Where You Are

The latest episode features my special guest, Oab Jaturong Sewatanon, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. I loved talking to Oab about his work with dengue fever, his time in the U.S., life in Bangkok during COVID, and more. We even talked about his reviews of Tenet and Mulan! You'll enjoy getting to know Oab, and I can't wait to have him on the podcast again.

In the second episode of Season Two, I sit down with Tom Whitaker for a great interview about growing up gay in north Alabama, hiking the Appalachian trail, fighting glioblastoma, creating beautiful collage art, and more.

In this episode, two of my friends from graduate school, Regina and Norman Golar, sit down with me via Zoom to discuss education, COVID, and more. One of my favorite parts of the discussion involves how each of us handles the concept of bidialectalism in the writing classroom. In other areas, it was interesting to hear how Norman and Regina have dealt with the pandemic as parents. I think you’ll enjoy this episode with two of my favorite people!

In the premiere episode of the second season, I sit down for a conversation with Fox Williams, who not only edits this podcast but also launches his own podcast, The Audio Parlor, this month.

Fox and I end our first season reflecting on what we have learned from the process of bringing this podcast to life and what we hope to do with it next season. Along the way, we discuss the technical challenges of editing and hosting a podcast, the rewards of connecting with guests and audience, and the excitement of working together on a creative project. We would like to thank everyone who listens to the podcast for supporting our first season, and we hope to have an even better second season. Look for Season Two in late August!

In the penultimate episode of Season One, I sit down with Ben to discuss education during these crazy, pandemic times, but the discussion ranges far beyond education. I always love hearing Ben’s thoughts; he comes with a wealth of knowledge about history, science, and political philosophy, and he has a real knack, for explaining ideas, which is one of many reasons he is a great teacher. I’m always inspired after discussion with Ben to read more, think more, and explore new ideas more.

It’s another episode of Where You Are, and since we find ourselves in the middle of a historic event: the Covid 19 Pandemic, I decided to ask where all of you are right now. I reached out to you over social media, asking for your stories, and you came through: students, teachers, Walmart employees, health care workers, and more. Throughout this episode, I’ll share those stories: some of your recorded audio; some of you wrote to me, so I’ll be reading those emails and messages.

In this episode, I sit down with Abigail Witthauer, owner of Roverchase and professional dog trainer for over 15 years. Dog lovers need to listen to this one! Abigail is an expert on canine behavior, and Roverchase offers so many wonderful services, including training, daycare, and boarding. My Rat Terrier, Dolly P., considers Roverchase her home away from home. Abigail offers fascinating insights into dog (and human) behavior!

In this episode, I introduce you to a wonderful woman, Sam Mitchell, who is a writer, director, photographer, and community activist. I met Sam many years ago when we were both taking a play-writing class at ArtPlay, and I have admired her since then. Constantly evolving and learning new things, Sam moves through the world with love and gratitude. She is an artist, a helper, a giver, and an inspiration. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

For this episode, I drove up to Decatur, Alabama to sit down with my two fabulous cousins, Kristi Garrison and Kenyala Hicks. Ostensibly, this is a conversation about our memories of Ryan School, the school we attended from kindergarten to eighth grade, but we talked about many other things, as well, from real estate (Kenyala is a superstar realtor) to traveling (Kristi is quite the adventurer) to stereotypes about Southerners. And we laughed. A lot. There is nothing quite like the bond between cousins. I love these two women, and I hope you enjoy our conversation.