A Brief Chat

A project of A Brief Chat , in which I send a daily poem from Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima.

A project of A Brief Chat , in which I send a daily poem from Revolutionary Letters by Diane di Prima.

In which I read the final 25 poems from my 50 Days Till 50 Years series. The first 25 were in last month’s members-only episode, which you can access at https://patreon.com/abriefchat .

Writer Carolina Ciucci talks about Anne Brontë. For years the least known of the Brontë sisters, Anne has now taken her rightful place in the literary pantheon as both a highly skilled author and a keen social critic. Carolina talks about her own interest in the Brontës; about Anne’s life and writing; and about the legacy of Anne’s work.

Chaundra Crouch talks about centering pleasure, but not at the expense of others or of the world at large. They discuss food and relationships and sex and sensuality and finding ethical and pleasurable ways to navigate all of those areas. They also talk about the marriage of ethical hedonism and spiritual or religious practice. Patreon Support the show by becoming a member at patreon.com/abriefcha...

Actor and baker Cory Anderson talks about dealing with the effects of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), which she contracted as a result of getting COVID. It’s had a dramatic effect on her life, not least because of the struggle just to get a diagnosis. It’s also led to Cory becoming part of a growing community of folks with ME who are educating the medical community and the public, and...

In this episode, Aaron and Patrick join me to talk about the deep and beautiful friendship we’ve created in a text chat that was originally meant to do some planning for my jazz podcast.

In this episode I revisit five short audio essays from 2019 about my religious history, and then add an update on where I’m at now in 2023. Patreon Support the show by becoming a member at patreon.com/abriefchat . For $1 a month you get early access to every episode plus a weekly email. For $5 you get all of that plus a monthly bonus episode. Credits Logo: Sarah Walter Theme Music: Jason Cra...

On this episode I talk with my sister, Gretchen Gustavson, about her job as a speech pathologist. She helps dispel some of the mystery around speech issues and how they’re dealt with. She also talks about the somewhat surprising way she decided to become a speech pathologist. Patreon Support the show by becoming a member at patreon.com/abriefchat . For $1 a month you get early access to ever...

Althea Collier hiked the 2,200-mile-long Appalachian Trail in 2022, starting when she was 17 and finishing when she was 18. In this interview she talks about how she decided to do it; expectation versus reality on the trail; meeting trail angels and other hikers; and her advice for others who might be thinking about a similar journey. You can read Althea’s trail blog at thetrek.co and follow...

Faraaz Abdool is a birder, author, guide, and environmentalist. In this interview we talk about how he developed an interest in birding; finding a community of people interested in the natural world; making a major career shift; the pros and cons of ecotourism; and more. Find Faraaz online via his website and on Instagram . Patreon Support the show by becoming a member at patreon.com/abriefchat ....

Hester Blum is a professor of English at Penn State. She recently edited, and wrote the introduction for, the new Oxford World’s Classics edition of Moby-Dick . In this interview, we talk about new ways to interpret Melville’s classic through our modern lens; polar exploration; our responsibility to cultures other than our own; and more.

Richard Biever is an assistant professor of musical theatre at the School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University. In this interview, we talk about using the stage as a way to spark community conversations on difficult issues. We also discuss the performance of older plays and musicals in the modern era. And we talk about play readings (as opposed to fully staged performances) as a particul...

Clint Carrick is the author of the book Small Town Skateparks, which chronicles his journey from Vermont to California, visiting skateparks in out-of-the-way places across the country. The book is a mix of memoir and travelogue, and it examines the activities that knit people together and what happens when they drift away from them.

Alice Teeple is, among other things, a documentary photographer. Her photo essay on homelessness in New York City was recently featured on the website Interlocutor . In this interview, Alice talks about the photo series, her own experience of homelessness, and the other projects she’s working on. See more of Alice’s work on Instagram .

Albert Goldbarth has been publishing poetry for five decades. Albert’s newest collection, Everybody , is available from Lynx House Press or your local bookseller. Please support this podcast by becoming a member at https://patreon.com/abriefchat . Thanks!

In which I travel to various places in Rhode Island and tell you what I see. Get the entire episode and many more bonus shows (plus a whole lot more) at patreon.com/abriefchat .

A conversation with poet Michael Schiavo about: random Instagram photography daily writing vs inspiration the creation of his book The Mad Song Emerson and transcendentalism his current projects You can get early access to every episode plus bonus episodes, travels essays and more at https://patreon.com/abriefchat .

Annalisa Barron is an interdisciplinary artist. In this interview, she talks about how gutting an apartment led her to become an art major; how she acquires the skills she needs for particular types of art making; the artist as entrepreneur; her work as an adjunct professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology; and more. Find her current work at https://instagram.com/annalisa.barron and her pa...

Tough Poets Press started in 2015 to publish “new and rediscovered unconventional and neglected literary fiction, poetry, and non-fiction.” In this interview, founder Rick Schober talks about how he came up with the idea for the press; how he finds the books and authors he features; designing the covers; and more. Learn more at https://toughpoets.com/ . — If you like this episode...

Hannah Bingman is a singer-songwriter based in central Pennsylvania. In this interview she talks about the craft of songwriting; her spiritual journey; the inspiration of Sister Rosetta Tharpe; and more. Learn more about Hannah at https://www.hannahbingman.com/ . — This show is only possible because of people like you. Visit https://www.patreon.com/vanarchism and become a supporting member t...

This episode struck a chord with a lot of my subscribers, so I thought I’d unlock it for everyone. In it I talk about my continued attempts to find my place in the world. If you’d like to hear more of these monthly bonus shows, become a member at patreon.com/vanarchism .

Rania Hannan lives and travels in a van. In this interview, she talks about making that decision against the wishes of her parents; what’s it like being a solo woman on the road; her comedy writing ambitions; and more. Follow Rania on Instagram and TikTok . — This show is only possible because of people like you. Visit https://www.patreon.com/vanarchism and become a supporting member t...

Sarah Walter started whitewater kayaking four years ago. In this episode, she talks about confronting fear; finding the flow state; using the lessons of kayaking in her daily life; and more. You can follow Sarah online at https://www.instagram.com/sarahwewa/ . — This show is only possible because of people like you. Visit https://www.patreon.com/vanarchism and become a supporting member toda...

Rowan Chamberlain is a life coach who helps folks show up for themselves by overcoming people pleasing and other common issues. On this episode Rowan talks about the nature of people pleasing; gives some tips on identifying behaviors to watch out for; defines different types of trauma and how they manifest in our daily lives; and more. You can learn about Rowan’s work at https://www.liveloud...