This week, Indianapolis-based fashion designer Jerry Lee Atwood tells us how he went from embroidering behind the bar at a coffee shop to seeing his looks on the red carpet. He has a new exhibition at the Eiteljorg Museum titled "Cowboy Couture: The Fashion of Jerry Lee Atwood."

Also: we get tips from 2025 "DWNTWN Idol" winner (and returning guest) India Potter ahead of this years competition, and LaShanta Vaughn (President and CEO of Horizon Convention Center) and Carl Schafer (co-owner of Gordy Fine Art and Framing) talk about their project to fill Muncie's convention center with art. And after all that, we say goodbye to a member of the Pop team.

You've likely never heard of US Marine Oliver Sipple, who saved President Gerald Ford from an assassination attempt in 1975. His complicated story is brought to light in "Arlington, or Your Forgotten American Hero," a new play from American Lives Theatre in Indianapolis. Ahead of the play's world premiere, we welcome back Andrew Kramer (playwright) and Chris Saunders (director) from ALT—joined by Dan Nicoletta, a photographer with first-hand knowledge of Sipple's story.

Also this week, journalist and TED Radio Hour host Manoush Zomorodi jumps on for an electrifying chat about her new book "Body Electric: The Hidden Health Costs of the Digital Age and New Science to Reclaim Your Well-Being." Consider this your sign to listen to the podcast while walking...

This week, Scott Simon regals us with tales about tails! The NPR legend has a new book "Ulysses S. Cat and Other Animals I Have Known" chronicling a lifetime of remarkable relationships with pets. He even reveals which pet he named after IPR!

Also: We'll sit down with Yaniv Segal, Orchestra Indiana's Artistic Director and Principal Conductor, ahead of the final concert of their current season (Saturday, May 9). That show will open with his original composition “…the light that breathes…” We'll celebrate Mother's Day in the U.S. with "The Inside of Bones"—a Beautiful Thing from Kelly McMasters. And, our usual "WAYWO" and Arts Calendar check-ins!

This week, we join a Fencing Club class at Cornerstone Center for the Arts in Muncie! Instructor Christian Achgill (and his intermediate-level students) take Michelle and Jen through the basics—culminating in a back-and-forth bout!

Also in the show: we talk to metal artist Tracy Davidson, who's made sculptures as big as trees and as small as earrings; she explains how she started jewelry-making as a form of pain management. We'll hear three local musicians (Laura Switzer, Cari Cambridge, and Foxxy) go Behind the Song. And, "WAYWO" takes us onto the stage with Zeus Currie!

The Pop team has the week off to nurse our spring allergies, but we're listening back to some of our favorite interviews:

This week, we sit down for a conversation with educator, writer, and editor Jill Christman. Jill's most recent memoir "The Heart Folds Early" took her almost 20 years to write—emerging after multiple different iterations, pushback from publishing houses, and being shelved by the writer herself. Jill tells us why she ignored the advice she gives her writing students, and why now was the right time to finish the book.

Also: we'll speak with Alex Chadsey, bandleader of jazz trio Duende Libre, who will bring their international influences to Pruis Hall on April 23. He explains how the band came to be and what audience members should look forward to. And we once again extend our Arts Calendar to discuss "Art for the People," a weekend-long celebration of public art in Muncie!

This week, we talk to two sets of artists that have teamed up! Jenni and John Marsh just finished directing "The West Wind" at Muncie Civic Theatre. It's the third play they've written together, and they'll take us into their collaborative creative process. And: Ruthie Berkey and Randy Eyestone are both musicians in their own right, but they've teamed up for performances across East Central Indiana—including the Pop studios.

Also in this show, we get driven straight to summer with Candace Angelica Walsh's Beautiful Thing "Playing Hooky," and we'll talk with respected glass artist Brent Cole!

This week, we get a taste of culinary offerings in ECI: Prabhu Krishnan welcomes us into Bayleaf Indian restaurant in Muncie; Jeff Clark and chef Jason Reynolds from the video series "A Taste for Whiskey" banter ahead of their educational appearance at Public Media Pours; and Cheryl Crowder (Muncie Downtown Development) and Lindsay Montgomery (Aerial Annex) preview a different beverage-themed event.

We'll also take a detour Up North to hear about "Trout Lilies" with writer Ginny MacDonald.

This week... we're still recovering from celebrating our 100th episode! So we're listening back to some of favorite trips in past seasons: we find local artists on the floor of the 2025 Indiana Artisan Marketplace, we look to the skies with members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, and The Ball State Studio Band brings us into their rehearsal. We'll also have a brand new arts calendar!

This week, we're celebrating our 100th episode by doing the show live! We'll be joined by NPR's Stephen Thompson for a national perspective on pop culture right now. We'll chat with filmmaker and local history expert Chris Flook about the history of arts and culture in East Central Indiana. We'll also check in with some of our favorite "WAYWO" guests, do our Arts Calendar live, and laugh at some of the audio that didn't make it into our previous 99 episodes. Join us!