Classic City Vibes

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Author Raquel Durden joins us to talk about her new book Dial Down.  Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm is a practical guide focused on holistic wellness techniques to help individuals manage stress and find calmness in their lives. The book integrates evidence-based wellness practices with personal stories and poems aimed at offering readers actionable tools for transformation.

Bio: Raquel Durden is a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, combat veteran, author of Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm, and founder of Humble Warrior Wellness & Yoga—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting women Veterans and first responders. She is a Georgia Woman Veteran of the Year (2025) honoree whose work blends military leadership, holistic wellness, and authentic connection to help others build resilience and enhanced well-being. Through speaking, writing, and teaching, Raquel inspires audiences with practical wellness strategies. 

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Join host Zakk, Anthony, and James as they talk about the first 100 episodes of Classic City Vibes.  Thanks to all our amazing guests, to everyone who has worked on making the podcast a success and finally most of all for those of you who listen.  Hope you enjoy the next 100.

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Game Designer Alec Nelson stop by to talk about his new game Scrap Heap and also his journey in the gaming world.

Bio: Alec is a tabletop game enthusiast and landscape ecology researcher. His work seeks to recognize and honor human values, foster consensus around work and play, and bring curiosity and thoughtfulness to all settings.
His most recent design, SCRAP//HEAP, is a trading card game tournament experience and celebration of thrilling day-long gaming memories.
By combining the fast-paced, breezy gameplay of Gin Rummy with the thoughtful, expressive craft that comes from turning a regular playing card into a small work of art, Alec hopes to encourage and inspire playful and imaginative collaborations between friends old and new.

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Aidan of Bayou Princess stops by to talk about his musical journey, the band, and their upcoming release.  It was a fun conversation that spanned from disco to post-modern philosophy.  

Bio: Bayou Princess makes weirdo dance rock about consumption, existence, love, and violence with moments of swampy sedation.  You can find Bayou Princess at https://bayouprincess.bandcamp.com/

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Cara Sullivan drops in to discuss her journey as a Theater Director, her role at Athens Creative Theater, and some upcoming shows including a Shakespeare in the Park production.  You can find info about upcoming shows at:

https://www.accgov.com/646/Shows

BIO: Cara Rose Sullivan is the Program Specialist (Artistic Director) for Athens Creative Theatre. Cara holds an MFA in Theatre Directing from the East 15 Acting School at the University of Essex and a BFA in Musical Theatre from Young Harris College. A lifelong theatre artist, she has been in the performing arts since the age of seven and continues to find her greatest sense of home within the theatre community. Though new to the Athens arts scene, she is thrilled to collaborate with such a passionate creative community. Her recent directing credits include Sylvia, Stonewater Rapture, Sucker Punch, Appropriate (Co-Director), and most recently One Man, Two Guvnors with Athens Creative Theatre, among others. Outside of the theatre, Cara enjoys film, reading, and spending quiet time at home with her beloved dog, Hugo. She extends heartfelt gratitude to her parents, Jackie and Charlie, whose encouragement and presence at every performance have made this journey possible.

About ACT: 

Athens Creative Theatre (ACT) has been a cornerstone of the Athens community for over 60 years, enriching lives through the power of performance and storytelling. Established in 1966 by University of Georgia Drama professor Jane Quinn, ACT began as part of UGA’s Children’s Theatre and Creative Dramatics classes. These early programs not only nurtured young talent but also provided invaluable hands-on training for graduate students pursuing master’s degrees in Children’s Theatre. Each student-director led a full production, featuring a child cast performing for young audiences—a tradition of mentorship and creativity that remains at the heart of ACT today.

Since those humble beginnings, ACT has evolved into a vital cultural and educational asset in the Athens area. After being adopted by the City of Athens’ Leisure Services Department, the theatre expanded its offerings beyond youth productions to include community and university participants. In 2004, Quinn Hall at Memorial Park was dedicated to Athens Creative Theatre and productions also take place at the beautifully restored Morton Theatre in Downtown Athens, where ACT continues to delight audiences with mainstage performances. Seasonally, ACT offers a diverse range of classes and workshops for a variety of ages. Every summer, the theatre hosts multiple theatre camps for students entering grades three through twelve, providing a fun and formative experience in the performing arts.

ACT operates as a proud unit of the Arts Division within the Athens-Clarke County Department of Leisure Services. Despite receiving administrative and technical support, ACT thrives as a largely volunteer-driven organization. Community members are invited to contribute their talents in every aspect of theatre—actors, ushers, musicians, designers, builders, designers, choreography, directing, stage management, and front-of-house operations.

The ACT team includes: Cara Rose Sullivan, Artistic Director and Program Specialist, Paige Baugher, Stage Manager and Program Leader, and Jeremy Miller, Scenic Artist.

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We talk with the founder of one of Athen's most popular new festivals Hauntfest.  Learn from Roseann Harpold  how it all got started and what you can expect at this year's event!

For more information about Hauntfest please go to www.hauntfest.net.  

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This week Niké and Dana join James to discuss the most popular books of 2025, our favorites, and what we are looking forward to in 2026.

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This week we are joined by poet, editor and translator Gerald Maa.  Gerald talks about his origins and rise in the literary world and about his current role as editor of The Georgia Review. Enjoyed this conversation? Follow, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find the show. 

Gerald Maa began as editor and director of the Georgia Review in 2019. Since then, the Review has won, among other things, the National Magazine Awards (fiction and profile writing), the Pulitzer Prize, the Caine Prize, and the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize, reserved for debut publications. In 2010, he founded the arts anti-profit the Asian American Literary Review with Lawrence-Minh Bùi Davis, where he served as editor-in-chief until he joined the Georgia Review.

His poetry and translation have appeared in places like Poetry, Raritan, and Push Open the Window: Contemporary Poetry from China.  His essays have appeared in places like Criticism, A Sense of Regard: Essays on Poetry and Race, and The Routledge Companion for Ecopoetics.  His work has been supported by places like the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Library of Congress Asian Reading Room, and the Center for Writing and Translation at the University of California, Irvine.

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This week we have a conversation with poet Karla Kelsey who was recently the featured poet for the UGA Diann Blakely Visiting Poet Series.  Karla was a delight to talk with and we hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Karla Kelsey’s books of poetry books include On Certainty (Omnidawn, 2023), Blood Feather (Tupelo Press, 2020), A Conjoined Book (Omnidawn, 2014), Iteration Nets (Ahsahta, 2010), and Knowledge, Forms, the Aviary (Ahsahta, 2006) selected by Carolyn Forché for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize. Her book of experimental essays, Of Sphere, was selected by Carla Harryman for the 2016 Essay Press Prize. She is the editor of Lost Writings: Two Novels by Mina Loy, (Yale University Press in 2024). Her poet’s novel, Transcendental Factory: For Mina Loy was recently released from Winter Editions. She is the Charles B. Degenstein Professor of English and Creative Writing at Susquehanna University. 

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Learn about Vtubing, Resin art and more with local artist Mothrea Immortalis.

Bio: "this bug knows some stuff or something like that"