In this episode, Aaron and Patrick join me to talk about the deep and beautiful friendship we’ve created in a text chat that was originally meant to do some planning for my jazz podcast.

In this episode I revisit five short audio essays from 2019 about my religious history, and then add an update on where I’m at now in 2023. Patreon Support the show by becoming a member at patreon.com/abriefchat. For $1 a month you get early access to every episode plus a weekly email. For $5 you…

On this episode I talk with my sister, Gretchen Gustavson, about her job as a speech pathologist. She helps dispel some of the mystery around speech issues and how they’re dealt with. She also talks about the somewhat surprising way she decided to become a speech pathologist. Patreon Support the show by becoming a member…

Althea Collier hiked the 2,200-mile-long Appalachian Trail in 2022, starting when she was 17 and finishing when she was 18. In this interview she talks about how she decided to do it; expectation versus reality on the trail; meeting trail angels and other hikers; and her advice for others who might be thinking about a…

Faraaz Abdool is a birder, author, guide, and environmentalist. In this interview we talk about how he developed an interest in birding; finding a community of people interested in the natural world; making a major career shift; the pros and cons of ecotourism; and more. Find Faraaz online via his website and on Instagram. Patreon…

Hester Blum is a professor of English at Penn State. She recently edited, and wrote the introduction for, the new Oxford World’s Classics edition of Moby-Dick. In this interview, we talk about new ways to interpret Melville’s classic through our modern lens; polar exploration; our responsibility to cultures other than our own; and more.

Richard Biever is an assistant professor of musical theatre at the School of Performing Arts at Wichita State University. In this interview, we talk about using the stage as a way to spark community conversations on difficult issues. We also discuss the performance of older plays and musicals in the modern era. And we talk…

Clint Carrick is the author of the book Small Town Skateparks, which chronicles his journey from Vermont to California, visiting skateparks in out-of-the-way places across the country. The book is a mix of memoir and travelogue, and it examines the activities that knit people together and what happens when they drift away from them.

Alice Teeple is, among other things, a documentary photographer. Her photo essay on homelessness in New York City was recently featured on the website Interlocutor. In this interview, Alice talks about the photo series, her own experience of homelessness, and the other projects she’s working on. See more of Alice’s work on Instagram.

Albert Goldbarth has been publishing poetry for five decades. Albert’s newest collection, Everybody, is available from Lynx House Press or your local bookseller. Please support this podcast by becoming a member at https://patreon.com/abriefchat. Thanks!

In which I travel to various places in Rhode Island and tell you what I see. Get the entire episode and many more bonus shows (plus a whole lot more) at patreon.com/abriefchat.

A conversation with poet Michael Schiavo about: random Instagram photography daily writing vs inspiration the creation of his book The Mad Song Emerson and transcendentalism his current projects You can get early access to every episode plus bonus episodes, travels essays and more at https://patreon.com/abriefchat.