets. The first of three interviews you'll hear my mom, Miko Lee have tonight is with Lorraine Nam the illustrator for the newly released children's book written by that very Mychal Threets called, “I'm So Happy You're Here”. You will then hear Miko speak with Uma Krishnaswami about her children's book “Book Uncle and Me,” and lastly with Maggie Tokuda-Hall about her children's book, “Love in the Library,” and the important work of Authors Against Book Bans. As a library kid and current library worker, I have experienced firsthand the transformative power of library access and the importance of inclusive and diverse storytelling. In and out of schools, libraries are vital to nurturing and uplifting the autonomy and sovereignty of children, which always has and continues to be a liberatory practice. We hope tonight's show will inspire you right into your local library to check out some of the great books mentioned here or to put them on hold. Let's listen in.    [00:02:06] Miko Lee: Welcome, Lorraine Nam, illustrator of amazing  children's books. Welcome to Apex Express.    [00:02:13] Lorraine Nam: I'm excited to be here.    [00:02:16] Miko Lee: I wanna start with a question I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    [00:02:24] Lorraine Nam: Who are my people? I would say creative people. People who are interested in having an open mind, and looking at the bright side of things, the beautiful things, people who are curious. The type of legacy that I bring I think is just my parents who are creative and then bringing that, to this new generation.    [00:02:57] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. I am, I'm looking at your beautiful face, and behind you is this, find your joy and, and it's in lots of colors on this pink banner and in at the top we see opening up of a library door with Mychal Threets, who's the author of this book, “I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy.” I'm wondering if you can talk about your collaborative process with Mychal Threets.    [00:03:25] Lorraine Nam: The first impression that you have of writer and illustrator for a picture book is that they work really closely together, and that's actually not the case. We work pretty separately, but I was very excited. Mychal wrote the words to this book and they were looking for an illustrator and my agent called me and she asked me if I was interested. I was very excited about the project. I signed up for it and we worked pretty separately. We connected on Instagram, but he pretty much had no art notes, everything was pretty much whatever I was open to. Then we met for the first time and we got our very first copy of the book and we met in New York.    [00:04:10] Miko Lee: And what was that like?    [00:04:12] Lorraine Nam: Um, amazing. He is exactly who he is in his videos.    [00:04:18] Miko Lee: Can you share for our audience who he is and a little bit more about him, just in case folks don't know.   [00:04:24] Lorraine Nam: The book calls him a librarian ambassador. He describes himself as a reader, a lover of librarians or the number one fan of libraries. This is his first book and he's also the host of Reading Rainbow on PBS. We met at the New York Library, public Library for the first time, and he's just so nice, very kind. Honestly, it felt like we already knew each other just because we had been talking through the publisher about the book.   [00:05:02] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. It's so beautifully illustrated and you have a incredibly diverse,, amount of people in the book, both racially but also physically, and I really appreciate how you encapsulated that. I'm just wondering what inspired you to develop this specific imagery for this book?    [00:05:22] Lorraine Nam: Yeah, so one of the only stipulations in the art notes was that he wanted to have a diverse group of people attending the library. People of all ages of all color, all sizes, all disabilities. That seemed like a no brainer to me because I just know the message that he puts into the world. The only difficult part was narrowing down the cast. There's all these different types of people and just trying to figure out who to focus on. I wanted to make sure that you still see the same group of kids over and over. So it felt like you were following the along throughout the day, while still having lots of diversity and lots of different types of people.    [00:06:11] Miko Lee: Had you set what the cover was gonna be at the beginning or did that come after you had already finished the whole book?   [00:06:19] Lorraine Nam: Oh, that came much later. We pretty much had the art for the interior nailed down, and then we were working on concepts for the cover. I knew from Mychal's social media presence that maybe he didn't want to be the poster cover of the book. He wanted to be about the library goers and the people rather than himself. And so I was kind of towing that line of like obviously people wanna see him, it's his first book. They're such huge fans, and so like how much to put Mychal in and how much to showcase him, as well as showcase like all the other people who go to the library.   [00:07:02] Miko Lee: He definitely does have a joyous kind of ebullient vibe to him. I recommend for audience to check out his socials because he has this, you wanna listen to him. He's so inviting and I love the poster behind you because he is saying, like, “welcome, come into the library. This is my world.” And you also made him look so cute. Really looks like a cartoon version of him. So sweet. In your artistic process, I'm wondering what helps you define the style of art you utilize? I'm thinking about the paper cutouts that you did for a tale of two princes. What is it about the work that inspires you to select that type of style?   [00:07:43] Lorraine Nam: I actually had a very winding path to the style that I have today. So the style that I have today is very much layered. It's painted, a lot of it is painted. And then I cut it out and then I glue and collage different elements, and then I scan everything in and enhance certain aspects through Photoshop. But a lot of it started actually in wanting to make a physical book. So it was with book binding and then with book binding, because that's just a technique to produce a product, it was what goes in those pages and that's when I started doing cut paper. So just silhouetted, cut paper. And I was doing that for a long time, just cutting out rice paper to make silhouettes. I wanted to tell more of the story and depict people. So then I started making paper cut [laughs] sets. So I would build —almost like Legos— a whole set of paper buildings and paper people and paper objects that are three dimensional. And then I would photograph them. And then from there, I landed in this more 2D, but playing with still technique and texture and layers.    [00:09:10] Miko Lee: Wow, that's so interesting. Can you share a little bit more about your artistic process? Do you start at a certain time of day? Do you only work at night? Do you have a whole studio set up?   [00:09:20] Lorraine Nam: well, For the book projects because there's such a timeline to 'em and they're very specific. I'll do very loose sketches on Post-it notes. They're readily available and then you can stick two of them next to each other to make a full spread. I use these post-its, and then I would just fold them in half and use that as like very quick pencil drawings. And then if I had something that I liked, I would just go in and pen. But they were still very small. So it was more about looking at silhouettes and composition. And then I would print, it's a very old school technique, but I would print out all the text for the book and cut 'em out. And double sided tape and just stick them on to see where the text should be on the page and where it could fit. I would just do that manually until I had something that I liked a little bit more. Then I would start creating digital, like line drawings.    [00:10:21] Miko Lee: And are you lining this all up on a wall or putting it on the desk?   [00:10:26] Lorraine Nam: Um, so they're in like a notebook.    [00:10:29] Miko Lee: Oh, you put 'em in book format?    [00:10:31] Lorraine Nam: It's all the spread. So it should take about two pages basically. You should be able to look at it and look at it from like an eagle eye perspective of what the entire book will look like and what the flow will be like, and if there's closeups or this is like a far away saying, you get more of the like, setting of the library.   [00:10:52] Miko Lee: And with the font printed out really small so that it's on the bottom of that Post-it note.    [00:10:56] Lorraine Nam: Mm-hmm.    [00:10:57] Miko Lee: Wow, that is so fascinating. And what is it when you're eagle eye-ing, what are you looking for?    [00:11:04] Lorraine Nam: I'm pretending that I'm a kid looking at a book for the first time, with zero context and maybe zero reading level skill and just looking at the pictures and seeing if I can spot the same character and if there is a story that follows along, because this is a library book where it doesn't talk about specific people. I wanted to be able to follow each character in the book and see what their day was like in the library. So when they first came into the library, what they were doing during the day, what friends they made, and then maybe them leaving or, you know, a resolution of some kind, like their parents are checking out symbols at the library.    [00:11:52] Miko Lee: the concept of having the character go throughout the book. Was that in the instruction or was something that you created.   [00:11:59] Lorraine Nam: That was something that I wanted. Because I know looking at picture books, the pictures can also tell a story where, the words, it might not be in the words. So I wanted there to be more of a layered storytelling through image.    [00:12:18] Miko Lee: I appreciate that as a mom. I remember when my girls were little, they would always say, where is that rabbit on the page? Or where is that thing? And so being able to track a character all the way through, is quite delightful. It adds another dimension for the multiple readings. You mentioned before about how you didn't really meet Mychal, the author of the book until the very end, and I guess that's common as an illustrator and you've worked with so many different experts in their fields from, physicist Neil Degrasse Tyson to Skater Nathan Chen. How is their very different fields, how does that impact your art making?    [00:12:57] Lorraine Nam: It's actually the most fun. It's what drew me to illustration in the first place. I love being able to do like a deep dive and a specific subject that I wouldn't necessarily have gravitated towards and do that research. I actually do go to the library. I start the process at the library and I look at all the books about that particular topic, and then see what other people have done. And so working on the book for Neil deGrasse Tyson, it was so much fun looking at different how space is depicted the idea of galaxies and making that tangible and real for kids. And then for Nathan Chen, I was already a fan before I got the project, so it was very easy. But watching the videos, seeing all the different techniques and for his book it was more looking at sports books. Because he's such a unique person in his specific field in figure skating that there weren't very many books on figure skating and most are of a female portrayal. I was looking more at sports and how people show different types of movement, , and show like form. And the more technical aspects that are very, very, very specific and very critical to those things.    [00:14:32] Miko Lee: And how did that manifest into your book?    [00:14:35] Lorraine Nam: Um, a lot of drawings of like, the breakdown of his jumps and trying to figure out can a child do this jump [laughs]? And also doing a lot of research 'cause he's a very private person. His book is not about him, it's not a biography, but it's also loosely based off of him. You know, I have two other siblings. If I had a book based off of me, I want my siblings to be involved and represented in that as well. So I included his family, even though they're not a huge part of the book, his siblings are not like big characters. But they're still represented in there. So he can still be like, oh that's my family. This is based off of my story.   [00:15:32] Miko Lee: So when you're doing these approaches, like including Nathan's family or in the library book, making sure characters go all the way through, is that something you have to check in with the writer about, to see if they're okay? Or is that something that you just do and then you submit and you see if they like it?   [00:15:50] Lorraine Nam: That's something that I do, that I find joy in and see. Usually the first eyes on my sketches are the publisher and the art director. And I actually have no idea what, at what stage they really share the sketches, if it's like at a more finalized stage or if it's an early on one, but I usually just go with my own ideas and see what they think about it.    [00:16:20] Miko Lee: Wow. I didn't know that you could have that much say into it. That's lovely. You talked a little bit about using the library for research. Gosh, I imagine that Neil deGrasse Tyson, there's so much research on it, that must have been a deep dive. I'm wondering what the library meant to you as a child.    [00:16:38] Lorraine Nam: Yeah. I grew up as a big reader. The library for me it was a magical space that I wasn't really sure what it was. My parents, because they grew up in Korea and moved here to the States, there was a big language barrier between us and they're also very not talkative people. They just took us to this place one day and it was our local public library and it was right before closing and we were able to check out as many books as we wanted in whatever type of book that we wanted. I felt like that was magical, that there was no limit to it.    [00:17:19] Miko Lee: My last question is, what are you working on now?    [00:17:22] Lorraine Nam: I'm working on a few books, actually. I'm juggling a few, but they're all very fun and different. I'm doing a book about a boy dreaming of flying, being a pilot. So I think that will be a really fun imaginative book.    [00:17:43] Miko Lee: What is one of your books that you would've liked to read to your younger self?    [00:17:50] Lorraine Nam: Mm, I probably Wei Skates On, the book with Nathan Chen. ‘Cause his story is about overcoming obstacles and being disappointed. And just feeling frustrated and upset. And I feel like that's an important lesson even in adulthood. It's not really resolved through words. It's more of like the, everyone is there for him, his family is there for him, and they all just want him to enjoy what he's doing and to not care about winning or losing.    [00:18:33] Miko Lee: Lorraine Nam, thank you so much for chatting with us about your work and about the library as a magical place, appreciate talking with you.    [00:18:42] Lorraine Nam: Thank you so much. I had so much fun talking with you.   [00:18:45] Miko Lee: Welcome, amazing award-winning children's book author Uma Krishnaswami, I'm so happy to have you here on Apex Express.   [00:18:54] Uma Krishnaswami: Miko, it's my pleasure to be here.    [00:18:57] Miko Lee: I wanted to start with a question I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    [00:19:05] Uma Krishnaswami: What a wonderful question. Who are my people? My people are children who are, my ideal readership is the eight to 12-year-old group. I write for children. I'm not particularly thinking about audience when I begin writing. But at some point I want my readership to feel validated, whether they recognize themselves as being in my stories or my stories are offering them a window into a world that they are not immediately familiar with. So I would say those are my people.    [00:19:45] Miko Lee: And what is the legacy that you carry with you?    [00:19:48] Uma Krishnaswami: I grew up in India. The year that I was born India had been independent for all of nine years. So I carry very much that colonial legacy. I also am an immigrant to two countries, early in my adulthood to the United States and about 12 years ago to Canada. So my legacy is one of moving and finding new roots, finding community. Those are the things that I try to carry forward in my stories. When I began writing, I lived in the US and I started writing when my son was born. So there I was with a little brown baby and I went looking for books that would represent him and I didn't find them. And I think that is what made me think in my early thirties that, real life people could write children's books because of course the books I had read as a child were all written by people from England and many of them were dead. I kind of thought you had to be dead and British to be a writer. So yeah, it's complicated, isn't it? All of that works into, what you think of as, as your legacy. Having done this for 30 plus years now.    [00:21:03] Miko Lee: And you've written so many beautiful books. Tell us about a little bit more about that first book.   [00:21:09] Uma Krishnaswami: So the very first book, it was called Stories of the Flood. I realized very quickly that I didn't really know what I was doing. I looked to folk tales and traditional tales as a way to teach me about story. My second book called The Broken Tusk Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha. That is the one that I consider as the book that taught me how to write. I had a wonderful editor [unintelligble] Thorpe at a small press in Connecticut, Linnet Books. She told me to lean into story and to see myself as a storyteller. In a way, every book I've written has taught me how to write.   [00:21:47] Miko Lee: Can you tell us about your favorite book as a kid?    [00:21:52] Uma Krishnaswami: My favorite book as a kid, it would have to be Winnie The Pooh.    [00:21:58] Miko Lee: And what was it about Winnie the Pooh that enamored you?    [00:22:01] Uma Krishnaswami: I came to it very early and aunt had traveled to England and she brought me my copy of winnie the Pooh in the House of Poo Corner. And I read them, sitting in very Indian gardens, sometimes up in trees. I spent lots of time up in trees and I took my own geography and placed it over the geography of the book. , So that for me, the a hundred acre wood had lime trees and banyan trees and possibly mango trees. It didn't occur to me, until much later when I read an Enid Blyton reader. I had my moment of disillusionment with Enid Blyton and that's when it really occurred to me that there was an us and a them in, in some of the storytelling I was consuming.   [00:22:49] Miko Lee: What age was that where you recognized that?    [00:22:51] Uma Krishnaswami: My post-colonial moment?    [00:22:53] Miko Lee: Yes.    [00:22:54] Uma Krishnaswami: I might have been a 11.    [00:22:56] Miko Lee: Oh, wow. And were you still living in India at that time?    [00:22:59] Uma Krishnaswami: Yeah, yeah. 11 was a very formative year for me. My grandfather passed away, so it sort of brought mortality , into the framework for me. Also that was my year of disillusionment with Blyton. 'cause I read The , river of Adventure. And the villain in it had my name. He was called. Uma, Raya or Raya Uma or something like that. And yeah, I was just shocked. Just totally shocked. It was pure coincidence, I'm sure. She probably just, pulled the name out of the air and plunked it in. But. I began to notice that he was described as dark skinned and he was described as cunning. All this language that had slid right past me before began to be apparent. So, yeah,    [00:23:47] Miko Lee: I love that. That is so amazing. This name, like what? That's my name as the villain.    [00:23:53] Uma Krishnaswami: I'm the Bad Guy. No, I'm not.    [00:23:56] Miko Lee: And all of your books are such a wonderful clap back to that because you have a multitude of characters and so many different worlds. Initially reached out to you because I started reading book Uncle this trilogy of books that are so lovely. Can you first share a little bit about what the Book Uncle's Trilogy is about.    [00:24:16] Uma Krishnaswami: Okay, so it didn't start out as a trilogy. It didn't even start out as a book. It started out as a short story and then it didn't quite fit. It wasn't a picture book. It seemed to have more layers than that, so it kind of grew. But what started Book Uncle and Me was I was visiting my parents in India. At the time, and I was on this very busy urban street and there was this kid sitting on this on the, on the sidewalk. Um, it was kind of a broken brick sidewalk, and she was sitting cross-legged right in the middle and she was reading book and she was just oblivious to the crowd going around her and the. Buses on the road and there were, you know, random goats and dogs running around and she just was ignoring everything and she was absorbed in her book. And I remembered that I had been that kind of reader as a child. There was an election going on at the time as well, and I thought, I wonder what would happen if I put those two things together. And that is how Book Uncle came to be.    [00:25:14] Miko Lee: And then there was just, you wanted to live in those characters more, so you ended up writing additional books?    [00:25:20] Uma Krishnaswami: Hmm and that's a very good question. And actually no, I didn't, I thought I was done. I wrote Book Uncle and Me back in, I'm say 2009, 2010, something like that. I probably started it in 2010. Um, it got published originally in India in 2012, I believe. And then it was picked up by Ground Wood in Canada and published in Canada and the US so North American edition in 2016. And I thought, you know, I'm done. I'm writing other things. And then come the pandemic and we're all in lockdown. And like a lot of writers, I was doing, um, many, many, virtual. Presentations and programs. Um, and I did something through the North Vancouver Public Library and, there were kids zooming in from, you know, some from home, some from their bubbles, some from classrooms, whatever. And we were talking about book uncle and one of the kids, I think in third grade maybe, she said, Are you gonna write a sequel? And I am just joshing, right? I am. I said, yeah, should I? And they're all going, yeah, you should. And you should write three because you've got three characters you should give them each a [story]. And I'm like, all right guys i'll think about it. I absolutely will but not really taking it seriously. And then as often happens. the session ended and, you know, there we were all in lockdown going nowhere. And I thought maybe, maybe there's something there. Maybe I could return to that. And in a way I was kind of intrigued because I hadn't, had never thought about a trilogy and I was interested in how that would play out. Um, and it was kind of a writing challenge to myself, but honestly, once I started writing Birds on the Brain, which was book two it just kind of, I hesitate to say wrote itself 'cause I, that just seems, you know, so kind of woo woo. But, um, it did, it did. Uh, the, the kid came in and she took over and then a bird flew onto the rooftop and there I was on my way. So that's the story of, of how that that happened. In retrospect, I'm really sorry I didn't ask that child's name because I would've absolutely loved to have acknowledged her in the book. But thank you child from North Vancouver, whoever you are.    [00:27:40] Miko Lee: That is so amazing. That's by request, by audience request. You fulfilled this goal of a trilogy and and I I love that they even said, not just a sequel, but a trilogy.    [00:27:52] Uma Krishnaswami: Oh, they were. Yeah. They had it. I mean, they had, then they, they figured it out, which was really lovely.    [00:27:58] Miko Lee: And those, that trilogy is really geared, as you were saying to the second and third grade audience and I So many of your books are written around kids that can make a difference. What is it about that age that appeals to you and that motivation to show them how they can change the world?    [00:28:16] Uma Krishnaswami: I think they have this really, strong sense of what's fair. It's the age at which, you know, you start pushing back against what you see as small unfairnesses in your life. Parental restrictions quite often, or older siblings. You're pushing back. You're doing a little bit of finding who you are. And I think that uh, you begin to get a sense of awareness of the big world outside your small circle. And I think also one of the things that drives me, with writing to this age is that, I feel that it is so unfair that grownups, the adult world, has created so much injustice. And we just kind of expect the next generation to step up and step into it and, and do the best they can. and it just, it doesn't seem right not to at least give them the wherewithal to think about that. And they do, they have children have voices and their voices matter. As we found out with, the climate strikes. I mean it really was young people who brought those messages out into the world and forced us to think about them and talk about them. So, I think that we owe children that.    [00:29:34] Miko Lee: So which of your books would you want to read to the second or third grade Uma?   [00:29:43] Uma Krishnaswami: [Laughs] Maybe Book Uncle and Me. Because I think there's a lot of second and third grade Uma in that book. I was a compulsive reader like Yasmin. I would've absolutely read a book every day for the rest of my life if I'd had that many books available to me. I didn't. So I read the ones I had over and over again. I lived in an imaginary world, quite a bit of the time.   [00:30:06] Miko Lee: Speaking of having access to lots of books, I'm wondering what your relationship was like to libraries, both as a child and then now.    [00:30:15] Uma Krishnaswami: I'm a proud and inveterate library goer. I put holds on things. I go browse on shelves. I download eBooks and audio books. I always have a pending list. I'm very, very grateful for libraries and also for librarians whom many of whom I have come to know over my life and am immensely grateful for. I did not have access to libraries much as a child. We didn't have a public library system that was free and available and open to everybody. There were the kind of unofficial lending library types that I feature in Book Uncle and Me. There are sadly fewer of them now, but you still find them on street corners in India. I remember taking a book and giving one and then getting one back in return. That was, that was part of my life in some of the places we lived.   [00:31:07] Miko Lee: Did you know an actual book uncle?   [00:31:10] Uma Krishnaswami: I didn't actually pay much attention, to the people who handed those books out. I was much more, focused on the books I was getting. There are characters who I've seen who have run these things. I once had somebody email me and say, I'm a book uncle. This is what I do. So that was really nice.    [00:31:31] Miko Lee: That's sweet. I wanna roll back and talk a little bit more about your artistic process. I'm wondering if you, as a writer, as illustrator, you can sometimes be in your own world, and I'm wondering what your process is.   [00:31:43] Uma Krishnaswami: My place is right here. This is my office room, and I'm standing at a treadmill desk, and usually what I will do, is when I'm writing, I will turn that on very, very slowly. I usually start out at the idea stage with a notebook and a pen. I have fountain pens with very varied colors of ink, and I use those always to write my initial notes and questions about a new story idea. I don't go to the computer and the keyboard until the idea has started showing up quite a few times. In, perhaps in a few iterations, almost as if I'm actually pushing it away at first, you know, saying, don't scratch up my window until you are developed a little bit more. I'm not going to, indulge, the initial shallowness that usually the first idea is often not what it's gonna end up being. I question that, and sometimes this is gonna sound really crazy, but, if I write those questions many times over in different colored inks, the answers begin to break out in clumps. Once I've begun to think, okay, well maybe I, I know what I could do with this. That's when I open up a file.    [00:32:56] Miko Lee: Ooh share a little bit more about the different colored inks. How does that work?    [00:33:00] Uma Krishnaswami: Um, right over there, there's a whole row of inks, and right over here is a fountain pen, and I have several of them. I change the ink colors, and when I get stuck with something, it really does help to write those questions to myself, in a journal notebook. I have a terrible handwriting, so I used to really worry about when people gave me nice notebooks. Little empty notebooks with beautiful glossy pages. I used to think, God, my writing is so awful. I feel like I'm desecrating this beautiful book. I've gotten over that and it's actually really helpful to physically write that thought for me is very, very useful.   [00:33:39] Miko Lee: And when you see the different colors, is it like words that stand out to you, that you piece together? Yeah.    [00:33:44] Uma Krishnaswami: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or sometimes I'll write something, in a paragraph, and then I'll break it up and write it in a lineated way, maybe in a different color. You just start seeing things differently when you try different ways of thinking about the same thing. It's all a trick to get the kind of managerial editorial mind out of the way. You need her later, but I don't need her when I'm trying to shape something.    [00:34:13] Miko Lee: The, for the creative process. Mm-hmm. The multiple colors just helps    [00:34:16] Uma Krishnaswami: Right.    [00:34:16] Miko Lee: Pull you into that.    [00:34:17] Uma Krishnaswami: Yeah. It just loosens, it loosens my mind up so I don't feel so focused on the objective. I often tell myself, I think Linda Sue Park used to say this. You don't have to write a whole novel. You just write a scene. And so that's what I tell myself, I'm a sceneist. I'm not a novelist. I'm just a sceneist. I write one scene. And that's all I need to write. Then I will write another one and so forth.    [00:34:38] Miko Lee: And do you use sticky notes or something to keep those scenes separately or    [00:34:42] Uma Krishnaswami: just all kinds of things? I use sticky notes. I use little boards on which I draw plot lines, and then I write, notes to myself. I use the journal notebooks. I've started using Scrivener and I actually have found that helpful but not until I've got something, in enough shape to plug things in.   [00:35:01] Miko Lee: Oh, I love hearing about artistic process. That's so fascinating. I appreciate you and you're showing your beautiful pen and everything. It's so great.    [00:35:08] Uma Krishnaswami: It's messy, right? One of the things I've learned is to lean into the messiness and not try to organize things too fast, too early.    [00:35:16] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm. Giving yourself the time for the creative juices to flow.    [00:35:20] Uma Krishnaswami: Yeah. Yeah.    [00:35:21] Miko Lee: So my last question is, what are you working on now?    [00:35:25] Uma Krishnaswami: I've actually just got done with edits on a picture book, which is going to be called Mango Sun. And then I'm working on another picture book. That's just gone to my agent. It's got to do with wildlife rescue and conservation in the Himalayas. It's an Indian setting, but a very different setting from Mango Sun.   [00:35:44] Miko Lee: And most of the ideas from your books are just coming from your imagination or something you read or where are you pulling from to get your inspiration?    [00:35:52] Uma Krishnaswami: Everywhere. Absolutely everywhere. I have a picture book that came out of a trip that we took to Galapagos and will it ever take form? I don't know, it's about the rewilding of an island , and how when you bring one species back, the other one follows. Some of it's from my childhood. I have two picture books that came out of a memory of planting a mango seed and watching it grow.   [00:36:21] Miko Lee: Sounds lovely. Two of my favorite things, mango and Sun [laughs], appreciate you joining us and sharing about your artistic process and your amazing book. And I'll put a link to your website in our show notes. And thank you so much for joining us and talking to us about Book Uncle and your work.    [00:36:37] Uma Krishnaswami: Miko, thank you so much. It's really a delight.    [00:36:41] Miko Lee: Welcome, Maggie Tokuda Hall to Apex Express.   [00:36:45] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Thank you so much for having me.   [00:36:47] Miko Lee: I'm so happy to have you talking about, your wonderful book, love in the Library. But first I wanna, ask you a question I ask my guest, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?   [00:37:01] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Oh man. I feel like I have so many tribes that I identify with in different ways. , Gosh, who are my people? I mean, generally speaking, angry queer teenage girls very much my people. Tired Jewish aunties also my people. Exhausted Asian mothers also my people, [laughs] librarians and book people are my people. I, I, I don't know. I feel like I have so many people that I feel an affinity toward and an affection for, and kinship with.    [00:37:38] Miko Lee: I like you naming all of those because we're multifaceted people and there's many different things that make up who we are. Yeah. And what is the legacy that you carry with you from all these tribes you're a part of?   [00:37:50] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: From my mother, I carry a legacy of honoring the truth, like really believing that children are owed the truth and that part of being an adult is being courageous enough to tell it. but I also come from like a vibrant family of Jewish storytellers and I feel like I have that, that I carry with me as well.   [00:38:17] Miko Lee: Thank you. So you've written the book Love in the Library about Tamma, a woman who works at a library in the Minidoka concentration camp during World War ii.    [00:38:28] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Mm-hmm.    [00:38:28] Miko Lee: And she meets George and falls in love. Can you tell me about how you very first heard this true love story of your grandparents?   [00:38:40] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I can't actually, I don't remember the first time I heard this story. It is a story that I've just always known. like for me it's very much a fabric of how I came to understand the world and my place in it. Like sky is blue, grandma and grandpa met in a prison camp, you know, normal stuff. And so, um,    [00:39:00] Miko Lee: so it's just part of the family lore?   [00:39:03] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yeah. Like, it's not something my mother was ever shy about telling us. And I truly do not remember the first time she talked to me about it because I remember being very small and already feeling like I knew that story.    [00:39:15] Miko Lee: Okay. Then how did you decide to turn it into a children's book?    [00:39:19] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yeah, so, in 2017 when President Trump took office for the first time, in his very first executive order was to sign the travel or Muslim ban where he was banning people from Muslim majority countries from coming to the United States. It was clear immediately that he was gonna be using his time and power to enact a white supremacist agenda. I knew I needed to do all the things that we're supposed to do. Like I called my representatives and I wrote my postcards and I marched and I did all those things. But I really did try to audit what I had to offer, particularly children in that moment. That was unique to me. And I realized I had this beautiful story in my own family, not just about the cruelty of those sorts of policies, but also the resilience and power of the people who they target.    [00:40:05] Miko Lee: Ooh. Fired up the, that truth teller part of you just became ready to go.    [00:40:11] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yeah.    [00:40:11] Miko Lee: Um, speaking of the impact of politics and what's going on and how that relates to books, I know that in April, 2023, Scholastic wanted to include love in the library in a collection around AANHPI folks, but they wanted to edit your amazingly fierce author's note. Can you share with our audience what happened?   [00:40:34] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I mean, first of all, thank you for calling it amazingly fierce. In my author's note, I talk about how what happened to my grandparents wasn't an isolated moment in American history and that it was racist, which I think is a, a reflection of a very basic understanding of that history. It, it's not, a creative extrapolation and. Scholastic offered to license the book, but my licensing offer came with a caveat, which was that I had to remove that entire paragraph. Um, and I had to remove the word racism from the text altogether. And so I decided to say no and say no publicly. And for about three months, my full-time job was talking about Scholastic, but also about our obligation to tell children, American history, honestly.   [00:41:19] Miko Lee: And they wanted you to get word of the word racist. Did they say why?    [00:41:24] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yes, they basically said, the language is too strong and we fear that some teachers won't bring it in for fear of this political climate, which is the nice way of saying like, we have to sell into places where book bans are happening and we think that this language is too incendiary for people who would ban books, which to me was always really, Unsatisfactory logic, because books about Japanese American incarceration are banned all the time and they don't use as strident of language as I use in that author's note. baseball saved us, gets banned. They called us, the enemy gets banned. This story is already considered dangerous by the people who would ban books, so they were trying to hold a center that just doesn't exist.   [00:42:04] Miko Lee: And so what did you end up doing?    [00:42:07] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I said no and said no publicly, just with like, sort of the hope of, sparking some intra community conversation among kid lit creators about what sort of edits are appropriate to offer people. I would, I still posit, that that's a completely inappropriate edit and that's about sanding down people of color's, history and perspective to cater to a white audience. And I was unwilling to do it. and Scholastic initially released like a very, incomplete apology. And then when they received a lot of pushback about that, they offered a much more full apology. They offered to meet with me and my publisher, the CEO of Scholastic and the head of their education divisions, which is the division that made me this offer. And then they also had me work with a restorative justice consultant, for like a year to try to figure out what they could do better. But what I said to them at the end of that time that I told them, I was extremely transparent that I would be talking about this publicly. So I don't feel bad saying exactly what I said to them here is, I think the exact same thing would've happened. It just would've happened more politely.    [00:43:17] Miko Lee: Wow.    [00:43:18] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I don't think that they actually reexamined what their role is as a publisher of Books for Children under Unconsolidated authoritarianism. They just figured out how to ask people to make racist edits more, more, uh, gently.    [00:43:33] Miko Lee: And you worked with them for one year with an RJ consultant.   [00:43:36] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I mean, like, not every day, but we had, you know, meetings over the months. And she was a smart lady. Like I don't think that she, you know, did nothing. I think she was trying her best, but I think that, you know, big institutions are very slow to institute cultural change and that that on the one hand has to happen from the top down, but also can't happen from the top down.   [00:43:56] Miko Lee: Mm-hmm.    [00:43:56] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: And so I genuinely believe that there CEO was trying his hardest to, to make a meaningful change, but without them really stopping and examining and questioning what their own role in this moment is in a critical way. I don't think that they are going to be able to have answered what I would've required for them to, for me to then accept their licensing offer. ‘Cause they made it again.    [00:44:25] Miko Lee: So at the end of the one year long, they made the licensing offer to you again?    [00:44:29] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yeah. I think just to be kind, just as like a gesture of like, listen, we know we messed up. We'd love to license your book and I still said no because I don't think that they made meaningful enough change.   [00:44:40] Miko Lee: Hmm. Wow. I love this. What did you learn from this experience?    [00:44:47] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: That it is very unusual for people to blow the whistle within publishing, even when the examples are egregious.    [00:44:54] Miko Lee: Tell me about your connection with Authors Against Book Bans. Did that come out of this experience with Scholastic, or were you involved actively involved in this prior to that?    [00:45:05] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: No, it absolutely came as a result of my experience with Scholastic. Authors against Book Bans is an organization that I'm currently the president of. We're over 5,000 book creators across the country who are united under a single point of view, which is that the government shouldn't be allowed to tell us what to read. That's what we believe and that's what we fight for. And I got involved in founding the group along with specifically David Levithan, who's a really wonderful young adult and middle grade author, who had put together most of this group before I even came on board. Cause we realized that authors needed a central place to fight. There was no one organizing specifically us. And so Authors Against Book Bans was born out of necessity and, the dearth of a place that existed for us. Everyone would call on us to come speak, but it was extremely ad hoc. We weren't making any kind of unified movement, even though we all so passionately agree that, you know, book bans are anti-American and in violation of our First Amendment rights. And, you know, the freedom to read is a necessary freedom for a free and democratic society. and the reason I'd reached out to David initially was because I was hoping to put together something like Authors Against Book Bans, but just by myself, which is, maybe a testament more to my own personality [laughs] problems than anything else, but I was like, I'll just figure it out. And he was like, you know, I'm actually assembling a group that's trying to do this. Would you like to be a part of it? And that's how I came aboard. But I had gotten interested in it because as a result of the Scholastic fiasco, I was invited to give the keynote speech at the Idaho Library Association in 2023. I gave my little speech that I'd been giving a lot then, um, about how we have an obligation to tell American history honestly. And, people were like, the reaction was so emotional to it and so profound and like, I thought it was a good speech. I'm proud of the speech, but like it, something else was going on and I could feel it. And I started talking to the people who were there and when these librarians started telling me what they had gone through, just for making books like mine available to children, stalking, harassment, death threats. One of them had been followed home, like really frightening, scary things happening to them on like, in some cases a daily basis. I realized like I was gonna be a part of this fight. That was that. I wasn't gonna let them fight alone. And so, you know, in, in my advocacy work now, Idaho still holds like a very precious place in my heart because I think that it's a very forgotten state. When we think about places that need help, when we think about places that have been gerrymandered, when we think about places where there are so many good people who are disenfranchised and unable to affect meaningful change in their state level, governments. That have just been absolutely run roughshod over by Christian nationalists. We should be thinking about Idaho. They have, I think, like the highest neo-Nazi population in the United States. so it's a very direct line between my grandparents being incarcerated to the activism that I do now. And it wouldn't have happened without Scholastic's offensive offer.   [00:48:22] Miko Lee: I did not realize that librarians were personally being assaulted or attacked or followed. For books.    [00:48:29] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: You should watch, the librarian's documentary that's now streaming on PBS. Okay. Um, it's common across the country. Amanda Jones, who's an Authors Against Book Bans member no big deal, is a librarian in Louisiana that can't go grocery shopping in her own hometown anymore for fear for her own safety because she has taken a stand to like refuse to remove lgbtq plus books from her school library shelves. It's really dire. And I think people understand objectively that book bans are a problem in our country. I do not think that they understand how violent that this fight is. It's a really dark and hard time to be a librarian. So if you're a person who supports libraries, you should be thanking your librarians and letting them know one-on-one and in person face-to-face that you appreciate the work that they do, because there are people who are making their lives really difficult.    [00:49:25] Miko Lee: Can you talk about what the library meant to you as a child?   [00:49:30] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I mean, honestly it was like a part-time babysitter. You're a kid, there's a library. Entertain yourself, you figure it out. I think the first time I really felt like a sense of belonging in the library was in middle school. We moved from LA to Northern California and I had to start a new school in seventh grade. I didn't really know anyone and it was embarrassing to not have people to eat lunch with and things like that. So I would eat lunch in the library. And the librarian was really kind about it. Like she never called attention to it. She never embarrassed me about it. She would let me sneakily eat in there, even though there was a very specific rule that you weren't allowed to eat in the library. she put, the Enchanted Forest Chronicles on an end cap once, and that's how I found them and ended up reading the entire series and that was really when I became a fantasy reader and you know, my debut novel was a fantasy novel. I still feel very much like a fantasy reader kind of at heart, and that started there. I mean, we never know when libraries are going to save a kid's life.    [00:50:39] Miko Lee: Can we go back to how you ended up writing this book about your grandparents' experience? Sure. And what was the first spark for you to say, I wanna turn this into something. It's a family lore, but I want more people to know about it.   [00:50:54] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: I mean, the Trump administration thing,    [00:50:56] Miko Lee: it was truly that. You said it was    [00:50:57] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yeah. Trump was it    [00:50:58] Miko Lee: Trump got elected. People should know this happened.    [00:51:00] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yes. What do you have to tell children in this moment If they're Muslim, they're scared, and if they're not, they need a way to understand what it means to feel afraid. Both of those things need to happen at the same time of like, you have to offer comfort to the children of the marginalized. You have to offer perspective to the children who have the privilege not to feel that fear. And so I have this story and what I love about this story is. I know that children are capable of holding the complexity of this story is both very romantic and very sweet, and also the circumstances it happened under were completely unfair. That's the kind of logic children are able to hold, and they should be given the opportunity to hold that kind of complexity because it'll serve them for the rest of their life because most of most situations we confront are complex.   [00:51:57] Miko Lee: And how were you able to eke out more details of that story? Did you do family interviews or was it more from your imagination?    [00:52:05] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: My mother is a journalist and she kept my grandmother's journals from the time she was in Minidoka. So some of it comes from my grandmother's journals. Some of it comes from working with my mother to make sure that it felt accurate, tonally and factually. ‘Cause she was not gonna let me publish a book that was nonsense. I always say it's Truman Capote true. ‘Cause the situation, the sensory details, all that stuff real, but the dialogue is made up. The dialogue is art. The dialogue is a way for children to understand how they might've been feeling. They never had succinct, quick conversations like this about their humanity and how they felt about each other. It was a long courting process, and so, you know. That part is made up for children,    [00:52:49] Miko Lee: but you, but you did include actual quotes from her journal too, right?    [00:52:53] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Yes. The book closes with her words, not mine.    [00:52:57] Miko Lee: Can you give us those final words?    [00:53:00] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: The miracle is in us as long as we believe in beauty, in change, in hope. Which are words she wrote while she was imprisoned in Minidoka.    [00:53:11] Miko Lee: And how does that resonate with you in the time of now?    [00:53:15] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: They are words that I desperately cling to in the hope that I can see them become manifest.    [00:53:23] Miko Lee: And what are you working on now?   [00:53:26] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Making Authors Against Book Bans as operational as possible.    [00:53:31] Miko Lee: And what does that look like?    [00:53:32] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: In late 2025, we became a nonprofit corporation. We have fiscal sponsorship under EveryLibrary, which is a really wonderful advocacy group that's a combination [501](c)3-(c)4, which means you can make tax deductible donations to them, but also they do overtly political work. And so now we can receive tax deductible, donations and continue to do the overtly political work that we do. We are an unapologetically political organization. We are more than happy to help get people elected who fight for the freedom to read, and we are delighted to show the door to people who would stand in our way of that freedom.   [00:54:09] Miko Lee: And how can people get more involved in your work?    [00:54:13] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: They could absolutely go to authorsagainstbookbans.com and make a donation. We need it [laughs]. We are one of the only organizations that receives donations that exists for the sole purpose of fighting book bans. Most every other group in our space have an angle that book bans affect them, and so they fight against them, but that's not their only purview. It is our only purview. So if it is something that you were interested in fighting, then you could make a donation to us. I would suggest signing up to be on the email list from EveryLibrary because they mobilize everybody, not just authors and book creators. And if you are a book creator, self-published, traditionally published, we don't care. Then you should sign up to be a member of Authors Against Book Bans and you'll get calls to action every Friday.   [00:55:07] Miko Lee: Thank you so much for sharing with us about your book and educating us about the work you're doing and appreciate hearing from you. Thank you for joining us.    [00:55:16] Maggie Tokuda-Hall: Thank you for having me.   [00:55:28] Miko Lee: Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apexexpress to find out more about our show and our guests tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preti Mangala-Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me Miko Lee, and edited by Ayame Keane-Lee. Have a great night..    The post APEX Express – 4.9.26 – Library Joy appeared first on KPFA.

Episode Notes My guest today is ice dancer and choreographer Jean-Luc Baker. With his partner Kaitlin Hawayak, Jean-Luc is the 2018 Four Continents Champion, a 4-time US Bronze Medalist, and a 2022 Olympian. Since stepping away from competition a few seasons ago, Jean-Luc has embraced his role as a coach and choreographer. He continues to teach seminars through his organization Your True Step, which he runs with friends Nathan Chen and Sam Chouinard, and he has even tried out commentating during the practice streams at US Nationals and Worlds. Jean-Luc works with teams at the Ice Academy of Montreal and the Michigan Ice Dance Academy, and has also branched out into choreographing for pairs and singles skaters. As you'll hear, Jean-Luc is a believer in the power of authenticity, and he isn't scared to have an opinion - which I love! Transcript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vwYtH4oPbBzQw-QYwuQHxW-EeXsdzXotEUcHLZak5ZY/edit?tab=t.0 YouTube: https://youtu.be/WjV4Hn7415c You can learn more about Your True Step on Instagram at @ yourtruestep and follow Jean-Luc at @jeanlucbaker Kaitlin Hawayak and Jean-Luc Baker, 2024 Rhythm Dance, filmed by On Ice Perspectives: https://youtu.be/Wru_Mz8UbCM?si=WdDHGtGCyBdmA_pV Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud 24/25 Short Program, choreo by Jean-Luc Baker and Olivia Smart: https://youtu.be/tmNH4uVoM90?si=DVeM6kfqYZGrHHq2 Caroline Green and Michael Parsons 24/25 Free Dance, choreo by Jean-Luc Baker: https://youtu.be/h-yquwGqLG0?si=Qcaon2qkGTuTvMGF You can reach me with comments or suggestions for topics and people I should talk to, by email at fsfuturepodcast@gmail.com or Instagram @futurefspodcast If you appreciate the podcast, you can also support my work with the Tip Jar at https://futureoffigureskating.pinecast.co Remember to subscribe to The Future of Figure Skating on YouTube and wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends! Support The Future of Figure Skating by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/futureoffigureskating

fWotD Episode 3082: 2021 World Figure Skating Championships Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 12 October 2025, is 2021 World Figure Skating Championships.The 2021 World Figure Skating Championships were held from March 22 to 28, 2021, at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU), the World Championships are considered the most prestigious event in figure skating. Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. The competition determined the entry quotas for each skating federation at the 2022 World Championships and was the first qualifying event for the 2022 Winter Olympics.The World Championships were the only ISU Championship event held during the 2020–21 season, while the European Championships, Four Continents Championships, and World Junior Championships were all cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was held without spectators, while attendees at the competition remained in a bubble – that is, in a cluster made up exclusively of individuals who have been thoroughly tested and were unlikely to spread infection – throughout the event.Nathan Chen of the United States won the men's event, Anna Shcherbakova of Russia won the women's event, Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov of Russia won the pairs event, and Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia won the ice dance event. Because of a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, all Russian skaters competed as representatives of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FSR).This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:19 UTC on Sunday, 12 October 2025.For the full current version of the article, see 2021 World Figure Skating Championships on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Matthew.

It all Started on the ‘BookSarina, here! This episode began in a Facebook thread. In a writers' group, author Dena Moes R.N. expressed some concern about trying to bring a book to market during a very noisy news cycle. I pushed back a little, given the nature of her book: It's Your Body: The Young Woman's Guide to Empowered Sexual Health. This lovely book is no stranger to politics. In 2024 it's political to even suggest that a young woman has the right to decide the fate of her own body.What could be more timely?Dena and I brought our friendly debate to your door, where we cover:* What does the election cycle really mean for books and book buyers?* What are some elements of Dena's story that play well with readers who are staring down the barrel at a very important election? * Who should Dena talk to about this book, and why?You can see some of the content Dena is working on at Instagram and TiktokYou can find the book at Amazon and Bookshop. Books we're reading this week: Dena is reading I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol and The Inner Practice of Medicine by Dr. Wendy Lau. Sarina is reading: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center and One Jump at a Time by Nathan Chen. Are you a “sticker”?Regular listeners know that whenever we meet our writing goals around here, we text each other one word: STICKER. (and then we add a cute sticker to our calendar, because we're fun like that).We call supporters of the #AmWriting podcast “stickers” too—and while our regular podcasts and shownotes go out to all of our listeners, we have created a few things just for stickers. First, there's the Summer Blueprint for a Book Sprint—10 weeks dedicated to working with coaches and a community to figure out how to turn your next idea—or your struggling draft—into the book you want to write. You can join it anytime (the how-to is below).Stickers can also submit the first page of their WIP to the Booklab First Pages podcast, where we might choose it to discuss, review and offer ideas for persuading agents, editors and readers that they want to turn that page and see what happens next. (Find the link to submit a first page HERE.)I'm a sticker! Give it all to me now.SubscribeTo join the Blueprint for a Book Summer Sprint, you must be a paid subscriber. Then, opt-in and set up your podcast feed. Don't worry, it's simple! Click here to go to your #AmWriting account, and when you see this screen, do two things:* Toggle “Blueprint for a Book” from “off” (grey) to “on” (green).* Click “set up podcast” next to Blueprint for a Book and follow the easy instructions.Once you set those things up, you'll get all the future Blueprint emails and podcasts (and if you're joining the party a bit late, just head to our website and click on Blueprint for a Book in the top menu). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi, Daphne Backman and Matteo Morelli is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskatingThread: https://www.threads.net/@thisweekinskatingPatreon: patreon.com/ThisWeekinSkating----------------------------------------------------------------------------------May 15, 2024General Skating News Shoma Uno announced his retirement: Instagram/Press Conference/Olympics.com articleU.S. Figure Skating announced the 2024-25 U.S. Qualifying Season and International Events Schedule.Halifax, Nova Scotia to host 2024 Skate Canada International. Grenoble will host the 2024 Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix FinalA new location is needed for the 2025 European ChampionshipsThe first Junior Grand Prix iin France has been moved to become the 7th & final event in Wuxi, China.Eric Radford, who is the Athletes Commission member of the ISU Council, has temporarily stepped down as a Council member for the period during which the appeal against the ISU in which he is named as an appellant is pending at CAS.”https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/33778-isu-communication-2634/fileThe ISU released its list of proposals for the upcoming Congress in Las Vegas from June 8-14.U.S. Figure Skating released its 2023-24 Combined Report of Action, which was published after last month's Governing Council.Retirements/End of Partnerships/New PartnershipsJapan's Misato Komatsubara has announced the end of her competitive career.Adrienne Carhart has announced the end of her competitive careerTeam USA's Helena Carhart announced that Volodymyr Horovi has decided to his competitive career and will now focus on coaching.Georgia's Maria Kazakova announced the end of her partnership with Georgy Reviya.Team USA's Kristina Bland announced that she is stepping away from skating; Matthew Sperry will continue skating.Chloe Panetta and Flavien Giniaux are announced as a new pairs team for FranceOxana Vouillamoz and Tom Bouvart, who both previously represented France, announced they are a new pairs team for SwitzerlandOther NewsCongress okays Filipino citizenship for figure skater Alexander Korovin. Figure skating coach Slava Uchitel shared that a brick block has been added to the entrance of Philadelphia Skating Club & Humane Society in memory of Joshua Soto, a figure skater/ice dancer who was killed in November 2021 during a robbery.Three men were convicted in 2021 fatal shooting of 18-year-old figure skater Joshua Soto.1964 Olympic Champion, three-time ISU World Champion and five-time ISU European Champion Sjoukje Dijkstra of the Netherlands passed away at age 82 on May 2, 2024.Safe Sport Topics & Online Resources for skaters, parents and the figure skating community: Three-time Olympian Brendan Kerry of Australia has been sanctioned with permanent ineligibility (subject to appeal) by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for sexual misconduct involving a minor.Gymnasts for Change (Canada) will now be known as Athletes Empowered, and is advocating against abuse in all sports, at all levels. Event RecapNation's Cup Theatre on Ice international competition: Replay videos/ ISU International Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf, Germany, May 12-17, 2024: Event info/schedule link, results page,free live streams by day (+ replays). Midori Ito won the Masters Elite Women III + IV Artistic Free Skating event, skating to “Aqua” by Ryuichi Sakamoto:Mexico Cup is May 16-18, 2024, in Queretaro, Mexico. Oceania International Figure Skating Competition, May 29-31, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia.Recent Interviews:Golden Skate's interview with Elizabeth Tkachenko & Alexei Kiliakov (Golden Skate)Nathan Chen: Pursuing Passions, New and Old (Yale University)Olympic Champion Nathan Chen graduates from Yale (People Magazine)Engaged Olympians Madison Chock & Evan Bates Share Their Top Wedding Planning Tips (Knot.com)Social Media Updates:Madison Chock, Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou, #TeamUSA 2022 Olympic Gold Medalists honored at #GoldGala by Kristi Yamaguchi, Apolo Anton Ohno, Chloe Kim, and Shibutanis.Kristi's photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C676A21O3RO/Madi's photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C69DavORHc2/Shibutanis' photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/C67h2l7rQtV/Camden Pulkinen graduated from Columbia University on Monday, May 13 with a degree is Psychology.Alexe Gilles graduated from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.Congratulations to Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus who got married on May 2 in Cancun, Mexico.Upcoming EventsMay 18: Marjorie Lajoie's Patinage Atypique: https://fondationautisteetmajeur.fundkyapp.com/fr/patinage-atypiqueJune 14-15, 2024: Diversify Ice's Skate Raiser Soul Chicago https://diversifyice.org/events/New at IDC: Morgan Matthew Pennington joined the team, solo dance interviews, photo shoots in LP, etc. 25 years!New at FSO: Photos from Ice Theatre of NY, Interviews with Lukas Britschgi and Hilbelink sisters.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

As we get ready for the final competitions of the '23-'24 season, we answer listener questions about all things figure skating — predictions, favorite skaters and FS moments, and what 20 programs we'd save in our end-of-the-world bunker.   Welcome to our first Scoreography Q&A Episode! We asked listeners to let us know what in figure skating they wanted us to talk about. And we received a far more enthusiastic response than we ever could have imagined! As you will hear, you asked some amazing Q's about our favorite skates and skaters of all time — which, honestly, led us to a mild existential crisis! You asked what programs we would take with us into a dystopian bunker — which REALLY gave us a much greater existential crisis! You were so creative and thoughtful in your questions, we hope we did some of them justice. You also allowed us to dig into some of reasons we love the sport. From Wendy's childhood crush on Kurt Browning to Adron's epiphany at the 2006 U.S. National Championships in St. Louis, MO — all of it was fun to reminisce about. We did make sure to also dig into some of the judging changes we'd like to see, and even offered a few hot takes (Adron had far more than he expected.) We hope you enjoy us getting nostalgic about Paul Wylie program, gushing over countless skaters we adore, and let us know who your favorites are, too! What would you “take to the bunker?” We'd love to hear!    Follow Scoreography: Website — https://scoreography.show Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/scoreography Threads — https://www.threads.net/@scoreography BlueSky — https://bsky.app/profile/scoreography.show  

We talk about our experience seeing Stars on Ice in Chicago, featuring the farewell tour of legend Kurt Browning. We also look back at the awesome World Team Trophy event, and share our highlights from the 22-23 season. After such a unique and exciting post-Olympic season, we were beyond hyped to see some skating in real life! This Stars on Ice cast was especially exciting. From Olympic Champion Nathan Chen, to 4-time Japanese National Champion Satoko Miyahara, to a very special goodbye performance from Wendy's all time favorite skater, Kurt Browning, it was a show we could not miss! Along with our Stars on Ice recap, we reflect on the super fun World Team Trophy event, and discuss why that unusual competition is a perfect jumping on point for new skating fans. 

This is SUCH a Madigan episode... This week, we're talking about Tiffany Chin, Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and Nathan Chen, all trailblazers for Asian Americans in figure skating. You'll also get some Madigan skating stories sprinkled in throughout, because, of course! JOIN ME ON PATREON FOR THE ANGRY FEMINIST BOOK CLUB! Join me in covering this month's book, Still Learning by India Oxenberg! https://www.patreon.com/angryneighborhoodfeminist This episode was brought to you by Nutrafol! Go to Nutrafol.com and enter the promo code "ANGRY" to save $10 off your first month's subscription AND free shipping!! The episode was also sponsored by Nutrablast! Go to https://nutrablast.co/YourAngryNeighborhoodFeminist and use code Feminist20 to get a 20% discount on your order! GET YOUR YANF MERCH! https://yanfpodcast.threadless.com/  Do you have a topic that you want the show to take on?    Email: neighborhoodfeminist@gmail.com Social media:     Instagram: @angryneighborhoodfeminist **Don't forget to REVIEW and SUBSCRIBE on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode 66 Show NotesEvents Results BriefISU World Synchronized Skating Championships Segment - General Skating News The Council approved the Challenger Series Figure Skating Calendar. https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/31026-isu-communication-2548/fileWorld Team Trophy entries were published on March 31: https://results.isu.org/events/fsevent00113618.htm 2024 Toyota U.S. Championships All-Session Ticket Packages Go on Sale Tuesday April 4: https://www.columbussports.org/skate/tickets/USA Weightlifting announces the death of USA Weightlifting Director of Communications & Content Brandon Penny. Brandon previously covered figure skating for Team USA, U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Sports. https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Weightlifting/Features/2023/March/27/Remembering-Brandon-PennyMeryl Davis' tribute: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqUNfh9LHNW/Shibutanis' tribute: https://www.instagram.com/p/CqT5ZRsv1Fj/Segment - Recent Interviews'Taking my last breath on the ice.' An ending for Olympian Johnny Weir, and a beginning, by Delaware News Journal 'Jump Higher, Spin Faster': Olympic Figure Skater Tai Babilonia on Her Rise to Fame, by Katrina Schwartz, Sasha Khokha, Marisa Lagos, KQEDBU Alum Is the First Woman to Head U.S. Figure Skating, by Kat Hasenauer Cornetta, Bostonia (Boston University's Alumni Magazine)  Figure skating isn't seen as extreme, but learning in my 40s I found ice extremely hard, by The Guardian Ben Agosto: From Champion to Commentator, by Claire Cloutier, A Divine SportGolden Skate's video interview with Nadiia Bashynska & Peter Beaumont at Junior Worlds in Calgary. Chock and Bates: ‘ All Paths Have Led to This Moment” , by Lynn Rutherford, Team USA  Segment - Social Media UpdatesTessa Virtue and Scott Moir returned to Ilderton Skating Club in London, Ontario for their 50th anniversary gala on Saturday. 2014 Olympians Danielle O'Brien & Gregory Merriman of Australia were married over the weekend. Kaitlyn Weaver attended the wedding in Sydney.Ice Academy of Montreal announced on Monday, April 3 that Oona and Gage Brown are now a part of the IAM family.German pairs skater Ruben Blommaert announces his retirement from competitive skating. Alisa Efimova's post: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cqi7KJ6IVTT/Ayano Sasaki / Yoshimitsu Ikeda are announced as a new senior ice dance team for Japan.Eva Pate tweeted sad news about her solo dance student, Piper, who passed away in a car accident after leaving a rink. A Go Fund Me account has been set up. Milla O'Brien / Laurin Wiederkehr (SUI) have ended their partnershipNancy Kerrigan is releasing a children's book this October titled "Stronger Than She Thinks" about her own story of childhood perseverance. Switzerland's new Senior pair of Pauline Irman and Ben Jalovick, who train at the World Arena Skating Academy (WASA) in Colorado Springs, are officially on the national team after passing their Swiss Senior Gold Test last weekend.Alex Shibutani shared that his first photo gallery exhibition will be at the Leica Gallery in Los Angeles from May 4-June 5. Sihyeong Lee announced his 2023-24 programs, choreographed in Colorado Springs, CO last month. Young Artists Showcase launched last week.Audrey has been skating with the UCLA Figure Skating Club and has started an online campaign through UCLA for support in hosting the Intercollegiate Final, April 13-16.Upcoming Events for the Week:Stars on Ice Japan Tour kicked off this weekend in Osaka — continues this week in Oshu (April 3-5)  and Yokohama (April 6-9)Inclusive Skating World Championships 2023 in Hamilton, Great BritainWolmar Spring Cup - competition in Latvia for men and women - senior and junior Skating Club of Boston's ICE CHIPS shows with guest star Nathan Chen: https://icechips.org/Skating Club of San Francisco's annual fundraiser gala will honor Rudy Galindo this year on Saturday, April 8. Alex and Maia Shibutani are doing a number of book signings for their new children's picture book “Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who Inspire Us All”. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Episode 57 Show NotesEvents Results BriefChallenge CupBellu Memorial Tallink Hotels CupSynchro: Spring CupNovice Canadian Championships & Skate Canada CupSegment - General Skating NewsWADA appeals case of Russian Olympic Committee figure skater to Court of Arbitration for SportThe Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS registers the appeals filed by the RUSADA, ISU and WADA against the decision by the RUSADA disciplinary anti-doping commissionU.S. Figure Skating released a statement Friday that Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker have chosen not to compete at the World Championships as they continue to prioritize their healing and mental health.Kaitlin's statement:https://t.co/Qq0nGyLR47 Jean-Luc's statement: ​​https://www.instagram.com/p/CpFxBxWu6xA/U.S. Figure Skating sent out a press release saying Robert Yampolsky has withdrawn from the World Junior Championships due to medical reasons.Segment - Recent InterviewsJeremy Abbott finds his niche, by Susan D. Russell, International Figure Skating Magazine Team USA Reminisces About Their Favorite Memories from the Beijing Games One Year Later, by Kristen Henneman, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZonePutting the Great Back in the Great Falls FSC, by Harry Thompson, U.S. Figure SkatingAljona Savchenko: Finding a new path five years after Olympic glory, by Hiro YoshidaGasparotto and Chapple named Mabel Fairbanks Skatingly Yours Recipients, by Lois Elfman, New York Amsterdam News A Look Back at Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan in Nagano, by Lynn Rutherford, Team USA Bruno Marcotte: The Door is Wide Open, by Anna Keller, Golden SkateDebi Thomas makes comeback in Lake Placid, by Parker O'Brien, Adirondack Daily EnterpriseNaomi Williams and Lachlan Lewer Thrust onto World Junior Stage Six Months into Partnership, by Paige Feigenbaum, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneMartynov Aims to Skate Clean, Show What He Can Do in Junior World Debut, by Christie Sausa, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneJosephine Lee Up for the Challenge at World Juniors, by Grace Knoop, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneStarlights Continue Upward Climb, Inspiring Future Generations Along the Way, by Grace Knoop, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneThe Fond du Lac Blades Are Back, Alright, by Paige Feigenbaum, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneSkyliners Senior Writes Their Own Story, by Marissa Pederson, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneCrystallettes Test ‘Never Tear Us Apart' Theme in First Senior Elite 12 Season, by Rachel Lutz, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneSegment - Social Media UpdatesPiper Gilles announced through a Happy Valentine's Day posted that she married her longtime boyfriend, Nathan KellyNicole Della Monica got engaged to her boyfriend, Abraham Conyedo, who is an Olympic wrestler. Stars on Ice posted that this will be Kurt Browning's final tour.Skate Japan News posted that Kaori Sakamoto & Mai Mihara received the Hyogo Sports Excellence AwardAnastasiia Smirnova and Danil Siitanysia posted two videos of them back on the ice, training together.Canada's Haley Sales posted on Instagram that her partner, Nikolas Wamsteeker has decided to retire from competitive skating to join the Canadian Air Force.Junior ice dancers Emma L'Esperance / Mika Amdour have announced their retirement from competitive ice dance.Acacia Hill, sister of Asher Hill, was on the Canada talk show “Cityline” to talk about Brampton Hill Skating Academy, which is the first black-owned skating school in North America.Nathan Chen's children's book came out this week! He's also been nominated for the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award.Jason Brown has a bobble head! It is available from pre-sale on the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum website. Info on Jason's website.IFS Magazine posted a letter from Claudyne Hutchinson stating that she is retiring from Silver Blade Tours as of February 13.Segment - Upcoming Events for the WeekISU World Junior Championships, Feb. 27-March 52023 U.S. Synchronized Championships, March 1-4 Junior, senior, senior elite 12, and collegiate competition will be available on Peacock PremiumAll other levels will be available free of charge on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.Synchro: Steel City Trophy, March 3-6IDC and FSO spotlightIDC:Photos: Challenge CupIDC: Janse Van Resnburg & Steffan embrace new opportunities FSO: Lucrezia Beccari and Matteo Guarise on joining forces to become a new pairs teamFSO: A family affair FSO: Lia Pereira & Trennt Michaud: A perfect matchSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The United States Figure Skating National championships was first held in 1914 in New Haven, Connecticut, and has been the spot for fans of the sport to see the best in the history of the sport, including Dick Button, ScottHamilton, Brian Boitano and Nathan Chen on the men's side, to women's sports icons such as Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hammill, Kristi Yamaguchi and Michelle Kwan. This year's event is in San Jose, California, at the SAP Center. SportsTravel Managing Editor Matt Traub talked with Bob Dunlop, the senior director of events for U.S. Figure Skating about what goes into organizing the national championships, how the event is more than just the elite competition seen on television, working with destinations and venues over the years including during the pandemic, best practices in the business and the one event that he still wants to check off his sports bucket list. We hope you enjoy the conversation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE 38 SHOW NOTESEvent Results BriefGrand Prix Final - Junior and SeniorGolden Spin of Zagreb ResultsGolden Spin of Zagreb VideosAsian Open Figure Skating TrophySkate Ontario Novice and Pre-Novice Sectional Series ChampionshipsGeneral Skating NewsTracy Marek is the new CEO of U.S. Figure SkatingThe ISU Skating Awards 2023 to be held on February 5, 2023#UpAgain wins two Awards at the 2022 International Content Marketing AwardsYuzuru Hanyu has unveiled his next program - “Gift”, the first-ever figure skating performance at the Tokyo Dome in February.WebsiteOlympics.com articleSkate Canada has announced that Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje have been named event ambassadors and Nam Nguyen will serve as in-venue host for the 2023 Canadian Nationals. Recent InterviewsAfter Stunning Debut Grand Prix Season, Malinin and His Quad Axel Head to Grand Prix Final, by Darci Miller, U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneChock and Bates Giving It Their All, by Elvin Walker, U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone‘‘Her eyes would obliterate you': Bold Isabeau Levito faces skating idol at Grand Prix Final, by Phil Hersh, NBC OlympicsStellato-Dudek and Deschamps: Twists and Turns to Bring Canadians to Turin, by Hiro Yoshida, Europe on IceDaniel Grassl: On a quest to become 'a complete skater' for Milano Cortina 2026, by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.comBenefield:‘Drag on Ice' in Santa Rosa promises fabulous time — but with somber purpose, by the Press Democrat Social Media UpdatesDaniel Grassl explained his return to Egna, Italy for his trainingKatarina Delcamp and her ice dance partner, Berk Akalin got married last week. Stars on Ice posted a photo of Jennifer Robinson visiting the cast at their show in Sudbury Upcoming Events for the WeekRiga Amber Cup, Dec 15-17 in Riga, LatviaTrophy D'Ecosse, Dec 16-18 in Dumfries, ScotlandSanta Claus Cup, Dec 17-18 in Brno, Czech RepublicVail Skating Festival Ice Spectacular on Dec. 23 with Nathan Chen, Mirai Nagasu and Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc BakerIDC and FSO SpotlightIDC: Orihara & Pirinen create their own styleIDC: Grand Prix Final photosFSO: Grand Prix Final photosFSO: Grand Prix Final recap FSO: Junior Grand Prix Final women's recapSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE 37 SHOW NOTESSanta Claus CupBosphorus CupSkate Canada ChallengeBritish National ChampionshipsAustralian National ChampionshipsGeneral Skating NewsMaia and Alex Shibutani and Paul E. George will be inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame U.S. Figure Skating posted its entries for the 2023 Winter World Universiade Games in Lake Placid Recent InterviewsThe Three Best Things about Intercollegiate Skating, by Elizabeth Kiemm, U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone Caroline Green and Michael Parsons Beginning to Reach Their Potential With First Grand Prix Medal, by Darci Miller, U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone Henry Dingman Tracing his Mayan Heritage, by Paige Feigenbaum, by U.S. Figure Skating Iconic Figure Skating Moments at the Olympic Winter Games - World Ice Skating Day, by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.comNathan Chen exclusive - The Olympic champion has a new title: Author, by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.com Gold Medalist Nathan Chen Finishing School at Yale Then 'Will See Where He's At' for 2026 Olympics, by Marisa Sullivan, People MagazineSocial Media UpdatesTickets on sale for the Skating Club of Boston's Ice Chips Full Throttle Show with Nathan Chen, April 7-8. Australia's Kailane Craine announced her retirement from competitive skating on Instagram Australia's James Min announced his retirement from competitive skating on Instagram. AussieSkates: Figure Skating Downunder posted on social media that Harley and Kayta, produced by Blayke Hoffman and directed by Serena Miles, airs on Monday Dec. 12.Upcoming Events for the WeekGrand Prix FinalEntriesGolden Spin of ZagrebEntriesStars on Ice Holiday TourTour and Ticket InformationSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE 34 SHOW NOTESEvent Results BriefNHK Trophy ResultsWarsaw Cup ResultsOpen d'Andorra Results Skate Celje Results Sectionals and U.S. Dance and Pairs Finals Midwestern Sectionals and U.S. Pairs Final ResultsEastern Sectionals and U.S. Dance Final ResultsPacific Coast Sectionals ResultsAll the juvenile, intermediate and novice events can be viewed on demand in U.S. Figure Skating's Fan Zone: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/watch/General Skating NewsThe World Anti-Doping Agency has asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to find Kamila Valeva guilty of doping, seeking a four-year ban and disqualification of all her results from December 25, 2021 onward. Entries were posted for the ISU Challenger Series event - Golden Spin of ZagrebSkate Canada International will be returning to Vancouver in 2023.Aleksandr Gorshkov, president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation and the 1976 Olympic Champion in ice dance with his late wife, Lyudmila Pakhomova, passed away Nov. 17 .Recent InterviewsMadison Chock and Evan Bates uploaded their first episode of Seaaon 2 of their podcast “Unlaced”. They had Jason Brown on their first episode. Starr Andrews was the subject of a Los Angeles Times article by veteran sports columnist Helene Elliott (Nov. 14): Starr Andrews also appeared on Jennifer Hudson's syndicated daytime talk show on Nov. 14.In an article with the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone, Kaitlin Hawayek talks about what happened at Skate America. U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone interviewed Emily Chan and Spencer Howe about their rise in pairs skating.U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone interviewed Starr Andrews ahead of NHK TrophyShoma Uno and Stephane Lambel spoke to the Olympics.com about how Uno is approaching the new Olympic quad. Shoma Uno talks with Olympics.com about how he feels he still hasn't reached the highest level in the world Olympics.com posted facts about Skate Canada Champion Rinka Watanabe NBC Sports' Phil Hersh interviewed Jason Brown about his announcement to compete at the 2023 U.S. ChampionshipsSocial Media UpdatesNathan Chen is featured in the new music video for the acoustic version of “Hold Me Closer” by Elton John and Britney Spears (uploaded to Elton John's official channel on Nov. 17).Nathan Chen will appear on NBC's “Today Show” on Nov. 21His book is out on Nov. 22Ashley Cain posted videos of her and Timothy LeDuc skating together in ChicagoLoena Hendrickx posted that she is the Belgium ChampionAshley Wagner's Skate and Sculpt will be coming to CanadaEstonia's Solene Mazingue posted on social media that before Finlandia Trophy, she had a very bad fall, hit her head and had to go into emergency surgery. : Art on Ice's Instagram account has been revealing cast members for their shows in Switzerland, February 2-12, 2023.Jason was announced on Nov. 11: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck0up1nIbVc/  Knierim & Frazier were announced on Oct. 28: https://www.instagram.com/p/CkQqu7hoXDa/ Timothy Dolensky shared a video of his 10/15/22 wedding.Upcoming Events for the WeekGrand Prix of Espoo –  EntriesGolden Skate Awards - Nov. 26 in MilanIDC and FSO spotlightIDC: Photos from the 2022 U.S. Dance FinalFSO: Greta and John CrafoordFSO: Amber Glenn FSO: Photos from MK John Wilson TrophySupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2022 is: gauche • GOHSH • adjective Gauche means “having or showing a lack of awareness about the proper way to behave.” When describing a person or a behavior, gauche can mean “socially awkward” or “tactless”; when describing an object (such as a product with a vulgar image or slogan on it) it can mean “crudely made or done.” // Some people view giving cash in lieu of a wrapped present to be terribly gauche, but I like knowing that my friends and family will be able to pick out something they truly want. See the entry > Examples: “When he completed his performance, [Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen] punched the air in celebration. Normally I find this display of open emotion a little bit gauche, but for Nathan, I'll allow it. He was exquisite.” — Chris Schleicher, Slate, 8 Feb. 2022 Did you know? Although it doesn't mean anything sinister, gauche is one of several words (including sinister) with ties to old suspicions and negative associations relating to the left side and use of the left hand. In French, gauche literally means “left,” and it has the extended meanings “awkward” and “clumsy.” These meanings may have come about because left-handed people could appear awkward trying to manage in a mostly right-handed world, or perhaps because right-handed people appear awkward when trying to use their left hand. Regardless, awkwardness is a likely culprit. Fittingly, awkward itself comes from the Middle English awke, meaning “turned the wrong way” or “left-handed.” On the other hand, adroit and dexterity have their roots in words meaning “right” or “on the right side.”

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Monday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE 30 SHOW NOTESEvent Results BriefSkate America Results2nd Trophee Metropole Nice Cote D'AzurGeneral Skating NewsIn addition to the allotments announced, ISU Council announced the following from their meeting on October 9-12, 2022Full ISU Membership for the Figure Skating Branch to the National Center for Winter Sports of TurkmenistanDue to a lack of applications received in time, the Council did not make an allotment for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships, 2025 and 2026 Four Continents Championships, 2026 World Junior Championships and 2026 World Synchronized Championships.Locations for the 2023/2024 Junior Grand Prix Series were approvedThe ISU Council has decided to secure an additional budget of Swiss Francs 200'000 with the purpose of supporting the Skaters from Ukraine who are living and training outside Ukraine.Entries were posted for the ISU Challenger Series event, Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria (Nov. 9-13). Recent InterviewsAlexa and Chris Knierim were on David Santee's podcastPhil Hersh's article on Knierim/Frazier for NBC SportsRachel Lutz's article on Liam Kapeikis for U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneDarci Miller's article on Amber Glenn for U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneJ.R. Walker's article on Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker for U.S. Figure Skating Fan ZoneNick McCarvel's article on Gracie Gold for Olympics.comSolene Mathieu's article on S'Kate Info Glace interview at Skate America with Loicia Demougeot & Theo Le Mercier Social Media UpdatesYu-na Kim married her fiance Ko Woo Rim on October 22.Katarina DelCamp announced her new partnership with Turkey's Berk Akalin.Nathan Chen showcased the cover of his new picture book called “Wei Skates On” on Instagram Upcoming Events for the WeekSkate Canada International EntriesEvent PageDenis Ten Memorial TrophyEntriesIDC and FSO spotlightIDC:  Photos from Skate AmericaIDC: Photos from Japan Novice NationalsFSO: Photos from Skate AmericaFSO: Following redemptive Worlds debut, Camden Pulkinen finds a new grooveMore coverage from Skate America coming soon on IDC and FSO!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-week-in-skating-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This "Paltrocast" features Darren recent interviews with songwriters/artists Banx & Ranx, figuring skating icon Nathan Chen, and rock band Fun Lovin' Criminals. Theme song by Steve Schiltz. Thanks for listening!

Saha Kenarı'nın bu haftaki konuğu spor spikeri Nihan Cabbaroğlu oldu. Kendisiyle sohbete artistik patinajın dans mı spor mu olduğu, spikerliğin teknik yanlarını ve sporcu atletiğinin yanında estetik olmanın performansa etkilerini konuşarak başladık. Sohbete buz pateni denince kulağımızda çalmaya başlayan Boléro eşliğinde gerçekleşen ikonik performansları, bu alandaki müzik seçimlerini ve ekollerle devam ettik. Kamila Valieva'nın doping konusu değinmeden de geçmedik. Artistik patinaj 1990'larda daha çok mu izleniyordu? Yuzuru Hanyu mu Nathan Chen mi? Bu sporu geliştiren atletizm mi estetik mi? Hazırlayan ve sunan: Burcu Biçer

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE NOTESEvent Results BriefCranberry Cup InternationalCranberry OpenCopper CupHungarian Federation Test SkateCzech Republic Performance Review - Videos on YouTube channelNational Qualifying Series Standing Page (Log-in required)General Skating NewsISU posted the assignments for the third Junior Grand Prix event in Riga, Latvia. Mariah Bell, Jason Brown will participate on Team North America and Loena Hendrickx, Ekaterina Kurakova, Daniel Grassl and Michal Brezina will participate on Team Europe for the Japan Open, which is Oct. 8. Nathan Chen will appear as a guestYuzuru Hanyu has launched a YouTube channel. A practice session was streamed on the channel last week.  A record 967 skaters received U.S. Figure Skating's Graduating Senior AwardRecent InterviewsEllen Dunkel from the Philadelphia Inquirer chatted with Isabeau Levito and her coach, Yulia Kuznetsova Polina Edmunds' latest podcast interview is with Starr Andrews (August 9)U.S. Figure Skating did a story on the 24 Degrees of Color program, which is helping to diversify ice skating in Los Angeles. U.S. Figure Skating did an article with Nathan Chen about his Secret Celebrity Renovation project.Social Media UpdatesUkraine's Alexandra Nazarova announced on Instagram that she and Maksym Nikitin are retiring from competitive skating. Europe on Ice did an article with them at the 2022 World Championships.Ting Cui is one of the authors of a book called Little Lawmakers.Upcoming Events for the WeekSkate Ontario Sectional Series August Event, Aug. 18-21, 2022 in Mississauga, ON.BC Super Series SummerSkate, August 19-21, 2022 in Burnaby, BCOnyx Challenge, August 19-20 in Rochester Hills, MI, is a NQS for ice dance.Potomac Open, August 20-21 in Ashburn, VA, is a NQS for singlesSouthern California Open Championships, August 18-21 in Valencia, CA, is a NQS for singles & pairs.Segment - IDC and FSO spotlightIDC: New Team Series: Raffaella Koncius and Alexey ShchepetovIDC: Simon Shnapir's return to ice dance FSO: 2022 Cranberry Cup/Open PhotosFSO: 2022 Philadelphia Summer International Photos

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE NOTESEvent Results BriefPhiladelphia Summer International Philadelphia Summer ChampionshipsQuebec Summer Championships The 2022 National Showcase competitionSilicon Valley OpenCup of Colorado Scott Hamilton InvitationalGeneral Skating NewsISU posted the assignments for the second Junior Grand Prix event in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The ISU released a communication detailing with the number of competitor allotments for 2023 ISU ChampionshipsSkate Canada announced on Aug. 5 the end of the partnership of Evelyn Walsh and Trennt MichaudSkate Canada unveils new brand identityRecent InterviewsVictor Kraatz was on the “Today in BC” podcast.Allison Manley's podcast interview with Jackie Wong.Team USA did a feature story on Nathan Chen.Nathan Chen was also named 2023 FISU World University Games goodwill ambassadorNathan will be on the CBS show Secret Celebrity Renovation on Aug. 12 at 8 p.m. easternGolden Skate posted on YouTube an interview with Japan's Koshiro Shimada.International Figure Skating magazine did an interview with Eurosport commentator Mark Hanretty. U.S. Figure Skating posted an article with Hunter Widley - a figure skater and Miss South Dakota.Upcoming Events for the WeekCranberry Open will take place Aug. 10-14, 2022 at the Skating Club of Boston in Norwood, Mass. The competition is part of the National Qualifying Series for singles and pairs. Cranberry Cup International will take place that same week at the Skating Club of Boston - it is an international event for women, men on the junior and senior levels. Copper Cup, August 11-13, in Bountiful, Utah is a national qualifying series competition for singles.Japan's major summer competition, Gensan Summer Cup, is August 11-14.The Hungarian federation is holding a test skate in Budapest on Aug. 13 and 14. Segment - IDC and FSO spotlightIDC: Anne's take: 2022 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships IDC: Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships PhotosIDC: Lake Placid Ice Dance International PhotosFSO: 2022 Philadelphia Summer International PhotosFSO: 2022 Lake Placid Ice Championships/International Photos

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE NOTESEvent Results BriefSkate MilwaukeeThe U.S. Junior Team Cup took place during Skate Milwaukee. This was an invitation only for junior men and women. In the past, the results have been used for the Junior Grand Prix selections. Dallas ClassicGeneral Skating NewsThe ISU announced the Junior Grand Prix skating events and final, along with eligibility requirements, how entries work, the point system/ranking order, the prize money and other technical details. Skate Canada announced that World bronze medalists Vanessa James and Eric Radford have retired from competitive skating. Skate Canada announced that Véronik Mallet has retired from competitive skating.U.S. Figure Skating has opened its nominations for the 2022 Get Up campaign. The nomination deadline is Aug. 15.The Ice Skating Association of Ireland announced seven figure skaters who will represent Ireland in international competitions for the 2022-2023, and for the first time, Ireland will have an ice dance team. Nathan Chen has been nominated for an ESPY award and you can vote for him. You can watch the ceremony live on ABC on Wednesday, July 20 at 8 p.m. EST.Golden Skate posted an interview with Mariia Pinchuk & Mykyta Pogoryelov of Ukraine.U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone posted an article with Camden Pulkinen. Social Media UpdatesThe Mexican Federation of Ice Skating and Winter Sports posted on Instagram a letter with their assignments for the Junior Grand Prix. Catharina Tibau / Cayden Dawson announced that they are a new junior ice dance team for Brazil. Both previously competed for Canada as novice skaters. Jason Brown posted that he choreographed the short program for Italy's Daniel Grassl. Upcoming Events for the WeekSkate Wilmington takes place July 12-17 in Wilmington, Delaware Cactus Classic takes place in Scottsdale, Arizona - July 14-17 - it is a national qualifying series event for singles and pairs.Sun Valley continues its Summer Ice Shows – this week (July 16), the headliner is Nathan Chen and then next Saturday, July 23, Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc will be the headliners.

Eileen Gu, the top-rated story from the 2022 Olympics, is back in the headlines once again (1:00). She just announced she will be an ambassador for Salt Lake City's Olympic bid. Is she trying to have her cake and eat it too (2:15)? Mark says she's overcompensating for her switch from the U.S. to China, but what will the Chinese reaction be (4:15)? Could she even switch back to compete for the US in 2026 (4:55)? With athletes like skater Nathan Chen — a Salt Lake City native — or skier Mikael Shiffrin, what will Eileen Gu do for the bid that others can't? (7:44) How much do Americans care at this point? Old news or still a story (9:57)? It's clear she needs to come on the China Sports Insider Podcast (11:24)! Here's what Mark would ask her if he just had one question (12:10).At his customary pre-NBA finals press conference, Commissioner Adam Silver talked a lot about China (14:10). Silver was, again, trying to occupy something of a middle ground — and, so far, he seems to be doing OK (15:36). Silver says the NBA gets unfairly singled out. Mark tends to agree: if we give up on sports exchanges, then we might as well give up on diplomacy entirely (17:18).Our guest this week, Chris Fenton, sits at the intersection of sports, celebrity and China's global dealings (19:50). Hollywood seems to be turning the corner with regards to China — but where are we with sports (21:06)? Discussion of the WTA taking a stance on the Peng Shuai affair and being rewarded by sponsorship dollars as a result (26:06). But it's hard to see what a resolution between China and the WTA looks like. When it comes to money, will people always be swayed (28:38)? The WTA, and more recently, the Top Gun movie, shows that you can be profitable while bypassing the China market. Will the men's tour, the ATP, become the first frog to jump into the boiling water (31:52)? We end with a discussion about ESPN's recent articles about China and NBA owners — and what this means for the future (35:35).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.Website: http://www.thisweekinskating.comEmail: thisweekinskating@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekinskatingTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/thiswkinskatingInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinskating_________________________________________EPISODE NOTESThe Professional Skaters Association announced its annual EDI Awards recently. Mariah Bell received the Sonja Henie Award; Nathan Chen was presented with the Gustave Lussi Award; Tai Babilonia, who received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award and Timothy LeDuc was presented with the Beacon of Change Award.Skate Canada honored its 2022 Achievement Awards at a banquet during the Ice Summit in Quebec City. Skate Canada announced its Next Gen team, which is comprised of 52 athletes, which includes 10 men, 14 women, 4 pairs teams and 10 ice dance teams.ISU's posted a summary of announced retirements through May 24. ISU Communication No. 2484 - Ice Dance requirements for technical rules effective July 1st, 2022. These requirements are pending until after next week's Congress.A GoFundMe account has been set up for Olympic figure skating coach Kori Ade, who was diagnosed with Stage 3 B Cell Lymphoma in April. She is currently undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center. Kori was the coach of Jason Brown at the 2014 Olympics. The ISU has a hub site for all of the information pertaining to the 58th Ordinary Congress.Links to info on ISU Congress Figure Skating candidates for President: Susanna Rahkamo ManifestoThis Week in Skating Interview with Susanna RahkamoPatricia St. Peter Manifesto

This week, Tara and Jackie take one last preview look at the World Championship events for the men and the ice dancers. Without the likes of Nathan Chen or Yuzuru Hanyu, who will skate into a World title? And for some, this is their last hoorah on competitive ice -- one final chance to share their competitive fire. What enduring memories are we about to watch be created?     

Canary Cry News Talk #458 - 03.14.2022 TIKTOK TORNATO                            LINKTREE: CanaryCry.Party SHOW NOTES: CanaryCryNewsTalk.com CLIP CHANNEL: CanaryCry.Tube SUPPLY DROP: CanaryCrySupplyDrop.com SUPPORT: CanaryCryRadio.com/Support MEET UPS: CanaryCryMeetUps.com Basil's other podcast: ravel Gonz' YT: Facelikethesun Resurrection App Made by Canary Cry Producer: Truther Dating App   LEAD 4:10 V / 1:38 P UKRAINE/RUSSIA/RUMORS OF WARS   American Journalist Killed in Ukraine (Huffpost) White House coaching Tik Tok stars to report Ukraine crisis (Wapo) → Clip: Tik Tok stars covering Ukraine (Reuters) Propaganda Machinery   INTRO (M-W-F)  32:17 V / 29:45 P B&G Update V4V/Exec./Asso./Support   FLIPPY 43:18 V / 40:46 P Tiny robot that's supposed to stop you from rage texting (TNW)   Party Pitch/Ravel/clips 53:38 V / 51:06 P   POLYTICKS 57:47 V / 55:15 P Clips: Biden at Democratic Caucus WW3 talk → Source: DHS report update on how to define “domestic violent extremism” (DHS.gov)   SHILLZILLA/TRUMP 1:12:36 V / 1:10:04 P Of course Trump can win 2024 (CNN) Clip: Trevor Noah on Trump 2024   CUOMO PRIME TIME 1:23:25 V / 1:20:53 P Cuomo-W, Trump-L, How CNN's Zucker and his cronies manipulated news (Rolling Stones)   [TREASURE] SupplyDrop, Producers, 7.77  1:25:24 V / 1:22:52 [SPEAKPIPE][BYE YOUTUBE]   COVID19/WACCINE 1:59:15 V / 1:56:43 P Obama tests positive for C19, glad he is jabbed and boosted (People)   Clip: Pzifer CEO pushes for 4th booster → Transcript: Pfizer CEO says he questioned mRNA, called it “counterintuitive” (MSN/Wapo)   → Source: Patented genetic code found in SarsCov2 (Frontiers in Virology)   [TALENT] Audio, Art, Microfiction  2:14:39 V / 2:12:07 P   ANTARCTICA  2:29:29 V / 2:26:57 P Ernest Shackleton's Endurance found 10k feet below ocean surface in Antarctica (SciTechDaily)   MARS 2:37:07 V / 2:34:35 P Does this picture show a hole drilled on Mars? (Snopes)   [TIME] Timestamps, MeetUps, Reviews, End of show   ADDITIONAL STORIES: Clip: Flippy 2 White Castle in action (WBNS) Robot videos for the week, catbot, goatbot, and more (IEEE) Another trooper, 23, dies at Fort Hood (NY Post) CRISPR: Olympic champion Nathan Chen's sister part of Mammoth Biosciences (Ess. Sports) American parents are extremely stressed out (Fatherly) 3,000 year old Egyptian city, Dazzling Aten, discovered (Travel) 5 banks form consortium for Egyptian outbound supply chain (Egypt Today) …more Ukraine/Russia Zelenky defiant message, “Let them come!” (Fox) “We already lost this war,” captured Russian pilots plea (Telegraph) Kremlin arrests spy chief in fallout from Ukraine chaos (Sunday Times) Ukraine using Clearview AI Facial Recognition during war (Reuters) US filmmaker Brent Renaud killed by Russians in Ukraine (Huff Po) Trans man escapes Russia Invasion (Insider) Putin and Trump have convinced me, “I was wrong about 21st century” (Guardian) Putin removed from WEF website (Archive and Current WEF link) Space Pope Reptilian, “Stop This Massacre” in Ukraine (Guardian) Putin could unleash biological weapon from seized Ukraine lab (Mirror UK) Putin has already deployed chemical weapon in Salisbury (Guardian) → Source: US Embassy Ukraine, biolabs document (USEmbassy.gov) …more Covid “Pandemic is not over,” ministers criticized for ending UK C19 surveillance (Guardian) Pressure to relief pandemic restrictions mounts as refugees arrive (NPR/W) It's Over. WFH is Over. (Vice)   EPISODE 458 WAS PRODUCED BY… Faelivrin**   Producers Jonathan B, Mandy K, Cristina S, MORV, Palmer B, naomi Q, LX PROTOCOL V2, Sir Scott Knight of Truth, Gail M, Veronica D, Jonathan F, Sir Casey the Shield Knight, Jackie U, Runksmash, Sir James Knight of and Servant of the Lion of Judah, DrWhoDunDat, Jason P   AUDIO PRODUCTION (Jingles, Iso, Music): Jonathan F   ART PRODUCTION (Drawing, Painting, Graphics): Dame Allie of the Skillet Nation, Sir Dove Knight of Rusbeltia, MrJAG   CONTENT PRODUCTION (Microfiction etc.): Runksmash: Screen obscured by dozens of adds, alerts and alarms Basil descends after what remains of his friend. “Meta now offers the Phizer…” “High External Pressure, return to the…” Then, alarmingly, “SHIPBOARD DISASTER: Massive collision.” Basil dives on.   Grimwold lands on the ocean floor, his system trying to reboot, but something is fighting him. A flood of images flash in his mind, scenes not from the files. His eyes open looking at an old food truck operated by two robot arms. He remembers Basil.   The Sentinel: Skate-sei Gonz finishes explaining how he cheated to win his gold medal, “I'm sorry Basil-san, I know this is a disappointment for you.” Basil is speechless. Heartbroken. Betrayed. Without saying a word he takes his skates off and walks back to his car. Thoughts spin in his mind with greater chaos than an over-packed roller rink. He puts the radio on as he drives away – Survivor's “The Moment of Truth” is playing – Basil grips his steering wheel tightly. He only knows one place to go. He pulls into the parking lot. Walks inside. Receives the usual greeting. Then asks - “Got room for one more Alpha-Boi?”   CLIP PRODUCER Emsworth, FaeLivrin, Epsilon   Timestamps: Mondays: Jackie U Wednesdays: Jade Bouncerson Fridays: Christine C

「我們推出贊助方案囉～如果你喜歡我們的節目，可以透過小額贊助，支持我們元氣滿滿地繼續聊下去❤️ 每位支持我們的聽眾我們都會在節目中專門Shoutout表示我們的感謝！https://glow.fm/anniejack 」 合作聯絡信箱：casoboring@gmail.com ================================== 00:00 看冬奧看到眼冒愛心

In this episode I talk about a few stories from the world of sports that I found to be inspirational. Sahith Theegala at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, Lindsey Jacobellis, Nils Van Der Poel, and Nathan Chen in the Olympics and Camille Herron breaking her own 100 mile world record! The training of Nils Van Der Poel: https://www.howtoskate.se/ I recently launched a Patreon page! I have three subscription levels that you can learn more about at the link below. Thank you for your support, I appreciate it! https://www.patreon.com/trainingwithtucker?fan_landing=true For more information on my coaching services please visit: Website: https://www.trainingwithtucker.com/ IG and Facebook: @trainingwithtucker Email: tuckergrosecoaching@gmail.com

Jim Chen is a world-traveler, Meta-Human, and rock-climber who loves to have fun and get his friends to go Karaoking with him -- one of the reasons Jim is so fun and his After Hours are jam-packed with connection is because he practices saying 'yes' to all kinds of new experiences. We chat about how making friends after college is hard, and listen to how Jim got started with rock-climbing - something that he says he is totally obsessed with because of how it centers him after a bad day and introduces him to so many people. Join us as we listen to one of the most interesting guys around even if he is NOT related to the gold-medalist Nathan Chen or our friend Dr. Grace Chen! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/anne-rothhaas/message

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at his monthly news conference Thursday that he would veto a school vouchers bill currently working its way through the Legislature. Sports editor Aaron Falk caught with Team Tribune, who is still in China, on what it has been like to cover the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics this year. And the Utah Division of Wildlife Services has tested around 300 mule deer for COVID-19 — and yes, they also got a nasal swab.

We can't believe this is our last Olympics episode, but we've so enjoyed the ride with you. On today's episode, Ellen and Steph discuss why three Chinese-American Olympians have come to represent geopolitical tensions and cross-cultural questions. And after the break, they'll share why Mikaela Shiffrin is giving us hope. Special thanks to Janes for sponsoring today's episode! What better time to celebrate women's hockey than the day after a gold-medal match, and who better to celebrate with than Janes. Janes believes that women's hockey should be celebrated more, and they're doing just that through their “All In” program. You can learn more about how Janes is leveling the playing field at hockeycanada.ca/ALLIN.    More on The GIST:  Subscribe: thegistsports.com/subscribepod Twitter: @thegistpod Email: pod@thegistsports.com  IG: @thegistca @thegistusa

Amy, a Umich freshman studying engineering, is on this week! As an avid Olympic Games enthusiast and figure skating fanatic, she gives us the 4-1-1 on some of the biggest moments from the 2022 Beijing Olympics (so far!). We discuss the amazing Nathan Chen, Mikaela Shiffrin, Shaun White, the Russian doping scandal, and so much more. DISCLAIMER: Some of what we discuss is outdated! (Things are moving fast in the Olympics and we recorded this on 2/11) - check out the links below to find out more about Kamila Valieva (figure skating doping scandal) and more on why the US is boycotting the Olympics. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/sports/olympics/valieva-drug-test-heart-medications.html https://time.com/6129154/beijing-olympics-boycott/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/expertishpod/support

Welcome to the second of our special Beijing 2022 episodes of The Ice Skating Podcast - brought to you live from China.We are approaching the final straight of the Olympic Winter Games and have already seen some career-defining performances.The Rocket Man Nathan Chen has secured his legacy, winning his first Olympic gold, and he tells us all about it, while in the ice dance, Papadakis and Cizeron reigned supreme, and reveal all.From Short Track, we've got Suzanne Schulting celebrating retaining her 1000m gold, and Shaoang Liu toasting the winning of Hungary's debut individual gold medal at a Winter Games.There's also an emotional word with Yara van Kerkhof and Xandra Velzeboer of the Netherlands - part of the women's relay team that emerged triumphant and dedicated their win to former teammate Lara van Ruijven, who passed away in 2020.From Speed Skating, we've got an exclusive interview with Douwe de Vries, about the action so far, and his role on the ISU athletes commission.And there are words with Erin Jackson, Irene Schouten and Nils van der Poel about their Beijing 2022 moments of glory.The Ice Skating Podcast is the official podcast of the International Skating Union, hosted by Luke Norman and Nick Moore. Normally released every fortnight, during Beijing 2022 we are releasing weekly episodes.

And we're talking all things Beijing 2022, baby. It's Feb. It's cold. The sports are cold. If they can make the cold a place to do exercise, so can you. Let's all dig deep and go on a run. Or sit inside and build up to a run. Either way, join us as we talk you through our Winter Olympics themed songs. Lots of love, Lucy and Flora xxx p.s apologies to Nathan Chen who we call Jason Chen throughout this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is officially the Beijing 2022 Olympics! It has already been incredibly eventful, but we are going to start with the Team Event short programs and rhythm dance events. This episode was full of math as we tried to add everyone's points together, and we talked about the fight for the podium spots between ROC, USA, and Japan, as well as the fight for that 5th FS qualifying spot between China and Georgia.The Men warmed us up with notable skaters like Shoma Uno, Nathan Chen, and a special shoutout to Boyang Jin who took his first step onto home Olympic ice. Then in Ice Dance, we saw Hubbell/Donohue's amazing Janet Jackson program, and Mom and Dad (Guignard/Fabbri)'s Michael Jackson program. In Pairs, Moore-Towers/Marinaro had a redemptive skate, Miura/Kihara made us cry with Hallelujah, and of course, Sui/Han had the skate of their lives. Finally, in the Women's SP, it was so nice to see Eliska Brezinova here, as well as a phenomenal skate from Madeline Schizas.Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:55) - Men's SP(25:37) - Ice Dance RD(46:40) - Pairs SP(1:00:25) - Women's SP(1:18:18) - recap of the standings after the SP(1:20:29) - Outro------------------------------------------------Follow our figure skating podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lutzgetdownpod/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/lutzgetdownpod And to work with us please contact lutzgetdownpod@gmail.com Logo design by @dezisartvibes on Instagramxx Joce & Clauds

USA! USA! USA!We're back to let you know who won our Winter Olympic bracket. We discuss each match up in detail and mourn those we lost. Tangents include but aren't limited to: John Shuster, Aristotle Athari, and, our least favorite, Jared Leto (we hate Jared Leto).Get psyched for Batman!!!! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

With the world's eyes focused on them, it's no surprise Olympic champions are giving a thought to how they look. Nathan Chen, dressed by Vera Wang, and Julia Marino by Prada are the newest Olympic medalists to mix winter sport and high fashion and join host Lauren Shehadi to talk about their own take on high-flying fashion. Follow The Podium now on Apple Podcasts to get automatic downloads. And tune into the networks of NBC to watch every moment of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic games.

Nathan Chen has secured his Olympic gold. The newly crowned king of figure skating, courtesy of a 7:15 pm bedtime, tells us about his performance and how he pigged out on KFC, Pizza Hut and ice cream to celebrate. Follow In The Village on Apple Podcasts for an inside look at the athlete life in Beijing, and watch all the Olympic action unfold on the networks of NBC

In this special Olympic Series meditation we are reflecting on pressure, and reconnecting the importance of joy. We are exploring Nathan Chen's comeback story to his Olympic gold medal in figure skating, and using his story to remind us of our own need to release the pressure in our lives. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mollysmornings/support

Jazz Trice (reality tv casting director) joins me this week and we discuss:Dealing with anxiety & stage-frightHis first job working on Hells KitchenSliding into hot dudes DMs as his sisterWhat it was like working on InterventionCasting Floor Is Lava during a pandemicBreakdancing becoming an olympic sportNathan Chen wins gold, gets redemptionDoing drag & being too tall at concertsOur all-time top 3 reality tv showsGrowing up in a military familyShop: hardlytomorrow.comHost: @stevenboydwallaceGuest: @jazz_trice

The Sporting News 7 brings you the 7 biggest sports stories in 7 minutes at 7am. Building on the award-winning journalism of The Sporting News, you'll get all you need to know in one handy bitesize podcast. From NFL to NBA, the best of fight sports and all the international action, you won't miss a thing. Hosted by Demetria Obilor, the Sporting News 7 is a unique take on the day's big sports events - available to listen to wherever and whenever you want.For more great sporting insight, go to sportingnews.com or @sportingnews.Produced by Daft Doris.Related links:https://daftdor.is/3LkmWGhhttps://daftdor.is/3rEVYkPhttps://daftdor.is/3GK9g3EToday's episode includes the following:https://daftdor.is/3rOmV5Lhttps://daftdor.is/3uFrCk7https://daftdor.is/3B9Q1iKhttps://daftdor.is/34PCVekhttps://daftdor.is/3ozAxQ4https://daftdor.is/34wQAXZhttps://daftdor.is/3JjaJQkhttps://daftdor.is/3HLV37F See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

HOUR 1Tom talks about the passing Kathy Tilton and how social media can be used for positive reasons and messaging State mask mandates lightening in Democratic strongholds / (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/2022/02/09/new-york-other-blue-states-announce-plans-to-drop-mask-mandates?Russian doping scandal in China Winter Olympics / (MB) https://www.morningbrew.com/daily/stories/beijing-olympics-figure-skating-medal-ceremony-delay-legal-issue?San Francisco officials asking residents to help by opening up a room to the homeless because of crisis / (FOX News) https://video.foxnews.com/v/6296779888001#sp=show-clipsGary from East Anchorage on Nathan Chen's wins, Johnny Weir's apparel, and continued frustration with lawmakersSuperbowl odds and line on teams / (CBS Sports) https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2022-super-bowl-odds-line-spread-bengals-vs-rams-picks-predictions-from-proven-nfl-expert-on-22-9-roll/Could a convoy pop up near the SuperBowl protecting Canadian trucker vaccine mandates / (CBS) https://www.cbsnews.com/video/dhs-says-trucker-protests-could-hit-the-us-with-a-convoy-starting-on-super-bowl-sunday/The Teddy Near story (named after President Teddy Roosevelt) / (NPS) https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/storyofteddybear.htmHOUR 2Dalton in Mat-Su on crack pipes and Joe Rogan and running for officeWill a black woman be named to the U.S. Supreme Court? / (NPR) https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1078933311/black-woman-supreme-court-justiceTom talks about the need for more women, and women of color, leaders and managers and jurists and policymakers (as long as they're competent - as would be expected of any person filling a position of importance)Lakefront Hotel drops being Iditarod Headquarters after 2022 and PETA protests may be part of the reason / (ADN) https://www.adn.com/outdoors-adventure/iditarod/2022/02/09/lakefront-anchorage-hotel-longtime-iditarod-headquarters-will-drop-sponsorship-after-upcoming-race/Mayor Bronson invites Black leaders to discuss city issues / (ANS) https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2022/02/09/mayor-bronson-invites-black-community-roundtable/Salmon runs across Alaska down for another year / (AJOC) https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/2022/02/09/fish-and-game-forecasts-fair-to-poor-sockeye-runs-for-cook-inlet-copper-river/

Welcome to The Ice Skating Podcast, brought to you live from the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games! We've had some of the greatest skating of all time already at these Olympic Games, from Nathan Chen and Kamila Valieva in the Figure Skating, to Ireen Wust and Nils van der Poel in the Speed Skating, and Arianna Fontana and Ren Ziwei in the Short Track.We've got interviews with Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA,  plus Misato Komatsubara and Tim Koleto of Japan, discussing the team event.There are Speed Skating interviews with Wust and  van der Poel, plus Irene Schouten and  Kjeld Nuis. And there is a chat with Mark Messer, the 'ice guru' who makes the surfaces at the rinks in Beijing. All that plus a quiz, news of the return of the UpAgain campaign, and our athletes saying Happy New Year in Chinese.The Ice Skating Podcast is the official pod of the International Skating Union. Hosted by Luke Norman and Nick Moore, it is being released weekly during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.  

HAPPY OLYMPICS EVERYONE! We're celebrating the best of the best athletes by talking about Sydney's favorite winter sport, and Sydney's favorite movie... and Sydney's favorite trope, Okay, well it's Sydney's episode so what do you expect? The Winter Olympics means one thing and one thing only; that Sydney clears her schedule to make sure that she can watch every single second of those figure skating gods and goddesses. That's right, we're looking at you Nathan Chen, Yuzuru Hanyu, Yuna Kim, and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. But, we're not talking about these real life GOAT's. No, no. Today is all about Dmitry Sudayev and Anastasia Romonova (or should I say Anya Morozova). Today is all about figure skating, a little lost ice princess, her dashing conman of a ice skating partner, and all the fake dating/mutual pining goodness you can get. As always, send us your fic recommendations, or reach out if you are a fic author who would like to be interviewed in the future, at canonicallyincorrectpod@gmail.com Go support the authors and give them a kudos over on AO3: Holding Tight as the Dancers Twirl by punto_y_coma Like the episode? Like us and what we do? Donate to help us do more fun things at ko-fi.com/canonicallyincorrect

On this week's 51%, we're talking women in sports. Professor Amy Bass of Manhattanville College shares her thoughts on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. We speak with two-time Olympian Tricia Mangan as she heads to the slopes, and Ithaca College Professor Ellen Staurowsky discusses the upcoming 50th anniversary of Title IX. Guests: Dr. Amy Bass, Manhattanville College; Tricia Mangan, U.S. Alpine Ski Team; Ellen Staurowsky, Ithaca College 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It’s produced by Jesse King, our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Jesse King. We've got a great lineup of interviews for you today. It's all about women in sports, and where else would we start besides the Olympics? We wrapped today’s show just before competition launched for the Winter Games in Beijing. It's the second Games to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, after the Tokyo Olympics last summer — but it comes with its own challenges to navigate. Our first guest today is Dr. Amy Bass, a professor and author at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. She's been a commentator for WAMC, but she won an Emmy for her work with NBC Olympic Sports on the London Olympics in 2012. Bass recently shared with me her thoughts about the latest edition of the Games. “I think that apprehension is affecting teams right now. I think that one of the things that we learned in Tokyo is that these athletes are incredibly isolated because of COVID protocols. They’re not traveling with their families, they don’t have their cheering crowds there, which fans are an important stakeholder in sports,” says Bass. “So, I think some of the psychological tension that we saw around a star athlete like Simone Biles is something that I think we should be on the lookout for in Beijing, especially because we have some of those really intense pressure sports like figure skating where, if your head’s not in the right place, your sport suddenly becomes very dangerous. Amy Bass Who should we be looking out for at these games? I think Nathan Chen is our is our headliner, always. He didn’t do what he wanted to do in 2018 Pyeongchang, but I would also put the one and only Chloe Kim on that list. She took gold in Pyeongchang, took a break, I think she had a broken ankle. She tried college, and now she’s back and she looks pretty unbeatable. I hate saying that in a sport as sort of crazy as halfpipe, but Chloe Kim i

On this week's 51%, we're talking women in sports. Professor Amy Bass of Manhattanville College shares her thoughts on the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. We speak with two-time Olympian Tricia Mangan as she heads to the slopes, and Ithaca College Professor Ellen Staurowsky discusses the upcoming 50th anniversary of Title IX. Guests: Dr. Amy Bass, Manhattanville College; Tricia Mangan, U.S. Alpine Ski Team; Ellen Staurowsky, Ithaca College 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by Jesse King, our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for tuning in, I'm Jesse King. We've got a great lineup of interviews for you today. It's all about women in sports, and where else would we start besides the Olympics? We wrapped today's show just before competition launched for the Winter Games in Beijing. It's the second Games to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, after the Tokyo Olympics last summer — but it comes with its own challenges to navigate. Our first guest today is Dr. Amy Bass, a professor and author at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. She's been a commentator for WAMC, but she won an Emmy for her work with NBC Olympic Sports on the London Olympics in 2012. Bass recently shared with me her thoughts about the latest edition of the Games. "I think that apprehension is affecting teams right now. I think that one of the things that we learned in Tokyo is that these athletes are incredibly isolated because of COVID protocols. They're not traveling with their families, they don't have their cheering crowds there, which fans are an important stakeholder in sports," says Bass. "So, I think some of the psychological tension that we saw around a star athlete like Simone Biles is something that I think we should be on the lookout for in Beijing, especially because we have some of those really intense pressure sports like figure skating where, if your head's not in the right place, your sport suddenly becomes very dangerous. Who should we be looking out for at these games? I think Nathan Chen is our is our headliner, always. He didn't do what he wanted to do in 2018 Pyeongchang, but I would also put the one and only Chloe Kim on that list. She took gold in Pyeongchang, took a break, I think she had a broken ankle. She tried college, and now she's back and she looks pretty unbeatable. I hate saying that in a sport as sort of crazy as halfpipe, but Chloe Kim is definitely someone to watch. Makaela Shiffrin is someone to watch. Obviously, she got two medals in Pyeongchang, she took a third overall World Cup title a year later. She's also had a lot of ups and downs: she lost her dad, she's been really forthcoming about managing grief, and managing grief in terms of its physical and mental impact on being a world-class skier. But she's awesome. You know, she's 26 years old. Now she's back for another Olympics, and I think that she's something amazing to watch. And the other thing that I would put up there is women's hockey. And we can talk about hockey. You know, it's just a great Olympic sport. Obviously, one of America's greatest sports moments is men's hockey in 1980, but the rivalry between the Canadian and American women, I think, is one of the great sports rivalries. I feel like they're the Yankees and Red Sox of the Olympic Games, and I'm all in for women's hockey. Last time they met who won? The US took gold and Canada got silver. Well, aside from COVID, what are some new things coming to the games this year? We're seeing new percentages this year, this will be the most women ever to compete in Winter Olympic Games. Up to 45 percent of the athletes are going to be female. Winter Games tend to have fewer women than their summer counterparts, but that is changing. The hockey tournament is actually one of the reasons, there are more men's teams who compete than women, so you've got, you know, 230 women's hockey players and some 300 men. We're going to see some new sports launched, we're going to see some newer sports. So things like team figure skating is actually something that I find fascinating to think about, men and women competing together for a team score for their nation. You know, those new twists on sports that we're familiar with. And I think that we also have the United States in a position to think about sports that they didn't used to be good at or that they didn't have a legacy. You know, in Pyeongchang we saw Jessie Diggins and Kikkan Randall win Team USA its first ever gold medal in cross country skiing. I think the Nordic events are super exciting, and more people should watch them. Jessie Diggins is back, let's see what she does. Kikkan has retired, but Diggins could become the first American to win more than one Olympic medal in cross country skiing, and that's a cool thing to keep our eye on. I think that we have an intense political atmosphere surrounding Beijing, we have a pretty widespread Western diplomatic boycott of these games. We have issues like Hong Kong and the Uyghurs and human rights in general front and center. We have China coming off of, you know, sort of a spectacular games in 2008, so what kind of presentation of the country, and of the city of Beijing, is going to come forward? And then we have [even more] new sports. And I think that new sports are always something that can be a game changer, because you may not know what the next big thing is going to be. There will be notable absences – the U.S. women who were the revolutionaries who got women's ski jump on the Olympic program, they didn't qualify. So now we get to see, you know, what is what is Germany going to do with the absence of the Americans? So I think that you have to wait and see, and you have to go with stories that pop up that you weren't expecting. There's going to be some stories that we know, again, Nathan Chen, men's figure skating, the return of someone like Shaun White – not as a favorite, but as someone who's just sort of trying to say goodbye to the sport that they helped build. You know, there will be new stars that we haven't even met yet. That was Dr. Amy Bass, professor of sports media and chair of the division of social science and communication at Manhattanville College. Our next guest actually spoke with me from Germany while awaiting her flight to Beijing. Tricia Mangan just competed at the Alpine Ski World Cup and is participating in her second straight Winter Games. In 2018, she took ninth in the alpine team event at Pyeongchang, and this time around she's slated to compete in at least the women's alpine combined. She's just 24 years old, but she started skiing near her home in Buffalo, New York at the age of 2. “I grew up skiing there with my five siblings and parents when I was pretty young, and started racing around 6. We skied at this little hill called HoliMont in Ellicottville New York. I just did a million sports when I was younger, but ultimately liked skiing the most, and have definitely skied on a lot bigger hills than HoliMont now,” says Mangan. “But I think that being from Buffalo is definitely a big part of my story, and it's kind of shaped my road to the World Cup a lot. And now heading into my second Olympics, I leaned on my community a lot for support this year. So it feels really nice to be able to achieve this goal and to share that with all of them as well.” When did you know that you wanted to pursue skiing professionally as an athlete? People always asked me this question, and I don't know. Never when I was younger was I like, “I'm going to be an Olympian,” or like, “I want to be in the U.S. Ski Team.” I didn't even know what the U.S. Ski Team was, I really was just focused on trying to beat my twin brother and just get a little bit faster. There was never like, these big, huge goals. I think I've always been a little bit hard on myself. So maybe I was like, “I'm not good enough for that.” But I've always worked really hard, so I think that I just put in little steps. And then over the years, it's like, “I did this. That's cool.” And then it's like, “Oh, I made it this far!” And then yeah, here I am today. This year I'm actually focused on the speed events, which are downhill and Super G. And then at the Olympics, there's also the combined, which is one run of downhill, and one run of slalom, What is Super G, for those who don't know? So for the speed events, downhill is like the straightest – not that many turns, you're in your tuck a lot of the time. And then Super G is also the speed event, but there's a couple more turns. So it's not just like going straight down. It's a little bit more technical. What's the processes of preparing for that? That must be some insane work. Yeah. Preparing for the World Cup or the Olympics in particular? I guess both! Well, that's good insight, because most people are like, “Oh, my gosh, it's crazy to prepare for the Olympics.” But in reality, the World Cup, like our season regular, is probably actually a little bit harder, because there's more girls there then there'll be at the Olympics. So there's been a lot of work that's gotten into this year. There's a lot of training, a lot of physical conditioning, a lot of time on snow, lots of travel. I've definitely this year tried to focus more on my consistency, because my top level speed is good, but in order to perform on the World Cup, you need to be fast all the time, for the whole run. So yeah, consistency has been a big thing for me. What's it like returning to the Olympics this year? Is it a little less nerve racking, maybe? Yeah, it will definitely be very different. My aunt told me the other day, she was like, “People who get to the Olympics twice, or like the Super Bowl or something big like that, they always say that the first time is a blur, and they don't remember anything. And then the second time, they're able to enjoy more.” And I think that will probably be the case, because the first time it was so much like, “Oh my gosh,” like there's so much pressure, and it's really stressful. Or it was for me, last time. And then this time, I definitely know to kind of appreciate being there and take in everything and enjoy the moment a little bit more. And I think that you can still do that while working really hard, which maybe I didn't know last time. Are there ways in which you see your sport changing? Oh, that's a great question. I hope that it changes, change is always good. I think that there are changes with events, like there are more parallel events where people compete next to each other. And I think that is to attract more viewership and to make it a little bit more exciting, which is great, because the more popular the sport will be, the better for athletes, because more sponsorships and deals and everything. Yeah, I think that everyone's always pushing the limits of sports, so it's definitely progressing. You mentioned that Buffalo shaped a big part of your story. Can you go into that a little bit more for me? Coming from Buffalo, even when I was really young, I always knew that there were the states like Vermont and Colorado, California, where the racers trained so much more. I think that this definitely added to me not really thinking like I was ever going to be – or not really thinking that I was very good, and I just kept the focus on working hard. I definitely had an underdog mindset when I started to compete more nationally, and I think this really fueled me, because it kind of took away expectations. Because I was like, “Oh, I'm from New York, nobody thinks I'm gonna do well,” but like, I know how hard I've worked. So I definitely think that was a really big part of my success when I was younger. That underdog mindset has been a big part in my ski racing career so far. Was there a first competition that you did, where you realized, “Oh, I'm really good?” Yeah, yeah. So I went to U16 nationals. I had won, like, a couple Super Gs for the eastern region – but even then, I was like, “Oh it's just this one run, who knows?” And then I went to U16 nationals, and I got absolutely crushed. And then I remember thinking like, “I want to come back the next year, and like, actually do well.” And I really ramped up the training that year. And then I went back the next year and did really well. I remember, I got fourth into GS. And after coming down the first round, I was kind of in shock. And then the next day, I kept doing well and ended up second, and then that's when I qualified for like the junior national team. So that was definitely a very big turning point. I was like, “Wow, I didn't know I was going to do that well.” So yeah, I think that was a big turning point in my career. Lastly, for people who maybe want to get into skiing, or for younger people who are looking about how they can get into the sport, what is your advice for them? I think that there are so many race programs, so I would just say don't be discouraged if you're starting even with a small ski resort race program. It's so much fun. And most of all, the community that skiing has is super, super special, and really unique. So I think that is a great reason to join it. And hopefully they love it. It's an awesome sport, so I would encourage anyone to try it out. Of course, it's not just the Olympics driving headlines this time of year: Ash Barty just became the first Australian woman to win the Australian Open since 1978, the Super Bowl is set, and college basketball championships are just around the corner. In case you missed it, February 2 was the Women's Sports Foundation's 36th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day. To celebrate, hundreds of community programs, schools, and professional sports teams across the country are hosting events to get people active and recognize the achievements of women in sports. This year, the Foundation itself is hosting a virtual 5K throughout the month of February, as well as a 50-mile challenge stretching to the 50th anniversary of Title IX on June 23. Title IX, of course, is the federal civil rights law that — from the court, to the campus, to the classroom — prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school that receives funding from the federal government. So how is Title IX holding up, 50 years on? To learn more, I spoke with Ithaca College professor and author Ellen Staurowsky, who has co-written a number of reports on Title IX, gender equity, and more for organizations like the Women's Sports Foundation and the National College Players Association. How does Title IX look, 50 years later? In terms of women, 50 years is a terrific time. You come into your own, you gain more power, you look ahead to see how you can take the wisdom of the previous 50 years and really mobilize it to do good in the future. And I think, in a lot of ways, that this anniversary gives us an opportunity to think about that. At the same time, just looking at the state of gender equity in school sports and in college and university athletics, there are all kinds of signs that show that we are not fulfilling the gender equity mandate, and that there's still a great deal of work to be done. I was going to ask about that. Like how do you feel that Title IX is being enforced? What are some of the ways that you feel there's a gap in equity in college sports? I think we're seeing it across the board and every in every area of athletics. Whether we're looking at proportional opportunities available to female athletes relative to their enrollment – we're seeing very large gaps in terms of how many opportunities female athletes could have. We're seeing tremendous gaps that still remain. If we look over the span of 50 years, and we go back to the 25th anniversary, or we go back to 40th anniversary, the spending on recruiting has largely remained unchanged over that entire span of time. In terms of athletic scholarships, there's an expectation that schools are going to offer athletic scholarship support that is proportional to the number of female athletes in an athletic program within 1 percent. There are many schools, in their EADA reports – the EADA report being that public document that people can go to see how spending occurs in athletic departments – and what we're seeing in those documents is that there are many schools that are really quite off the mark from that 1 percent. We do see that some schools are closer in terms of their gender equity patterns. If we look at non-football playing schools versus football-playing schools, junior colleges compared to NCAA institutions, for example, there are some sectors where we're seeing something that looks closer to what it should look like. But there's tremendous work that needs to be done. How do we go about implementing some changes to make sure that these things are better monitored and enforced? I think one of the number one things is to make sure that the enforcement mechanism that's supposed to be in place in colleges and universities and in high schools, to make sure that mechanism is working. It was very interesting to me to find reports from the federal government that were showing that there were still schools, maybe just four years ago, that still were not designating Title IX coordinators at their schools. You know, this was a requirement that was expected in the 1970s. And to think that we still have some schools that have not even designated a Title IX coordinator – and then along with that, we have large percentages of employees who still don't know who their Title IX coordinator is – that really is a sign that the commitment to enforcing Title IX on the ground, in schools, is just not happening the way that it should. And even in places where Title IX coordinators are designated, there remains a large amount of either misinformation or lack of information about what Title IX requires, and what it doesn't require. A wonderful former student of mine who's in law school at Drexel, we did a study of Division I Title IX athletics coordinators – and just large portions of that sector, they're not educating people about how to read an EADA, coaches and athletes are not receiving Title IX education. All of those things are things that add up, because you can't hold an institution accountable to what they should be doing under Title IX, if you just have people closest to the action, closest to the athletic department, that don't know what their rights are and what their obligations are. Broadening the subject a little bit, how do you view the overall playing field for women in sports right now? The expression, “It's the best of times and the worst of times” probably applies. Because there's absolutely no question, if you think about the opportunities that were available for girls and women in the early 1970s – we've just seen tremendous growth in all areas of athletics for girls and women. At the same time, we have so many places [that need improvement], and I think if we reflect back, just for a moment, in terms of the NCAA men's and women's tournament last year, and those very stark contrasts in terms of unfair treatment – and this is the nation's premier women's basketball tournament. For that kind of inequity to exist, and then also to have the NCAA external reports reveal that that the women's basketball tournament was not the only tournament, but in fact, there was systemic gender inequities across the entire system – that's really a wake up call for everybody. And then along with that, though, not all people, and not all women, are served equally within the gains that are made. So if we look, for example, through a racial lens, African American women have been largely invisible within the overall scheme of full opportunities in sports. Like basketball and track and field, we've seen that kind of growth, but we have not seen that kind of growth across the board in terms of the large array of other sports that are available. And this is very much in keeping nationally with the fact that women of color, and African American women, have less access to sport opportunities overall. So that's an area that we really, futuristically, need to be addressing. We know that girls typically enter sports later and exit sooner than boys. What do you see as some of the obstacles for girls getting into sports? And how can we address them, particularly for girls of color? We need to be looking at our financial models, and really adopting principles of equity and fairness. You know, it's one thing to sort of have an idea of fairness. I think it's something entirely different when you begin to make decisions and hold yourself accountable, to really see whether or not you're actually doing that on the ledger. And that's really where having principles of gender equity that are written down, and having specific goals about what you want to achieve in a three- and five-year period of time [helps]. I think there is a bit of a disconnection between general support – you know, Title IX has become sort of synonymous with gender equity, it also pulls on our general sense of fairness. So you know, the vast majority of people that you talk to would say that they are relatively supportive of what Title IX's goals are. But what I found, and where I think the conversation needs to happen, is that female athletes in athletic departments – I think their experience is actually different than that broad narrative. I think they notice that they don't get the same kinds of meals. They notice that their gear isn't as good, or the way in which fundraising happens for their programs is different, and that it oftentimes puts more of a burden on them than some of their male colleagues. And certainly, I think one of the areas where we're going to see much more increased scrutiny is in the area of marketing, in the area of television contracts, in the area of promotion, and athletic communications. That whole area of publicity is something that has been in the regulations from the 1970s forward, but I don't think that it's really gotten the kind of scrutiny that I would suspect that we're going to be seeing in the years ahead. And the reason why that becomes so important is that, you know, just as a matter of media exposure – if you don't see female teams regularly, you don't know who to follow. And we've seen all kinds of evidence, from women's gymnastics to women's basketball, to women's volleyball to women's softball, and many, many other sports where, when audiences get exposed to those sports, there are audiences for them. But the mechanism to market those programs within colleges and universities has largely continued to be operating on a 20th Century model, rather than on a 21st Century model. In terms of girls and women of color, you know, within communities, creating safe spaces for girls and women to access sports opportunities is incredibly important. Being able to preserve sport programs within high schools is very important. Trying to have them publicly funded rather than pay-for-play models is incredibly important. There are other kinds of things we could talk about, but those are some of the things that really need to be addressed. Lastly, what are some of the benefits for women of playing sports? We can never underestimate the power of joy. I think all of us who have sport as a passion, we can all relate to the fact that, at some level, we all got bitten by sport joy. So that would be number one. Number two, what we know from the research is a woman's life is incredibly affected over the long term by her participation in sport. We know in terms of long-term health, we know in terms of cognitive functioning, we know in terms of social life, that being able to participate in sport can be incredibly important as a quality of life issue. So all of those things are things that we should take into account. You know, the nation has a stake in this, from the standpoint of the health of our girls and women. Ellen Staurowsky is a professor of sports media at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York and the author of books including: College Athletes for Hire: The Evolution and Legacy of the NCAA Amateur Myth and Women and Sport: A Continuing Journey from Liberation to Celebration. You can learn more about her work at the college's website. To learn more about the Women's Sports Foundation, find a National Girls & Women in Sports Day near you — or to register for the Foundation's virtual 5K and 50-mile challenge — go to womenssportsfoundation.org. That's a wrap on this week's 51%. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's produced by me, Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. A big thanks to Amy Bass, Tricia Mangan, and Ellen Staurowsky for participating in this week's episode. You can also find us on Twitter and Instagram @51percentradio. Let us know how we're doing, and if you have a story you'd like to share as well. Until next week, I'm Jesse King for 51%.

Beijing 2022 Preview: Mark Hanretty on Figure Skating; Valerie Maltais on Speed Skating and Short Track Welcome to the latest episode of The Ice Skating Podcast – with the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games  just three days away! On this pod we are joined by the marvellous ISU commentator Mark Hanretty, who offers up a razor-sharp preview of Figure Skating at Beijing 2022. Whether you're a fan of Nathan Chen, Yuzuru Hanyu, Anna Shcherbakova, Kamila Valieva, Alexandra Trusova, or one of the incredible pairs or ice dance couples, Mark has got all the insight you need.After that, we've got the two-for-one value of Valerie Maltais of Canada, who is headed out to her fourth Olympic Winter Games. Maltais has been at the last three Games as a Short Track Speed Skater, and offers great insight into that discipline - but she is at Beijing 2022 as a Speed  Skater, and part of the Canada women's Team Pursuit squad that are in with a great chance of winning a medal. The Ice Skating Podcast is brought to you every week during Beijing 2022, hosted by Luke Norman and  Nick Moore.

US Nationals was a heck of a superspreader, er, figure skating competition! The top 7 men laid it down in the short program, and went on to lay down some chaos in the free skate. Ice Dance saw some nail biters and some boy bands as the top teams battled for the gold medal, and that coveted third Olympic spot.In the Men's event, we saw either Guy Fieri, Hot Cheetos, or the Eye of Sauron on Nathan Chen's new fiery costume, a triumphant Camden Pulkinen, and a sad boot incident for our disco dancing king, Yaroslav Paniot.In Ice Dance, we ah ah ah'ed our way through our recap, wondering how many sweatshirts Evan Bates really had on, bopping our heads to Eva Pate and Logan Bye's Bye Bye Bye RD, and crying over both Hawayek and Baker, and Green and Parsons' free dances.Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:30) - News: Reed/Ambrulevičius(03:18) - ICE DANCE (03:43) - Eva Pate & Logan Bye (07:34) - Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko (11:08) - Katarina Wolfkostin & Jeffrey Chen(13:50) - Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville(16:57) - Caroline Green & Michael Parsons(20:06) - Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker(25:37) - Madison Hubbell & Zach Donohue(30:37) - Madison Chock & Evan Bates(34:48) - MEN(35:21) - Artur Dmitriev Jr.(41:08) - Yaroslav Paniot(45:15) - Jimmy Ma(48:42) - Camden Pulkinen(53:18) - Jason Brown(56:35) - Vincent Zhou(1:00:56) - Ilia Malinin(1:06:14) - Nathan Chen(1:18:32) - Kiss & Cry: Team Selections(1:25:59) - Outro------------------------------------------------Follow our figure skating podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lutzgetdownpod/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/lutzgetdownpod And to work with us please contact lutzgetdownpod@gmail.com Logo design by @dezisartvibes on Instagramxx Joce & Clauds

It is the second senior Grand Prix event of the season and we are already exhausted, and the men's continued chaos does not help one bit. Fortunately in this Skate Canada Men and Ice Dance episode, there were some relieving and joyful moments as well.In the Ice Dance event, we pleaded with Zach Lagha to sell his Rio beak masks, continued to be both 3000 and 8 and 2000 and late with another Boom Boom Pow program, and gave bold predictions about Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier on the Olympic podium.In the Men's event, we were worried about Keegan Messing (although very much appreciated the photos of Lane and Wyatt in the K&C), and surprised by the sudden appearance of Avril Lavigne in the Matrix. We also breathed a collective sigh of relief for Nathan Chen (but not for Raf).Timestamps(00:00) - Intro(01:15) - ICE DANCE(01:55) - Haley Sales & Nikolas Wamsteeker(04:55) - Elizaveta Shanaeva & Devid Naryzhnyy(08:55) - Christina Carreira & Anthony Ponomarenko(10:52) - Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson(15:08) - Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha(19:29) - Diana Davis & Gleb Smolkin(26:23) - Caroline Green & Michael Parsons(29:05) - Olivia Smart & Adrian Diaz(31:00) - Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri(32:46) - Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier(36:38) - MEN(37:20) - Roman Sadovsky(39:20) - Tomoki Hiwatashi(41:51) - TANAKA Keiji(44:35) - Conrad Orzel(47:16) - Alexander Samarin(51:03) - YAMAMOTO Sota(53:29) - Morisi Kvitelashvili(56:22) - Keegan Messing(1:01:10) - Makar Ignatov(1:04:32) - Evgeni Semenenko(1:06:46) - Jason Brown(1:09:29) - Nathan Chen(1:14:49) - Situation with Rafael Artyunyan(1:16:22) - Outro------------------------------------------------Follow our figure skating podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lutzgetdownpod/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/lutzgetdownpod And to work with us please contact lutzgetdownpod@gmail.com Logo design by @dezisartvibes on Instagramxx Joce & Clauds

Would it really be a men's event if chaos did not abound? We will never know the answer to that as at Skate America, we again did not see peace. We talked about how everyone should lay off Nathan Chen and how we love happy and confident Vincent Zhou and the benefits of skating to a program with your name as the title. We also questioned who Joce's clubbing buddy is now that Uno Shoma is skating to Vivaldi and Bolero, and cried for and with Kevin Aymoz while joining the audience for a standing ovation.In the dance event, we pondered the placement of Yehor Yehorov's worm-ing on the ice, dated ourselves by revealing how old we were when Boom Boom Pow topped the charts, and learned the true meaning of Too Darn Hot with Evan Bates' highly insulated free dance costume.Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:07) - ICE DANCE(02:38) - Molly Cesanek & Yehor Yehorov(05:06) - Carolane Soucisse & Shane Firus(06:04) - Natalia Kaliszek & Maksym Spodyriev(06:37) - KOMATSUBARA Misato & Tim Koleto(09:28) - Annabelle Morozov & Andrei Bagin(13:11) - Olivia Smart & Adrian Diaz(16:00) - Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sørensen(17:55) - Madison Chock & Evan Bates(23:19) - Madison Hubbell & Zach Donohue(26:06) - MEN(26:23) - Kevin Aymoz(28:52) - Artur Danielian(30:27) - Adam Siao Him Fa(33:27) - Nam Nguyen(36:15) - Daniel Grassl(39:19) - Michal Brezina(40:50) - Jimmy Ma(44:09) - SATO Shun(46:44) - Nathan Chen(54:28) - UNO Shoma(58:03) - Vincent Zhou(1:02:46) - Outro------------------------------------------------Follow our figure skating podcast on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lutzgetdownpod/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/lutzgetdownpod And to work with us please contact lutzgetdownpod@gmail.com Logo design by @dezisartvibes on Instagramxx Joce & Clauds

In Need to Know, Dwayne Alexander Smith's "Forty Acres" is reviewed as part of the W&W Book Club. When casting the book, Bianca and Isaiah can't agree on any of the actors! In All the Feels, the co-hosts discuss how mental health and sports should probably be separated, while fully celebrating Team USA for its success thus far.  In Gotta Do, listeners are encouraged to dust off their 2021 vision boards and make good use of the five remaining months of the year.