Excited to be returning for our second calendar year of the podcast! After a couple of weeks of quiet contemplation, I've decided that we need to ramp up our optimism mission. Today, I talk with bus driver, author, and filmmaker Nathan Vass about his 18 years of driving the No. 7 Metro bus through some of the toughest neighborhoods in Seattle. Nathan is unique in that he approaches his job with compassion and humility. When you come into contact with two thousand people a day, you can either average the good or the bad that humanity shows you. Nathan chooses the former, and that has really broadened him as a human. A great message to start the new year.

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Victor M. Sweeney splits his time between raising four children, running a small town funeral home, writing books and being the most famous mortician on the internet. Victor hosts a podcast called Death And as well as highly entertaining YouTube channel where he answers, with immense patience, questions on all things death. He took time today to answer some of my questions, from the poignant . . do you have nightmares? To the mundane . . what do morticians talk about at conferences?  To the absurd . . do men die with erections?  If I didn't ask your question you can always read his new book "Now Departing" or ask him yourself on his YouTube channel. 

Podcast: https://deathandpodcast.com
YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@UCplJzJendfah_GkRTBL1snQ 
Now Departing:  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Now-Departing/Victor-M-Sweeney/9781668062111

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

A couple of years ago I came across an article in the New York Times titled "Inside the Adolescence Mental Health Care Crisis" written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Matt Richtel. The piece was an amazing exploration of the mental health landscape for teenagers and parents in modern times. When Matt came out with his new book, "How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence" I knew I had to get him on the show to talk about raising teenagers.  This episode is a great example of what we wanted for this podcast, an intelligent,  emotional conversation that makes the world a better place. I hope you enjoy it.

https://www.mattrichtel.com/

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Kevin Hazzard's 2016 book, "A Thousand Naked Strangers", was described to me as "Kitchen Confidential" for paramedics. An insider's account of one of the hardest, most traumatic jobs in America, an EMT. We dive into the world of first responders to hear some harrowing stories of heroism, resilience, and outright horror. Kevin talks in depth about how paramedics cope mentally with what they see. He speaks of the necessity of dehumanizing patients and compartmentalizing trauma with gallows humor. This is summed up perfectly in the statement, "you have to think of humans as a plumbing problem that needs to be fixed".  I don't think Anthony Bourdain ever said that!

https://www.kevinhazzard.com

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Larry Reid is curator by trade and Seattle icon by reputation.  He co-founding Rosco Louie gallery in Seattle’s Pioneer Square in 1978. He has since served as director of Graven Image gallery and the Center on Contemporary Art (CoCA), and as a curator for Experience Music Project (EMP). He currently works as the curator of Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery. Today we talk about Larry's origin story and his connection to some of the biggest names in art and music. We also talk about the value of building artist communities out of physical spaces. 

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Today marks our 52nd episode! I couldn’t be happier to round out year one with our guest, Lee McIntyre. Lee is a philosopher by training, a research fellow at Boston University, and a lifetime member of Clare Hall, Cambridge. In this episode, we discuss how to reason with people who believe in theories that make zero sense—from flat earth and the hollow moon to faked moon landings, 5G towers, vaccine skepticism, and even “Jewish space lasers.” Lee explores the power and influence of groupthink and shows how to approach these conversations with patience and empathy. An inspiring point of view that truly encapsulates the spirit of A Fresh Face in Hell on our one-year birthday.

https://leemcintyrebooks.com

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Ever wonder why there are so many cults in American history? From religious cults to success cults to wellness cults—we’re lousy with them. Author Jane Borden argues that this is no surprise when you consider that the Pilgrims and Puritans were both doomsday cults. With metaphorical red yarn, she lays out a compelling argument that throughout our history, we keep returning to our culty origins. From cowboys and superheroes to the American Dream, multi-level marketing schemes, and finally to MAGA and QAnon, we are who we have always been, unwitting members of Cultus Americanus.    

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

See you all next week.  Happy Halloween!

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Today I sit down with author Thomas Kohnstamm to talk about his wild ride from grocery store deli worker to grad student, Lonely Planet travel writer, and now celebrated novelist. In the early 2000s, Thomas made global headlines after an Australian tabloid twisted an interview claiming that he'd written about places he'd never visited. While what he’d said about the truth of travel writing was more nuanced, it effectively ended his travel-writing career. But he turned that setback into a second act — spending the next decade reinventing himself as a fiction writer. With acclaimed novels like Lake City and his latest, Supersonic, Thomas has built a new literary identity rooted in humor, grit, and determination. It’s a fascinating conversation with an all-around great guy.

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison