Sometimes there's a big fire nearby and also a pandemic going on and you're still expected to show up in the office at 8am like always. 

This was written and recorded by Tal Minear.

Transcript:

I wrote this poem two days ago on a Tuesday morning, in the office at work on a day that felt very apocalyptic. It's made more to be read from text, but I thought I would make a little audio version. It’s called Tuesday morning.

I am tired of waking up to a smokey orange sky.

And that it is normal.

In the office, coworkers discuss the ash on their windshields.

We should not be here.

I kick myself for forgetting my N95.

My bag only has cloth masks.

The air is hazardous.

And that is normal.

I wonder if it is safe to eat lunch in my car.

We should not be here.

The office smells like a campfire.

Even though both fires are miles away.

Both.

That is normal.

I text friends nearby to check in.

We should not be here.

My job expects productivity.

I expect survival.

Is that asking too much?

Going about my day while the world is sick and burning.

One phrase repeated in my mind

We should not be here.

Sometimes your brain goes "I wonder how a time-traveling steampunk train would sound" and you just have to sit down and make it. 

Anyway, this is how I think a time-traveling steampunk train would sound. 

On having a bad memory and too many things.

This was written, recorded, and produced by Tal Minear.

Transcript: I’m really forgetful. I’m bad at putting things away and remembering where I put them. The best way for me to know where something is is to look around and see it, so things pile up. Often literally. I want things around so I can see them and remember where they are. Though, sometimes, I just forget to put things away. Every flat surface acquires objects. Reminders of what to do. Reminders of what’s already been done. Reminders that I have something to make a task easier, so that I remember I don’t need to do it the hard way. It’s visual noise, everything on every surface, and when I see it everyday it fades to the background. The pile of clothes on the chair. The stack of books on the table. The letters on the kitchen counter. The pill bottle on the desk.  It’s normal. It’s how things are. Until I finally get around to tidying, and then I notice the noise is gone.

I really want to hug my friends.

This episode was written and recorded by Tal Minear. 

Transcript: I wish you were here. If  you were, I’d be running right at you to give you the biggest of hugs. I really want to give you a hug, but, well, there’s a problem -  I am here and you are there. Way over there. The precise distance isn’t too important, I suppose, because you could be 6 feet away right now and that wouldn’t cut it. That’s not hugging distance. I can wave across the sidewalk, across the states, across the whole damn world. But I don’t want to just wave. I want to hug you.  So I guess I’ll just have to make do. Consider this a little audio hug. A smile. An embrace The feeling of warmth. The expression of friendship.  But most importantly, you being here with me. Someday you’ll be here with me.

In a rare break from sound design, here's a piece of music I made! This is the soundtrack my brain plays when I'm feeling anxious, usually for no good reason at all. 

(Anxiety was composed by Tal Minear using Garageband.)

A short story about a long ride. This was written, recorded, and produced by Tal Minear.

Transcript:

We live and die on the never ending carousel, around and around and around and around. It keeps spinning, indifferent to the happenings on its surface. The horses go up and down, uncaring if anyone is riding atop them. The music plays, unaware of our own preferences. Some people say we should destroy the never ending carousel. If it were broken, they say, maybe we would be free. But the never ending carousel cannot stop, will not stop. You can only stop the people on it. You can only break them. The never ending carousel doesn’t care about us, but we care about it. We defend the never ending carousel from the people who want to destroy it, because it is our home. We live and die on the never ending carousel, around and around and around and around, and we call it Earth.

I wrote this at the end of a no good very bad week. Really, don't listen to me - I'm just being a grump.

This episode was written and recorded by Tal Minear.

Transcript:

Things will be better tomorrow, they said.

Today is just bad.

Tomorrow will be fine.

And then a day passes.

Things will be better tomorrow, they said.

Today is just bad.

Tomorrow will be fine.

And then a day passes.

And another.

And another.

Tomorrow will be fine, they said.

But tomorrow never comes.

I've distilled the entire month of April (as I experienced it) into one short little clip. You can't hear the internal screaming (because it's, well, internal), but I promise you it's there.

This episode was recorded and produced by Tal Minear.

It starts off as a search for a scarf, and ends up with a wizard. 

This is a little in-universe segment of my show, Sidequesting, that I wrote for another show, Listen Rinse Repeat. This is the combined version of a 5-part series (each part is 20 seconds long).

Credits:

This episode was written and produced by Tal Minear. Rion was voiced by  Tal Minear (they/them). Basil was voiced by Sable Smith (they/them).  Check out their work here. The Wizard was voiced by David Hanna (he/him). Check out his work here.  The Student was voiced by Brad Colbroock (they/them). Check out their work here.

Transcript:

BASIL: Thank you for coming, Rion! I’m missing my favorite scarf again, and I can’t find it anywhere.

RION: It’s no problem at all, Basil. It’s not the scarf you’re wearing right now, is it?

BASIL: Oh no, this is my backup scaf.

RION: I should have known. Oh, it’s also not the one on your cat?

BASIL: [confused] There it is!! But… I don’t have a cat.

[SFX: Cat meow]

[SFX: Cat shapeshifts into a person.]

WIZARD: I’m sorry for borrowing your scarf, I get really cold when I’m a cat, for some reason.

RION: But, why were you a cat? And why were you in Basil’s house?

WIZARD: Well, I’m a wizard. My specialty is transformation, you see. I’m here because one of my students accidentally got turned into a rat.

RION: Okay I have some more questions.

BASIL: How did one of your students turn into a rat??

WIZARD: I was teaching magic and a spell went haywire. Students know these things happen, but it’s hard to stay calm when you’re suddenly a rat, you know?

BASIL: I suppose they scampered in here and you followed them?

WIZARD: Yep, I turned myself into a cat to keep up with them. I didn’t catch them, but I did see where they went. Can I search your pantry?

BASIL: Uh, sure?

[SFX: Pantry door opens, rat squeaks]

WIZARD: There you are… Basil, could you hold them in place? Great, thank you. Here we go!

[SFX: Rat turns into a human]

STUDENT: WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN JUST HAPPENED?

RION: Uh, you were a rat?

STUDENT: WHY WAS I A RAT?

RION: I think it was a mis-aimed spell by your classmate?

STUDENT: This does NOT answer my question?! Who turned me into a rat? Was it Callum???

WIZARD: You know I can’t tell you-

STUDENT: [interrupting] Yep, it was Callum. [to Basil/Rion] Excuse me, I have some revenge to take.

[SFX: Angry footsteps away]

WIZARD: Excuse me, I have some revenge to stop. Thanks for your help, here’s something for your trouble.

[SFX: Hurried footsteps away]

RION: Good luck!

BASIL: Look, the wizard gave me a crystal ball! This will help me next time I lose something!

RION: Yeah, unless you lose the crystal ball!

CREDITS:  The Student was voiced by Brad Colbroock, the Wizard was voiced by David Hanna, Rion was voiced by Tal Minear, and Basil was voiced by Sable Smith.

Tal leaves a voicemail to their middle school self.

This episode was written, recorded, and produced by Tal Minear.

Transcript:

Hi Tal. It’s me, from the future. I just  want to leave you a little message, because I know what you need to hear  right now.  You wouldn’t recognize me if we met in person. At this  moment, you think you’re never going to cut your hair short or dye it  something permanent. You think you’re never gonna get a tattoo. Right  now, you’re scared of so many things. Eventually, those things will get a  little less scary.  Don’t get the wrong idea though, future you is  still winging it just as much as always. I don’t think that’s ever gonna  change. We still have a lot in common, though. I know you dream of  having a pet cat - well, I have three of them. I still only wear  converse high tops, or sometimes boots. I still hate red plaid skirts  just as much as always. I’m always still daydreaming - just at work now,  not at school. Those stories you have in your head? They keep coming.  Keep writing them down. Things aren’t great right now for you right now.  You’re not sure it’s gonna be better, but you have so many hopes for  the future nonetheless. And I want you to know to hold on to that hope. Cause you’re not gonna believe where we end up.