Shows
'80s Movie MontageIndiana Jones and the Last CrusadeWith special guest Heidi Hornbacher, Anna and Derek chat about the joyful nostalgia of packed movie theaters, the perfect casting of Sean Connery and Harrison Ford as father and son and so much more during their discussion of Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Connect with '80s Movie Montage on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! It's the same handle for all three... @80smontagepod.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80sMontagePodTwitter: https://twitter.com/80sMontagePodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/80smontagepod/Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke are the co-hosts of ‘80s M...2022-03-082h 03
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingJoan Burney - MBE, Producer, CEO - Peace Through the Audacity of CreativityGrowing up in Northern Ireland, the Troubles were part of Joan Burney’s world. Having sparked a career at the BBC in London, Joan wondered how she could give back, how she could bring people from opposite sides together. Her work with Cinemagic has had an international impact. We’ll talk about the power of film to bring people together and the value of being braver sooner.
We talk about Cinemagic (obviously) BAFTA, The Good Friday Agreement, The Troubles, Watts, California, and Made in Her Image. Just a few stars who are involved with Cinemagic include Julian Fello...2021-09-2327 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingEmma Ferreira - Visual Artist - The Beauty of AudacityVisual artist Emma Ferreira has always been a traveller. Born in a small town in England, her wanderlust and a curiosity about perception and manifesting goals fueled a layered approach to her art and brought her to LA. The threads of freedom, choice, and desire run through her work which is now coveted by notable private and celebrity collectors. We’ll talk about the fearless pursuit of creativity and the possibility of marrying joy and work.
See more of Emma's work discussed including her collections TROMI, Kiss of the Gypsy, and more.
Find her on In...2021-09-0641 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingGhizal Hasan - Writer, Sportscaster - Eye on the CurveballWhat do philosophy and comedy have to do with baseball? For writer Ghizal Hasan, they’re links on his circuitous path to becoming a popular a play-by-play sports caster. We’ll talk about being a first-generation American, the importance of college radio, wonder if Greta Gerwig is a fan of Tiger Trap.
For more from Ghizal, visit his site: ghizalhasan.com
Twitter & Insta: @GhizalHasan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBroadcastersTale
We talk about so many things from Wildwood, New Jersey, to our formative years at KUCI. Influences like UCLA's Linda Voorhees, Spike...2021-08-031h 10
The Yay - A Bay Area Theatre PodcastEpisode 204: Sonia SawkarA warning: this episodes talk about suicide and postpartum depression. Please do not listen if you are easily triggered by these subjects. We handle the subject with as much care and sensitivity as we feel is proper and necessary. If you're having issues of depression or suicide, you can find many resources here: https://www.mentalhelp.net/depression/hotline/
Sonia Sawkar is a budding bay area playwright who has written a wonderful and hard hitting play, Cray – a drama dealing with postpartum depression and acceptance. Two women are dealing with their own personal conflicts and lean on each other to st...2021-07-111h 08
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingCarla Renata - Actress, Singer, The Curvy Critic - Listen For What's GoodCarla Renata grew up with a passion for the stage and voice to match that landed her on Broadway with the likes of Queen and Matthew Broderick. She parlayed her insider understanding of story and her love of movies into a second career as The Curvy Critic. We talk about critiquing film, changing minds in the room, and the importance of inclusion in what stories are being told now.
You can find Carla @thecurvycritic and on her website.
We talk about her custom signage from Etched on Wood, director Julie Taymor and the Lion King, Q...2021-07-1059 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingClarissa Jacobson - Writer, Producer - Short Film StrategyFiguring out the craft of filmmaking is a lot. Figuring out how to take the thing you poured your heart and soul into and get it out to an adoring public can be even harder. For filmmaker Clarissa Jacobson, a successful festival run gave her an idea: write a book about everything she learned to make it easier for others. We about film festival strategy, dealing with rejection, and importance of kindness.
Find more Clarissa at:
rebelminx.com
heyimclarissaj.com
lunchladiesmovie.com
Buy her book
Instagram: @lunchladiesmove @re...2021-06-2545 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingAsdru Sierra - Musician, Composer, Ambassador - OzomatliThe grandson of a renowned bolero and mambo vocalist from Tabasco, Mexico, Asdru grew up in LA with music in his veins. His pursuit of Jazz and world music has lead to amazing pieces that get to the heart, address social justice issues, and get folks up on the dance floor. It’s also led to Grammys, being a cultural ambassador for the US State Department and performing for the Obamas. We talk about his creative journey and the stories he conveys through music.
Some of Asdru's musical touchstones we talk about include Miles Davis' Kind of Blu...2021-06-171h 01
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSamantha Pestana-Markey - Filmmaker, Costume Designer - "I'm [Not] OK"Filmmaker Samantha Pestana-Markey grew up with a passion for texture and story. As a queer storyteller, they're driven to share a different point of view from the heteronormative stories dominating the airwaves. Their autobiographical/fiction short film, I’m [Not] OK, deals with the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, as well as first love between two queer high schoolers. They also share about how their work in costume design fills in story and about getting to work with the likes of Bruce Campbell.
Note: there are unbleeped swear words in this episode.
Find Samantha on...2021-06-1148 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLynn Ferguson - Storyteller, Writer - The Story Is The ConnectionSince there have been humans living together in groups there has been story. It’s how we understand the world around us and our place in it. Most importantly, according to Lynn Ferguson, it’s how we connect. As a writer and long-time story coach, Lynn is an expert in making our stories resonate with those who hear them. As an actor and hilarious force of nature, she’s accumulated her fair share of Hollywood tales. We’ll talk BBC, Chicken Run, and how to survive and thrive as a Scot in LA shepherding storytellers.
A note to...2021-06-0455 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingKaty Haber - Film Executive - Real Riches: Not Your Average Charity WorkIt’s hard to know where to begin when talking about a legend. Or to a legend. British production executive Katy Haber has an MBE from the Queen; she’s a founding member of BAFTA; she worked with Sam Peckinpah on eight of his films; and she was instrumental in a little film called Blade Runner. Not enough? Her family fled the Nazis, and in the middle of great success here in LA, Katy took a left turn in her career and became the Executive Director of an innovative homeless shelter on Skid Row, called The Dome Village, creating some a...2021-03-1128 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingKaty Haber - Film Executive - Saving Bladerunner and Other Stories From a Life in FilmIt’s hard to know where to begin when talking about a legend. Or to a legend. British production executive Katy Haber has an MBE from the Queen; she’s a founding member of BAFTA; she worked with Sam Peckinpah on eight of his films; and she was instrumental in a little film called Blade Runner. Not enough? Her family fled the Nazis, and in the middle of great success here in LA, Katy took a left turn in her career and became the Executive Director of an innovative homeless shelter on Skid Row, called The Dome Village, creating some a...2021-03-1138 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingKaty Haber - Film Executive - Finding Family Roots Buried by WW2It’s hard to know where to begin when talking about a legend. Or to a legend. British production executive Katy Haber has an MBE from the Queen; she’s a founding member of BAFTA; she worked with Sam Peckinpah on eight of his films; and she was instrumental in a little film called Blade Runner. Not enough? Her family fled the Nazis, and in the middle of great success here in LA, Katy took a left turn in her career and became the Executive Director of an innovative homeless shelter on Skid Row, called The Dome Village, creating some a...2021-03-1133 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLiberty Worth - Textile Designer/Artist - Story Threads: Holding Space for GriefWhen words fail, images and colors can reach our hearts like nothing else. Images we can wrap around us can be just the comfort our aching hearts need. As fiber artist Liberty Worth says, “Textiles have an amazing ability to hold memory.” Part of her creative output is the work she does with families to create stunning memory quilts from the clothes of a lost loved one. While we reel from a pandemic, Liberty works to help us grieve our losses. We talk about the power of family, story, and using your talents for good.
Please check out L...2021-02-2558 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLeslie Carrara-Rudolph - Writer, Puppeteer, Abby Cadabby - Creating Magic in Character and StoryDo you ever watch a kid reacting to life with joy and think, man, I wish I could still be moved like that. Some creators never lose their wonder in looking at the world. Some of those people become puppeteers. I talk with Leslie Carrara-Rudolph - AKA Sesame Street’s Abby Cadabby, who says that if you believe enough in your stuff, you suck people into your world.
We talk about Leslie's inspirations and mentors including Carol Burnett and the curtains sketch, Lisa Kron & Jeanine Tesori who got a Tony for Fun Home, Chuck McCann, Paula Pell and...2021-02-181h 11
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingRobin Russin - Writer, Professor - The Reinvention of the Modern WriterIn this most unpredictable of industries, success often doesn’t look the way we think it will. To make it as a screenwriter, you have to be in it for the long haul. Screenwriter and professor Robin Russin talks about his path from America’s Most Wanted, through Steven Seagal and University of California, to finally directing his own features.
Robin and I talk about colleagues and mentors like Syd Field, Lew Hunter, Hal Ackerman, Richard Walter, Linda Vorhees.
We mention Meg Gifford's episode talking about Lew Hunter's new book. Bo Burnham's Eighth Grade, andindustr Final...2021-02-091h 09
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingJessica Burgess, JT Schindler - Filmmakers - Fatima: women's stories/male gazeFor some the pandemic has been a time of creative output and inspiration. But for indie filmmakers, all the usual obstacles remain and then some. Producers Jessica Burgess and JT Schindler talk with us about their short film, Fatima, which tells the tale of an ancient warrior who leaves her village to seek a life of freedom in the desert. As they dig into fundraising and get set to shoot, we’ll talk about how indie film production looks now.
Fatima's Seed&Spark campaign, Fatima's Instagram is @fatimaofthedesert, Fatima's Facebook page, and Fatima's twitter is @forbiddenfatima.
W...2021-02-011h 03
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSuzanne Lyons - Indie Producer/Author/Instructor - The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking (pt 2)Part two of our conversation with Suzanne. We open up to audience questions and Suzanne does deep coaching dives on finding mentors, leveling the playing field, creating your 25 year film business plan, and finding investors.
As always, more information about PageCraft's script feedback, coaching, and workshops is here.
2021-01-2541 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSuzanne Lyons - Indie Producer/Author/Instructor - The Craft of Low Budget Filmmaking (pt 1)Chain of title
suzanne’s book
In 1999 Suzanne Lyons launched her production company, Snowfall Films. Since then she’s produced features with names like Naomi Watts, Christopher Walken, and Wynona Ryder, she’s won BAFTAs, gotten major festival love, and distributed through biggies like Screengems and Lionsgate. She decided to codify what she knew into a course and a book and has been helping indie filmmakers build their craft ever since. We’ll talk about the art and craft and business of low budget filmmaking.
We talk about several books Suzanne recommends...2021-01-1848 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingNicholas Griffin - Screenwriter, Instructor - Breaking In: The Truth of Hollywood SuccessScreenwriting success is not a static thing. It’s something that has to keep happening in many different ways. Screenwriter Nicholas Griffin broke out early with his script, Matchstick Men, written with his brother Ted. The film was directed by Ridley Scott and stared Nicholas Cage. He and Ted went on to write the FX drama, Terriers, and Nick has worked with most of the major studios in town. He’s also taught graduate level screenwriting at UCLA. We’ll talk about the strange, circuitous routes to screenwriting success, script doctoring, and how to keep your wits in studio notes...2021-01-111h 01
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLindsay Lanzillotta - Producer, Distributor - Indie Film & Cracking the Distribution NutFor indie filmmakers, nothing is more heartbreaking than pouring your soul into a film that no one sees. Producer Lindsay Lanzilotta has worked on films that made it to Sundance, garnered Film Independent noms, and opened SXSW. She knows how much work it takes. Now, She’s working on a new avenue to help filmmakers reach audiences. We’ll talk about indie film producing and cracking the distribution nut.
We talk about Lindsay's films The Vicious Kind, and The Invitation. Her work with The Film Arcade, and Carousel. Films like The Peanut Butter Falcon, filmmakers like Karyn Kusama...2020-12-291h 00
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingChristina Kotlar - Writer/Director - Film Town 1910: When Hollywood was in Jersey and the studio owner was a womanHollywood didn’t start out as a boy’s club, nor did it start in Hollywood. Alice Guy Blache was the industry’s first woman director and the co-owner of Solax, a film studio built in Fort Lee, New Jersey in 1910. Writer/Director Christina Kotlar has been celebrating Alice and working to bring her forgotten story to the world. We’ll talk about Alice’s groundbreaking life and career before there were barriers to inclusion, including directing the first film with an all African American cast.
More on Christina and her work. More on Alice. We talk about filmm...2020-12-1749 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingDrea Clark - Producer, Festival Programmer - Laurels: Pursuing Festival SuccessTrying to figure out how to wow the powers that be and get past the Hollywood gatekeepers is a full-time job. One way for your film to fly is to impress Drea Clark. Former teacher of music video production at USC, Drea has curated for film festivals like Slamdance, Sundance, LA Film Fest, and Geena Davis’ Bentonville Film Festival. She produces too so she knows firsthand what it takes from both sides. We’ll talk about what she looks for, what makes for a great festival run, and what makes a film a winner.
Here's lots...2020-12-071h 08
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSarah Moshman - Documentarian, Author - Empowered FilmmakingEmmy-winning documentarian, Sarah Moshman, is drawn to stories of women overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We’ll talk about her three docs: The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things, Losing Sight of Shore about four women rowing to Australia, and Nevertheless following seven people grappling with sexual harassment claims in work or school. We’ll also talk about what’s next for her and how her new book, Empowered Filmmaking: How to Make a Documentary on Your Own Terms, can help with what’s next for you.
Sarah and I talk about:
Jackson Katz' TedTalk on langu...2020-11-301h 01
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingRebecca Field - Actor - A Star is Made: Just Do the WorkWhen Rebecca Field left her small town in the Berkshires for Hollywood, she knew one thing: she was going to be an actor no matter what. After more than a decade of working steadily in your favorite films and shows, she worked opposite Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. NBD. Just another job on the track of a woman focused on her goal. We’ll talk balance, craft, and stardom.
Rebecca's resume.
We talk about Janis Joplin and many films and movies including (many Rebecca has acted on, some we just lik...2020-11-1650 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSara Nesson - Oscar-Nominated Writer/Director/Producer - PosterGirl PersistenceFilmmaker Sara Nesson knows something about succeeding in a man’s world. Her recent documentary Women Who Score covers 20 female composers in changing Hollywood. Her documentary Poster Girl about the first female gunner in the Iraq war, garnered her Oscar and Emmy nominations. Her quest to bring the story to the screen as a narrative feature continues to be a roller-coaster. We’ll talk about representation and what it means to be a woman who persists.
Watch Sara's new music video and get more info on all her work.
Watch Sara's documentary on Combat Paper: Iraq...2020-11-091h 01
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingVoices of Persistence: Filmmakers Behind Films on Inez Milholland and the American Suffrage MovementIn 1916 suffragist Inez Milholland went up against President Woodrow Wilson who, like many men of the time, saw the possibility of women voting as a threat. With one of the most important voting days in our lifetime right around the corner, I talk with filmmakers who’ve made both narrative and documentary films about Inez and her fight to make sure every American has the right to vote. Join me, Amy Walker, Jessica Graham, and Martha Wheelock.
More on the symbols of the suffrage movement including the 19th Amendment ratification flag.
More on Inez and her...2020-10-311h 02
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingJeff Rona - Composer - Storytelling in Music: the Art and Tech of a Film ScoreComposer Jeff Rona has always been curious about what moves people. His curiosity served him well. He’s got a list of film, TV, and video game credits a mile long. He’s scored projects for names like Spielberg, Altman, Soderbergh. He composed music for the 2008 Beijing Olympic games. Heavily involved in music technology his innovations have touched your life if ways you don’t know. We’ll talk about the intersection of creativity and technology and how music creates emotion.
Jeff and I talk about Lisa Gerrard and Dead Can Dance. More specifically in the Gladiator score. 2020-10-2959 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLauren Over - Visual Artist - Taking the Commercial into the FantasticalVisual artist and illustrator Lauren Over has always been interested in synchronicity, connection, and in the Rorschach-test-like effect an image can have on a viewer. Working steadily on movie posters and commercial client work, she’s mixed pen and ink and watercolor to produce an astro-botanical deck of tarot cards that reinterpret traditional symbology with birds, animals, traditional herb use, and historical figures. We'll talk about finding a path with art.
We talk about the Myers Briggs test, Enola Holmes, and the Language of Flowers. She designed movie posters for Can You Dig This, and the upcoming Go...2020-10-2245 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingMeg Gifford - Writer, Chemistry Professor - The Scientific and Creative Mind (working with Lew Hunter)It’s usual for a writer to have another gig. Writer Meg Gifford unusual in that her other gig is: chemistry professor. She’s skilled at understanding how things come together and what causes reactions. She worked with legendary UCLA screenwriting teacher Lew Hunter on his new book. We’ll talk about the art and science of screenwriting.
More on Lew's new book: Naked Screenwriting
And to order it.
His screenwriting classic: 434
Meg and I talk about how kids who lie are more creative, shows like Barry, and my talk with writer...2020-10-0853 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingPeres Owino -Writer, Actor, Director, Producer - Now the Lions Write the Story of the HuntBorn in Kenya, Peres Owino is a storyteller of two cultures. From a script she co-wrote being produced by Taraji P Henson and being nominated for an NAACP image award to her International Screenwriting Association Fast Track Fellowship for another script, Peres’ work focuses powerfully on the experience of the African Diaspora. She’s proven she’s an artist with something to say and the means to say it. We’ll talk about what inspires her and what she’s saying next.
Peres and I talk about Wanjiru Njendu's film, Boxed, in which she acts.
Her film B...2020-09-251h 06
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingZaki Rubenstein - Writer/Director/Actor - Turning Real Life into Screen GoldZaki Rubenstein is a director in television. Her creativity, knack for story, and imaginative approach has kept her in steady employment on true crime shows for years. Since the pandemic shut down production, she’s turned back to writing and is flexing her comedy chops to look at the absurdity of life, love, and family. We’ll talk about how she got here and what inspires her now.
Watch Zaki's reel
Watch her movie The Concessionaires Must Die
Other movies and series we talk about include Wild Wild Country, The Vow, The Commune Movie...2020-09-181h 04
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingThe creators of comedy series No Actor Parking on making Hollywood work for youThree actors waiting tables in Hollywood. You know the story: finding work is hard. Breaking in is hard. So they say they’ll make their own luck. A lot of people say that. But then they actually do it. I talk with the creators of the new pilot No Actor Parking on how they pulled it off and what comes next.
Here's more about their show
More about the guys: Tom Albanese, Francisco Froes, and Tiago Felizardo.
Their guest star Joachim de Almieda
Clips discussed including a glimpse of the seagull and...2020-09-0850 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingJosh Greenberg - Writer - Tales from the Writers RoomWriter Josh Greenberg was always the funniest guy in the room. I know, I was there. He grew up in Northern California, moved to LA, and parlayed his observational skills into a consistent, growing writing career, being staffed on multiple network shows. We’ll talk about what it takes to be a comedy writer and what’s next for Hollywood after quarantine.
Josh and I talk about comedy favorites like:
The Clue Movie
What We Do In the Shadows
French Kiss
Schitt's Creek
Anything from Christopher Guest
2020-09-0156 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingWanjiru Njendu - Writer, Director, 2020 Academy Member - What do you stand for? Risk and reward in filmmaking.Wanjiru Njendu is a story teller by nature and a filmmaker who takes a stand. She grew up in Kenya where her documentary was used to provide evidence against the British Government by the MAU MAU colonial war survivors. Her latest short, BOXED, tells the true story of an enslaved African American who mailed himself to freedom in 1849. And this is just a part of what earned Wanjiru membership in the 2020 class of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We’ll talk about film, race, and responsibility and risk in storytelling.
Wanjiru's film Boxed
...2020-08-2754 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingTricia Nelson - Writer - Black Films Matter: Essential ViewingWriter Tricia Nelson knows there are more black stories that need to be told than narratives of suffering or criminality. She’s written several pieces offering both classic and current black stories that you may have missed, or should watch again. We’ll talk about the importance of representation, the issue of the Magical Negro, and what makes a worthwhile love story.
Tricia's pieces on Medium are:
Justice Then Poetic Justice
and
The Watch List Part Deux
2020-08-2156 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingEllen Gerstein - Actor/Writer - How to claim your inner artist without explodingEllen Gerstein is everyone’s aunt. She’s played supporting characters in many of your favorite things. She startled her family by coming to acting later in life and going against the grain. As a student in Georgia in the 60s she also dealt with anti-semitism and helped form Georgia Students for Human Rights, a Black and white student alliance to address the racism she saw there. We’ll talk about creating your life by imagining a more perfect world.
Check out Ellen's formidable IMDB resume
Learn more about her film work with neuro-atypical folks in Wai...2020-08-131h 04
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingPaul Goodenough - Writer/Producer/Eco-entrepreneur - Freaks, Heroes, and FutureshiftPaul’s life is driven by “projects of worth.” This double Emmy-nominated writer and producer delivers projects for things like BBC, Channel 4, Nickelodeon but he’s also a passionate comic book collector and creator with The Chimeran, featuring a future where humanity's mass-production needs are served by a purpose bred race. Now he’s helping save the world with a green new initiative poised for a major shift in storytelling and engagement.
Paul and I talk about:
The World Land Trust
Ecobricking
Extinction Rebellion
The concept of Rewilding la...2020-08-041h 02
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingMonia Ayachi - Actor/Director/Producer/Singer/Songwriter - Between worlds, the artist belongs to all worldsMonia Ayachi understands being between worlds. This Belgian-Tunisian actress, singer, writer grew up in Brussels working in English, Dutch, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, and French. She moved to LA chasing a dream like so many of us, and landed recurring roles on Days of our Lives and General Hospital. She’s best known as Anais Fontaine in Wolfenstein Youngblood. Her work as a writer/director challenges cultural, religious, gender, and generational stereotypes and invites us to open our eyes.
For more on Monia's work, you can visit her site, Her IMDB, or her Vimeo.
She's on Ins...2020-07-151h 04
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingMichael Mack - Writer, Actor, Director - Euripides, Cervantes, Jim CrowBeside breaking boundaries as the first black Romulan in Star Trek history, Michael Mack led a life of service and craft. From a family with preacher roots, Michael grew up ministering to the less fortunate. When he returned to the DC area he became renowned for his work with at-risk youth in communities of color. His method was using theatre training to allow kids access to speak their truths. He talks about theatre from the ancient Greeks onward as social policy and how many historical atrocities were not based in difference but in sameness. He shares how the Man...2020-06-271h 05
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingDurga McBroom - Singer, Songwriter - Pandemic, Riots, and Murder Hornets - The perfect cradle for creativitySinger Songwriter and Actress Durga McBroom has performed backing vocals for Pink Floyd and is a member of the house music band Blue Pearl, best known for their hit single "Naked in the Rain". She’s also a badass and activist who speaks out against racism around the world. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Durga finds this unrest a good time to be a passionate creative. She talks about her formation as an artist and how encountering racism at a young age pushed her toward a different path.
A note to listeners: this episode contains...2020-06-2259 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingNagin Cox - Mars Exploration Engineer - Mars Needs WomenWhen Nagin Cox was born in Bangalore, India she couldn’t have imagined she’d one day have an asteroid named after her. This space-obsessed kid grew up in Kansas City, and Kuala Lumpur. Her experiences as a girl in a multicultural household showed her how easily we separate ourselves based on gender, race, or nationality, and inspired her to do something that brings people together. Now as a Tactical Mission Lead on the Mars Curiosity Rover, international and TedTalk speaker, Nagin loves to share the wonders of space with the world.
There are a lot of ways...2020-06-191h 10
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingMichael Mack - Writer, Actor, Director - Boldly going where no (black) man has gone before: Star Trek, spirituality, creativityAs we cope with a pandemic and wrestle with national and global unrest following the murder to George Floyd, actor and writer Michael Mack and I sat down to search for a little light. As the first Black Romulan in Star Trek history, Michael is a trailblazer and he’s part of a show that’s a cultural touchstone for so many of us. A show that, from its inception, dealt with racial issues in America through the metaphor of SciFi.
Michael asserts that success isn’t about what you can get. You have to decide: what’s your c...2020-06-051h 05
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingRob Latimer - Mental Performance Consultant - Hunter, Gatherer, Accountant, Nurse: the psychology of stress and mental performance in the modern worldAs we collectively face a global pandemic, many people are experiencing extremely high levels of chronic stress in their lives brought about by uncertainty and change. Even under normal circumstances, our response to stress often prevents us from performing at our best. But since stress is such a universal part of the human experience, why is that the case? The short answer is because the way we respond to stress is suited for a very different type of stress than we usually face in the modern world. Join us as Rob Latimer, discusses the historical, biological, and psychological dimensions...2020-05-291h 02
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingHeidi Harris - Applied Behavioral Science Expert - The Emotionality of PolarizationHow do we get through this when we’re all so angry and sure we’re right? What’s coming next?
The ability to create understanding between people is crucial for relationships. It's especially important in today's heightened environment of polarization. Our emotional reactions can lead to defensiveness, anger, and divisiveness, or to deeper human connectedness, dialogue, and collaboration. The choice is ours. Heidi provides insights and tools for coming out of this with relationships intact.
Conversation and Q&A has been edited for time and clarity
Heidi and I talk about her format...2020-05-2656 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingMolly Sweeney - Author, Political Scientist - The Black Flag of ISIS: Living Within the World’s Best Organized Terrorist StateMolly Sweeney is a researcher and author who specializes in the Middle East. Her upcoming non-fiction book, You Must Understand, tells the story of the Islamic State through the eyes of civilians in Iraq and Syria. History and culture sections frame the narratives of the interviews of those most impacted by ISIS. Analyzing the socio-political factors that led to the emergence and proliferation of the Islamic State, Ms. Sweeney invites readers into a nuanced understanding of stories of resilience, courage, and heartbreak.
Conversation and Q&A has been edited for time and clarity.
More on Mo...2020-05-251h 24
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingPaul Whitehead - Playing with Perceptions: The Art of Creating IdentityThe artist Paul Whitehead came of age in Swinging Sixties Britain and was on the front lines of massive cultural shifts. He’s the founding art director of Time Out London and is known for creating album covers for the band Genesis. Never comfortable being defined as just one thing, Paul developed an alter ego as the artist Tricia Van Cleef who creates works in a style all her own. Join us as we talk about gender, art, creative spirit, and playing with perceptions.
Conversation and Q&A has been edited for time and clarity.
A n...2020-05-131h 10
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingValerie Hager - Performer, story coach, former exotic dancer - Finding your fire and bringing your beast forwardMy friend Valerie Hager reminds me that we go to the theater to be woken up and brought back to life. She would know. She’s an award-winning solo show performer and director who’s now a sought after solo show coach. She works through a unifying principle: bring your beast forward. Anything less won’t move an audience. Anything less isn’t real. She talks today about this need for story tellers to crack their hearts open, and the value of radical empathy. She’s learned a lot about human nature.
She used to be a stripper. In Alaska. She mined all of her...2020-05-051h 09
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSarah Yeomans and Rob Latimer - How does epidemic change storytelling?As a story teller I’m interested both in what stories I need to tell and what stories people want to hear. When a question came up in our April 7 salon about how the collective trauma of the Covid-19 pandemic could impact the nature of storytelling, we thought it merited exploration. Now archeologist and researcher specialist in ancient epidemics Sarah Yeomans and I are joined by Rob Latimer, historian, writer and teacher as we delve into this.
As we’ll discuss, how we communicate these events can be critical to policy and societal shift in the brief window that we’ll have...2020-04-281h 21
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSilvia Gallini - Visual Artist - Breaking out of darkness to find a path and make mistakesVisual artist Silvia Gallini comes from a strict family in the north of Italy where she was expected to become a dentist and join her father’s practice. Her dad actually told her “dreams are not allowed.” Today she shares with us how she found the courage to defy all that, and the winding path that brought her here to LA where she’s a wildly imaginative image maker and art teacher. She talks about the magic of mentors, and casting off the curse of the words “You can’t” but the real magic of her world view is how she gives...2020-04-2157 min
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingSarah Yeomans – Professor and Archeologist - What historical pandemics can teach us about our present crisisArchaeologist and researcher, Sarah Yeomans, talks to us about what ancient plagues and epidemics have to teach us about Covid-19. This talk is about "perspective and hope, we’re more well-positioned to deal with this current crisis than any other humans in history." Sarah takes us through the Antonine Plague, the Justinian Plague, The black plague "the worst we’ve ever seen," The Spanish Flu (a bird and a pig and loosey goosey RNA). She debunks conspiracy theories and talks about wet markets, the clash of disparate ecosystems and secondary consequences: the human reaction to the disease. Sarah asserts that...2020-04-131h 13
Hearthside Salons with PageCraftWritingLiz Hara - Emmy winner - Pursuing your passion and the necessity of failureEmmy-winner and Sesame Street puppeteer, builder, and writer, Liz Hara, shares about what failure has taught her about being an artist, what it's like inside the magic world of Sesame, and what she's learned being a woman of color in Hollywood writers rooms. She talks about what makes a great show runner and how TV can teach empathy. She also shares about her Minnesota roots and how working on a Japanese Internment Camp project has brought her closer to her family members who survived the camps. She's a writer on Helpsters and an upcoming Marvel project.
Her qua...2020-04-081h 06