In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, we sit down with artist Tom Pazderka — a Czech-American painter, sculptor, writer and thinker whose journey from communist Czechoslovakia to America as a teenager has deeply shaped his practice. Born in Český Brod in 1981 and emigrating to the U.S. at age 12, Pazderka says those early years of dual identity and upheaval still echo in his work. LUM+4LUM+4MeetFactory+4

We explore his recent achievements — his solo exhibition at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation and his award of a residency at Taft Gardens — and how his practice engages with themes of memory, ideology, home and the stark beauty of process. (Pazderka often burns wood panels, layers ash and oil paint and works in monochrome to evoke both the material and metaphoric weight of his experience.) Bender Gallery+1

We also talk about how Ojai has become both studio and sanctuary — how the landscape and quiet enable his reflections, and how this community intersects with his work of reinvention, belonging and creation. Join us for a rich conversation about art, exile, finding home and making something new out of what we leave behind.

We also talked about El Chapo Traphouse, Slavoj Zizek and Metal Gear Solid. We did not talk about Rene Girard, Martin Heidegger or Grand Theft Auto 6.

Learn more about Tom and his art at https://tompazderka.com/home.html

In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, I sit down with Randy Roth, founder of the Leather Apron Club — a twice-monthly gathering of Ojai locals committed to keeping the art of conversation alive. Modeled after Benjamin Franklin’s original “Junto” society of the 1730s, the Leather Apron Club has been meeting for the past eight years to exchange ideas on politics, environmental issues, foreign affairs, and cultural trends.

What makes the club remarkable isn’t just the breadth of topics, but the breadth of viewpoints. Members are chosen to reflect a wide spectrum of political and personal perspectives, and the goal isn’t persuasion — it’s understanding. As Roth explains, the Leather Apron Club is about creating a space where differences can be heard respectfully, where ideas can be tested, sharpened, and sometimes even transformed in the spirit of camaraderie and friendship.

The club also shares recommendations for books, films, articles, and other cultural touchstones, weaving together a community of curiosity and respectful debate. We did not talk about fly-tying knots, Amelia Earhart or molybdenum mining processes.

In an age where shouting matches often replace dialogue, Randy Roth’s Leather Apron Club stands as a local model for how civil discourse can flourish — and why it matters now more than ever.

Meet Saw and Brittany Naing — the husband-and-wife team behind Ojai’s new rock-and-roll-tinged barbecue spot, Joplin’s, and the culinary force you already know from The Dutchess. Saw is executive chef and partner at The Dutchess, where his Burmese-Indian roots shape one of Ojai’s most celebrated menus; at Joplin’s, he channels that same precision into brisket and ribs, leaning on good cuts, time, and low, slow heat.

Brittany runs the front of house at Joplin’s, setting the tone for a room that’s equal parts hospitality, comfort food, and guitar-amp energy. Instagram+4The Dutchess+4Saveur+4

We talk about the juggle — how you staff and multi-task across two restaurants — and why culture beats chaos in a busy kitchen. Saw traces his path from Bouchon and Tallula’s to becoming chef-partner at The Dutchess, and, yes, his years as a guitarist (with a soft spot for nu-metal like Korn) before kitchens became his stage. Brittany shares how the couple met working in LA restaurants, and why Joplin’s leans into “food, drinks, and rock & roll” without losing sight of the essentials.

Plus: why Niman Ranch ribs, a dialed-in brisket, and a FOH that truly sees guests are the secret to Ojai’s newest staple. Instagram+6Variety+6Eater LA+6

We talked about the daily grind, weightlifting and superior sides. We did not talk about Mickey Mantle's off-the-field antics, bauxite production in Western Australia or the Flying Dutchman.

Learn more at https://www.joplinsojai.com/ or https://www.thedutchessojai.com/

SPECIAL EPISODE:

This week, we dive into the heart of storytelling and community as we gear up for the 30th annual Ojai Storytelling Festival, taking place this Thursday through Sunday (October 23-26) in the beautiful Ojai Valley. I’m joined by two remarkable voices behind the festival: Kara Martin Lakes, the Executive & Artistic Director of Performances To Grow On, which produces the Festival; and Regi Carpenter, internationally acclaimed storyteller and master of ceremonies for the weekend.

What we talk about

• Kara walks us through this year’s schedule — community-free events, workshops, the iconic Sunset Soirée celebration, the Story Slam, and how the festival is being brought into the heart of the town. Ojai Story Fest+2Ojai Story Fest+2

• Regi reflects on what it means to tell a story — and to hear one — in our modern age, and why the spoken word still has the power to move, to heal, and to connect. Ojai Story Fest+2Ojai Story Fest+2

• A candid conversation about facing financial hurdles: how the Festival is navigating the loss of a key $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and what it says about sustaining arts in a small town in today’s environment.

• How the Festival is intentionally reaching into the community — schools, youth outreach, inclusive programming — and why Ojai is the perfect place for this kind of gathering. ojaiwomensfund.org+1

• A moving (and hilarious) moment from Regi: a story about her mother buying a piano — how a seemingly simple act became a rich metaphor for memory, legacy, and resilience.

• Tips for listeners: how to get the most out of this year’s festival, whether you’re coming for one show or planning a whole-weekend pass.

• And: Why you might consider adding a story to your toolbox — not only as a listener but as a teller.

Why this matters
The Ojai Storytelling Festival isn’t just another arts event. It’s a gathering where stories live out loud under the oaks, where children in our valley hear voices from around the world, and where the tradition of the spoken word reminds us that despite technology, despite the hustle, what really brings us together is story. The Santa Barbara Independent

Listen in if

• You’re curious about the behind-the-scenes of a 30-year-old festival.

• You’ve ever wondered how arts organizations survive budget setbacks and keep community alive.

• You love storytelling or want to start telling your own.

• You’re local — or thinking of making the drive to Ojai — and want a preview of what to expect.

What makes a city fertile ground for creative reinvention? In this episode, we sit down with Fred Fisher, one of the architects immortalized in the iconic 1980 photograph on the sands of Venice Beach, and now a pillar of the Ojai community.

The photo, taken by Abe Pildas of Fisher, Robert Mangurian, Eric Owen Moss, Coy Howard, Craig Hodgetts, Thom Mayne, and Frank Gehry for Interiors Magazine, captured a very specific moment when LA, viewed as a backwater, was about to take its place among the front rank of cities for design and innovation, largely because of the work of these "rebel architects."

Fred was recently featured in Rebel Architects: From Venice to the World Stage, a new 12-part documentary hosted by Frances Anderton, revisiting those heady years in L.A. when low rents, maverick ambition, and cross-disciplinary collision yielded landmark architecture. World-Architects+2Archinect+2

In our wide-ranging conversation, we explore:

• What “place” means to a designer — and how 1970s–80s L.A. left indelible marks on its built environment

• The shift from being perceived as a cultural backwater to becoming a global arts hub

• Fred’s role in that transformation — creative risks, collaborative intensity, and surprising mistakes

• How his identity as an Ojai neighbor and arts advocate shapes his perspective today

This episode is for anyone curious about the alchemy of architecture, community, and time — and how one generation’s restless ambition becomes the foundation for the next. We did not talk about mahseer fishing in the Himalayas, jai alai or the literary stylings of Nelson Algren.

Tune in and step into that moment with us. Check out the documentary at https://www.world-architects.com/en/architecture-news/film/watch-the-first-episode-of-rebel-architects and learn more about Fred and his works at FisherPartners.net.

On this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, I sit down with composer, songwriter, and sound designer Stephen Geering — whose music you’ve likely heard even if you haven't heard his name. Growing up in a deeply musical family (his mother, Jenny, was a concert pianist and teacher), Stephen began his musical education at age seven, learning piano and classical music in Chicago and Ravinia.In Geer Music

From there, he forged a path that spans studio albums, video game scoring, commercial work, and soundtrack composition. After postgraduate studies in scoring at UCLA under Don Ray, his original songs began to draw attention, which opened doors to composing for television, commercials, and ultimately the booming world of interactive gaming.In Geer Music+2IMDb+2

We dive into his time creating music for major studios and game publishers, his creative process when shifting between musical genres and media formats, and how he maintains artistic identity in commercial work. Stephen also shares how he and his wife Dawn — an attorney — chose Ojai as home, and how they became involved in nurturing music education and youth programs such as the Ojai Music Festival's Bravo! Program with their daughter.

We talk of ambition and adaptation, of composing as storytelling, and of the joys and challenges of being both a commercial and personal artist. We did not talk about new discoveries at Pompeii, Germanic diphthongs or Czech nymph fishing.

He also also offers sound (sorry, couldn't resist) for young people seeking a career in music. If you’ve ever wondered how a musician builds a life out of sound, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss. To learn more about Stephen and his fascinating career, point your browser to ...

https://www.ingeermusic.com/about.html

This week on Ojai Talk of the Town, I sit down with Brian and Lisa Berman, two longtime Ojai residents whose life together has been devoted to peace, reconciliation, and healing.

Their journey began in Germany at a Holocaust memorial event: Brian, a sculptor who lost family to the Holocaust, and Lisa, a German citizen searching for ways to understand and repair her nation’s history, met in that powerful moment of remembrance. From there, their partnership became a shared mission.

As co-founders of Awakening Peace, the Bermans have spent decades fostering dialogue, compassion, and creative solutions to conflict. In recent years, their work took them to Poland, where they lived during the height of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, supporting refugees and promoting peace initiatives in a country on the edge of war. They’ve also carried their message to global conferences and workshops — from Hiroshima to international peace councils — building bridges where division has sown pain.

In this episode, Brian shares how his sculpture embodies resilience and remembrance, while Lisa talks about her work as a naturopathic healer and counselor, helping individuals and communities find inner resources for peace. Together, their story is a reminder that healing history and shaping a more compassionate future are possible when art, spirit, and activism unite.

We did not talk about the Wannsee Conference, Rommel and Montgomery in Northern Africa, or the Great Swift-Kelce Convergence. Check out https://awakeningpeace.org to keep up-to-date with the Bermans.

It's a deep and inspiring conversation - a perfect antidote for the low simmer of nihilism and pessimism so prevalent today.

Brian and Lisa Berman’s story begins in one of the darkest chapters of human history and arcs toward a lifelong dedication to healing and peace. Brian, an award-winning sculptor whose relatives perished in the Holocaust, and Lisa, a German citizen struggling to reconcile her country’s past, first met at a memorial event in Germany. That moment of shared reckoning became the foundation of a partnership that has spanned decades and continents.

Together, they founded Awakening Peace, an organization devoted to cultivating compassion, reconciliation, and community. From their years living in Ojai to their time on the ground in Poland helping Ukrainian refugees, the Bermans have worked where peace is most urgently needed. They recently traveled to Hiroshima for the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, carrying their message of remembrance and resilience to the global stage.

In this episode, we talk about their lives in Ojai, their international peace work, and the deep connection between art, healing, and humanity. We did not talk about the Ojai Studio Artists Tour Oct. 11-13, the Storytelling Festival, Oct. 23-26 or the Ojai Film Festival, Nov. 6-10.

For more information on the Bermans, or to help their cause, visit AwakeningPeace.org.

What happens when you give young adults leaving foster care more than just a roof over their heads? At Mesa Farm on Ojai’s East End, the answer is dignity, stability, and a real chance at self-sufficiency.

With ten tiny homes nestled among citrus orchards, vegetable plots, and honeybee hives, Mesa Farm is more than a facility — it’s a launchpad. Residents, ages 18–24, gain practical skills like interviewing, résumé building, and financial literacy while also tending the land and connecting with a supportive community of staff and volunteers.

In just its first year, Mesa Farm has already celebrated success stories: young people transitioning off the property into jobs and independent lives. The stakes couldn’t be higher — nationally, more than half of foster youth face homelessness when they age out of the system.

In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, I sit down with Dan Parziale, Mesa Farm’s executive director, for his second appearance on the podcast. We talk about the progress made in year one, the challenges ahead, and why Ojai is uniquely positioned to nurture a brighter future for some of our most vulnerable young neighbors.

We did not talk about tensions in the Nagorno-Karakh region, Canadian exchange rates or Jimmy Kimmel.

You can check out more about Mesa at https://www.mesafarm.org/

Isaac and Thorald Koren — known to many as The Kin—spent decades chasing the bright lights of the music industry. They toured the world, opened for Coldplay, P!NK, and Rod Stewart, and signed with major labels. But along the way, they discovered that the most powerful stage isn’t a stadium — it’s the human heart.

In this episode of Ojai Talk of the Town, the Brothers Koren share the story behind their upcoming album, The Long Way Home, out this October. (Listen through the end of the episode for a sneak listen to the title track.)

They also reflect on the moment they stepped away from the traditional industry grind to launch The Songwriter’s Journey and Your Big Voice — transformational programs designed to help anyone reclaim their authentic expression through music.

From boardrooms at Google and AMEX to retreat centers like Esalen and Omega, Isaac and Thorald have guided thousands of voices — from shy first-timers to seasoned executives —i nto a deeper relationship with creativity and self-worth. Along the way, they’ve become award-winning educators, Webby-recognized creators, and champions of a voice-positive world.

Join us for a conversation about music, transformation, and what it really means to “take the long way home.” We did not talk about our favorite Food Tubers, the Shepherd Tone or Julian Jaymes' theory of the bicameral mind.

To learn more about their transformative work, check out BrothersKoren.com