Dialogues with Creators

Dr. Tami Tomasello, Associate Professor Communication at Dalton State College, joins us to discuss creativity, boredom, AI, and online teaching, sharing from her vast knowledge of mass media and communication studies. Books mentioned Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman The Shallows by Nicholas Carr Hitmakers by Derek Thompson Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi How we Got to Now by Stev...

Barbara talks about her latest book and gets personal and a little controversial.

Barbara Tucker and Linda Gambill, author of The Geography of Desire: A Memoir of West Africa, discuss this new memoir about Linda’s time in the Peace Corps in The Gambia. Leaving the United States in 1979, Linda spent three years as a volunteer in health education. Her heartfelt memoir explores her immersion in a new culture, struggles, and joys. lindagambill.com The Geography of Desire on Amazon...

Barbara interviews visual artist Daryl Thetford of Chattanooga in this episode. They talk about how he moved from being a mental health professional to a professional artist, his processes, and the connections of written art and visual media. Daryl’s work can be seen here: https://darylthetford.com/ https://chauvetarts.com/artist/daryl-thetford https://www.wescover.com/creator/daryl-thetford?srslt...

In this solo podcast, Barbara Tucker shares from her 50 years of experience studying public speaking, rants against Generative AI, and throws in some other thoughts to enlighten or infuriate you.

In this episode, Barbara has the deep honor and joy to interview two old friends, Bill and Becky Petite. In May 2026, they returned to their work with the Japanese people. Barbara was able to sit down (via Teams!) with them–she was in Dalton, they were in Northern Ohio–before they left. Along with an in-depth discussion on intercultural communication, Japanese culture and language, and mission wor...

Join Dr. Barbara Tucker as she discusses The Stranger by Albert Camus. Meursault, a detached French Algerian, attends his mother’s funeral with striking indifference. Shortly after, he begins an affair with Marie and befriends Raymond, a local pimp. While on a beach trip, Meursault—disoriented by the intense heat and sun—inexplicably shoots an Arab man. During his trial, the prosecution focuses mo...

This passage is often called "The Temptation of Christ" but it tells of three temptations out of others. Barbara goes solo here to share a talk she gave at the church she attends about a familiar passage. She takes some side trips along the way.

Listen in as Barbara talks with Dana Shavin of Chattanooga. Dana is a memoirist, painter, newspaper columnist, and writing facilitator. Her newest role is as Coordinator of Literary Arts at the Creative Arts Guild of Dalton. She and Barbara talk about memoir, curiosity, and creativity. Links: https://www.danashavin.com/ https://www.danashavinartist.com/about-me.html https://creativeartsguild.org/...

Today, one podcaster meets another as Barbara Tucker interviews Dr. Jason Dew, Professor of English at Perimeter College of Georgia State University, about his writing, specifically his novel Gadly Plain. Dr. Dew uses the pen name of J. Michael Dew. Links: https://open.spotify.com/show/10d9sdWX6JM9dVawZ20bq9 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-professors-bayonet/id1716943873 https://cladach....

In this solo podcast, Barbara G. Tucker explains her experience with Appalachia, how sense of place informs writing, and the origins of Lying In and other stories she has written about Appalachia.

In this episode of Dialogues with Creator, Barbara talks with new friend Joyce McPherson, a resident of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, who wears many creative hats. Joyce writes biographies of historical persons for middle-grade students, writes fiction for young readers, teaches college English, and directs a Shakespeare camp. Joyce is a person you should know about. Links: https://joyce-mcpherson....

On this solo podcast, Barbara explains why she writes fiction, specifically novels, and what the value of fiction is to all of us.

Host Dr. Barbara Tucker welcomes Dr. Forrest Blackbourn for a lively exploration of one of his favorite novels, Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Their conversation traces the novel’s layered narrative, from the shadow of Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship to the Dominican diaspora in New Jersey. Blackbourn examines themes of fukú and zafa, hypermasculinity, race, and the reclamation...

Dr. Jennifer Randall, Professor of English at Dalton State College, joins Barbara to provide insight into the value of the world’s foundational philosophical work, Plato’s Republic. Find out why this 2400-year-old book is relevant in today’s world. It’s a lively discussion! Barbara Tucker’s website: www.barbaragrahamtucker.net The show’s GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/manage/keep-our-nonp...

For the first interview on Dialogues with Creators for 2026, Barbara talks to Dr. Margaret Roblyer, known to her friends as Peggy, on writing a memoir and on Peggy’s soon-to-be-published memoir, Strong Glass (June). This is for everyone who has thought about writing about their own personal stories. Peggy also shares vital information about publishing. As a former textbook author and professor of...

Here Barbara lets her opinions be known about the writers she considers the guiding stars. Trigger warning: She may not like the popular ones!

Here are some recommendations and counter-recommendations on books, based on Barbara's reading patterns in 2025. She talks about 26 or so fiction and nonfiction books read over the past year, not to mention a lot of shorter works. Standouts are In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, The Digital Delusion by Jason Horvath, I am a Georgia Girl by Ann Hite, and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morriso...

Here I go solo in my low-key way to discuss the book Astounding (about the history of pulp science fiction) and the shows Plur1bus and Severance, which stand out as "Twilight Zone"-based speculative fiction.

This episode is a chat with Ufuk Özalp, a native and citizen of Turkey, who owns a tourism agency, Mosaics of Turkiye. He started the company because of his passion for his country’s culture and history. After all, he loves traveling because he wants to share Turkey with new friends from other countries. I can attest to how he provides a 100% quality experience for travelers. You can find more inf...

Join host Dr. Barbara Tucker this week as she sits down with acclaimed Southern novelist Ann Hite, a renowned storyteller whose debut novel Ghost On Black Mountain was a finalist for the Townsend Prize and won the Georgia Author of the Year award. Ann shares her journey crafting haunting Appalachian tales that breathe life into characters dictating their own stories, her love of a library that spa...

In this inspiring conversation, host Barbara Tucker welcomes Dr. Jeevani Sammeta, assistant professor of communication at Dalton State College, whose journey spans from Hyderabad, India, to northwest Georgia. Dr. Sammeta shares how she transitioned from engineering to filmmaking and academia, reflects on the cultural shifts between India and the U.S., and explains her research on the growing natio...

Discover the creative heart of Northwest Georgia in this episode of Dialogues with Creators . Host Barbara Tucker chats with Matthew Gramling, director of the Bandy Heritage Center at Dalton State College, about his journey into historical preservation and the center’s mission to collect, protect, and celebrate regional culture. From Cherokee heritage to textile arts and global connections through...

Ms. Jeanne Cahill, a native of Georgia, sits down with Barbara Tucker to talk about her new book, Call Me Jeanne: From Outhouse to the White House, A Journey of Family, Loss, and the Power of Love. They discuss her time working for the election of Governor and then President Jimmy Carter, her time in their administrations helping women and families, and what it is like to write a memoir. Get Jeann...

Host Barbara Tucker tackles the promises and perils of generative artificial intelligence in this thought-provoking conversation. Drawing on years of teaching and writing, she reflects on how AI tools are reshaping communication, creativity, and even the human brain. Barbara explores questions of accuracy, ethics, and social responsibility. Whether you’re curious or cautious, this episode challeng...