Emerging from the soil of Sierra County is the new album, Garden, ostensibly for children as part of an early education program about science, but its blend of folk, Celtic, bluegrass, and a bit of gospel will appeal to many adults as well. Project manager and Musica Sierra director, Lindsay McIntosh joins us today to discuss the album, which is the fifth of a seven-part series. Each album targets a grade-level (Garden is for Kindergarten- get it?) and includes a unique illustrated book and a personal journal. Lindsay has melded together a wide variety of musicians, artists, and professionals to create an audio and visual experience for children that is truly exceptional. No miss this opportunity to hear from a professional musician and program leader at the top of her game making it work and living her dream in the remote and beautiful high Sierra. A great episode for music teachers, parents with children, and anyone with ears.

Musica Sierra's website:
https://www.musicasierra.org/

The Old School House Project:
https://www.musicasierra.org/tosh

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Enter the world of the knuckleball and its specialized lingo: drag crisis, loop de loop, and dreaded forward roll. The knuckleball pitch is dying out in baseball, but Chris Nowlin still teaches it and, importantly, still throws it with the lowest rotation on earth today. He discusses here how to throw it, why it's effective, and why it's so darn hard to throw consistently. He also offers guidance on identifying potential knuckleballers, strength training, arm protection, and being a big-league pitcher in general, along with a bit of life advice. We also discuss Matt Waldron of the Padres along with other knuckleballers: Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro, RA Dickey, and Charlie Hough. And finally, Chris gives us some thoughts on the current approach to pitching in the MLB right now and where we might be headed. An informative and insightful episode.

Chris Nowlin's website:
https://knuckleballnation.com/

Socials:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3xKAXGUrTeWW62_u-VtSg
XTwitter: @KnuckNation
Insta: @KnuckNation

Show Notes

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

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Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Available today! Meet Canadian author, David LeBrun, whose first book, a travel memoir, is being published today by Tortoise Books. Delirium Vitae is a recounting of David's adventures in Central America when he fled the cold Canadian winter to party with an old friend, promptly ran out of money, and began the slow journey of discovering what he was running from while returning home. In this episode, David talks about the jobs-related book he was working on during the trip and how it was scuttled when this one emerged. Delirium Vitae weaves David's adventures with colorful if sketchy characters into a portrait of a sensitive and observant young man, trying to grapple with life's tragedies. He also offers insights into his long writing process, the usefulness of editors and critique groups, and what to focus on as a writer. Come for the breakneck, page-turning escapades, stay for the thoughtful exploration of self-healing through writing. A wonderful episode for readers and writers.

David's book at Tortoise Books:
https://tortoisebooks.com/store/deliriumvitae

David's website, including some short stories:
https://www.davidlebrun.ca/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

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https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/support/

Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Welcome Flora Qian with her first novel "South of the Yangtze," a coming-of-age story of a thoughtful and curious Chinese girl, born and raised in Shanghai during the one-child years.* Flora discusses the origins of the novel which maps some of her own experiences as a young woman educated in China who then moved to Hong Kong. The intriguing novel, written in English, explores the themes of language, relationships, loneliness, and community, against a backdrop of post-Cultural Revolution China. Flora discusses her interest in Chinese characters, how Mandarin and English entered her life, how Chinese sayings and folk tales influence our thinking, the risks of original thought, and how circumstances often hinder our ability to reach greater intimacy with others. A thought-provoking episode with something for everyone. 

*And could make a great holiday present!

Flora's website:
https://floraqian.com/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Relationship expert Melinda Blau is back with her new book, "The Wisdom Whisperers: Golden Guides to a Long Life of Grit, Grace, and Laughter." Melinda began collecting her "old ladies," as she calls them, in mid-life and shares here the tremendous wisdom and benefit she has received over the past twenty years or so from these relationships with women much older than she is. Not so much a book on aging as a continuation of Melinda's astute career-long observations about the magic and wonder of relationships, The Wisdom Whisperers will make you laugh, reflect, learn, and may inspire you to give the book as a gift to someone dear to you. Always forthright and plain spoken, but also optimistic and good-humored, Melinda now finds herself in the ranks of these golden oldies and reminds the listeners to appreciate all that life has to offer. A wonderful upbeat and thought-provoking episode.

Melinda's website:
https://melindablau.com/

My previous episode with Melinda about "Consequential Strangers":
https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/books-shows-tunes-mad-acts/episodes/2021-12-31T22_00_00-08_00

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

Support us!

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/support/

Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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FB: @BooksShowsTunes

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Join petroleum engineer Malvina Lerma as she talks about her cozy mystery series, Oilfield Mysteries, and her amateur sleuth, Charlie, a woman working in a man's world. Malvina and Jennifer talk about the oil industry, Bakersfield, the BP catastrophe, well drilling, as well as a bunch of writing-related topics: how to convey technical expertise in a novel, what makes a cozy, Malvina's influences (especially Agathie Christie), and how to get better as a writer. An upbeat conversation great for writers and mystery lovers.

Malvina's website:
https://oilfieldmysteries.com/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

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Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

The two parts of the Americana duo Tattletale Saints, Simon Stanley and Vanessa McGowen, join us today to talk about tons of music stuff: their formation and evolution, Simon's foray into kids music, Vanessa's bass playing, their move to Nashville, what makes a good cover, and why music from New Zealand might be especially innovative. Simon also talks about songwriting, and Vanessa gives advice to early musicians about making success out of passion. We also include D.I.N.K., one of The Tattletale Saints songs. You just might be a D.I.N.K.! A lovely episode for music listeners, makers, and lovers of all shapes. 

The Tattletale Saints website:
https://www.tattletalesaints.com/

Simon's website:
https://www.simonstanleysays.com/

Vanessa's website:
https://vanessamcgowan.com/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

Support us!

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/support/

Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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Social Media:

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IG: @Mad_Acts

LI: Jennifer K. Crittenden

Join us to talk about "Law of the Jungle" and "Skin of Tattoos," two of Christina's novels, both replete with interesting characters and quite absorbing . One is about a biochemist deep in the Amazonian jungle who falls in love with the perfect guy only to discover—well, you can imagine. What you might not imagine is what she does next. Drawn from Christina's experience working with LA gangs, "Skin of Tattoos" is a sympathetic story about a gang member released from jail who finds himself inexorably drawn back into his old life, only worse. Christina is a journalist with a colorful past full of rich adventures that she brings enthusiastically to her writing. A great episode for writers and curious readers who are drawn to the noir-er side of thriller novels. 

Christina's website:
https://www.christinahoag.com/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

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LI: Jennifer K Crittenden

Sarah Langan, author of "A Better World" and "Good Neighbors," talks about her new dystopian novel and its frightening similarities to our current real life. In Sarah's novel, our hero, Linda, doctor and mom, is initially thrilled to be accepted into Plymouth Valley, a safe refuge for her family from an outside crazy world, but too soon she discovers that there are disturbing dark elements to this so-called utopia. In this episode, Sarah and Jennifer discuss the novel and its plot and characters, Orson Welles' 1984, the horror genre, and writing in general. A great episode for readers and writers.

Sarah's website:
https://sarahlangan.com/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkcrittenden/

Joining us to talk about the recent campus protests and their ramifications for free speech is Kristen Shahverdian of PEN America. Kristen discusses the various balls that campuses must keep in the air, considering the participants' right to free speech, safety on campus, and viewpoint-neutral policy decisions. She discusses the advice that PEN America offers to campus administrators about how to reasonably respond to protesters and what would constitute a disproportionate reaction. We dig into the history of campus protests, from the Free Speech movement to Kent State, as well as recent specific incidents at Columbia University and Indiana University. Kristen also tackles such complexities as repercussions for civil disobedience, draconian punishments, and how the protests have been represented in the media. All this, and more, for free! An important episode.

PEN America's Campus Free Speech Guide:
https://campusfreespeechguide.pen.org/

Thoughts? Comments? Potshots? Contact the show at:

https://booksshowstunes.discreetguide.com/contact/

Sponsored by Discreet Guide Training:

https://training.discreetguide.com/

Follow or like us on podomatic.com (it raises our visibility :)

https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/books-shows-tunes-mad-acts

Support us on Patreon:

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Jennifer on XTwitter:

@DiscreetGuide

Jennifer on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferkcrittenden/