Shawn Shiflett is an Associate Professor in the English and Creative Writing Department, Columbia College Chicago, and a storyteller. Shawn received a M.A. English degree with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Central State University, Oklahoma, and a B.A. from Columbia College Chicago. He is the author of two critically acclaimed novels, his 2013 debut Hidden Place and the 2016 follow-up Hey Liberal.

He is currently working on a multicultural project: Oral Histories On Race in America, and with the first 3 parts of the series currently running in Newcity Magazine, here in Chicago. He is a Master Story Workshop® teacher and conducted in-service teacher training in that methodology for decades. He has taught Creative Writing in Prague, CZ and was a guest teacher and author at Bath Spa University, UK.

His website is www.shawnshiflett.com.

Our music today is courtesy of Gabrielle de Val and Escape Records. Their website is, gabrielledeval.com

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On this episode of Playtime, Michael Zimmerman, the author of a powerful new book, Suburban Bigamy: Six Miles Between Truth and Deceit. Ultimately this is a story about gaining perspective, recovery and a sublime assessment of fatherhood. Suburban Bigamy is available at amazon.com.

Louisiana born and raised-Chris Canterbury’s latest album is Quaalude Lullabies, an introspective collection of pure country blues. Find out more about Chris Canterbury at chriscanturburymusic.com.

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My old friend Ken Korber went from a physician assistant and surgical PA to refocus decades of bedside and patient education experience on patient education and health promotion, as a children’s book author. Korber’s “The Musical Adventures of Grace” series was inspired by his son, a cellist, about grace notes – “those minor notes that are sometimes used to give the music more flare. The result is a series of stories that can be used by parents, clinicians and educators as innovative resources to improve children’s lives and enhance reading skills, health literacy, and musical learning.

 Ken Korber is the founder of The Center for Functional Learning, a 501( c ) 3 organization whose purpose is  Bringing Together Music, Reading, and Health.

Plus 3 new albums from Bloodshot Records by Florence Dore, Julia Sanders and Ever More Nest.

eckhartzpress.com/author/kenneth-e-korber/

centerforfunctionallearning.com/author/kenkorber/

For more information of strokes, causes, prevention, and recovery visit

The American Stroke Association stroke.org

www.juliasandersmusic.com

www.florencedoremusic.com

www.evermorenest.com

On this episode of Playtime, Kerri Kendall with a Hidden History of the Song, featuring the Yardbirds. Ira Sukrungruang is a Memoirist, Essayist, Poet, and Fiction Writer. He was born in 1976 right here in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a suburb just south of Chicago. Ira is the author of three creative nonfiction) books, Buddha’s Dog and Other Meditations, Southside Buddhist, Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy, the short story collection The Melting Season, and the poetry collection In Thailand It is Night.

Ira earned his BA in English from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and his MFA from The Ohio State University. He teaches in the MFA program at the University of South Florida. And Ira is the president of Sweet: A Literary Confection, a literary nonprofit organization, and is the Richard L. Thomas Professor of Creative Writing at Kenyon College. 

 His book This Jade World is this year’s Book of the Year winner in Traditional Non-fiction. Ira’s website is: buddhistboy.com.

Libby Fischer Hellman, one of this year’s judges and a winner of last year’s Book of the Year award from the Chicago Writers Association, said this about Addio, Love Monster:  Marrocco seamlessly weaves together disparate opposites: the old with the young; the Italian “insiders” with the German and non-Italian “outsiders;” the memories of the elderly with their experience of “modern” life.

The resulting tapestry is a world where inflated egos meet their demise but retain a shred of dignity. Friendships are made or shattered. Husbands run amok. Wives threaten each other with life-long enmity but soon forgive. Death can be sudden or violent—there’s even a murder or two—but most of the time we are witnesses to the details, people, and events that shaped midcentury America…. This is fiction to be savored over time. It will charm and captivate you as it takes root in your soul...

Christina Marrocco works in memoir, short story, long fiction, and poetry. She teaches Creative Writing and other courses at Elgin Community College. 

www.writerchristinamarrocco.com

Bruce Lamont is perhaps best known for his work portraying Robert Plant in the Chicago-based tribute band Led Zeppelin 2. But a look behind that mask reveals Lamont’s exceptional experimental solo work, as well as his work with the post-punk metal bands Yakuza and Brain Tentacles, and the underground metal band Bloodiest. There are shades of Talk-Talk, Wire, Art of Noise, David Sylvain, and Kraftwerk. On Friday, January 13th and 14th Led Zeppelin 2, fronted by Bruce Lamont celebrates the 50th anniversary of the release of Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy at Chicago’s House of Blues. The band will perform that classic album in its entirety.

Find his solo work at brucelamont.bandcamp.com

The band Bloodiest at Bandcamp

Yakuza at Bandcamp

Brain Tentacles @ Bandcamp

Special thanks to Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy.

For tickets to Led Zeppelin 2 at Chicago's House of Blues.

For downtown hotel accommodations in chicago, Visit Bookings.com.

On this episode of Playtime, the words and music of England Dan and John Ford Coley with the legendary John Ford Coly. I’m your host, WC Turck.

Music truly is, to borrow a cliché, the soundtrack of our lives. I have had the honor of speaking with a number of Artists whose music highlights sublime moments of my life. Martin Barre, David Libert, Trevor Horn, Terry Kirkman from the Association, friends from the Smithereens, the great Marshall Crenshaw to name a few. Add to that list John Ford Coley, ½ the magic behind the Grammy nominated duo and a great band from the 1970s and 80s, England Dan and John ford Coley. The website is johnfordcoley.com.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Playtime with an original tale for the whole family by WC Turck, featuring Lainie Petersen.

On this episode of Playtime David Libert’s memoir… Rock and Roll Warrior, a conversation and music with I’m your host WC Turck’ To paraphrase a song by the Happenings, all David Libert wanted was Music, Music, Music. The rock and roll landscape is littered with winners and losers, but true warriors are few and far between. After a taste of life in the spotlight with the hit group The Happenings, David Libert charted a long and legendary course behind the curtain managing and representing acts such George Clinton, Alice Cooper, Vanilla Fudge and Parliament-Funkadelic to name only a few.

A link to Rock and Roll Warrior at Amazon.

And find Sussan Deyhim hauntingly beautiful music at sussandeyhim.com

Lauren LoGiudice Is a New York City comic and social commentator. She is the author of “Inside Melania: What I Learned About Melania Trump by Impersonating Her", which might be a primer for 2024. She also hosts of her own podcast, RECONCILE THE AISLE with Lauren LoGiudice, on the Radio Misfits podcast network. She has been compared to Sacha Baron Cohen and Tracey Ullman. On stage, Logiudice’s portrayal of the writer, philosopher and Holocaust survivor Hannah Arendt was noted by The New York Times as “fierce” and “beautiful.”

Her latest show sold out its debut. Ancestry Dot Comedy is the variety show for anyone who's ever looked at their family and thought: How did I get here?

Lauren's website is www.laurenlogiudice.com

Follow the link for more on Ancestry Dot Comedy

And don't miss Lauren and a host of great comics for Queer Takeover of Texas (In Manhattan),

For Reconcile the Aisle Podcast with Lauren LoGiudice, and Inside Melania, The Book, available from Eckhartz Press.

"Again the Beginner" is the latest release from Al Rose. Find his music on YouTube, Bandcamp and on Spotify. Catch him live in Chicago at the Montrose Saloon, 2933 West Montrose Ave, where Al Rose is an artist in residence every 2nd Sunday of the month, beginning at 8pm. The website is alrosemusic.com