Marijuana farms. Sicily. Ted Talks. How to write music with a guy in Belgium.

These are some of the topics in today’s episode in which I check in with our guests to see what’s new. (The numbers in brackets are the timestamps where each segment start.)

[00:34] Bruce Hanson catches us up on the latest with Fellaheen

[06:36] We hear from Adam Davies and how things went with his solo show

[12:53] Drew Militano gives us the latest on Gerlanda’s and the 5000 boxed lunches

[22:44] Ralph Siegel tell us how his Gettysburg season is starting off

Elizabeth Foxwell and Joni Scanlon couldn’t join us but Beth tells me she’s working hard on the next McFarland Companion to Mystery Fiction and Joni is starting another book! This one will be a guide to the Beara Breifne Way, a 500-kilometer trail running through 10 counties of Ireland. The history of the trail involves another of her Irish relatives, a chieftain named Donal Cam O’Sullivan Beare.

This marks the end of Season 1. I’ve had a great time interviewing friends new and old and hope you’ve enjoyed their stories too. Have you been inspired to start your own passion project? Let us know in the comments!

“Friends” will be going on hiatus for a while but I’ll post updates here. In the meantime, you can catch up on episodes you missed!

Thanks to my wonderful guests and to all of you who listened and have been so supportive.

Be sure to check out the show notes below for new and updated links.

SHOW NOTES

BRUCE HANSON/Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

ADAM DAVIES

www.instagram.com/a.d.a.m.d.a.v.i.e.s

www.adamdavies.net

ELIZABETH FOXWELL

In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I (Amazon)

The Bunburyist: http://elizabethfoxwell.blogspot.com/

https://americanwomeninwwi.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.foxwell.writereditor

https://twitter.com/@elizfoxwell

McFarland Mystery Companion series

https://mcfarlandbooks.com/s=mystery+companion&search_id=product&post_type=product

DREW MILITANO

http://www.gerlandas.com/

JONI SCANLON

www.bearabreifneway.ie/

www.facebook.com/GearoidOSullivan1916/

www.linkedin.com/in/joniscanlon/

www.instagram.com/irishbiographer/

RALPH SIEGEL

www.gettysburgfoundation.org/

www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm

Love history? Did you know that one-third of New Jersey is permanently preserved land? Join me while I talk with Ralph Siegel, a licensed Gettysburg Battlefield guide, former journalist and currently Executive Director of the Garden State Preservation Trust.

We discuss his days in journalism, his move into state government and land preservation and how a very wise editor once sent him to Gettysburg to avoid having to bail him out of jail. Ralph talks about how that visit launched his passion for the battlefield and its history and inspired him to become a licensed guide.

SHOW NOTES

To book a battlefield guide go to https://www.gettysburgfoundation.org/

To book a tour with Ralph Siegel, email him at [email protected]

https://www.nps.gov/gett/index.htm

show theme

“Pomegranate Heart” by Fellaheen

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

Joni is a former journalist and currently Content Marketing Manager at Verisk, a data analytics company. She’s also just completed a biography of one of her Irish relatives titled A Sacrifice of the Heart: The Biography of Irish Patriot Gearoid O’Sullivan.

We talk about how she got started in journalism and her move into communications. She also gives a great explanation of what the field of communications encompasses (I’ve always been a little unclear on that!).

Joni also discusses the enormous role her husband and family had in the 10 year creation of the book which is an account of Gearoid’s role as a leader of the Irish Rebellion that led to the formation of the Irish Republic. And she shares the hair-raising account of his attempted mad dash to safety in the face of deadly submachine fire.

SHOW NOTES

www.facebook.com/GearoidOSullivan1916/

www.linkedin.com/in/joniscanlon/

www.instagram.com/irishbiographer/

show theme

“Pomegranate Heart” by Fellaheen

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

Drew is one of the owners of Gerlanda’s, a pair of terrific Italian restaurants that have been a fixture at Rutgers University for 40 years. He’s also been an actor who’s performed in New York and regional theaters as well as on TV.

We talk about how he got started in the food business, the importance of good partners and how you can’t always believe your beloved grandmother. We’ll also find out how a radio interview helped launch his acting career and the unexpected ways life imitates art.

SHOW NOTES

Gerlanda’s

www.gerlandas.com

SHOW THEME

“Pomegranate Heart” by Fellaheen

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

Elizabeth is the manager for editorial projects and communications at the Council on Undergraduate Research. She’s also the editor of Clues: A Journal of Detection and the McFarland Companions to Mystery Fiction series.

We talk about how she got started in publishing and how a college assignment led to a 30 year friendship that got her into the mystery business. Beth also shares a compelling excerpt from her other passion project, In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I, a compilation of writings by women who served in Europe during the war.

SHOW NOTES

In Their Own Words: American Women in World War I (Amazon)

The Bunburyist: http://elizabethfoxwell.blogspot.com/

https://americanwomeninwwi.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.foxwell.writereditor

https://twitter.com/@elizfoxwell

show theme

“Pomegranate Heart” by Fellaheen

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

Adam is a fine art photographer and currently Artist In Residence at Creative Alliance in Baltimore. Adam and I met at the National Gallery’s drawing salon. He was one of the instructors who lead monthly workshops that combine sketching and conversation.

We talk about the profound impact art had on his life in high school, how he got started as a museum educator and how he became a photographer. Adam discusses the beauty of an 8 x 10 camera, the people you meet at the side of the road, and why and how he made the leap into photography full-time.

show notes

Adams Davies Photography

www.adamdavies.net

Instagram

adam_davies_photography

Creative Alliance

http://www.creativealliance.org/

American Center for Physics

http://www.acp.org/events/art-exhibit-geometry-unbound

World Trade Center Baltimore

http://www.viewbaltimore.org/index.cfm?page=events&gid=74

Drawing Salon

https://www.nga.gov/education/adults/drawing-salon.html

show theme

“Pomegranate Heart” by Fellaheen

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1

Bruce is a graphic designer and owner of Egads Design. He’s also the founder and lead singer of Fellaheen, a funky blues ensemble out of New Jersey. We’ll find out about how he started his design career in his father’s print shop and how his experience in college bands and the invention of do-it-yourself recording software led to the formation of Fellaheen.

We talk about the ups and downs of careers in design and music, the influence of Jack Kerouac, the impact of streaming music services and why it’s important to marry well.

show notes

Egads Design

http://www.egadsontheweb.com/

Fellaheen

http://www.fellaheen.com/

Facebook

www.facebook.com/fellaheenmusic

Soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/bruce-5-1