In 1980, the Indonesian fiction writer Budi Darma published a book of short stories called People from Bloomington. The English translation came out this month. This week on Inner States, translator Tiffany Tsao on Indonesian literature, Budi Darma, and Twitter.

The graphic novel Headland is about a woman in a hospital, the wilderness she visits in her mind, and the tortoise she meets there. It’s also about the medicalization of death and dying. This week, we talk with the author, Kate Schneider. Plus, Midwestern Movies, with Alicia Kozma.

Graham Reynolds has composed for film, ballet, theater. He also leads a band that puts on great live concerts. And he wrote a rock opera about Pancho Villa. This week, we talk about all that with Graham. Plus, poet Ross Gay, delighted.

A lot of people who’ve quit jobs lately thought they were sticking it to the man. But their employers - and coworkers - apparently didn’t realize. This week, anthropologist Ilana Gershon on power in the workplace and what it means for democracy. Plus, a conversation with singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams.

Yaël Ksander talks with singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams about the twists and turns of her career, the cost of sticking to your guns artistically, her evolving relationship with the dark side, and … men.

Indiana doesn’t touch the Mississippi River, but it’s still bound up with it. This week, we talk with Monique Verdin, Liz Brownlee, and others, about those connections. Plus, a review of Ian Woollen’s Sister City.

Yaël Ksander brings us a review of Bloomington-based author Ian Woollen’s fifth novel, Sister City (Coffeetown Press, 2020).

For Spring Pledge Drive, we’re dusting off some old favorites from the Inner States files.

A while back, political scientist Christopher DeSante tried to convince his fellow grad students to watch Dave Chappelle instead of reading for their qualifying exams. It didn’t work. This week on Inner States, we talk about the politics of humor.

Henry Gray is about to turn 100. This week, he reflects on the 70 years he had with his wife, Alice, on growing up in Indiana, and on getting old. And Kaity Radde visits the Bloomington Catholic Worker.