Nicole J. Georges: The Hardware Store

An exciting and bittersweet explanation for the extended fallowness of the feed. Thank you, as always, for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A note of thanks for a great 2023, and a request for your thoughts on how to make the show even better in 2024. Drop me a line at [email protected] - and thank you, as always, for listening. Happy holidays! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graphic novelist, podcaster, and illustrator Nicole J. Georges on the fearless frankness of the 'zine era, treating your family as subjects of investigation, and truth-telling as an act of survival. Find Nicole's books and learn more about her work at her website. Drop me a line anytime: [email protected]. And thanks for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jazz drummer, composer, bandleader, and teacher Allison Miller on writing rivers, playing jazz you can dance to, and the value of being tossed into the deep end. Find Allison's music and live tour dates at her website, and be sure to check out the newest record, "Rivers In Our Veins," one of NPR's top albums of 2023. Drop me a line anytime: [email protected]. And thanks for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Novelist Patricia Park (Re Jane, Impostor Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim) on writing the real Queens, wondering what her characters would think about while they're waiting for the bus, and sharing her realities with her fictions. Learn more about Patricia's work at her website. Drop me a line anytime: [email protected]. And thank you for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris Smither has been writing, performing, and touring his music for over sixty years. From the blues clubs of New Orleans to the 1960's folk revolution in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to touring around the world with the likes of B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt, Chris has seen it all (and written songs about most of it). I caught up with him before a recent gig at The Turning Point in New York to find out what he's learned from six decades of reinventing himself. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review in whatever app you use to listen, and drop me a line anytime: [email protected]. Thanks for tuning in - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cristen Conger has been podcasting since 2009, when she co-created "Stuff Mom Never Told You" while working as a staff writer at How Stuff Works. These days, she hosts the Webby-winning podcast Unladylike, where she examines thorny cultural dilemmas through a deft mix of storytelling, investigative reporting, and interviews. It's an audio haven of empathy and curiosity. On today's show, Cristen tells the story of how her upbringing in a strict religious environment - where curiosity wasn't always welcome - created the foundation for her spirit of exploration. If you have thoughts about anything you hear on this episode, drop me a line at: [email protected]. And thank you for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan Morris (Bubble; Jordan, Jesse, Go!) talks about sneaking yourself into stories, letting things be fun, and loving what you satirize. Pre-order Jordan's new graphic novel "Youth Group" here. Find me on Substack here, and if you have thoughts on anything you hear on the show, don't hesitate to drop me a line: [email protected]. Thank you for listening, it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Theater artist, novelist, and multiple creative identity-haver Kirya Traber on radical self expression, writing her way out of solitude, and why it's strange to be called "regal." Get free tickets to Kirya's latest theater piece, "Beyond Punishment: Stories of Justice and Healing," and listen to Spotlight in Purple, her narrative podcast chronicling the creation of a new dance theater piece at Lincoln Center. Find me on Substack, and drop me a line anytime at [email protected]. Thank you for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeffrey Cranor (Welcome to Night Vale, Within the Wires) on late night drives, the early days of audio fiction, and, of course, ABBA. Listen to the new season (hell, listen to all the seasons) of "Within the Wires" here. If you have thoughts about anything you've heard on "The Midnight Disease," drop me a line: [email protected]. And thank you for listening - it means a lot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices