This week, we’re trading in the familiar narratives for some new, previously-unheard ones: a plus-sized coming-of-age story, a pair of young poets of color and a lost classic of black female film making. Plus, a tribute to the late Dick Dale and a new weekly segment, replete with ideas for how to spend your weekend.

Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like we’re lacking in heroes. This week, we’ve got a collection of tales to prove valor is anything but dead. Meet the comic book writers investing in the tenacity of teens, an all-female string quartet playing the classics on their own terms, and a London-based musician keeping the demons at bay.

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that art can be a powerful, trailblazing force. Art is so much more than an oil painting hung on a gallery wall. We use art as a tool for imagining new possibilities, forging better lives. This week, we’re talking with folks who are expanding the boundaries of their field, from comics to radio to civic works.

This episode originally aired on November 3, 2018.

If you’ve been feeling like the lines are blurring between the America you imagined and the America we all live with, take a listen. We found some incredible artists and writers addressing the magical thinking and fantasies that shaped our world.

In the age of ephemera, fleeting tastes and snapshots can leave the most indelible experiences. Artists reflect on what endures and what satisfies.

Luz Mendoza of the band Y La Bamba shares the inspiration for her new album, “Mujeres.” Portia Sabin talks to us about the KRS produced Bratmobile podcast series, "Girl Germs." Plus, some of the major players in the podcasting industry weigh in on their rapidly expanding medium.

It’s all about perspective. Does anything ever really change, or do we — the observers — merely shift our thinking? On this week’s show, we examine how Oregon’s artists, historians and public employees are rewriting our collective story. From pioneer history to contemporary arts policy, big changes are underway.

Ever found yourself in a room full of people, feeling totally and overwhelmingly alone? Don’t worry — there’s art for that. This week, we take a look at how local artists are exploring the meaning of longing and connection.

When the going gets tough (and we mean really, really tough) what pulls you back from the edge? For some folks, it’s revisiting a favorite poem; for others, it’s about finding something -- anything -- to laugh at, even when the circumstances are hardly humorous. From historic preservation to nuclear fallout, this week’s show proves there’s no one way to survive.

It may seem like the art world depends on gatekeeping: deciding what art goes in museums, which songs will get played, who gets the grants. But sometimes, the gates swing in ways we might not have expected. What seems like fringe turns out to be fundamental. This week, we take a look at the evolving standards of who and what is included in the world of art.