Alex Behr and Animal Kingdom

Alex Behr is the author of the story collections ANIMAL KINGDOM and PLANET GRIM, both on 7.13 Books, and the poetry chapbook GRIEF STICK, Picture Frame Press. Her writing has been published in Tin House, Epiphany, Salon, Oregon Humanities, The Rumpus, Buckman Journal, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, in anthologies, and others. She lives in Portland, OR, and plays piano and bass guitar.She teaches writing workshops through Literary Arts. What she learned from her mom: always carry a pack of cards What her cat taught her: not a damn thingThis is Something Rather Than Nothing

Sophie Dunér is a singer, songwriter, composer, arranger and visual artist from Sweden who has lived and performed in the United States and Spain. Originally a jazz singer, her writing and performing have evolved into a unique style of wild, risky, passionate and exhilarating music for vocals and string quartet.This is Something Rather Than Nothing

Lawrence Q. Markx was born on December 20th, 1980, in Miami, Florida—also known as Little America, or Cuba Adjacent, depending on your politics and GPS signal. From an early age, he challenged authority without getting expelled, mastering righteous mischief before most kids finished learning cursive.His intellectual path began at Temple Beth Moshe Pre-School, where rhythm, ritual, and rebellion took root—thanks, in part, to a prophetic reading of “Bim-Bum, Bim-Biddy-Bum.” Identified as “gifted” in kindergarten—back when such aterm still implied distinction—he pursued advanced studies in foreign languages, computer science, marine biology, and psychological subversion before he could legally drink.By twenty, he held a B.A. in psychology and a deeply suspicious I.O.U. to the U.S. D.O.E…With a Quack Quack here, and a Quack Quack there…E-I-E-I-O! At twenty-one, he wrote his first book and coined his own genre: psycho-postmodern poetic realism, because no one else dared.His debut, The Evidence of a Cluttered Mind: Wrathematics; An Army of One, fused acrostic architecture with satirical depth, emotional candor, and linguistic rebellion. Markx, a one-man think tank, transformed the page into a battlefield where each vertical stack detonates meaning. With poetic shrapnel and philosophical fistfights, he unpacked modern absurdity in a style as unpredictable as it is unforgettable—a cognitive insurgency your high school English teacher warned you about.He founded Humpty Dumbtees, the creative asylum within Dumb Kunst Studios—a counterculture apparel brand gleefully printing satire, dissent, and the occasional cease-and-desist warranted parody onto t-shirts for the terminally unfiltered. He also helms Enigmagination Media, a graphic design and marketing outlet expertly designing the box to think outside of.Markx resides somewhere between brilliance and burnout—possibly in Florida, but not yet in exile. His daughters, his humor, and his refusal to shut up, keep him going. This isn’t just an “about the author.” This is a warning label.And this is something rather than nothing . . . 

Di Slaney lives with her husband in a Grade II Listed, 400 year old farmhouse in Bilsthorpe, Nottinghamshire with more animals than is sensible. She runs Manor Farm Charitable Trust which offers a home for life for livestock, particularly elderly animals or those with special needs.  She operates an Egg Club to raise funds for the poultry and sells speciality yarn from the small flock of rare breed and rescued sheep under the name Hooligan Yarns.Di has a degree in English and European Literature from the University of Warwick, an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University and owns Candlestick Press.  She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Research Methods and has been a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing for over 20 years, founding Nottingham marketing agency Diversity in 1999.Her poems have been published in Poetry Wales, Popshot, Magma, The Rialto, The Interpreter’s House and Brittle Star, twice shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and Plough Prize, and highly commended in the Forward Prizes.  Di's pamphlet Dad's Slideshow was published by Stonewood Press in 2015 and first collection Reward for Winter by Valley Press in 2016.  Her second collection Herd Queen is due from Valley Press September 2020.  She is poet in residence at Nottinghamshire Local History Association.This is something rather than nothing podcast . . . 

Steven Seidenberg is an artist, poet, and philosopher whose collections of photographs include The Architecture of Silence (Contrasto, 2023), Pipevalve: Berlin (Lodima Press, 2017), and the forthcoming Kanazawa Vacancy (Chin Music, Fall 2026).  He has had solo exhibitions of his work in Japan, Italy, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. He is the author of Coda (Omnidawn, 2026), Anon (Omnidawn, 2022), plain sight (Roof Books, 2020), Situ (Black Sun Lit, 2018), Null Set (2016, Spooky Actions), Itch (2015, RAW ArT Press), and numerous chapbooks of poetry and aphorism. His books have been published in Swedish, Italian, and Portuguese translation.This is Something Rather Than Nothing Podcast

Kazu Haga I have lived in Buddhist monasteries. I have spent the last twenty-five years in social justice movements. I have sat in hundreds of circles with incarcerated people witnessing them do the hard work of healing and accountability. And I have been humbled and inspired by my own, never-ending healing journey.My work tries to bring all of my experiences together in a way that contributes to social change and collective liberation. Each day I find myself more committed to fighting injustice. And each day, I learn more that the fight for justice is not a political battle. It is about healing the impact of violence and separation on our souls.Something Rather Than Nothing Podcast

Podcast Host Ken Volante here. I am pleased to present J Webster Sharp, who is my favorite, illustrator, like, ever.Jemma has created The Scrapbook of Life and Death, Fondant, and an upcoming work on the super famous early 20th century actor Fatty Arbuckle. I can't even wait to lay my fingers on her Fatty book.Here's an exclusive interview.J Webster SharpThis is Something Rather Than Nothing

Famous Painter Vanessa Stockard and her adventurer-space-mind-explorer-daughter Isobel tackle The Universe!A Something Rather Than Nothing podcast exclusive

Swinewomb is a Southern Gothic psychosexual horror play set in the deeply religious town of Caleb’s Rest, where two siblings unravel in the aftermath of their parents’ deaths. As Shiloh spirals into a dangerous affair and begins hearing a voice that may be the devil’s, hysteria spreads through the community. The play blurs the line between piety and possession, asking where evil truly lives.This episode features Reese Villella, Julia Ordway and Carter Williams.Play opening details:Venue: The West End Theatre, 263 W 86th St, New York, NY 10024 Dates: August 22 & 23, 2026This is Something Rather Than Nothing

Victor V. Gurbo is a roots revivalist singer-songwriter whose work blends folk, blues, and Americana into a sound that feels both timeless and contemporary.  Backed by a four-piece band, he delivers original songs anchored in storytelling and driven by raw, rhythmic energy.  His music draws inspiration from the canon of American song and poetry while maintaining a distinct, contemporary voice.  Whether performing in intimate venues or on larger stages, Gurbo brings an unfiltered intensity to his work.  With a deep respect for tradition and a forward-looking approach, he continues to carve out a unique space within today’s Americana landscape.