Something (rather than nothing)

Talking storytelling, music, publishing, PR, art and philosophy with Lilian SueAs a PR coach and publicist, Lilian Sue is in the storytelling and relationship building business. She empowers creative entrepreneurs to push past limiting beliefs and gain the confidence to learn how to build strong PR and marketing mindsets and learn how to build and launch successful PR campaigns.Why? Because she believes that inside every entrepreneur is the potential to become a global industry leader and it is her goal to make sure that entrepreneurs feel empowered, and have the confidence to advocate for their goals when working with a publicist or PR agency as well as the tools and knowledge to launch their own strategies.Lilian Sue SRTN Website

Wag your tail to this one! Listen thru for the addicting pleasure of the song "WAG IT!"Cissi Efraimsson is a Swedish LA-based artist and director working in the fields of stop motion animation, sculpture, painting and music.Efraimsson graduated the MFA program in Experimental Animation at the California Institute of the Arts in May 2022. She received a BFA in Fine Arts from the Royal Institute of Art in Stockholm in 2018.Efraimsson works at the borderline between reality and the surreal/supernatural. She often uses elements from folklore and places them in the real world, within a contemporary context inspired by pop culture. Efraimsson works on the border between the ordered and near-perfect and the skew and absurd. The atmosphere she creates is often a balance between the ugly and beautiful, and Efraimsson mines events and dialog from her own life – with a certain degree of twisting and turning. Recurring themes include fantasy, escapism, magic, and the subconscious, while humor and a playful energy course throughout everything Efraimsson creates.Her musical output is vast, and Efraimsson currently sings and drums in punk-pop trio Vulkano, having previously drummed in Those Dancing Days.VULKANO CissiSRTN PodcastWag it, gonna wag it, gonna wag it, 4u . . . 

Nick Malster is the co-founder of Fountain, a podcast app that helps creators get discovered, build a community and get paid for their work.Recorded between Albany, Oregon and London, England.We talk Podcasting 2.0, the movement, bitcoin, sats, value for value (v4v), direct support for podcasts and musical artists, art, creativity, the Fountain app and the podcasting industry at present.Fountain App SRTN

Special Episode!Recording artist Blair Borax returns with a touching live SRTN set in Eugene, Oregon.  This episode is guest hosted by the lovely Jenny Jo Peterson and features four Borax tracks:Tender LatelyWink or WorseCall me LazyLike the WeatherAfter releasing her debut album “Keep Walking” in June 2022, she is working on her sophomore record, “Tender Lately” and plans to release it in Fall 2023.This episode, as always, is crafted by Editor and Producer, Peter Bauer.Blair BoraxSRTN Podcast

Meruzhan Mazmanyan is an Armenian-American artist from the Portland, Oregon Metro area.In a variety of mediums, Meruzhan uses his artwork as a way to send a message; from political propaganda posters, to sci-fi comics, to still life paintings. He feels that the purpose of art is to make a statement, and he makes that clear with pieces commenting on the American dream, consumerism, genocide, and more.Meruzh on InstaSRTN Website

Helming the 'Fantasy in Terms of Liberation' project is multi-disciplinary artist Julienne Baptiste, aka PCP, and director and artist Christopher Diana-Peebles. Hailing from Ocean City, MD.Baptiste has called Portland, Oregon home since 2015. Her background includes a focus on dance, theater and music, which all come into play throughout the film. Baptiste most recently gained notice as front woman of rock trio Dirty Princess. Baptiste and Diana-Peebles initially worked together on imagery for the band before developing this Fantasy in Terms of Liberation project as collaborators. As a founding member of the Futro Collective, Christopher began making music videos and other visual content after moving to Portland over 15 years ago. Diana-Peebles’ credits include the independent films Malignant, Unicorn and The Tree, with a passion for working on imagery on behalf of local non-profits like experimental technology collective CETI, p:ear and media center Open Signal in an effort to further their important social reach.JEWLZSRTNChristopher Diana Peebles

Maya MacGregor is an author, singer, and artist based in Glasgow, Scotland. A fluent Gaelic speaker, Maya is active in many community activities in Gaelic music as well as writing contemporary YA and adult fiction (as Emmie Mears and M Evan MacGriogair). Maya has a degree in history and is passionate about writing the stories for teens they wish had existed when they were younger and fills them with the type of people who have always populated their world. Their pronouns are they/them.THE MANY HALF-LIVED LIVES OF SAM SYLVESTER is Maya’s first YA novel and is a finalist for the Andre Norton Nebula award. THE EVOLVING TRUTH OF EVER-STRONGER WILL, Maya’s next YA, comes out in 2023.Maya MacGregor Something Rather Than Nothing

New Orleans-based visual artist and art educator, Sara Hardin creates paintings that explore the connection between place and memory. She synthesizes collage, painting, and digital media to investigate this relationship. Pulling from both personal and collective recollections, she brings awareness of the space and the unique intricacies of the human experience; the ticks, the quirks, and the machinations of everyday life. Her work plays with the unique characteristics and culture of New Orleans, her hometown. Sara enjoys investigating new places and learning about the people that occupy that space. Her inspiration comes from her surroundings, and she captures the beauty in her everyday world as a crucial element of her art. She then takes that beauty and builds a collaged space, filled to the brim with memory and ritual. Sara’s work is a cacophony of recollection, color, expressive brush strokes, and the enigmatic nature of our lived experiences.Sara graduated from the University of Louisiana in 2016 with her degree in Arts Education. From here, she began teaching visual arts at the secondary level. From 2019 to 2020, Sara took part in several group exhibitions and was a member of the Basin Arts Artist Collective in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 2021 she was awarded a fully-funded artist residency in VanCleave, Mississippi. Sara graduated with her Master’s in Fine Arts, with a concentration in painting, at the University of New Orleans in 2023, where she was conferred numerous Graduate Assistantship Awards. She is currently being represented by M Contemporary in New Orleans and working as an Art Educator in the greater New Orleans area.Sara HardinSRTN

BEHOLD!! The Swamp Thing Rather Than Nothing Episode!!WITH!!!! Special Panel:Curious wisdom-speaker and plant-woman Em Grebner-Gaddis appears. Painter and eccentric gatherer Swamp Ken  (Kenneth Nicholson) speaks to history, body-horror and early 90s bizarro.Craig Randall thinks of living-thru-doom, hope and plants from the fertile crescent of the Pacific Northwest.The guiding question and idea behind this fervid inquiry: Why is Swamp Thing Important?Host Ken Volante corrals most tendrils of this wonderful panel to: explore the brilliance and radical edge of Alan Moore; the connection of Heather Locklear's foot and Midsommar; The Swamp Thing DC movie Universe speculated upon; the Wes Craven film (1982) dismantled and apprehended; the omnipresent threat to women in the films; Kudzu vine Swamp Thing biology theory; the (in)humanity of Alec Holland; the alien-transcendence of orchids; mental health, loneliness and alienation; and, so you know, SWAMP THING in a JEEP - this actually occurs in The Return of The Swamp ThingEnjoy!!!SRTN WEBSITE

Dysgenia is Riley Holland, Brian Wilson, and Dustin Vandehey."How much can you you say without words?" That's the question these Portland-based musical veterans seek to explore with their boundary-dissolving instrumental psych/prog/metal outfit Dysgenia. Dysgenia have distilled their own unique brand of controlled musical chaos, equal parts head, heart, and gut.Dysgenia BandcampSRTN Website

A warm welcome to the talented and creative artist Bex Carlos! Gonna tell you a bit about her podcast Tu Tía Bruja . . . "In the Dumpster Fire year that was 2020, Tu Tía Bruja was born. Tu Tía Bruja is a podcast that focuses on conversations about witchcraft, ghosts, the occult, true crime, anti-racism, and the abnormal. Recorded mostly in English with episodes also available in Spanish.Since launching in June 2020, the show has charted within the Top 200 Spirituality Podcasts in Canada, Finland, Germany, the U.K., Costa Rica, Chile, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Belgium, South Africa, Colombia, and the U.S. It has been a huge pleasure growing my community all over the world."Bex WebsiteHorror Beauty Product Line Glamgoria:https://www.instagram.com/glamgoria/Mariah Day Tik Tok Ethical True Crime Activist:https://www.instagram.com/tutiabruja/https://www.tiktok.com/@tutiabrujaFortaleza TequilaSRTN Website 

Jayne Karma Lamo is a neurodivergent multi-instrumentalist, performer, recording artist and producer from Salmo, BC.  Jayne creates dreamy, post-grunge alt-rock, drawing from multiple self produced albums worth of original material.  Her signature sound has been influenced by the likes of PJ Harvey, Radiohead, the Dandy Warhols, among many others.  Jayne plays with a full band, or is available for solo shows doing live looping or acoustic material.  Audiences can expect to be captivated by her otherworldly vocals, moody melodies, and her thought provoking, emotionally charged lyrical content! As a space holder, Jayne also creates deeply relaxing and nourishing soundscapes and very unique immersive sonic journeys for small or large groups.JayneSRTN Podcast

Florence Williams is a journalist, author, and podcaster. She is a contributing editor at Outside Magazine and a freelance writer for the New York Times, New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Review of Books  and numerous other publications.Florence’s latest book, Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey, won the 2023 PEN/E.O. Wilson Award for Literary Science Writing and is called “show-stopping” and “courageous” by Publisher’s Weekly.  Her first book, BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History  (W.W. Norton 2012) received the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in science and technology and the 2013 Audie in general nonfiction. It was also named a notable book of 2012 by the New York Times. Her 2017 book, The Nature Fix, was an Audible bestseller and was named a top summer read by J.P  Morgan.  She was the writer and host of two Gracie-Award-winning Audible Original series, Breasts Unbound and The Three-Day Effect, as well as numerous episodes for Outside Magazine’s podcast.  The Wall Street Journal calls her writing “droll and crisp,” which makes her feel like a pastry.Her public speaking includes keynotes at Google, the Smithsonian, the Seattle Zoo, the Aspen Ideas Festival and many other corporate, academic and nonprofit venues. A fellow at the Center for Humans and Nature and a visiting scholar at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., Florence’s work focuses on the environment, health and science.In 2007-2008, Florence was a Scripps Fellow at the Center of Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado. She has received many awards, including a PEN America award, two National Magazine Award nominations, six magazine awards from the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the John Hersey Prize at Yale. Her work has been anthologized in numerous books, including Outside 25, the New Montana Story, How the West Was Warmed and Best American Science and Nature Writing 2008. Florence serves on the board of  two of her favorite non-profits, the Trust for Public Land and the Ted Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism.Florence WilliamsSRTN Website

R.W.W. Greene is a New Hampshire USA writer with an MA in Fine Arts, which he exorcises in dive bars and coffee shops. He is a frequent panelist at the Boskone Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in Boston, and his work has been in Stupefying Stories, Daily Science Fiction, New Myths, and Jersey Devil Press, among others. Greene is a past board member of the New Hampshire Writers’ Project. He keeps bees, collects typewriters, and lives with writer/artist spouse Brenda and two cats.  He has published three books: The Light Years, Twenty-Five to Life, and Mercury Rising, all with Angry Robot Books.RWW WebsiteSRTN Podcast Website

ROLLER DERBY EPISODE! SRTN 202 drops you onto Oregon State University parquet with the skaters of Sick Town Roller Derby (Albany and Corvallis, Oregon)Immerse yourself in the sounds and story of fighting for survival, being yourself, getting out your angst, sounding your barbaric yalp and having fun!Sick Town Derby Dames is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Corvallis, Oregon. We are a skater-owned and operated flat-track roller derby league based in Linn and Benton counties.We respectfully skate on the ancestral land of the Kalapuya represented today by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and are committed to supporting the surrounding community through active participation in local events, volunteering for benevolent causes, and hosting charities at our sporting events.Sick Town WebsiteSRTN Podcast Website

Described as a “combination of Patty Griffin grit and Amy Winehouse grace” by American Songwriter, Portland-based Soul/Americana singer-songwriter Karyn Ann has been charming audiences across the US with her powerful vocals and emotive lyricism. Her debut album Into the Depths (2015) and subsequent follow-up Be Loud (2018) garnered critical acclaim and radio play, leading this once geologist now turned-road musician to gain a steady following along the West Coast and beyond.She’s shared stages with Haley Johnson, Liam St. John, and Fox and Bones, as well as Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls (at the 2017 Women’s Redrock Music Festival), and has performed at the legendary Bitter End in NYC . Her work is featured in the award-winning full-length film Undeserved (2016), and most recently in the indie-short Second Story (2022), which went on to win the “Gold Award for Best Acting Duo” by the Independent Shorts Awards, and ‘Best Romantic Short” by the IndieX Film Fest.In 2020 she was selected for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist showcase, and placed runner-up in the Red Lodge Songwriters Contest and TOP 100 in the Great American Songwriting Contest singer-songwriter category. Her 2021 self-produced EP - “I Am Not Yours” was featured on Hare’s Paw Literary Journal, and received positive reviews. Karyn's newest work is an EP titled “Consequence of Fear."Karyn's website SRTN website

Ellen Adair is a regular analyst on MLB Network's "Off Base," and has also appeared on "MLB Now," "Hot Stove" and "MLB Central."Ellen is a multi-talented artist, actor, writer and baseball brain.Ellen was the guest on SRTN 128 Ellen is the co-host of the podcast "Take Me In to the Ballgame," on the Underdog Sports Network.Thanks Ellen for chatting baseball on EPISODE 200 of Something (rather than nothing)!Props to the Red Sox and the Phillies.SRTN Podcast Website

Blair Bathory has been creating works of horror for many years. She began her career as maestro of the macabre when she was just 19-years-old. Beginning with a 3-minute short film entitled ‘First Date: A Modern Love Story’, Blair wrote, directed, and produced the short film. Instantly gaining a large following after premiering the film online, she decided to follow her success with another film.Immediately following, Blair wrote another short horror film, but this time at longer length and more ambitious. Planning to create a full foam-latex creature suit she set out to raise the money for production through crowdfunding. After successfully garnering three-times what she asked for; Kitty, Kitty was shot and completed in 2014. It was invited to many film festivals around the world and eventually released online in 2016.In the process of creating her own horror stories, Blair quickly realized the lack of platforms that short form filmmakers had to showcase their work. Furthermore, she felt the need for a centralized location for the massive amounts of short horror films in existence. With her love for anthology shows like ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Tales from the Crypt’, and ‘Goosebumps’ she saw an opportunity to combine the two mediums. From her years of working within the genre and meeting so many talented filmmakers, Blair had an arsenal of films to choose from.In May of 2015, Blair Bathory rose from the grave and lit the candles inside FEAR HAUS. Once a week The Lady of the Haus introduces her Victims to one new short horror film. Showcasing independent directors from all over the world, an audience quickly grew. Since its conception, Blair has been invited to host a night of horror films at The Rome International Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Frightfest and many others around the world. Also, in 2017 Blair took the position of Festival Director at The Spooky Empire Film Festival - running that for the next three years.Spooky Empire, one of the nations largest genre conventions, was a massive success and gave Blair yet another opportunity to see the best of the best in independent horror cinema first. FEAR HAUS helmed by Blair has done brand activations now at DreamHack, the world’s largest streaming convention, and a tour with across the East Coast sponsored by several liquor companies.Currently, she is the new host for the widely successful podcast Something Scary, which boasts over 3 million fans.Blair’s personal social media platforms are highly popular and she reaches over 250,000 fans.YouTube TikTok InstagramSRTN Podcast

Craig Randall is a poet, author, and teacher who lives in beautiful Corvallis, OR with his wife, children, two cats and dog. A passionate advocate for mental-health, his body of work is a byproduct of his own battles with anxiety and depression and has served as a vehicle for empathy, healing, and connection. His works include two novels, The Doom that Came to Astoria, and The Dreams in the Pearl House (the first two books in The Northwest Trilogy) and two collections of poetry, To Chase the Sun, and Among the Wildflowers. A third novel and two more collections of poetry are coming soon.Craig Randall WebsiteSRTN Website

Alex Fine is an illustrator living and working in the Baltimore area. He spends his time creating art for various magazines, book publishers, and advertising firms…and most importantly, dressing his cat Roger in fancy neck ties.Alex Fine SIteChloe Niclas was a guest on SRTN 189.Episode 189SRTN Website

Leanna Renee Hieber is an actress, playwright, ghost tour guide and the award-winning, bestselling author of over fourteen Gothic, Gaslamp Fantasy, Supernatural Suspense and Non-Fiction books for adults and teens with publishers such as Tor, Sourcebooks and Kensington Books. A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts, co-authored with Andrea Janes, is a 2022 Bram Stoker Award finalist for "Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction". The book explores the intersection of women's history and ghost stories.Her Strangely Beautiful saga, beginning with The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, hit Barnes & Noble and Borders Bestseller lists and garnered numerous regional genre awards. Tor Books notes Strangely Beautiful as a "foundational text of Gaslamp Fantasy" and new, revised editions are now available via Tor. Darker Still hit American Bookseller's Association's "Indie Next List", was a Scholastic Book Club "Highly Recommended" title and a Daphne du Maurier award finalist.The Spectral City was a # 1 bestseller across several genres and digital platforms. A 4-time Prism Award winner for excellence in the genre of Fantasy Romance, Leanna's short stories have been featured in notable anthologies and her books have been selected for national book club editions as well as translated into many languages. She lectures on Gothic fiction and ghostly themes for prominent institutions such as New York University, Miami University and at conventions, libraries and conferences around the country.A proud member of Actors Equity and SAG-AFTRA, Mystery Writers of America, SFWA, Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers and The Dramatists Guild, she lives in New York where she is a licensed NYC tour guide working with Boroughs of the Dead and has been featured on television in Mysteries at the Museum and Beyond the Unknown, discussing Victorian Spiritualism. She tours a one-woman show as 19th century designer Clara Driscoll and is represented by Sara Megibow and Chelsea Hensley of the KT Literary Agency. She tweets often @leannareneeSRTN Website

Em Grebner-Gaddis is a self-professed plant nerd with a love of history and story-telling. She started Rooted to share her passion for plants, and as many cursed history facts as she can. Rooted is a weekly podcast diving into the tall tales & true stories of plants. If you like folklore, history, plant facts, and terrible puns, you're going to dig this show..ROOTEDSRTN WEBSITE

Suzanne (Suziey) Block was born in Fenton, Michigan. She graduated from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she studied film/video production and theater. Suziey made her film debut in a small scene in Michael Bay's The Island before moving to Los Angeles, California. This Scream Queen steals the show in Horror in the High Desert, Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva, Entrance, Wonder Valley and more . . . Suziey InstaSRTN WEBSITE

Ryan Brosmer is a cartoonist and illustrator who lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with his wife, two dogs, and four cats. He aims to create stories that meet at the intersection of classic Saturday morning cartoons and newspaper comics. Ryan has been creating comics all his life except for a brief period between ages 10 and 32. He probably has something new out now or coming soon found here:https://www.instagram.com/awfulquiet/SRTN WEBSITE

Alise Versella is a twice Pushcart nominated contributing writer for Rebelle Society and the author of the full length poetry collection When Wolves Become Birds (Golden Dragonfly Press 2021).  Her chapbook Maenads of the 21st Century is due out with dancing girl press and her collection A Psalm for the Weary is out this April 2023 with Alien Buddha Press. She has been widely published in various magazine and journals as well as long listed for Palette Poetry's 2021 Sappho Prize and a nomination for Best of the Net. You can find her at www.aliseversella.comSRTN WEBSITE

Victoria Astuto is an actress, musician, and educator based in New York.  She is most known for her roles in Some Time Soon and Trusted Hands.  In addition to acting, she also plays Clarinet with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony and is a Band Director in the Hudson Valley.Matthew Kyle Levine is a filmmaker based in New York City. His short films have won awards and played at numerous film festivals throughout North America, including the Williamsburg Independent Film Festival and the Canada Shorts Film Festival.Watch 'Some Time Soon' and Levine's other films here: MKL VIMEOSRTN WEBSITE

Lauren Bright Pacheco is 3-time Emmy Award-winning Producer, Podcast Host, Media Writer and Storyteller.You should know her spellbinding work on:Happy Face PresentsMurder in OregonThe Murders at White House Farm Murder in IllinoisAnd as the producer of:Speed of Sound with Steve Greenberg Wholly Human with LeAnn Rimes.SRTN WEBSITE

Chloe Niclas is an illustrator from Baltimore, MD. She is fascinated by the unexplainable and bizarre aspects of the world, often executing the otherworldly and impossible to feel within reach of existence. Her work has been recognized by American Illustration and the Art Director’s Club, and has appeared in The New York Times, Harper's Magazine, Politico Europe, and others.https://www.chloeniclas.com/Follow on Instagram @chloe.niclasSRTN WEBSITE

Susan Tomorrow is a film programmer from Austin Texas, specializing in cult, horror, and Golden Age Hollywood cinema. “As Co-Owner/Programmer of the Clinton Street Theater I am thrilled to be helping to bring back that William Castle MAGIC.”Clinton Street TheaterSRTN WEBSITE

Lauren Redniss is an artist, author, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant." Her books include Radioactive, a finalist for the National Book Award, Thunder & Lightning, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and Oak Flat: A Fight for Sacred Land in the American West, called "astonishing" and "virtuosic" by the New York Times. She has been a Guggenheim fellow, a fellow at the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars & Writers, the New America Foundation, and Artist-in-Residence at the American Museum of Natural History. She teaches at the Parsons School of Design in New York Cityhttps://www.laurenredniss.comSRTN WEBSITE

Michael Conley writes murder ballads, jukebox romances, and love songs in between.Conley was in from Nashville and the SRTN hosted  a magical set + interview from Warbling Creek Studios in Eugene, OR.  This is something special. Follow Michael on Instagram @isleepinmyjeansNothing Risked EP out now on all streaming platforms.SRTN WEBSITE

Melissa Oliveri has been an artist her entire life. As an only child, she would spend hours entertaining herself by writing and illustrating stories, playing music, drawing, writing plays, making puppets and other crafts. This has translated into adulthood in the form of one person wearing many creative hats.As a musician, Melissa goes by the stage name Cannelle. She composes original songs in a variety of styles, often compared to Tori Amos, Regina Spektor, or Kate Bush. She also writes original music for her Podcast, The Skylark Bell. She likes to take a creative approach to songwriting, often including her audience in the task. An example of this are her "Post-It Project" songs, for which she requests people assign her a set number of words that she will build the song around. The topics she covers are also varied and can range from a dedication to a lost loved one, to a song about a salt shaker or a silly song about her disdain for the long winters she has known her whole life.After years of sitting on a series of unpublished books, a friend suggested Melissa turn one of her stories into a podcast. Being unfamiliar with podcasting, Melissa was hesitant, but the thought of composing original music for the podcast, including sound effects, and finally getting the story out to the world eventually won her over, and The Skylark Bell podcast was born. The podcast has not only proven to be a great success, it has inspired Melissa to imagine expanding The Skylark show beyond all dreams!https://melissaoliveri.com/aboutFollow on Instagram @cannelle.musicLink Tree with all the things: https://linktr.ee/theskylarkbellWe highly recommend you listen to the Skylark Bell PodcastSRTN WEBSITE

Sascha Stronach (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka Ki Puketeraki) is an author based in Pōneke, Aotearoa. His debut novel The Dawnhounds is a mind-bending fungal murder mystery described as 'Discworld Elysium'. If you encounter Sascha Stronach in the woods, shout and wave your arms to seem to bigger – this will intimidate the author.Publisher:  https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Sascha-Stronach/184950774Twitter: https://twitter.com/understatesmen?lang=enWebsite: https://www.theunderstatesmen.com/SRTN WEBSITE

Justin C.M. Brown is a visual artist, musician, writer, cook, and student in the Sociology Department at UCLA.He was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina and currently calls Los Angeles home.Most recently, he donated 3 pieces of his art to his alma mater, Santa Monica College, where they are on display in the library.He is also currently in Part XII of his year-long artistic effort "Inspired By True Events".His work can be found at JCMBmade.com, EmperorSteve.com, and ZodiacWaning.com, as well as on Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok at “@jcmbmade”.SRTN WEBSITE

Zainab Imran is a poet, tutor, zine-maker and English Literature student of British Pakistani heritage based in Manchester, England. She writes on a multitude of racial and queer issues, with a particular focus on ethnic diaspora and the hidden stories of women in the colonial struggle. They currently run the poetry collective, 'Poets for Partition'. In 2022, she was awarded the Royal Society of Literature and Sky Arts Award for Poetry as an emerging writer of colour, through which she is now being mentored by Jay Bernard and is also currently working towards her first poetry pamphlet.This episode is a typical Iliad, poetry, Manchester, Industrial Revolution, Marx, History, What is Art?, Kirchner type of episode.Zainab Imran website: https://zainabthepoet.co.uk/Follow on Instagram @dark.academia.zainab and on Twitter @darkacademiazenSRTN WEBSITE

Corinne Halbert is a psychedelic horror artist with an extensive book collection. Her work is heavily influenced by an avid obsession with 1970s cult films and vintage comics. She's the creator of Acid Nun.Unedited production note from host Ken Volante “Whoa. What a ride. Zines, horror movies, found footage, dealing with tough things, Steven Seagal, old magazines, Electric Wizard, ACID NUN and more."Acid Nun is available here, or inquire at your local bookstore.Check out her website: https://corinnehalbert.com/Follow on instagram @corinnehalbertSRTN WEBSITE

Daniel Kern means so much to me and my learning. We met at Marquette University and he is responsible for my deeper interest in quantum physics, cosmology, Jesus Christ, and deeply humane ways of looking at philosophical questions.Dan and I chat and catch up on Episode 180 of Something (rather than nothing ) Podcast.We talk about his excellent book ‘A Reasonable Christian Faith.’ I told Dan about the surreal aspect of hearing his ‘voice’ in his book and feeling like he was chatting with me as l read it. Isn’t that grand?This podcast is in the top 5% of podcasts in the world. It is free and open. It is populist. It celebrates all creativity. It is liberationist and is arts-organizing in practice.SRTN WEBSITE

T Edward Bak is a cartoonist and illustrator exploring the crossroads of culture and the natural environment.We talked about art, service industry work, Alaska, graphic novels, Buddhism, Shunryu Suzuki, energy, ecology Saint Nagarjuna, Thomas Merton, Jack Kerouac and more . . .Follow on Instagram @t.edward.bakCheck out T Edward Bak's Website T Edward Bak TumblrSupport on PatreonPurchase his comics through Floating World ComicsPaypal quick links:(please contact for International)SEA OF TIME #1https://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/6VMA7CGLMQDLQNOT A PLACE TO VISIThttps://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/AB95GGGS7EZC2BAK BOOK BATCHhttps://www.paypal.com/instantcommerce/checkout/BMLJK9TCGUJTSSRTN WEBSITE

Illustrator Nicholas Friesen lives in Winnipeg, Canada with his wife and dog. He likes drawing sad robots, people wearing headphones, and robots wearing headphones.He creeated Olivia Sea. Who lives in music and comics.Follow all the links at https://linktr.ee/nicholastronautOlivia Sea "I Choo Choo Choose You" videoNicholas Friesen on Instagram @NicholastronautCheck out Nicolas and Oliva Sea at Toronto Comic Arts Festival April 29-30SRTN WEBSITE

Thick layers of oil paint encrust the canvases of Cape Cod-based painter Susan Carr, which reach out into the third dimension like small sculptural objects. Looking back toward artists like Phillip Guston, Willem De Kooning, and Robert Ryman, Carr works by applying paint to the canvas with a brush or trowel, working quickly (wet on wet) and determining the composition as she goes along. Though the works are abstract, shapes, symbols, or symbolic colors often emerge to elicit a reaction from the viewer, or more simply to guide the eye across the canvas. The works are meditations on musicality and the rhythms of language, Carr has said: “I write poetry so you could say, my paintings are poems without words. Poems dripping in color.""My eyes get hungry. I always want to feel the paint with my eyes."  ~Susan CarrSusan Carr on Instagram @susancarr88SRTN WEBSITE

B.L. BLANCHARDHer novel The Peacekeeper: "Against the backdrop of a never-colonized North America, a broken Ojibwe detective embarks on an emotional and twisting journey toward solving two murders, rediscovering family, and finding himself.North America was never colonized. The United States and Canada don’t exist. The Great Lakes are surrounded by an independent Ojibwe nation. And in the village of Baawitigong, a Peacekeeper confronts his devastating past.Twenty years ago to the day, Chibenashi’s mother was murdered and his father confessed. Ever since, caring for his still-traumatized younger sister has been Chibenashi’s privilege and penance. Now, on the same night of the Manoomin harvest, another woman is slain. His mother’s best friend. This leads to a seemingly impossible connection that takes Chibenashi far from the only world he’s ever known.The major city of Shikaakwa is home to the victim’s cruelly estranged family—and to two people Chibenashi never wanted to see again: his imprisoned father and the lover who broke his heart. As the questions mount, the answers will change his and his sister’s lives forever. Because Chibenashi is about to discover that everything about their lives has been a lie." About the author:'I am originally from Sault Ste. Marie in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, but I have lived in California for so long that I can no longer handle cold weather.I am an author, a mother, and an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, a federally-recognized tribe.I graduated from UC Davis’s inaugural undergraduate Creative Writing Honors Program in 2006 and was a Writing Fellow at Boston University School of Law. I can stare at maps all day and am obsessed with figure skating. I am constantly planning my next trip abroad. I will watch any documentary about space and space exploration you put in front of me. I’m always looking for new podcasts and shows about true crime.'https://blblanchard.com/BL Blanchard on Twitter:@blblanchardOn Instagram: @blblanchard_wrtiesSRTN WEBSITE

Organically gripping and raw, Hayley Lynn’s sultry timbres extend through the various depths of her vocal range as she is soft-spoken but packs a punch when her lyrical motifs drop.Lynn's first body of work “Bring on the Flames,” co-created with producer Kyle Devine, was performed to several sold out shows across the Northwest as well as placement in the Netflix Original shows “The Pier” and “Money Heist.” Since then, Lynn’s music has been placed on ABC, the 700 Club, and Big Ten Network, expanding Lynn’s reach to international audiences.  In addition to being a hometown favorite, Lynn is back on the road with breakthrough performances at festivals and venues such as Northwest Folklife, Oregon Country Fair, Winningstad Theater, Bloodworks Live Studio, Mississippi Studios, The Old Church Concert Hall, and touring through the U.S and Canada.Recently,  Lynn released her first solo debut album ‘Horizon’.  Many of the songs came as a means to heal. The pandemic was especially hard on artists and Lynn’s method of survival was to dive deep into the layers of her life, the feelings that arose and the distractions she used to cope. The result is a velvet voice wrapped in an ocean of sound that is cathartic to lose ourselves in.https://www.hayleylynnmusic.com/https://open.spotify.com/artist/3ustZQSFU19uRveWdTUeAdhttps://music.apple.com/us/artist/hayley-lynn/1374681637https://www.tiktok.com/@hayleylynnmusic?lang=enhttps://www.instagram.com/hayley_lynn_music/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqIuebsBOUfG6Kk-yeAtwIAhttps://www.facebook.com/HayleyLynnMusic/SRTN WEBSITE

"We're all living in a haunted house, and we're all being haunted by it."Breanna Cee Martins paints the mirage of an America that never existed, for people like her and entire swaths of the population of this country.  The artist’s watercolor paintings fall away from the viewer like a half-remembered dream; images of ghostly and phantom children, coming together to explode in kaleidoscopic colors.  Working from found black and white photos, the images metamorphose into Technicolor nightmares, the old made new.  Children dressed up as monsters, and monsters dressed up as children; these monochromatic visions glow with infernal light, watching the viewer, watch them.  Posed family photos capture the conflicts raging beneath the surface; the pause or unease creating narrative tension, a rift between what is expected and what’s seen, and better left unsaid.  They are images captured from the afterglow of a fading star, an apparition of our world growing dimmer amidst the passage of time.  These paintings confront you with pleading eyes, asking the viewer to delve deeper into the question, does this familial imagery have personal meaning to you?Or, is it evocative of an emotional scene you might have remembered, yet never experienced?https://www.breannamartins.com/SRTN WEBSITE

faetooth is a four-piece doom metal band based in Los Angeles, California. They officially formed in 2019, with Ashla Chavez Razzano (she/her) on guitar & vox, Jenna Garcia (she/they) on bass & vox, Ari May (they/them) on guitar & vox, and Rah Kanan (they/them) on drums. The quartet had already been friends for several years before the band's inception, instilling the confidence necessary to navigate personal vulnerability and vast musical experimentation.faetooth possesses the ability to bewitch listeners through trance-inducing riffs, alluring melodies, and rich lyricism that ranges from mysterious to diaristic. faetooth’s music is about the nature of the self, the natural world, and all of its enchanting mysteries.faetooth's Remnants of the Vessel  was named 2022 Heavy Metal Album of the Year by Spin MagazineSpecial co-host Aidan 'Ace' Volante. Aidan (they/them) is an artist-musician who lives in Oregon and is currently a vocalist-in-training.Host: Ken Volante (he/him). Ken loves doom metal.Band members in episode: Ash, Ari, Jennafaetooth is available on Bandcamp, and all streaming services.Follow @faetooth on your favorite social media, including Instagram and their  YouTube channelFor a full list of links check out https://linktr.ee/faetoothSRTN WEBSITE

How to be an Ethical Slut is the award-winning solo by Brooke McCarthy. Experience the ride of your life as an unethical slut penetrates lies, STDs, triads, orgies, and love in her musical journey to becoming an Ethical Slut. Lead performer and solo daredevil - Brooke McCarthy is an actor, singer, dancer, content creator (YouTube: Bartender Brookie), playwright, and teaching artist. She holds her MFA in Acting from the University of Georgia. She's originally from NJ and currently resides in Charlotte, NC.Part solo show, part cabaret, the play covers the life of an unethical slut named Blake Valentini as she struggles between dating the socially acceptable way - monogamy - or daring to open her mind to unusual relationship pleasures and tribulations. This bold, sexy, and vulnerable story touches upon topics that are often unseen onstage such as sexual health and nonconventional relationship styles. Everyone, including Blake, may learn a thing or two about honesty and sexuality throughout this wild ride.The limited run in NYC 2023, plays February 18 - 27 at UNDER St. Marks in the East Village. How to be an Ethical Slut is directed by Robyn Accetta and has played to packed houses and won numerous awards in 2022 including the “Spirit of the Fringe” (St. Lou Fringe Festival), “Philly Fringie” Audience Choice Award (Philly Fringe), and the "Best of Fest" (Hartford Fringe Festival).Brooke McCarthy discussed what inspired her to write the show, “I wanted to share my personal journey with polyamory and all of the hard lessons it taught me about honesty, relationships, and owning our unique identities. Not only is non-monogamy not the norm in our society, but it was also something I did not talk about openly in my personal life nor is it something that appears often in a positive light on stage. I was inspired to use parts of my own life to craft a story that inspires honesty in our relationships while empowering us to embrace the unconventional ways that people may love each other. After all, love is love.” She went on to share, “Whether my audience identifies as polyamorous, monogamous, or polycurious, I hope they absorb a new perspective on life and love.Upcoming Performances of How to Be an Ethical SlutFrontera Festival in Austin, TX Jan 29, 30, Feb 4Frigid Fest NYC Feb 18-27Visit Brooke's homepage at http://www.howtobeanethicalslut.com/Follow Brooke on Instagram @howtobeanethicalslut and Tik Tok @howtobeanethicalslutSRTN WEBSITE

Rebecca Mills is an artist and arts professional who has  independently curated exhibits, facilitated events, wrote a successful one act play, and is a creative writer as well. She freelances as a teaching artist and arts educator, having taught youth and young adults through workshops, special programs, and as an adjunct professor. Her primary medium is oil painting with mixed media such as glitter, sequins, found objects, and very feminine materials. Rebecca's work is directly influenced by transcendentalism; involving science, philosophy, history, and discussions based on cultures, religions, and the ancient past. She is an activist for cow protection, veganism, and environmental preservation / restoration.https://www.ultraplasticgalaxy.com/SRTN WEBSITE

This land runs through Katherine Paul’s blood. And it called to her. In dreams she saw the river, her ancestors, and her home. When the land calls, you listen. And KP found herself far from her ancestral lands during a time of collective trauma, when the world was wounded and in need of healing. In 2020 she made the journey from Portland back to the Skagit River, back to the cedar trees that stand tall and shrouded in fog, back to the tide flats and the mountains, back to Swinomish.It is a powerful thing to return to our ancestral lands and often times the journey is not easy. Like the salmon through the currents, like the tide as it crawls to shore this is a story of return. It is the call and response. It is the outstretched arms of the people who came before, welcoming her home. The Land, The Water, The Sky is a celebration of lineage and strength. Even in its deepest moments of loneliness and grief, of frustration over a world wrought with colonial violence and pain, the songs remind us that if we slow down, if we listen to the waves and the wind through the trees, we will remember to breathe.There is a throughline of story in every song, a remembrance of knowledge and teachings, a gratitude of wisdom passed down and carried. There is a reimagining of Sedna who was offered to the sea, and a beautiful rumination on sacrifice and humanity, and what it means to hold the stories that work to teach us something. . .Special thanks to co-host Bonita Randklev.https://www.blackbelteaglescout.com/SRTN WEBSITE

Show creators Ken Volante (Creator and Host) and Peter Bauer (Editor and Producer) have a fun conversation that will let you know what THINGS you will see in 2023!We hope you enjoy this conversation and that some of the bigger ideas inspire you in your ART and LIFE.ONE LOVE!Check out Peter's workFlaming Bison- Freeform Cosmic Groove: https://flamingbison.bandcamp.com/ https://youtu.be/NJGdcKfgyp8High Cascade Lakes- Guided Meditations: https://highcascadelakes.bandcamp.com/album/aniccaSomething (rather than nothing) thanks you.SRTN WEBSITE

SRTN's visiting Philosopher, Jakub Ferencik is back!We first heard from Jakub Ferencik in Episode 60. Then Jakub wrote another book (!) entitled Beyond Reason: Why We Fail at Understanding Each Other.  Jakub and host Ken Volante discusssed that work in SRTN Episode 130.For this episode, Ferencik helps engage complicated topics such as censorhsip, hate speech, and free speech with attention to the complicated engine of  modern social media. Enjoy this conversation and help formulate the conceptual backdrop for these important conversations.SRTN WEBSITE

Shara Nova has released five albums under the moniker My Brightest Diamond and has composed works for The Crossing, Conspirare, Cantus Domus, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Roomful of Teeth, many community choirs, as well as yMusic, Brooklyn Rider, violist Nadia Sirota, Aarhus Symfoni, North Carolina Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, American Composers Orchestra and the BBC Concert Orchestra, among others.In 2019, she composed for over 600 community musicians and the Cincinnati Symphony in celebration of their 125th season, a piece entitled "Look Around," with director Mark DeChiazza. Her baroque chamber p’opera “You Us We All” premiered in the US in October 2015 at BAM Next Wave Festival. With co-composer and performer Helga Davis, Nova created a four-screen film entitled “Ocean Body,” along with director Mark DeChiazza, which premiered at The Momentary in August 2021, shortly followed by the premiere of “Infinite Movement,” her baroque masque for 100 musicians, set to text by artist Matthew Ritchie, which premiered at The University of North Texas in November 2021.Ms. Nova is the featured singer on “The Blue Hour” with the string orchestra A Far Cry and co-composers Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Caroline Shaw on Nonesuch Records (Sept ‘22).  A collection of songs by Nico Muhly with Detroit’s acclaimed wind ensemble Akropolis Quintet also features Ms. Nova’s voice entitled Hymns for Private Use (Oct ‘22). A number of music composers, including Sarah Kirkland Snider, Bryce and Aaron Dessner, Steve Mackey and David Lang have created works specifically for her voice. She has collaborated with Matthew Barney, The Decemberists, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Sufjan Stevens, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, and many others.Shara has a couple different branches to her life:Singer and Composer Branch: https://shara-nova.com/Pop Music Branch: https://www.mybrightestdiamond.com/Instagram: @mybrightestdiamondTwitter: @MyBrightestDmndWriting on Substack: https://substack.com/profile/91251132-shara-novaSRTN WEBSITE