Riverside Chats
Riverside Chats
Riverside Chats is a series of conversations exploring culture of all kinds, from politics to art and everything in between. Hosts include Michael Griffin, Maria Corpuz, and Chris Bowling.
A production of KIOS Omaha Public Radio. Executive Produced by Michael Griffin. Produced and edited by Courtney Bierman. Created by Tom Knoblauch.
219. Artist Carmen Winant on "The last safe abortion"
Carmen Winant is an artist, photographer, writer, and art professor at The Ohio State University. Her work involves installation and collage work to examine survival and revolt through a feminist lens. Her traveling exhibition “The last safe abortion” opens Jan. 18 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
“The last safe abortion” is an exploration of women’s health clinics and abortion providers, with a particular focus on the Midwest. The installation is composed of photos of behind-the-scenes w
218. An Inside Look at the Show With Courtney Bierman
It's our 200th episode, and we're doing something a little different this week. In this episode, Michael Griffin is in conversation with producer Courtney Bierman.
A quick note on episode numbers: if you’re listening to the podcast version of this show, you’ll notice it lists this episode as number 218. That’s because show creator Tom Knoblauch started the count when Riverside Chats was a series of live conversations in Benson. We’re counting from the first episode that played on KIOS airwaves i
217. Todd Lemke on the History and Future of Omaha Magazine
Todd Lemke is the founder and publisher of Omaha Magazine, a 42-year-old regional publication covering the arts, lifestyle, entertainment, food and more.
Lemke grew up in Papillion and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1981 with a degree in journalism. In 1983, he started a print publication called Omaha Today, which eventually became Omaha Magazine.
Omaha Magazine is behind the annual Best of Omaha list, Faces of Omaha, Faces of Lincoln, the new North Omaha First, and other
216. Joshua Brown on Why Art Is Vital for a Healthy Democracy
Joshua Brown is the program coordinator at the Nebraska Arts Council, a state organization whose mission is to promote, cultivate and sustain the arts through programming, grants and opportunities to foster creative innovation statewide.
At the Arts Council, Brown manages grants related to arts education and accessibility. Outside of his work with the Arts Council, he also serves as a visual artist and musician, exhibiting paintings and sculptures at community galleries in Omaha and organizing s
215. Hot Shops' Jahmai Brown on the Inspiration Behind His Bold, Colorful Paintings
Jahmai Brown is a painter, photographer and Hot Shops Art Center resident.
An Omaha native, Brown attended North High School and graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute. His paintings are often works of bright colors, bold patterns and less traditional materials like glitter and magazine clippings.
Brown was also among the artists who created the “Black Skies” mural in 2018 at 24th and Grant Streets, which highlights the experiences of the Tuskegee Airmen. Brown was only 17 when the mural
214. Erin Feichtinger on the State of Nebraska Politics
Erin Feichtinger is policy director of the Women's Fund of Omaha. In this episode, she's in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about history (in which she has a Ph.D. from Loyola University Chicago) and politics, including Governor Pillen's vision for Nebraska and how it's panning out after a contentious state legislative session.
This episode was recorded before the 2024 general election.
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213. Aspen Monet Laboy on the 'Duality' of Glass Artistry
Working in poetry, glass and installation, Aspen Monet Laboy’s art explores concepts of environmentalism and identity. In the summer of 2022, they implemented and co-hosted Corner’s Space at KANEKO, a public program exploring poetry through creative experimentation and collaboration.
Laboy has published three books of poetry with a fourth on the way. Several of their selected poems were aired on Friday Live with Nebraska Public Media through NPR in 2023. Their writing has also been featured in
212. Sean Kelly Makes His Pitch for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5
Sean Kelly is a candidate for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Brian Fahey.
An Omaha native and Dundee resident, Kelly attended Creighton Prep and went on to receive an undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. Outside of his run for office, Kelly works as a local investor and agricultural real estate professional.
In this episode, Kelly and Michael Griffin discuss how Kelly's business background inspired his
211. Brian Fahey Makes His Pitch for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5
Brian Fahey is a local attorney running for Douglas County Commissioner, District 5 against Sean Kelly.
An Omaha native and son of former mayor Mike Fahey, Brian Fahey attended Central High School and went on to receive a law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law. He’s a partner at Fraser Stryker, where he focuses on advising clients in matters relating to government and regulation, business disputes and personal injury. Fahey is also a member of the River City Mixed Chorus Boar
210. David Levy on His Vision for Metro Transit Board of Directors
David Levy is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services.
Levy is running against Clarice Dombeck, who was on this show in June. You can hear my conversation with her wherever you get your podcasts.
The first elected transit board will have seven nonpartisan members, one for each district. Prior to this year, seats were a
209. Ameen Wahba on Juggling Art with his Psychotherapy Practice
Ameen Wahba is a licensed mental health practitioner whose work is grounded in the belief that psychotherapy can be a liberatory practice, both individually and institutionally.
Wahba is also a multidisciplinary artist, writer and musician. In 2018, he published a book of poetry titled “Bear Witness to That Which Is.” He’s been part of various gallery installations around town and was a 2023 Fellow at the Union For Contemporary Art.
Wahba also plays guitar and sings in the bands Thick Paint, S
208. Zedeka Poindexter and Gina Tranisi on the Power of Poetry
Zedeka Poindexter and Gina Tranisi are co-executive directors of the Nebraska Writers Collective. NWC is responsible for the annual All Writes Reserved Youth Spoken Word Festival, formerly known as Louder Than a Bomb, which reaches more than 30 schools and 500 students across Nebraska and Iowa with free spoken word poetry lessons, workshops with local writers, open mics, and a space to be heard.
NWC will also host National Youth Poet Laureate Stephanie Pacheco for a performance on Oct. 12 at Dry
207. Astrid Munn on the Intersection of Comedy and Immigration Law
Astrid Munn is a lead attorney at CIRA, the Center for Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, where she represents immigrant clients who have survived violent crime, domestic violence and trafficking. CIRA was previously known as the Immigrant Legal Center and Refugee Empowerment Center. Munn is also a comedian who performs improv and standup at clubs around town.
Munn was born in Scottsbluff and received an undergraduate in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before attending law sch
206. County Commissioner Roger Garcia on Increasing Civic Engagement and Building Coalitions in a Divided Time
Roger Garcia represents District 1 on the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Garcia was elected to his first term in 2021, becoming the seven-member board’s first-ever Latino commissioner. He’s up for reelection this year but is running unopposed.
Garcia was born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents from Honduras and Mexico. He was raised in Columbus, Nebraska and moved to Omaha in 2005. He holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and Latino/Latin American Studies, a master’s in public administ
205. Self-Taught Painter Eduardo Gardea on Becoming a Full-Time Artist
Eduardo Gardea is a self-taught painter who works out of his studio at Hot Shops Art Center in the North Downtown neighborhood. He recently decided to quit his day job and pursue art full-time. His work is influenced by stories of the disenfranchised, often encouraging the viewer to think more deeply about the immigrant experience. Gardea has also created a number of murals around Omaha. One of his more recent works can be found on the exterior of Ooh De Lally in Dundee.
In this conversation, G
Matthew Wurstner on the TikTok Ban
Episode 198
Attorney Matthew Wurstner returns to the show for a conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the legality of the United States' attempts to ban TikTok if it isn't sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.
Originally aired 6-24-24
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204. Cyrus Jaffery on New Memoir 'Triumph After Trauma'
Cyrus Jaffery is the founder and CEO of Jaffery Insurance. His new memoir is “Triumph After Trauma: How a Scrappy Battle-Scarred Refugee Insured His Own Success and Can Inspire Yours,” which he co-wrote with Leo Adam Biga. The book outlines Jaffery’s journey of migrating to the United States as an Afghan refugee, and applying the principles he learned in his journey to the business world.
Jaffery is in conversation with Michael Griffin about his transition from war-torn Afghanistan to suburban
Doris Lassiter on Her Journey from Corporate Life to Public Health Advocacy
Episode 199
Doris Lassiter is a public health advocate for North Omaha. Lassiter’s career began with a corporate job, which she left after becoming pregnant unexpectedly and prematurely giving birth to her daughter. The experience led her to work with the Omaha Housing Authority on reducing infant mortality rates among Omaha's Black community. With OHA, Lassiter helped launch the Omaha Healthy Start program at Charles Drew, which provides education and healthcare services to new parents and thei
Marcos Mora on Casa de la Cultura and Cinco De Mayo 2025
Episode 200
Marcos Eduardo Mora Barrientos is the executive director of Casa de la Cultura, the organization behind Omaha’s annual Cinco de Mayo celebration.
Mora was born in Los Angeles and raised in Omaha, where his family has lived for nearly a century after his grandfather, Vidal Barrientos, migrated from Mexico in the 1920s. La familia Barrientos has been known for its musicianship in South Omaha ever since, and Mora is no exception. He plays guitar in three bands.
As executive director of
Diana Rogel of Live On Nebraska Shares Impact Stories and Dispels Myths About Organ Donation
Episode 202
Diana Rogel is the diversity outreach and engagement coordinator at Live On Nebraska, one of 56 organ procurement organizations in the country. Live On is responsible for recovering organs and tissue from deceased donors for transplantation, and maintaining the state's donor registry.
According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 100,000 people in the United States are awaiting transplants. One donor can save up to eight lives.
Part of Live On Nebraska’s mission is to
Leah Whitney Chavez of World Speaks Omaha on How Language Access Shapes Communities
Episode 203
Leah Whitney Chavez is the founder and executive director of World Speaks Omaha, a nonprofit that works to expand language access in Omaha. World Speaks offers low-cost tutoring and language classes, and translation services in more than two dozen languages to businesses and other organizations.
World Speaks is also launching the Open Doors Initiative later this year. The program is meant to provide community members whose first language isn’t English with free interpreting services
Martin Sneider on Omaha Retail Roots and New Book 'Amy Unbound'
Episode 201
Martin Sneider, former co-CEO of Edison Brothers Stores, is author of the new book “Amy Unbound,” the second installment in his Feldman Family Saga. The series follows a powerful family in the fashion industry, and the rise and fall of their business empire. Some of the story based on Sneider’s own experience as a fourth generation fashion retailer. “Amy Unbound” is out now and available wherever you get books.
Sneider was raised in Omaha and attended Central High. Today, he divides
197. Clarice Dombeck Makes her Pitch for Regional Metropolitan Transit Board
Clarice Dombeck is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services.
The first elected board will have seven nonpartisan members, one for each district. Prior to this year, seats were appointed by the mayor rather than elected. The change is part of Metro’s increased budget and expanded regional services. Board responsibilities
196. Shelley Mann Explains 3 Reproductive Rights Petitions
Shelley Mann is the founder and executive director of Nebraska Abortion Resources, also known as NEAR.
Mann started NEAR in 2020 with a mission of providing financial aid to people seeking abortions. That assistance can take different forms, such as paying for the procedure itself or covering travel costs. Mann says NEAR has helped 800 people access abortions in four years.
Mann has a long history of advocacy related to reproductive rights and other causes. She’s long been a fixture outside the
195. Lucia Pedroza-Estrada on Empowering the Youth, Advocacy, and the Nuts and Bolts of Grantmaking
In today's episode, Michael speaks with Lucia Pedroza-Estrada, Elevate Omaha’s advocacy and grantmaking director.
Born in Guatemala, and a self-described lifelong lover of politics, Pedroza-Estrada’s work involves acting as a connector to elected officials and other advocacy groups. She also makes the grantmaking process more accessible to youth and develops advocacy strategies that are youth-led.
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194. Maggie Winton on 50th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival
The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is a weekend-long, annual celebration of the city’s culture. The festival includes an artist market with more than 130 vendors, a lineup of local musicians, and lots of local food. This year’s festival is June 7 through June 9 in Aksarben Village, and it’s a milestone: number 50.
Today, Michael is speaking with Maggie Winton, the Omaha Summer Arts Festival’s marketing manager. She’s here to give a rundown of the festival’s 50-year history, how it adapted during t
193. Ja Keen Fox on Forthcoming Nonprofit News Service 'The Dreamland Report'
Ja Keen Fox is an advocate from Nebraska with experience in political organizing, journalism, and media. Earlier this year, Fox began working on The Dreamland Report, a nonprofit news service expected to launch this November. Fox created the serice in an effort to close the information gap between North Omaha and the rest of the city, and to make news about the Black community accessible to readers.
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192. Susi Amendola on New Book 'The Centered Heart' and What We Get Wrong About Stress Management
Susi Amendola is a yoga therapist, author and Ornish Lifestyle Medicine trainer. She has more than 30 years experience in yoga and stress management. Her studio Yoga Now, where she still teaches, opened in Benson in 1983. Amendola also directs the studio’s annual yoga teacher certification program, which begins this September.
Amendola’s new book is “The Centered Heart: Evidence-Based Mind Body Practices to Stress Less and Improve Cardiac Health.”
The book explores the relationship between stres
191. Jessica Scheuerman and Keiria Marsha on the Omaha Mobile Stage and Pull Up and Vibe
The Omaha Mobile Stage is a traveling performance venue that was built out of an 18-foot box truck. The truck is rented for block parties, markets, youth talent shows and other community-centered events as a platform for all kinds of live performance.
On this episode, Jessica Scheuerman and Keiria Marsha talk about their goals for the stage as a creative placemaking effort, and what’s planned for the venue this summer.
Scheuerman is the founder and executive director of Partners for Livable Oma
190. Qasim Shabazz Asad on Overcoming Systemic Challenges and Founding the Black Agenda Alliance
Qasim Shabazz Asad is a co-founder and co-chair of the Black Agenda Alliance, a Pan-African group working to improve social, economic and cultural conditions in Omaha’s Black community
In 2019, Asad and other community members formed the Black Agenda Alliance to bring a new perspective to advocacy in Omaha. The organization’s goals include youth education, strengthening families, building economic independence and political engagement.
In this conversation, he speaks with Chris Bowling about o
189. Miah Sommer on Astute Coffee's Mission of Supporting Foster Care–Impacted Youth
Miah Sommer is the founder and executive director of Astute Coffee, formerly known as the Bike Union. The nonprofit coffee shop employs young adults impacted by the foster care system and creates programming to give them the tools to succeed in the workforce and their personal lives. Sommer was born and raised in Omaha. His mission with Astute Coffee was informed and inspired by his childhood.
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188. Maurtice Ivy on Her Nebraska Athletics Career and Promoting Equity in Sports
Maurtice Ivy was a record-breaking basketball player as a student at Central High School in the 1980s. She went on to play for the Nebraska Cornhuskers women’s basketball team, where was the first player in Husker history to surpass the 2,000-point barrier. Her jersey was retired in in 2011. She was inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame in 2020.
Today, Ivy is pursuing her doctorate degree in educational leadership at Doane University. She’s also the founder and CEO ofIvy League You
187. Matthew Wurstner on Precedent and the Supreme Court
Today's episode features a conversation between Tom Knoblauch and Matthew Wurstner, an attorney from Omaha, Nebraska.
If you've ever watched Supreme Court proceedings, a word that you've heard a lot is "precedent." How much does precedent matter? How much should we revere the standards of the past, and how much should we look to rewrite the rules of the future?
These questions don't have firm answers, but people have strong opinions about them — particularly in an age of gridlocked Congress and
185. What Prison Abolition Really Means with Black & Pink National's Tena Hahn Rodriguez
Today's show is a conversation between Michael Griffin and Tena Hahn Rodriguez, co-interim executive director of Black & Pink National, a nonprofit prison abolition organization headquartered in Omaha.
Hahn Rodriguez is a dancer, educator and Omaha native. She’s worked at various nonprofits in Omaha, including Inclusive Communities and Heartland Pride, and co-founded the queer nightlife event Revel in 2014.
Today, Hahn Rodriguez discusses her Omaha upbringing and how it shapes her advoca
184. Ang Bennett and Brittany Wright on Bridging Cultural Divides with Conversations for Change
Inclusive Communities is a nonprofit that uses human relations work to promote diversity and inclusion among individuals, workplaces and communities. The organization also holds public events to encourage cross-cultural dialogue, including the Jane H. & Rabbi Sidney H. Brooks Conversations for Change series. The series brings in prominent entertainment industry figures for conversation to build connections across identities.
Conversations for Change launched last year with actor Kal Penn as
183. Congressman Don Bacon Makes His Pitch for 2024
Congressman Don Bacon has represented Nebraska's Second Congressional District since 2017. He is running for re-election again this year against Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas. Today, he recounts his experience during the January 6th attack, why he thinks Republicans should regain control, and what he makes of Donald Trump's enduring influence over the Republican Party.
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182. Dr. Erin Feichtinger on the Roots of Political Dysfunction
If you follow Omaha politics, you likely know Dr. Erin Feichtinger--or at least her tweets. Feichtinger has a PhD in history and currently serves as policy director at the Women’s Fund of Omaha, and she has made it a mission to shine a light on the details, drama, and triumphs of our local power structures. In this time of political dysfunction, often at the national and the local level, Feichtinger talks with Tom Knoblauch about what history can offer us to understand today and what all of this
181. Tony Bonacci on the Long Road to 'The Headliner'
Filmmaker Tony Bonacci previously appeared on the show when his acclaimed short, The Headliner, made festival rounds in 2018. Even then, he was adamant that he would turn that story into a feature alongside the short’s writer, Christine Burright, and its star, Darrick Silkman. Several years and one global pandemic later, he has. Bonacci’s feature film debut, also titled The Headliner, is premiering on Saturday March 2nd at this year’s Omaha Film Festival.
On this week's show, Bonacci talk
180. Senator Machaela Cavanaugh on the Tumultuous 107th Legislative Session and What She Hopes for in Her Current Term
Machaela Cavanaugh represents Nebraska's 6th District in the Unicameral. She was re-elected to a second term in 2022 and in 2023, Cavanaugh made national news when she filibustered LB574, also known as the Let Them Grow Act, which bans gender-affirming care for Nebraska children. Cavanaugh spoke on the bill up to 12 hours a day for 11 weeks. LB574 was passed by the Legislature in May and went into effect last October.
In the current legislative session, which began on January 3rd, Cavanaugh
179. Keyonna King on Public Health Disparities in Omaha and UNMC's BEAT Cancer Study
Keyonna King is an associate professor in the UNMC College of Public Health. She holds a doctorate in public health from Loma Linda University. King specializes in community-based participatory research, or CBPR, an approach that works with community members to make public health programs more equitable and inclusive.
King is also a co-investigator in UNMC’s BEAT Cancer study. BEAT Cancer, which stands for Black Equity, Access and Testing for Cancer, seeks to increase colorectal cancer screenin
178. Josh Tague on the History of the Omaha Symphony, the Changing Music Industry Landscape, and Steps for Establishing a Diverse Culture in Classical Music
Josh Tague was born and raised in Omaha and has a business degree from UNO. He’s played guitar in various bands and is a regular audience member at local concerts — including performances by the biggest local band in town, the Omaha Symphony. As director of marketing and communications at the Omaha Symphony, Tague is responsible for building and cultivating the group’s audiences and brand. Today, Tague and Michael Griffin are talking about the symphony’s history and about how classical music spa
177. Community Organizer Jaden Perkins on Improving Civic Engagement through Performance
Jaden Perkins is grassroots community organizer from Omaha who specializes in coalition building. He currently works for the Heartland Workers Center as a policy fellow. Perkins has also worked on campaigns for local political candidates, including Dave Pantos, Cammy Watkins, and Jasmine Harris.
His event, "Politically Speaking… It’s a Drag," uses performing arts to help audiences understand political issues. Perkins previously hosted the event in October of 2022 with then–Douglas Cou
176. Activists Mia Perales and David Corbin on What Is and What Isn't Working with Omaha Environmentalism
Mia Perales is a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Last year she won an environmental achievement award from the Nebraska chapter of the Sierra Club after leading climate work with the city-wide group Students for Sustainability and starting a lunch composting program at Omaha South High School that’s since been adopted at Central High School.
David Corbin is a longtime environmentalist in Omaha. He’s been a public health professor at UNO, a leader in the local Sierra Club and a st
175. Lee Emma Running on 'Opera Coat' and How Art Can Be Used to Explore Our Relationship with the Natural World
Lee Emma Running is an artist who sculpts with animal bones, glass and precious metals. She uses her work to engage audiences in conversations about the impact of human-built systems on the natural world, and explore the intersection of art and science.
Running’s work “Opera Coat” was unveiled on Nov. 11 at Kaneko, the culmination of her year-long residency with Opera Omaha. “Opera Coat” is an enameled cast iron sculpture, embellished with copper and bronze. It’s a direct cast of a coat in Opera
174. Jen Landis on 'Skip the Bad Songs: The Art of Rocking a Happy Mindset' and Why It's Important for Everyone to Talk about Their Feelings
Jen Landis is an artist, author, and assistant professor of practice in graphic design at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Her organization, Pincurl Girls, started in 2009 and creates products and services to help young girls find their confidence--including a podcast, art classes, a scholarship program, and a text club that sends daily words of affirmation to members. In July, Landis published the tween and teen self-help book, 'Skip the Bad Songs: the Art of Rocking a Happy Mindset.&
173. Aissa Aset Bey on the Culture and Science of Hair
Omaha native Aissa Aset Bey is a loctician, artist, and entrepreneur. Her business, Loc Legacies, offers services related to Black haircare as well as education and training for aspiring locticians. Bey is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the culture and science of hair.
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172. Wes Dodge on the Co-optation of Religion within Political Discourse
Problems today rarely originate in our present context. Some problems are so deeply rooted in human history and maybe human nature that it’s a tall order to try to diagnose, let alone solve them in an hour on the radio. But we try! Today, attorney and Common Cause Nebraska advisory board member Wes Dodge is back on the show to discuss the thorny issue of religion in our political discourse–how America’s complicated relationship with Christianity has manifested and been co-opted across our histor
171. Congressional Candidate Tony Vargas on Increasing Political Engagement and the 2024 Election
On today's show, Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas talks with Michael Griffin about the issues on his mind as he runs against Congressman Don Bacon to represent Nebraska's Second Congressional District in the 2024 election.
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170. Theodore Wheeler on 'The War Begins in Paris' and What it Means to be an Antifascist Author
Countless times on this show, guests have told stories about getting into politics or made new art or even rethouth their lives in relation to the seismic shift that was 2016. On today's show, Theodore Wheeler is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about how that year and its anxieties led him to write The War Begins in Paris--an antifascist novel about friendship, family, propaganda, and foreign correspondents in Europe in the lead-up to World War II.
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169. Kristine Langley Mahler on the Art of Memoir and 'A Calendar is a Snakeskin'
Kristine Langley Mahler is a local author who grew up all around the country. The lack of a permanent home in her childhood informs much of her current writing. In her most recent book, 'A Calendar is a Snakeskin,' Mahler excavates personal meaning from astrology, tarot, motherhood, and the past, present and future. On today's show, Mahler is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the art of memoir and the process of putting together her new collection.
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168. Using the Inflation Reduction Act for Affordable Greener Homes with David Holtzclaw
The Inflation Reduction Act, passed last year, is said to be the largest bill ever to address the climate disaster. The legislation includes about $30 billion for homeowners to make energy-efficient upgrades to their houses, such as installing solar panels or a heat pump. Sounds great, right? But it’s daunting for the average taxpayer to navigate the byzantine world of tax credits to access IRA funds for those upgrades.
David Holtzclaw wants to help. He owns Transduction Technologies, an enginee
167. Ratboys' Julia Steiner on 'The Window,' How to Sequence an Album, and the Always-Shifting Music Landscape
The funny thing about genres like alt, punk, indie is that there was a point when these things were directly in opposition to something mainstream and corporate, but then somewhere along the way they became styles and aesthetics that could also be mainstream. It's not always clear what it means to be alt-rock or alt-country these days or even how to listen to an album in the streaming age where our music habits are changing so rapidly all the time. On today's show, Tom Knoblauch is in co
166. Youth Emergency Services Development Director Andy Saladino on Supporting Unhoused Youth in Omaha and the 'Dance for a Chance' Halloween Ball Fundraiser
On today's show, Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Andy Saladino, development director of Youth Emergency Services. Youth Emergency Services, or YES, assists youth ages 16 to 21 experiencing homelessness and near homelessness by meeting immediate needs for food, shelter, clothing and safety. YES has a street outreach team whose members distribute supplies out of backpacks and provide immediate information and services. YES’s services also include a 24-hour emergency shelter, transitional
165. Josh Weixelman and Greg Gale on the State of Nebraska Filmmaking and What to Expect at This Year's Flatwater Film Festival
The Flatwater Film Festival is an annual event committed to bringing together established and first-time filmmakers from across the state of Nebraska to celebrate their art by providing a non-competitive platform that showcases their work, to develop a strong community that promotes inspiration and support, and ultimately to foster the next generation of Nebraska filmmakers. The 2023 festival will be held October 6-8 at the historic Rivoli Theatre in downtown Seward, NE.
On today's show, Tom
164. Jewel Rodgers on Placemaking and Making Space for Big Ideas in Omaha
On today's show, Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Jewel Rodgers - a poet, artist and placemaker from North Omaha. She was a Buffett Scholar at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to receive a Master’s in Real Estate Development from New York University. She was nominated for best performance poet at the 2022 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award. Her multi-sensory poetry collection “Wax Over Water” received a Populus Fund Grant in 2023 through the Andy Warhol Foundation for the V
163. Jack Gould on the Influence of Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups within the Nebraska Legislature
Money is nice, right? It’s fun to buy things. But there are contexts where you’d hope that the equation is more complicated than dollar equals result, like medicine or politics. In particular, Nebraska has been the focus of several concerns about the line between money and political results. Today Jack Gould from Common Cause Nebraska is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups in our state legislature--as well as what can be done to improve
162. Bug Heaven's Drew Shuck and M34n Str33t's Adam Haug on Remixing 'Survived By' and Processing Loss through Music
Drew Shuck sings and plays the drums in local punk band Bug Heaven. Adam Haug produces beats as Haunted Gauntlet for emcee Conny Franko in
M34n Str33t. The bands recently collaborated on the remix of the song “Survived By,” written by Shuck and performed by Bug Heaven. The song, off Bug Heaven’s debut album “We Love to Live in Hell,” is about the pain of losing loved ones to suicide. Bug Heaven and Mean Street, along with rapper S1SW, will perform at The Slowdown on Sept. 7. A portion of the pr
161. Kurt Andersen on America's Inflection Points and His New Dystopian Comedy 'Command Z'
Last year, author, screenwriter, and host of Studio 360 Kurt Andersen joined Riverside Chats to discuss his two volume explanation of America, Fantasyland and Evil Geniuses. In that conversation, he mentioned that he was working on a third part to this series, which would be fictional. He wouldn’t give away any details at the time, but it turns out that he was working on Command Z, a new 8 part web series directed by Steven Soderbergh. The show follows a team from the 2050s who can transport the
160. A Conversation with Tim Heidecker(s)
If you’ve ever had Adult Swim on at night and wondered what in the world you’re watching, there’s a good chance you’ve seen something created by Tim Heidecker. He got his start making bizarre sketch series like Tim and Eric’s Awesome Show, Tom Goes to the Mayor, and On Cinema. Since then, he’s appeared in several movies, such as Us, Bridesmaids, and The Comedy and he’s extended his On Cinema universe into the film Mister America and a new subscription service called the Hei Network. His latest
159. Takeaways from the Turbulent 2023 Nebraska Legislative Session with Wes Dodge
Nebraska prides itself on its Unicameral, which in theory reduces partisanship by forcing cooperation and moderation. That is, unless it doesn’t. In the headlines from this year’s legislative session, a common concern was whether partisanship had finally overtaken the body. Was this a breaking point? A sign of the future? Just a fluke year? It can be difficult to tell in a vacuum, so today's show has Tom Knoblauch in conversation with attorney Wes Dodge to parse through what happened, why it
158. Geitner Simmons on the Efficacy of Parody in a World Run by Self-Parodists
Satire uses exaggeration to critique something about the world we live in, but what happens if the world is crazier than any satirist can come up with? How does one parody, as Kurt Andersen has put it, "the greatest self-parodists of all time"? On today's show, Tom Knoblauch is in conversation with Geitner Simmons, author of the new book, Android Run, a sci-fi thriller with a heavy dose of satire to discuss the societal role of fiction, journalism, and the pervasive absurdity no on
157. Annie Butler and Zach Schmieder on the Origins of BFF, Empowering vs. Gentrifying Local Communities, and What to Expect at This Year's Petfest
BFF Omaha, formerly known as Benson First Friday, is a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to build community through art engagement. BFF started in June 2012, and was named the first official Creative District in Nebraska in 2022. On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with Annie Butler, production manager and the advocacy chair, and Petfest founder Zach Schmieder about the annual showcase of local and national musical acts within the Benson community.
Petfest 2023 is
156. Lanesa Ballew-Holt and Shontell Prince on The Omaha Jazz Experience
The HALLINS Corporation is a nonprofit whose mission is to stimulate constructive change in underserved communities through art and culture. It was founded in 2016, and puts on both the Omaha Jazz Experience and the LOVAM Jazz Festival. The Omaha Jazz Experience is a ticketed jazz concert that raises for the Hallins Corporation. This year’s show is this Saturday, July 22 at Stinson Park and will feature Grammy-winning saxophonist Najee.
On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation wit
155. Stephanie Finklea and Alex O’Hanlon on Local Food Sovereignty, Seed-Saving, and the Future of Urban Agriculture
Think of the last fruit or vegetable you ate. Do you know where it was grown? Who cultivated it? Harvested it? Transported it to the grocery store? Could you begin to guess all of the people and places involved in making sure that apple or celery or bok choy made it to your plate? When the food production system is global, it can be easy to forget that it’s possible to grow produce right here at home.
Today Maria Corpuz is in conversation with Stephanie Finklea and Alex O’Hanlon, two urban farme
154. Daniel Knowles on the History, Economics, and Culture of Cars—and Envisioning a World without Them
In the Midwest, we love our cars: fast cars, big cars, small cars, loud cars, quiet cars, different cars for different occasions like shoes. Car culture, in other words, is often indistinguishable from Midwest culture, and has been for so long that it feels natural. But what if it's not?
On today's show, Daniel Knowles makes the case that cars are ruining the world while making us unhappy and unhealthy—the subject of his new book, Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do Abo
153. Jennifer Ling Datchuk on "Eat Bitterness" and Exploring Fragility, Femininity, Identity, and Personal History through Art
In China, the phrase “to eat bitterness” means to persist through hardship without complaint. Artist Jennifer Ling Datchuk used the idiom to title her collection of new and recent work, comprising ceramics, textiles, video and other mediums. Datchuk is a Texas-based artist of Irish and Chinese ancestry.
In this conversation with Maria Corpuz, she discusses her work, which explores the intersections of her own identity, as well as the role of women and global labor inequality. Through material c
152. Chalis Bristol (AKA DJ Crabrangucci) on Finding Music through the Internet, the Role of DJs, and the Unlikely Connection between Dance and Classical Music
Chalis Bristol, AKA Crabrangucci, was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She has been actively involved in the music community for years, and has played over 250 shows since 2021. She features an eclectic mix of genres from indie rock to Top 40, to house music, and K-Pop. Bristol also won the 2022 and 2023 Omaha Entertainment & Arts award for “Outstanding DJ.” Additionally, she is the Assistant Director of Sales & Marketing at the Omaha Symphony and a board member at Omaha Girls Rock.
151. Alajia McKizia on Finding Connection in Diverse Artistic Mediums, the Landscape for Young Creatives, and the Juneteenth Joy Fest
Alajia McKizia was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She’s had varied experiences in the local arts community, including as a studio assistant at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at multiple Nebraska galleries including the Union for Contemporary Art, Kaneko and the Tugboat Gallery. She’s also performed with African Culture Connection and .tbd Dance collective.
On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with McKizia about
150. Eliza Knight on Historical Fiction as Reclamation of the Overlooked in Her New Novel 'Starring Adele Astaire'
Because Nebraska has been the birthplace of a relatively small number of Hollywood legends, you end up hearing the same names over and over again. And one name anyone listening to this has likely heard of, whether or not they've watched the movies, is Fred Astaire. Astaire was born in Omaha in 1899 and went on to star on stage and screen in a number of highly acclaimed musicals and Hollywood's Golden Age, such as Top Hat and Swing Time. What you may not know is that Fred Astaire had a si
149. Jessica Lander on the Past, Present, and Future of Immigrant Education in America
In 1919, Nebraska enacted a statute known at the Siman Act, which restricted the use and study of foreign languages in the classroom. A year later in Hampton, Nebraska, a parochial school instructor named Robert Meyer was convicted under the law for teaching German to a 10-year-old boy. The case made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court in Meyer v. Nebraska, which ruled in Meyer’s favor in 1923. The Court declared the law violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,
148. Marcey Yates on Hip Hop, Culxr House, and the Role of Culture in Establishing a Relationship between Art and Advocacy
Marcey Yates is a hip hop artist and community advocate who was born and raised in North Omaha. He won the 2021 and 2022 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards album of the year for “Culxr House: Freedom Summer," released on Omaha’s Saddle Creek Records. On today's show, Yates is in conversation with Michael Griffin about the role of culture in establishing a relationship between art and advocacy, his artist process when making music, as well as the creation of Culxr House, an organization
147. Megan Tady on Writing, Grief, and Her New Novel 'Super Bloom'
Audiences are very concerned with genres–is it a comedy? Is it drama? Is there sci-fi? Especially when it comes to works of art that emulate life, it can be difficult to say our lives fit into neat genres. Life is often difficult, funny, scary, and sweet–sometimes within a few hours. Today Megan Tady is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about her new book, Super Bloom, which balances tragedy, humor, and insight on how we move forward and reinvent ourselves through art. The book follows massage
146. Ethan Warren on the Craft, Legacy, and Apocrypha of Filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson may be one of the last American auteurs. The term, which means author in French, grew out of the French New Wave and eventually made its way to America by the 1960s where the director asserted control and authorship over his–and it often was his–films. The concept has come to represent a kind of rebellion against the corporate content machine, a lone, independent cowboy of authenticity in the arts. And yet today, while the theory is still around, it’s difficult for a filmmak
145. Why Nebraska Should Be Concerned about Brain Drain with Dr. Josie Schafer
It's not unusual among educated Nebraskans to hold the expectation that, if you’re an ambitious young person in this state, you’ll leave. This is within a moment where, over the past decade, the Nebraska Examiner has reported that “more people have continued to leave than enter Nebraska from other states, and the loss is heavily those with an education level of at least a bachelor’s degree.” Today Dr. Josie Schafer, director of the Center for Public Affairs Research at the University of Nebr
144. Crista Eggers on the Long Fight for Medical Cannabis Legalization in Nebraska
In Nebraska, it’s extremely common to be late to the party as far as pretty much all social trends go--or to miss the party entirely. But medical uses of marijuana have been legalized in 37 states, and it looks like the movement has a kind of national momentum that Nebraska will continue to grapple with in the years to come. We’ve seen proponents of medical marijuana produce ballot measures and introduce bills at the legislature for nearly a decade now. The fight isn’t going away. So what is the
143. Jay Jackson on Saving the Country Through Decent Discourse
A lot of media is not especially interested in discourse. You see a lot of dramatic headlines and hours of “What’s the guy mad about today?” but today Jay Jackson, attorney and author of the new book Decent Discourse: Saving Your Country By Loving Your (Wrong) Neighbor, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the value of true conversation. Jackson sees a way to solving our polarized climate, and then the problems that a polarized climate cannot solve, through being decent. His book on the s
142. Eli Rigatuso on Uplifting LGBTQ+ Voices in the Midst of Efforts to Pass Anti-Trans Legislation in Nebraska
Eli Rigatuso was born and raised in Omaha and has more than 30 years of experience as an artist, photographer and videographer. He’s also an activist who has spent decades fighting for civil rights in Nebraska. He helped found Heartland Pride in 2010 and serves on Mayor Stothert’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board. More recently, Rigatuso founded 'Frankly Speaking,' a virtual show he hosts with Avalisa Ellicott. He is also a board member of Omaha For Us, a nonprofit founded in 2021 to service and cr
141. Matt Wynn on the State of Journalism in the Social Media Age and Using the News to Build Community
In 2023, journalism exists in this precarious space, driven by clicks and corporate ownership and punditry–none of which are new, but, in the social media age, what constitutes news at all has become a source of conflict. On today's show, Matt Wynn, who previously worked at the Omaha World Herald and USA Today and more recently co-founded the Flatwater Free Press, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the state of journalism, both in general and here in Nebraska, as well as what he see
140. Michael Griffin on '27 Club' and Merging the Hard Questions with Comedy
Many episodes of this show grapple with the question of how to get people to care about issues and to inform themselves? Or really how do you get them to want to when they can instead find limitless entertainment all around them, accessible at all times from their pockets? On today's show, Michael Griffin is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about merging the hard questions with entertainment through his comedy. His new special, 27 Club, was filmed at Culxr House and is available now on You
139. The Past, Present, and Future of Public Transportation with Metro Transit's Lauren Cencic and Nicole Ebat
It’s been two-and-a-half years since Metro Transit began operating the ORBT bus system on Dodge Street. Now, the service is approaching a milestone: its one-millionth rider. The occasion comes at an interesting time for public transit, as younger generations become more vocal about their desire for a high-speed national rail system, and Omaha embarks on the controversial streetcar project. Today Metro Transit CEO Lauren Cencic and communications and community relations manager Nicole Ebat are in
138. The Magic of Live Music with the Omaha Symphony's Maestro Ankush Kumar Bahl and VP of Artistic Administration Dani Meier
Music is everywhere. It’s hard to imagine that there was a point where you couldn’t constantly listen to music, a time before recordings of music even existed. But there’s something in our brains that can’t resist rhythm and harmony and the way music makes us feel. Today director of the Omaha Symphony Maestro Ankush Kumar Bahl and VP of Artistic Administration Dani Meier are in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the power of music and what you can expect this year at the Omaha Symphony, inclu
137. Sean Doolittle on the Cultural Fascination with Billionaires, the Urge to Disconnect, and His New Novel 'Device Free Weekend'
Billionaires are all over our media right now, such as HBO's The White Lotus or recent hit films like Knives Out and Glass Onion, which combine the troubles of the ultrawealthy with the whodunit. Today Sean Doolittle is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about his new novel, Device Free Weekend, in which seven friends and one eccentric billionaire go on an all-expenses paid reunion on a private island where no phones, tablets, or laptops are allowed. Quickly it becomes clear that their old frien
136. Meridith Dillon on the Impacts of Housing Injustice and the Possibility of Safe Housing for All
Meridith Dillon is the executive director of Front Porch Investments, which was founded in 2021 to work toward affordable housing solutions in Omaha. In this conversation with Maria Corpuz, Dillon talks about how housing injustice shapes the city, how systemic racism has played a role, and how we can curb its effects. She also shares her vision for a brighter future for Omaha with safe housing for all. Learn more about Front Porch Investments here.
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135. Wes Dodge Gives an Overview of the Current Debates and Proposals at the Nebraska State Legislature
The Nebraska State Legislature is back in session. This is often a chaotic moment where it can be difficult have a good sense of what the agendas at play really are–what is being debated, how initial proposed legislation evolves over the course of a session, or what all of the implications are of what is passing. So Wes Dodge is back today in conversation with Tom Knoblauch to parse through the current state of the legislature, what we might expect to pass this session, and how you can get invol
134. Jon Lauck on the Overlooked Cultural Story and Influence of the Midwest
This show is ostensibly about the Midwest. The culture we create. The culture we consume. The way culture leads to art, to politics, and to history. But the Midwest can be a squishy concept without obvious shape or definition. Jon Lauck hopes to change that through his work contextualizing the overlooked cultural story and influence of the Midwest. He teaches history and political science at the University of South Dakota and is the author of The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest.
133. Keith Rodger on the History and Promise of the Omaha Music Scene
Keith Rodger is a musician, producer and audio engineer who performs as Kethro. Rodger has made a name for himself in the music industry while based in his hometown of Omaha. In 2014, he started touring as an engineer with The Faint, Tuxedo, and CeeLo Green. He honed his craft as a DJ and sound designer at local outlets including eighty-nine-seven The River, Make Believe Studios and Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
Today, he’s in conversation with Maria Corpuz about the Omaha music scene, how
132. Mixed Media Artist Jeff Sedrel on Art's Efficacy and the Eternal Appeal of Flowers
Mixed media artist Jeff Sedrel has a series of floral paintings in an exhibition at the Garden of the Zodiac Gallery through January 29. He was a 2017 Fellow at the Union for Contemporary Art under a collaborative multimedia project with Noah Sterba called Slowed Soul. Sedrel was nominated for two Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards in 2020. His recent work has also been featured at Project Project, Landlock Gallery and the Michael Phipps Gallery, where he exhibited with Holly Kranker. Today he
131. Ja Keen Fox Proposes a Philosophy of Romantic Activism to Overcome Political Stasis
If you’ve been listening to Riverside Chats for a while, you’ve heard conversations with a lot of people running for office. Some of them got elected. A lot didn’t. The kind of people who want this platform, to have an hour on the radio, are often ones looking to break into the political scene or to move from a lower level to something more prominent. But Nebraska, just like the country at large, often instead reelects incumbents. So though this show has highlighted many visions for a significan
130. Jody Keisner on Channeling Anxiety, Ritual, and Identity into Memoir in ‘Under My Bed’
Jody Keisner’s new memoir Under My Bed is an exploration of anxiety, control, fear, and ritual. Keisner teaches at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is from rural Nebraska, which sets the stage for the central ritual of the book: checking under her bed to make sure she was safe. In this conversation with Tom Knoblauch, Keisner discusses anxiety, memoirs, self-exploration, and her writing process. Under My Bed is available now wherever you get books.
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129. Tim Guthrie on Craft, Boredom, and Art as a Gateway to Critical Thinking
Tim Guthrie is a visual artist, art professor at Creighton, and an award winning filmmaker. His work has been included in collections at the Boise Art Museum, the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, the Plemmons Collection of Contemporary Art, and the Leigh Lane Edwards Collection of Contemporary Art. His documentary, Missing Piece, which chronicles his own grieving process after the death of his wife, has garnered significant attention and awards across the globe. In conversation with Tom Knobla
128. Charles Kay Jr. on the American Dream, Identity, and His Exhibition 'Unseen: Emerging from the Currents of Assimilation'
Charles Kay Jr. is a first-generation Thai-American visual artist whose work explores assimilation, identity and the American Dream. Kay’s parents immigrated from Thailand in the 1960s and anglicized their names to fit in. Much of Kay’s work explores the toll of assimilation on his own family and the immigrant experience at large. His exhibition “Unseen: Emerging from the Currents of Assimilation” is on display at Kaneko through February 5, 2023. In this conversation with Maria Corpuz, he shares
127. Edible Landscaper Aaron Urbanski on Embracing Nature Starting with Your Yard
We talk about the climate crisis a lot on this show and a common theme that comes up is not just that we need to hope for miracle cures but that we need to rethink our relationship with the natural world. But what does that look like? Some people work to reduce their emissions through who they vote for or where their electricity comes from, and others seek to reduce the amount of plastic they consume. Another option is to embrace nature–which actually starts right in your yard. Today Tom Knoblau
126. Matthew Wurstner on the Likely Legal Outcomes of Student Loan Forgiveness
A lot of waves have been made in the past decade regarding student loans and the sometimes predatory nature of higher education. It has become a common refrain among Democrats to support varying degrees of student loan relief and forgiveness, essentially framed as an economic stimulus and a salve for those stuck with crippling debt. Republicans generally find this kind of targeted debt relief to be ridiculous, such as Don Bacon in September lamenting that reducing the debt incurred by young peop
125. Kurt Andersen on America's Inherent Pull toward Fantasyland, the Evil Geniuses Who Weaponize It, and a Future Diverged from the Status Quo
Many episodes of this show grapple with the perhaps unanswerable question: why is America the way it is? Is there something inherent in American culture that answers where we're going? Kurt Andersen has been exploring the nature of American culture throughout his varied career, from co-founding Spy Magazine, writing for Time and The New Yorker, writing several novels, hosting the public radio show Studio 360, and most comprehensively through his recent two volume history of America: Fantas
124. A Guide to Ballot Initiatives 433 with Terrell McKinney and 432 with Heather Engdahl
Ballot initiatives can be a pain to read and to put in context, so today's show is an in-depth look at two of the initiatives on this year's ballot, 433 and 432: their scope, the reasons why they made the ballot, and what it means for Nebraska if they pass or fail.
In the first part of today's show, Maria Corpuz talks with Senator Terrell McKinney about Initiative 433, which would incrementally increase the state's minimum wage from $9 to $15 by 2026.
Then, Tom Knoblauch talks with Heather
123. Deborah Neary Explains What the Nebraska State Board of Education Does, What It Doesn't Do, and What She Hopes for in a Second Term
Last year, a petition circulated which would replace the Nebraska State Board of Education, Education Commissioner, and Nebraska Department of Education with a new, ambiguous Office of Education, which would be accountable directly to the Governor. It didn’t pass, but it’s not the first time this idea has been floated here, and such proposals have passed in states like Oregon. But what is the Nebraska State Board of Education? Who is on it? What do they do? Today, Deborah Neary is here in conver
122. Matthew Wurstner Explains Ballot Initiatives, the History Behind Them, and How They're Weaponized
If you’ve ever voted before, you probably were really excited or scared about a couple of candidates at the top of the ballot. We talk all the time on this show about how a healthy democracy requires some investment in the less splashy stuff lower on the ballot too–like the county attorney or municipal board director–but another element of the ballot that can cause headaches for the average, not particularly nerdy voter is the section with initiatives. Ballot initiatives are often written in den
121. Chip Davis on ‘Convoy,’ Mannheim Steamroller, and Creating Space for Art
Chip Davis has been making music for over five decades, scoring his first chart-topper in 1976 with "Convoy," the song he co-wrote with Bill Fries. He was named Country Music Writer of the Year in 1976 and of course you’ve probably heard of the group he founded, Mannheim Steamroller, and the label he created to release its music, American Gramaphone, both of which have captivated listeners and audiences since 1974. Today he tells his story to Tom Knoblauch of succeeding against the odds, making
120. Rachel Gibson and Sarah Smolen on Navigating the Culture War over Public Education
The culture war these days is heavily focused on schools, with many prominent elected officials in Nebraska calling for defunding public education in favor of vouchers for charter schools. Today Rachel Gibson and Sarah Smolen talk to Tom Knoblauch about the education climate, how to navigate a culture war that often is intentionally vague and operating in bad faith and possible solutions they are offering through their work on the Education Policy Action Team for the League of Women Voters of Ne
119. Wes Dodge on the Benefits of Ranked Choice Voting and the Dangers of Dark Money
Wes Dodge is on the boards for Rank the Vote Nebraska, Common Cause Nebraska, Represent Us Omaha, and Non-Partisan Nebraska. He sees the possibility of meaningful reforms to our political chaos through adopting ranked choice elections and moving toward a nonpartisan vision of governance instead of our highly polarized current climate. Today he and Tom Knoblauch talk about what ranked choice voting would look like compared to what we are used to as well as how polarization is largely rooted in mo
118. Lisa Knopp on Redemption, Capital Punishment, and Her New Book ‘From Your Friend, Carey Dean: Letters from Nebraska’s Death Row'
Dr. Lisa Knopp teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and has written several books, including Bread, What the River Carries, and Field of Vision. Her latest book is From Your Friend, Carey Dean: Letters from Nebraska’s Death Row, which chronicles her friendship with Carey Dean Moore, who spent 38 years on death row before his execution in 2018.
On today's show, Knopp talks to Tom Knoblauch about how her earlier writing, which was largely focused on place, has c
117. Nebraska State Legislature Candidate Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek on the Benefits of Nonpartisan Governing
Cindy Maxwell-Ostdiek is an independent candidate running to represent District 4 on Nebraska's State Legislature. She is the president of Rank the Vote Nebraska and serves on the advisory board for Nonpartisan Nebraska. Today she talks to Tom Knoblauch about her vision for a nonpartisan approach to governing as both a way to address hyperpolarization and to better ensure that constituent concerns get represented without the middle man of national party operations.
You can learn more about
116. Graham Christensen on Using Regeneration to Combat Climate Change
A common concern expressed on this show is about not just the climate crisis but the seeming inability that we have to talk about existential risks like global warming because so much of our bandwidth is taken up by the noise of culture wars. In previous conversations regarding updating our grids to accommodate renewable energy, a concept has come up that didn’t get much time but is gaining traction as a model for what can help undo the damage of the past: regeneration. Commonly this is employed
115. Nebraska State Legislature Candidate Sarah Slattery Pitches a Vision of Government by and for the Average Citizen
Sarah Slattery is running to represent district 2 in the Nebraska State Legislature, a seat currently held by Senator Robert Clements. She tells her story to Tom Knoblauch along with her vision for a legislature that looks like the populace. Her campaign is centered around small businesses, education, school nutrition, healthcare accessibility, and workers' rights. You can learn more here.
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114. Alex Jochim and Zach Schmieder on 10 Years of BFF and What to Expect at Petfest
You may or may not know that this show began as a series of live conversations in Benson, before transitioning into a podcast that was recorded at Petshop for almost a year. Petshop is the headquarters for BFF, also known as Benson First Friday, which is celebrating its tenth year of operations as a hub of Omaha artistic expression and bringing the community to the artists. BFF co-founder Alex Jochim is here with Zach Schmeider to talk to Tom Knoblauch about BFF’s evolution and its upcoming musi
113. Matthew Wurstner on Nebraska's Tax Climate and Why You Should Care
Matthew Wurstner returns to discuss everyone’s favorite subject: taxes. Earlier this year, the Nebraska State Legislature passed what Governor Ricketts called the biggest tax relief measures in Nebraska history. Taxes come up a lot here in assessing quality of life, what a competitive tax climate might mean for retaining young people in the age of brain drain, and in general how our taxes here look compared to similar states. Specifically, Wurstner talks to Tom Knoblauch about recent legislative
112. OPS School Board Candidate Bri Full on Ensuring a Stable, Successful Future for Omaha Education
Bri Full is a candidate for the Omaha Public School Board to represent Subdistrict 2. Full is an active community organizer and policy advisor at the Nebraska State Legislature. On today's show, Full talks to Tom Knoblauch what she believes OPS should do following a mass exodus of hundreds of teachers this spring to ensure a stable, successful future for education in the metro area.
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111. Joe Pera Talks with Tom
Joe Pera is an comedian, actor, and the creator of the beloved Adult Swim show Joe Pera Talks with You, which just aired its third and final season and is available for streaming on HBO Max. Adult Swim is known for mature, crude programming, so Joe Pera is an unconventional fit with his show that resembles something more like Mr. Rogers than Rick and Morty and emphasizes a quiet comedy rooted in kindness and empathy. Today Pera talks to Tom Knoblauch about how he found his voice and where it fit
110. Filmmaker Dan Mirvish on ‘18 ½’ and the Legacy of Watergate
Dan Mirvish is an award winning filmmaker and co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival. His films include Omaha The Movie, Open House, Between Us, and Bernard and Huey. His new film is 18 ½, a Watergate thriller and dark comedy starring Willa Fitzgerald and John Magaro as a transcriptionist and reporter who find the infamous gap of tape in Richard Nixon’s White House recordings. Today Mirvish talks with Tom Knoblauch about the film’s thematic relevance to today, how his filmic influences, inclu
109. Eileen Wirth on 'The Women Who Built Omaha' and the Stability of Progress
Eileen Wirth is professor emeritus of journalism at Creighton University and the author of several books including From Society to Front Page: Nebraska Women in Journalism and A History Lover’s Guide to Omaha. Her latest book is The Women Who Built Omaha: A Bold and Remarkable History, which supplements our city’s story from what has been described as a man’s town by exploring the women who played major roles in education, health, culture, social services, and other fields since Omaha’s founding
108. Erik Larson on Processing the Present Through History and His New Ghost Story 'No One Goes Alone'
Erik Larson is the author of bestselling historical nonfiction like The Devil in the White City, The Splendid and the Vile, and In the Garden of Beasts. Today he talks with Tom Knoblauch about how he uses history to process his anxieties about the present and what made him turn to fiction for his latest work, a ghost story called No One Goes Alone, which is exclusively available on Audible.
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107. Actor/Writer Katie Otten on Her Series 'Inner Worlds' and the Appeal of Personas
Katie Otten is an actor and writer who has worked with just about every local filmmaker and has just launched her first web series called Inner Worlds, which follows a series of friends who engage in a tabletop roleplaying game of the same name. Otten created, wrote every episode of, and stars in Inner Worlds, and every episode is streaming now. She talks with Tom Knoblauch about the project, her evolving process, and her vision for its future. Learn more about the project (and support season 2)
106. Ross Benes Assesses the Strength of the Nebraska Republican Party in 2022 in the Wake of Infighting, Indictments, and Scandals
Ross Benes wrote the 2021 book Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold in which he diagnoses “a gradual shift in the types of candidates we elect to our state legislature and the US Congress." He argues that "[t]he accumulative changes over the past few decades have made it extremely difficult for Democrats to be competitive outside of certain parts of our two biggest cities, Omaha and Lincoln, and even there, it is often an uphill battle for liberals.” He came on the show l
105. Randy Nogg on 'Reefer Madness 2' and Bringing Hollywood to the Heartland
Randy Nogg currently runs the talent agency Actors Etc. Limited and its entertainment division Theater-To-Go. He previously lived in LA where he produced the film Reefer Madness 2, which is now available on Amazon Video, before returning to Omaha to bring a bit of Hollywood back to the Heartland. Today he talks with Tom Knoblauch about the way Hollywood dreams entered his Midwestern life and how that brought him on the long journey to both making and distributing his film.
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104. Matthew Wurstner on the Origin of Nebraska's Unicameral System
Matthew Wurstner returns to the show for a history of Nebraska's unique system of governance: the unicameral. The unicameral has only one legislative house, an idea that was proposed and fought for by U.S. Sen. George Norris nearly a century ago under the belief that a unicameral legislature would cost less to the taxpayers of Nebraska and would work more efficiently than a two-house legislature. Talking with Tom Knoblauch, Wurstner chronicles the origin of the concept and how it came to pass in
103. Congressional Candidate Alisha Shelton on Bringing a New Perspective to the House of Representatives
Alisha Shelton is running to represent Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives–a seat currently held by incumbent Don Bacon. Today she talks with Tom Knoblauch about what motivated her to run, how her legislative style offers a fresh perspective, and what her vision for America would look like.
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102. OPPD Board of Directors Candidate Craig Moody Envisions a Climate Friendly Omaha
Craig Moody was elected to the Omaha Public Power District in 2016, served as board chair in 2020, and currently serves as the chair of the board’s governance committee. Today he talks with Tom Knoblauch about his story and makes his case for reelection in order to continue his vision of Omaha’s response to the climate crisis by transitioning to renewable energy and participating in Nebraska’s coordinated plan to become net zero carbon by 2050.
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101. Congressional Candidate Jazari Kual Zakaria on a Truly Representative Legislative Body
Jazari Kual Zakaria is in the middle of a congressional campaign to represent Nebraska’s First Congressional District in the House of Representatives, a seat held by Republican Jeff Fortenberry for nearly two decades until he resigned from the position in March after being convicted of three felonies. Zakaria is a student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a founder of LNK Freedges, an initiative to provide free, fresh food to underserved people in Lincoln. Talking with Tom Knoblauch, Zak
100. Congressional Candidate Patty Pansing Brooks Pitches a Vision of Compassionate Government
Nebraska State Senator Patty Pansing Brooks talks with Tom Knoblauch about her upbringing, the formation of her worldview, what working in the Nebraska Legislature has taught her about the process of governing, and how she'd take those lessons to the House of Representatives to represent Nebraska's 1st Congressional District--a seat held by Jeff Fortenberry for nearly twenty years until his resignation this week due to a conviction for lying to federal authorities about campaign donations.
99. Dawaune Lamont Hayes on Omaha's Downtown Library and an Alternate Vision for the Space
Earlier this year, Mayor Jean Stothert announced intentions to give the land where Omaha's downtown library sits to Mutual of Omaha so they can build a new headquarters roughly 20 streets away from their current building in Midtown Crossing. This meant finding new land to develop as a downtown library further from public transportation routes and which looks likely to cost the city considerably more than it currently spends on the W. Dale Clark Library. Many, including members of the Omaha City
98. Yanqi Xu on How Alvo's Huge Tire Pile Led to a Crisis of Democracy
Alvo is a small town of about 115 between Omaha and Lincoln. The kind of place you probably haven’t ever thought about unless you live near it. The kind of place that can be easy to romanticize as a typical small town in the Heartland. And where nobody is looking, sometimes it’s because there’s nothing to see. But other times, there’s so much under the surface that it can be difficult to wrap your mind around all of it. Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch
97. OPPD Director Eric Williams on Nebraska's Climate Action Plan and Path to a Carbon Neutral Future
Vice Chair of the OPPD Board of Directors Eric Williams is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about Nebraska's coordinated plan to address the climate crisis by transitioning to primary reliance on renewable energy and becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
Learn more here.
Join the conversation on social media or call in with what issue is on your mind in a brief voicemail to 402-881-0089 for a chance to be featured on one of our upcoming shows.
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96. Women's Fund of Omaha Executive Director Jo Giles on Envisioning and Implementing Equity
Jo Giles is the executive director of the Women’s Fund of Omaha, which addresses gender-based inequities in our community through collaboration that identifies, researches and creates solutions to advance, educate and fund lasting impact. Giles is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show about her early days as a journalist before transitioning to her current position as well as the vision she has for implementing equity in a patriarchal world.
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95. Terri Sanders on the Legacy and Future of the Omaha Star
Terry Sanders, publisher of the Omaha Star, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch on today's show exploring the legacy of the institution as a good news-based model of journalism. The Omaha Star was founded in 1938 by Mildred Brown and remains the only Black owned newspaper in Nebraska. Sanders took over in 2020 and is guiding the institution into the digital age as she adapts to new models of journalism today. Read the Omaha Star here.
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94. Joel Damon and Josh Powell on Curation, Art Culture, and Project Project
Joel Damon and Josh Powell founded and curate Project Project: an independent contemporary arts space in South Omaha. Project Project hosts new visual art exhibitions on the second Friday of every month as well as public lectures and performances. Today Damon and Powell are in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about their journeys and vision for Project Project's future.
Check them out at projectprojectomaha.com or meatloafmeatloaf.com.
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93. Douglas County Attorney Candidate Dave Pantos on the Root Causes of Crime and Impartiality in the Courts
Dave Pantos served as Executive Director of the Legal Aid program in Nebraska, ran several congressional campaigns, and teaches law and policy at the University of Nebraska. He’s currently running for Douglas County attorney against incumbent Don Kleine. Today he is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch to tell his story and vision for Omaha.
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92. Adam Nayman on 'David Fincher: Mind Games'
Adam Nayman is a critic at The Ringer and Cinema Scope and he is also the author of The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Room Together and Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks, which he discussed in an earlier episode of this show. His latest book, David Fincher: Mind Games is a critical and visual survey of the filmmaker behind incredibly influential works include Seven, Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Gone Girl, and
91. Dr. Lydia Kang on 'Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases'
Lydia Kang practices internal medicine at Nebraska Medicine and has written several novels including Opium and Absynthe, The Impossible Girl, The Beautiful Poison, and Toxic. Her latest book, co-written with Nate Pedersen, is nonfiction and incredibly timely. It’s called Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World’s Worst Diseases, which chronicles how diseases spread, the scientific race to understand them, and how we race to destroy them before they destroy us. Each chapter chronicles a parti
90. Paul B. Allen IV on 1st Sky Omaha, Benson Theatre, and the Difference Between Passion and Ambition
Paul B. Allen IV runs the Allen Showcase Media Group building teams for media operations like Mind and Soul 101.3 or 1st Sky Omaha. Allen comes from a long legacy of entrepreneurship in music, art, and media with a fascinating family history right here in the metro. He also is involved in the recently relaunched Benson Theater, a multi-million dollar community theater project. In this conversation with Tom Knoblauch, Allen discusses about his wide-ranging career and his vision for Omaha going fo
89. Author Ethan Warren on Cultural Anxieties Permeating Our Entertainment in Works like 'Joe Pera Talks With You'
Ethan Warren, film critic and editor for the online film journal Bright Wall/Dark Room discusses his 2018 article “I Can Whistle With That: What the Stories of 2018 Show Us About Responding to Despair,” which tries to grapple with our current moment of anxiety, apocalypse, and despair and the ways that seeps into our cultural entertainment. In this conversation with Tom Knoblauch, Warren explains how this concept of despair was appropriate for 2018, but may have evolved since then into feelings
88. Paul Hammel on the Indictment of Representative Jeff Fortenberry / Critic Jared Charles on the Holiday Season's Notable Films
Omaha World Herald reporter Paul Hammel explains the recent federal indictment against Representative Jeff Fortenberry. Forteberry has represented Nebraska’s first congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2005. On October 19, 2021, it was announced that Fortenberry was being investigated over illegal campaign contributions that his 2016 campaign received from the Nigerian-born, Paris-based billionaire Gilbert Chagoury. A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted him on one c
87. Congressional Candidate Tony Vargas on Teaching, Effective Communication, and a Vision for America
Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas, who is currently running to represent Nebraska’s Second Congressional District in the House of Representatives, talks with Tom Knoblauch about his upbringing, how teaching influenced his worldview, and his vision for the country.
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86. Matthew Wurstner on the History of Legal Challenges to School Curriculum
Matthew Wurstner, our resident historian, returns to the show to talk with Tom Knoblauch about the history of legal challenges to school curriculum and its implications for the future of education in America.
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85. Flatwater Free Press Executive Editor Matthew Hansen on the Impacts of Independent Local Journalism
Matthew Hansen chats with Tom Knoblauch about his journey in journalism, from interviewing Dick Cavett to his column at the Omaha World Herald to now founding and executive editing the Flatwater Free Press as an independent, local press in Nebraska.
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84. Laurel Heer Dale and Michael Milone on the Eviction Crisis and the Tenant Assistance Project
Laurel Heer Dale and Michael Milone chat with Tom Knoblauch about the current eviction crisis and how they're addressing it through the Tenant Assistance Project--also known as TAP. The program offers free legal assistance to tenants facing eviction and is currently seeking volunteers.
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83. Senator Megan Hunt on Progress in the Unicameral
Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt represents the 8th legislative district in Omaha, consisting of Dundee, Benson, and Keystone. Tom last spoke with Senator Hunt after she had wrapped up her first year in the legislature in 2019. This time, Hunt talks with Tom Knoblauch how her first term has impacted her view of our political system and what is possible within the unicameral--as well as what her legislative goals are for a second term.
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82. James Han Mattson on Fear as Entertainment and His New Novel 'Reprieve'
Author James Han Mattson talks with Tom Knoblauch about his new novel Reprieve: a literary novel of social horror centered around a brutal killing that takes place in a full-contact haunted escape room—a provocative exploration of capitalism, hate politics, racial fetishism, and our cultural obsession with fear as entertainment. Check out Reprieve wherever you get books.
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81. Gus von Roenn on Omaha Permaculture and Rethinking Sustainable Lifestyles
Gus von Roenn, founder of Omaha Permaculture, talks with Tom Knoblauch about his journey and vision of cities teeming with permaculture gardens where neighbors gather to harvest organic food, build relationships, and learn about the natural world. Omaha Permaculture manages 17 properties, plans a robust portfolio of programs, and maintains partnerships with the City Planning Department, Omaha Municipal Land Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and other community collaborators to address the need for sus
80. Aarron Schurevich on Debate and the Possibility of Persuasion
Aarron Schurevich tells his story about how he got wrapped into the world of competitive debate, coached debate for nearly a decade, and why he can't let it go. He and Tom Knoblauch reflect on how debate permeates our culture today in a world full of echo chambers.
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79. Ben Nelson on the Death of the Senate and the Path to Functional Governing
Ben Nelson, former Nebraska governor and United States Senator, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about his new book is Death of the Senate: My Front Row Seat to the Demise of the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body. In the book, Nelson chronicles his two terms in the Senate and what he sees as a demise of the concept of collaboration and bipartisanship, leaving gridlock and a war for power in their place. He outlines how we got here and his steps for returning congress to a functional, democ
78. Jeffrey Koterba on Political Cartoons and the Importance of Satire
Jeffrey Koterba, political cartoonist and author, is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about the current state of journalism and the importance of satire in today’s climate.
Check out his book here and contribute to his Patreon here.
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77. Matthew Wurstner on the History of the Presidential Pardon
Matthew Wurstner talks with Tom Knoblauch about the history of the presidential pardon and how its evolution leaves big questions for our country going forward.
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76. Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar on 'You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism'
Both Omaha natives, you probably know Amber Ruffin as the host of The Amber Ruffin Show. Her sister Lacey Lamar still lives in Omaha where she has worked in the healthcare and human services field for more than twenty-five years. The two co-wrote the book You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey: Crazy Stories About Racism, which is a recounting of the multitude of racist encounters Lacey has had living in Omaha over the years. It’s a hilarious, biting insight into the Midwest Nice culture an
75. Senator John Cavanaugh on Meaningful Conversations and Progress in the Nebraska State Legislature
Nebraska State Senator John Cavanaugh is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about growing up with a dad who served in the House of Representatives, how he shaped his worldview, and the tricky business of trying to bring progressive policies to a senate body in a very red state.
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74. Adam Fletcher Sasse on North Omaha History
Adam Fletcher-Sasse talks with Tom Knoblauch about compiling North Omaha History through articles, a podcast, and several books which are available now and aim to tell Omaha's lesser known stories to provide a fuller understanding of its culture. Check out his work at NorthOmahaHistory.com.
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73. Film Streams Executive Director Deirdre Haj
Film Streams Executive Director Deirdre Haj talks with Tom Knoblauch about her relationship to the film industry and her vision for Film Streams as a hub of Omaha’s culture going forward.
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72. Author Timothy Schaffert on 'The Perfume Thief'
Timothy Schaffert is in conversation with Tom Knoblauch about his journey as an author and his new novel The Perfume Thief. A Gentleman in Moscow meets Moulin Rouge in this stylish, sexy page-turner about Clementine, a queer American expat and notorious thief of rare scents, who has retired to Paris, only to return to her old tricks in hopes of protecting the city she loves when the Nazis invade in 1941. The Perfume Thief is available now wherever you get books.
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71. Dakota Smith AKA Bobo Jiggs on Identity, Photography, and 'Still-Lives'
Dakota Smith AKA Bobo Jiggs talks with Tom Knoblauch about his new photography installation "Still-Lives," a study of relationships between pairs of seemingly unrelated photographs, which can be seen at the next Benson First Friday in Studio 62.
Find some of his other work at bobo-krejci.com
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70. Maha Festival Executive Director Lauren Martin
Lauren Martin, executive director of the Maha Festival talks with Tom Knoblauch about her story and the evolution of Maha. This year’s festival is on July 31 and tickets are available at mahafestival.com.
What issues are on your mind this week? We’re starting a new feature here--a kind of letter to the editor--where you can call in and speak your mind in a brief voicemail to 402-881-0089 for a chance to be featured on one of our upcoming shows.
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69. Maria Corpuz on Local Activism, Journalism, and 'Nite Caps'
Maria Corpuz talks with Tom Knoblauch about local activism, journalism, and hosting the live late night show Nite Caps at OutrSpaces through significant personal and societal shifts over the past few years.
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68. Author Tyler J. Kelley on 'Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on America's Waterways'
Author and Documentarian Tyler J. Kelley talks about his new book Holding Back the River: The Struggle Against Nature on America's Waterways, a revelatory work of reporting on the men and women wrestling to harness and preserve America’s most vital natural resource: our rivers.
Check out Tyler's book here.
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67. Maggie Wood and Cammy Watkins on Inclusive Communities and Becoming Antiracist
Inclusive Communities executive director Maggie Wood and deputy director Cammy Watkins talk about discrimination in Omaha--its causes, its effects, and ways organizations like theirs work to address it going forward.
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66. Activist Ja Keen Fox on Political Persuasion and a Vision for Omaha
Racial equity consultant Ja Keen Fox tells his story and theory of persuasion as he works to bring a progressive vision to Omaha.
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65. Journalist Leah Cates on 'Queer Nebraska: A Timeline'
Leah Cates writes for The Reader and compiled Queer Nebraska: A Timeline, which commemorates milestones in LGBTQ Nebraska history as part of The Reader’s Pride feature and seeks to broadcast voices from Nebraska’s vibrant queer community, spotlighting the struggles and strengths of LGBTQ Nebraskans. Queer Nebraska: A timeline is available on The Reader’s site and print edition, which is out now. She talks about compiling the article as well as the implications of broadening our approach to histo
64. Matthew Wurstner on Policing as an Institution
Attorney Matthew Wurstner returns to the show to discuss the constitutional obligations of the police and its formation as an institution--as well as what possible reforms might look like.
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63. Filmmakers Brent Scott Maze and Derek Maze on 'La Flamme Rouge'
Filmmakers Brent Scott Maze and Derek Maze discuss their new film, La Flamme Rouge, which was filmed in Fremont and recently played at the Omaha Film Festival.
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62. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert
Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert tells her story and vision for a third term.
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61. Omaha City Council Candidate Sarah Johnson
Sarah Johnson tells her vision for Omaha and why she felt compelled to run to represent District 1 on Omaha's City Council to switch up the status quo.
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60. Omaha City Council Candidate Jen Bauer
Jen Bauer tells her life story, from childhood dreams of joining the Supreme Court to her current campaign to represent District 3 on Omaha's City Council.
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59. Omaha City Council Candidate Sarah Smolen
Sarah Smolen tells her story as an Omaha educator running to represent District 4 on Omaha's City Council.
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58. Omaha Mayoral Candidate RJ Neary
RJ Neary discusses his vision for the city, including thinking bigger and addressing the interconnected nature of issues holding Omaha back from reaching its full potential.
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57. Author Ross Benes on 'Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold'
Author Ross Benes discusses his new book, Rural Rebellion: How Nebraska Became a Republican Stronghold--including the past 30 years moving Nebraska to the right, what went wrong for Democrats, and what the future may look like for the state.
Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Rural-Rebellion-Nebraska-Republican-Stronghold/dp/0700630457
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56. Omaha Mayoral Candidate Jasmine Harris
Jasmine Harris tells her vision of shifting Omaha from stagnation to progress by addressing the interconnected nature of the city's problems from transportation to communication to health and more.
Learn more here.
And consider supporting Riverside Chats as a patron for access to the full backlog, early access to new episodes, and exclusive content for $1 a month.
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55. Omaha Mayoral Candidate and Educator Mark Gudgel
Omaha educator and mayoral candidate Mark Gudgel discusses his vision for the city and the future of politics in America.
Find more about Mark Gudgel's campaign here.
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54. Omaha Mayoral Candidate and NOISE Founder Dawaune Lamont Hayes
NOISE founder Dawaune Lamont Hayes discusses his vision for changing Omaha to meet his ambitions, now including a run for mayor.
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53. Matthew Wurstner on the Stolen Election of 1876
Matthew Wurstner tells the history of America's stolen election, rife with fraud, corruption, and questionable implications for the American democratic experiment--all in the 1876 election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden.
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52. Precious McKesson on the Electoral College and Making History
Precious McKesson tells her story as the first woman and the first woman of color in Nebraska to cast an Electoral College ballot for a Democrat, as well as her assessment of the current political climate.
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Author Adam Nayman on Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks (Radio Edit)
Critic Adam Nayman discusses his new book, Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks, as well as the state of the auteur today and the future of cinema after the pandemic and the streaming revolution.Check out the book here.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/riversidechats/messageSupport this podcast: https://anchor.fm/riversidechats/support
51. Author Adam Nayman on 'Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks' and the Future of Cinema
Critic Adam Nayman discusses his new book, Paul Thomas Anderson: Masterworks, as well as the state of the auteur today and the future of cinema after the pandemic and the streaming revolution.
Check out the book here.
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50. Omaha City Council Candidate Naomi Hattaway
Naomi Hattaway discusses her campaign to represent District 6 on Omaha's City Council, including the logistics of a digital campaign, the formation of her worldview, and her vision for the city.
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49. Brent Crampton on Circular Food Systems and Hillside Solutions
Brent Crampton discusses how we can shift to a circular food system and become more conscious of waste, re-use, and regeneration, which he is helping Omaha embrace through Hillside Solutions.
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48. Author Theodore Wheeler on 'In Our Other Lives'
Author Theodore Wheeler discusses his new novel, In Our Other Lives, which follows a series of characters trying to make sense of the post-Patriot Act world and is available wherever you get books.
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47. Astronaut Clayton Anderson on 'Letters from Space'
Astronaut Clayton Anderson discusses his upbringing and dedication to following his dream of joining NASA and going to space, as well as his ability to share his experiences in his books like The Ordinary Spaceman and his newest release, Letters from Space, which is available now.
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46. Screenwriter Patrick Stibbs on 'The Call'
Screenwriter Patrick Stibbs tells the story of his first screenplay, The Call, which took 20 years to make it to the screen and is now in theaters across the country, starring horror icons Tobin Bell and Lynn Shaye.
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45. Omaha City Council Candidate Cammy Watkins
Cammy Watkins discusses her decision to run for Omaha's City Council after years of waiting for political willpower to manifest in order to fix the city's problems before finally deciding to get hands-on to enact change.
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44. Attorney Matthew Wurstner on the Supreme Court and the 2020 Ballot
Omaha attorney Matthew Wurstner gives an overview of legal issues from the national to the local, including the recent developments at the Supreme Court and what made it to the ballot this year in Nebraska.
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43. Congressional Candidate Kara Eastman (September 2020)
Kara Eastman comes back onto the show to discuss her run to represent Nebraska's Second Congressional District as she challenges incumbent Republican Don Bacon over healthcare, presidential loyalty, and the influence of corporate money in politics.
This is the third Riverside Chats conversation with Kara Eastman. You can find the old conversations in our episode backlog.
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42. Nebraska State Senate Candidate Terrell McKinney
Nebraska State Senate Candidate Terrell McKinney is running to represent District 11, which is currently represented by Ernie Chambers. McKinney speaks about the legacy of Ernie Chambers as he grew up in North Omaha as well as his personal struggles and ultimate determination to become part of the solution to problems he sees in Nebraska by running for office.
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41. Musician/Author Pascal Bokar on How West African Standards of Aesthetics Shaped Midwestern Music
Musician, author, and professor Pascal Bokar discusses the way traditional sounds like the banjo originated in West Africa and became mainstays of Midwestern music, as well as how the center of any country represents its truest cultural expression. Check out his new album American Trails and his book From Timbuktu to the Mississippi Delta: How West African Standards of Aesthetics Have Shaped the Music of the Delta Blues.
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40. US Senate Candidate Alisha Shelton
US Senate Candidate Alisha Shelton discusses her life as a practical problem solver and how she's had to forge her own path in every venture, including this particularly messy senate race against incumbent Ben Sasse and primary winner Chris Janicek.
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39. Musician Andrew Bailie on 'Wasteland'
Musician Andrew Bailie discusses his album Wasteland and how he's processing the world around him through his music and neighborhood concerts.
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Screenwriter Christine Burright McGuigan on 'The Headliner' (Radio Edit)
Screenwriter Christine Burright McGuigan discusses her life leading up to the writing of The Headliner, the award-winning short that played in the Omaha Film Festival, the Film Stream Local Filmmaker Showcase, and won Best Narrative at the Lincoln Short Film Festival. It’s now being developed into a feature with the same core team and cast that they intend to shoot in Nebraska once COVID restrictions have eased.
Edited from the 2019 podcast discussion.
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Playwright Beaufield Berry on 'Red Summer' (Radio Edit)
Beaufield Berry discusses her evolution as a playwright leading up to Red Summer, which dramatized the life of William Brown in commemoration of the centenary of the Omaha Race Riots of 1919.
Edited from the original podcast conversation in 2019.
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38. Filmmaker Georg Joutras on 'Ocean of Grass: Life on a Nebraska Sandhills Ranch'
Documentarian Georg Joutras discusses his hit documentary, Ocean of Grass, filmed in the Nebraska Sandhills. Edited from the 2019 podcast conversation.
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37. Filmmakers Dorothy Booraem and Chad Haufschild on the Shifting Landscape of Independent Cinema
Filmmakers Dorothy Booraem and Chad Haufschild talk about their journey in filmmaking, from making a streaming deal with Netflix to navigating the shifting landscape of media over the past twenty years. Check out their work on Amazon Prime.
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36. Fatima Flores-Lagunas on DACA, the Path to Citizenship, and Representing DACA Youth at the Supreme Court
Fatima Flores-Lagunas discusses life as a DACA recipient in Nebraska as well as her activism toward a path to citizenship for undocumented children, which has included representing DACA youth at the Supreme Court.
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35. Director Tony Bonacci on 'The Headliner' (Featuring Hector Anchondo)
Director Tony Bonacci discusses his evolution in filmmaking leading up to the award-winning The Headliner, which he is now developing into a feature that he intends to shoot in Nebraska.
Later in the show, musician Hector Anchondo discusses how COVID-19 has affected his life as a musician trying to reach an audience.
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34. Author David Philip Mullins on 'The Brightest Place in the World'
Author David Philip Mullins discusses his new novel The Brightest Place in the World, which traces the lives of four characters haunted by an industrial disaster, and is available wherever you get books.
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33. Congressional Candidate Kate Bolz
Kate Bolz discusses her role as a congressional candidate and current Nebraska state senator who is the Democratic challenger to sitting representative Jeff Fortenberry for Nebraska’s first congressional district
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Musicians Connor Brandt and Jordan Gaul of The Real Zebos
Connor Brandt and Jordan Gaul discuss the formation of their Omaha-based band The Real Zebos and the process of putting together their first studio album, Strictly Platonic.
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32. Jesse Snider and Jaz Schoeneck on Filmmaking in Nebraska
Filmmakers Jesse Snider and Jaz Shoeneck discuss their new Nebraskan production company, Gnarly Pioneers, their projects The Hero and The Feed, which premiered at the Prairie Lights Film Festival, and their upcoming projects that they intend to shoot in Nebraska once COVID 19 restrictions have eased.
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31. Writer Sally J. Walker on the Necessity of Pragmatism in Life as a Writer
Author, playwright, and screenwriting instructor Sally J. Walker discusses the necessity of pragmatism in a life as a writer and what techniques she has learned from decades of craft that can be found in her new book Learn Screenwriting--available wherever you get books.
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30. Author Amy Bonnaffons on Writing During COVID-19 and Her New Novel 'The Regrets'
Author Amy Bonnaffons discusses her new novel, The Regrets, as well as her life as a writer in isolation during the COVID 19 pandemic.
Check out The Regrets as well as the short story collection The Wrong Heaven wherever you get books.
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29. Actor Darrick Silkman on 'The Headliner'
Acclaimed actor Darrick Silkman discusses his evolution from stage performances such as Angels in America and Nebraska Shakespeare to becoming a major presence in Nebraska filmmaking--most recently by starring as a seasoned comedian in the award-winning film The Headliner.
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28. US Senate Candidate Angie Philips
On today's episode, Riverside Chats concludes its series leading up to the Nebraska primary on May 12th in a conversation with US Senate candidate Angie Philips, who is running against sitting senator Ben Sasse.
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27. US Senate Candidate Chris Janicek
Riverside Chats continues its look into the congressional candidates who want to represent you in the federal government leading up to Nebraska’s primary on May 12. This week, Tom speaks with US Senate candidate Chris Janicek, who is running against Nebraska’s sitting Senator Ben Sasse. Janicek speaks about his disillusionment with the political system and how his personal struggle with healthcare inspired him to take the leap to run for office and influence the country with his ideas for improv
26. Congressional Candidate Kara Eastman (April 2020)
Riverside Chats continues its look into the congressional candidates who want to represent you in the federal government leading up to Nebraska’s primary on May 12. This week, Tom has a conversation with congressional candidate Kara Eastman, who is running to represent Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Later in the episode, Nebraska State Senator Megan Hunt answers frequently asked questions about mail-in voting.
This is episode three of Riverside Chats produced in conjunction with KIOS
How to Mail-In Vote with Senator Megan Hunt
State Senator Megan Hunt answers frequently asked questions about the process of voting by mail. Read a text version of this in the Omaha World Herald:
https://www.omaha.com/opinion/midlands-voices-heres-needed-info-on-mail-in-voting-for-nebraskans/article_a75e9526-43e8-5844-9534-abb89e8056f9.html?fbclid=IwAR1PV6oA6ixtKD8l5ZTfonlFBJO2EfvLvD5ta48bzWFJwyPyIp5ixWJ6e4g
25. Congressional Candidate Ann Ashford
On today’s show, we continue our look into the congressional candidates who want to represent you in the federal government leading up to Nebraska’s primary on May 12. Last week, Tom spoke with Representative Don Bacon. This week, he has a conversation with congressional candidate Ann Ashford, who is running against Bacon for Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.
Ashford speaks about her feeling that, after growing up as a Republican, the party left her, so she left the party and became a Dem
24. Congressman Don Bacon
Representative Don Bacon talks about his life, his journey in politics, and the inability of our current political moment to agree on a definition of socialism. Episode one of Riverside Chats produced in conjunction with KIOS Omaha.
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22. Writer Christine Burright McGuigan on The Headliner (Extended Podcast Edition)
Christine Burright McGuigan has had a busy couple of years. She's best known for writing the hit short The Headliner, which is currently being turned into a feature film from director Tony Bonacci. On today's show, she tells the story of her life as someone who didn't always want to be a writer but then found that she had a talent for it that has developed into several projects she's currently working on--including a spec and multiple pilot scripts. Support the show at patreon.com/riversidechats
21. Actor Raydell Cordell III on Red Summer and Finding Himself Through Acting
Raydell Cordell III fell in love with acting as a kid in A Midsummer Night's Dream. He has done Midsummer five different times and uses it as a way to get to know himself better and gauge how he's changed as an actor and a person. He's currently in the hit play Red Summer, which has sold out its entire run at the Bluebarn. Support Riverside Chats at patreon.com/riversidechats.
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20. Playwright Beaufield Berry on Red Summer (Extended Podcast Edition)
Beaufield Berry doesn't know how to be bored. She does know how to jump headfirst into her passions and create all sorts of projects that both entertain and explore the human condition. Her latest project is Red Summer, a play which is currently opening the Bluebarn Theatre's 31st season. Red Summer explores the life of William Brown, the butcher lynched in downtown Omaha 100 years ago last week. On today's show, Beaufield discusses how she became interested in theater and how this show came to
19. Congressional Candidate Morgann Freeman
Morgann Freeman is running for congress on a simple mission: she wants to serve constituents by placing their interests above her own. She sees congress losing its ostensible purpose as public servants, and she wants to make that the new reality by embracing the democratic ideal of the Founding Fathers over the current political climate. On today's show, she explains her political ideology and how she felt compelled to run for office.
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23. Connor Brandt and Jordan Gaul of The Real Zebos (Extended Podcast Edition)
Connor Brandt and Jordan Gaul talk about the founding of their band, The Real Zebos, and the story of their new album, Strictly Platonic.
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18. Senator Megan Hunt on Running for Office and Legislative Goals
Senator Megan Hunt has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. From getting kids in her third grade class to submit creative writing to a website she'd created as an eight year old to running a successful business in Omaha (Hello Holiday), Senator Hunt has always had diverse interests and works hard to achieve whatever she sets her mind to. In 2018, that meant running for state legislature. On today's show, Senator Hunt discusses how she ended up getting involved in politics as well as her pitch f
17. Performance Artist Caitlin Little on Performance Art and Adjacency
Caitlin Little is always processing the world through her art, but that doesn't mean she wants the commentary to be obvious. On today's show, she explains her philosophy of adjacency and her experiences with performance art in Omaha.
Support Riverside Chats at patreon.com/riversidechats
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16. Documentarians Cathy Lohmeier and Sharonda Harris Marshall on Remember the Drumstick
In 1978, Tim Lohmeier turned his family’s fried chicken restaurant, The Drumstick, in Lincoln, Nebraska into a rock n’ roll club that would go on to be frequented by bands such as REM, Joan Jett, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. On today's show, Tim's sister Cathy Lohmeier and filmmaker Sharonda Harris Marshall discuss the tragic story of The Drumstick and how they are turning its legacy into an upcoming documentary: Remember the Drumstick. Support Remember the Drumstick at rememberthedrumstick.com.&n
15. Jessica Mizaur on Making Sustainability Easy
Jessica Mizaur just wants to save the world. She is one of the first graduates of Creighton University's Sustainability Studies degree and has started Dryad Sustainability Consulting to help businesses find ways to cut back on waste and practices that harm the environment. On today's show, she discusses her journey in eco-awareness and how she sees a path forward for the world if it commits to sustainability.
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14. Philosopher Justin Schacht on The Middle Way
Justin Schacht is happy, and he wants to help you get there too. He tells the story of being a child questioning his own existence to a troubled adolescence that eventually led him to a philosophical awakening about how to release the negative energy in life and embrace the middle way.
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13. Writer/Actor Mary Oliver on SOS, Action Choreography, and Narrative Podcasting
Mary Oliver is doing it all: she acts, writes, does martial arts, plays viola, and is working on a narrative podcast. She tells the story of how she went from pretending to be cat to writing ambitious plays like SOS, acting on the fly in Level Up, and creating a post-apocalyptic narrative podcast set in Benson.
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12. Producer Ehren Parks on Aksarben: Nebraska's Racetrack and La Flamme Rouge
Ehren Parks went from small-town Nebraska kid to film industry professional in Los Angeles as a producer and writer before making it back to Fremont to produce the new film, La Flamme Rouge. He tells the story of bringing his career full circle back to Fremont to help create a local film industry.
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11. Dr. Diana Martinez on Hollywood in Color
Diana Martinez discusses her path in getting a PhD in film, teaching film, and creating a podcast exploring the less publicized history of people of color within film history. Diana hosts the show Hollywood in Color, which is available on all your favorite podcast apps, and she is the education director at Film Streams, where you can sign up for her education series.
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10. Matthew Wedlock on Addiction, Serving Time, and Comedy
Comedian Matt Wedlock talks comedy, improv, the military, addiction, and how his time in federal prison helped shape the kind of comedy he hopes to share with the world.
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9. Michael Burns Jr. on Acting in Theater, Film, and Podcasts
Michael Burns Jr. tells the story of how he went from ambitions in wrestling to screenwriting and becoming a successful actor on the brink of outgrowing the Omaha scene.
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8. Fisheye Kombucha Brewers Jason Miller and Sara Hinrichs
Fisheye Kombucha Brewers Jason Miller and Sara Hinrichs tell the story of founding Nebraska's first kombucha company, including explaining to the state what kombucha even is in order to get licensed.
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7. Filmmakers Danny Machado and Aly Larimore on Independent Filmmaking in Nebraska
Danny Machado, writer/director of CHIT and assistant director Aly Larimore discuss their path in filmmaking.
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6. Playwright Abigail C. K. Lill on Rumors in the Kitchen
Abigail C. K. Lill discusses her new play, Rumors in the Kitchen, as well as how she came to work in the entertainment industry and her initiative to create the Grandin Test--an inclusion test for writing characters with disabilities.
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5. Congressional Candidate Kara Eastman on Her Journey into Politics and Vision for America
Congressional candidate Kara Eastman discusses her journey in politics and her view of the current state of our political system. Recorded live in front of an audience at the Benson Theater.
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4. Film Streams Founder Rachel Jacobson on Building a Film Culture in the Midwest
Rachel Jacobson, Founder and Executive Director of Film Streams, joins Riverside Chats to discuss the story of Film Streams and making an unlikely dream come true in a city previously lacking an art film market.
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3. Documentarian Brigitte Timmerman on The Omaha Speaking
Documentary Filmmaker Brigitte Timmerman discusses her new film, The Omaha Speaking, about the remaining speakers of the Omaha language within the Omaha Tribe.
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2. Eddy Quintero and Brent Lubbert on Big Muddy Urban Farm and Reducing Omaha's Wasted Space
Eddy Quintero and Brent Lubbert of Big Muddy Urban Farm join us to discuss urban farming and how to reduce Omaha's wasted space. This conversation was recorded in front of a live audience at Benson Theater.
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1. Cameron Logsdon on Comedy and Finding Creativity in Omaha
Cameron Logsdon joins host Tom Knoblauch to discuss comedy, creativity, and culture in Omaha. This conversation was held at the Benson Theater in front of a live audience.
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