Ep 115 Hope Really Is a Prison

Rebecca Schumejda is an excellent narrative poet and editor of Trailer Park Quarterly. In this podcast we discuss her ekphrastic collaboration with old friend of the podcast Jason Baldinger. Hope is a Prison is a collection of photographs from a former prison and sanitarium while Rebecca’s poetry tells the story of the complicated life of Liberty, a child who has seen the worst of what this world has to offer. We also discuss her books Sentenced and Waiting at the Dead End Diner. If you like this podcast, be sure to tune into the Hope is a Prison Virtual Book Launch on November 15, 2024

I swear once, because I have to.

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Ep 114 Shannon Norman’s New Groove

Shannon Norman is a Pittsburgh based standup comic, barber, and runs the Good Enough Comedy Showcase. Shannon also is recording a new comedy album on September 14, 2024. Instead of talking about his new album, I engage in cynical self-promotion, we discuss being an insufferable college radio DJ, and we do talk a bit about writing comedy in the shadow of bad teenage poetry.

You really should get tickets to Shannon’s show, or another Good Enough Comedy Showcase, and maybe give Human Raccoon a listen, though it was a different Shannon Norman than the Shannon Norman that’s Shannon Normaning right now.

Yes, we swear.

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Ep 113: John Dorsey is Really Good at Writing John Dorsey Poems

This episode is about a poet I try (and fail) at emulating. John Dorsey is profoundly prolific and prolific at being profound. He publishes on average 8 to 10 books a year. This includes his greatest hits collection from the last 3 years Holocaust Agave, the forthcoming Farewell Tour from Tangerine Press in the UK, and several titles from Spartan Press. He will also be soon appearing in the Literarium. He also does a subscription model which you can find out about on John’s Facebook. You can also find him on tour in March of 2024 at Mac’s Backs on Coventry in Cleveland and Daredevil Records in Niagara Falls, as well as many other things.

Seriously, just follow John Dorsey on Facebook to find out more.

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Ep 112 Renaissance Gem

Gem Fair does literally everything, from writing about music for Pitchfork, to making music as Space Buns Forever, drumming for Big Baby, Playing second bass for Larval State, and being the front man for Positive Thinking. Gem does it all, including some stuff we forgot, like being a ring announcer for Enjoy Wrestling. And like everyone one this podcast who practices in more than one medium, we go deep on what parts of the human brain get exorcise with each medium, as well as what it means to make art before the apocalypse. Finally, be sure to check out Gem’s podcast A Dog With a Mullet.

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Ep 111 American Aorta

Old friend Jason Baldinger is back with a new book and new conversation. Jason did a lot of reading from his new book American Aorta, and American Aorta comes with its own playlist! As always, Jason is super funny, engaging, and honest. Our conversation ranges from rust belt memories, travel, and the craft of poetry. Jason reads a poem about a famous Ben Shahn painting and many others. Catch Jason reading at the Poets Building Bridges Series on February 10, 2024.

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Ep 110 Dr. Hazel Contains Multitudes

Dr. Hazel is a botanist, punk bassist, artist, zine publisher, and as you will hear in this podcast, intellectual powerhouse. I learned a lot about the natural world and tried not to sound stupid. Check out her art on Instagram, and see more things Dr. Hazel created on Tumblr, Hear her talk more about post-industrial ecology on the Plant Pals Podcast.

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Ep 109 Miracles that Keep Charlie Brice Going

For this episode I sit down with Pittsburgh Poet Charlie Brice to talk about his 7th and soon to be 8th books. In the process we talk about the power of humor and the persistence of memory in poetry. Charlie’s book Miracles that Keep Me Going is out now, and the best way to purchase a copy is to get one from Charlie at charlie.brice[at]gmail[dot]com, or come to the Miracles that Keep Me Going Book Launch Party at Riverstone Books in Squirrel Hill.

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Ep. 108 Rust Belt Resurrections

If you can believe it, Jason Baldinger is back on the podcast! HOWEVER, Jason is with us to talk about his new adventures as a photographer. Right before he departed to set up his gallery show at the Osage Arts Community, Jason and I discuss the ways in which poetry and photography often come from the same impulse, the beauty of decay, and how editing is its own act of discovery. Check out Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp to engage with his poetry, and check out Jason’s Instagram to see some of his photography.

Swearing always.

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Ep 107: Great Guy is Finally Here

Damon Di Ciccio and Michael Sanchez first started working on the film The Return of Great Guy in 2005, they shot it in 2006, and several hard drive crashes, cross-country moves, and a poop ton of perseverance later, The Return of Great Guy is finally ready to be seen. Listen to me geek out about this delightful, smart, and funny film as Damon and Michael talk about what it means to see a project like this through to the end. We discuss what it means to make a film without a budget, and what to do when the cops show up to your set. As of right now, they are shopping the film around to festivals, but if you are extra special nice to them through The Return of Great Guy Facebook Page, maybe you can work something out.

As always, swearing.

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Ep. 106: This Still Life

We’re back from another unplanned, unannounced hiatus, and who knows, this could be the beginning of another one. Old friends Jason Baldinger and James Benger discuss their new split poetry collection This Still Life. In our discussion, we talk about what it means to work on a collection like this, James and Jason read, and during The Bottom 5, we accidentally discover while rock music is cool and so are lots of rock bands, a lot of folks who are in rock bands aren’t cool. You can buy This Still Life on James Benger’s Bandcamp Page. And you can get a bunch of other cool stuff on Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp Page. You can hear James and Jason read at Swordfish Tom’s on Sunday, September 18, 2022.

As always, we swear.

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