What the Folk

Happy episode 15 of What the Folk! In this episode we are joined by historian, writer and educator, Dr. Matthew Heidtmann. We talk about the importance of teaching history, making academia accessible to a wider audience, and all those great myths of imperialism and exceptionalism that we swim in as Americans. History may not repeat, but it definitely rhymes. Then afterwards, Emily and Sarah talk about pandemic politics and gendered culture...but also about Finding Nemo and small town Colorado restaurant drama.

Featured music is “Foreign Policy Folk Song” by our own Emily Yates.

Matthew Heidtmann is an historian, educator, writer, and union organizer. He got his PhD in History from Stony Brook University, and he is currently an Adjunct Professor of History at Suffolk County Community College, in Long Island, NY. His research focuses on American progressivism, conservatism, and capitalism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He occasionally writes about topics relating to history, politics, and political culture, and his writing has appeared in ROAR Magazine, Truthout, and even in The Washington Post.

You can follow Dr. Heidtmann at https://matthewheidtmann.com/

Twitter: @ East_Coast_Matt

The lovely and hilarious Baruch Porras-Hernadez is in the house with big sparkly Aquarius energy. We talk about his journey from actor to performance poet and comedian, healing familial toxic masculinity, and how to joyfully make a living as an artist. We also get some pointers on Zoom theater as we hear about how he staged his solo show, “Love in the Time of Piñatas,” in his bedroom. And there’s a special sneak peak at the team of Queer Latinx superheroes that will be coming soon to save the world! And if that’s not enough excitement and intrigue for you, stick around for Sarah and Emily’s thoughts on pandemic braining and how, er, hopeful (?) they are now that good ole Uncle Joe is for realsies the prez.

KEEP UP with BARUCH

https://baruchporrashernandez.wordpress.com/

Twitter: @ baruchisonfire

Instagram: baruchporrashernandez

Featured poems are “The Trees, They Hate the Birds the Most” and “Oh the Places You Will Go, Fearing for Your Life, While People Do Drugs” by Baruch Porras-Hernadez, courtesy of the artist.

GUEST BIO

Baruch Porras-Hernandez is a writer, performer, organizer, professional MC/Host, curator, stand up comedian, and the author of the chapbooks “I Miss You, Delicate” and “Lovers of the Deep Fried Circle” both with Sibling Rivalry Press. He had the honor of touring with the legendary Sister Spit Queer poetry tour in 2019, is a is a two-time winner of Literary Death Match, a regular host of literary shows for KQED, and was named a Writer to Watch in 2016 by 7×7 Magazine. His poetry can be found with Write Bloody Publishing, The Tusk, Foglifter, Assaracus and many more. He has been an artist in residence at The Ground Floor at Berkeley Rep, a Lambda Literary Fellow in Poetry, and Playwriting. He’s been featured in shows with The Rumpus, Writers with Drinks, has performed several times with Radar Productions, LitQuake, and Quiet Lightning. His solo show “Love in the Time of Piñatas” got a clapping man from the SF Chronicle and was performed to sold-out houses at Epic Party Theatre in December of 2019. He is the head organizer of ¿Donde Esta Mi Gente? a Latinx literary performance series, he is an immigrant originally from Mexico, and is currently the lead artist in a multidisciplinary project that will create new Queer Latino Superheroes with MACLA, which stands for Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana in San Jose. He lives in San Francisco.

On this episode we are joined by Dr. Tracy Ferrell from CU Boulder. We discuss the challenges and opportunities around labor organizing in academia, the campus experience under Covid, and her research around immigration and medical marijuana patients. We also talk about the power of stories to inspire empathy and break down borders. After the interview, Emily envisions a self-sustaining system and Sarah attempts to quote Ram Dass and Jason Molina with questionable accuracy. Oh yeah, and I guess there was an election or something? Soooo we hope you enjoy profanity.

UNITED CAMPUS WORKERS COLORADO

https://www.ucwcolorado.org/

DR. FERRELL’S BOOK

https://toplightbooks.com/product/migrating-for-medical-marijuana/

Featured songs are “Bastille” and “Riverboat” by The Red Tack, and "The System Isn't Broken" by our own Emily Yates, courtesy of the artists.

CHECK OUT THE RED TACK

https://www.facebook.com/TedTheRedTack/

GUEST BIO:

Tracy Ferrell, Ph.D., is on the faculty of the program for writing and rhetoric at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research and teaching interests include Latin American literature and culture, Mexico and U.S. border issues, immigration, and drug policy/the drug war. She lives in Boulder, Colorado.

Happy (?) day after election day! We recorded this episode in October, so we made some bad predictions with our guest, musician Melody Walker, mostly involving aliens. We also talk about Front Country’s fantastic new album, Impossible World, which is out now for your ears’ enjoyment. But that’s just for starters in this lively and insightful discussion, which includes performative class and inclusion in country music, the potential futures of the music industry in a post-Covid world, self-accountability, and a pitch for a Christopher Guest-style comedy about paranoid militias. Good vibes all around!

Featured songs are “Amerikan Dream” and “Broken Record” by Front Country, courtesy of the artist.

CHECK OUT MELODY AND FRONT COUNTRY’S MUSIC!

https://www.melodywalker.com/

https://www.frontcountryband.com/

GUEST BIO:

“‘Lead singer and songwriter for progressive bluegrass band Front Country, Melody Walker is an outspoken force in bluegrass. She routinely calls out the sexism, racism and injustice she sees in the world, a difficult thing to do in an industry still run by many conservative elements.’ - Paste Magazine

Melody is originally from Northern California and now lives in Nashville.

***AUDIO NOTE: There was an issue with Sarah’s track, sorry for the fuzz!***

CONTENT WARNING: DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

We’re joined by Alex Scott, a 7th generation Oklahoman, a former public school teacher, an active community organizer, and candidate for Oklahoma State Senate. In 2018, she became the youngest member to ever serve on the Norman, OK City Council, ousting a well-funded incumbent on a shoestring budget and grassroots power. We discuss the importance of getting involved locally, the terrifying pushback she has received for her actions, and how she got ripped off a flagpole at a certain Tulsa rally for someone who shall remain unnamed (see episode 1A for more on that). Follow Alex on Twitter: @ RealAlexScott

Then afterwards Emily and Sarah discuss their husky, wildfire smoke soaked voices, riff more on the idea of local action, and Sarah uses the word “magic” a whole bunch.

Featured music is "When the Zombies Come” by our own Emily Yates.

GET INVOLVED:

Donate to Alex and follow her campaign: https://www.scott4okstatesenate.com/

GUEST BIO

Alex is a 7th generation Oklahoman, a former public school teacher, and an active community organizer.

She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in Classical Studies and a Master's of Public Administration. She began her career teaching Latin at Moore Public Schools, where she realized how our state severely under funds not only our education system, but also our public services as a whole. Her frustration inspired her to get involved with the Oklahoma Education Association. Scott was trained at the NEA's annual leadership summit to be an advocate and activist for educational policy changes, and applied her training through canvassing, conducting listening tours, and lobbying legislators. While she was financially unable to continue teaching, Alex continued serving her community as the CD4 Chair for the Oklahoma Democratic Party.

In 2018, she became the youngest Norman City Council member to ever serve, ousting a well-funded incumbent on a shoestring budget and grassroots power. Serving on the council equipped her with sound budgeting practices and a passion for helping her community. Scott witnessed firsthand our state's tendency to preempt municipal legislation and strip them of their authority, and believes this practice must be stopped. She is ready to Change the Oklahoma Standard by restoring balance back to our budget and back to our people.

Happy Episode 10 of What the Folk! We’re joined by the fabulous and multi-talented Lola Darling for a conversation about how art can heal and how to live your life as an act of resistance. We also get a preview of her new musical oracle project! From Lola’s struggle to claim her own identity to Covid on the reservations, from Kerrville Folk Festival to Mardi Gras, this episode is an emotionally honest and eye-opening journey.

Featured music is "Breath," "Nothing," and "Daughter" by Lola Darling, courtesy of the artist.

Episode Image credit: Amy Jo Wisehart https://www.amyjowisehart.com/

SUPPORT LOLA’S NEWLY LAUNCHED PATREON:

www.patreon.com/LolaArts

LOLA’S MUSIC:

https://www.bandlab.com/lolaohoyochitto

https://greatbiglilloladarling.bandcamp.com/releases

GUEST BIO

Lola Darling is an indigenous woman (Chahta-Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians) from the Pearl River Reservation. She currently lives in Bulbancha (New Orleans, LA) creating art in different mediums.

On this episode, we are taking a trip with Clayton Ickes, president of Psychedelic Club. We talk about our tendency to see psychedelics as a “savior,” what a legit psychedelic renaissance would look like, and wrestle with thorny issues of colonization and privilege vis-à-vis movements around drug liberation. Oh, and there’s some light discussion of Japanese death cults. Afterwards, Emily and Sarah break down our weird tendency to make people into saviors, specifically in regards to RGB (fare thee well), and discuss how easy it is to make a reasonable, nuanced point that is well received on social media.

https://www.psychedeliclub.com/

Featured music is “Travels” by Summer Alicia, courtesy of the artist. Check her out on all the streaming platforms and on Instagram @ susummasummz

GUEST BIO

Clayton Ickes is a grateful and passionate voice of lived experience. Harm reductionist, MDMA study night attendant, and former SSDP chapter leader, his goal is to become an above ground provider of psychedelic medicine. He is also a wilderness therapy guide, writer, and van-living traveler. You can check out his adventures and creations at https://www.avandoned.com/

On this special bonus episode we are discussing the extradition hearing of Julian Assange with our friends Lee Camp and returning What the Folk champion Eleanor Goldfield. This episode is entirely focused on the case, so should be a good primer for anyone who is wondering, “Why, with all the things going on in the world, should I also give a shit about this?”

Make sure to check out Lee and Eleanor's pod, Common Censored!

GET INVOLVED

Assange Defense

https://assangedefense.org/

Article Sarah references:

https://caitlinjohnstone.com/2019/04/20/debunking-all-the-assange-smears/

MUSIC

"Free Assange" (spoken word by Eleanor Goldfield), "Land of the Free" (Emily Yates), courtesy of the artists.

GUEST BIOS

Lee Camp is the head writer and host of the national TV show Redacted Tonight with Lee Camp on RT America. He’s a former contributor to The Onion, former staff humor writer for the Huffington Post, and his web series “Moment of Clarity” has been viewed by millions. He’s toured the country and the world with his fierce brand of standup comedy, and George Carlin’s daughter Kelly said he’s one of the few comics keeping her father’s torch lit. Bill Hicks’s brother Steve said Lee is one of only a handful with Bill’s “message and passion.” Keep up with Lee here: https://leecamp.com/about/

Eleanor Goldfield is the founder and host of the show and podcast Act Out! and the co-host of the podcast Common Censored along with Lee Camp. Her current work focuses on more long-form and in-depth pieces, the first iteration of these being a film on West Virginia’s coal and fracking country. As a journalist, her articles and photographs cover people and topics which are censored or misrepresented. Artistically, Eleanor works in a variety of mediums and her performances blend music, spoken word and visual projections. Keep up with Eleanor’s projects here: https://www.artkillingapathy.com/

Join us for an enlightening discussion with Brittany DeBarros, Organizing Director of About Face: Veterans Against the War. We talk about her journey from soldier to activist, how to address oppressive patterns in movement building, what happens when we win, and how to hold multiple truths at once. We also touch on the joys of task forces and the musical “Hamilton.” Stick around if you want to hear Emily and Sarah reflect further on the idea of imperial privilege -- unless you’re a fan of Colin Powell, but, in that case, I’m not sure why you’re even listening to this podcast.

https://aboutfaceveterans.org/

Featured music is "J.R.O.T.C." by Brittney Chantele, courtesy of the artist. https://www.brittneychantele.com/

Brittany came to About Face: Veterans Against the War with a diverse mix of business, military and non-profit leadership experiences that cemented her deep passion and commitment to intersectional movement building work. She deployed to Afghanistan for a year in 2012 and has worked on economic and racial liberation issues in various capacities since she returned. She is particularly passionate about leveraging her experience as a Psychological Operations Officer to center narrative and behavior change in campaign strategy. She is based in NYC.

Book Recommendation: The Militarization of Indian Country https://bookshop.org/books/the-militarization-of-indian-country/9781938065002

Settle in for this deep dive with songwriter, musician, yoga teacher, activist, writer and all-around conscious renaissance woman Lauren Flynn. This interview covers a lot of territory -- how to live your activism, how to deal with narcissists, and how to turn trauma into passive aggressive country songs, to name just a few highlights. It’s all about working on the internal to affect the external. After the interview, stay tuned if you want to hear a classic Emily Army story and hear Sarah reference Robert Anton Wilson because she’s heady like that.

LAUREN’S NEW EP! (streaming everywhere, but please support her on Bandcamp if you can)

https://laurenflynn.bandcamp.com/album/outside-one-girl

FOLLOW LAUREN:

http://www.LaurenMakesMusics.com/

Instagram @ sorceressofnow

Yoga Instagram @ yoga.with.lauren

Featured music is “Supply and Demand" and “Wire” by Lauren Flynn, courtesy of the artist.

GUEST BIO

Lauren is a musician, activist, three-time natural disaster survivor and former pro-wrestler who has spent the last 15 years healing from corporate America. In her third year of sobriety, she currently lives in the PNW where she is recording her first full-length album, teaching yoga and writing about her journey.