Today I'm excited to talk with one of the leading voices in battling online misinformation and graft - Kim Hunt. Kim is a whip smart Zoomer who is ambitious and full of integrity (the kind that only a journalism degree will give you). Kim's weapon of choice is the "response video" in which she creates TikTok and Reels that counters popular political influencers, like Charlie Kirk or Emily Wilson. It's caustic work but it thrills me that there are young people pushing back on the onslaught of online propaganda. Kim does not suffer fools and will regulate your hot takes if she feels you're punching down.

@slaythegop insta:  https://www.instagram.com/slaythegop?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Video Interview:  https://youtu.be/xmOvLX4mTpo

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

On any weekend in the early '90s, almost every music venue in Seattle was a mess of flannel, long hair, and distorted reverb. But if that wasn't your mood, you could always find one or two boot-scooting bar bands like Kitchen Radio, Lazy Susan, and Ramadillo blowing the roof off some dirty little bar. Out of that small alt-country sub-scene arose one of my favorite singer / songwriters (and high school chum) Pete Droge. In the late '90s and early 2000s, Pete had an impressive solo career with three albums and a fourth with the supergroup, The Thornes. Pete also toured with Tom Petty, performed on David Letterman and Jon Stewart, and was in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous". At the height of his fame, Pete withdrew from the limelight to focus on producing, film scoring, and his mental health. Now, ten years later, Pete is back with a new album called "Fade Away Blue".

https://petedroge.bandcamp.com/

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

I love fatherhood - I love what it has shaped me into as a person. It has given me reserves of love and patience I didn't know were possible. Being a father fills me with anxiety, but at the same time, my endless gratitude calms me. This makes me wonder why fatherhood is so rewarding for some and so difficult for others. In his book "Fatherhood: A History of Love and Power," Augustine Sedgewick talks about the archetypes of fatherhood throughout human history. From Aristotle to Sigmund Freud, he examines how our understanding of fatherhood has evolved over time to today.

Fatherhood:  https://www.amazon.com/Fatherhood-History-Power-Augustine-Sedgewick/dp/1668046296

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

Today I talk with Doctor and NY Times Journalist, Elisabeth Rosenthal about her seminal book An American Sickness. Why does an arthritis injection cost $19K in one hospital and $90k in another? Why does the same insurance company pay both prices without push back? Our healthcare system is a funhouse of twisted logic that only makes sense when seen through the prism of unregulated profiteering. Dr. Rosenthal and I talk about how we got here and what we can do systematically and personally to make changes for the future.

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

I'm back in the saddle today with another old friend - world-renowned chainsaw sculptor Steve Backus. Steve has been creating bears, whales, eagles, gnomes, and mermaids from massive pieces of wood for over 40 years. He organizes and judges sculpting competitions internationally and has appeared on the show "Saw Dogs".

I talk with Steve about his two memoirs, "You've Got to Be Shitting Me" and "Carve or Starve." We discuss his origin story as the son of a PNW tramp logger, as well as the fall of the logging industry and the rise of chainsaw art. Steve talks about the tight-knit community of sculptors and the rising popularity of the art around the world. He may have hard bark on him, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy.

Backus Books:  https://www.amazon.com/Books-Steve-Backus/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ASteve%2BBackus

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

Today's episode is hosted by New York Times bestselling author, and Fresh Face alum, Jamie Ford. Don't worry, Jonathan will be back next week! In Episode 7, Jonathan invited Jamie on to discuss his book "The Many Daughters of Afong Moy," which focused on inherited trauma passed down through seven generations of Chinese women. In today's conversation, Jamie talks with author and activist Jen Soriano about her book "Nervous." "Nervous" explores generational trauma through the historical lens of Jen's Filipino family. The conversation is an interesting blend of the science we've discussed in previous episodes—The Social Gnome & The Anatomy of Anxiety—especially regarding how our health and mental health are directly related to our history. For example, high blood pressure and heart disease can be linked to racism, and in this case, colonialism. Something special for our hardcore listeners!

Nervous:  https://www.jensoriano.net/books   

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy: https://jamieford.com/books/the-many-daughters-of-afong-moy/

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

Jonathan has gone fishing. Stepping in as his substitute this week is his good friend Danny O'Neil, who you may remember from the Grudges episode. 

Danny sits down with national champion and Olympic diver Cassidy Krug to discuss her book "Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life's Biggest Transitions". Cassidy opens up about her time competing at the highest levels of diving. She discusses her struggles chasing perfection after her competitive career concluded. In her book she interviews other Olympic athletes and discovers it’s hard—maybe impossible—to replace the sport they left behind. Cassidy reflects on her personal journey to find new purpose, from working in advertising, to becoming a trapezist, and finally a published author.

Cassidy Krug:  https://www.cassidykrug.com/resurface

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

Jonathan speaks with his old friend and great American fiction writer, Willy Vlautin. Willy is the author of seven novels, including his most recent, The Horse, which helped earn him the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Prize. Three of his books have been adapted into films, including Night Always Comes, The Motel Life and Lean on Pete. In addition to his writing, Willy is a musician and songwriter—first with Richmond Fontaine and now with The Delines. Whatever the medium, Willy is always channeling a sad ballad with a tear on his cheek and a smile on his face.

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

Today I talk with famed music journalist Peter Blackstock about his time discovering and reviewing bands in Austin, Nashville, North Carolina, and Seattle. Together with his partner Grant Alden, Peter launched the roots music magazine, No Depression. What started as an AOL discussion group on "Alternative Country," No Depression (named after an Uncle Tupelo song) helped define a new genre of music that includes such bands as Wilco, Son Volt, Old 97's, Jayhawks, Whiskeytown, Alejandro Escovedo, and the Bottle Rockets. We talk about how Seattle's own alt-country scene developed in the shadow of grunge with local heroes like Pete Droge of Ramadillo and Kitchen Radio. Lastly, we get into a few new music suggestions from one of the most connected men in music.

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

Turns out the idea of nature vs. nurture is an overly simplistic way of describing how our genes correlate with our environments. For 150 years, scientists, sociologists, theologians, politicians, and philosophers have argued over this binary idea of determinism. My guest today, Professor Dalton Conley, writes that the answer is more like nature & nurture. In his book "The Social Genome," Dalton illustrates how our genes are activated, or subdued, by our social environments. He also talks about the emerging science behind the Polygenic Index (PGI). This is a predictive data model that can show your likelihood to succeed in life, college, love, etc., based on your genome. It's a whole new way of understanding genes.

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/782431/the-social-genome-by-dalton-conley/9781324092636

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