Random Acts of Knowledge

With an exhibit on display at Joe McCauley Gallery, sculptor Laura Primozic George takes a closer look at environmental issues and introduces a unique point of view on the matter.

Primozic George was inspired by the persistence of moss: growth that is often overlooked, stepped over, or scraped aside. 

Her series "In Between the Cracks' combines formed concrete and other materials with live moss.

View the transcript here.

The innovative rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch revolves around a lead character who steps between and over boundary lines. 

Actor Kate McConville discusses their approach to the role of Hedwig and the impact of the play on the audience and for them, personally.

View the transcript here.

From first-time crushes to enemies-turned-lovers, the stories that populate the world of romance fiction enrapture millions.

From a writer's standpoint, there are challenges in creating a compelling work of romance fiction. The art of writing romance combines the balance of sticking to a specific style with just enough originality to engage the reader.

Julie Navickas, author of the Trading Heartbeats trilogy, discusses how writers can approach crafting stories in the world’s best-selling genre.

View the transcript here.

If one has not experienced prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping personally, it can be difficult to see an environment that perpetuates bias toward others.

The first step toward creating a welcoming and equitable space is to start with self-examination.

Angell Howard is an educator and business consultant.  In this episode she discusses identifying cultural biases, understanding and addressing microaggressions, and talking about racism.

View the transcript here.

Equity across the healthcare industry doesn't end with access.  Patients can be marginalized by practices that don't acknowledge the complete picture of an individual's situation or background.

Efforts are being made to educate practitioners to recognize barriers to quality care for vulnerable populations.  In this episode, a health care professional, and a patient advocate discuss gaps in addressing gender diversity, LGBTQ+ identities, and historically marginalized populations.

View the transcript here.

Sculptor Emma Oliver makes knit and crochet techniques to create engaging, and sometimes unlikely works that challenge the viewer to investigate thoughts about boundaries.

In the exhibition “Have Your Cake” the artist’s knit and crochet sculptures depict shapes like multi-tiered cakes, which are designed to surprise with their realistic look while remaining inedible. 

In this podcast, Oliver discusses what inspires her ideas and how she came to sculpt with yarn.

View the transcript here.

Author and sociology professor Cristina Prestin-Beard discusses her effort to take lessons from her life–warts and all–to help others gain perspective with her unique memoir "Finding Mercy in the Madness."

View the transcript here.

The documentary film 'San Isidoro 2021' shows a typical day during the COVID-19 pandemic at a public high school in Seville, Spain.  As staff and students work to simply teach and learn, the pandemic challenges many regular tasks. 

Director Carlos Pineda Gonzalez discussed making the film, and what he took away from the simple observation of people trying their best to carry on during a global health crisis.

View the transcript here.

Approximately 400,000 individuals are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Perhaps the most famous of those are soldiers whose names are not known.

The Tomb of the Unknown Solider is the final resting place for a group of servicemen who remain unidentified. The Tomb is guarded 24-7 by a detail of solders who stand long hours and conduct specific rituals.

Matt Kreeb served served as a Tomb guard for over three years. His service was interrupted in a surprising way. He says his experiences at the Tomb resonate with him even today.

View the transcript here.

Joking around at work might not sound like it would help with productivity, but members of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor beg to differ.

The president of the AATH says that research shows a little humor in the workplace goes a long way.  he key is knowing the right (and wrong) way to inject the funny into the workday.

View the transcript here.