Luke Ryan was raised in the US, Pakistan and Thailand. He survived a school shooting. He was an Army Ranger. And instead of writing a memoir or three, he opted for post-apocalyptic fiction, authoring The First Marauder . Borrowing from the tradition of Hemingway, Joseph Conrad and George Orwell, Luke has somewhat intentionally sought to build a trove of adventurous life experiences from which he can now mine his fiction. We talk about the book, but we talk about so much more - everything from th...
Nov 15, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 9
Savage Wonder podcast, Episode 8 - part II of our conversation with Roman Baca. How does a Marine machine gunner transition from Fallujah, Iraq back to being a professional dancer? How does wartime experience in Iraq change Roman's purpose? How does dance help Roman return to Iraq? You don't want to miss this conversation. . . Exit12 Dance Company Veterans Repertory Theater
Nov 08, 2021•2 hr•Ep. 8
USMC machine gunner, veteran of Fallujah, Iraq in 2005...professional dancer. Yeah, you read that right. Roman Baca is neither an ordinary Marine nor an ordinary dancer. What makes a professional dancer want to join the Marine Corps? Does he tell anyone he's a dancer? What does Marine Corps fitness do for his dancing? So many questions and Roman had no shortage of humble, articulate, intelligent answers. Such an enjoyable, articulate interview that we couldn't finish it in one sitting. This is P...
Nov 01, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 7
Doc Oliver is a Singer-Songwriter based out of the Central Coast of California. He is also a medically retired Navy Corpsman with two deployments to Afghanistan. On August 31, 2021 on the day the US pulled out of Afghanistan, Doc released his first record “Welcome Home” which is an autobiographical record about his life pre-, during, and post- Operation Enduring Freedom. The record was engineered by Grammy winner Mark Rains at his studio Station House in Los Angeles, and Mastered by multi Grammy...
Oct 25, 2021•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 6
Mason Rodrigue is a former USMC machine gunner with multiple overseas deployments. He is currently a professional poet and writer about to finish his first poetry collection. Show Notes Support Mason Rodrigue here . Follow Mason Rodrigue here . Savage Wonder literary blog Veterans Repertory Theater @veteransrepertorytheater...
Oct 18, 2021•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 5
Nicholas Luchenbill is a photographer who has been featured in Dek Unu Magazine , The Esthetic Apostle , and Fraction Magazine . His photography has been juried at Crossland Gallery, El Paso, Texas, won first place at the New Mexico Veteran’s Art Show, won the Prix de Photographie at Salon International Art Résilience, Saint-Frajou Art Museum, France, and won People's Choice at the International Museum of Art. He is also an Army veteran who served 10 years on active duty, including three combat ...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 4
Lilla Faint is the Managing Director of the Veterans Repertory Theater. She served in the Army for a decade, including assignments with the 101st Airborne and JSOC. She is also a military spouse, a mother, and a lifelong, singer, dancer, and musician. Show Notes Veterans Repertory Theater @veteransrepertorytheater Savage Wonder literary blog...
Oct 04, 2021•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 3
Dr. Donnelly Wilkes, is the author of Code Red Fallujah: A Doctor's Memoir at War . He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Wilkes obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and his medical degree from Tulane School of Medicine on a full Navy Scholarship. Following medical school, Dr. Wilkes was commissioned in the U.S. Navy, completed residency training in family medicine at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and served seven years on a...
Sep 26, 2021•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 2
Charlie Faint is an active duty Army intelligence officer, the owner of the Havok Journal, founder of Second Mission Foundation , and board member of the Veterans Repertory Theater . He is currently the Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point Military Academy. He served seven tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and over the course of his career was assigned to units including the 101st Airborne Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Speci...
Sep 12, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 1
Savage Wonder is a podcast about warriors and artists. It features long-form, one-on-one conversations with people who have a foot in both the world of the artist and the world of the warrior. It is produced by the Veterans Repertory Theater, a creative hub for talented veterans and world-class performers to create compelling live theater and events. Show Notes Veterans Repertory Theater @veteransrepertorytheater...
Sep 12, 2021•4 min
