WORK IN PROGRESS: Conversations with Creators

Writer, director, stand-up comic and actor Dan Perlman is best known as the co-creator and star of the Showtime comedy series "Flatbush Misdemeanors." In 2025, he directed and starred in the very funny documentary short, "Being Bublé," in which the comedian attempts to become a Michael Bublé impersonator for a wealthy stranger's party, despite having no resemblance to the s...

The multi-talented Adam Nimoy has been an entertainment lawyer, a television director, a teacher, a photographer and a writer. He is also the son of Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock in the original “Star Trek” television series. In this episode, Adam discusses his 2024 memoir, “The Most Human: Reconciling with My Father, Leonard Nimoy,” which details their often fraught relationship and shared...

Living legend Fred Frith reinvented what a guitar could do. From his early experiments with the band Henry Cow, which he cofounded in 1968, to collaborations with Brian Eno, the Residents, John Zorn, Ikue Mori and countless others, the UK-born musician has produced a wide-ranging catalog of eclectic and influential work, appearing on over 400 recordings. Frith stopped by the studio while in town f...

One of the world’s most celebrated photojournalists, Ed Kashi has dedicated the past 45 years to documenting the social and geopolitical issues that define our era. From capturing life in Northern Ireland during the time of the Troubles to his 30-year project on the Kurdish diaspora to shining a light on Nigeria’s oil workers, Kashi has traveled the world, sometimes at great personal risk, to capt...

Danny Burgos is a Broadway actor who currently stars as Santiago in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” Previous roles include Bernardo in “West Side Story” and Gomez Addams in “The Addams Family.” In this episode, Burgos talks about growing up in Hialeah, FL, how he developed his love of musical theater and what his daily life as a touring performer is like. Local audiences can catch him in “Moulin Roug...

Nicolás Lell Benavides is an award-winning classical music composer and 2024-2025 Guggenheim Fellow. His new opera, “Dolores,” which is based on the life of activist Dolores Huerta, will have its New Mexico premiere at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Sunday, Oct. 26. In this episode, he speaks with Logan about his musical journey, his personal connection to Dolores Huerta and how music ca...

Jon Krieger aka Blackbraid is an acclaimed black metal musician. Born in Mexico with strong Indigenous roots, Krieger talks about bringing an Indigenous perspective to a musical genre most people associate with Scandinavia. He also discusses meeting the controversial Norwegian black metal band Mayhem and teases the possibility of an all-acoustic album. If you enjoy our podcasts, please like and su...

The Library of Congress recently named Arthur Sze as the 25th Poet Laureate of the United States. In this episode, the Santa Fe-based poet discusses his efforts to make poetry accessible through teaching and translation. He also talks about his creative process and influences, including William Carlos Williams, Gary Snyder, Wallace Stevens and the Tang dynasty poets of China. If you enjoy our podc...

Greta Snider is an experimental nonfiction filmmaker who is being honored with a retrospective at No Name Cinema in Santa Fe on Friday, Sept. 26. Snider has used a variety of unconventional techniques over the years, including found footage montage, stereoscopy and hand-painting directly on film negatives. In this episode, she talks to Logan about film as a tool for personal expression, social com...

Michael Gira is the founder of Swans, an influential band that emerged from New York City's No Wave scene in the early 1980s. Michael talks about his early years making music while working as a full-time construction worker and describes how his music has changed over the decades. He also discusses musical influences, from Suicide to Brian Eno to Fela Kuti, and sets the record straight on the orig...

Albuquerque-based photographer Nathaniel Tetsuro Paolinelli is known for his street photographs and portraits that showcase the diverse subcultures that make New Mexico what it is. He says, "Each image I capture reflects my deep connection to the people and places that embody the essence of this extraordinary state." On today's episode, Nathaniel talks to Logan about photographing low-rider enthus...

Emily Trujillo is an eighth-generation Chimayo weaver. She talks to Logan about keeping her ancestral traditions alive while taking the art form in bold, new directions, drawing inspiration from unexpected sources, including K-pop music. She also talks about "Lineage," a contemporary dance piece inspired by her weavings, which was performed at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Aug...

Tinovimbanashe Sibanda is a London-based choreographer and dancer with a background in musical theater. She recently choreographed the Santa Fe Opera's production of Richard Wagner's "Die Walkure," which was directed by fellow Londoner, Melly Still. In this lively conversation, Tino speaks with Logan about her collaborative creative process and challenges she's overcome in he...

Kate Rusek is an artist based in New York City who transforms discarded materials, such as aluminum blinds, into highly tactile organic forms. She recently completed a monumental public art installation, "Desert Fungal Emergence," at Art City in Tucumcari, NM, where she was an artist in residence. In this episode, she talks to Logan about the ecological ideas that inform her work and wha...

In this special episode of Work in Progress: Conversations with Creators, host Logan sits down with Grammy Award-winning artist Macy Gray as she celebrates the 25th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album On How Life Is. Macy shares the stories behind her early songwriting days, her creative evolution, and the powerful impact of music across genres. From working with legends like Stevie Wond...

Sabine Campana is a contemporary artist known for her abstract painted relief sculptures that evoke a strong sense of place. In today’s episode she talks about growing up in East Berlin in the shadow of the Berlin Wall, and how her limited access to art supplies in those early years gave her a lifelong appreciation for the beauty of found materials. Recent works by Sabine Campana are on view at Th...

Keith Jardine spent over a decade as a professional MMA fighter before transitioning into acting, then directing. He has played memorable characters in Paul Thomas Anderson's "Inherent Vice" and Vincent D'Onofrio's "The Kid," among other films. In this week's episode, Keith talks to Logan about directing his first full-length feature, "Kill Me Again." He also opens up about his struggles with impo...

Two-time Grammy-nominee Eliza Gilkyson released her first album in 1969, and her insightful, often poignant folk songs have influenced generations of musicians. On this week's episode, she talks to Logan about "Dark Ages," her most political album in years. She also discusses her songwriting process and life in New Mexico. Gilkyson will perform at the She Rises Music Festival in Taos on July 19.If...

Texas country sensation Bri Bagwell was born in Las Cruces, NM, and her latest single, "Border Girl," draws on her experiences growing up on the Mexico/New Mexico border. In this lively conversation, she talks to Logan about those experiences, as well as her songwriting process, from her new home studio right next to a rumbling freight train. Bri Bagwell will be performing at Bishop'...

For this very special Fourth of July edition of Work in Progress, Logan talks to a “founding father” of America (the band), Dewey Bunnell. Formed in London in 1970 by three sons of US Air Force personnel, America achieved early transatlantic hits with such now-classic songs as “A Horse with No Name,” “I Need You,” and “Ventura Highway.” Bunnell talks about his songwriting process, his friendship w...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Photographer LYNN STERN. For nearly 50 years, NYC-based photographer Lynn Stern has been chasing light, using translucent fabric to capture the subtle effects of sunlight and shadow. In today’s episode, she talks with Logan about her uniquely painterly approach to photography and the emotional and sp...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Artist NADYA TOLOKONNIKOVA (PUSSY RIOT). Nadya Tolokonnikova is the creator of the Russian feminist protest art collective Pussy Riot. In 2012, she was arrested for her anti-Putin performance "Punk Prayer" and sentenced to a two-year prison term. On June 5, 2025, Tolokonnikova began a durat...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Actress SOPHIE JANE FRICK Born in Albuquerque, Sophie Jane Frick is a rising film and TV star who has appeared on AMC’s hit series “Dark Winds” and Showtime’s miniseries “Waco: The Aftermath.” The 13-year-old actress will soon be seen opposite Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey in the film “The Lost Bu...

Join Albuquerque Journal staff writer and host of Work In Progress_ Logan Beitmen as he chats with Musician AVA MAYBEE. Following the recent release of her debut EP, “Orange Drive,” and a sold-out performance at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom, rising pop-rock phenomenon Ava Maybee has embarked on her first tour as a headliner. In this week's episode, she talks to Logan about how she became a...

Rock band Prism B!tch invites Logan into their home studio, where they demonstrate their collaborative process by creating new music on the fly! Watching the camaraderie among band members Lauren Poole (bass, vocals), Lilah Rose (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Chris Walsh (guitar) and Teresa Cruces (drums, vocals), you’ll understand how they got reputation as an “aggressively friendly” band. Note: th...