Citywide Blackout

In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Housel, the #PopCultureProfessor, joins me to talk about all things “Firefly.” On Feb. 11, she and comedian Ken Reid—recently voted Boston’s Best Comic— will be at Boston's Museum of Science to present a screening of the classic sci-fi film “Serenity” as part of the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival. In the Hayden Planetarium, enjoy a view of the night sky on one half of the dome and the movie on another with commentary by Reid and Housel.

Purchase tickets in advance at the Museum box office, or by phone at 617-723-2500, online at mos.org/adults.

Dr. Rebecca Housel, known as the #PopCultureProfessor, is a NY Times bestselling author and editor; her books are sold in 9 languages and 150 countries. Housel is also a science writer, researcher and mental health advocate--you can read her column, "Survive Anything" on Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/survive-anything, as well as articles for #SuicideAwareness and #StandUp2Cancer on 7Cups.com, winner of Stanford Medicine's X Award:  https://www.7cups.com/experts/@rebecca-a-housel/. Dr. Housel is an author and editor in the Mental Health for Millennials series; her work there focuses on relationships, intimacy and the neuroscience behind sex. 

 

Dr. Housel has also been accepted for NASA's SIRIUS research mission with Roscosmos and the European Space Agency at the NEK facility in Moscow. Her next appearance is in February 2020 at Boston Museum of Science Hayden Planetarium in association with Boston Sci Fi Film Festival's 45th anniversary, where she will be co-hosting a show of the night-sky along with a screening of Joss Whedon's Serenity. Housel was on tour with Comic Con for three years where she interviewed stars from Firefly, Serenity, Buffy, and Angel, as well as opened Comic Con with her popular live show, "The Whedonverse," sponsored by Lion's Gate. She will also be appearing in March 2020 at Elsevier's conference on artificial intelligence and cancer and will be speaking at University of Sheffield in April 2020 on neurogenetics and mental health, as well as returning as a motivational speaker in mental health at Zeminar Dublin in October 2020. 

 

To learn more about Dr. Rebecca Housel, including reading her personal blog (which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019), please visit RebeccaHousel.com

Brandon Stoner, guitarist and vocalist for the band Thieves & Lovers, joins me to talk about their highlights for 2019, which included the release of the single "Don't Think About Me." This tune took the band in some new directions, and we look at what these were and some potential plans for 2020. We also look at some different show types out there that the band has pursued or is looking to try out.

Following this, I've got their entire EP, “Down The Line” for you. This includes "Don't Think About Me," followed by “Down The Line” and ending with “Up at Night.”

Where did the horse come from?

That's my first question to Boston-based R&B artist Nancia as we talk about her recently-released album “Heir to the Throne,” and the music video released for “Get Low,” which shows the artist on horseback. She goes in-depth to the album's production and how she chose the 18 tracks among the many she has made.

Nancia's music is her career and she talks about the different ways she has monetized her skills to make it happen. We also give a 101 on show prep, something she has learned a lot about over the years.

Following this interview, enjoy the song “Get Law” from “Heir to the Throne.”

 Author Dr. Matthew Erlich joins me to talk about his book, “The Vail Method: Getting Better Not Just Older,” which was released on Jan. 14. The book is a comprehensive lifestyle guide for readers to begin working towards healthier aging, and Dr. Erlich talks about the many subjects he covers, from exercise and the plant-based diet to the importance of mindfulness.

 

After the interview, Kim Kondrashoff brings us two great songs, “Bathtub Boogie” and “Talk To Me.”

Boston based songwriter Matt Jatkola joins me to talk about his new project called JATK with a debut self-titled 4 song EP. The album took Matt into some new directions music-wise and he gives us some insight into what was learned in the process. 2019 was a big year for his other project, FBGM, and he goes into tour stories with he and bandmate D as well as what is planned in the new year.

Following this, kick back and enjoy two songs from the EP, “How I Feel Inside” and “Come Inside Your Room.”

Tom Peyer, writer and editor-in-chief at Ahoy Comics, talks about the Dragonfly and Dragonflyman series, a prequel to The Wrong Earth. Two heroes—Dragonfly and Dragonflyman—find themselves on each other's worlds, two places which could not be more different. On gritty Earth-Omega, Dragonfly prowls the darkness for his evil prey; on sun-splashed Earth-Alpha, Dragonflyman protects the status quo.

Peyer talks about the two different heroes and the worlds they come from and how each adapts when the big switch happens. We also look at the other titles available from Ahoy and what is coming in the near future.

 

For the last show of 2019, I speak to Swedish musician Yajna. Her music touches on a dark part of her life and her goal to rise from it and move forward. Yajna talks about these experiences and how the music helped her. But she has much more to share! Prior to working in music, she was active in the action sports scene and remains so today. She also has a documentary film making its way around the indie film festival circuit and a book in the works.

Following this interview, enjoy her song, “You Are Beautiful,” one of a trilogy of songs that she has released.

LA-based musician Sariyah Idan gives us a great look at the city's music scene in this interview. She also has a new album out, “Breaking Shadows,” and this 17-track album covers a number of subjects, including relationships, the #MeToo movement, and social justice. We also look at the music videos released for the album, which Idan choreographed herself.

 

Following this interview, enjoy two tracks from the album, “Darkness” and “That Woman.”

It's a question that Chris Callahan addresses in his comic, “The Misplaced,” available through Source Point Press, Comixology, and many others. In this series, we follow James, who dies in a shipwreck with his wife, only to wake up in Heaven to find that his wife is nowhere to be found. So what does he do? He leaves the afterlife on a quest to find his lost love.

What's even more amazing than the story is the art that brings it to life, and Christ talks about his unique style and how he came up with it. We also touch on conventions and his experiences with them.

Well, here we are, the final round of interviews from the Rhode Island Author Expo. Up first, Angelina Singer talks all about her soon-to-be-released book, “Forgetting What I Couldn't Remember.” Like much of her previous work, it touches on a personal part of her life.

Up next, The Pie Sisters make their big return! Leigh Brown and Victoria Corliss talk about their fourth book and how they co-write effectively.

Mary Catherine Volk believes that loved ones that have passed still have things to tell us and do so through signs, as she explains in her book, “Believe in Forever.”

Wrapping things up, Sam Kafrissen has a new book out in his Doherty Mystery series, and shows us how the character has evolved over the many titles.