Our choice of pets says a lot about who we are … and we are all very different. There are cat people; there are dog people; there are bird people; there are reptile people and on and on. The famlly pet can mark a child’s development for better or worse, but if a dog or cat lives out the full term of its life, it is a part of that family for 12 or 14 or 19 years. These days most marriages don’t last that long. 

Growing up in the relative innocence of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, the Philipson family dog — a female basset named Hamlet — progressed through the same stages of life as we did — puppyhood, socialization, taking place in the family constellation, motherhood … death. She even accompanied us on our two-year Paris sojourn.

And since we find ourselves in France, let us heed the wisdom of Anatole France. “Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” 

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The phrase "HIV Negative" implies the diagnosis "HIV positive," a precursor to the AIDS epidemic which decimated  The stigma, still a force in some sectors of our society, delayed the mobilization for effective treatment when the epidemic first appeared in the early 80s. It took Ronald Reagan five years to even mention the word "AIDS," although the disease had been ravaging our community. His presidency set the tone of the national response: stigma and marginalization, insufficient funding, avoidance of public discussion, delays in research, funding, and education. As the epidemic conducted its scorched earth assault on gay America, the most at-risk population spun about in anger, despair, disbelief, and denial. The last of these, sanctioned by the federal attitude of indifference, was the deadliest. Victims participated not only in their own destruction but -- wittingly or no -- brought about the death of others. (Religious condemnation played its evil part as well.)

You might think that being HIV negative during the awful years before retrovirals made the disease a manageable condition rather than a death sentence felt like a deliverance, but you'd be wrong. "HIV Negative" portrays the terrible toll the disease took on all of us through the lens of a prequel to our short, "The Knowing." It covers the span of time from the early 80s, the honeymoon of Adam and Peter in first love and ignorance of the disaster that was about to befall, to the end of the decade which saw the dissolution of their relationship, the descent of catastrophe on their community, and their differing responses.

And yet, it is not a tale of unrelieved darkness. The bond between the two ex-lovers remains.

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This episode explores the life and legacy of actor John Garfield (born Julius Garfinkel), focusing on how his Jewish roots shaped his identity, artistic choices, and political stance. Journalist Robert Nott, author of He Ran All the Way: The Life of John Garfield, recounts Garfield’s upbringing on New York’s Lower East Side, among Jewish immigrant poverty, and strict religious expectations. Rejecting his Orthodox father’s path, Garfield turned to acting, eventually joining the leftist Group Theater—a hub of Jewish-American creativity and political activism.

Garfield’s performances in the play Golden Boy and the movies Body and Soul, and Gentleman’s Agreement reflect recurring themes: the immigrant struggle, the lure of the American Dream, and resistance to systemic injustice. Body and Soul—produced independently—blended his real-life experiences with a fictional reworking of the biography of the famous Jewish boxer Barney Ross. Despite facing the Hollywood blacklist and pressure from HUAC during the Red Scare, Garfield refused to name names, an act of integrity that prematurely ended his acting career and possibly his life (he died at the age of 39)  but one that was rooted in his cultural and moral upbringing.

Garfield, though not religiously observant, remained culturally Jewish, embodying a complex, deeply American Jewish identity in both life and art.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.

Guest Info
Robert Nott, Author, “He Ran All the Way: The Life of John Garfield (2003)”
Robert Nott is an arts and entertainment writer for The Santa Fe New Mexican

Resources

Books
Nott, Robert. He Ran All the Way: The Life of John Garfield.

Plays and Movies

Odets, Clifford. Waiting for Lefty

Odets, Clifford. Awake and Sing

Odets, Clifford. Golden Boy.

20th Century Fox, Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

Hollywood Backstories: Gentlemen’s Agreement

Music

“Body and Soul” - Sarah Vaughan

“Happy Days are Here Again” - Barbra Streisand

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In the conclusion of The Artificial Grandma, Dr. Robert Philipson continues his journey through post-college drift, emotional illness, and the disillusionment of returning home. Set against the backdrop of a failed commune dream, an acid-laced revelation, and the oppressive weight of family history, Philipson navigates his internal crisis from the smoggy mountaintops of Southern California back to the bedroom of his childhood home in Pasadena. 

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.

Music

“Fun Fun Fun” - Beach Boys

“Four Strong Winds” - Ian & Sylvia

"Nuvole Bianche" - Ludovico Einaudi

"New World Symphony Scherzo" - Antonin Dvorak

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Dr. Robert Philipson reflects on the emotional limbo of post-college life in 1970s Pasadena, where returning home sparks a spiral of depression, existential doubt, and a search for meaning. Amid the decay of suburban sprawl and family disconnection, a psychedelic night with friends offers a vision of communal living rooted in shared purpose and simplicity. Philipson explores internal disillusionment with the external collapse of American ideals, crafting a powerful meditation on adulthood, authenticity, and the yearning to build a life beyond inherited expectations.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.

Music

“Yesterday Once More” - The Carpenters

“Time (Darkside)” - Pink Floyd & Tom Stoppard

“I’m Fixing a Hole” - The London Starlight Orchestra

“Sunshine Superman” - Donovan

“Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95, B.178: III Scherzo” - London Symphony Orchestra

“Aubrey” - Bread

“Big Yellow Taxi” - Joni Mitchell

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Host Dr. Robert Philipson reflects on the life of his maternal grandmother, Jeanette, tracing a family legacy shaped by mismatched love, unspoken expectations, and the emotional weight of generational silence. From her immigrant roots and ill-fated marriage to her slow decline into senility, Jeanette’s story becomes a lens through which Dr. Philipson explores maternal power, cultural identity, social aspiration, and the personal cost of dreams deferred. With wit, sorrow, and deep insight, he unpacks how the stories we inherit shape who we become.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.
shogafilms.org/podcasts

Music:

"21 Hungarian Dances, WoO 1: No. 11 in D Minor" – Johannes Brahms / Budapest Symphony Orchestra

"Symphony No. 7" – Ludwig van Beethoven / Bernard Haitink, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

"Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op. 66" – Frédéric Chopin / Nikita Magaloff

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (Instrumental Version)" –Ivy Ravenwood

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" – Karrin Allyson

"Old Folks" – John Denver

"I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" – Judy Garland

"Les Vieux" – Karaoké Playback Français

"When You Are In Love" – Mario Lanza

"Stouthearted Men" - Mila Magno

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Dr. Robert Philipson reflects on the layered history and personal meaning of his childhood home in Southern California, weaving together Indigenous displacement, colonial conquest, and postwar suburban life. As he moves room by room through The Old House, Philipson unpacks memories of joy, loneliness, family ritual, and quiet grief, transforming the house into a central character in a story about belonging, loss, and the passage of time. A meditation on memory and change, this episode speaks to anyone who has tried to hold on to the past while facing the inevitability of letting go.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.
shogafilms.org/podcasts

Music:

"A House is Not A Home" - Luther Vandross

"Home in Pasadena" - Tony Martin

"The Folks Who Live on the Hill" - Peggy Lee

"This Ole House" - Bette Midler

"El Rey" - Vicente Fernández

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In this episode, Dr. Robert Philipson interviews Mona Smith, Canada Lee's biographer,  about the rise, political assassination, and virtual erasure of this African American hero. From 1934 to 1951, Canada Lee was the most famous and revered Black actor of his day, associated -- and frequently starring -- with every landmark African American Broadway production. He broke barriers again and again by being cast in non-Black productions. Despite this, Canada Lee is virtually unknown. They discuss how his early death at the age of 45 is tied to the blacklist of the postwar Red Scare which also buried his achievements.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.

Guest Info
Mona Smith
Mona Smith is the author of Becoming Something: The Story of Canada Lee. She is a playwright, screenwriter, and former newspaper reporter. She is also a consultant to nonprofits and teaches theater and writing.

Music

“I Can’t Breathe” - H.E.R

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In this episode of Shoga Speaks, Dr. Robert Philipson interviews author Doug Century about his biography Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter, exploring the extraordinary life of Barney Ross—a Jewish boxing champion, World War II hero, and outspoken recovering addict. Born Dov-Ber Rosofsky in an Orthodox household, Ross rose from Chicago’s Jewish ghetto to become a national sports icon in the 1930s, defeating opponents in matches that symbolized resistance amid the rise of Nazi Germany. Century traces Ross’s evolution from the ring to the battlefield at Guadalcanal, where he became a decorated Marine, and later to his public struggle with heroin addiction and advocacy for drug policy reform. The episode also touches on Ross’s Hollywood ties, failed biopic, covert support for Israel’s founding, and his fading place in Jewish American memory—offering a rich portrait of resilience, identity, and legacy.

Host Info
Hosted by Dr. Robert Philipson
Robert is a former professor of African-American studies with a passion for jazz and art. A published author and Harlem Renaissance historian, he has produced multiple films about the intersectionality of race, music, and sexuality.

Guest Info
Doug Century
Doug Century is a journalist and the author of Barney Ross: The Life of a Jewish Fighter. douglascentury.com

Music

“Echoes of Sinai” - WAYA & Cafe De Anatolia

“There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight” - Bessie Smith

“Boogie Boogie Bugle Boy” - The Andrews Sisters

“You’se a Viper” - Stuff Smith & His Onyx Club Boys

“Hooray for Hollywood” - Johnny Mercer, Dick Powell, Frances Langford, Johnny Davis, Gene Krupa

“Kaddish” - Rachel Hyman

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Host Dr. Robert Philipson guides listeners through a lyrical meditation on memory, identity, and the lasting imprint of Paris. Framed by a moment of reflection on the banks of the Oubangui River in the Central African Republic, Philipson recalls the two years of his childhood spent in Paris—an experience that profoundly shaped both him and his mother, despite their outward return to American life. The episode captures the sometimes bittersweet reality of living with beauty, displacement, and the “Baudelairean longing for ailleurs” (elsewhere). As Paris fades into the past, it emerges again—through memory, art, and the riverbank reverie—as a defining and indelible presence.

Host Info:
Dr. Robert Philipson
Former professor of African-American studies and Harlem Renaissance scholar. Filmmaker and founder of Shoga Films, with a focus on the intersection of race, sexuality, and culture.
Website: shogafilms.org

Music

"J'ai Deux Amours" - Josephine Baker

"Easter" - Francis Bebey

"À la claire fontaine" - Baby Petons

"À La Tour Eiffel" - Melody Gardot & Philippe Powell

"Les rues de Paris" - Nicolas Godin

"Les Champs-Elysées" - Joe Dassin

"Sous Le Ciel De Paris" - Karrin Allyson

"Camille" - George Delerue

"Flower Duet from Lakmé" - Leo Delibes

"J'ai Deux Amours" - Dario Muller

"Les Champs-Elysée" - Igor Baranovskiy

"Sous le Ciel de Paris" - Rustem Mustafin

"Sous le Ciel de Paris" - Yves Montand

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