Why We Collect

For this episode of Why We Collect, we talk with poet and Fungus Books and Records co-owner Ed Steck about two of his collections, books and horror films. He describes how an early interest in horror films drew him into a wider and wilder world of collecting the uncanny, the rare, and the strange. “The first film that I got sucked into was George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead,” says Steck, “because I...

For this episode of Why We Collect, we talk with anthropologist Lauren Herckis about the concept of “meaningful archives.” “In anthropology, in archeology, in archives, recognizing that interplay between the objects and the people and the stories and the power structures and the cultural fabric is at the heart of making meaning and making meaningful archives.” We also talk about stuff. Things. You...

For this episode of Why We Collect, we talk with theatre director Adil Mansoor about Amm(i)gone , a new theater piece that goes on tour this month! The play’s tagline is “Amm(i)gone, an adaptation of Sophocles’ Antigone, is an apology to and from a mother,” and the work incorporates recorded interviews with Mansoor’s mother along with selected family photographs and ephemera. We talk about these c...

Why We Collect presents thoughtful conversations about the objects we keep—and create. With the help of people who spend an inordinate amount of time managing objects and reflecting on their meanings—from collectors to curators, artists to archivists, and enthusiasts to entrepreneurs—we try to make sense of our messy material world. Why We Collect is co-produced and co-hosted by Katherine Barbera...

For this episode of Collectors Edition, we talk with artist and curator Liz Rudnick about her collections of artist monographs, small sculptures, and family photographs that she makes anew by painting over aspects of the image. Along the way, we discuss a variety of topics like how parental philosophies towards collecting are passed down through generations, how artists turn experiences into objec...

Climate change is reshaping our known world, including our archives. We talk with Eira Tansey, an archivist and researcher who specializes in the impacts of climate change on cultural heritage. She recently published a report with the Council on Library and Information Resources called “A Green New Deal for Archives,” one of the first comprehensive looks at what we need to do to protect our histor...

For the second episode of Collectors Edition, we talk with Bottom Feeder Books owner Ryan McLennan. Ryan moved to Pittsburgh a few years ago, and opened the bookstore in 2022. The store reflects Ryan's interests in artist monographs, film, photography, modern and classic American literature, theatre, and poetry. Display shelves focus on aesthetically-pleasing book covers, and the stacks contain a...

For the first episode of Collectors Edition, we talk with Fred Lonberg-Holm. You may know Fred from his work as a musician, predominantly a cellist, composer, and improviser. He has led bands like the Valentine Trio, Terminal Four, and Lightbox Orchestra. Fred logged many hours in studios and on the road with the Vandermark 5, Ballister, and various bands with sax legend Peter Brotzmann. We talked...

Welcome to our new podcast! The Bright Archives podcast explores what it means to build meaningful archives. We want to listen deeply to the world around us to investigate the value preservation has for all of us. Episodes are hosted by Katherine Barbera and David Bernabo. The podcast includes multiple series, Collectors Edition and Vernacular Archives.