Citywide Blackout

Kaitlyn Croker explores Nashville and her musical styles

Currently residing in Nashville, singer-songwriter Kaitlyn Croker has made a name for herself with her debut singles, “Dead Man Walking” and “You’re the Hero.” In this interview, Max and Curtis talk about these two songs and their varied styles. Kaitlyn talks about how she’s been exploring music and some potential new paths she’d like to walk.

“You’re the Hero” has a very personal connection, as it’s a reflection on military families. Kaitlyn’s father was a fighter pilot for 26 years and now works for the Pentagon and she talks about her experiences being in a military family.

Raised in Maryland, Kaitlyn recently made the trek to Nashville and she shares some of her experiences there. She also talks about the influence of the city and how she’s changed as an artist.

Opening this episode is an excerpt from “Dead Man Walking” and closing this out is “You’re the Hero.”

Zombies and dream horror in Crystal Lake double-header

In this episode, we’re talking to four of the horrific minds behind two recent releases by Crystal Lake Publishing: “Never Wake: An Anthology of Dream Horror” and “Dark Tide 10: The Dead Shall Rise.”

In the first interview, Max talks with Kenneth Cain and Tim Meyer, the editors of this collection of short stories with a dream horror theme. We talk about what dream horror is and how the different authors express it in their stories.

Kenneth and Tim go into the editing process and how they worked with the different authors to improve their work while at the same time preserving their original voice. We talk about the book’s cover art, which has a wonderfully trippy cover.

Following this, Max and Curtis are chatting with Armand Rosamilia and Erin Louis, two of the three writers who contributed to ‘The Dead Shall Rise,” a collection of zombie stories. Jay Wilburn, who wrote “Prepare Because Death is Coming” passed away in 2022. Armand and Erin talk about Jay’s story and their experience with him as a writer and friend.

We also go into their stories—Armand’s has a family on vacation when the zombie apocalypse breaks out and Erin’s main character Tiffney leading a group of survivors at a strip club assaulted by the living dead. Both talk about their interest in zombies and the new directions that this book took them in.

Audrey Gales takes us on a thrilling ride through the annals of medical history

In her Depression-era thriller “The Human Trial,” author Audrey Gale shares the story of Dr. Randall Archer, who changed medicine forever with his groundbreaking microscope. Overnight, he’s catapulted from the steel mills to the upper echelon of Bostonian society. But many challenges await, from the devastation of the Great Depression to the battle to maintain his place. 

In this episode, Curtis and Max talk with Audrey about what inspired this book and the creation of Archer. We look at her own experience with medicine and how this shaped the novel, as well as the research done. Audrey talks about Archer’s ascension and how this impacts him, as well as how he has to fight to keep what he’s earned.

Being in front of and behind the camera with Tonya Todd

For my next guest, between all she does on set, behind the camera and behind the mic, I’m glad she found the time to talk with me. This episode features Las Vegas-based actress, podcaster and writer Tonya Todd. 

Tonya and I dive into her various projects, starting with her work on the series “Dark Ops,” which is on Knight TV+. Dark Ops follows the inner workings of the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit 2 whose mission is to hunt down and dismantle ransomware crime syndicates global and we take a close look at Tonya’s character Senator Anne. This is a part she had little time to prepare for, and we talk about how she got into character, as well as the ways that she made Senator Anne her own.

Tonya is also working on the short film “Mourning Sacrifice,” wherein a detective helps a woman find her missing husband. This film is Tonya’s directorial debut, and it’s also based on a short story she wrote. She shares the casting process, how the characters changed the story, as well as being in the big chair for the first time.

Fantasy, children’s lit and more at the Rhode Island Author Expo

The weekend of Dec. 2 saw the return of the annual Rhode Island Author Expo. Citywide host Max Bowen was there to not only emcee the event, but interview some of the great writers who were there.

Kicking off this episode is Nishita Roy-Pope to talk about her new book, “Courage Kids: The Magic Soccer Ball.” It’s her debut book and we talk about how her background in business and as a diversity leader helped prepare her for this new role. Nishita talks about the different characters, how her kids helped with the ideas and what she hopes people take away from the story.

Up next, Ann Watt channels her 30 years as a critical care nurse into a memoir, “When Being a Nurse was Fun.” She shares a few stories from her time as a nurse and what inspired the book. We go into what nursing was like pre-COVID and how the pandemic changed everything.

Keith Carreiro is no stranger to the show, having been on before to talk about his nine-book series, “The Immortality Wars.” This blend of science fiction and fantasy centers on Pall Warren, a 16th-century warrior who wakes up to find himself in the far future. He’s now four books into the series with the release of “The Pilgrim” and we look at how the story has advanced.

Kelly Swan Taylor brings a little mystery to the show with her series “The Wright Detective,” now three books long. Tessa Wright is a seventh-grade student who solve mysteries with her friends. We talk about the main character’s creation, along with how her friends and father—also a detective—factor into the books. Kelly has a new book, “Frozen in Time,” and we talk about the intense plot that awaits.

Maggie Kozel brings things to a close with her book, “My Legs are Crying.” Like Ann, this book is centered on real-life experience in the medical world. Maggie’s book is based on her work with emotional-based illnesses, and we go into what they are and how her work impacted medicine.

Reflecting on a ‘sterling’ career

Sterling Golden is retiring.

Those are four words I never thought I’d say. But, here we are. As of Jan. 1, 2024, Sterling Golden will bring a 15-year career in music, nightlife, events, radio, and podcasting to a close and enter his next phase-focusing on family.

In this interview, Sterling and I talk about the decision to retire made early this year and how he’s processed it in the months that followed. Sterling shares his thoughts on stepping down and how he’s already begun adjusting to his new role.

But the man isn’t quite done yet. He has two interviews dropping this month, as well as a final, 23-hour playlist covering some of his favorite music from 1976 to present. Sterling gives a few previews as to that you can expect, but trust me, you’ll want to check them out and hear the full stories.

Fifteen years is a long time in any industry, and Sterling and I talk about some of his best moments and memorable encounters. We look at business left unfinished and if there’s any chance that Sterling Golden will return to the world of nightlife. He also talks about his last live event and the experience of being on stage for the final time.

New book defines the meaning of home

For Roberta Kuriloff, much of her life has been spent finding her home—from living in an orphanage following the deaths of her mother and aunt and separation from her father to standing on a plot of land in Maine preparing to build her new house.

 

In “Framing a Life: Building a Space to Be Me,” Kuriloff chronicles this journey, bringing together several journals that she kept over the years. The book details an eight-year spiritual quest where she explore her Jewish roots, how she came to understand the losses and the influence they had on her, and discovering her sense of self.

 

In this interview, Roberta speaks with Max on the concept of ‘home’ and what it means to her. We talk about the writing process and what inspired her decision to share the story with the world. Roberta shares the losses she’s endured, and how she’s grown through them into the person she is today. We also go into the spiritual quest and what she experienced during that time.  

New EP from Gabby & The Gondolas gives listeners a musical snapshot

Since hearing, “Pottery God” from Gabby & The Gondolas, it was clear this was a band to watch. The mix of sounds and honest lyrics were refreshing and compelling to listen to and it’s clear there’s more to come.

 

In this interview, Max and Curtis chat with Kyle Neveau, the band’s founder. We talk about how Gabby came to be and the origin of this unique band name. We do a deep dive into their EP “Pollyanna” and the diverse sounds and stories that make it up. It’s described as “a snapshot in time” and we go into what that means and the timeframe Kyle wanted to capture.

 

Kyle also talks about the move he made from San Clemente, California, to Knoxville, Tennessee, and his experiences over the last couple years. The episode wouldn’t be complete without talking about the stealer cover art for “Pollyanna,” and we give a shoutout to the artist behind this amazing creation.

 

Opening the episode is an excerpt from the debut single “Pottery God” and closing out the show is the follow-up, “Steamed Rice.”

Ben Chou meets the minds behind the movies at BAAFF

The Boston Asian American Film Festival has a special meaning for us, as it’s one that we had the pleasure of covering back in the show’s early days. In October, the festival returned for its 15^th year and my co-host Ben Chou was there for it. In this three-interview collection he speaks with the great filmmakers whose works were screened as part of BAAFF.

 

First up is Michele Rae Jouse for her documentary, “Nurse Unseen.” The film explores the little-known history and humanity of the unsung Filipino nurses risking their lives on the frontlines while facing a resurgence of anti-Asian hate in the streets.

 

Michele talks about the personal connection to the story, as well as the much wider tale told through the 92-minute film. She and Ben look at the history behind the Filipino nurses, as well as the many interviews done as part of the writing process. They talk about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the healthcare community.

 

The next interview is with Director/Producer Jennifer Takaki, Executive Producer George Hirose and Producer Linda Lew Woo for the documentary “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story.” Corky Lee passed away in 2021, a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. The film is an intimate portrait of the life, work, and advocacy of pioneering Chinese American photographer Corky Lee. Takaki followed Corky Lee for nearly 20 years, documenting triumphs and tragedy.

 

Jennifer, Linda and George go into the 20-year process and all the things they saw and memorable moments of the filmmaking process, of which there were many. They talk about Corky’s five-decade career and the many, many things he photographed and the advocacy aspect of his work. They talk about the importance of having a good editor on the project and what they hope people take away from watching the film.

 

Closing out this episode is Jonathan Hsu, the producer of the narrative feature “Starring Jerry as Himself” and narrative short “Closing Dynasty (aka. Queenie).” The first film shows how a family documents how their immigrant father Jerry, a recently retired Florida man, was recruited by the Chinese police to be an undercover agent, only to discover a darker truth. The short shows us how on a school day, a 7-year-old hustles strangers for money on the streets of New York City.

 

Jonathan takes us through both films and the stories behind both and Ben offers his own perspective and how it impacted him. They talk about the shared theme of both films and how they were developed from there. Jonathan talks about personal connection with “Starring Jerry” and how the strong familial connection influenced the story.

Rhode Island Author Expo: Political chaos and real-life adventures across the world

As the big day approaches, here’s the final of the two-part series previewing the Rhode Island Author Expo, which takes place on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. It’s a free event with more than 100 writers, panels, raffles and more. 

 

David Shoorens is up first and his book, “The Refuge,” may have that “ripped from the headlines” sound, but I assure you, it is a work of fiction….for now. The U.S. is a broken country, with a far-right president granted unprecedented power over their political opponents. We talk about the story and how it came to be, the characters that inhabit it, and his take on the world as it is now.

 

Closing this episode out is Thomas Brillat with his first book, “Ekaternia.” The main character Ekaternia is a relative of Tom’s and he talks about how he learned of her story, and how he turned these family tales into a completed book. He goes into the more memorable stories and how he wrote what was effectively a ‘practice book’ before writing this one.