Desert Lady Diaries

Originally from New Jersey, Kate visited the desert 22 years ago. On the next visit, she arrived in the dark and what she woke up to the next morning convinced her to stay. In this episode, Kate talks about the influence the Wonder Valley area has on her work as a Sound Artist, the process of purchasing land in a tax sale auction and keeping track of the days of the week by when the local watering hole is open. Inspired sonically by the spaces she is in for the work that she makes. She has found the silence and desolation has transformed her life. Mentioned in this episode: Kate's Website San Francisco Art Institute Mills Sound Art Experimental Music Program

Danielle Segura is working on a huge collage - using her artist background, heading to the 'studio' everyday, putting together pieces of the Mojave Desert, preserving wildlife corridors and open lands is her mission and that of her team at the Mojave Desert Land Trust. It's is a unique land trust that conserves public lands, has a varied outreach program as well as a Mojave seed bank and nursery. In this episode, Danielle talks about her first desert experience with her father and how any small role we can play to speak up about the things we care about can make a difference. Mentioned in this episode: Links for The Mojave Desert Land Trust - looks at them all and spread the word. mdlt.org MDLT On Social Media: Facebook Twitter Instagram MDLT on You Tube The Ministry of Utmost Joy by Arundhati Roy California Continued Exhibit at The Autry Museum in Griffith Park, Los Angeles

At the age of 15, Carly fell in love with the desert on a trip to the Grand Canyon with her mother and grandmother. In this episode, Carly talks about finding Joshua Tree and the amazing community of women inspiring her recent photography project, Daughters of the Desert. The photography project has taken on a life of it's own, with more than 150 women from the hi-desert region participating. Plans are also being made for fundraisers to purchase a building which will be home to the non-profit Daughters of the Desert Women's Collective, a place where women will gather, work, play, learn, grow and collaborate with one another. Carly also shares the story of an unforgettable image that captured her heart and set her on the path to becoming a photographer.

Mentioned in this episode:

Carly's Website

Wedding & Portrait Photography

Daughters of the Desert

Art Queen - A Visitors Perspective

Josef Sudek Photographer

Melanie is a delight! A native of Nebraska, she and her husband, Buck, make their home at "Ranchita Liebre" in Landers, California. Melanie calls it their 'little slice of Hi-Desert heaven". A local librarian, Melanie has a passion for literacy and also enjoys crafting rag rugs. If you're interested in ordering one of Melanie's awesome rugs for yourself or a gift, email her at: [email protected].

In this episode, Melanie talks about 'magic desert people', raising Nigerian Dwarf goats, Heritage chickens and their newest addition: baby boy, Joe Claude.

Mentioned in this episode:

Jackrabbit Goats on Instagram

Melanie's Personal Instagram

Melanie on Facebook

Megan Hutch, Musician and Proprietress of The Pointed Pearl

Megan moved to the desert, sight unseen, on the advice of some really special people in her life. In her three plus years her, after a stretch of time on the road, she has found her voice, literally, stepping into being a wonderful singer/songwriter. Her dark, folk style ballads and her unique voice leave her audiences in a space of reflecting on their own lives. Her next EP, 'Alchemy' will be released in November 2017 and she shares a piece of one of it's songs in this episode. Megan talks about the difficulty and overwhelm of choosing ones life path, the transformative power of spending time alone with one's thoughts and embracing the experience of failure.

Mentioned in this episode:

Megan's Website

Megan on You Tube - Dancer

Megan on Vimeo - Surrender

Megan on Reverb Nation

Furstwurld - Video interview with Bobby Furst

Casey Kiernan Joshua Tree Photography Workshops

Book recommendations:

A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption and the Life of Leonard Cohen by Liel Leibovitz

Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening - by Joseph Goldstein

Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction - by Noah Levine

Pamela is a singer and musician, who has her own accounting business, which made it a fairly easy decision to move to the desert. Particularly after her landlord in LA notified her there was a $700 rent increase coming her way. After realizing it sometimes takes two hours just to travel in LA traffic in attempts to get together with friends once every two weeks and the cost of living, Pamela realized moving two hours away, to the desert, might be a viable option. In this episode, Pamela talk about her adventure in real estate, the frustration of finding a place she loved with sellers who continued to rebuff her offer, then letting go and finding the place she has today. The musical and artistic community plays a large role in Pamela's social life here and she'll reveal how she checked an item off her bucket list that she didn't even imagine would be on that list.

Mentioned in this episode:

Accounting Accountability

Pamela on Reverbnation

Real Estate Peter Spurr

Haley is a mime artist who recently auditioned for a large, live performance company - but if she told us who, she'd have to kill us - , an actress and budding muralist. In this episode, Haley discusses her move to the desert, finding a home here and adapting to small-town life when one is a bit different from the typical. She also talks about her wish to bring deeper, more meaningful theatre experiences to her friends and neighbors here in the desert and as this episode is released, Haley has been nominated by the Desert Theatre League for awards in the categories of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical and The Ron Hamm Award for Outstanding Hair & Makeup Design - winners will be announced at the Gala on October 8 (2017). She also recently graced the 'stage' of the Pioneertown Wild West Theatre in Pioneertown.

Mentioned in this episode:

Joshua Tree Saloon

Reply All Podcast - Gimlet Media

Not mentioned, but worth noting: Lady Haley's Decorative Painting

Bianca Stoker is a daughter, wife, mother, actor, teacher, vacation rental owner and avid knitter - she is also a life-long desert dweller - her parents moved here when she was just two months old. Having grown up here, there was a time when Bianca thought she'd leave the desert for good, but after hearing how cool the place was from her college friends, moving back after college and meeting her now husband at school alumni musical event, Bianca is convinced this is the place to stay and raise her family. Bianca talks about what it was like growing up in a place where childhood friends would walk in and out of each other's homes as if they were their own and the challenges of being a vacation rental owner when your spouse in on the road. In this episode, Bianca also talks about her crafting obsession and her recent role in a two-person show, The Owl and the Pussycat, at Groves Cabin Theatre, and how this experience helped her to grow as an actor.

Mentioned in this episode:

Bianca & Clint's Vacation Rental

Hi-Desert Cultural Center Archives

Block Shop Textiles

Desert Adventure Club

Unsolved Mysteries: True Crime Stories Podcast

KCET Jackrabbit Homestead

A desert resident for 24 years, living in Wonder Valley, artist Cathy Allen came to the desert for time and space to create her assemblage art. In this episode, Cathy talks about her work and friendship with artist Noah Purifoy. She also discusses the difficulties of finding places to eat, meeting her husband and what she feels has brought the largest wave of artists to the desert. Visit and join her latest project, Sunvale Village on Facebook to keep up with all the shenanigans of it's tiny inhabitants. You can also be part of Cathy's guided tour of the Noah Purifoy site in Joshua Tree on September 30th (2017). This tour is part of the 2017 Arts Connection Conference sponsored by the Arts Council of San Bernardino County. The Conference is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Copper Mountain College in Joshua Tree. Learn more and sign up for the conference and after conference events here (fees apply). Mentioned in this episode: Cathy Allen NURP (Non-urban Renewal Project) Noah Purifoy Andrea Zittel The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood

Born in Twentynine Palms, CA while her father was a Marine and after a long time away, Jessica was looking for a change in her life and has made her way back to the desert and is making her musical dreams come true. Jessica is the drummer for DER Trio and also plays guitar. Jessica fills her time with cat and dog sitting and in this episode talks about the challenges of the heat, weather and driving on desert roads. She talks about the challenges of being a shy musician, the importance manifesting the life you want and the generosity and openness of the people in the desert music scene.

Mentioned in this episode:

DER Trio on Reverbnation

DER Trio on Facebook

DER Trio on Instagram