In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, we sit down with Lucy Bellwood, the adventure cartoonist behind beloved works like Demon Dialogues and Baggywrinkles. Known for her vibrant illustrations and thoughtful reflections on creativity, this Ojai-raised artist has returned after years in the Pacific Northwest, finding inspiration not only in our natural beauty but in the connections she’s built with the community.

Lucy shares details about her Boxing Day event, (Dec. 26th, Basic Premise gallery, 918 E. Ojai Avenue), a festive gathering to celebrate creativity, camaraderie, and new beginnings with chocolate-chip miso cookies. She also talks about her open studio practice, inviting locals and visitors alike to drop by her workspace for casual conversations about art, storytelling, and life’s everyday adventures.

In true Lucy Bellwood fashion, these open office hours offer more than just a glimpse into her artistic process —t hey’re a testament to her commitment to fostering connection. Whether it’s sharing a sketch, a story, or a moment of shared wonder, Lucy’s approach embodies the spirit of community that Ojai thrives on.

Tune in to hear about Lucy’s journey as an artist, what led her to Ojai, and how she’s redefining the way we connect through creativity. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of art, adventure, and the power of saying yes to life’s unexpected invitations. Don’t miss it!

Note: We did not talk about extinct eagle species in New Zealand, the invention of chromium or a review of Sean Baker's new film, "Anora."

Check out more of Lucy and her work at ... https://lucybellwood.com/

Ojai Talk of the Town welcomes Tom Morris, a titan of the classical music world, for a deep dive into his extraordinary memoir, Always the Music: How a Lifelong Passion Framed a Future for Orchestras." With decades of leadership at the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, Tom shaped the future of two of America’s most revered symphonies. As artistic director of the Ojai Music Festival for 16 years, he brought bold programming and visionary collaborations to the forefront of contemporary music.

In Always the Music, Tom shares behind-the-scenes stories of his friendships with legends like Pierre Boulez, Arthur Fiedler, and John Williams and Michael Tilson Thomas on iconic tours, his memoir brims with insights into the artistry, genius, and grit behind world-class symphonies and public arts organizations.

Much more than a memoir, Tom's book contains insights and action plans for orchestras and arts organizations to refocus on providing transcendent experiences, to build audiences and connect communities through the transformative power of art.

Join us as Tom reflects on his transformative career, the enduring power of live performance, and the lessons he’s learned about music’s role in connecting us all. Don’t miss this candid and inspiring conversation with a master of his craft!

We did not talk about John McPhee's meditation on shad runs in the Delaware River, Josh Allen's chances of winning an MVP or the opening of the El Roblar Hotel.

Check out more about Tom at https://www.ojaifestival.org/about/leadership/thomas-w-morris-artistic-director/

Tracey Curtis-Taylor, (on the cover of the Winter OQ) is an adventurous aviator, who has retraced some of the most epic routes in flying history, from Capetown to London across the length of Africa, retracing Lady Heath's journey in 1928, and another from England to Australia, flying the same route as Amy Johnson in 1930.

She now flies a 1940 Boeing Steerman, and joins the Commemorative Air Force in Camarillo in their events.

Curtis-Taylor has created an educational program designed to get more women into flying, as the industry faces a dire pilot shortage and, with fewer than 5 percent of airline pilots as women, they need recruits.

She wrote the book, "Bird," about her epic exploits. She is now based in Ojai.

We talked about the Golden Age of Aviation, when the best engineers and pilots moved from the Wright Brothers' short hops to the first jet engines and breaking the sound barrier in 1947, an incredible period of progress and energy. She also talked about navigating the boys club of pilots, her crash landing, her upbringing between England and Canada, and much more.

We did not talk about Keep Sespe Wild, Jeremy Saulnier films, or the "Magic Art of Tidying."

You can learn more about Tracey from her website, BirdinaBiPlane.com

In a repost of a fan favorite from 2022, Laurel S. Braitman (re-)joins the podcast to talk about her most recent book, "What Looks Like Bravery: A Journey Through Love & Loss" about losing her father to cancer and finding herself in the process.

She is the Writer-in-Residence at the Stanford School of Medicine. Her work has appeared in The Guardian,[5] The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company,[6] The New Inquiry,[7] Salon,[8] and a variety of other publications. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Cornell, and a TED talk fellow.

She authored in 2015, "Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves."

Braitman is a Thacher alumni and grew up over the hill in Santa Paula. Besides her father's (and mother's) remarkable life stories, we talked about the changes we've seen in Ventura County and Ojai over the decades, the writing process, how the publishing business has changed and where it's headed, and the saga of Monarch, the grizzly on the state flag. Laurel said it was captured in the Tehachapi Mountains, I believe it was in the Sespe wilderness.

We did not talk about the Consumer Protection Bureau, Ventuckian musical genres or local mafia connections.

Check out more about Laurel at https://www.laurelbraitman.com/

In this podcast episode, Eric Goode, founder of the Turtle Conservancy and an acclaimed conservationist, opens up about his latest project, Chimp Crazy. Following the success of Tiger King, which helped pass the Big Cat Safety Act, Goode aims to do the same for chimpanzees. The show shines a spotlight on Tonia Haddix, a colorful character whose chaotic attempts to shelter Tonka, a former movie-star chimp, from PETA and the actor Alan Cumming, create the heart of the four-part series.

Beyond the entertainment, Goode dives into the broader mission of wildlife conservation, emphasizing the urgent need for legislation that safeguards these intelligent, endangered creatures.

Shifting focus to Ojai’s rich natural landscape, Goode discusses the wild terrains of the Sespe Wilderness, where mountain lions prowl, bighorn sheep roam, and a grizzly bear reintroduction program stirs hope for restoring native predators. His passion for conservation extends beyond documentaries, as he advocates for the protection of habitats and the creatures within them.

Chimp Crazy is just the beginning, and Goode’s relentless drive for change continues to pave the way for critical reforms in animal welfare. He also talks about his latest project, a deep dive ten years in the making about the exotic reptile trade and the dangerous demimonde in which traffickers live.

We did not talk about the lost technology of affixing rudders to wooden sailing ships, North Korean nuclear aims, or taimen fishing in Mongolia.

Learn more about Goode and the Turtle Conservancy at https://www.turtleconservancy.org/

Cheserae Scala is a certified Death Midwife, bringing families together around a dying loved one, facilitating the transition and providing ceremonies and sacred rites, grief counseling, death-care directives, after-death care and funeral planning.

She talked about growing up in northern Michigan to an entrepreneurial family, and how her mother's terminal cancer diagnose awoke in her the desire to serve people as they deal with inevitable. She speaks about the taboos about talking frankly about death, as well as the laws which govern in-home dying and how they discourage healing and humane practices.

We talked about own experiences with death, as she shared anecdotes about some of her experiences, cultural practices around the world, and much more. We did not discuss Shinto animism, NFL referees or Space X launches.

Scale co-owns Alquimia Wellness on El Roblar in Meiners Oaks with her husband, Dr. Eric Baumgartner. Check out their website at www.alquimia.life ...

Doug Parker is a retired attorney who worked for the legendary Len Garment in a white-shoe NYC law firm. After his narrow loss to JFK in 1960, the firm gained a new partner, Richard Nixon. When Nixon regained the White House in 1968, he brought along some of his former associates, including Doug. When the Watergate scandal broke, Parker represented President Nixon in front of the "steely-eyed Judge Sirica" during one of the most tumultuous political moments in American history (until now).

We also talked about one of his most important, and fun, cases, representing the Toronto Blue Jays as one of their players tried to get out of his contract, and major league baseball, to go the NBA and play for Red Auerbach as he built the Boston Celtics into world champions. That erstwhile infielder was named Danny Ainge.

A lifelong Cubs fan, Doug is also one of the few people to span both World Series appearances, between 1948 and 2016.

He also wrote the only authorized biography of famed humorist Ogden Nash: 'The only way to keep your marriage brimming / with love in the loving cup / whenever you're wrong admit it / whenever you're right, shut up.' Or 'Oh what a tangled web parents do weave / whenever they think their kids are naive.

We talked about the parlous state of American politics, the decades of "wait'll next year!" that Cubs and Buffalo Bills fans have endured, and why Ojai is a special place. We did not talk about walleye rigs, the Humboldt current or Japanese confections.

The long-delayed AMA episode is here! Expect to learn why I do the podcast, who's listening, and from where, future plans and projects.

Mostly, I've been gathering listeners' questions and feedback and wanted to share those with the rest of our listeners.

There's a few criticisms (ouch!) which I promise to take onboard. And a criticism or two that while well-intended, weren't well informed, so thanks for the opportunity to clarify. Any failure of communication is on me.

If I didn't ask your question, apologies, a few of the voicemails got lost in the system. Please try again. I can best be reached at [email protected] or even via the old-fangled telephone at 805-798-0177.

In the meantime, please enjoy our products and support the businesses who support us.

I didn't talk about poker bluffing strategies, apple orchard pests or how to throw a knuckleball.

www.OjaiQuarterly.com

www.OjaiHub.com

And check out the past 214 episodes of the Ojai Podcast, "Talk of the Town."

The Ojai Storytelling Festival takes place October 24-27 this year with events at the Ojai Art Center and Libbey Bowl with a roster including the country's top practitioners of this ancient art form. Bil Lepp, host of the History Channel's Man v. History show, five-time winner of the West Virginia Liars Contest and author of 28 books and audio collections, joins festival director Kara Lakes for a bracing, fast-pacing discussion.

Lepp talks about his family of storytellers, his close bonds with fellow storytellers developed after years on the circuit, and why it matters. Lakes talks about what's new this year - the story slams, workshops, special events such as Naughty Tales and renowned musical acts.

We did not talk about RFK Jr.'s whale decapitation, medieval poetry forms like the sestina or the inter-generational despair of Mets fans.

For more information on this weekend's festival, check out OjaiStoryFest.org. For more on the singularly "L'd" Bil Lepp, check out his website at https://www.leppstorytelling.com/

John Mawson returns to the podcast after successfully launching his "Unsinkable" project with partner Misha Crosby. Unsinkable follows the adventures of the 16 surviving crew members of the San Demetrio, a fuel ship abandoned on a North Atlantic convoy crossing in 1940 after being attacked by a German "Wolf Pack."

After floating at sea for several days and nights, the crew was left with no choice but to execute an audacious plan: reboard the vessel, extinguish the fire, then heroically repair the ship enough to limp through rough seas and U boats into western Scotland, navigating without charts or instruments. The 11-episode series stars Brian Cox, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, John Malkovich and Nathalie Emmanuel.

Mawson worked on this project for more than a decade before bringing it to life. The Ojai resident talked about his own career at sea as a navigator, the Age of Exploration, his own dauntless probably ancestor Douglas Mawson, his future plans for this project as a TV series and what's next for him.

We did not talk about the Atlantic Overturning Meridonial Overturning Circulation, Senegalese hip hop or Dolly Parton.

For more information or to listen to the podcast, sign up for a free trial at Wondery: https://wondery.com/shows/unsinkable/