Writer Michael Mora joins me to discuss Donald Trump's historic performance among Latino voters in the 2024 election, which should not have come as a surprise to Democrats and pundits.

You will hear:

• How the party bases are treated by Republicans versus Democrats when it comes to speaking out against the radicals amongst them
• Why Democrats need to divorce themselves from the term “Latino” and how assuming all people with this ethnic origin are the same has backfired when it comes to getting the vote
• Strategy for changing the outreach towards Latino voters based on their own concerns, rather than assuming that all “Latino” issues (mass deportation, etc) will impact them equally
• How the Trump campaign was able to reach these voters
• And more!

Links:  

Michael’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/m3writer.bsky.social

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

The Avengers (no, not those Avengers) remains my favorite TV show, so I'm thrilled to speak with author Michael Scott Phillips to discuss his book, Quite Quite Fantastic! The Avengers for Modern Viewers (The Grande Marque Edition). Pop open the champagne, watch out for diabolical masterminds, and enjoy.

You’ll hear:

• Michael’s interest in British cult (classic) television
• How the filming of shows like The Avengers hold up against other shows of its era and how they still hold up to similar shows filmed today
• How the different characters play off each other, giving each pairing the perfect chemistry
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Michael Scott Phillips is an author, graphic designer, and oil painter. Mainly, he writes space opera, though he doesn't feel bound by any particular genre and tends to write whatever idea thrills him. He also enjoys film photography, SF television shows, classic films, and developing alien languages and symbols—such as his semasiographic language, Astivian.

Michael’s debut science fiction novel, When Morpheus Overslept, is a space opera about a brilliant physicist who is trying to develop a faster-than-light drive system but instead crash-lands on a distant planet in the far future. Cornered by a terrifying alien in a ruined city, he discovers that telepathy is the key to escaping and saving an entire star system of peaceful insectoid aliens.

Michael also wrote Quite Quite Fantastic! The Avengers for Modern Viewers, the definitive book on the classic television shows, The Avengers and The New Avengers. His articles on cult television have been published in the magazine Chromakey.

Link:  

Michael’s website: https://michaelscottphillipsauthor.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

This week we are taking a break from natural disasters and political mayhem to have a pleasant conversation with Oregon’s Mallory Smith from Alt Wine Fest.

You will hear:

• How Mallory got into wine thanks to the owner of a wine and beer bar
• How she teaches wine classes based on the history and geography of wine using writing and storytelling
• The creation of the Alt Wine Fest with her partner, Martin
• The history of grapes/wine in Oregon pre- and post-prohibition and how to look at more than Pinot Noir for a great Oregon wine
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Mallory Smith and Martin Skegg started the annual Alt Wine Fest in 2019 as a way to celebrate the 80-odd grape varieties in Oregon that aren’t pinot noir. They wanted to put the spotlight on these ‘alternative’ grapes, moving it away from pinot, which dominates production and the conversation around wine in Oregon.

Since then they’ve highlighted dozens of different grapes (including some esoteric varieties you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country), and showcased the passionate, resolute—possibly crazed—winemakers who see the future in asking “What else?”

The mission now is to continue to spread the word about the flip side of Oregon and its pioneering winemakers—while hooking people up with the most exciting wines in the country.

Links:  

Alt Wine Fest: https://www.altwinefest.com/

Sunday School Wine Society: https://sundayschoolwinesociety.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

On this week’s bonus episode, Stephen is joined by actor, writer, and comedian Tess Rafferty. They discuss her wonderful Kat Kelly mystery series and how mysteries can provide a much-needed escape and catharsis during America’s slow creep toward fascism. 

You will hear:

• The inherent interest and sexiness brought out in mystery stories
• How the election in 2016 impacted Tess’ writing
• How much of what we see in entertainment today is an impact of the Trump era of the past decade
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Tess Rafferty: Writer for TV. Author of the Kat Kelly mystery series. Columnist for Dame and Ms. Day drinking enthusiast. Caftan aficionada. Yes, I was in that video where I called Trump supporters a bunch for racists.

Links:  

Check out Tess's Substack newsletter, Recipes for the Resistance: https://tessrafferty.substack.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Author and playwright Laramie Dean (Black Forest) joins me for The Play Typer Guy's second annual Halloween special! This time, we're celebrating the witchy women of the Marvel Cinematic Universe! (Spoiler Alerts for Agatha All Along included)

You will hear:

• Witches in fiction, from the Weird Sisters in MacBeth to Maleficent and the Evil Queen in Snow White, among others
• Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the aftermath of WandaVision and The Scarlet Witch’s take over of an entire town with her ability to reshape reality and mind control
• Queer representation in the show without it being made into a major plot point or shown as code for the “bad” character minority group
• Witches (women in power) and how they are typically shown to be unable to handle the power, which is why they go off the deep end
• Why we like our witches to be terrifying
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Laramie Dean was born and raised on a ranch in northeastern Montana. He is the author of Black Forest, a novel from Inkshares, as well as several plays from Theatrefolk, including Frankenstein Among the Dead, Dracula, The Gorgon Sisters, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Finding Jo March. Currently, Laramie enjoys his dream job as the Theatre Director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana.

Links:  

Laramie Dean’s website: https://www.bylaramiedean.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this week’s episode, Florida state senator Shevrin Jones discusses the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, climate change, and the Democrats’ chances in this year’s elections.

You will hear:

• Policy conversations that need to be happening, even in states like Florida where the current government officials want to wipe anything to do with climate change off the map, especially with an annual hurricane season that seems to be getting worse every year
• Why Republicans are more focused on excluding marginalized communities in lawmaking than on solving problems that affect all Americans
• How gerrymandering impacts the voices of the people at the ballot box, including silencing those who don’t serve the purpose of the current party in power
• Is Florida actually a red state or is it a purple state that has been demoralized?
• And more!

Guest Info: 

A Florida native, born and raised in Miami Gardens (Carol City), Shevrin Jones has called West Park home for nearly two decades. After teaching A.P. Chemistry in Broward County Public Schools, he served as Executive Director of South Florida Reading Corps. He also founded South Florida Youth Summit, the largest gathering of young people in South Florida, and LEAD Nation, one of South Florida’s top organizations for leadership training. As a teacher, leader, and legislator, Shev has always fought to expand opportunities for our kids.

Before his election to the State Senate, Shev served in the Florida House from 2013-2018. From advocating and securing funding for youth mentoring to championing legislation that increases transparency between the public and law enforcement, he consistently fought for real change. Shev has a track record of working collaboratively to get the job done for our community, even as a member of the minority party.

Links:  

Shevrin Jones website: https://shevrinjones.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

This week, Noah Berlatsky from the Everything Is Horrible newsletter joins me to discuss CNN's misinformation campaign against Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

You will hear:

• How CNN moved the news cycle focus away from Republican Mark Robinson’s declaration of being a “Black Nazi” to smear Representative Tlaib as anti-semetic after expressing concern for anti-Palestenian bias shown by Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, after charges were filed against students at the University of Michigan protesting ongoing war crimes against Palestinian people in Gaza
• How openly lying about antisemitism where none exists is dangerous to all, particularly to progressive Jewish people
• Why the right tends to focus on college campus protests as a way to infiltrate educational institutions in order to squash progressive efforts to fight fascism and anti-democratic policies (such as anti-abortion laws or raising the voting age, etc.)
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Noah Berlatsky has worked as a writer for twenty years, focusing on a wide array of topics for audiences including academics, popular audiences, high school students, and children. 

Noah’s book, Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948 was published in early 2015 by Rutgers University Press.

His reviews and essays have appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, NBC Think Online, Pacific Standard, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Guardian, Media Matters, Salon, the Awl, Slate, the Chicago Reader, The Escapist, Esquire, Reason, the Dissolve, the Baffler, and many other publications. 

Links:  

Everything is Horrible: https://www.everythingishorrible.net/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Democrat Ruwa Romman made history in 2022 as the first known Muslim woman elected to the Georgia House of Representatives. The granddaughter of Palestinian refugees, she’s also the first Palestinian-American elected to any office in the state. 

I had the opportunity to speak with Rep. Romman about the upcoming election and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. 

You will hear:

• Ruwa’s unusual story of how she got into office
• How she came to be in Georgia with grandparents who were forced out of their homes in Palestine
• The difference between attempting to interact with the Biden White House regarding the conflict in Palestine/Gaza/Israel versus the access to the Harris Campaign
• How focusing on local campaigns can lead to bigger things as leaders move up
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Ruwa is passionate about politics, civic engagement,  interfaith dialogue and community service. As an organizer, policy analyst, and public speaker, she works to empower communities and everyday people to become more civically engaged!

Last year she leveraged her platform to inform thousands of Georgians how to get involved in the 2020 elections, and worked as a field organizer for Asian American Advocacy Fund. Ruwa also helped establish the Georgia Volunteer Hub to train the influx of Georgia and national volunteers while connecting them to local Georgia organizations. Ruwa has volunteered in every election cycle since 2014 to help flip Georgia blue. In the past, she also worked as a Field Organizer for the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, as well as served as Communications Director for CAIR Georgia.

Ruwa was born in Jordan and is the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees. Her family moved to Georgia when she was 7 years old. Ruwa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Oglethorpe University in 2015 and a Masters in Public Policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University in 2019. Ruwa currently works as a senior consultant for a professional services management company assisting government agencies and other stakeholders by advising, implementing, and developing improved strategies to deal with major public policy issues at the local, state, and federal level.

Through her diverse set of experiences, Ruwa will be ready on day one to tackle the tough challenges facing our state and to provide the leadership that District 97 deserves.

Links:  

Rep. Romman's website: https://www.ruwa4georgia.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

(Recorded before President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign on July 21)

Democrats in tough races this year are asking the incumbent president and presumptive nominee Joe Biden to step aside. This is unprecedented, so political analyst Cliston Brown joins me to unpack why the Biden re-election campaign has become the Hindenburg after the explosion. Can the president turn this around and why is he struggling against a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist? Does it really just come down to Biden's age and the price of eggs?

You’ll hear:

• The correlation between presidential candidate votes and votes for Congressional races
• How “strong and wrong” can tend to win out over “weak and right”
• Why the “average” voter might still vote for Trump over Biden, even with all of his faults and poor performance previously
• The problem when Democrats spend more time talking to each other than trying to explain to non-Democrats why their options are better
• The importance of having a strong “bench” of party leadership in the wings, rather than the one and only option
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe. Additionally, he was a regularly scheduled weekly guest (“Listen to Cliston”) on The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show on Radio Monterey, and also has appeared on “Inside Story” on Al Jazeera English; A News (Istanbul, Turkey) with Andy Boyns, Zaviar Ahmed and Mark Mourad Hammami; India Ahead with Neha Khanna; “Left, Right, Center” with David Webb on the Sirius XM Patriot Channel; “The DeMaio Report” with Carl DeMaio on KOGO-600 AM San Diego; the CY Interview with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein; and “Millennial Talk” with Chelsea Krost. He has been mentioned in the Boston Herald, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, in Reason magazine’s “Hit and Run” blog and on Vox.com, among others, and he has spoken before numerous business and trade groups on U.S. elections.

Brown has had particular success in pinpointing key Congressional races and projecting the number of seats won by each of the major political parties every two years starting in 2006.

On average, Brown has projected the final composition of the U.S. House of Representatives within 7.5 seats and the U.S. Senate within 1.222 seats. In the most recent election, he correctly predicted every U.S. Senate race.

In the 2012 election, Brown correctly called 49 of the 50 states in the presidential race, missing only President Obama’s razor-thin victory in Florida. He also called the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House within one seat of their final compositions.

Brown began his career as a journalist in the Chicago area in 1994, covering government and politics, intellectual property law, international business issues, education, and law enforcement. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2001, where he served for two years as director of communications for U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Indiana), then transitioned back into the private sector as a communications professional and political analyst in the insurance industry, holding positions in Washington, Chicago and San Francisco.

A Midwesterner born and raised

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

The showgirl scholar herself, Sailor St. Claire — also known as Stevi Costa, joins me to discuss her work at the Noveltease Theatre in Seattle and the state of theatre during what the government at least considers the post-covid period.

You’ll hear:

• How Noveltease Theatre uses burlesque to drive storytelling forward, harkening back to how burlesque started in the U.S. back in the 1880s
• How the theatre chooses what works to interpret and how to make it more gay, looking into how to create a queer reading or understanding of the story
• Stevi’s background in academics and literature and how it affects her interpretation of stories
• Her experience with the COVID shut down in 2020 and how the company handled the months/years to follow
• The challenges of rebuilding an audience after the shutdown
• The value of participating in a collective experience rather than watching entertainment at home in your robe
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Sailor St. Claire (Stevi Costa) (she/her) is the Artistic Director of Noveltease Theatre whose mission is to create community through storytelling by reviving the historical artform of literary burlesque. Sailor has been putting her knowledge of the literary canon to more-than-scholarly uses as a performer, producer, and emcee since 2009. She is entrusted to steer the ship as the host of Emerald City Burlesque Revue and at Burlesque and Cabaret Behind the Pink Door, and has worked her wordsmithery on the grand stages of the Vogue Theatre at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and the Orleans Casino Showroom at the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s Movers, Shakers, & Innovators Showcase.

She is proud to have been a part of the production team for Sinner Saint Burlesque from 2013-2018, co-adapting and co-directing the troupe’s much lauded burlesque of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was also part of the team of nerdy feminist superheroes that brought Bechdel Test Burlesque to the University of Oregon in 2016 at the invitation of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. The Showgirl Scholar holds a PhD in English from the University of Washington, and once did a pin-up shoot atop her actual dissertation.

Although she loves 19th century American realism and naturalism with a fervor that confuses most, her favorite book is and will always be Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love.

Links, info you’d like to share with audience:  

Novelties Theatre: https://novelteasetheatre.org/

Sailor’s Bio: https://novelteasetheatre.org/sailor-st-claire

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: [email protected]

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson