Shows
The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 652 - Dmitry SamarovIt's been a year since his last episode, so what's artist Dmitry Samarov been up to? Plenty! We talk about his new project of redesigning and illustrating public domain books, why he started off with the White Whale itself, and why Babbitt! was next in line, what the common themes are among the six books he's illustrated since this project began, and how it all ties into his reaction to the 2024 election. We get into what it's like working with publishers after controlling his own books for years, how he discovered James Hogg's The Suicide's Grave on SOME OTHER...
2025-09-031h 12
hu u noMoby Dick book-releaseA talk between publisher Mallory Smart and designer Dmitry Samarov on the occasion of the release of a new illustrated edition of Herman Melville's classic by Maudlin House. The event took place at Tangible Books in Chicago on May 10th, 2025.
2025-05-111h 05
Salt Lake DirtDmitry Samarov - MOBY DICK, THE MARVEL UNIVERSE, BABBITT - Episode 307Episode 307Guest: Dmitry SamarovBooks: Moby Dick, The Marvel Universe, Babbitt---This week on Salt Lake Dirt, Kyler welcomes back the talented artist and author Dmitry Samarov to discuss his latest projects, including the visually stunning reissue of Moby Dick, The Marvel Universe by Bruce Wagner, and Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis. Dmitry shares insights into his creative process and the challenges of illustrating public domain texts, revealing how his artistic vision brings new life to classic literature.The conversation dives into Dmitry's journey of self-publishing and the unique...
2025-04-0844 min
The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 606 - Dmitry SamarovArtist Dmitry Samarov returns to the show to bail me out after a stressful couple of weeks and to explore his fantastic new book, MAKING PICTURES IS HOW I TALK TO THE WORLD, a survey of his art from the '80s to today. We talk about the process of selecting pieces for the book, what artistic legacy means to him, finding roots of his work in his childhood, and why the notion of 'progression' doesn't apply to his work. We get into the transformative experience of working at Tangible Books and how it's inspiring his new 'zine project...
2024-09-241h 35
hu u noDmitry Samarov & Jasmon Drain at Tangible BooksA conversation between Dmitry Samarov and Jasmon Drain about Samarov's Making Pictures is How I Talk to the World at Tangible Books in Chicago, 8/24/24.
2024-08-281h 07
hu u noEugene MartenA talk with writer Eugene Marten about the re-release of Layman's Report and other matters.
2024-08-201h 00
hu u noMaggie UmberA talk with artist/writer Maggie Umber about her nearly-wordless book, Chrysanthemum Under the Waves.
2024-08-102h 13
hu u noTruth SerumA couple pages from Eugene Marten's Layman's Report.
Read my review of the book.
Background music by Emily Robb.
2024-07-0310 min
hu u noBruce WagnerA wide-ranging talk with novelist/screenwriter Bruce Wagner.
Order his new book and read my review of his previous one.
2024-06-011h 01
hu u noDe Kooning on the RenaissanceI read an essay Willem De Kooning wrote in 1950 that is included in a tiny book I bought from the collection of Tom Verlaine.
2024-05-0517 min
hu u noScott SchaafA talk with Scott Schaaf about growing up in the Quad Cities and ending up in Chicago to eventually open his great record store, Pinwheel Records, in Pilsen.
2024-04-162h 05
hu u noA Georges Perec listA hundred-seventy-nine-line list from Georges Perec's Life: A User's Manual that is a kind of skeleton key or cheat sheet for the whole book.
2024-04-0322 min
hu u noLucy Sante (2024)A talk with Lucy Sante about her new memoir, a lifetime of writing, and her unexpected newfound fame.
2024-03-271h 15
hu u noDmitry SamarovSkyler Rowe interviews Dmitry Samarov about childhood, art, and the rest of it.
2024-03-201h 58
hu u noKatherine EremiaA talk with artist Katherine Eremia about growing up in the South, coming up to Chicago, and a whole lot more.
2024-03-152h 13
hu u noTyler DempseyA talk with writer/podcaster/lover of remote locales, Tyler Dempsey.
Read my review of his novel, Will We All Still See Each Other Afterward.
2024-03-062h 09
2024-02-2914 min
2024-02-1609 min
hu u noCoyle & BandiniI read the first few pages from George V. Higgins' The Friends of Eddie Coyle and John Fante's Wait Until Spring, Bandini.
2024-01-2938 min
2024-01-0412 min
2023-12-2111 min
hu u noThe Story of RR 1: Father FrostThe fifth conversation in an ongoing series about one woman's childhood.
2023-12-1143 min
2023-12-0216 min
2023-11-1609 min
hu u noMallory Smart: I Keep My Visions to MyselfA talk with writer Mallory Smart about her forthcoming book. Order it here.
2023-11-081h 59
hu u noThe Story of RR 1: Healing FantasiesAnother installment in the story of one woman's childhood.
2023-11-0107 min
2023-10-251h 23
hu u noThe Story of RR 1: Little Orphan AnnieThe second in a series of conversations about one woman's childhood.
2023-10-181h 43
hu u noThe Story of RR 1: Stella DallasThe first in a series of conversations about one woman's childhood.
2023-10-1107 min
hu u no"to whom it may concern" book-releaseA recording of a book-release event at Tangible Books on September 16, 2023, featuring Mallory Smart and Annie Howard.
2023-09-2050 min
hu u no"Don't Put No Hands on Me"A short reading from Don DeLillo's "Mao II" in honor of my own book-release.
2023-09-1605 minSalt Lake DirtDmitry Samarov - TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN - Episode 161On today's episode I welcome back artist Dmitry Samarov. His new book To Whom It May Concern can be purchased on his website dmitrysamarov.com. I've become a big fan of Dmitry's work these past few months so it great to catch up with him.
Dmitry is host of the podcast hu u no and co-host for That Horrorcast with Mallory Smart.
Thanks for listening!
Kyler
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Episode Links:
PURCHASE To Whom It May Concern
DmitrySamarov.com
IG: samarov_art
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SLD Podcast Info:
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2023-09-1240 min
hu u noThe Yard Man by Bonnie Jo CampbellI read a story by Bonnie Jo Campbell from her 2009 collection, "American Salvage".
2023-08-161h 09
2023-08-112h 00
hu u noJoe JuddA talk with Joe Judd about starting Myopic Books, moving away, then coming back and establishing Tangible Books in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago.
Read my article about Tangible here.
2023-08-021h 40
hu u noJohnny SampsonA talk with illustrator/artist Johnny Sampson about the art racket, comics, music, and the whole kit and caboodle.
2023-07-261h 31
hu u noMark TurcotteA talk with poet Mark Turcotte about his youth in North Dakota and Michigan, his various jobs, and ending up a professor of literature at DePaul University in Chicago.
2023-07-042h 37
hu u noHow to make a poppyseed roll according to my motherMy mom tells me the recipe for poppyseed roll that her mother-in-law taught her. (in Russian)
2023-07-0244 min
Textual Healing with Mallory SmartAmerica Hates Art: An Off Topic Interview With Dmitry SamarovDmitry Samarov was born in Moscow, USSR in 1970. He immigrated to the US with his family in 1978. He got in trouble in 1st grade for doodling on his Lenin Red Star pin and hasn't stopped doodling since. He graduated with a BFA in painting and printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993.
He drove a cab—first in Boston, then after a time, in Chicago— which led to the publication of his illustrated work memoirs Hack: Stories from a Chicago Cab (University of Chicago Press, 2011) and second cabbie book from a press not worth m...
2023-06-242h 13
2023-06-0311 min
2023-05-221h 32
hu u noAlexander SamarovA talk in Russian with my father about his childhood, his love of nature, and the roots of his interest in literature.
2023-05-101h 25
hu u noNora SamarovA talk in Russian with my mother about her childhood, work in hospital, and early loves.
2023-05-031h 35
hu u noComfort StationPractice readings for a performance at Comfort Station on 4/20/23 with music by Keefe Jackson, Aram Shelton, and Jeb Bishop.
Background music by The Dwarfs of East Agouza.
More posters...
2023-04-2623 min
2023-04-1913 min
hu u noJasmon DrainA talk with Chicago writer Jasmon Drain. Read my review of his book, which led to our becoming friends.
2023-04-131h 48
hu u noWendy ClinardI talk with artist/dancer/choreographer/human Wendy Clinard about her circuitous route through the creative landscape.
2023-04-061h 25
hu u noJohn Salhus/Buena Vista ProjectsA talk with painter John Salhus about his new art space, Buena Vista Projects, in the East Side neighborhood of Chicago.
2023-03-221h 04
hu u noNew Year's Eve without MamaI read another story from Alla Gorbunova's It's the End of the World, My Love in Russian.
2023-03-1530 min
hu u noMark ShippyA long talk with musician/artist Mark Shippy about U.S. Maple and many other things under the sun.
2023-03-153h 27
hu u noKevin HickeyA wide-ranging talk with Chef Kevin Hickey about his long history in the kitchen, his travels, plans to dot Europe with Duck Inn hotdog stands and more.
2023-03-083h 12
hu u noSunday @ Archie's CafeA reading/concert by Westley Heine and Dmitry Samarov at Archie's Cafe in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, 2/26/23.
2023-03-0139 min
hu u noIt's the End of the World, My LoveA reading from Alla Gorbunova's It's the End of the World, My Love. I found out about this book from a podcast called Polka. Apologies to any non-Russian-language-speaking listeners. Hope to be back with an episode in my adopted language soon.
2023-02-2228 min
hu u noJessi PhillipsA talk with musician/writer Jessi Phillips about Michigan, California, New York, writing, music, relationships, and all the rest of it.
2023-02-152h 15
hu u noBen TerrallA talk with writer Ben Terrall about Boston, San Francisco, and the state of the world.
2023-02-081h 39
hu u noJason SanfordA talk with artist/musician Jason Sanford about Boston, Colorado, art, music, and more.
2023-02-012h 19
The Nick D Podcast on Radio MisfitsNick D – Dmitry Samarov and Everyone Just Keeps Getting DumberNick talks with artist/writer/podcaster/publisher/ex-cab driver Dmitry Samarov about his latest book “Paint-By-Numbers,” his upcoming art shows, the reviews he writes for the Chicago Reader, his horror movie podcast, and how he described 2020 as “the Best Pandemic Ever.” Then, Nick is joined by Esmeralda Leon to discuss the details of his latest Facebook prison sentence (it involves the very “sexy” aliens from John Carpenter’s “They Live”), fulfill the latest Magic Megaphone Message, taste test more weird Kit Kit bars, and discuss why so many people just keep getting dumber and dumber. And Nick’s Dad Tells a Joke! [EP111
2023-01-311h 44
hu u noMike ReedA talk with Mike Reed about playing music, starting the Pitchfork Music Festival, running Constellation and the Hungry Brain, and lots more.
2023-01-251h 41
2023-01-182h 07
hu u noDamian RogersA wide-ranging talk with Toronto-based writer Damian Rogers. Read my review of her great book about her mother here.
2023-01-112h 48
hu u noSoviet Stamps at DominicanA talk about Soviet Stamps in Frank Spidale's freshman seminar at Dominican University, November 22, 2022.
2023-01-0446 min
2022-12-2827 min
hu u noChris BrokawA talk with Chris Brokaw about his bands past and present, touring, teaching, and more.
2022-12-211h 19
Textual Healing with Mallory SmartOff the Record With Dmitry Samarov: Comfortably BlindDmitry Samarov was born in Moscow, USSR in 1970. He immigrated to the US with his family in 1978. He got in trouble in 1st grade for doodling on his Lenin Red Star pin and hasn't stopped doodling since. After a false start at Parsons School of Design in New York, he graduated with a BFA in painting and printmaking from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1993.
Upon graduation he promptly began driving a cab—first in Boston, then after a time, in Chicago— which eventually led to the publication of his illustrated work memoirs Hack: Stor...
2022-12-1710 min
hu u noJames Marlon MagasA talk with musician James Marlon Magas about leaving the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for Chicago and his journey through music, art, and even rideshare driving.
2022-12-142h 10Chicago – The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 518 – Dmitry SamarovVirtual Memories Show 518:
Dmitry Samarov
“Art is made out of art, and you model your art and/or your behavior after other people. Then time goes on and you meet some of them, and they’re not what you thought they were. And that makes you question what it was that you were after all those years.”
For the final interview episode of 2022, artist & author Dmitry Samarov rejoins the show to talk about his new book, PAINT BY NUMBERS, the disastrous experience he had trying to profile a pair of renowned artists, and why he...
2022-12-1300 min
The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 518 - Dmitry SamarovArtist & author Dmitry Samarov rejoins the show to talk about his new book, PAINT BY NUMBERS, the disastrous experience he had trying to profile a pair of renowned artists, and why he chose to chronicle (& fictionalize) it years later in this book. We get into the conflict of art & commerce, fame & failure in America, and the relationship of artist, artwork, and audience. We also talk about the Lynda Barry class that opened his eyes to his own art-making process, what he's learned from making a podcast of his own, the surprise bliss of holding a book-event with no audience...
2022-12-131h 24
hu u noJanet Beveridge BeanA talk with musician Janet Beveridge Bean about growing up in Kentucky, playing music as a child, her bands—Freakwater and Eleventh Dream Day—and current writing and and musical projects.
2022-12-071h 13
hu u noPilsen Community Books talkA book-release talk about paint-by-numbers with Annie Howard. Recorded at Pilsen Community Books in Chicago.
2022-11-301h 01
hu u noJohn HodgmanA talk with writer/actor/humorist John Hodgman about Shopsin's, the future of capitalism, zines, and all the rest.
2022-11-231h 24
hu u noMallory SmartA talk with writer, publisher, and my horror movie podcast cohost Mallory Smart. Check out Maudlin House and Textual Healing for what she's about.
2022-11-161h 26
2022-11-1309 min
hu u noElliot DicksA talk with musician and sound guy Elliot Dicks about growing up in Columbus, Ohio, moving to Chicago, and building a life in music. Check out his current band and one of his old ones here.
2022-11-091h 24
hu u noJake AustenA talk with Jake Austen about growing up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, art school, his lifelong fascination with masked singers and much more. Check out what Austen's all about at his Rocktober site.
2022-11-022h 17
2022-10-261h 23
hu u noWestley HeineA talk with writer/musician Westley Heine. Get his 12 Chicago Cabbies and Busking Blues and read my Reader article about him.
2022-10-191h 27
hu u noNancy CareyA talk with Nancy Carey about writing, painting, baking, conflict-resolution, and more.
2022-10-121h 45
hu u no"What else do you teach?"A reading of chapter 12 of Don DeLillo's White Noise.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
2022-10-0614 min
hu u noJames JankowiakA talk with Chicago painter James Jankowiak about growing up in Back of the Yards, getting into graffiti writing, becoming an artist, a teacher, and a whole lot of other stuff. See a bunch of his work here.
Check out his show at Compound Yellow through 11/20/22.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
2022-10-052h 32
hu u noAzita YoussefiA talk with musician Azita Youssefi about the transition from visual to musical art, the Chicago scene, and more. Listen to Azita’s music here.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
2022-09-281h 47
hu u noMax SamarovA talk with Max Samarov about Israel, California, metal music, and other matters. Learn more about Max here.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
2022-09-212h 00
hu u noAlicia MartinezA talk with forensics student and former mixologist Alicia Martinez. Follow her on Instagram (if she lets you.)
Music today, tomorrow, and the days after that by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
2022-09-141h 48
hu u noKeefe JacksonA talk with jazz musician Keefe Jackson. We discuss his youth in an Arkansas college town, the switch from cello to saxophone, his move to Chicago, and more. Catch his gigs or buy a record at his site.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
2022-09-071h 24
hu u noSam WagsterA talk with musician Sam Wagster about growing up in Texas, studying film and writing, and playing in bands. Listen to Mute Duo, The Father Costume, Anatomy of Habit, but also enjoy Wagster’s work with The Cairo Gang, Azita, and countless others.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
2022-08-311h 47
hu u noMick CollinsA talk with musician and aspiring linguist Mick Collins about the Dirtbombs, the Gories, the Wolfmanhattan Project, and inventing his own language. Follow Collins on Twitter and listen to all his music you can find.
Theme music by Bill MacKay.
2022-08-241h 26
hu u noBrian CaseA talk with musician and graphic designer Brian Case about coming from St. Louis to Chicago, getting into the music scene, and about just keeping going. Check out his current band, FACS, as well as his solo work, and his old band, Disappears.
Theme music—as if you needed to ask—by Bill MacKay.
2022-08-171h 35Salt Lake DirtDmitry Samarov - PAINT BY NUMBERS - Episode 68On today's episode I welcome artist Dmitry Samarov. His new book Paint By Numbers can be pre-ordered on his website dmitrysamarov.com. It's a fascinating read with incredible visuals based off real events. Dmitry is host of the podcast hu u no and co-host for That Horrorcast with Mallory Smart.
On this episode we chat about Bruce Wagner, quitting social media, and podcasting during the pandemic.
Thanks for listening!
Kyler
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Artist Bio:
Dmitry Samarov was born in Moscow, USSR in 1970. He immigrated to the US with...
2022-08-161h 12
hu u noScott McClanahanA talk with writer Scott McClanahan about Robert Mitchum, writing, music, and more. Get his books here and here and read my review of The Sarah Book.
Music now and always by Bill MacKay.
2022-08-101h 31
Eager To KnowDmitry SamarovDmitry Samarov is an artist with 4 published books. I found his relationship with his art, and our world, very interesting.
www.dmitrysamarov.com
More details can be found at: eager2know.com
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2021-12-2747 min
Selected Prose23. Dmitry SamarovDmitry Samarov, everyone!
Dmitry is a painter and writer living in Chicago. He is the author and illustrator of six books. He sends out a newsletter every Monday. An absurd amount of his work is collected at his website, which is seventeen years old now.
SUPPORT SELECTED PROSE! Follow, subscribe, review, and become a Patron!
Music by Tom Laplaige (@sighpilot)
2021-09-201h 22
The Virtual Memories ShowEpisode 436 - Dmitry SamarovWith his new book OLD STYLE, artist & author Dmitry Samarov moves from memoir into a (mostly) fictional mode, chronicling the lives and deaths of a pair of Chicago bars. We get into the liberations & responsibilities of fiction, the challenges of writing about bars while avoiding nostalgia, and how he put in the time to understand the bar patrons and their archetypes. We also talk about making art through the pandemic, turning his old art & writing into collage books, the need to change his palette, and what it was like for him to teach drawing for the first time (at 50...
2021-05-251h 29
Textual Healing with Mallory SmartThe One With The Diet Coke Button: Weird Digressions with Dmitry SamarovIn this episode of Textual Healing, Dmitry Samarov talks about what it's like to be Gen X in a Gen Z world. We joke around about what the right sayings are and whether our taste in music even matters anymore.
We hit music from all angles. The Pixies, Billie Eilish, Nirvana, Kelly Hogan, and even Taylor Swift are discussed. We disagree about the awesomeness of grunge music but we do agree that Mr. Rogers is creepy. Yes, this episode is all over the place but completely on point when it comes to Dmitry's writing.
Dmitry...
2021-03-0652 min
I'm a Writer ButDmitry SamarovThe Butheads talk to artist and writer Dmitry Samarov (OLD STYLE) about self-publishing, how pig faces are the more human faces so they are less vegetarian, writing from life and making connections / composites, working in the service industry, fucking up your book in your own way, howling into the void without an agent, making books with art, being an artist/writer without social media, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2021-02-1654 minChicago – The Virtual Memories ShowCOVID Check-In with Dmitry SamarovVirtual Memories Show COVID Check-In: Dmitry Samarov “Each new apartment I have, there’s this hope that it’s the last one. Not like the final resting place, but the permanent home.” Artist & writer Dmitry Samarov checks in from Chicago to talk about self-isolating in a packed-up apartment (he’s supposed to move in a month). We … Continue reading "COVID Check-In with Dmitry Samarov"
2020-04-0400 min
The Virtual Memories ShowCOVID Check-In with Dmitry SamarovArtist & writer Dmitry Samarov checks in from Chicago to talk about self-isolating in a packed-up apartment (he's supposed to move in a month). We talk about his paintings, the lack of social distancing in some neighborhoods he's seen, his current reading (Tropic of Cancer and Ben Katchor's The Dairy Restaurant), and more. • Follow Dmitry through his weekly e-mail • Listen to our most recent full-length podcast • More info at our site • Find all our COVID Check-In episodes • Support The Virtual Memories Show via Patreon or Paypal
2020-04-0427 min
The Virtual Memories ShowDmitry Samarov returns!With his new memoir, Soviet Stamps, artist & writer Dmitry Samarov explores his experience of emigrating from the USSR as a child, finding his way through late-'70s and '80s America, and becoming an artist. We talk about the book's winding path to self-publication, how his story does and doesn't fit in to the history of Soviet Jewry, how he overcame the embarrassment of including his adolescent art in the book, his 4th grade autobiography and how it managed to predict much of his career, and the possible Dmitry-lives that could have resulted from decisions that were out of...
2020-02-111h 15
The Virtual Memories ShowDmitry SamarovAfter our pre-opening tour of the Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation museum, artist Dmitry Samarov and I repaired to a cafe where we recorded a noisy conversation while Dmitry sketched me. This ridiculously casual episode gets into artists and suicide, the process and revelations of assembling 20 years' worth of work for a mid-career retrospective (as well as his new exhibition of his CTA illustrations), the losing proposition of chasing stats, the launch of his own semisorta podcast, the fanciest dumb-phone around, becoming a journalist/reviewer, and how you gotta find the right tool for the job/art. • More in...
2018-07-171h 01
Undisclosed LocationDmitry Samarov InterviewMy first long-form episode, where I interview Chicagoan and former taxicab driver Dmitry Samarov. We recorded this while I drove him around the south side of the city. He is the author of two books on his days as a taxi driver.--- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mark-smithivas/support Get full access to Undisclosed Location at marksmithivas.substack.com/subscribe
2018-04-1146 min
Ridesharing StoriesDmitry Samarov InterviewMy first long-form episode, where I interview Chicagoan and former taxicab driver Dmitry Samarov. We recorded this while I drove him around the south side of the city. He is the author of two books on his days as a taxi driver.
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Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mark-smithivas/support
2018-04-1146 min
Otherppl with Brad ListiEpisode 334 — Dmitry SamarovDmitry Samarov is the guest. His new memoir, Where To?, is now available from Curbside Splendor.
Rick Kogan calls it
"Funny, touching, observant, philosophical, sad, world-weary, artful and wonderful are the stories that pepper this book. There has never been a cab driver like Dmitry Samarov and, since he's given up for keeps late-night for-hire driving, there never will be."
And Wendy MacNaughton says
"With his gorgeous pen and ink drawings and funny, tragic, and all too true stories, Samarov's chronicle of his adventures as a Chicago taxi driver is by far the best ride you'll ever take in a...
2014-11-301h 21