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StoryBoard 30

StoryBoard 30

By StoryBoard 30

Exploring Our Stories.
StoryBoard Memphis is a nonprofit multimedia resource for news and feature-length stories on local arts, culture, history, and community.
This podcast is a longer cut of the half-hour radio show that airs on Memphis's FM 89.3 WYPL each Sunday evening at 5:30 PM. Taken right out of the pages of StoryBoard Memphis, this show asks Memphians to talk about their passions, their initiatives, or to just talk about what makes Memphis, Memphis.
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SB 30 Episode 30: Talking Midtown, Mary Burns’s Legacy, & One Year of StoryBoard with Eva Guggenheim

StoryBoard 30Oct 14, 2019

00:00
37:20
SB 30 Episode 85: Angels among us, with author Susan Cushman

SB 30 Episode 85: Angels among us, with author Susan Cushman

"For many years merely to talk of angels invited scorn. Belief bespoke of craziness, even schizophrenia, and certainly denoted a pitiful lack of intellect. But after eight decades of personal observation, I fearlessly assert that angels are real. We swim like fish in spiritual waters, and like fish we know nothing of water until we’re yanked out flopping and gasping on the grass. We’re tossed back and swim away, confused—“Was that real? Did I really see what I think I saw?” We live in a universe of goodness, one that wants more and better for us than we can possibly imagine, and, when our spiritual eyes open, we find beauty, hope and courage, even in our suffering. Angels form only one small part of it."

That's Sophy Burnham, from her forward to Susan Cushman's book All Night, All Day, life, death & angels, introducing readers to a subject that touches all of us. For this episode of StoryBoard 30, host Mark Fleischer sits down with author Susan Cushman for a personal, candid talk about losing friends or family members and the profound events, unexplainable connections, deep reflections, and spiritual awakenings that can accompany their deaths.

Recorded on June 12, 2023, at Playhouse on the Square in Midtown, Memphis, Tennessee.

Jun 15, 202341:53
SB 30 Episode 84: Talkin' Marvin Stockwell's Podcast Roadtrip

SB 30 Episode 84: Talkin' Marvin Stockwell's Podcast Roadtrip

“To champion a cause, you have to reboot your fundamental belief in the goodness of people, and that goodness will win out. Because all of a sudden, out of nowhere, resources, people show up that you could not have imagined in a million years. There is power in beginning. The minute you decide to commit, all make and manner of support materializes out the ether that you could not have predicted. To me, that’s a marvel.”

 That’s Marvin Stockwell, discussing his own passions and how forces come together once someone or a group takes on new causes. This June and into early July, Marvin is taking his Champions of the Lost Causes podcast on the road with his son and daughter, through the Southwest, the Pacific Coast, the northern Rockies and the Great Plains, to explore and discover people and their passions for taking on causes around the country. 

SB 30 host Mark Fleischer sat down with Marvin on Friday, June 2nd, just a couple of days before the trio’s road trip was set to begin, to talk about how it came about and how he hopes it plays out, and what he hopes to discover along the way. Recorded on the 7th floor of Crosstown Concourse in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jun 08, 202348:54
SB 30 Episode 83 Building BRIDGES, with Dana Wilson and Emmanuel Mosley

SB 30 Episode 83 Building BRIDGES, with Dana Wilson and Emmanuel Mosley

“We’ve seen Bridge Builders transform young people in countless ways, and the result is a growing community of young leaders poised to reach across, lead the way, and build our community. Bridge Builders are not just the future leaders of tomorrow; youth today want to make a real difference. We are here to support them on that journey. And now more than ever, Memphis needs more Bridge Builders.” ~BRIDGES CEO Dana Wilson

"It was really a breath of fresh air. I didn't know what to expect. At first my mom told me to do it, and when I actually got there it was something completely different than what I had expected, and it ended up being one of the best things I've done in my life." ~Student and Youth Advisory Board Co-Chair Emmanuel Mosley

BRIDGES CEO Dana Wilson and student Emmanuel Mosley, speaking candidly about the importance of the BRIDGES program and its impact on Memphis's youth, are this episode's guests. Join host Mark Fleischer as he talks with both Dana and Emmanuel about how this program fosters collaborations and connections between Memphis teens and the community, and how it builds future leaders.

Recorded at BRIDGES main facility near the historic Pinch District on 5th Street and A.W. Willis Avenue, across from St. Jude, on March 20, 2023.

Mar 24, 202348:51
SB 30 Episode 82: A Tour with the Coliseum Coalition and co-founder Marvin Stockwell

SB 30 Episode 82: A Tour with the Coliseum Coalition and co-founder Marvin Stockwell

"We’ve been working with the consultants that helped reimagine Crosstown Concourse. We had some of the same braintrust working with us. It wasn’t too long ago that people said ‘that will never happen,’ and I hear some of the same voices saying this (the Coliseum) will never happen – I’ve heard it for eight years. Honestly, the Crosstown project was a much much heavier lift than this would be comparatively.”

That's Coliseum Coalition co-founder Marvin Stockwell, during the March 15 press conference to rally support to save the historic Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Coalition also made public a detailed development plan for its revitalization, a plan that included Coliseum structural data compiled based on the results of two separate assessments, “including the city’s own assessment,” Stockwell said.

“Now that we know all that we know – culminated in this plan – now we know conclusively that this building is in excellent shape. One of the summary conclusions of this plan is that the Mid-South Coliseum is restorable,” Stockwell said. “These are the same people that said Crosstown Concourse was restorable and it turns out they were right. I trust that summary in intel.”

Join host Mark Fleischer for this exclusive, on-location StoryBoard 30 episode that includes the full press conference held on the north steps of the Mid-South Coliseum.

Read the full story in StoryBoard Memphis here, Community leaders rally support and call on city council to review revitalization plans.

Mar 17, 202336:54
SB 30 Episode 68: The A. Schwab Basement Tapes, Part 1

SB 30 Episode 68: The A. Schwab Basement Tapes, Part 1

The introduction to StoryBoard's multi-year project to bring the basement archives and collections of Beale Street's iconic and historic A. Schwab Dry Goods & General Store to the public and the collection scanned and added to DIG Memphis, the digital archive of the Memphis Public Library. Listen in as host Mark Fleischer joins original project administrator Caroline Carrico as they discuss the origins of the project and the outlines as to how this massive project will move forward.

Recorded upstairs in the events space at A. Schwab, at 163 Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee, in December of 2021.

Feb 01, 202330:14
SB 30 Episode 80: Hot topics for this season, with Playhouse's Michael Detroit

SB 30 Episode 80: Hot topics for this season, with Playhouse's Michael Detroit

“At Playhouse, we have the honor of producing a number of shows each season. Some are just fun and easy and ‘let’s go take a break and have fun and sing along,’ and then we’ll do shows where we need to talk about that subject matter.

“These are issues that are not new. And they won’t easily be resolved, so they’re going to be around for a while. And it’s going to be a messy thing, whether we’re talking about race or abortion rights or political leanings or journalism or anything like. . . there’s a discussion to be had that’s not going to go away any time soon. As theater, it’s our job at times to make sure that an important discussion is being had. (These upcoming shows) deal with timely issues.”

That’s Michael Detroit, Executive Producer of Playhouse on the Square, discussing the late-winter to early-spring slate of shows coming up at Playhouse on both the main Playhouse stage and across the street at Circuit Playhouse. Join Mr. Detroit with SB 30 host Mark Fleischer as they discuss this season’s upcoming shows, the hot subjects they happen to cover, and the job of theater to give patrons a chance to learn while being entertained.

Recorded on the Playhouse stage at Playhouse on the Square in Memphis, Tennessee, January 23rd, 2023. Visit PlayhouseontheSquare.org for tickets and more information.

Jan 27, 202331:53
SB 30 Episode 79: On Directing, with Playhouse on the Square's Marcus Cox

SB 30 Episode 79: On Directing, with Playhouse on the Square's Marcus Cox

“For me, the experience was daunting, certainly in the beginning. To be the leader of a production, and have all these folk who I know are very talented and extremely skilled and have more information and have the words . . . they’re all looking at me as the leader of this production, to guide it. So that was daunting, and I was slightly intimidated. But knowing I had the support of our team and most importantly, our star, Courtney Oliver . . . the fact that I had her stamp of approval made the process a lot easier.”

That’s Playhouse on the Square’s Marcus Cox, making his directorial debut leading Playhouse’s holiday production of Who’s Holiday, on working for the first time with the talented crew and design teams that collaborate on putting on a show for live theater.

Join host Mark Fleischer for SB 30 Episode 79 as he talks with Who’s Holiday Director Marcus Cox – also the Director of Community Relations for Playhouse on the Square – about live theater, about the current slate of Playhouse shows, about the state of post-pandemic theater-going, and about his work in his directorial debut.

Recorded December 8, 2022 in the Playhouse café at Playhouse on the Square, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dec 09, 202234:59
SB 30 Episode 79: On Directing, with Playhouse on the Square's Marcus Cox

SB 30 Episode 79: On Directing, with Playhouse on the Square's Marcus Cox

“For me, the experience was daunting, certainly in the beginning. To be the leader of a production, and have all these folk who I know are very talented and extremely skilled and have more information and have the words . . . they’re all looking at me as the leader of this production, to guide it. So that was daunting, and I was slightly intimidated. But knowing I had the support of our team and most importantly, our star, Courtney Oliver . . . the fact that I had her stamp of approval made the process a lot easier.”

That’s Playhouse on the Square’s Marcus Cox, making his directorial debut leading Playhouse’s holiday production of Who’s Holiday, on working for the first time with the talented crew and design teams that collaborate on putting on a show for live theater.

Join host Mark Fleischer for SB 30 Episode 79 as he talks with Who’s Holiday Director Marcus Cox – also the Director of Community Relations for Playhouse on the Square – about live theater, about the current slate of Playhouse shows, about the state of post-pandemic theater-going, and about his work in his directorial debut.

Recorded December 8, 2022 in the Playhouse café at Playhouse on the Square, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Dec 09, 202234:59
SB 30 Episode 78: Metal Museum, Legacy and Expansion, with Carissa Hussong

SB 30 Episode 78: Metal Museum, Legacy and Expansion, with Carissa Hussong

"When you start really thinking about what (Rust Hall) can be... when I look at what our current exhibitions could look like here, having the space where you could actually walk around each of the objects instead of having things against the wall where you can't fully appreciate the work... that's a moment that's exciting to me. It's also our educational programming. I get so excited thinking about what we could do here. If we can do (all that we do now) ... imagine all that in this space. The classes we could teach, the people we could engage, the lives we could change... it's exciting."

That's Carissa Hussong, Executive Director of the Metal Museum, talking about the future of the Metal Museum's exhibits, projects and programs, and how they will have the chances for greater impacts and engagements in a restored and reimagined Rust Hall, overlooking Overton Park. Recorded in Rust Hall, the circa 1959 former home of the Memphis College of Art, in July of 2022, after the City of Memphis finalized a 100-year lease of the building to the Metal Museum. 

Join host Mark Fleischer as he talks with Carissa about the legacy and magic that is the Metal Museum, the restorations and renovations going into historic Rust Hall, and the efforts to expand the museum's works and programs into the iconic spot in the middle of Overton Park. 

Oct 19, 202245:57
SB 30 Episode 77: A Candid Conversation with Rosalind Withers

SB 30 Episode 77: A Candid Conversation with Rosalind Withers

He said “I want my work to stand the test of time, and be shared.” What reminds me of this is the Till story, where he says he was writing the publication so that it would be something that we had evidence of… so that “it need not occur again.” And here we are today working on the Till story.

That’s Rosalind Withers, Executive Director of the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery, talking about her dad - the late Ernest Withers - the famed photographer and chronicler of the Civil Rights era and the Black experience in the 20th century.

Join host Mark Fleischer for this candid interview with Ms. Withers, where the two discuss her dad's historic legacy, the new documentary THE PICTURE TAKER, the new feature film TILL, a new art project from the 1687Club featuring her dad’s work, and her dad's complicated history with the FBI. Recorded in late September 2022 at the photography studio of Ernest Withers at 333 Beale Street, Memphis.

Oct 12, 202254:15
SB 30 Episode 76: Music, Talk, Sobriety, with Memphis podcaster and music man J.D. Reager

SB 30 Episode 76: Music, Talk, Sobriety, with Memphis podcaster and music man J.D. Reager

"The album is very much about my recovery process. I started writing the songs before, and continued writings afterwards, and I think there's ... it wasn't intentional, but do I think there's a bit of a story arch there."

That's musician, record producer and Memphian J.D. Reager - and creator of the podcast and record label Back to the Light - talking about his how journey through sobriety has driven his work in the local music and podcast scenes, and how his work has grown and deepened in his recovery from traumas and alcohol. Listen in as host Mark Fleischer and J.D. discuss their own shared experiences dealing with sobriety and recovery here in Memphis, and how their journeys and discoveries have informed and inspired their work.  

Recorded Thursday, September 22, 2022 in the main SoundRoom of the Memphis Listening Lab at Crosstown Concourse, Memphis, Tennessee.

Sep 24, 202246:16
SB 30 Episode 75: Dorothy Day House Executive Director Sister Maureen Griner

SB 30 Episode 75: Dorothy Day House Executive Director Sister Maureen Griner

“Our approach to housing homeless families is very different from other shelters in the city. Dorothy Day herself really believed in personalism in reaching people where they were. And she always saw the poor with great dignity, and took care of them with great care, and sacrificed herself in order to take care of people who didn’t have much. So when we began talking about opening the Dorothy Day House, we said it’s going to be just a regular house where we invite homeless families to come live while they get back on their feet.”

That’s Sister Maureen Griner, Executive Director of Dorothy Day House, a group comprised of the three local homes providing temporary housing and support services for homeless families in Memphis.

Join host Mark Fleischer as he sits with Sister Maureen at the dining room table of Loretta’s House, on the three houses of Dorothy Day House, as the two discuss the challenges faced by Memphis homeless families, how the House provides temporary relief, and their upcoming fundraiser that inspires local families to gather around their own dining room tables in support of the group’s efforts.

Aug 22, 202252:20
SB 30 Episode 74: Playhouse on the Square Executive Producer Michael Detroit

SB 30 Episode 74: Playhouse on the Square Executive Producer Michael Detroit

"All the possibilities are right there in front of you and you have no idea what's going to happen next. And it's live." That's Playhouse's executive producer Michael Detroit, talking with host Mark Fleischer about the power and the magic that is live theater. "That's the unknown. You plan, you practice, you rehearse, but life happens in live theater."

Join host Mark Fleischer and Playhouse's Michael Detroit for their August 2022 conversation, recorded on the Playhouse on the Square stage in Midtown, Memphis, as they talk about the importance of live theater and the 2022-23 fall and winter lineup of Playhouse's 54th season.

Presented as part of StoryBoard's media partnership with Playhouse on the Square.

Aug 15, 202232:50
SB 30 Episode 73: David Mason on Ernest Withers, and the Emmett Till trial

SB 30 Episode 73: David Mason on Ernest Withers, and the Emmett Till trial

“After the trial though, that photo makes a difference… And that photo circulates. Just the act of standing up and testifying as a witness is a big deal - you’ve got a Black man standing up to white power and saying, ‘These men did this thing.’ And yet Friday afternoon the 12 white jurors come in and find the defendants not guilty. From that perspective, what Mose Wright does affects nothing. But it’s a big deal anyway because the photo circulates and embeds that moment in the public consciousness forever after.”

That's writer David Mason, speaking about THE photo, of THE moment of the 1955 Emmett Till murder trial, of Uncle Mose Wright standing up from the witness box and identifying his great nephew's killers. But exactly how 'That Memphis Photographer,' Ernest C. Withers, made that historic photo has been an overlooked topic for generations. Until now. David Mason's article for Issue III of StoryBoard Memphis Quarterly adds yet another new chapter to the Emmett Till saga, and here host Mark Fleischer talks with Mr. Mason, discusses how the writer arrived at a new perspective of how Withers must have made the photo in a crowded, hostile courtroom, in the face of life-threatening circumstances, and how it speaks to the skill and courage Withers needed to make the photo. 

Recorded on location in March of 2022 in Sumner, Mississippi, at the site of the trial itself, in the historic Tallahatchie County Courthouse. 

Jul 13, 202241:16
SB 30 Episode 72: Dr. Earnestine Jenkins and the Legacy of Black Metalworking

SB 30 Episode 72: Dr. Earnestine Jenkins and the Legacy of Black Metalworking

“Like the endurance of the metal itself, contemporary Black artists sustain the historic and symbolic significance of working with iron that began with ancient practices of blacksmithing in Africa,” Dr. Earnestine Jenkins.

Dr. Earnestine Jenkins, visual culture historian and professor at the University of Memphis, and host Mark Fleischer discuss From Artisans to Artists: African American Metal Workers in Memphis, a new exhibit curated by Dr. Jenkins at the Metal Museum. 

Through its celebration of artisans and artists from West and Central African through to modern-day Memphis, this exhibit examines the role of the blacksmith in diverse African contexts and how that artisan identity and associated blacksmithing practices changed in America due to slavery.

Among those metal workers featured are the enslaved blacksmiths of two local plantation sites, the Hunt Phelan House and the Hilderbrand Plantation; blacksmiths and entrepreneurs Blair Hunt and David Carnes; and contemporary artists Richard Hunt, Lorenzo Scruggs, Hawkins Bolden, and Desmond Lewis. From Artisans to Artists draws on the knowledge and research of guest curator Dr. Earnestine Jenkins, who utilizes surviving artifacts and primary source documents from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean to bring to the forefront a crucial part of Memphis’s artistic history.

From Artisans to Artists: African American Metal Workers in Memphis is open now through September 11, 2022, at the Metal Museum.

Jun 28, 202259:29
SB 30 Episode 71: Local Author Shelley Moore
May 31, 202232:59
SB 30 Episode 70: A Shell for all Memphians with Overton Park Shell Executive Director Natalie Wilson

SB 30 Episode 70: A Shell for all Memphians with Overton Park Shell Executive Director Natalie Wilson

“It’s a gift from Memphians to Memphis, in the belief that free concerts bring people together and build community. There’s nothing like it. Food and music. 19 months of being in the pandemic, and being dark, people realize truly how important this place is. It is the heartbeat of our city, and it is something that we need. We all need it. We need the joy that comes from the Shell.“

That’s Natalie Wilson, Executive Director of the Overton Park Shell, who recently announced a brand new chapter in the Shell’s 86-year history with a rebranding that returns the historic park band shell to its roots with a restored name: The Overton Park Shell.

Recorded in the Shell’s historic Green Room, join SB 30 host Mark Fleischer as he sits down with Natalie Wilson to talk about the Shell’s history in Memphis, its upcoming programs and sustainability, and the gift to Memphis that is the Overton Park Shell.

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Mar 10, 202233:15
SB 30 Episode 69: Jeffrey Robinson and the filmmakers behind Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

SB 30 Episode 69: Jeffrey Robinson and the filmmakers behind Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America

“We’re fifty years later now (since the tipping point of the Civil Rights era and the King assassination), and once again, young activists in America are making Americans take a look in the mirror in terms of our true history of race and racial prejudice. Once again the young activists are calling us to account. Once again America is having to look at issues of race dead in the eye. And once again, we are at a tipping point. And the question for all of us is, What are we going to do about it?”

That’s civil rights lawyer Jeffrey Robinson, speaking to a packed audience in 2018 in New York City’s Town Hall Theatre and for the cameras in the award-winning documentary Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America. The film interweaves moments from Mr. Robinson’s lecture series with personal anecdotes, location interviews, and shocking revelations. Here criminal defense and civil rights lawyer Jeffery Robinson draws a stark timeline of anti-Black racism in the United States, from slavery to the modern myth of a post-racial America.

Benefitting The Who We Are Project, the film was completed in 2021, is being distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, and arrives here in Memphis for a special screening and Q&A on Thursday February 24, 2022, at the Crosstown Theatre. It began a local run February 25, 2022, at Malco’s Studio on the Square.

Listen as Jeffrey Robinson and the film’s co-director Emily Kunstler sit down in conversation with StoryBoard 30 host Mark Fleischer to discuss the film and the issues of racism in America.

Feb 24, 202241:55
SB 30 Ep 67: “History is closer than you think.” An interview with historian Bill Carey

SB 30 Ep 67: “History is closer than you think.” An interview with historian Bill Carey

Join host Mark Fleischer as he talks with historian and Tennessee History For Kids executive director Bill Carey, as the two discuss the importance of learning history, about the controversies around ‘critical race theory,’ and about the 2021 in-person TN History for Kids Summer Road Shows in West Tennessee.

Jul 01, 202131:58
SB 30 Episode 66: Writing historical fiction with Memphis author Susan Cushman
May 26, 202149:24
SB 30 Episode 65: An unimaginable childhood, and path to recovery, with author Angie Howard
Mar 26, 202151:17
SB 30 Episode 64: Discussing Memphis’ vital live music scene, Part II

SB 30 Episode 64: Discussing Memphis’ vital live music scene, Part II

“Memphis is a city based on contradictions. And great things have happened because of cultural collisions and contradictions. And what makes it great is the fact that you can go to a small venue that’s doesn’t even have a stage and see some of the most amazing people making some of the most amazing music. I’ve been around a lot of places, seen a lot of people play. It’s not just Memphis pride. There’s something special here.”

~Steve Selvidge, Memphis musician

“Memphis isn’t just one of many music cities in America – Memphis is the fertile crescent of 20th century American culture. This is Memphis. This is where Rock ‘n’ Roll began. This is gritty, urgent Soul music. It’s where Stax happened, that’s still echoing and reverberating through the music that’s being produced today. And we are still producing urgent, amazing music of all stripes in Memphis.”

~Marvin Stockwell, founder of Pezz

“This is home of the Blues and the birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and then everything that comes with that. It’s extremely important. Our industry is real. There are people that make this happen. There’s no other feeling than seeing a band that you’ve never seen before and they just blow the headliner away. You know that feeling right there – that’s something that you’ll never forget as long as you live.”

~Brian ‘Skinny’ McCabe, owner of Hi Tone Cafe

Join host Mark Fleischer for Part II of the special edition of StoryBoard 30 as he discusses with Mr. Selvidge, Mr. Stockwell and Mr. McCabe the vital importance our live music venues, and hears a few stories about their first live gigs and memories of the Antenna Club.

Mar 05, 202128:29
SB 30 Episode 63: Discussing Memphis’s vital, and struggling, live music scene. Part I

SB 30 Episode 63: Discussing Memphis’s vital, and struggling, live music scene. Part I

“These venues provide a laboratory for growth. I’ve played some big gigs and a small gigs, but honestly some of the most substantial exponential growth I’ve ever had was here in town, like with regular gigs. It wouldn’t have happened were it not for those venues.” ~Steve Selvidge, Memphis musician

“If there hadn’t been independent venues, we wouldn’t have had a place to play — at the outset, and almost at any point along our arc of being a band, to the current day.” ~Marvin Stockwell, Memphis musician

“It’s so stressful not knowing if you have your livelihood — something that I’ve worked for my entire adult life. It’s a terrible time, but there was no way of knowing, so I’m just trying to weather the storm really.” ~Brian ‘Skinny’ McCabe, Hi Tone owner

Join Host Mark Fleischer for Part I of this discussion of Memphis’ vital, and now struggling, live music scene. Recorded* in late December 2020 and earlier this year, this podcast takes us from Midtown, Memphis and into the new Hi Tone with Selvidge, Stockwell and McCabe to address the legacy and the challenges of our live music scene during the pandemic.

*Produced in partnership with Cole Early and Pale Moon Media.

Feb 05, 202129:01
SB 30 Episode 62: Puppies bringing happiness & light to dark times, in a new children’s book from Candace Echols
Dec 31, 202032:53
SB 30 Episode 61: Mental health help with Laurie Powell of Alliance Healthcare Services
Dec 18, 202032:18
B 30 Episode 60: The magic and majesty of the Orpheum’s Mighty Wurlitzer with historian and organist Vincent Astor
Nov 07, 202050:20
SB 30 Episode 59: From the outside looking in – America from an Aussie’s point of view with Christina Day

SB 30 Episode 59: From the outside looking in – America from an Aussie’s point of view with Christina Day

Oct 16, 202037:39
SB 30 Episode 57: Home Tour ‘Detour’ with Central Garden’s Nancy Knight

SB 30 Episode 57: Home Tour ‘Detour’ with Central Garden’s Nancy Knight

Sep 15, 202037:39
SB 30 Episode 57: Behind the treasures of DIGital Memphis with Jamie Corson of the Memphis Public Libraries
Sep 11, 202052:38
SB 30 Episode 56: The fate of the Highland Heights United Methodist Church

SB 30 Episode 56: The fate of the Highland Heights United Methodist Church

Private wealth and public poverty . . . the notion is that while in America we’ve accumulated vast wealth in the private and corporate sector, that when we look at the public sector, in terms of public facilities it’s a status of real impoverishment. And that certainly would be the case with the loss of a facility like this . . . The church was everything. Like so many of us growing up in the South, the church is your second home. I lived on Summer Avenue growing up, and that was home. I grew up there, I was in scouts there, I got married there, my first child baptized there. That was home to me.”

That’s long-time neighborhood resident Fred Morton, talking to Dane Forlines of The Heights CDC and StoryBoard 30 host Mark Fleischer about the beauty and importance of the Highland Heights United Methodist Church.

Aug 21, 202038:13
SB 30 Episode 55: Storytelling as healing with Elaine Blanchard
Aug 13, 202038:27
SB 30 Episode 54: The future, and presence, of cities with urbanist Carol Coletta

SB 30 Episode 54: The future, and presence, of cities with urbanist Carol Coletta

“Livability has never been more important . . . at the very moment when city revenues are in decline and city leaders are challenged by managing through a pandemic and big shifts in the economy, I think you’re still going to have to look ahead and be bold and not be afraid of asserting changes amidst this chaos. There’s the tendency when you’re fearful, you hunker down, you cover up, you go to your comfort food . . . but the challenge and the opportunity, and I think very much the imperative, is that we think boldly about how to shift life for what is coming.”

That’s Carol Coletta, urban expert and President and CEO of the Memphis River Parks Partnership, talking to host Mark Fleischer about the near and distant futures of cities in a post-pandemic world. Join host and Ms. Coletta for this deep dive into city life and the life of places.

Aug 07, 202035:44
SB 30 Episode 53: An On-Coming Tidal Wave and Tools to Stop It

SB 30 Episode 53: An On-Coming Tidal Wave and Tools to Stop It

“Today we are going to be talking about housing, and what is really a set of crises as a result of the pandemic and economic shutdowns. As many of us in Memphis and around the country are in isolation, workers are working from home, parents are teaching from home. But there’s another part of our community, the traditionally disinvested part of our community, the thousands who are dealing with ongoing issues of neighborhood blight and poor living conditions, and an oncoming crisis in a way of mass evictions.”

That’s host Mark Fleischer, in his introduction to this special episode of StoryBoard 30, discussing the oncoming tidal wave of evictions that may sweep the country and many neighborhoods in Memphis. Mark is joined on this episode by co-host Emily Trenholm of High Ground News, and they welcome NPI program manager Imani Jasper and neighborhood and housing consultant Austin Harrison.


Jul 31, 202046:08
SB 30 Episode 52: Developments & new construction during the pandemic with ArchInc’s Chooch Pickard

SB 30 Episode 52: Developments & new construction during the pandemic with ArchInc’s Chooch Pickard

“The first obvious one that will be affected for quite some time is office space. Employers and employees are realizing a lot of work can be done from home – that was a bit of an eye-opener for me. When I realized how easy it was to work from home it was a bit scary – I think it’ll interesting to see how many businesses come back. I don’t think they’ll come back at a 100% working from the office.”

That’s architect Chooch Pickard of ArchInc., talking to host Mark Fleischer about the possible construction design and development changes that will likely happen as a result of the pandemic shutdown and the percentages of workers and their employers realizing the possible benefits of working from home.

From StoryBoard and WYPL, join us for this discussion about how the pandemic is affecting construction citywide.

Jul 10, 202030:29
SB 30 Episode 51: Memphis love, and secrets, with Holly Whitfield
Jun 18, 202053:42
SB 30 Episode 50: A park for all Memphians with Overton Park Conservancy’s Tina Sullivan

SB 30 Episode 50: A park for all Memphians with Overton Park Conservancy’s Tina Sullivan

“It becomes an equity issue. We can’t forget that for a very long time there was a large segment of the population that was excluded from enjoying Overton Park. Whatever we do with the master plan… we have to be sure we’re including everyone. We need to make sure that we are welcoming, that we are undoing those years when people felt excluded. And some of that feeling of exclusion lingers in our culture today, where people don’t necessarily feel like this is their park… We absolutely must hold in front of us this belief that all of it points towards being welcoming and inclusive and providing free and open access to every Memphian. That is as important an any of the physical spaces or physical changes that we make to the park.”

That’s Tina Sullivan, Executive Director of the Overton Park Conservancy, talking with host Mark Fleischer about some of the upgrades being considered as part of the park’s new master plan, which has had its share of delays due to past parking issues and the events of 2020.

Recorded May 27, 2020, just before the Black Lives Matter marches, it’s an interview Overton Park lovers won’t want to miss.

Jun 05, 202030:45
SB 30 Episode 49: The gift of Memphis music with Music Hub’s Jayne Ellen White

SB 30 Episode 49: The gift of Memphis music with Music Hub’s Jayne Ellen White

“. . . to the people who make a living playing music, it was shocking in a way that was different than for you and me. They were trying to figure out how to pay rent. If you wake up every day and you say, ‘I’m a musician and I play live music every day,’ and then someone says, ‘that actually doesn’t exist anymore, that’s not even a thing’ . . . that does something not only to your paycheck, but also to your sense of identity.”

That’s Jayne Ellen White, Music Specialist for Memphis Tourism’s Music Hub, talking to host Mark Fleischer about how the pandemic shutdown had an immediate effect on the livelihoods and psyches of local musicians. Jayne also talks about her career promoting Memphis music and her experiences at Tourism, Stax Records, and Sun Studios. This is a listen that will appeal to both musicians and fans of Memphis music. Join us.

May 28, 202054:00
SB 30 Episode 47: Public relations in a new nonprofit landscape, with Marvin Stockwell

SB 30 Episode 47: Public relations in a new nonprofit landscape, with Marvin Stockwell

“That’s what some nonprofits are facing . . . if your mission and work doesn’t line up with direct service it’s a more challenging fundraising environment. How do we do publicity in this context? We’re in the middle of a paradigm shift. Nonprofits have to think, ‘How is our message relevant in this new context?'”

That’s Marvin Stockwell, director of media relations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, talking to host Mark Fleischer about how nonprofits have had to adjust their messaging – and perhaps their missions – to a constantly-shifting landscape due to the COVID pandemic. It’s a fascinating and important discussion, and different perspective on the current and future environment in the nonprofit world.

May 12, 202039:03
SB 30 Episode 48: Final Commencement, Lasting Legacy and Loss of Memphis College of Art

SB 30 Episode 48: Final Commencement, Lasting Legacy and Loss of Memphis College of Art

“The presence of the Memphis College of Art just permeates the Memphis community now. And if you think of the concept of impermanence, that nothing can last forever, I’ve thought a lot about that. But it feels disingenuous to say that anything other than. . . this is a very tragic loss for the community.”

That’s MCA President Laura Hine, speaking to StoryBoard 30 host Mark Fleischer and her colleagues Marilyn Koester and Olivia Wall, about the importance of acknowledging the loss due to the closing of Memphis College of Art. “We always try to end on this positive note,” she said, “but I think it’s a loss that will not only be felt now, but will be felt forever, really. It’s a permanent loss, and I do think the visual arts and arts community is going to be much less rich after we’re gone.”

Join host Mark Fleischer for this very special 40-minute edition of StoryBoard 30, recording May 7th, just 48 hours before the final MCA Commencement ceremony, which was held virtually for the first, and only time Saturday May 9, 2020. This is a Must-Listen. Please join us.

May 08, 202040:03
SB 30 Episode 46: Discussing the upcoming NPI Summit with Imani Jasper
Apr 22, 202027:51
SB 30, Episode 45: Community News in Crisis, a discussion with four leaders in community, non-profit, and independent news

SB 30, Episode 45: Community News in Crisis, a discussion with four leaders in community, non-profit, and independent news

“If feels like a crisis,” said the Flyer’s Anna Traverse Fogle. “We can’t do the kinds of community engagement we normally do,” said High Ground‘s Emily Trenholm. “It’s difficult building relationships with people when you can’t see them in person,” said MLK50‘s Wendi C. Thomas. “We’ve been looking to our Chalkbeat family for strategies on how to reach people who are at home,” said Chalkbeat Tennessee‘s Caroline Bauman.

These were just some of the thoughts expressed during StoryBoard’s first-ever panel discussion on Community News, an industry that was already struggling before the pandemic shutdown. Today, like so many other businesses and industries, it is in crisis. Join host Mark Fleischer as he and these four local industry leaders discuss the perils of today’s community, non-profit and independent news, as well as explore solutions to engaging with and reaching those disinvested communities in need of important news and information. Part 1 of 3.

Apr 21, 202029:22
SB 30 Episode 44: Discussing the economic impact of COVID-19 on the arts with Playhouse’s Michael Detroit

SB 30 Episode 44: Discussing the economic impact of COVID-19 on the arts with Playhouse’s Michael Detroit

“It had an immediate impact on us – we had three shows up and running. We’re a resident professional theater company, so everybody gets paid, and these were folks who were suddenly going to be out of work. Now, we promised everybody that we were going to fulfill payment on all of their contracts, and we’ve done so. So, there aren’t going to be any layoffs. But we’re a not-for-profit entity, and with all these expenses – we averaged out what our earned income would have been with an eight-week shutdown – we came to almost $180,000 of income loss over these eight weeks. It’s a pretty hefty hit for us. But we know there are other not-for-profit organizations out there getting hit a lot worse than us. We want to make sure folks know the hardship that we are all going through, across all our sectors, in the arts.”

That’s Playhouse’s Executive Producer Michael Detroit, talking to host Mark Fleischer this past Tuesday, March 24, 2022, about the severe economic impact of the coronavirus stoppage on Playhouse on the Square and all other arts organizations in Memphis.

Listen in to this special edition of StoryBoard 30, recorded in Zoom.

Mar 27, 202030:04
SB30 Episode 43: Memphis’s future in arts & education with MCA President Laura Hine

SB30 Episode 43: Memphis’s future in arts & education with MCA President Laura Hine

“The grief really never leaves. You tend to put it in its proper place and carry on with the work you have to do to close the school and honor the commitment to the students. But the undercurrent of grief is always there. Certain events really stoke it up some more, like our recent art sale, going through our collection of art, and seeing the vast history of pieces from the ’30s and ’40s and ’50s, every decade, reminded us of our history but also the vacuum that’s going to exist when we close our doors.”

That’s Laura Hine, President of Memphis College of Art, talking about the raw emotions that echo around Rust Hall in the final months of this important Memphis institution.

Join StoryBoard 30 host Mark Fleischer for this candid conversation with Laura Hine as she talks about the legacy of MCA, the heartbreaking decisions that led to its closing, and the struggles that many institutions of higher education face nationwide.

Mar 12, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 42: Building a better Zoo with new Memphis Zoo CEO Jim Dean

SB 30 Episode 42: Building a better Zoo with new Memphis Zoo CEO Jim Dean

“Before I ever got here, I thought a parking garage would be a great solution. And I know a lot of people in town have thought the same thing. We want to be very careful about what we do in Overton Park and with the Zoo, but there’s new technology, things become more affordable in terms of what can constructed – a lot of people are working on these solutions, Mayor Strickland’s team is working hard – and we’re hoping to get that garage built… without paving any of the Greensward.”

That’s Jim Dean, almost a year into his job as CEO of the Memphis Zoo, talking to host Mark Fleischer about new solutions at work to resolve zoo parking issues that have been a source of friction for almost five years. The Memphis Zoo and its leadership team is one of the recipients of this year’s Mojo of Midtown Awards, for taking the zoo in a new direction that is “bringing back the roar back to a Midtown landmark.” It is the largest and oldest institution in Overton Park, and with their new direction – which includes “hitting the pause button” on parking plans that would have paved 2 1/2 acres of the Greensward – supports the overall health and welfare of Overton Park as a whole.

Join host Mark Fleischer for this candid conversation with Jim Dean as he talks about Midtown and his return to Memphis after a 40-year absence, and about the future of the Memphis Zoo under his leadership.

Mar 01, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 41: Empowering Communities with Mojo of Midtown 2020 Recipient Emily Trenholm

SB 30 Episode 41: Empowering Communities with Mojo of Midtown 2020 Recipient Emily Trenholm

“I was 40 years old. I wasn’t the world’s oldest intern, I was the intern that never left.”

That’s Emily Trenholm, one of 2020's Mojo of Midtown Award recipients, talking about her start with the Community Development Council back in 2000, when the organization was just forming.

“Community development corporations (CDCs) are nonprofits that are engines of neighborhood revitalization,” said Emily. “They work on affordable housing development, job programs and workforce development and commercial revitalization, all focused on the physical and economic improvement of a particular geography, or neighborhood. Here in Memphis you’ll seen them in Orange Mound, Klondike-Smokey City, Frayser, Whitehaven. In the ’90s a lot of them got together informally to talk about shared concerns, and then in 1999 they decided to form a local association to more formally and more intentionally advocate on behalf of their shared interests organizationally and from a policy perspective.”

Join host Mark Fleischer as he talks to Emily Trenholm about receiving her Mojo award, about the evolution of Memphis CDCs over the last 20 years, and about her role in bringing neighborhood and community news to readers through High Ground News.

Feb 19, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 40: The Future of the Mid-South Coliseum with Marvin Stockwell and Chooch Pickard of the Coliseum Coalition
Feb 12, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 39: Helping Homeless Children Get Through School, Gracefully, with Sheleah Harris
Feb 06, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 38: Discussing Experiences of War & Combat with Veteran George Larrimore

SB 30 Episode 38: Discussing Experiences of War & Combat with Veteran George Larrimore

“There are about 27,000 veterans in the Mid-South. And we’re reaching people finally, but truthfully, the hardest part is finding veterans who want to talk. Even after World War I, soldiers came home and didn’t talk about what they saw. Soldiers, marines, sailors… it’s something that happened to them and something that no one else can understand. But if someone can reach out to me, then I’ll call them on the phone.”

That’s Vietnam War veteran George Larrimore, talking to host Mark Fleischer about inviting veterans in to talk on his WYPL Channel 18 show “Vietnam360.” Listen in to this special episode of StoryBoard 30 show from WYPL and be sure that the veterans in your family listens in as well.

Jan 06, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 37: Talking Healthy, Walkable Places with Dane Forlines of The Heights CDC

SB 30 Episode 37: Talking Healthy, Walkable Places with Dane Forlines of The Heights CDC

“The Heights has about ten percent of Memphis’s vacant and blighted structures. Addressing this was identified as a priority, but what was realized was that addressing one housing project at a time probably was not going to affect the kind of community development that the neighborhood wanted to see."

“‘We rise by lifting others is our motto… So we took our cues from cities that had been successful in revitalizing challenging areas like this one. And what their finding was that investment in walkable places and neighborhood centers, with a wide variety of uses – that these places are achieving the types of return that cities really need to see, that create a better quality of life for people living there. There’s high economic return on investment because of social return, dollars following where people want to be, in places created for people. When we talk about ‘return’ we’re also talking about people returning and businesses returning to these places.”

That’s Dane Forlines, director of special projects for The Heights CDC, talking to host Mark Fleischer about the real social and economic impact of reinvesting in walkable urban neighborhoods to bring struggling Memphis neighborhoods like The Heights back to life. Listen in this episode of StoryBoard 30, from FM 89.3 WYPL, as the two discuss the efforts of The Heights and other neighborhoods like it that are focused on bringing a higher quality of life back to long disinvested communities.

Jan 04, 202029:00
SB 30 Episode 36: Comprehensive City Planning & Memphis 3.0 with John Zeanah

SB 30 Episode 36: Comprehensive City Planning & Memphis 3.0 with John Zeanah

“What we found was that market forces tended to favor growth within the geographic center of the city, from downtown to the eastern edge of the city along the Poplar corridor… and it left out a lot of areas of the city that otherwise would not see much activity. This was dissatisfying for everyone, and though we’re excited about growth, we want it to extend to all areas of the city, including Frayser and Raleigh and Hickory Hill. Memphis 3.0 helps us to provide answers as to how to make this happen.”

That’s John Zeanah, Director of Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning & Development, talking about why all Memphians should care about the comprehensive city plan called Memphis 3.0. Listen as host Mark Fleischer talks with Mr. Zeanah about long-term city planning and how the Division of Planning & Development uses 3.0 guidelines to encourage more equitable developments in this time of unprecedented Memphis growth.

Dec 16, 201929:00