Musicologist Cary Ginell joins us to talk about his new book, "Carefully Taught: American History through Broadway Musicals." Cary is a wealth of information about music in general (and lots of other topics too!), but especially about musicals. Here he talks about musicals that were fairly accurate from a historical standpoint, or why they strayed, and others that stomped all over history with wild abandon. He also couches their creation or production in the time period they covered or during wh...
Nov 11, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 253
John Julius Reel's new memoir, My Half Orange , is a sweet story of John moving to Seville, Spain and meeting his better half and starting a family. Join us for this intimate conversation about John's maturation into a family man, to his surprise and joy, along with his revelations about learning Spanish and Sevillian ways. The son of Bill Reel, the well known New York Daily News columnist, as well as the creator of the popular YouTube channel Book Rants, John also shares his insights about writ...
Nov 04, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 252
Bill and Jennifer cover over 40 songs in this fun fast-moving discussion of scary songs, ranging from creepy-sounding songs to songs that are especially horrifying because they don't sound scary at all. From old murder ballads to kicky pop tunes, lyrics about serial killers, theme songs, earworm songs, mysterious odes, nursery rhymes, songs designed to scare your parents, ghoulish tales we love, and those we never (ever) want to hear again, we cover the gamut! Write in and tell us what we forgot...
Oct 27, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 251
Join us for a fun episode as we chat with Ben Vaughn about the art and pitfalls of the Mix Tape, a passion of Bill's and mine. We talk about why we do it, the selection process, transitions, the dreaded fadeout, and the outrage of some devices jumbling the song order thereby ruining—ruining, I tell you—our genius segues. We also discuss old radio DJs, song dedications, teenagers, and nostalgia. Ben talks about how he selects music for his radio show, The Many Moods of Ben Vaughn, his latest proj...
Oct 20, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 250
Join us as we welcome Jeff Keane, the current cartoonist of Family Circus, the incredibly successful one-panel cartoon, now over 60 years old and featured in 1500 newspapers worldwide. Jeff talks about the real-life family behind the cartoon; his dad, Bil, the originator of the cartoon; the National Cartoonists Society; humor; creativity; and all kinds of fun things. A wonderful episode with Bill Aho co-hosting. Where to see the Family Circus cartoons: https://comicskingdom.com/family-circus/arc...
Oct 08, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 249
Animation Resources is a non-profit with a terrific website where a wealth of creative material awaits you! Members also receive a monthly packet of interesting surprises, both old and new. Director Stephen Worth joins us today to talk about what animation is (very intriguing answers), his background, the origins of Animation Resources, what AI could do for the field, how animation could go so far beyond Disney, and creativity in general. It's a wonderful, thought-provoking episode. With Bill Ah...
Sep 15, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 248
Steve Boyle and Webb Wilder join us to present a project that has been in the works for decades and will emerge this year, we hope, on a radio near you! In the 1980s, Steve and Webb began working on a neo-noir detective series, riffing on the anti-commercial commercials that they produced for Hard Rock Cafe back in the day. It came from Nashville, first in the form of a proposed TV series, then a script, then a book, then an audiobook, and now a full-fledged radio show. You'll also get to hear t...
Jun 17, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 247
Join us as author David Sax returns to talk about two books, "The Revenge of Analog" and "The Future Is Analog," one written in 2016 and the recent one written during the pandemic. Jennifer and David talk about the analog / digital aspects of education, work, and housing, as well as delving into teaching, books, humans, and virtual headsets. David's observations are astute, thoughtful, and often funny. Don't miss this fun episode with a lively guest. This episode is sponsored by: mypostglow.com ...
Jun 10, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 246
Join Peter Fulks, a Cerro Coso Community College professor and a leading faculty in the development of the College's Incarcerated Students Education Program, a national leader in face-to-face higher education in prison. Here he takes us through the goals and results of the program, including the remarkable data regarding recidivism, reduction in violence inside the prisons, closing of prisons, and public safety. He talks about the administrative, bureaucratic, and economic challenges that the pr...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 2Ep. 245
Join us for a rollicking conversation with Swamp Dogg, hard-working soul and R&B singer, who has been performing since the 50s and is still going strong. We chat about his long career, his friendship with John Prine, ambitious projects in the works, including yet another album (!) and an associated movie, along with some wacky tangents into parties with coffins, writing songs while drinking, cremation promo calls, and his intimidating keyboard player. Those who know Swamp Dogg, love him, and...
Apr 01, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 244
Join Indiana University College of Arts & Sciences Executive Dean Rick Van Kooten for a terrific conversation, ranging from capitalism to fruit flies. In between we talk about what's included in the College and why, Rick's history at the school (being Canadian and all), experimental physics, research funding, and the first uses of the World Wide Web (probably a lot more fun than what you think). We dig deep into the value and cost of a liberal arts education and mull over alternatives in app...
Feb 03, 2023•58 min•Season 2Ep. 243
Join San Diego native Lauren Leigh Martin, as she talks about her singing career and upcoming second album. She talks about her musical influences: her aunt, Eve Selis; her dad, Claudio Martin; her album co-producer, Jeff Berkeley; and her musical partner, Sam Hunt. The past few years have been a challenge, with breakups, the pandemic, motherhood, and mental health, but Lauren has channeled that into her work and pushed herself to expand musically. Lauren discusses the life of a professional mus...
Jan 04, 2023•59 min•Season 2Ep. 242
Podcaster, poet, and educator Alex Chambers and Jennifer talk about—well, a lot of stuff. We start with "Inner States," Alex's radio show on WFIU from Bloomington, Indiana and chat about people's misconceptions about the Midwest and the Fly-Over states. We talk about how people and sounds form our impressions about a place, sometimes correctly and sometimes incorrectly. Jennifer whines about bad training programs, and Alex offers some advice about good teaching. He contrasts poetry and podcastin...
Dec 24, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 241
Author and humorist Michael Branch joins us to talk about his new book, "On the Trail of the Jackalope: How a Legend Captured the World's Imagination and Helped Us Cure Cancer." He delves into the storied history of the mythological creature, often memorialized as a tongue-in-cheek hunting trophy, as well as its association with the American West, tall tales, and Wall Drug. He explains the phenomenon of the very real horned rabbits and how scientists, building on the work of virologist Richard S...
Dec 16, 2022•53 min•Season 2Ep. 240
Dr. Christiane Wrann, researcher at MGH and associate professor at Harvard, has published some exciting new discoveries about the effect of exercise on the brain, potentially slowing cognitive decline and in some cases even reversing brain deterioration. She takes us through her work in mouse models, how her lab selects and "exercises" the mice, how cognitive decline is measured in mice, and the role of irisin, a hormone that appears to be linked to exercise and brain health. In everyday languag...
Dec 02, 2022•54 min•Season 2Ep. 239
Trina Robbins was memorialized as the first of Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon with her sketches and second-hand clothes, but, don't be fooled, Trina is a serious archivist of feminist art history. She drew for underground newspapers during the Women's Lib movement of the sixties and has published multiple anthologies of early women in comics. In this episode, we discuss many of her books, including her memoir, Last Girl Standing, and the documentary she is featured in, They're Beautiful Wh...
Nov 22, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 238
Join The Walking Dead co-producer and entrepreneur Oleg Livits to talk about this phenomenal show whose eleventh and final season is airing now. The Walking Dead poses as a zombie show, but it is about so much more: survival, lawlessness, community, morality and death. Based on a comic book series, this record-setting and acclaimed AMC+ series has generated 177 episodes and multiple spinoffs; it also boasts an enormous and engaged fan base. Oleg takes us through the show's history, the commitmen...
Oct 19, 2022•1 min•Season 2Ep. 237
Translator Tiffany Tsao joins us to discuss her recent project, the first publication in English of Indonesian writer Budi Darma's collection of short stories, "People from Bloomington." So much to talk about with this book! Darma's usual absurdist but very human eye crosses over here into more realistic fiction although readers familiar with Bloomington, Indiana may find the town rather transformed. The collection was originally published only in Indonesian, so Tiffany takes us through her proc...
Sep 03, 2022•57 min•Season 2Ep. 236
Jeff Berkley, musician, producer, and go-to guy for all things music in San Diego, talks about the current climate for musicians, as well as the old days at Java Joe's in Poway and Ocean Beach. With many projects in the works, he brings us up to speed on who is doing what in town and his new band "Jeff Berkley and the Banned" (we also feature one of their new songs!). Jennifer, Bill, and Jeff mull over some ideas to promote and enhance the music scene in San Diego, and Jeff brings his customary ...
Aug 06, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 235
Poet and novelist Sarah Blake joins us to talk about her new genre-bending novel, Clean Air , a post-apocalyptic narrative centered on one small family and town that (as if they don't have enough to worry about) must cope with a serial killer. It's a fascinating original book about survival, anxiety, and motherhood, but also funny and hopeful. Sarah talks about world-building, her own health experiences, the models for her characters, biology, and writing in general. I loved this interview, and ...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 2Ep. 234
CEO and co-founder, Josh Simons, joins us to talk about Vampr, the world's premier social network for musicians. Founded by two sympathetic Australian musicians, Josh (of Buchanan) and Baz Palmer (of Hunters & Collectors), Vampr has grown to over one million users and has facilitated over seven million connections. Josh takes us inside the algorithms to explain how like-minded musicians find each other and how the platform matches musicians with those of similar skill levels, in part with a ...
Jul 22, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 233
Something that makes the United States special is our constitutional protection of free speech. CEO of Pen America, Suzanne Nossel, joins us to talk about her new (really great) book, Dare to Speak: Defending Free Speech for All , and important aspects of open discourse in today's political and social context. Suzanne addresses the tension between free speech and equity/inclusion considerations, how to talk about free speech without antagonizing people, and that we shouldn't confuse speech with ...
Jul 02, 2022•52 min•Season 2Ep. 232
Author and anthropologist Levi Vonk joins us to discuss his book Border Hacker , co-narrated with Axel Kirschner, a fascinating character caught between countries. Guatemalan by birth but raised in Queens, Axel was deported from the US and met up with Levi when they both joined a migrant caravan traveling through Mexico. Border Hacker is the story of their friendship, their adventures in navigating corrupt systems and entanglements, and the cruelty of American immigration policies. The book is f...
Jun 24, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 231
On the occasion of the publication of his new book, join scientist and author, Danny Nielsen, to talk about writing, reading, and other matters. The new book, Straight Flossin' and Other Stories of the American West, is an exploration of desert landscapes and the flora, fauna, and human characters who inhabit them. Danny talks about what motivates him to write and offers advice for how to keep at it and enjoy it, as well as his background growing up in Alabama surrounded by brothers. Danny has a...
Jun 18, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 230
An irreverent, saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud look at the publishing industry from the Big Five of traditional publishers to self-publishing—particularly the financial aspects of your options. We focus on the likelihood of landing a Big Five contract, whether you even want that, and what you can expect from that experience. We talk in depth about the pros and cons of using an Author Services company, including those masquerading as publishers, and predatory practices to watch out for. Jennifer d...
May 07, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 229
Join William Stout, artist and illustrator, with a specialization in paleontological art, to talk about his long career and getting famous slowly. The span of his work is enormous, both in terms of time, from the sixties to now, and across media: murals, posters, record covers, comics, trading cards—and over 70 movies. He is known for bootleg album covers, such as Who's Zoo, and his cover of Firesign Theatre's In the Next World You're On Your Own . His movie work includes the poster for Wizards ...
Apr 29, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 2Ep. 228
Join Paul Rock and David Jenkins of The Wild Honey Foundation, a non-profit that raises money for charitable causes through cultural events, passing on the passion, creativity, and idealism found in music to future generations. Paul and David reminisce about some of their greatest shows going back decades honoring The Lovin' Spoonful, The Kinks, Brian Wilson, Buffalo Springfield, as well as their live renderings of whole albums, such as the Beatles' White Album and the Band's Music from Big Pink...
Apr 23, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 227
Writer and podcaster, Dan Stalcup, is back to talk more about Enlightened, the HBO show about Amy Jellicoe, who returns from rehab determined to change the world. In this second of two episodes, we discuss the larger themes the show wrestles with: capitalism, meaning, and work, while never missing a chance at a funny line. Written by the great Mike White, the show was before its time and did not find a large audience, but we are sure many viewers would enjoy this nuanced, funny, and endearing sh...
Apr 15, 2022•58 min•Season 2Ep. 226
Returning guest, writer and podcaster, Dan Stalcup, is back to talk about the HBO show Enlightened, written and produced by the great Mike White and starring Laura Dern, Luke Wilson, Diane Ladd, Sarah Burns, Timm Sharp and Mike White himself. Laura Dern as Amy returns from rehab to her corporate job, fired up to share her newly-discovered spiritual enlightenment with the world only to discover the world is not quite ready for her. This endearing comedy drama explores the complexity of humans, es...
Apr 09, 2022•48 min•Season 2Ep. 225
Join Indiana University English Department Chairman and word nerd Michael Adams to talk about a recent acquisition of an enormous collection of dictionaries and associated material by the Lilly Library. The Kripke Collection is a lexicographer's dream, full of books on slang, pirate terms, erotic language, obscenities, regional terms, as well as ephemera, pamphlets, archival material about making and selling dictionaries, and much more! Michael talks about the history of early dictionaries and t...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Season 2Ep. 224
