Tag: Pittsburgh

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. 102: Jason Baldinger’s KTel Record

Our most frequent guest has released his KTel record of the greatest hits and unreleased poems. A History of Backroads Misplaced is a retrospective of the last decade of his work. During this episode we look back at Jason Baldinger‘s evolution as a poet, what it means to revise old work, and there are some special surprises at the end.

And sooo much swearing

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Ep. 99: The Afterlife is a Hangover

Jason Baldinger is one of the folks who has made this podcast what it is, and who better to have on for our last show in the double digits but him. However, this was perhaps the most difficult podcast I have ever recorded, because it is about his split poetry and art book co-authored by Nell Hendricks called The Afterlife is a Hangover. The book is about the death of someone who meant a lot to a lot of people Pittsburgh musician, writer, professor, and record store owner Karl Hendricks.

We miss Karl, we love Karl, and unfortunately sometimes we have to meet the grief head on as we do for this extensive conversation about poetry, death, and record stores.

We swear a lot, and well . . . f*ck cancer anyway.

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Ep. 96 Uprooted

Nina Padolf is a poet who writes about family history, trauma, and memory. Her poems exist at the intersection of personal history and that which we often prefer not to discuss. Thankfully, during our podcast we were able to have a deep and meaningful conversation about poetics, identity, and Dr. Padolf reads for us.

You can buy Uprooted from the big Borg Online Retailer, OR you could contact Nina at ninapoet[at]gmail[dot]com. You can also check out her readings at Riverstone Books in Pittsburgh on September 30th at 7 PM and at the Uprooted Book Launch Reading at White Whale Books in Pittsburgh on November 9th at 7.

As always, a little bit of swearing spices things up.

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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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Episode 53: The Almost Sound of Snow Falling

Robert Walicki is a fantastic poet, who also happens to be a plumber.  In this podcast we discuss what it means to be a working class poet, Robert reads a few poems, and we discuss poetry in this era of US history.  Also, we get deep into his creative process for anyone who wants to know how it’s done.

Robert’s latest book is entitled The Almost Sound of Snow Falling, available through Nightballet Press.  His other book is entitled A Room Full of Trees and can be bought from Red Bird Chapbooks.  He is also curator of the Versify Reading Series.  And Robert will be reading with Nancy Chen Long and Angele Ellis at City of Asylum on October 26th at 40 W. North Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15212.

As always, I swear.  Oh and read these poems too, they’re really good.

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Episode 44: Bridges of Poetry

The extremely talented Jason Baldinger and Kristofer Collins stop by to discuss The Bridge Series, a series of poetry readings and public gatherings to raise money for, and spread the word about, organizations that are helping people in the Trump era.

The first of the series is occurring Wednesday, February 22nd 2017 at 8 PM at the Brillobox at 4104 Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh, and it will benefit Be Well Pittsburgh, an organization dedicated to helping folks without healthcare get access to healthcare.

You can find more out about this particular reading (featuring Tony Norman, Jan Beatty, and Adriana Ramirez) from The Bridge Series event on Facebook.  Further readings (until at least November 2017) will occur at the Brillobox on the last Wednesday of the month.  You can stay up to date by following The Bridge Series on Facebook.

Also, Jason and Kristofer read us some of their fantastic poetry. Jason gets unapologetically radical, and we discuss the meaning of poetry in the age of Trump.

Jason Baldinger is the author of several books, and you can hear him read more at Jason’s Bandcamp page.  Kristofer Collins is the editor of Low Ghost Press when he is not writing his own fantastic books of poems.

As always we swear.  Jason swears a lot and says many other things not for the faint of heart.

 

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Episode 42: Scott Silsbe’s Handprints

Scott Silsbe is a fantastic poet.  He also edits The New Yinzer.  In our time together we discuss his fantastic books of poetry The River Underneath the City on Low Ghost Press and Unattended Fire on Six Gallery Press.  Scott reads his fantastic poems including “What a Sad Christmas,” I pontificate about cave paintings in France, and what it means to move to Pittsburgh.  Finally, we realize that someday you will only be able to hear this podcast on vinyl.

As always, I swear.

Oh and don’t smoke in bed.

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Episode 17: I Know It’s Only Rock and Roll, but the Italians Like It.

The second time I saw Bill Toms perform I said that I though every bar in the country should have a Bill Toms clone or bot that can be pulled out whenever folks need to have gospel infused blues rock good time.   Bill has been performing music for 35 years and is a true master of his craft.  Anyone who has seen one of his joyous live shows can understand why I was super happy to spend part of a Saturday morning discussing songwriting, how an album is a document of a time and a place, why Europeans love American music, his awesome new album Memphis, and when those Bill Toms-bots will eventually rise up and take over the world they will only ask for dark chocolate.

You can find out all about Bill Toms at his website, buy all his merchandise here, and if you never saw a Bill Toms show, see what you are missing with this clip.

As always, there’s a little light swearing.

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