Prose & Cons

Paula Gillison is an author, poet, artist, and all-around inspiration! She’s got a refreshingly open-minded approach to all creative outlets and is here to share her wisdom and part of a short story!

Paula is an active blogger. You can find all kinds of goodies at her website, https://lackofbetter.wordpress.com. You can also usually find her at the monthly Writer’s Den poetry slams!

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

In another life, Brian was a painter. Inspired by the abstract expressionists and eventually found his own style, large canvas paintings with imagery of Catholic nuns. When he and his wife moved to Richmond in 1982 to find work, he was “reincarnated as a coyote,” forced to adapt in order to survive. Going back to school, King became a computer engineer. Since then, he has had a successful tech career, primarily developing architecture software.

He doesn’t paint anymore. Instead, he writes poetry. For the past seven years, Brian has embraced this new medium of expression and has been performing at open mics around town regularly. Brian’s poetry evokes a certain stillness and introspection that we loved.

This episode features several of his poems, including “Jumper,” “Memorial,” and “Government Cheese.” Poetry is cool, so give it a listen!

You can see Brian perform at Cafe Zata’s open mics (fourth Friday of every month) and at River City Poets. One of Brian’s poems, “Hurt,” will be included in the upcoming anthology, Between the Margins, which will be available this September.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

I’m doing a new thing! 

Life in 10 Minutes: Stories that are Brave and True.

When Valley Haggard came on our show, I asked if she might be interested in starting a podcast. A few months later and now, here we are! Producing the L10 podcast has been a wonderful experience for me, and I hope some of you will find it meaningful enough to give it a listen.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

The Vietnam War is a fundamental piece of our country’s history. It’s a war we see often in movies, but rarely do we get an honest, accurate portrayal.

Dave Aldridge is a force. Looming at well over 6 feet, his age does not diminish his stature or his presence. He brought three stories to this interview, all three will plunge you into his world and surprise you with their somber spirit and colorful cameos.

We met Dave at a weekly meeting of The Mighty Pen Project, a writing group comprised entirely of veterans. The group is led and taught by the prolific David L. Robbins, former P&C guest, and Richmond writing giant. If you served in the armed forces and would like to be involved, you can register here.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

Harry is the man. Staff writer for Richmond Magazine for goin’ on 27 years, longtime fixture of local theatre, author of TWO books of Richmond history and ONE upcoming novel, Carlisle Montgomery. He fit right in with us two weirdos and came with more than one funny voice!

From the author: “Carlisle Montgomery is, in her own words, ‘A six-foot-five, redheaded, pigtailed, gap-and-buck-toothed, nine-fingered, guitar-playing freak.’ Out of Richmond, Va., she fronts the Live Wires, a bluegrass band with a honky-tonk problem that they’re not trying to fix. She writes and performs what music promoter Page Wilson dubbed, ‘purebred American mongrel music.’ The Live Wires are acoustic and unplugged. It’s the 1990s, and the radio airplay world is divided between grunge and Garth Brooks.”

Harry would also like to cordially invite you–yes, you!–to the upcoming production of Hand of God put on by the 5th Wall Theater. Mr. Kollatz has been working behind-the-scenes for the 5th Wall for a long time and would appreciate your support. I would like to add personally that Richmond has a great local theater scene and you should check it out ASAP!!

Listen to us jabber about old-timey Richmond, blather on about bluegrass, hem and haw about this and that. It’s a whole lotta fun!

Follow Harry and Carlisle on social med for more updates on the book, expect it to hit shelves soon!

If you haven’t subscribed to the podcast yet… just… why? Also, please like us on Facebook, we’re desperate for friendship. We’ll pay you. Well, Dom’ll pay you. Ask him.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

Blair produces music under the name lovenloops, as a part of the creative team SolHot and its band, We Levitate. She is a producer and writer, currently penning her PhD thesis on the shared space for black girls created by SolHot, and the meditation and music that is created there.

Dom and I had a great time chatting with Blair about hip hop and poetry and beatmaking and community building and more! Her music is one-of-a-kind, like its creator.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

I first met Gail and Brittney at Ian Bodkin’s Poetry of the Whatnot reading as part of this year’s RVA Lit Crawl and knew immediately that we absolutely had to get them on the show.

Brittney Scott has a new collection of poems called The Derelict Daughter, the culmination of her writing career thus far. Much of the book focuses on her relationship with her mother, father, and brother.

Gail Giewont is a soft-spoken teacher at the Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, but her poetry shakes with a force that will surprise you. Her book, Vulture, is available through Finishing Line Press.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

Michele’s new novel, Lost in the Beehive, has a lot of buzz! That’s a little bee humor for ya. It was featured in O! Magazine last month and Patricia Smith–acclaimed author of The Year of Needy Girls, co-organizer of the RVA Lit Crawl and, most importantly, previous P&C guest–calls it “a heartbreaking, life-affirming novel that champions the radical notion that to embrace our truest self is the one thing we can do to save ourselves. These characters and their lives and this beautiful story remained in my mind long after I finished reading.”

Lost in the Beehive is a coming of age story with magical fantasy elements. It’s about life and love and growing up gay in the 60s and BEES!

Michele was a delightful guest. She reads from Catcher in the Rye, as well as from her book. We talk about bildungsromans and the joys of growing pains! She is also the author of Above Us Only Sky (2016) and The Handbook for Lightning Strike Survivors: A Novel (2010). She is welcome back anytime.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/

We landed ourselves an interview with a national bestseller! Yes sir, Prose and Cons sure has hit the Big Times. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to thank all of our devoted listeners when we win our first Podcasty, or whatever the Grammy equivalent is…

David had graciously invited us to record in his home and was idly strumming a well-worn guitar on his deck as Dom and I walked up. Before we knew it, we were seated comfortably on the second best back porch in Richmond, ice waters in hands. As I handed him the mic, he quickly grabbed a nearby candelabra and, snatching a large candle off the top, created a damned functional mic stand.

Dom characteristically bungled his “research” within the first 30 seconds of the interview, fortunately, I was there, armed with my wealth of knowledge and snappy wit.

From there, it was smoooooth sailin’! David is as gregarious as he is prolific, and he is prolific. In the second half of the episode, he reads the first two chapters from what will be his 15th published novel, Isaac’s Beacon.

This really is a fantastic episode, and well worth a listen. If you haven’t already, could you please subscribe to our humble podcast? We’d sure appreciate it.

David would like everyone to know about James River Writers, the best and biggest local organization for writers. Check our their monthly Writing Show and their annual conference.

Prose & Cons is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://proseandconsdotorg.wordpress.com/