Full Expression

John Muir Laws: Journaling Will Transform Your Life

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 03:03:27 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with naturalist, artist, educator, and lifelong journaler John Muir Laws for a conversation about attention, creativity, and the transformative power of keeping a journal.

They explore journaling as more than a record of experience, but as an essential tool for observation, reflection, and deeper engagement with the world. Drawing from decades of nature journaling, John Muir Laws explains how sketching, writing, mapping, and asking questions on paper can expand our capacity to notice, learn, and connect.

The conversation ranges from Leonardo da Vinci's notebooks and Steinbeck's journals to the neuroscience of learning, creativity, and distributed cognition.

This is an invitation to slow down, cultivate curiosity, and discover how creativity grows through practice, observation, and sustained attention to the world around us.

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Ava Mingo and Royer Bockus: The Magic of Repertory Theater

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 12:00:00 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with actresses Ava Mingo and Royer Bockus from the renowned Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon, one of the largest and longest-running repertory theater companies in the United States.

Eva and Royer take us behind the scenes of life at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, from building characters and mastering Shakespeare's language to understudying major roles, sustaining creativity over months-long runs, and finding balance between the characters they play, and their everyday lives.

This is a conversation about artistic collaboration, adaptation, and the unique challenges and rewards of repertory theater. Ava and Royer also reflect on the power of performance to build empathy, spark conversation, and create moments of genuine human connection.

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Cathy Bailey and Robin Petravic: Heath Ceramics and the Art of Everyday Objects

Wed, 20 May 2026 16:31:00 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with Cathy Bailey and Robin Petravic, the owners of Heath Ceramics, for a conversation about craft, California design, and the art of making things built to last.

They reflect on discovering the struggling Sausalito factory in the early 2000s, rebuilding an iconic American ceramics company, and balancing creativity with the realities of manufacturing. The conversation explores Edith Heath's legacy, the philosophy behind Heath's glazes and forms, and why imperfection, materiality, and human touch remain central to the work.

They discuss sustainability, Japanese and Scandinavian design influences, and the deeper question of how thoughtful objects shape everyday life.

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Amy Bowers Cordalis: The Century Long Fight to Save the Klamath and its People

Wed, 06 May 2026 17:56:00 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with Amy Bowers Cordalis—Yurok attorney, activist, and author of The Water Remembers—for a conversation about storytelling, sovereignty, and the long fight to restore a river.

Amy traces her journey from growing up between Ashland and the Klamath River to becoming a leading legal voice in one of the largest dam removal and salmon restoration efforts in history. At the center of the conversation is an intergenerational story: a family, a tribe, and a river bound together through culture, survival, and resistance.

They explore Amy's creative process, how she translated oral storytelling traditions into a "circular" narrative form, and the challenge of writing a book that carries both personal memory and collective history.

The conversation also dives into the deeper stakes behind the story: the history of dispossession, the criminalization of Indigenous lifeways, and the decades-long legal and grassroots battle that ultimately led to the removal of four dams on the Klamath River. It's not just a story of environmental restoration, but of cultural survival and hard-won victory.

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Charles Loi & Hannah Lee: Reimagining How We Tell The Climate Story

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 16:55:00 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with filmmakers Charles Loi and Hannah Lee to explore storytelling, the climate climate, and the creative process.

Both trace their paths from early experiments with film to collaborating on Climate California, a documentary series that reimagines how we tell stories about the climate crisis from NorCal Public Media. The series shifts away from the doom and gloom approach to climate change reporting, and toward beauty, connection, and lived experience.

They discuss the challenges of making ambitious work with limited resources, the tension between message and aesthetics, and the responsibility of telling delicate stories with care. They explore what it means to create something that resonates beyond the moment, and how art can bring people together around shared uncertainty, rather than division.

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Narsiso Martinez: Making Hidden Labor Visible Through Art

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:29:00 GMT

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with artist Narsiso Martinez for a conversation about labor, migration, and the creative process.

Narsiso traces his journey from a rural town in Oaxaca, Mexico—where he worked in the fields as a child—to immigrating to Los Angeles in search of opportunity and education. What began as a pursuit of stability gradually evolved into a deep artistic practice, shaped by his lived experience and the communities he came from.

Working on discarded produce boxes, Narsiso creates portraits of farmworkers that merge subject and material in a powerful way. His work brings visibility to a labor force that is essential yet often unseen, while exploring themes of class, dignity, and belonging.

The conversation moves between worlds: from agricultural labor to art school, from the challenges of navigating life as an immigrant to the evolution of a distinct visual language. Narsiso reflects on the role of education, the influence of artists like Van Gogh, and how art became a way to express what could not be said in the fields.

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Angelo Garro: Life of a Master Craftsman

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

Craft lives in the hands. And in a world increasingly shaped by speed, automation, and abstraction, what does it mean to dedicate your life to making things slowly, by hand?

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with Angelo Garro, Sicilian-born blacksmith, sculptor, forager, and founder of Omnivore Salt, for a conversation about craft, culture, food, and the creative life.

Angelo traces his journey from a small village in Sicily to apprenticing with a master metalworker in the Swiss Alps, before building a life in North America as an architectural blacksmith and artist. He developed a deep connection to the natural world—through foraging, hunting, cooking, and community—that would eventually place him at the center of California's early slow food movement.

The conversation moves between worlds: from the history of ironwork in Europe to the philosophy of creating, from the realities of running a small food business to the challenges facing organic producers today. Angelo reflects on immigration, identity, and the role of culture—food, art, and craft—in shaping both personal meaning and collective freedom.

We also explore what may be lost—and what could be rediscovered—in an age of artificial intelligence, as Angelo makes a case for the return of traditional skills and the enduring value of working with your hands.

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Thomas Lauderdale on Pink Martini & Building a 'United Nations of Sound'

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Behind Pink Martini's unmistakable sound is a simple idea: music can bring people together across cultures.

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with Thomas Lauderdale—pianist, bandleader, and artistic director of Pink Martini, the "little orchestra" that blends classical, jazz, pop, and world music into a style that feels both timeless and global.

Thomas traces the unlikely path that led him to the band. Raised on a plant nursery in rural Indiana, he began piano lessons at six and later studied history and literature at Harvard, originally planning a career in politics. But in 1994, while working on a political campaign in Portland, he started a small band to play fundraisers for progressive causes. What began as a festive antidote to dreary political events slowly grew into Pink Martini—a genre-defying ensemble that now performs around the world with songs in more than 25 languages.

Thomas shares the philosophy behind the band: treating music as hospitality, learning songs in the languages of the countries they visit, and creating what he describes as a kind of "United Nations of sound." The conversation also explores the creative process behind Pink Martini's recordings—from recording live on tape and chasing the "magical accident" in the studio to building a musical family that has stayed vibrant for more than three decades.

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Mindy Marin: The Unsung Art of Casting Direction

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Behind every unforgettable performance is great casting. Today, we explore this often invisible process that's part intuition, part logistics, and part relentless creative problem-solving.

In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff talks with legendary casting director Mindy Marin, whose career spans four decades and more than a hundred films, including Juno, Drive, Nightcrawler, the upcoming Matchbox, and multiple Mission: Impossible projects—along with a long history in television that helped shape the industry from the inside.

Mindy walks us through what casting actually is: breaking down scripts, searching for talent, building trust with directors and producers, and running chemistry tests that determine whether a story truly works on screen. She reflects on how the job has evolved from a fully analog world of in-person auditions and endless binders of headshots to today's Zoom-driven, global casting landscape—and why the core skill is still the same: taste, discernment, deep belief in people and a love of actors and film.

She shares stories from her early days hustling into Hollywood, the art of turning "no" into "yes," and why casting directors and actors are fundamentally on the same side. With casting now becoming eligible for Oscar recognition for the first time, it's a timely look at one of filmmaking's most essential—and least understood—creative roles.

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Arnaud Weyrich: The Art and Science of Sparkling Wine

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Sparkling wine is one of humanity's most enduring creative rituals. In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff travels to California's Anderson Valley to sit down with Arnaud Weyrich, the French-born winemaker behind the méthode champenoise wines at Roederer Estate.

Arnaud brings a rare, ground-up perspective: trained in agronomy, viticulture, and enology in France, and shaped by three decades of harvests on both sides of the Atlantic. He walks us through the great complexity of sparkling wine—early picking for acidity, blending with intention rather than recipes, second fermentation in bottle, disgorgement, dosage—and why every decision is part science and part intuition.

The conversation opens into bigger questions about creativity and adaptation: how climate change is reshaping vineyards and harvest timing, why note-taking and institutional memory matter as much as lab data, and how emerging tools like automation and AI can assist decision-making without replacing the winemaker's palate.

We also explore wine as a cultural artifact—rooted in place, tradition, and shared pleasure—and why sparkling wine, with all its labor and precision, has become the sound and symbol of celebration itself.

It's a conversation about what it means to keep creating something joyful in a rapidly shifting world.

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Ramesh Srinivasan: The True Cost of Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 13:00:00 GMT

#36: Artificial intelligence is here, whether we're ready or not. In this episode of Full Expression, host Dan Imhoff sits down with UCLA professor and Utopias podcast host Ramesh Srinivasan to ask what that reality means for creativity, culture, and everyday life.

Ramesh brings a rare perspective: he's lived inside the tech world as an engineer and AI developer (including time at the MIT Media Lab), and he's spent decades studying the social, political, and environmental impacts of technology.

The conversation expands into the big questions shaping our moment: AI as pattern recognition and surveillance, the power of tech oligarchs, the rise of disinformation, and the hidden environmental costs of data processing.

We also dig into what it means to stay creatively dignified in an AI-saturated world: when (and if) these tools can be useful, and why practices like writing longhand, movement, and meditation matter now more than ever

It's a conversation about power and possibility, fear and literacy, and the urgent case for a "new Bauhaus," a way of designing technology that supports connection, care, and a future that's actually worth living

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Adam Weymouth: Walking Across Europe, Writing About Wolves

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 13:00:00 GMT

#35: An epic wolf journey becomes a lens on everything from ecology to migration, borders, and what it means to coexist with the wild in modern Europe. In this episode, writer and adventurer Adam Weymouth joins us to talk about his book Lone Wolf: Walking the Line Between Civilization and Wilderness.

Weymouth retraces the thousand-mile path of an iconic wolf named Slavc, tracked by GPS as he traveled from Slovenia across Austria and the Alps to northern Italy—moving through deep wilderness, but also skirting suburbs, airports, and working farmland. Along the way, we explore the long, complicated history between humans and wildlife, the politics shaping species repopulation and rewilding across Europe, and the cultural stories that still cast the wolf as the villain.

We dig into Weymouth's reporting and creative process: walking the route in stages, translating conversations across languages, balancing science with storytelling, and resisting the urge to turn the wolf into a mythic hero or monster. It's a conversation about nature and culture, fear and fascination, and the hope embedded in a species finding its way back.

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Roman Cho: Photography, Biking Through Patagonia, and the Vision Quest

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 20:45:00 GMT

REDUX: Photographer Roman Cho shares his journey from percussion student to portrait photographer, documenting musicians, the Good Food Movement, and a 1700-mile bicycle adventure along Chilean Patagonia's Route of the Parks. Check out some of his stunning photos on his Instagram: @romanchophoto

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Karen Bates and Byron Hoffman: The French Laundry and the Origins of California Cuisine

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

#34: Before The French Laundry became a culinary landmark, there was Sally Schmitt, a quietly radical cook whose life helped shape what we now call California cuisine. In this episode, Sally's daughter Karen Bates and grandson Byron Hoffman join us to tell that story through their book Six California Kitchens.

Part family history, part cookbook, Six California Kitchens traces Sally's journey from a Depression-era homestead in Citrus Heights to a scrappy food-and-wine hub in Yountville, and eventually to the Apple Farm in Anderson Valley. Karen and Byron walk us through the early days of the original French Laundry, the teaching kitchen that drew people from all over the world, and the hands-on life of running a small farm and hospitality business for forty years.

We dig into how the book came together: Sally's yellow legal pads, eight years of photographing recipes with nothing but family linens and pottery, and the challenge of weaving memoir, archive, and recipes into one seamless visual story.

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Nick Casey: The Art of Long-Form Journalism

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

#33: Nick Casey is a staff reporter for the New York Times Magazine based in Europe. He writes about geopolitics, threats against democracy and armed conflict. Raised in California by a single mother, Nick earned a degree in anthropology from Stanford University and started his journalism career as a cub reporter for the Half Moon Bay Review in Northern California. A few years later he was recruited by the Wall Street Journal and launched an impressive career that has included nine years in Latin America, several stints in the Middle East and five years in Europe. With the New York Times since 2015, Nick Casey is the rare correspondent who writes in long-form, telling the stories of people carving a path through a world that is either changing or collapsing.

In 2025 Nick Casey was a member of a New York Times team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of the war in Sudan. He is also hard at work on a memoir titled Vagabonds, about the decades he spent searching for his father, who disappeared when he was just seven years old. Nick lives in Madrid with documentary filmmaker Jacqueline Baylon, who was interviewed for Full Expression in late 2024.

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Mary Gabriel: Women of New York's Avant-Garde

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMT

#32: Mary Gabriel is an American author and biographer whose books include Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of a Revolution, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She worked in Washington and London as a Reuters editor for nearly two decades and currently lives in Ireland.

Her book Ninth Street Women is a deep exploration of the mid-20th century Abstract Expressionist in New York City. Ninth Street Women is a chronicle of not just one — but five American women artists: Lee Krasner (wife of Jackson Pollock), Elaine De Kooning (wife of Willem de Kooning), Grace Hartigan, Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler.

I spoke with Mary Gabriel about her work habits and the era when non-representational abstract painting came of age in the wake of world war, nuclear weapons and a changing America.

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Bill Frisell: A True American Guitar Hero

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMT

#31: Few guitarists have shaped the emotional landscape of modern music the way Bill Frisell has. Across five decades, his playing has stretched the boundaries of jazz, Americana, folk, film scoring, and improvisation. In this episode, we trace the artistic philosophy behind one of the most quietly revolutionary careers in contemporary music.

Frisell reflects on his formative years at Berklee in the early 1970s, where he studied under giants like Herb Pomeroy, Gary Burton, Michael Gibbs, and John Damian—and how the real education often came from the hallways, jam sessions, and friendships that shaped him. He talks about leaving Denver to chase possibility, the intimidating brilliance of a young Pat Metheny, and the long thread that led to his 30-year collaboration with drummer Paul Motian.

We explore what it means to remain true to your own experience: why Frisell ultimately opened his jazz vocabulary to the music of his childhood—The Beatles, Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, James Bond themes, folk songs, surf melodies, and hymns. His interpretations feel both familiar and completely revolutionary.

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Warren Zanes: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska

Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

#30: Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska stands as one of the starkest, most haunting records in American music—a raw home recording that reshaped how we think about artistry, fame, and solitude. In this episode, author and musician Dr. Warren Zanes joins us to unpack how he captured story behind it.

Zanes' book, Deliver Me From Nowhere, chronicles the winter of 1982, when Springsteen retreated to a creaky farmhouse in Colts Neck, New Jersey, armed only with a guitar, harmonica, and four-track recorder. Out of that isolation came a collection of songs that felt more like short stories than rock anthems—narratives of working-class struggle, violence, and grace that still echo today.

Now being adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeremy Allen White, Deliver Me From Nowhere captures a rare moment when an artist turned inward at the height of success to find something more raw, stripped to the bone.

We talk about his writing process, the power of longevity as an artist, and how to reinvent yourself in life and in art.

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Erwin Chemerinsky: The State of American Democracy

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMT

#29: American democracy is in trouble. In this episode, constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UC Berkeley School of Law, joins us for a sobering conversation about the structural flaws embedded in the U.S. Constitution—and how they're driving today's political polarization to the brink.

Chemerinsky's latest book, No Democracy Lasts Forever, argues that the compromises made more than two centuries ago have created a fragile system ill-equipped to meet the demands of modern governance. From the Electoral College to the Senate's skewed representation to the lifetime tenure of Supreme Court justices, he lays out why these outdated structures are accelerating a democratic crisis.

We explore what reforms could make the system more resilient, the political realities that make change so difficult, and why understanding the Constitution's design flaws is key to grappling with the turbulence of our time.

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Introducing: Full Expression, Season 3

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 18:25:00 GMT

On October 8, Full Expression goes deeper. In its third season, Host Dan Imhoff will interview artists, musicians, winemakers, writers, filmmakers and civic leaders on the edge of discovery. Tune in every other Wednesday for new episodes.

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Ep #28 - Roman Cho - Vision Quest

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 23:32:00 GMT

Roman Cho is a Los Angeles-based photographer who specializes in portraiture. Born in Korea, Roman immigrated with his family at a young to Richmond, Virginia. He studied percussion at Cal Arts in Southern California and later transitioned to a career in photography. In addition to a career at Apple, he has initiated numerous projects: documenting The Good Food Movement, photographing legendary Americana musicians, and most recently, taking portraits and traveling on a bicycle along the 1700-mile Route of the Parks in Chilean Patagonia.

Follow along on Roman's journey through Patagonia and check out some of his stunning photos on his Instagram: @romanchophoto

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Ep #27 - Heidi Gustafson - Book of Earth

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Heidi Gustafson is an artist and writer, but is perhaps best known as an ochre whisperer. Based in the Pacific Northwest, she curates the Early Futures Ochre Archive, a growing collection of over 600 samples of ochre from around the world. Her debut book, Book of Earth: A Guide to Ochre, Pigment, and Raw Color, explores our ancient relationship with color, creativity, and the land. Heidi is dialed in on the lesser known world of minerals upon which our world revolves. It's a discipline that bridges science, anthropology, spirituality, history, poetry, and captivating photography.

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Ep #26 - Marina Krut - Singing On The Front Lines In Ukraine

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Marina Krut is a Ukrainian born composer, poet and singer who also plays the bandura, a 64-string instrument, weighing 15 pounds. Marina's story is one that everyone needs to hear. These days, the 28-year-old leads a double life. From her temporary home in the west of Ukraine, she travels to the front lines of the war to perform for soldiers. She spends much of her time abroad, performing and relating what she has seen on the front lines. Influenced by traditional Ukrainian music, her bandura playing also incorporates non-traditional sounds, particularly jazz, to accompany her powerful voice.

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Ep #25 - Jaqueline Baylon - Until He's Back

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 13:00:00 GMT

Jaqueline Baylon is a journalist and filmmaker. As a young child she crossed into Texas across the Rio Grande river, and was deported several times before earning her dual U.S. citizenship at the age of 9. She attended Texas State University, as well as the School of Visual Arts in New York. Jaqueline has worked at the New York Times and other newspapers covering healthcare, criminal justice and immigration. Her documentary film, Until He's Back, explores the fate of a Moroccan man, who attempts to cross the straights of Gibraltar into Spain. It has won numerous awards, and was on the short list for an oscar in the Documentary Short category in 2025.

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Ep #24 - John Francis - Planet Walker

Tue, 10 Sep 2024 18:21:00 GMT

John Francis, Ph.D. is known around the world as the "Planet Walker." Following a tragic oil spill in the San Francisco Bay in 1971, he took a vow to reject motorized transportation. Some time later he added a vow of silence which lasted 17 years. An author, traveler, student, and teacher, John Francis has explored every continent without the use of motorized travel. "Planet Walker" is the title of his autobiography as well as a documentary film about his life released in 2024.

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Ep #23 - Trevor Wallace - Treasure Hunter

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 15:30:00 GMT

Trevor Wallace is an expedition filmmaker, explorer and cultural heritage advocate. His projects focus on expanding human curiosity about the wild and remote corners of the world. He is the co-founder of the Menorca Shipwreck Project and collaborates with scientists, archeologists and communities to document stories of the human spirit — present and past.

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Ep #22 - Will Allen - In Defense of Soil

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 12:00:00 GMT

Will Allen is a farmer, author and activist. Raised in California, he has spent the last 20 years on Cedar Circle Farm in southeastern Vermont. I talked with Will about finding ancient pottery in a Peruvian jungle, the evolution of the modern organic farming movement and the joy he brings to each day even in the face of adversity.

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Ep #21 - Alondra Bentley - Instinct, Intrigue and Songwriting

Tue, 11 Jun 2024 21:16:00 GMT

Alondra Bentley is a British-born songwriter and illustrator living in Madrid. She was raised in southern Spain, studied fine arts before launching her music career, and has recorded five studio albums (with a new release pending). For over ten years, Alondra has taught children art and music based on the Montessouri methodology which emphasizes the discovery and understanding of our emotions.

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Ep #20 - Peter Schaumann - Peace, Love, and Portrait Painting

Tue, 02 May 2023 17:02:00 GMT

Peter Schaumann is a native of Pennsylvania, and currently resides in Newtown Square. He is a graduate of Philadelphia College of Art, and has been on the faculties of Philadelphia College of Art and Moore College of Art and Design. Following a distinguished career as a New York illustrator where he was cited for numerous honors and awards, he turned to fine art, figure painting, and portraiture. His work has appeared in many galleries across the United States. Peter has earned numerous awards for his portraiture and most recently completed a painting of Tom Wolf, the former governor of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Society of Portrait Artists. Peter is also my first cousin.

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Ep #19 - Bonnie Hayes - The Craft of Songwriting

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 17:06:00 GMT

Bonnie Hayes is an American singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and educator. The eldest of seven children from a highly musical family, she attended Washington High School and San Francisco State University. Her brother, Chris, was the lead guitarist for Huey Lewis and the News. Her brother, Kevin, was a drummer with the Robert Cray Band. Bonnie has performed in numerous bands as well as on tours with Bob Seeger, Belinda Carlisle and Billy Idol. Her songs have been recorded by Cher, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Natalie Cole, Robert Cray, David Crosby, Adam Ant and Booker T and the MGs. Between 2013 and 2022 she served as the chair of the songwriting department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Bonnie Hayes is also a long-time board member at Blue Bear School of Music in San Francisco. She currently directs Blue Bear's All Star Songwriting Program for teens. I spoke with Bonnie Hayes about her early years in the San Francisco music scene, her many ideas about the craft of songwriting, and why she believes limitations can positively help define an artistic persona. You can find out more about Bonnie Hayes here.

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Ep #18 - Michael Pollan - Immersive Journalism

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Michael Pollan is an author, educator, documentary film creator and avid gardener. His work investigates the nexus of nature and culture and spans topics of gardening, agriculture, nutrition and cuisine, and neuropsychology. Six of his nine books have been New York Times bestsellers; three of them (including, How to Change Your Mind) were immediate #1 New York Times bestsellers. His other books include This is Your Mind on Plants, Cooked, Food Rules, In Defense of Food, The Omnivore's Dilemma, The Botany of Desire, A Place of My Own and Second Nature.

The Omnivore's Dilemma won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the James Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. I was grateful to include his Introduction in two versions of my book, Food Fight: A Citizen's Guide to the Food and Farm Bill and his essays in Farming and the Fate of Wild Nature and CAFO.

I spoke with Michael Pollan about his lifelong exporation with immersive journalism, the value of being open to other people's creative ideas, and what it's like to be interviewed by Stephen Colbert.

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Ep #17 - Davia Nelson - Kitchen Sisters Radio

Tue, 04 Apr 2023 13:00:00 GMT

Davia Nelson is a radio producer, screen writer and casting director. She began in radio as a DJ in high school in Los Angeles. She later attended UC Santa Cruz and began documenting the community through a series of oral history pieces. With her partner, Nikki Silva, Davia founded "The Kitchen Sisters," one of the most lasting and prolific public radio production teams in modern history. Their NPR series include "Hidden Kitchens," "Lost and Found Sounds," the "Sonic Memorial Project," "The Hidden World of Girls" and "The Keepers." They have won 2 James Beard Awards, 2 Peabody Awards and the DuPont Columbia Award among others. Davia has also worked in the film industry as a casting director for Francis Ford Coppola, Wim Wenders and Wes Anderson, among others. She was a screenplay writer and producer of "Imaginary Crimes," starring Harvey Keitel. In January 2022, the Library of Congress acquired The Kitchen Sisters' archive, includung more than 7,000 hours of audio recordings.

I spoke with Davia about her lifelong journey as a sonic detective, her tips for conducting a great interview and why she believes storytelling is one of our most vital necessities.

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Ep #16 - Joe Breeze - The Freedom Machine

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 14:00:00 GMT

Joe Breeze is an American bicycle frame builder, designer and advocate from Marin County, California. An early participant in the sport of mountain biking, Breeze — along with other pioneers including Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly and Tom Ritchey — is known for his central role in developing the mountain bike. Joe is the co-founder and curator of the Marin Museum of Bicycling and the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in Fairfax, California. He helped me immensely with the introduction of a Chronicle book I wrote in the late 1990s, called Fat Tire: A Celebration of the Mountain Bike. I spoke with Joe about the early days of mountain biking on Mt. Tamalpais, what it takes to be an industrial designer, and the key role the bicycle will play in sustainable transportation while keeping a smile on our faces.

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Ep# 15 - Hal Mayforth - Born to Draw

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Hal Mayforth is an American cartoonist, illustrator and abstract painter. A nationally recognized illustrator, Hal's work has been widely published in magazines from Rolling Stone to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. His colorful paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the United States. He is a lifelong musician and most recently was the artistic collaborator on my "Gratitude" video that was released in May 2022. I spoke with Hal Mayforth about his journey to becoming a professional illustrator, his daily practice of automatic drawing, his affinity for abstract expressionism and art history, and his guiding belief in doing what you love. You can learn more about Hal Mayforth's work at www.halmayforth.com.

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Ep #14 - Matt Goulding - The Art of Food Writing

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Matt Goulding is a co-founder of the independent media company, Roads and Kingdoms and the co-author of the New York Times best selling series Eat This, Not That! With Roads and Kingdoms, Matt Goulding has written a number of books that merge food culture, politics and history in engaging, creative formats: Grape Olive Pig (about Spain) Rice Noodle Fish (about Japan) Pasta Pane Vino (about Italy). He currently divides his time between the tapas bars of Barcelona and the barbecue joints of North Carolina. I spoke with Matt Goulding about his journey to becoming a food writer, what makes a great title, and how a tweet from Anthony Bourdain changed his career. You can find out more about Matt Goulding's work at www.roadsandkingdoms.com.

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Ep#13 - David Quammen - Notes from the Field

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 13:00:11 GMT

David Quammen is an American non-fiction writer and the author of 17 books about the history of science, evolutionary biology, zoonotic diseases and the outdoors. His articles have appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, Harper's, Rolling Stone, The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, and other periodicals. David Quammen's highly acclaimed books include Spillover, The Song of the Dodo, The Tangled Tree and his most recent work, Breathless, about the Covid-19 pandemic. This is a conversation about David's lifelong journey into nonfiction writing and extensive field reporting.

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Ep#12 - Laura Guido-Clark - The Power of Color

Tue, 05 Apr 2022 09:03:55 GMT

Laura Guido-Clark is an interior designer and material and color consultant. She has worked with a wide array of everyday products, from furniture, cars, electronics and chocolate. Her recent work includes an update of the iconic Aeron chair. In 2011 Laura founded Project Color, a nonprofit organization dedicated to revitalizing urban neighborhoods with paint and pattern. In 2017 she founded Love Good Color, a revolutionary color tool that fuses science with the senses.

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Ep#11 - Alam Khan - Worlds within Worlds

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:35:59 GMT

Alam Khan is a musician, composer and performer. The son of Mary Khan and sarode master, Ali Akhbar Khan, he began studies in Indian classical music at the age of seven. Alam has played alongside India's tabla masters in venues throughout the world. His other collaborations include the Tedeschi Trucks Band the San Francisco Symphony, Bob Weir and his hip hop project, Grand Tapestry. Alam is a teacher of advanced instrumental instruction at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael, California.

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Ep#10 - Chris Blum - Design is the Main Course

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 13:00:00 GMT

Chris Blum is a graphic artist and art director who works in a variety of mediums, from product graphics and advertising to film and video production. He's also a lifelong producer of art boxes: dimensional collages that combine wordplay and found objects to make a statement about current events and cultural affairs. Chris is an ardent student of pop culture and I collaborated with him for many years when communicating about issues of food and agricultural policyI spoke with Chris Blum about his ability to visualize his creative projects, working with Tom Waits, the art of making a wine label, and his great grandfather's confectionary

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Ep#9 - J Henry Fair - Ironically Beautiful Images of Terrible Things

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 17:58:41 GMT

J Henry Fair is a photographer and storyteller who works at the intersection of art, environmental science and the industrial economy. For decades he has been taking what he describes as "ironically beautiful images of terrible things." His abstract and highly composed aerial photographs capture coal mining, factory farming, clearcut forestry and other activities. His work is featured in a new book, Human Nature: Planet Earth in Our Time published by Chronicle Books.

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Ep#8 - Jessica Martin - The Vocabulary of Shapes

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 10:00:00 GMT

Jessica Martin is a visual artist who lives, practices and teaches in Healdsburg, California. She works in various mediums, from painting to sculpture and ambitious urban curating. Her pieces often involve extensive research into how the passage of time affects and shapes our memories. She received an M.A. from the California College of the Arts in 2006 and has been working as a professional artist ever since.

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Ep#7 - Shea Breaux Wells - Vocal Mastery

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 16:06:24 GMT

Shea Breaux Wells is a vocal artist, performer and songwriter. She was raised in Texas in an artistic household and later found her way to Los Angeles where she explored numerous musical styles, from art rock to jazz and electronic music. Shea is also a world class vocal instructor who teaches people to sing with intention and technique.

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Ep#6 - Ames Morrison - The Magical Elixir

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 18:02:27 GMT

Ames Morrison is a , wine maker and partner at Medlock Ames Winery in Sonoma County California. He studied ancient history at Tulane University before serving in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and teaching public high school in New York City. Raised on a farm in Virginia, Ames decided to pursue his love of agriculture. I spoke with Ames about his conservation-based approach to agriculture, the extraordinary challenges of climate change, and the many skills required to make humanity's most magical elixir.

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Ep#5 - PC Muñoz - No Boundaries

Tue, 07 Sep 2021 11:00:00 GMT

PC Muñoz is a Northern California poet, percussionist, producer, performer and recording artist. For the past 30 years he has worked in a wide range of musical styles from hip hop and jazz to pop, classical and spoken word. PC has recorded with rock legend Jackson Browne, Berkeley Symphony violinist Matthew Szemela and synthesizer wizard Dr. Fink. His genre bending collaborations with former Knonos Quartet cellist Joan Jeanreneaud earned a Grammy nomination. He currently serves as the first Director of Education and Community Engagement for the Freight and Salvage in Berkeley California.

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Ep#4 - Ronnie Vannucci Jr - The Art of Listening

Tue, 03 Aug 2021 12:56:13 GMT

Ronnie Vannucci, Jr. is a classically trained percussionist and drummer for The Killers. While pursuing a music degree at the University of Las Vegas Nevada in 2002, he joined bandmates Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning and Mark Stoermer. The Killers have recorded six best-selling albums and performed in 50 countries. I spoke with Ronnie about his experience as a wedding photographer, the importance of mastering the art of listening, and the making of the band's upcoming album, "Pressure Machine."

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Ep#3 - Abra Berens - Function Over Form

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 10:00:00 GMT

Abra Berens is a farm-to-table chef and author of the 2019 cookbook, Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. She is a chef at Granor Farm in Three Oaks, Michigan and the co-founder of Bare Knuckle farm in Northpoint, Michigan. I spoke with Abra about her writing process, her experience at the Ballymaloe Cooking School in southeast Ireland, the hard work it takes to grow vegetables, the importance of reducing food waste, and why being a professional cook sometimes means being an entertainer.

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Ep#2 - Tim Weed - Surrender to the Muse

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 10:00:00 GMT

Tim Weed is an exceptional musician who has mastered numerous stringed instruments — from guitar to 5-string banjo and mandolin. For the past four decades he has been a touring and recording artist. His latest project, Light and Dark, consists of two original compositions for banjo and 82 piece orchestra. It was performed and recorded with the Prague Metropolitan Opera in 2019.

I spoke with Tim about his daily approach to music, the importance of understanding and overcoming fear, his lifelong journey to learn various musical styles, and his instinct to just play and surrender to the Muse …

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Ep#1 - Adam Wolpert, The Great Oaks

Mon, 17 May 2021 22:34:04 GMT

Adam Wolpert is a painter of the naturalist landscape tradition. He is also a co-founder of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center in Sonoma County, California, an intentional community and thought leading nonprofit education center. A lifelong visual artist, for the past three years Adam has been engaged in a project of painting large intimate portraits of trees he calls, The Great Oaks. I spoke with Adam about his focus on why he values his creative practice more than finished products, the discipline and patience that the craft of painting requires, how drawing and painting can positively affect your mindset and memory, and the importance of doing what you love, showing up every day, and having faith.

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