Author: Matthew Ussia

Episode 65: This Useless Beauty

Frequent, and frequently entertaining, guest Jason Baldinger stops by to discuss the publication of two new books This Useless Beauty and The Ugly Side of the Lake (written with John Dorsey).  During the course of our conversation we discuss American decay, the nostalgia trap, and what it’s like to grow old in an era when everything seems to be falling apart.  You can buy This Useless Beauty from Alien Buddha Press and The Other Side of the Lake from NightBallet Press, or better yet, go to The This Useless Beauty/The Ugly Side of the Lake Dual Launch Party on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at Brillobox.  There is also a launch party in Cleveland at Visible Voice Books on Friday, August 10th.

Jason might be the one guest that swears more than I do.

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Episode 64: Enter the SkullCast 10

Dusty Hanna and Erica Moulinier stop by to talk about the 10th installment of Skull Fest, the internationally known punk festival.  In our conversation we discuss how Skull Fest is like a university, sidewalk pooping, and we collectively geek out about bands like the Cro-Mags, Arctic Flowers, Dark Thoughts, and Blood Pressure.

Skull Fest 10 is happening from August 16 to 19 in 2018 at various locations around Pittsburgh.  Passes are sold out, but tickets to some individual shows are available at skullfestpgh.com.

As always, I swear, and we had one recording hiccup which I don’t think you can hear unless I told you it was there.

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Episode 63: Mad Virginia

Janette Schafer stops by to discuss her new play Mad Virginia, which will be premiering at the Pittsburgh Original Short Play Series at The Glitter Box Theater on July 27th and 28th hosted by Yinz Like Plays?  Mad Virginia chronicles the final moment’s of Virginia Woolf’s life.  During our discussion we explore the romanticised mythos if genius and madness, and I make the WORST Roland Barthes joke ever.

The explicit tag is earned.

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Episode 62: The Dialectics of Falling

For this episode Andrew Fox (aka Andrw Fx) stops by to discuss his new short film and old cassette.  The film is entitled The Dialectics of Falling, and it is based on a poem of the same name.  You can go to The Dialectics of Falling Premier at the Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination on Saturday, July 28, 2018 at 5006 Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh for a mere $5.  We also discuss his cassette release Semiotics Vol. 1: The Kitchen Window & Other Stories on Until the Quasar Cassettes.  And for added spice Andrew learns that I don’t actually edit these podcasts unless guests accidentally confess to crimes or could lose their employment.  Instead, we like to grip it and rip it.

The explicit tag is earned.

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Episode 61: For the Love of Hardcore

For our first podcast in a million, billion years Eric Montanez stops by to discuss his encyclopedic knowledge of hardcore, and his personal quest to find hardcore records.  In the process, we reminisce about what it was like to be a music fan before the internet, we geek out over what it was like to first learn about punk, and we discover why the drive for knowledge is a vice, but nothing is worse than the sin of complacency.  We also talk a lot about life in medieval Europe for some reason and the book Noise: The Political Economy of Music, which I know I talk about way too much on this podcast. Eric is currently in the great bands Blood Pressure and S.L.I.P.

And always, there’s swearing.

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Episode 60: The Lovelorn Lines

For this episode, friend of the podcast Stephanie Brea stops by to read some of her poems, the Valentines Day poems of Ted Kooser, and I bungle the bottom 5 by asking a question I asked her on our last episode from December.  Most importantly however, in a new frontier for the podcast Stephanie adds answers real life questions about love, because she is the Jim Leyland of love!

Stephanie will have a great book out someday, it will be called Broken Bottles, Broken Hearts, and as always I swear

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Episode 59: Bah Humbug

Celebrating the holidays We’re All Gonna Die style, Jason Baldinger and Stephanie Brea stop by to talk about the Bah Humbug Reading that’s happening Sunday night (Dec, 17, 2017) at 8 at the Brillobox.  Jason is no stranger to the pod, and you’ll all get to know Stephanie better around Valentine’s Day.

In our conversation we discuss the unique pressures of living and working during the holidays.  We also speak of the merits of books that end in the word “head” and why burning is worse than drowning.  We also preview works that will be on stage Sunday night (yes folks, your faithful host will be reading too).  We hope to see you at Bah Humbug, the $5 suggested donation benefits the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at a crucial moment during the holiday season.

Swearing as usual.

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Episode 58: Deathrock Jubilee

For this episode goth DJ, record label founder, and accountant Erica Moulinier stops by to talk death, rock, deathrock, accounting, and the importance of creating an infrastructure for the things you love.

Along the way, we talk punk culture, the philosophy of Ernst Cassirer, being addicted to the joy of discovery, and fond memories of counting change at grandma’s house.  Oh, and we also chat about why Morrissey makes us sadder now than ever.

Erica is a DJ for the Second Skin, a regular goth dance series at Brillobox in Pittsburgh.  Erica also has started a record label called Play Alone Records, that is poised to take over the world in 2018.  She is also offers accounting services for dreamers and misanthropes at her business Moulin Consulting.

And as always, I can’t help but say the F-word.

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Episode 57: Nasty Women and Bad Hombres

For this episode, editors Deena November and Nina Padolf stop by to discuss their new anthology of poetry entitled Nasty Women and Bad Hombres.  During the course of our conversation we discuss what it means to have community at this moment in history and why it is important for poetry and the arts to confront our contemporary crisis in democracy.  One can get a copy of this great collection of poems through Amazon after November 9, 2017, or better yet message Denna and Neena through the Nasty Women and Bad Hombres Facebook page to get a copy right from the source. One can also pick up a copy of the Nasty Women and Bad Hombres book release party at the Tiki Lounge on the South Side of Pittsburgh on November 9, 2017 at 7PM.  Deena is also the curator of the Staghorn Poetry Series at Staghorn Coffee in Greenfield.

Features strong language and a baby fart.

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Episode 56: Love Poems, Nothing but Love Poems

We have four guests this time out to talk about a great new anthology of poems entitled Unconditional Surrender from Low Ghost Press.  We have editors Kristofer Collins and Scott Silsbe, as well as contributors Stephanie Brea and Richard Gegick. Stephanie and Richard read their contributions.  Kristofer and Scott discuss the construction of this beautiful, surprising, sad, and tender collection.  In the process I get on my high horse about being confident in your creativity, we reference Roland Barthes several times, and we find out which of our guests would like to see what Stalin would think of Frank Sinatra.

You can (and really, really freakin’ should) buy the collection at a number of Pittsburgh’s fine independent bookstores as well as directly from Low Ghost Press through Amazon. Also, check out Low Ghost Press on Facebook for details about the December book launch event.

I’m not the only one who swears this time.

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