I had the immense honor of speaking with a guest I have admired for well over a decade: author, retired broadcaster, and advocate Jeff Bell . Discovering Jeff’s groundbreaking books—his memoir Rewind, Replay, Repeat and his invaluable guide When in Doubt, Make Belief —profoundly shaped my own perspective on navigating life after my own OCD diagnosis. During our conversation, Jeff openly shared his powerful journey of navigating an elaborate "double life" while hosting a major radio program in th...
Jun 05, 2026•22 min•Ep. 385
In today's episode Kyler sits down with Los Angeles singer-songwriter Bella Beau to explore the deeply visual qualities of her music. The literary podcast found a natural connection in her cinematic single "Mask of Flowers," which she notes is heavily inspired by her vivid dreams, the gothic styling of Tim Burton, and the dark themes of The Picture of Dorian Gray . The conversation highlights her early immersion in the L.A. music scene, where her childhood fascination with film composers like Da...
Jun 04, 2026•15 min•Ep. 385
Kyler sits down with author Victoria Hetherington to discuss her timely new book, The Friend Machine: On the Trail of AI Companionship . Shifting from science fiction to real-world journalism, Hetherington explores the stories of people forming deep bonds with artificial minds to combat an "epidemic of loneliness". She emphasizes that artificial intimacy lacks the vital, real-world friction and intervention that only human relationships can provide. To hear the full interview, click here, look f...
Jun 03, 2026•54 min•Ep. 384
I sat down with filmmaker and producer Sophie Power following her trip to the Cannes Film Festival . We discussed her 11-minute experimental documentary short, Whatever A Son Will Always Sing . Bypassing the heavy-handed exposition of traditional documentaries, the film uses professional actors and a dreamscape visual approach to blend fiction with real-life interviews. Sophie spoke with 50 different women about the exact, pivotal moment they were forced to grow up, ultimately weaving together f...
Jun 01, 2026•22 min•Ep. 383
In the latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt , Kyler sits down with the team behind Working Girls Press to discuss their new anthology, I Hate My Job . Joining the conversation are press co-founders Molly Simmons and Emily Marie Passos Duffy, along with the book’s editor, Adrie Rose. Born from a shared desire to publish uncensored, nuanced perspectives on the sex work industry, the independent press deliberately challenges mainstream publishing's obsession with tidy "redemption arcs". Instead, I Hate...
May 29, 2026•42 min•Ep. 382
On the latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt , I sat down with author Perrin Pring to talk about her novel, Cash and Gravity , which releases on May 26th from Diversion Books . The story is set in a near future where six mega-corporations have essentially supplanted global governments. It follows Chevy Cole, a military grunt who unexpectedly ends up on the run with a stolen mobile fusion device that everyone is trying to track down. Perrin shared how the initial spark for the book came from a convers...
May 26, 2026•38 min•Ep. 381
What happens when a mid-level drug dealer gets killed, instantly wakes up inside the body of a newborn baby with his adult consciousness completely intact, and decides to spend his childhood plotting revenge? That is the bizarre, hilarious, and strangely heartwarming premise behind Imagine My Surprise! , the latest novel by K.S. Haddock . Originally conceived all the way back in 2008 as a piece of auto-fiction—where he used his own name and those of his real-life friends—the manuscript sat on a ...
May 22, 2026•40 min•Ep. 380
On today’s episode of Salt Lake Dirt , I am thrilled to welcome author, coach, and actor Jamie Rose to discuss her new book, Facing Madame X: The Tools for Women . Mixing memoir with practical tools, Jamie explores how to address everyday emotional pressures, cultivate life force, and step into forward momentum. We discuss the profound beauty of learning to embrace uncertainty and some of the practical exercises she uses to guide people forward. We talk about her original journal exercise called...
May 19, 2026•39 min•Ep. 379
On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I had a great time chatting with Lauren C. Johnson about her novel, The West Façade . The story is set in 1348 Paris and follows the statues of Notre Dame. In the novel, they actually get one night of life every new moon, but they aren't supposed to interact with the human world at all. Things get complicated when the main character, Sainte Geneviève, tastes a piece of fruit left by a mourner. That one moment of human sensation basically changes everything for ...
May 15, 2026•37 min•Ep. 378
In this latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I was so happy to welcome filmmaker Michelle Bossy back to the show. Michelle is someone who stays incredibly busy—she’s actually directed 20+ short films and two features at this point—so it’s always a treat to catch up with her and see what she’s been working on. This time around, we took a deep dive into two of her latest short films, "We Regret to Inform You" and "Exception(al)," both of which have been making some serious noise on the festival circu...
May 12, 2026•24 min•Ep. 377
On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I had the pleasure of talking with writer Jennifer Ostopovich . Based in Calgary, Canada, Jennifer shares her fascinating path from being an obsessive childhood reader to becoming a "pandemic writer". Despite being what she calls a "lousy student" who struggled with the sensory overload of traditional classrooms, she was reading adult novels by Stephen King and Clive Barker as early as second grade. Growing up in a rural trailer park without cable or a telephon...
May 08, 2026•33 min•Ep. 376
SLD MIXTAPE Special: Pain and Yearning with Leah Lawson Musician Leah Lawson joined me for this episode of the Salt Lake Dirt Mixtape to talk about the themes of Pain and Yearning . We got into how music works as a "balm" or medicine for the human condition, helping people process complex emotions. We talked about the vulnerability of songwriting and how music that starts out as something personal often ends up being for everyone else. Leah mentioned she is a "lyrics-first" person when...
May 05, 2026•4 min
We are trying out a new format for some of our radio episodes on KPCR . I’ll be inviting former guests back to the studio to act as guest DJs, curated around a specific theme for every episode. For those who want to listen on the go, these radio specials will now be available as a Spotify playlist. Episode 1: Heartbreak with Liv Rylan My first guest for this series is the incredible musician Liv Rylan . We decided to kick things off with a theme that is arguably the reason music was invented in ...
Apr 30, 2026•5 min•Ep. 374
Ross Barkan ’s latest novel, Colossus , introduces us to Teddy Starr, a charismatic pastor and real estate mogul in small-town Michigan who embodies the quintessential American success story. Yet, beneath the polished veneer of his multimillion-dollar empire and "All-American" family life lies a calculated web of deception and a past he is actively outrunning. During our conversation, Ross noted that while Teddy is a man of God, he is equally a man of intense materialism, frequently justifying b...
Apr 28, 2026•43 min•Ep. 373
I recently sat down with author Victoria Hood to talk about her latest collection, Destroy Me, Desecrate My Bones . Victoria has a way of capturing the strange, often uncomfortable tensions of everyday life, and it was interesting to hear her talk about her "unapologetically weird" style and why she finds herself drawn to the "vibe" of a story—the mood and the setting—just as much as the plot itself. We also got into the realities of being a writer today, from the grind of submitting to literary...
Apr 24, 2026•41 min•Ep. 372
I had a great time talking with poet Dylan Krieger about her latest collection, No One Is Daddy . Dylan has such a sharp, singular voice, and we spent a lot of time talking about how she uses humor and linguistic play to navigate some pretty heavy themes like religious and patriarchal trauma. It was interesting to hear her perspective on the "Southern Gothic" identity and how growing up in a certain kind of environment shaped her need to push back against literal and figurative authority figures...
Apr 21, 2026•50 min•Ep. 371
I recently had the chance to chat with author David Fishkind to talk about his new book, Don't Step Into My Office . I picked this book up about a month ago and it immediately grabbed me—it is exactly the kind of writing I dig, and I have a feeling a lot of you will feel the same way. David describes the book as a "maximalist" mix of neo-noir, murder mystery, and family dramedy. It follows a protagonist named Jacob Garlicker who stumbles into a murder on a beach in 2016 and then basically spends...
Apr 17, 2026•38 min•Ep. 370
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with two of my favorite creators, Todd Hughes and Tim Kirk, for a special episode of Salt Lake Dirt . These two have such a unique history—they grew up together in California and have been collaborating on films since they were twelve years old. It was great to hear them reminisce about their early days shooting Super 8 shorts like Whopper , which surprisingly ended up being cited in a book on exploitation cinema decades later. Their chemistry is exact...
Apr 14, 2026•46 min•Ep. 369
I've always loved reading as a way to step into another person's perspective, which is exactly why Natalie Davis ’s new memoir, Saying Yes: My Adventures in Polyamory , caught my eye. Natalie spent years writing legal briefs for the Department of Justice before pivoting to a much more vulnerable form of storytelling. What started as emails to a friend evolved into a decade-long chronicle of her transition from a traditional monogamous marriage into the world of consensual non-monogamy. We had a ...
Apr 10, 2026•48 min•Ep. 368
Today I had the chance to sit down with V.N. Alexander to talk about her new novel, The Girlie Playhouse (Heresy Press 4.7.26) I completely devoured this book. It’s a first-person account narrated by a dancer named Pixie, who is trying to make sense of her world and the memory of her mother. What really pulled me in wasn't just the setting of the cabaret, but the way Alexander handles the internal lives of these women. They aren't characters to feel sorry for; they are people with incredible age...
Apr 08, 2026•43 min•Ep. 367
Elle Nash - Episode 366 Kyler sits down with author Elle Nash to discuss the practical side of maintaining a long-term writing career. Following the release of her most recent novel, Deliver Me , Elle shares her perspective on the creative process and the importance of pacing oneself to avoid hitting a wall. The conversation covers the realities of the publishing industry and the need to protect your mental energy while staying committed to the craft. Instead of focusing on the "hustle," they ex...
Feb 09, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 366
In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt , Kyler reports from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival—the final year of the festival’s historic run in Park City. Kyler sits down with actor and musician Aaron Conte to discuss his role in the episodic project The Screener , a series created by Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe that tackles the high-stakes world of white-collar crime and the protection of independent film. Beyond the new series, Aaron reflects on his roots in the 1990s New York music scene as a founding...
Feb 01, 2026•25 min•Ep. 365
On today's episode Kyler welcomes filmmaker Matthew Avant to discuss his compelling new documentary pilot, Roots and Relics . Inspired by his father’s passion for history and a lifetime spent visiting historic sites, Matthew has created a show that focuses on the deep-seated stories behind family heirlooms. The conversation explores the project's origins, starting with Matthew’s early days filming family interviews in 2001 and evolving into a series that uses unique artifacts as windows into the...
Jan 11, 2026•21 min•Ep. 364
In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt , Kyler Bingham talks with award-winning biographer Carla Kaplan about her latest book, Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford . Jessica Mitford, or "Decca," was a member of the famously eccentric British aristocracy who famously defected from her privileged upbringing to become a passionate Marxist and a legendary muckraking journalist in America. Kaplan discusses the fascinating and often dark history of the six Mitford sisters—whose lives sp...
Jan 04, 2026•36 min•Ep. 363
In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt , Kyler Bingham sits down with actor and producer Shaun Wu to discuss his compelling new narrative pilot, Henry by the Hour , which is making its world premiere at Dances With Films in New York. Inspired by the real-world "rental family" services in Japan and the pervasive sense of modern isolation, Shaun explores the profound "beautiful sadness" of paid companionship. The series follows Henry, a professional "rental friend" who navigates the unique needs of his...
Jan 04, 2026•19 min•Ep. 362
In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt , I’m joined by director Deborah Correa to discuss her new film, The War Between . Based on a story and novella by Ron Yungul, the film explores a lesser-known chapter of the American Civil War: the conflict within the Arizona Territory and New Mexico. Deborah shares the fascinating history behind the California Column , a volunteer force that pushed the Confederacy out of Southern California and Arizona, and discusses how the production achieved such striking a...
Dec 28, 2025•23 min•Ep. 361
How does our awareness evolve, and what role does kindness play in that journey? Brian Joel Jolly ( Evolving Awareness: Why Kindness Matters ) joins Kyler to discuss consciousness and his unique take on the biblical creation story. It’s a conversation about how we see the world, how we connect with one another, and why our perspective on "reality" changes everything. Great book, great chat! --- Episode Links: Purchase Evolving Awareness MakeLessNoise.com...
Dec 22, 2025•41 min•Ep. 360
Kyler welcomes back a long-time friend of the show, author Chip Jacobs . Chip is here to chat about his brand new novel, Later Days . The book is a personal one—it weaves together parts of Chip's own life and the moving story of his friend Tom, all set during their high school years. We dive deep into friendship, forgiveness, and how memory shapes us. Great book, great chat! Thanks for listening. --- Episode Links: PURCHASE Later Days Chip's Website...
Dec 14, 2025•41 min•Ep. 359
This week, we sit down with filmmaker Joe D'Ovidio . Joe joins us to discuss his short film, A Drive at Dawn , which has been a strong presence on the festival circuit, including a run at the highly-regarded FilmQuest . Find Joe D'Ovidio on Instagram: @joe.dovidio Thanks for listening! Kyler
Dec 14, 2025•13 min•Ep. 358
Today on the show I welcome back Bruce Wagner . Bruce is one of my all-time favorite authors and he is here to talk about his latest novel AMPUTATION . "AMPUTATION is the first novel to be written about the inferno that obliterated two Los Angeles cities in January of 2025. Major characters are comedian Stephen Colbert; Karen Bass; a Timothée Chalamet stunt double; a fiercely pro-Palestinian heiress and her Zionist father; disgraced Grey’s Anatomy writer Elisabeth Finch and a failed indie film p...
Nov 30, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 357
