Shows
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoHow to Plan for Everything (Except a Paper Cut)Aaron has been preaching the same piece of advice to his kids for years: give a gift to your future self. It’s great advice—until it isn’t. In this episode, a public library talk goes sideways fast, and Aaron learns the hard way that even the best-laid plans can’t stop a surprise bloodbath.
* If you like 7MS, you'll love Aaron's 7MS: Storystream — Live and Unscripted.
7MS Storystream is a live, audio-first show inspired by classic late-night radio — it features raw reflections, spontaneous storytelling, and unexpected conversations with guests and listeners. I...2025-04-2408 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoSunday at Nonna'sAaron shares the story of his great-grandmother—“Little Grandma”—and the Sunday tradition she passed down that became the heartbeat of his family. This deeply personal episode explores the power of food, memory, and how culture gets preserved one simmering pot of sauce at a time.*Shout out to artist Frank Oriti for helping inspire this story! https://frankoritijr.com/*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist!https...2025-04-1708 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoSpring Fever (And Why I Don’t Have It) | 7MS CinemaAs the rest of the world thaws out and rushes outside to soak in the first rays of spring, Aaron heads the opposite direction—back into the basement. In this episode, he reflects on why warmer days fill him with unease, why solitude has become sacred, and how the quiet chill of winter might offer something we’re all starving for: the right to turn off and just be. A story about temperature, temperament, and tuning out.Make sure you're following the podcast—just tap the plus (+) button in the top right corner of the sh...2025-04-1010 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoA Man, a Sunset, and the Cleanest Hands in OhioAaron finds himself stuck in a suburban parking lot, overwhelmed by logistics and burnout after a long weekend of supporting his daughter's performance. But as dusk falls and a chaotic van interrupts a perfect sunset, he’s reminded of perspective, connection, and the small beauty of clean hands and second chances.*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist!https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter*Watch Aaron’s live storytelling lectur...2025-04-0308 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoGene Hackman's Final Days: The Story We’ll Never KnowWhen Aaron learns of Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy’s tragic deaths, he can’t stop thinking about what really happened in those final days. In this intimate reflection, Aaron explores the space between facts and truth—and the power of storytelling to fill in what logic alone never could.*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist!https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter*Watch Aaron’s live storytelling lectures a...2025-03-2707 min
Maffe MeesterwerkenHoe een ‘stripper’ als spion ten onder ging - Live @ NPO Luister Podcast FestivalEen héle speciale aflevering van Maffe Meesterwerken dit keer, live opgenomen op het NPO Luister Podcastfestival op zondag 23 maart. Wat het minstens zo speciaal maakt is het feit dat er twee(!) kunstwerken worden besproken. Dubbel smullen dus.
Paul neemt het leven van een spannende spionne onder de loep op wie hij zijn ideale vrouw heeft gebaseerd, en Cathelijne bespreekt het zelfportret en leven van een kunstenaar wiens familie perikelen doorsijpelden in haar werk.
Meekijken?
🖼️Paul’s gekozen portret van Mata Hari door Isaac Israels is te zien in het Kröller-Müller museum, en...2025-03-2539 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoThe Death of Super Kmart & the Seagull Zoo (7MS Cinema)This special 7 Minute Stories Cinema collaboration takes you to a small-town Super Kmart, a once-thriving hub that slowly faded into obscurity—only to be reclaimed by an unexpected new population. In this episode, Aaron reflects on a childhood filled with late-night runs, hypnotic store music, and one final transformation that turned an abandoned parking lot into something truly unforgettable.Soundscape Design & Direction: Isaac Gehring *We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the wait...2025-03-2010 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoTrapped in Nostalgia: When Loving the Past Goes Too FarAaron reflects on the fine line between nostalgia and delusion, questioning whether his love for the past is keeping him grounded or pulling him into a time warp. Through a mix of humor and introspection, he explores how memories shape us—without letting them define us.*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist!https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter*Watch Aaron’s live storytelling lectures and conversations on our new si...2025-03-1308 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoThe Face That Reminded Me to Reach OutThis episode features a 7MS Cinema collaboration with audio producer Isaac Gehring.After years of chasing a dream in New York, Aaron looks back on the unlikely connections and formative moments that shaped his journey—including a family tie to a professional character actor many of you have seen in films over the last few decades. But when a chance reminder from Henry Winkler jogs a long-buried memory, he realizes there's something important he’s been putting off for too long.*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your i...2025-03-0609 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoHow Many Trash Cans Does It Take to Save the World?On a freezing winter morning, Aaron stepped outside to complete the simplest of tasks—bringing in his trash cans. But what started as a mundane chore quickly spiraled into an existential crisis, leading him to question generosity, obligation, and just how many trash cans one man can really take in.*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join the waitlist!https://www.7minutestoriespod.com/newsletter*Want to watch one of Aaron’s free...2025-02-2708 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoTwo Escapes: A Bird, A Barbecue, and a Moment That LingersOn a late summer night, Aaron and Cori set out for barbecue, but what should have been a simple dinner takes an unexpected turn. First, they find an unlikely hitchhiker—a panicked bird trapped in their car’s grill. Then, just as they’re leaving the restaurant, a much more unsettling scene unfolds in the parking lot—a woman struggling to escape a car, a man refusing to let her go. In this episode, Aaron recounts two escapes: one with a clear ending, the other still unresolved.*If you're experiencing abuse, you can get help wit...2025-02-1909 min
Maffe MeesterwerkenIsaac Massa: Van dolende tiener in Rusland tot zwemmen in het geld in HaarlemPaul & Cathelijne bespreken een gelaagd werk van ‘vergeten' meester Frans Hals, waar veel heerlijke verhalen achter schuilen.
Ook bespreken Paul en Cathelijne de wonderlijke wereld van rotondekunst, en komt een uiterst herkenbaar museumprobleem ter sprake in de luisteraarsvraag.
🖼️Het besproken kunstwerk in deze aflevering is te zien in het Rijksmuseum, en kan bekeken worden via deze link.
🎧 Actuele podcasts van MAX
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Credits Maffe Meesterwerken:
Namens Omroep MAX: Jeroen Bos...2025-02-1824 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoThe Old Church, the Stories, and the Minister’s Prediction (7MS Sunday Leftovers)As a kid, Aaron spent his days at a church with a red door—first in preschool, then in the pews, listening to sermons that felt more like stories. Decades later, he wonders if the minister who once predicted his future might have been onto something. In this episode, Aaron revisits the church, the people who shaped him, and the stories that stayed long after he left.Special 7MS Cinema collaboration with producer/engineer Isaac Gehring *We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for...2025-02-0210 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron Calafato'Twas the Night Before Christmas (7MS Cinema)Experience the wonder of Christmas Eve with Aaron Calafato as he shares a 7MS Cinema Remix of his cherished childhood memories and beloved family traditions, from magical library nights to the anticipation of Santa’s arrival. Settle in as Aaron reads 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and invites you to relive the joy, hope, and magic that make this night unforgettable.Sound collaboration with Isaac Gehring*We’re creating bonus 7MS-themed content delivered to your inbox, but only exclusively for 7MS listeners who sign up for our quarterly newsletter. Join...2024-12-2407 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoBombay vs. Riley: My ‘Mighty Ducks’ Story (7MS Cinema)This special 7MS Cinema edition revisits Aaron's unforgettable story of Coach T, a figure from his past whose influence—part mentor, part antagonist—paralleled the iconic rivalry between Coach Bombay & Coach Riley from The Mighty Ducks.Sound collaboration with Isaac GehringStory created & performed by: Aaron CalafatoSenior Audio Engineer: Ken WendtAdditional vocals: Cori Birce Art: Pete Whitehead Original Music: thomas j. duke 2024-11-1010 min
7 Minute Stories w/ Aaron CalafatoStairway to Heaven: The Father-Daughter Dance Air Guitar Competition (7MS Cinema)Get a taste of the stories behind the 7 Minute Stories with Sunday Leftovers—special episodes, untold tales, and the behind-the-scenes moments that bring Aaron's storytelling to life!This week: At a father-daughter dance, Aaron faces off in an unforgettable air guitar competition set to Stairway to Heaven, channeling rock legends to create a moment his daughter—and the crowd—will never forget.Sound collaboration with Isaac GehringStory created & performed by: Aaron CalafatoSenior Audio Engineer: Ken WendtAdditional vocals: Cori Birce Art...2024-10-2710 min
Let’s Talk Memoir84. Guilt, Infertility, and Documenting Reproductive Rights in Memoir featuring Ellen Weir CaseyEllen Weir Casey joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about infertility and becoming the mother of one of the world’s first IVF babies in the earliest days of assisted reproductive technology, the role guilt plays in women’s lives, being part of medical and women’s history, forgiving ourselves, reproductive freedom, and her memoir Unstoppable: Forging The Path To Motherhood In The Early Days Of IVF.
Also mentioned in this episode:
-The Aspen Institute
-giving our work time to settle
-researching back in the days of microfich...2024-03-2145 minLet’s Talk Memoir61. A Diagnosis, the Toll of Shame, and a Life of Service featuring Martina ClarkMartina Clark joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about her personal journey with HIV, the toll shame can take, the difference each of us can make, writing a braided memoir, staying a step ahead of the reader, keeping the material that matters, and her memoir My Unexpected Life.
Also in this episode:
-getting everything onto the page
-surviving two dangerous viruses
-living a life of service
Books mentioned in this episode:
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Iluo
2023-11-3041 minLet’s Talk Memoir18. Crafting a Braided Memoir featuring Jamie GehringJamie Gehring joins Let’s Talk Memoir for a conversation about her braided memoir Madman in the Woods which details her and her family’s experience living next to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, how she incorporated and structured research, interviews, and her own memories, the challenge of organizing so much information, and why writers need to follow their instincts.
Also in this episode:
-Not losing the reader
-Getting it all onto the page
-Intimate true crime as a genre
Books mentioned in this episode:
Shadow...2022-11-2938 min
I Love Ur BandThe Catbite Interview Feat. Tim Hildebrand and Brittany LunaCatbite is an energetic powerhouse of a ska band out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. For being a relatively new group, they’ve quickly established themselves and their sound as a pillar to look out for in the genre. They really care about their tunes, their Philadelphia scene, and most of all they care deeply for their fans.Lucky me, I got to sit down with the bands songwriting duo/power couple Tim Hildebrand (guitars) and Brittany Luna (vocals/keys.) Listen while we talk performing, creativity in a pandemic, the Philadelphia music scene, hate keeping, and mu...2021-08-2034 minI Love Ur BandThe Watch Your Tone Interview Feat. Andy Hoopes.An interview with the one and only Andy Hoopes of Watch Your Tone. Andy is an incredibly versatile artist who greatly impacted my area and scene here in Utah. Learn more about starting your first band, branding woes, and transitioning into your next project.2021-05-0527 minI Love Ur BandThe MC Lars Interview Feat. MC LarsMC Lars is a California based rapper known for his pop culture and literature references. His sound and attitude has carried him all around the world whether by opening for Snoop Dog, playing Warped Tour, or even collaborating with idols like Weird Al and Bowling for Soup. He is truly unique and we were really lucky to snag him for this interview. This ones for 17 year old me! Enjoy!2021-04-1530 min
I Love Ur BandThe Producer Interview Feat. Gareth CalkOne of the coolest producers in the game we interview the homie Gareth Calk and pick his brain a bit for his thoughts on pop music, production, and how the behind the scenes of music can help an artist flourish in front of the scenes. 2021-03-2228 minI Love Ur BandThe Dogleg Interview Feat. Alex SpoitsiadisImagine if you will, an enchantingly calm and clear body of water. You can see the vegetation, the rocks, the creatures living their various lives, all the way straight to the bottom. It's deep. Now jump in. That's the feeling of listening to the Detroit based emo outfit Dogleg. It's polished to perfection from song writing, technicality, emotion, there's nothing more you could ask for if you're a fan of this style of music. At the same time, this perfection is absolutely disrupted by the pure ferocity of the songs. They range from a sonic, distorted, knife...2021-03-1226 min
I Love Ur BandThe Brainflakes Interview Feat. Brendon CraveGrowing up among the "midwest emo revival" can either make or break you. The region full of blue collar strife, existential night skies, harsh winters and harsh summers, has given birth to hundreds of bands and sparked an entire genre of music and consequently its revival. For Brendon Crave, rising from the border town Beloit Wisconsin, it's completely shaped his life. The iconic venues you hear about in Chicago? Brendon played there. Your favorite band? Brendon played with them or their peers. And from those experiences we get an authentic and heartfelt picture into his life.Known i...2021-02-2825 min
I Love Ur BandThe Box Elder Episode Feat. Christopher ArchulettaOh man, that dude from Detour is dropping his own EP? Better check it out before he blows up! Catch that sweet sweet interview.2021-02-1823 minI Love Ur BandThe 2020 Music Review Episode Feat. Alissa Mcdaniel2020 was absolutely brutal for everyone. A worldwide pandemic, political strife, constant anxiety for ourselves and our loved ones. And the music that usually brings us some calm in these storms? Our favorite tours were cancelled, new albums were pushed back indefinitely, local bands called it quits. The world of music feels lonely, uneasy, and confusing.However, some artists were able to push through the devastation and deliver some solace to an otherwise painful year and for that, they deserve some recognition and many thanks. Strap in for a sonic retelling of 2020 by Alissa McDaniel, one o...2021-02-1618 min
The Basement BingeFantastic Mr. FoxFantastic Mr. Fox was the first in a long list of Blu Rays on my shelf I could not wait to get to. Having been recommended it by a great friend with a similar sense of humor years ago, I couldn't wait. But it had to wait for the podcast schedule.
The time finally came, and after watching, I realized that as much as I loved it I wasn't really sure what to think. Some acclimation was definitely needed. (Since recording I have rewatched it and for sure love it).
Here is my review of Fa...2021-02-0932 min
The Basement BingeThe Kid Who Would Be King | Hidden GemThe Kid Who Would Be King is a film perfectly described as a "Hidden Gem." Dumped with a bad release in January of 2018, I spent too many cold mornings staring at the poor poster waiting for the bus. I instantly judged it, sadly to later realize this is one of those special releases that deserve to be treasured.
The re-telling of the classic epic of King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone, from the experience of brave 12-year-olds. Full of adventures, and heart, battles against demons and firey undead knights, and a hilarious young Merlin. It i...2021-01-2946 min