A book-release talk about paint-by-numbers with Annie Howard. Recorded at Pilsen Community Books in Chicago.
John Hodgman
A talk with writer/actor/humorist John Hodgman about Shopsin’s, the future of capitalism, zines, and all the rest.
Mallory Smart
A talk with writer, publisher, and my horror movie podcast cohost Mallory Smart. Check out Maudlin House and Textual Healing for what she’s about.
A Very Old Man
A couple pages from Italo Svevo’s A Very Old Man.
Elliot Dicks
A talk with musician and sound guy Elliot Dicks about growing up in Columbus, Ohio, moving to Chicago, and building a life in music. Check out his current band and one of his old ones here.
Jake Austen
A talk with Jake Austen about growing up in the South Shore neighborhood of Chicago, art school, his lifelong fascination with masked singers and much more. Check out what Austen’s all about at his Rocktober site.
Mat Daly
A talk with musician/artist/craftfair majordomo Mat Daly.
Westley Heine
A talk with writer/musician Westley Heine. Get his 12 Chicago Cabbies and Busking Blues and read my Reader article about him.
Nancy Carey
A talk with Nancy Carey about writing, painting, baking, conflict-resolution, and more.
“What else do you teach?”
James Jankowiak
A talk with Chicago painter James Jankowiak about growing up in Back of the Yards, getting into graffiti writing, becoming an artist, a teacher, and a whole lot of other stuff. See a bunch of his work here.
Check out his show at Compound Yellow through 11/20/22.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
Azita Youssefi
A talk with musician Azita Youssefi about the transition from visual to musical art, the Chicago scene, and more. Listen to Azita’s music here.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
Max Samarov
A talk with Max Samarov about Israel, California, metal music, and other matters. Learn more about Max here.
Theme music, forever, by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
Alicia Martinez
A talk with forensics student and former mixologist Alicia Martinez. Follow her on Instagram (if she lets you.)
Music today, tomorrow, and the days after that by Bill MacKay.
Subscribe at Apple or the other usual places.
Keefe Jackson
A talk with jazz musician Keefe Jackson. We discuss his youth in an Arkansas college town, the switch from cello to saxophone, his move to Chicago, and more. Catch his gigs or buy a record at his site.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
Sam Wagster
A talk with musician Sam Wagster about growing up in Texas, studying film and writing, and playing in bands. Listen to Mute Duo, The Father Costume, Anatomy of Habit, but also enjoy Wagster’s work with The Cairo Gang, Azita, and countless others.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
Mick Collins
A talk with musician and aspiring linguist Mick Collins about the Dirtbombs, the Gories, the Wolfmanhattan Project, and inventing his own language. Follow Collins on Twitter and listen to all his music you can find.
Theme music by Bill MacKay.
Brian Case
A talk with musician and graphic designer Brian Case about coming from St. Louis to Chicago, getting into the music scene, and about just keeping going. Check out his current band, FACS, as well as his solo work, and his old band, Disappears.
Theme music—as if you needed to ask—by Bill MacKay.
Scott McClanahan
A talk with writer Scott McClanahan about Robert Mitchum, writing, music, and more. Get his books here and here and read my review of The Sarah Book.
Music now and always by Bill MacKay.
Matt Lux
A talk with bassist extraordinaire Matt Lux. Check out his Communication Arts Quartet, Isotope 217, and KVL.
Theme music forever by Bill MacKay.
A Few Readings
I read excerpts from several books.
00:00 from The Little Prince by Antoine Saint-Exupery
02:37 chapter 57 of Moby Dick by Herman Melville
10:00 from I’m Losing You by Bruce Wagner
14:58 from A Fan’s Notes by Frederick Exley
Tom Shannon
A talk with musician Tom Shannon about Cheater Slicks, about Boston, Columbus, his long career in music, and much more. If you don’t know Cheater Slicks music, start here.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
Laura Park
A talk with cartoonist Laura Park about moving to France, living in Chicago, quitting art school, how everyone should love dogs, and a lot more. You can also find her on Instagram.
Theme music by Bill MacKay, as ever.
Leor Galil
A talk with music writer Leor Galil about studying at Brandeis, getting into music, and ending up at the Chicago Reader.
Theme music, now and always, by Bill MacKay.
Three by Denis Johnson
I read three chapters from Denis Johnson’s “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden”.