The DTALKS Podcast

What are you thankful for?

In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes Devan Sandiford to the show and what follows is an extremely deep and thoughtful conversation around the way we move through life as individuals and collectively as a community. It truly feels like a conversation between old friends and we can't wait for Devan to come back on the show.

Enjoy!

About Devan Sandiford

Devan is a published writer and four-time New York City Moth StorySLAM champion. His stories have been featured in the Washington Post, The Moth Podcast, Seattle NPR affiliate KNKX, Speak Up Storytelling, and several other outlets. His story—The Loudest Whisper—was chosen by The Moth to be the companion to a story told by Rev. Al Sharpton's for Black History Month 2020, and was downloaded over 1 million times and in 49 different countries as of February 2021. He is currently working on his debut book - a painfully honest memoir removing the curtain of race to reveal hard truths about how he lost his humanity and convinced himself it was no big deal until he became a dad. After finding his own voice, he founded Unreeling Storytelling—a Brooklyn-based organization providing a platform for people of color, women, and others who have been pushed to the margins of our culture.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

Ooooh boy do we have a good one for you this week!

Though Thanksgiving is on Thursday we definitely have an episode you're going to want to dig into!

In this episode Joe welcomes famous actor (and good friend) Paul T. Taylor on the podcast! Joe and Paul get into a deep discussion on the art of acting. They dig into Paul's career, the lessons he's learned along the way, and how performing the role of cult classic horror icon 'Pinhead' has impacted his life.

Enjoy!

About Paul T. Taylor

Paul T. Taylor, the grandson of a trumpet-playing vaudeville comedian, is a classically trained actor of stage, film and television. He is as comfortable in intense, macabre drama as he is in broad musical comedy.

Paul played the role of "Pinhead" in HELLRAISER: JUDGMENT, one of the most recent installments of the long-running, cult horror film franchise, which celebrated its' 30th Anniversary in 2017. For this lifelong fan of all things spooky and ooky, with Halloween being his number one holiday of all time, the role was a dream come true.

He has appeared on Broadway in The Last Empress, Off-Broadway in Aunt Chooch's Birthday, at The Kennedy Center in Shear Madness, and in dozens of Off-Off Broadway/ regional theater productions. His numerous film and television projects include SIN CITY (getting his arm broken by Mickey Roarke), SUPER (spanking a baby Rainn Wilson), SOUL MEN (with Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson), WONDERFUL WORLD (with Matthew Broderick), Prison Break, and Friday Night Lights.

Check out Paul T. Taylor on IMDB!

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes author and actor Dana L. Davis to the podcast!

Joe and Dana discuss life, representation in the media, and the art of storytelling. They also get into an in-depth conversation about her latest book "Somebody That I Used To Know".

Enjoy!

About Dana L. Davis

Dana L. Davis is a novelist and Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT's Franklin and Bash and modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC's cult series Heroes. She currently stars on the animated series Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra. Dana has guest-starred in over 20 prestigious primetime series, including 911, Scorpion, Code Black, Grey's Anatomy, and CSI. She made her film debut in Coach Carter with Samuel Jackson. In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, helping them to redefine what it means to win and lose.

About Somebody That I Used To Know

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

What does art mean to you? Are you too hung up on 'what other people will think' to allow yourself to just be?

In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan about these very topics. Shaun originally came on the podcast to discuss his latest book 'Creature' and then the conversation wove into something far deeper and expansive than either Shaun or Joe intended.

Enjoy!

About Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan grew up in Perth and works as an artist, writer and film-maker in Melbourne. He is best known for illustrated books that deal with social and historical subjects through dream-like imagery, widely translated throughout the world and enjoyed by readers of all ages. Shaun is the recipient of an Academy Award for the short animated film The Lost Thing, the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden and the Kate Greenaway Medal in the UK.

About 'Creature'

From the creator of The Arrival, a collection of essays illuminating his thoughts and advice for writers and artists, young and old. Shaun Tan is one of the world's most highly acclaimed narrative artists—his stories and images are loved by countless young and not-so-young readers around the world. Drawing upon 25 years as a picture book and comics creator, painter, and film-maker, Creature explores the central obsession of this visionary artist, from casual doodles to studied oil-paintings. Beyond sketches for acclaimed works such as The Arrival, The Lost Thing, and Tales From Outer Suburbia, this volume collects together for the first time unseen and stand-alone illustrations, each resonant with unwritten tales of their own. Detailed commentary by the artist offers an entertaining insight into the endless allure of imaginary, non-human beings and what they might tell us about our so-called "normal" human selves. Artists, writers, students, dreamers, and anyone interested in the deeper undercurrents of creativity, myth, and visual metaphor will find inspiration in these pages.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

In this super spooky episode of the podcast we welcome back actor Rebekah Kennedy to discuss her latest role, Masha, in the film 'Two Witches'. It's definitely a super spooky film and worth your time this Halloween season.

Enjoy!

About Rebekah Kennedy

Rebekah Kennedy, born in Texas, began acting on the stage. Rebekah spent all of her time doing theatre and it wasn't until after she received her B.A. in Musical Theatre from Palm Beach Atlantic University, did she truly discover the screen. When 2010 hit, it quickly showed it would be a promising year. Soon came an amazing opportunity when Rebekah booked a lead role as 15-year-old Hanna in the feature, "House Hunting" with Marc Singer and Art LaFleur and then went on to play 14-year-old Caroline Boutine in the feature, "Creature," starring Mehcad Brooks and Serinda Swan. Then came another wonderful opportunity when she booked a supporting role in the feature, "Season of the Witch" with Nicolas Cage. In 2011, Rebekah made her television debut on the TNT show, "Memphis Beat." She also had a guest star role in the long running TV show "Criminal Minds" on CBS in 2016, the lead guest star Esther Labott in The Book of Esther on "Law & Order SVU" on NBC in 2018, and as the crazy drug addict Melly Wyatt in "Station 19" on ABC. Rebekah first hit the big screen when she played the young Peasant Turk Girl in "Season of the Witch" with Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman, which landed in theaters January 7, 2011, "Creature" which opened on September 9, 2011, and then as one of the leads in the horror film "Bastard" with After Dark Films and Fox Home Entertainment which opened October 16, 2015, and "A Dark Foe" with Graham Greene and Selma Blair.

Rebekah is also heavily involved with reaching out to the homeless and has done work with the Covenant House in Los Angeles and goBE.

About Two Witches

With its super-saturated color palette, tenebrous art design and electrifying soundtrack, Two Witches presents two truly terrifying conjoined tales of witchery, paranoia and terror that hark back to the gory thrills of classic Euro horrors such as Suspiria, Shock and The Beyond.

Expectant young mother Sarah is convinced she has been given the evil eye from a mysterious blank-eyed old hag while she is dining with her bullish and insensitive partner Simon. When the couple go to visit his new-agey friends Dustin and Melissa, dark forces are unleashed after an ill-advised attempt at consulting a Ouija board to allay her fears. Meanwhile, tensions grow between grad school student Rachel and her new roommate Masha after a violent incident involving a man that the strange and impulsive young woman has brought home.

First-time feature director Pierre Tsigaridis, who also shot, edited and contributed to the film's soundtrack, singles himself out as one to watch in a deft and unnerving depiction of unspeakable evil that truly delivers.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

Woooo! I really really hope you enjoy long-form deep dive discussions on obscure corners of the Animorphs universe because that's what's in store for today's episode!

Seriously though, author Alison Ames is on the podcast to discuss her killer book "It Looks Like Us" which is, OMG, just the most perfect book if you grew up reading Animorph books, and is a great book as we etch ever closer to Halloween!

Alison was an absolute delight and she will absolutely be back on the podcast in the near future.

Enjoy!

About Alison Ames

Alison Ames is an author who writes horror young adult novels. her book to break a covenant was nominated for the colorado book award. her most recent book is it looks like us

About 'It Looks Like Us'

One week ago, Riley Kowalski joined a team of four other teens for an internship on climate change research in the Antarctic, sponsored by one of the world's largest tech companies. It was just the opportunity she had been searching for―an escape from the ridicule she'd received after a panic attack at school, a fresh start. But their small team isn't alone in the remote, frozen reaches of the polar south. In the eerie haze of evening sunlight, Riley sees something out of the corner of her eye―something that's watching them. She writes it off as the effects of her anxiety, but when their expedition leader begins to change―her limbs elongating, her body contorting―and grow violent, Riley knows the danger she feels is real. Something is stalking them, infecting them, and slowly infiltrating the team. There is more to this research trip than any of them bargained for, and if they aren't careful, none of them will make it out alive.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

It's National Coming Out Day! October 11 is considered National Coming Out Day in the United States. The day was first observed on October 11, 1988, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights as a reminder that one of the most basic tools is the power of coming out.

How fitting it is, that on today's episode Joe talks to Lauren Flans, co-host of the ever popular podcast entitled "Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole". This podcast provides a space for those within the LGBTQ+ community an opportunity to share their coming out story with the world!

Joe was fortunate enough to be a guest on the podcast earlier this year and on this episode Joe and Lauren get into a deep conversation about what Coming Out Day means to them, how we can evolve as a society, and get key insights into Lauren's upbringing!

Enjoy!

About Coming Out Pod

Lauren is gay! Nicole is bi! Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole is a weekly podcast where pals Lauren Flans and Nicole Pacent have queer folks from all walks of life tell the tales of how they came out to friends, family, and the world at large. Because who doesn't love a coming out story?!

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

Booooooo!

It's October which means we are right in the midst of Spooky Season! To kick-off October we've got author and former guest Ally Malinenko returning to the podcast to promote her latest book "This Appearing House"!

Joe and Ally get into a discussion about navigating trauma, how haunted houses have been utilized in stories over the years, and how to provide kids the resources needed to navigate this world!

It's definitely a great way to kick-off October, enjoy!

About Ally Malinenko

I live in Brooklyn which is good except when it's not which is horrid. I've been writing for awhile, and have some stuff published and some stuff not.

I don't like when people refer to pets as their children and I can't resist a handful of Cheez-Its when offered. I have a burning desire to go to Antarctica, specifically to the South Pole so I can see where Robert Falcon Scott died.

I like to read books. I write novels and poems and stories in a secret writing closet before dawn each day. Oh and I got cancer at 37. That was a bummer. Spoiler! I'm still alive.

I'm represented by the amazing Rena Rossner of the Deborah Harris Agency.

About This Appearing House

For as long as anyone could remember there wasn't a house at the dead end of Juniper Drive . . . until one day there was.

When Jac first sees the House, she's counting down to the five-year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis, when she hopefully will be declared NED, or "no evidence of disease." But with a house appearing, and her hands shaking, and a fall off her bike, Jac is starting to wonder if these are symptoms—or if something stranger is happening.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

It's time to hop in the way back machine and revisit a classic character from your childhood!

Well, a classic character from Joe's childhood at least.

In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes actor Johnny Green to the podcast. Johnny was the "skateboard kid" in the first Back to the Future movie but is perhaps most famous as the antagonistic bully Derrick Cryder on the tv show 'McGee and Me' which, if you happened to grow up in a very conservative religious household might just be the sitcom you're MOST familiar with!

Joe and Johnny get into a conversation about acting, life lessons young actors can take to heart, and speculate on where Derrick Cryder might be in 2022 if someone were to do a Cobra Kai-style reboot of the show.

Enjoy!

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/

How do you want to be remembered?

In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to author and illustrator Katie Yamasaki about her latest book 'Shapes, Lines, and Light' a book which honors her grandfather famed architect Minoru Yamasaki.

Joe and Katie get into a discussion about art, representation in media, and how to leave a legacy. It's a fantastic conversation you will thoroughly enjoy!

About Katie Yamasaki

Katie Yamasaki is a muralist and children's book artist. She has traveled widely, painting over 80 murals with diverse communities around the world that explore local issues of identity and social justice. Her children's book work focuses on similar themes of social justice and stories from underrepresented communities.

About Shapes, Lines, and Light

Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as "serenity, surprise, and delight." Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and work: his childhood in Seattle's Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska's notorious salmon canneries, his success in architectural school, and the transformative structures he imagined and built. A Japanese American man who faced brutal anti-Asian racism in post–World War II America and an outsider to the architectural establishment, he nonetheless left his mark on the world, from the American Midwest to New York City, Asia, and the Middle East.

This striking picture book renders one artist's work through the eyes of another, and tells a story of a man whose vision, hard work, and humanity led him to the pinnacle of his field.

Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!

Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!

Nostalgia is something everyone loves and Empire Toys in Keller Texas is on nostalgia overload. With toys and action figures from the 70's, 80's, 90's, and today, Empire Toys is a one-stop-shop for a trip down memory lane and a chance to reclaim what was once yours (but likely sold at a garage sale) Check out Empire Toys on Facebook, Instagram, or at TheEmpireToys.com The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!

https://blog.feedspot.com/detox_podcasts/