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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
Help Support The Show On Patreon! (New Tiers!)
www.patreon.com/curatedbychance
Check Out Lauren’s Substack
https://ltlikesthis.substack.com/
Join The Curated By Chance Music League (RD 2):
bit.ly/4iSDSmx
Follow the show and its creators on Instagram:
The Show - @curatedbychance
Lauren - @paisleylo
Neal - @nealefischer
E-mail us: [email protected]
Hear Neal each week on Triviality Podcast. Subscribe now!
Listen to Lauren on Miss Information Podcast! Subscribe now!
Pre-Order Neal’s newest book on Law & Order: SVU coming out October 14th below:
https://geni.us/HPgeZ
And for more Neal in your life, click here:
www.linktr.ee/nealefischer
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
By Neal E. Fischer and Lauren Tagliaferro4.6
1717 ratings
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
Help Support The Show On Patreon! (New Tiers!)
www.patreon.com/curatedbychance
Check Out Lauren’s Substack
https://ltlikesthis.substack.com/
Join The Curated By Chance Music League (RD 2):
bit.ly/4iSDSmx
Follow the show and its creators on Instagram:
The Show - @curatedbychance
Lauren - @paisleylo
Neal - @nealefischer
E-mail us: [email protected]
Hear Neal each week on Triviality Podcast. Subscribe now!
Listen to Lauren on Miss Information Podcast! Subscribe now!
Pre-Order Neal’s newest book on Law & Order: SVU coming out October 14th below:
https://geni.us/HPgeZ
And for more Neal in your life, click here:
www.linktr.ee/nealefischer
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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