Riverside Chats
By Riverside Chats
A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.
Riverside ChatsApr 27, 2020
185. What Prison Abolition Really Means with Black & Pink National's Tena Hahn Rodriguez
Today's show is a conversation between Michael Griffin and Tena Hahn Rodriguez, co-interim executive director of Black & Pink National, a nonprofit prison abolition organization headquartered in Omaha.
Hahn Rodriguez is a dancer, educator and Omaha native. She’s worked at various nonprofits in Omaha, including Inclusive Communities and Heartland Pride, and co-founded the queer nightlife event Revel in 2014.
Today, Hahn Rodriguez discusses her Omaha upbringing and how it shapes her advocacy, how dance shows up in her work, what prison abolition would really look like, and Black & Pink’s mission of supporting incarcerated LGBTQ+ folks.
184. Ang Bennett and Brittany Wright on Bridging Cultural Divides with Conversations for Change
Inclusive Communities is a nonprofit that uses human relations work to promote diversity and inclusion among individuals, workplaces and communities. The organization also holds public events to encourage cross-cultural dialogue, including the Jane H. & Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks Conversations for Change series. The series brings in prominent entertainment industry figures for conversation to build connections across identities.
Conversations for Change launched last year with actor Kal Penn as the featured guest. This year’s event features performer Bob the Drag Queen, who won the eighth season of “RuPaul's Drag Race.”
Today, Bennet and Wright are in conversation with Maria Corpuz about their decision to invite Bob the Drag Queen to Omaha in the wake of Nebraska’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors and attempt to ban minors from attending drag shows. Conversations for Change is Tuesday, March 26 at the Holland Center.
183. Congressman Don Bacon Makes His Pitch for 2024
Congressman Don Bacon has represented Nebraska's Second Congressional District since 2017. He is running for re-election again this year against Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas. Today, he recounts his experience during the January 6th attack, why he thinks Republicans should regain control, and what he makes of Donald Trump's enduring influence over the Republican Party.
182. Dr. Erin Feichtinger on the Roots of Political Dysfunction
If you follow Omaha politics, you likely know Dr. Erin Feichtinger--or at least her tweets. Feichtinger has a PhD in history and currently serves as policy director at the Women’s Fund of Omaha, and she has made it a mission to shine a light on the details, drama, and triumphs of our local power structures. In this time of political dysfunction, often at the national and the local level, Feichtinger talks with Tom Knoblauch about what history can offer us to understand today and what all of this means for the future.
181. Tony Bonacci on the Long Road to 'The Headliner'
Filmmaker Tony Bonacci previously appeared on the show when his acclaimed short, The Headliner, made festival rounds in 2018. Even then, he was adamant that he would turn that story into a feature alongside the short’s writer, Christine Burright, and its star, Darrick Silkman. Several years and one global pandemic later, he has. Bonacci’s feature film debut, also titled The Headliner, is premiering on Saturday March 2nd at this year’s Omaha Film Festival.
On this week's show, Bonacci talks with Tom Knoblauch about putting the feature together and what to expect at this year's Omaha Film Festival premiere.
180. Senator Machaela Cavanaugh on the Tumultuous 107th Legislative Session and What She Hopes for in Her Current Term
Machaela Cavanaugh represents Nebraska's 6th District in the Unicameral. She was re-elected to a second term in 2022 and in 2023, Cavanaugh made national news when she filibustered LB574, also known as the Let Them Grow Act, which bans gender-affirming care for Nebraska children. Cavanaugh spoke on the bill up to 12 hours a day for 11 weeks. LB574 was passed by the Legislature in May and went into effect last October.
In the current legislative session, which began on January 3rd, Cavanaugh says she's focused on supporting Nebraska's working poor. She's prioritizing paid family leave, universal school meals, and securing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. On today's show, Cavanaugh is in conversation with Maria Corpuz about her historic filibuster, building relationships in a divided legislature, and her hopes for the 108th Legislative Session.
179. Keyonna King on Public Health Disparities in Omaha and UNMC's BEAT Cancer Study
Keyonna King is an associate professor in the UNMC College of Public Health. She holds a doctorate in public health from Loma Linda University. King specializes in community-based participatory research, or CBPR, an approach that works with community members to make public health programs more equitable and inclusive.
King is also a co-investigator in UNMC’s BEAT Cancer study. BEAT Cancer, which stands for Black Equity, Access and Testing for Cancer, seeks to increase colorectal cancer screening and decrease mortality rates related to the disease in Omaha’s Black community. Today she is in conversation with Michael Griffin.
178. Josh Tague on the History of the Omaha Symphony, the Changing Music Industry Landscape, and Steps for Establishing a Diverse Culture in Classical Music
Josh Tague was born and raised in Omaha and has a business degree from UNO. He’s played guitar in various bands and is a regular audience member at local concerts — including performances by the biggest local band in town, the Omaha Symphony. As director of marketing and communications at the Omaha Symphony, Tague is responsible for building and cultivating the group’s audiences and brand. Today, Tague and Michael Griffin are talking about the symphony’s history and about how classical music spaces can become more diverse and inclusive.
The Omaha Symphony could be Grammy winners after this weekend. The ensemble is nominated in three categories for its work with composer Andy Akiho, who was commissioned to pay tribute to Ree and Jun Kaneko. The resulting album, “Sculptures,” was premiered and recorded at the Holland Center in March of last year and conducted by music director Ankush Kumar Bahl.
177. Community Organizer Jaden Perkins on Improving Civic Engagement through Performance
Jaden Perkins is grassroots community organizer from Omaha who specializes in coalition building. He currently works for the Heartland Workers Center as a policy fellow. Perkins has also worked on campaigns for local political candidates, including Dave Pantos, Cammy Watkins, and Jasmine Harris.
His event, "Politically Speaking… It’s a Drag," uses performing arts to help audiences understand political issues. Perkins previously hosted the event in October of 2022 with then–Douglas County Attorney candidate Dave Pantos. "It’s a Drag" will be held on Saturday, Jan. 27 at The Sydney in Benson.
Today's show is a conversation between Perkins and Michael Griffin.
176. Activists Mia Perales and David Corbin on What Is and What Isn't Working with Omaha Environmentalism
Mia Perales is a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Last year she won an environmental achievement award from the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club after leading climate work with the city-wide group Students for Sustainability and starting a lunch composting program at Omaha South High School that’s since been adopted at Central High School.
David Corbin is a longtime environmentalist in Omaha. He’s been a public health professor at UNO, a leader in the local Sierra Club and a staple at Earth Day in Elmwood Park with his guitar and extensive catalog of Neil Young songs. Currently he’s involved with a group protesting the North Omaha coal plant’s delayed shutdown from 2023 to 2026.
Omaha officials are currently working on a plan to prepare for and prevent the worst effects of climate change. On today's episode, Perales and Corbin are in conversation with Chris Bowling.
175. Lee Emma Running on 'Opera Coat' and How Art Can Be Used to Explore Our Relationship with the Natural World
Lee Emma Running is an artist who sculpts with animal bones, glass and precious metals. She uses her work to engage audiences in conversations about the impact of human-built systems on the natural world, and explore the intersection of art and science.
Running’s work “Opera Coat” was unveiled on Nov. 11 at Kaneko, the culmination of her year-long residency with Opera Omaha. “Opera Coat” is an enameled cast iron sculpture, embellished with copper and bronze. It’s a direct cast of a coat in Opera Omaha’s costume wardrobe, meaning each piece of the sculpture is cast exactly from the fabric. The piece is on display at Kaneko through Feb. 11 and here is Running's conversation with Michael Griffin.
174. Jen Landis on 'Skip the Bad Songs: The Art of Rocking a Happy Mindset' and Why It's Important for Everyone to Talk about Their Feelings
Jen Landis is an artist, author, and assistant professor of practice in graphic design at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Her organization, Pincurl Girls, started in 2009 and creates products and services to help young girls find their confidence--including a podcast, art classes, a scholarship program, and a text club that sends daily words of affirmation to members. In July, Landis published the tween and teen self-help book, 'Skip the Bad Songs: the Art of Rocking a Happy Mindset.'
On today's show, Landis is in conversation with Maria Corpuz about how the book can help youth during common challenges in that stage of life, including advice on fostering new relationships, creating healthy routines, recognizing accomplishments, and more tactile things like step-by-step instructions for making a zine. Landis also discusses her own mental health journey, how parents and caregivers can empower their teens, and why it's important for everyone to talk about their feelings.
173. Aissa Aset Bey on the Culture and Science of Hair
Omaha native Aissa Aset Bey is a loctician, artist, and entrepreneur. Her business, Loc Legacies, offers services related to Black haircare as well as education and training for aspiring locticians. Bey is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the culture and science of hair.
172. Wes Dodge on the Co-optation of Religion within Political Discourse
Problems today rarely originate in our present context. Some problems are so deeply rooted in human history and maybe human nature that it’s a tall order to try to diagnose, let alone solve them in an hour on the radio. But we try! Today, attorney and Common Cause Nebraska advisory board member Wes Dodge is back on the show to discuss the thorny issue of religion in our political discourse–how America’s complicated relationship with Christianity has manifested and been co-opted across our history, and what it means for our future.
171. Congressional Candidate Tony Vargas on Increasing Political Engagement and the 2024 Election
On today's show, Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas talks with Michael Griffin about the issues on his mind as he runs against Congressman Don Bacon to represent Nebraska's Second Congressional District in the 2024 election.
170. Theodore Wheeler on 'The War Begins in Paris' and What it Means to be an Antifascist Author
Countless times on this show, guests have told stories about getting into politics or made new art or even rethouth their lives in relation to the seismic shift that was 2016. On today's show, Theodore Wheeler is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about how that year and its anxieties led him to write The War Begins in Paris--an antifascist novel about friendship, family, propaganda, and foreign correspondents in Europe in the lead-up to World War II.
169. Kristine Langley Mahler on the Art of Memoir and 'A Calendar is a Snakeskin'
Kristine Langley Mahler is a local author who grew up all around the country. The lack of a permanent home in her childhood informs much of her current writing. In her most recent book, 'A Calendar is a Snakeskin,' Mahler excavates personal meaning from astrology, tarot, motherhood, and the past, present and future. On today's show, Mahler is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the art of memoir and the process of putting together her new collection.
168. Using the Inflation Reduction Act for Affordable Greener Homes with David Holtzclaw
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed last year, is said to be the largest bill ever to address the climate disaster. The legislation includes about $30 billion for homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades to their houses, such as installing solar panels or a heat pump. Sounds great, right? But it’s daunting for the average taxpayer to navigate the byzantine world of tax credits to access IRA funds for those upgrades.
David Holtzclaw wants to help. He owns Transduction Technologies, an engineering firm that provides energy consulting services to commercial and residential clients in Omaha. He’s here today in conversation with Maria Corpuz to explain how local homeowners can take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act to make their homes greener.
167. Ratboys' Julia Steiner on 'The Window,' How to Sequence an Album, and the Always-Shifting Music Landscape
The funny thing about genres like alt, punk, indie is that there was a point when these things were directly in opposition to something mainstream and corporate, but then somewhere along the way they became styles and aesthetics that could also be mainstream. It's not always clear what it means to be alt-rock or alt-country these days or even how to listen to an album in the streaming age where our music habits are changing so rapidly all the time. On today's show, Tom Knoblauch is in conversation with Julia Steiner, whose band Ratboys just released a new album called The Window, about the always-shifting music landscape, the construction of an album, and how she developed her unique style over the past decade.
Ratboys will be playing at the Reverb Lounge on October 19th. Tickets can be found here.
166. Youth Emergency Services Development Director Andy Saladino on Supporting Unhoused Youth in Omaha and the 'Dance for a Chance' Halloween Ball Fundraiser
On today's show, Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Andy Saladino, development director of Youth Emergency Services. Youth Emergency Services, or YES, assists youth ages 16 to 21 experiencing homelessness and near homelessness by meeting immediate needs for food, shelter, clothing and safety. YES has a street outreach team whose members distribute supplies out of backpacks and provide immediate information and services. YES’s services also include a 24-hour emergency shelter, transitional living program and maternity group home.
YES’s 'Dance for a Chance' Halloween Ball is on Oct. 12 and includes a dance contest and silent auction to raise funds for the organization.
165. Josh Weixelman and Greg Gale on the State of Nebraska Filmmaking and What to Expect at This Year's Flatwater Film Festival
The Flatwater Film Festival is an annual event committed to bringing together established and first-time filmmakers from across the state of Nebraska to celebrate their art by providing a non-competitive platform that showcases their work, to develop a strong community that promotes inspiration and support, and ultimately to foster the next generation of Nebraska filmmakers. The 2023 festival will be held October 6-8 at the historic Rivoli Theatre in downtown Seward, NE.
On today's show, Tom Knoblauch talks with festival founders Joshua Weixelman and Greg Gale about the state of Nebraska's film scene, how it has changed over the past two decades, and what to expect at this year's Flatwater Film Festival.
164. Jewel Rodgers on Placemaking and Making Space for Big Ideas in Omaha
On today's show, Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Jewel Rodgers - a poet, artist and placemaker from North Omaha. She was a Buffett Scholar at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to receive a Master’s in Real Estate Development from New York University. She was nominated for best performance poet at the 2022 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award. Her multi-sensory poetry collection “Wax Over Water” received a Populus Fund Grant in 2023 through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York, and she’s a 2023 fellow at the Union For Contemporary Art in Omaha.
Rodgers is a youth poetry coach at Culxr House with the Nebraska Writers Collective. She also founded PlaceMade, a resident-led group creating community spaces on vacant lots in North Omaha.
163. Jack Gould on the Influence of Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups within the Nebraska Legislature
Money is nice, right? It’s fun to buy things. But there are contexts where you’d hope that the equation is more complicated than dollar equals result, like medicine or politics. In particular, Nebraska has been the focus of several concerns about the line between money and political results. Today Jack Gould from Common Cause Nebraska is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in our state legislature--as well as what can be done to improve the problems of money in our politics.
162. Bug Heaven's Drew Shuck and M34n Str33t's Adam Haug on Remixing 'Survived By' and Processing Loss through Music
Drew Shuck sings and plays the drums in local punk band Bug Heaven. Adam Haug produces beats as Haunted Gauntlet for emcee Conny Franko in M34n Str33t. The bands recently collaborated on the remix of the song “Survived By,” written by Shuck and performed by Bug Heaven. The song, off Bug Heaven’s debut album “We Love to Live in Hell,” is about the pain of losing loved ones to suicide. Bug Heaven and Mean Street, along with rapper S1SW, will perform at The Slowdown on Sept. 7. A portion of the proceeds from the concert and the new song will benefit Youth Emergency Services, which provides outreach, shelter and other resources to unhoused youth, and the mutual aid group Omaha Autonomous Action.
On today's show, Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Drew Shuck and Adam Haug about the Omaha DIY music scene, the process of remixing “Survived By,” and what to expect at their upcoming concert. This episode comes with a content warning, as it contains discussion of mental illness and suicide.
161. Kurt Andersen on America's Inflection Points and His New Dystopian Comedy 'Command Z'
Last year, author, screenwriter, and host of Studio 360 Kurt Andersen joined Riverside Chats to discuss his two volume explanation of America, Fantasyland and Evil Geniuses. In that conversation, he mentioned that he was working on a third part to this series, which would be fictional. He wouldn’t give away any details at the time, but it turns out that he was working on Command Z, a new 8 part web series directed by Steven Soderbergh. The show follows a team from the 2050s who can transport their consciousnesses back into people today to try to reverse the trends leading to catastrophes of climate, economics, income inequality, and more. Today Andersen is back in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about how the series came to be, what Soderbergh could bring to the Andersen's diagnosis of the American present, and then how a show like this can impact viewers in a bleak political environment.
All episodes of Command Z are available now at commandzseries.com.
160. A Conversation with Tim Heidecker(s)
If you’ve ever had Adult Swim on at night and wondered what in the world you’re watching, there’s a good chance you’ve seen something created by Tim Heidecker. He got his start making bizarre sketch series like Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Tom Goes to the Mayor, and On Cinema. Since then, he’s appeared in several movies, such as Us, Bridesmaids, and The Comedy and he’s extended his On Cinema universe into the film Mister America and a new subscription service called the Hei Network. His latest turn in a multifaceted career is to a live tour–but maybe not quite in the way you’d expect. Half of his show has him in character as a bumbling, awkward comedian failing to connect with the audience. Then the rest of the show is genuine, authentic music written by Heidecker and performed with his Very Good Band.
Today Heidecker is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about artifice and authenticity, how he harnesses both, and the decision to bundle them in his Two Tims Tour, which you can see at the Admiral on August 23.
159. Takeaways from the Turbulent 2023 Nebraska Legislative Session with Wes Dodge
Nebraska prides itself on its Unicameral, which in theory reduces partisanship by forcing cooperation and moderation. That is, unless it doesn’t. In the headlines from this year’s legislative session, a common concern was whether partisanship had finally overtaken the body. Was this a breaking point? A sign of the future? Just a fluke year? It can be difficult to tell in a vacuum, so today's show has Tom Knoblauch in conversation with attorney Wes Dodge to parse through what happened, why it happened, and what it means for Nebraska going forward.
158. Geitner Simmons on the Efficacy of Parody in a World Run by Self-Parodists
Satire uses exaggeration to critique something about the world we live in, but what happens if the world is crazier than any satirist can come up with? How does one parody, as Kurt Andersen has put it, "the greatest self-parodists of all time"? On today's show, Tom Knoblauch is in conversation with Geitner Simmons, author of the new book, Android Run, a sci-fi thriller with a heavy dose of satire to discuss the societal role of fiction, journalism, and the pervasive absurdity no one can escape.
157. Annie Butler and Zach Schmieder on the Origins of BFF, Empowering vs. Gentrifying Local Communities, and What to Expect at This Year's Petfest
BFF Omaha, formerly known as Benson First Friday, is a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to build community through art engagement. BFF started in June 2012, and was named the first official Creative District in Nebraska in 2022. On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with Annie Butler, production manager and the advocacy chair, and Petfest founder Zach Schmieder about the annual showcase of local and national musical acts within the Benson community.
Petfest 2023 is on August 19 at the Petshop Gallery in Benson.
156. Lanesa Ballew-Holt and Shontell Prince on The Omaha Jazz Experience
The HALLINS Corporation is a nonprofit whose mission is to stimulate constructive change in underserved communities through art and culture. It was founded in 2016, and puts on both the Omaha Jazz Experience and the LOVAM Jazz Festival. The Omaha Jazz Experience is a ticketed jazz concert that raises for the Hallins Corporation. This year’s show is this Saturday, July 22 at Stinson Park and will feature Grammy-winning saxophonist Najee.
On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with Lanesa Ballew-Holt and Shontell Prince about the event, its cultural aims, and what to expect this year.
155. Stephanie Finklea and Alex O’Hanlon on Local Food Sovereignty, Seed-Saving, and the Future of Urban Agriculture
Think of the last fruit or vegetable you ate. Do you know where it was grown? Who cultivated it? Harvested it? Transported it to the grocery store? Could you begin to guess all of the people and places involved in making sure that apple or celery or bok choy made it to your plate? When the food production system is global, it can be easy to forget that it’s possible to grow produce right here at home.
Today Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Stephanie Finklea and Alex O’Hanlon, two urban farmers who are involved with a number of organizations promoting food sovereignty and agriculture here in Omaha. Finklea is the owner and founder of Black Chick Farm. O’Hanlon is a coordinator at Free Farm Syndicate. Both cofounded Omaha Sunflower Coop and collaborate on Blazing Star Seed Cooperative, which aims to teach seed-saving skills and provide free seeds to the community.
154. Daniel Knowles on the History, Economics, and Culture of Cars—and Envisioning a World without Them
In the Midwest, we love our cars: fast cars, big cars, small cars, loud cars, quiet cars, different cars for different occasions like shoes. Car culture, in other words, is often indistinguishable from Midwest culture, and has been for so long that it feels natural. But what if it's not?
On today's show, Daniel Knowles makes the case that cars are ruining the world while making us unhappy and unhealthy—the subject of his new book, Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do About It. Talking with Tom Knoblauch, Knowles outlines the rise of cars around the world, their economic and health impacts, how this warps the design of cities, and what it might look like to envision a future reliant on public transportation.
153. Jennifer Ling Datchuk on "Eat Bitterness" and Exploring Fragility, Femininity, Identity, and Personal History through Art
In China, the phrase “to eat bitterness” means to persist through hardship without complaint. Artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk used the idiom to title her collection of new and recent work, comprising ceramics, textiles, video and other mediums. Datchuk is a Texas-based artist of Irish and Chinese ancestry.
In this conversation with Maria Corpuz, she discusses her work, which explores the intersections of her own identity, as well as the role of women and global labor inequality. Through material culture, the history of craft, and by championing the handmade, Datchuk challenges the social, political, and cultural systems that continue to hold women back. “Eat Bitterness” is on display at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts through September 17.
152. Chalis Bristol (AKA DJ Crabrangucci) on Finding Music through the Internet, the Role of DJs, and the Unlikely Connection between Dance and Classical Music
Chalis Bristol, AKA Crabrangucci, was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been actively involved in the music community for years, and has played over 250 shows since 2021. She features an eclectic mix of genres from indie rock to Top 40, to house music, and K-Pop. Bristol also won the 2022 and 2023 Omaha Entertainment & Arts award for “Outstanding DJ.” Additionally, she is the Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing at the Omaha Symphony and a board member at Omaha Girls Rock.
Today she talks with Michael Griffin about her experiences finding music through the internet while growing up in Omaha, the role that DJs have in crafting an inviting space for people to hear something new, and the unlikely connection between dance and classical music.
151. Alajia McKizia on Finding Connection in Diverse Artistic Mediums, the Landscape for Young Creatives, and the Juneteenth Joy Fest
Alajia McKizia was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She’s had varied experiences in the local arts community, including as a studio assistant at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at multiple Nebraska galleries including the Union for Contemporary Art, Kaneko and the Tugboat Gallery. She’s also performed with African Culture Connection and .tbd Dance collective.
On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with McKizia about her life, journey, and the upcoming Juneteenth Joy Fest arts and culture festival, which supports Black entrepreneurs and artists in celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. The festival is this Saturday, June 17 from noon to 10 p.m. on North 24th Street.
150. Eliza Knight on Historical Fiction as Reclamation of the Overlooked in Her New Novel 'Starring Adele Astaire'
Because Nebraska has been the birthplace of a relatively small number of Hollywood legends, you end up hearing the same names over and over again. And one name anyone listening to this has likely heard of, whether or not they've watched the movies, is Fred Astaire. Astaire was born in Omaha in 1899 and went on to star on stage and screen in a number of highly acclaimed musicals and Hollywood's Golden Age, such as Top Hat and Swing Time. What you may not know is that Fred Astaire had a sister, Adele Astaire, who was also a successful dancer. On today's show, Tom Knoblauch is in conversation with Eliza Knight, whose new novel is Starring Adele Astaire, delving into the life and career of this often overlooked historical figure.
149. Jessica Lander on the Past, Present, and Future of Immigrant Education in America
In 1919, Nebraska enacted a statute known at the Siman Act, which restricted the use and study of foreign languages in the classroom. A year later in Hampton, Nebraska, a parochial school instructor named Robert Meyer was convicted under the law for teaching German to a 10-year-old boy. The case made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court in Meyer v. Nebraska, which ruled in Meyer’s favor in 1923. The Court declared the law violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which states that no person shall be “deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”
On today's show, Jessica Lander discusses her new book Making Americans: Stories of Historic Struggles, New Ideas, and Inspiration in Immigrant Education with Maria Corpuz. The book, which is available now, covers Meyer v. Nebraska and other key historical moments to look at the past, present and future of immigrant education in America.
148. Marcey Yates on Hip Hop, Culxr House, and the Role of Culture in Establishing a Relationship between Art and Advocacy
Marcey Yates is a hip hop artist and community advocate who was born and raised in North Omaha. He won the 2021 and 2022 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards album of the year for “Culxr House: Freedom Summer," released on Omaha’s Saddle Creek Records. On today's show, Yates is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the role of culture in establishing a relationship between art and advocacy, his artist process when making music, as well as the creation of Culxr House, an organization in North Omaha providing community space for musical entrepreneurs to enrich their talent while lessening social and economic disparities.
147. Megan Tady on Writing, Grief, and Her New Novel 'Super Bloom'
Audiences are very concerned with genres–is it a comedy? Is it drama? Is there sci-fi? Especially when it comes to works of art that emulate life, it can be difficult to say our lives fit into neat genres. Life is often difficult, funny, scary, and sweet–sometimes within a few hours. Today Megan Tady is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about her new book, Super Bloom, which balances tragedy, humor, and insight on how we move forward and reinvent ourselves through art. The book follows massage therapist Joan Johnston, who is grieving the death of her boyfriend as she works at an iconic Vermont spa and finds a way forward through writing, and it is available now wherever you get books.
146. Ethan Warren on the Craft, Legacy, and Apocrypha of Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson may be one of the last American auteurs. The term, which means author in French, grew out of the French New Wave and eventually made its way to America by the 1960s where the director asserted control and authorship over his–and it often was his–films. The concept has come to represent a kind of rebellion against the corporate content machine, a lone, independent cowboy of authenticity in the arts. And yet today, while the theory is still around, it’s difficult for a filmmaker to sustain commercial viability as a brand while the film industry finds itself shifting in the streaming age.
On today's show, Ethan Warren, whose new book is The Cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson: American Apocrypha, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the changing landscape of American cinema, the legacy of Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed films like There Will Be Blood, Phantom Thread, and Boogie Nights, and what his influence on the medium might be going forward.
145. Why Nebraska Should Be Concerned about Brain Drain with Dr. Josie Schafer
It's not unusual among educated Nebraskans to hold the expectation that, if you’re an ambitious young person in this state, you’ll leave. This is within a moment where, over the past decade, the Nebraska Examiner has reported that “more people have continued to leave than enter Nebraska from other states, and the loss is heavily those with an education level of at least a bachelor’s degree.” Today Dr. Josie Schafer, director of the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about her research on Nebraska’s concerning demographic trends, the root causes of brain drain, and what steps may be taken to mitigate concerns as job requirements shift over the coming decades.
Later in the show, Joshua LaBure reviews 'Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda.'
144. Crista Eggers on the Long Fight for Medical Cannabis Legalization in Nebraska
In Nebraska, it’s extremely common to be late to the party as far as pretty much all social trends go--or to miss the party entirely. But medical uses of marijuana have been legalized in 37 states, and it looks like the movement has a kind of national momentum that Nebraska will continue to grapple with in the years to come. We’ve seen proponents of medical marijuana produce ballot measures and introduce bills at the legislature for nearly a decade now. The fight isn’t going away. So what is the deal with medical cannabis? Today Crista Eggers is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about being an activist for medical marijuana here in a state whose officials often oppose and attack the concept.
143. Jay Jackson on Saving the Country Through Decent Discourse
A lot of media is not especially interested in discourse. You see a lot of dramatic headlines and hours of “What’s the guy mad about today?” but today Jay Jackson, attorney and author of the new book Decent Discourse: Saving Your Country By Loving Your (Wrong) Neighbor, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the value of true conversation. Jackson sees a way to solving our polarized climate, and then the problems that a polarized climate cannot solve, through being decent. His book on the subject is available now.
142. Eli Rigatuso on Uplifting LGBTQ+ Voices in the Midst of Efforts to Pass Anti-Trans Legislation in Nebraska
Eli Rigatuso was born and raised in Omaha and has more than 30 years of experience as an artist, photographer and videographer. He’s also an activist who has spent decades fighting for civil rights in Nebraska. He helped found Heartland Pride in 2010 and serves on Mayor Stothert’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. More recently, Rigatuso founded 'Frankly Speaking,' a virtual show he hosts with Avalisa Ellicott. He is also a board member of Omaha For Us, a nonprofit founded in 2021 to service and create space for queer and trans residents of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa and and created Speaking of Happy, an online platform for LGBTQ+ Nebraskans to share their stories. On today's show, Rigatuso is in conversation with Maria Corpuz about his life, activism, and mission to uplift the voices of the LGBTQ+ community.
141. Matt Wynn on the State of Journalism in the Social Media Age and Using the News to Build Community
In 2023, journalism exists in this precarious space, driven by clicks and corporate ownership and punditry–none of which are new, but, in the social media age, what constitutes news at all has become a source of conflict. On today's show, Matt Wynn, who previously worked at the Omaha World Herald and USA Today and more recently co-founded the Flatwater Free Press, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the state of journalism, both in general and here in Nebraska, as well as what he sees for the future of the news. Check out the Flatwater Free Press here.
140. Michael Griffin on '27 Club' and Merging the Hard Questions with Comedy
Many episodes of this show grapple with the question of how to get people to care about issues and to inform themselves? Or really how do you get them to want to when they can instead find limitless entertainment all around them, accessible at all times from their pockets? On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about merging the hard questions with entertainment through his comedy. His new special, 27 Club, was filmed at Culxr House and is available now on YouTube.
139. The Past, Present, and Future of Public Transportation with Metro Transit's Lauren Cencic and Nicole Ebat
It’s been two-and-a-half years since Metro Transit began operating the ORBT bus system on Dodge Street. Now, the service is approaching a milestone: its one-millionth rider. The occasion comes at an interesting time for public transit, as younger generations become more vocal about their desire for a high-speed national rail system, and Omaha embarks on the controversial streetcar project. Today Metro Transit CEO Lauren Cencic and communications and community relations manager Nicole Ebat are in conversation with Maria Corpuz about the past, present and future of travel and public transportation within Omaha.
138. The Magic of Live Music with the Omaha Symphony's Maestro Ankush Kumar Bahl and VP of Artistic Administration Dani Meier
Music is everywhere. It’s hard to imagine that there was a point where you couldn’t constantly listen to music, a time before recordings of music even existed. But there’s something in our brains that can’t resist rhythm and harmony and the way music makes us feel. Today director of the Omaha Symphony Maestro Ankush Kumar Bahl and VP of Artistic Administration Dani Meier are in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the power of music and what you can expect this year at the Omaha Symphony, including a world premiere from Grammy nominated composer Andy Akiho on March 17 and 18th honoring Omaha’s own world-renowned visual artist Jun Kaneko. Tickets are available here.
137. Sean Doolittle on the Cultural Fascination with Billionaires, the Urge to Disconnect, and His New Novel 'Device Free Weekend'
Billionaires are all over our media right now, such as HBO's The White Lotus or recent hit films like Knives Out and Glass Onion, which combine the troubles of the ultrawealthy with the whodunit. Today Sean Doolittle is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about his new novel, Device Free Weekend, in which seven friends and one eccentric billionaire go on an all-expenses paid reunion on a private island where no phones, tablets, or laptops are allowed. Quickly it becomes clear that their old friend Ryan has something unthinkable planned and it’s up to the six of them to stop him before the world changes forever. Device Free Weekend is available now wherever you get books
136. Meridith Dillon on the Impacts of Housing Injustice and the Possibility of Safe Housing for All
Meridith Dillon is the executive director of Front Porch Investments, which was founded in 2021 to work toward affordable housing solutions in Omaha. In this conversation with Maria Corpuz, Dillon talks about how housing injustice shapes the city, how systemic racism has played a role, and how we can curb its effects. She also shares her vision for a brighter future for Omaha with safe housing for all. Learn more about Front Porch Investments here.