Talk to Paulie

Paulie talks to Sarah Thom, a founding member of the cutting edge European performance group Gobsquad. http://www.gobsquad.com. Gobsquad’s “Kitchen” (inspired by the 1966 Warhol film of the same title) was performed at The Public Theatre in 2012. Innovative, moving, hilarious, tech savvy without an ounce of slickness. They have continued to bring exquisite work to NYC. Via this conversation Paulie pries into this inimitable company’s history, philosophy and practices.

Educator and director of Still Waters in a Storm, Steven Haff talks to Paul about his life changing afterschool program in Bushwick, NY

Phil Klay's book, Redeployment, won the National Book Award on Nov. 19, 2014. On this episode of Talk To Paulie, recorded in August, 2014, Paul talks to writer Phil Klay about his book, Redeployment, which takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned.

This week's guest on Talk To Paulie is one of Brooklyn's finest prose fiction writers, John Haskell. John began his career in theatre but had quick success when he published a number of his monologues in a book of short stories called, "I'm Not Jackson Pollack" in 2006. Since then John has published two novels, "American Purgatorio" and "Out Of My Skin". Regarding "Out Of My Skin" the critic at Bomb Magazine says, "Despite its deadpan tone, the novel has a strange dramatic thrust. Haskell's forte is making the most mundane happenings into cliffhangers." The interview will make you run out and read this guy!

This week on Talk To Paulie the amazing dancer and public intellectual Emily Coates. Emily danced with New York City Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Company as well as Twyla Tharp and Yvonne Rainer. She has a Masters from Yale University and now runs the Dance Studies program there. Emily redefines the boundaries between performer, academic and critic. A must listen.

This week on Talk To Paulie the guest is Mitch Epstein, an internationally renowned photographer. Mitch's photographs are in numerous major museum collections including The Met, MOMA and The Whitney. He has also published eight books of his work. The focus of Mitch's conversation with Paulie is his explosive book called "American Power". Over a six year period Mitch made forays to energy production sites and their environs. In a post 9/11 America this project brought Mitch into repeated conflicts with America's security apparatus. The best way to appreciate this interview is to enjoy Mitch Epstein's pictures while listening: http://www.mitchepstein.net/work/americanpower/index.html

This weeks guest is photographer Amy Arbus. During the 1980s, she had a monthly page in the Village Voice's style section. Her work has also appeared in The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Architectural Digest, and The New York Times Magazine. Arbus has published several books of photography. No Place Like Home, The Inconvenience of Being Born, and On the Street 1980–1990 and The Fourth Wall. Amy talks to Paulie about her latest book After Images.

This week, hear Paulie talk to one of America's premiere essayists, Phillip Lopate. The occasion for this interview is the recent release of Phillip's newest book of essays, "Portrait Inside My Head", an imminently readable, hilarious, brilliant, provocative collection that spans such topics as marital sex, novel adaptations to film, poetry, baseball, liberalism, and Phillip's tough upbringing on the streets of Brooklyn. Beside Phillip's three prior books of essays, he has also published novels, poetry and much film criticism. Phillip is funny, smart and refreshingly irreverent.

This week Paulie talks to Nellie McKay, a singer-songwriter, actor, and stand-up comedienne, noted for her critically acclaimed albums, and for her Broadway debut in The Threepenny Opera, for which she won a Theatre World Award. Nellie is as charming, smart and funny as she is politically outspoken. In this interview Nellie sings a number of beautiful songs and talks about Doris Day, animal rights, the beauty of her "death row musical" and much more.

This week Paulie's guest is the Wall Street Journal theatre columnist Lizzie Simon. Lizzie writes two regular columns for WSJ as well as occasional features. Lizzie grew up in the theatre and was the Producing Director of The Flea Theatre at twenty one years old. She is also the author of a gripping and important memoir called "Detour". The story she tells in "Detour" is one you need to know about, so please listen. Not to mention that Lizzie is so so smart, funny and charming.