Episode 57: Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

Prompts: Bulb, 37, Mahogany

Lauren goes local and Neal goes cult classic. Together, they hit two out of three prompts—and that ain’t bad.

First, Lauren spotlights Wendell Castle, the Kansas-born sculptor and furniture designer who became a pillar of 20th-century American craft in Rochester, NY. Known for his stack-laminated mahogany sculptures and trompe l’oeil wooden “tablecloths,” Castle blurred the lines between art and craft, raising everyday objects into fine art. You’ll hear about his teaching at RIT, his collaborations with his wife Nancy Jurs, and why Castle’s chairs, clocks, and blanket chests belong in museums (and maybe your living room).

Then, Neal dives into Foxy Brown (1974), Pam Grier’s iconic turn as the fierce, afro-crowned avenger of the Blaxploitation era. From undercover revenge plots to weaponized fashion, Grier reshaped what an action hero could be. Neal traces the film’s roots through director Jack Hill, Roger Corman’s drive-in empire, and the rise (and fall) of Blaxploitation as both empowerment and exploitation. Plus: Isaac Hayes, Blackula, Tarantino, and Neal’s near-arrest while working with Robert Z’Dar and Eddie Munster.

PLUS:
🪑 Why Wendell Castle’s furniture is both functional and fantastical
🎬 The rise and crash of Blaxploitation cinema, from Sweet Sweetback to Superfly
🎶 Shaft, Superfly, and the soundtracks that outlived the movies
📚 The Curated by Chance Book Club kicks off with Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi

Next week’s prompts: 96, Sphinx, Olive

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