The Pivotal Stories Project

Mike Pagliarini is a critically acclaimed chef who, along with his wife Pam Ralston owns the sensational restaurant Giulia, in Cambridge Massachusetts, as well as their forthcoming sister restaurant Moeca, which will be opening this spring right around the corner from Giulia.

In part one of our conversation, Mike and talk about the importance of where their food comes from, how place has been central in his journey to becoming a chef, whether he cooks at home, and how much he relies on his team at Giulia. 

Jaymie Campbell is an artist, with her art taking the form of fashion, photography, writing, and most notably, jewelry making, which is how I became aware of her. 

Jaymie is Anishnaabe, and a member of Curve Lake First Nation. She was born in western Canada, spent her teens in Ontario, and now resides in British Columbia.

After graduating college with degrees in Biology and Outdoor Recreation, she worked in negotiation and protection of land with the Cree community in Alberta. She had the privilege of working with elders and other knowledge keepers which contributed to moving her deeper into her calling as an artist. She has developed quite a following on Instagram, and her goal is to share her creations, both with indigenous communities, and the world at large.

In our conversation today, we talk about how being connected to the earth is vital, the respect of elders in her community, and her definition of art. And I can say with relative certainty that this will be the only place where you can learn how much effort and time goes into tanning a hide. 

Kevin Salem grew up playing guitar in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  Since then he has played with countless bands, including Dumptruck, Yo La Tengo,Chris Harford, Freedy Johnston, and Rachel Yamagata, produced records for many more, and also released a number of critically acclaimed solo records including Soma City and Glimmer.

After stints living in Boston, London, and New York City, Kevin landed in bucolic Woodstock, NY, where he has lived for the past two decades now.

Kevin is eminently likable, humble, and insightful, so I hope you enjoy this conversation. And as a bonus, you also get treated to some of his creativity, as all of the music you will hear in today’s episode was written and performed by Kevin. Enjoy.

Kevin Salem grew up playing guitar in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  Since then he has played with countless bands, including Dumptruck, Yo La Tengo, Chris Harford, Freedy Johnston, and Rachel Yamagata, produced records for many more, and also released a number of critically acclaimed solo records including Soma City and Glimmer.

After stints living in Boston, London, and New York City, Kevin landed in bucolic Woodstock, NY, where he has lived for the past two decades now.

In part 1 of our conversation, Kevin talks about the importance of story and place, coming out to his family as a musician, his bout with Lyme disease, the joy of playing guitar, and meeting Pete Townsend.

Kevin is eminently likable, humble, and insightful, so I hope you enjoy this conversation. And as a bonus, you also get treated to some of his creativity, as all of the music you will hear in today’s episode was written and performed by Kevin. Enjoy.

Today, we continue our conversation with Andre Dubus III.

His novel House of Sand and Fog was a New York Times bestseller was made into an Oscar-nominated film. His memoir, Townie was also a New York Times bestseller, and his work has been nominated for a National Book Award and featured on countless Best of lists. He has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Magazine Award for Fiction, and two Pushcart Prizes. Andre also teaches full-time at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. 

Today, Andre and I discuss violence and its evolution, both in his writing and in his life, the difference between reacting and responding, the power of working with your hands, the importance of giving, and Bruce Springsteen. Enjoy.

Andre Dubus III is the author of numerous works of fiction, including The Cage Keeper and Other Stories, The Garden of Last Days, Blues Man, and his most recent work of fiction, Gone So Long.

His novel House of Sand and Fog was a New York Times bestseller and was made into an Oscar-nominated film, starring Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connolly. His memoir, Townie,  was also a bestseller and his work has been nominated for a National Book Award and featured on countless best-of lists.

He has been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, the National Magazine Award for fiction, two Pushcart Prizes, and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award in Literature. His books have been published in over 25 languages, and he teaches full-time at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell.

In part one of our conversation, Andre and I talk about the importance of story, the power of connection being present, and why he doesn't own a cell phone.

What is a pivotal story and why are they important.