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This summer Clayton and I started a podcast called Good Talk. The premise is simple: we chat about things we're interested in. Despite some technical issues (we still haven’t quite figured out all of the little knobs and dials on the mixing board!), we're having a blast. It's surprisingly easy to start a podcast—you simply choose a topic, record an episode, find a hosting site (we chose libsyn.com) and then share your podcast with the world! Getting your podcast on iTunes is just as easy—just submit your show information and wait a couple of days for approval. And, if you're as lucky as me and Clayton, you'll have a super talented friend write and record a theme song (thanks, Nathan!). 

(image: Nathan and Clayton in a serious editing session of Good Talk).

Since we started Good Talk I've become a huge podcast fan, listening to fun and fascinating podcasts every day on my commute or while I'm cooking. Here are several podcasts that Nathan and I highly recommend tuning into. Prepare to get hooked!

DEAR SUGAR (Sarah)
What started as an advice column on The Rumpus is now Dear Sugar Radio, a weekly podcast hosted by authors Cheryl Strayed (best known for her book Wild) and Steve Almond (who also gives advice here). The Sugars dispense advice on love, family, friendship, work and more. They don’t shy away from difficult topics and often mine their own personal histories to answer listeners’ questions. The Sugars are, without a doubt, an awesome duo and a treat to listen to every week.

THE MEMORY PALACE (Nathan)
My all-time favorite podcast, the Memory Palace integrates the lost art of storytelling with a love of history. Its creator Nate DiMeo is naturally gifted at the art of the story but roots them in fact. He brings us back to a specific place, person, or moment in our collective memory and recounts the circumstances and the world of the time. Think if Bill and Ted created a podcast and brought characters from the past to recount exactly what they saw. My favorite episode might be the one about Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale.” It tells of a time before recorded sound, when thousands of fans lined the docks in New York to catch a glimpse of her first trip to the U.S. When, around the country, small music halls and churches were packed with those hoping to hear her legendary voice, for one moment.

MYSTERY SHOW (Sarah)
How did a neighborhood video store disappear seemingly overnight? Who owned an ornate belt buckle found on the side of the road over 20 years ago? Host and detective Starlee Kine takes seemingly uninteresting mysteries and turns them into first rate radio theater. My one complaint is that there were only 6 episodes! I'm already looking forward to the second season. Favorite episode: Case #3 Belt Buckle.

RADIOLAB (Nathan)
Whenever I think I have a grasp of the world, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich explore a topic on Radiolab that absolutely astounds me and blows my mind. It's best to just dive in and discover the wondrous reporting and sound editing that is the show, but if you need some teasers, did you know in 1944 and 1945 mysterious balloon-like objects were seen descending from the skies and detonating in fields and near small towns from Alaska, to Oregon, to Nebraska and Colorado? Or that in the 1960's the CIA had a clandestine operation to convert cats into eavesdropping devices? Or that prairie dogs have vocabulary sophisticated enough to chatter 'Here comes the tall human in blue!' and 'Here comes the short human in yellow!' I didn’t think so.

YOU'RE THE EXPERT (Sarah)
Sabrina suggested I listen to this one and I'm so glad she did! This podcast pairs a panelist of comedians with a mystery guest. The comedians attempt to guess the guest’s field of study and the ensuing Q and A is both hilarious and informative! My favorite episodes: Poisonous Toads (June 18, 2014) and Fish Noises (March 19, 2014)

BENJAMIN WALKER'S THEORY OF EVERYTHING (Nathan)
If you consider yourself a hopeless romantic, prefer handwritten letters over email, need to turn actual pages of a bound book, or just feel a little lost in our new digital reality, know you are not alone. Benjamin Walker has been "personally connecting the dots" for us for the past decade. He looks back with a mix of romantic nostalgia and acceptance, continuously trying to make sense of where we are amidst the noise.

THE WRITER'S ALMANAC (Sarah)
Do you love Garrison Keillor as much as I do? If so, The Writer’s Almanac is a must. The short daily podcast features Keillor recounting tidbits of “on this day in history” followed by a poem. This is the first thing I listen to every morning and I have to admit, the sound of Keillor’s dulcet tones are a great way to start the day!

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My love affair with the city of Nashville began roughly five years ago.

I had made the trip, along with my sister, to run the Nashville Country Music Marathon (that's us the day before the race!). We felt the presence of old country legends at the Grand Ole Opry, strolled up and down Broadway, and enjoyed the country twang and rock blasting from everywhere. I could have spent days in the iconic letterpress shop Hatch Show Print, admiring every single beautiful poster. As if we weren’t already in heaven, we found out that Sheryl Crow was running that weekend too!

When the TV show Nashville debuted a year later, I was hooked and I luckily found a fellow tribe here at Smudge Ink—ahem, Sarah and Kate. Our fandom extended to the Nashville Live in Concert Tour, which was making its way to Boston. With tickets in hand, I made it my mission to get autographs for my sister who was getting married the following week. What else do you do for the one who wants to dance “A Life That’s Good” (hands down the most sentimental country song from the show) on her wedding day?

Sarah and her roommate Kobe joined me under the high-vaulted ceilings at the Citibank Theater. As Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant) graciously entered the stage to a thunder of applause, I texted a photo (shown above) to my sister in California. Her response: “I’m so jealous.” Needless to say, the concert was full of wonderful sets and surprises. It would be wrong (criminal even!) of me not to leave you with highlights.

Welcomed by a cheer of screams and whistles, Chris Carmack (Will Lexington) joined Peeples on stage to perform their duet, “If Your Heart Can Handle It.” A hush came over the audience as sisters Lennon and Maisy Stella (Maddy and Daphne Conrad) tackled melodic harmonies, demonstrating their wiser-beyond-years musical prowess. They introduced their onscreen dad, Charles Esten (Deacon Claybourne), the ultimate showman with an “aw shucks” smile—and also my sister’s and Kate’s TV crush.

The crowd roared when a nymph-like Clare Bowen (Scarlett O'Connor) announced she would be singing her bewitchingly beautiful performance of the song, “Black Roses.” Three words sung, the drop of one D Minor, and everyone immediately silenced. Chills. CHILLS. Then all of a sudden, she called out Sam Palladio (Gunnar Scott) who hadn’t been advertised during ticket sales. With one stride of his boots, Gunner mania had ignited. Bowen and Palladio sang their duet, “Fade Into You.” If you had not wrapped your arm around your sweetheart by then, you had really missed your opportunity to do so. The show ended as the whole cast stood up on stage for their encore number, appropriately none other than “A Life That’s Good.”

Not forgetting my mission, we gathered to a side door where an impromptu meeting with the cast might occur. Seeing the barricade of fans, the possibility of a failed autograph outcome was making me quite anxious. And then Lennon and Maisy came out! Not the elbowing type, I quickly passed my Sharpie and poster to someone closer. Though overwhelmed by the crowd, the two stars actually looked for me to learn about the poster and sign it. I am so grateful that they did. In fact, three out of the four cast members that sing “A Life That’s Good” left their autographs (see photo above). Connie Britton, if you’re out there, can I send you my sister’s poster to have you sign it?!

Feeling emboldened by my success, Sarah bravely asked for the Deacon Clayborne for his autograph, explaining it was for her boss Kate who couldn’t be there because she was celebrating her mother’s 70th birthday. Let's just call it mission accomplished (see video below)!

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For our summer outing this year, Kate and Deb whisked the entire team away for a day of paddling down the Ipswich River. Our adventure began at Foote Brothers Canoe Rentals, where we joined other eager outdoor and nature enthusiasts (mainly large groups of summer camp kids). Covered in sunscreen and donning the largest-rimmed hats we could find in our closets, we quickly found our seats (and balance) among the three canoes assigned to us. Had I done my research ahead of time, I would have known that the person who sits in front is responsible for most of the paddling. Luckily, we hit a rope swing after only about 20 minutes. Given the 95 degree heat, it didn’t take long for folks to get the nerve and give it a go. Margaret gets the award for form, Clayton, innovativeness, and Sarah, most improved. The rest of the day was spent keeping our eyes out for frogs and turtles, maneuvering through fallen trees and under bridges, and stopping along the way for a picnic lunch. All that was missing was someone to fan us with huge palm leaves.

(image: Here's the crew!)

(image: All right, who's first on the rope swing? Sarah is thinking there is no way I'm doing this.)

(image: Margaret sets the bar.)

(image: And Clayton raises it with a flip.)

(image: The boss ladies.)

(image: Taking in the gorgeous day.)

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Margaret moved up from intern to printer in a snap after nailing every project we could possibly throw at her. An indispensable member of our team, Margaret is also an extraordinary artist, concentrating on abstract and detailed imagery. You can check out her work online or if you’re in Boston, her prints are currently on exhibit at Aviary (thru June) and Vee Vee (thru July). We asked Margaret if she could tell us more about her creative process and artwork.

Do you have a favorite piece of work or project of yours?
I'm excited about my drawing series called "These Decisions Can Wait" (image above is #3 in the series). I started working on it a couple of years ago when I was spinning my wheels and placing too much emphasis on the intellectual concept of my work. I decided to do an exercise where I'd just mindlessly draw lines to get something on paper. It was meant to be a casual, pressure-free exercise but it ended up having a strong significance for me as an expression of physicality. This was when I started working with abstract imagery and I've felt liberated working this way since.

Your drawings demonstrate a proclivity for detail. Where do you think this comes from? Do you try to sketch these out in some way or just dive in?
I'm drawn to tediously repetitive processes. The big picture overwhelms me but a methodical process where small elements make up the whole feels natural. It's always interesting to take a step back after having worked for a while and see what qualities have emerged from the drawing without having noticed because I've just been drawing lines with tunnel vision. Sometimes I make a rough sketch if I want a drawing to contain a specific shape but for the most part they're pretty organic and spontaneous in nature.

(image: Margaret & Zoárd at their exhibit opening; Paramecium Forever Figure from the series "I'm Not Here" by Margaret Chiarelli)

Tell us a little bit about your current exhibit with Zoárd Wells Tyeklár.
Zoárd is a friend of mine and another printmaker. The idea of planning a show together has been on our minds for a while and we were excited when an opening came up at Aviary. As part of the show, I debuted a new letterpress print series called "I'm Not Here." I'd been working in black and white for a while and thought it would be interesting to break away from this. Rather than using color I wanted to rely on the impression that letterpress leaves in the paper to create forms. I had an idea of only seeing the forms up close and the prints just looking like blank paper from a distance. They end up having this quality that wavers between quiet peacefulness and eeriness.

What are five items you cannot live without?
1) Motivational work ethic post-its by my desk! (e.g., "More doing, less thinking")
2) A fluffy sock I've cut fingers holes into and use as a glove to decrease friction when I draw long lines
3) My glasses! I'd go cross-eyed without them
4) Not an item, per se, but I could not live without Artist and Craftsman in Central Square. It's my go to for every art supply need
5) My assistant (cat) Foot Foot who tries to sleep on the paper while I'm drawing

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In celebration of our dads, I went around and asked everyone to share a lasting piece of wisdom his or her dad has taught them. It goes without saying that we wouldn’t be anywhere without their love and guidance. Happy Father's Day!

DEB. (1st row, 2nd image) As the cliché goes, “money doesn’t grow on trees.” Hearing that always made me visualize a tree in the back yard blooming with dollar bills. Like most of us, I grew up hearing that phrase from my dad and while I probably didn’t realize it at the time, it certainly made its way into my psyche. I learned to value hard work in myself and in others and appreciate all my parents did to give me and my siblings a pretty darned good life. After all, they couldn’t just go out back and pluck those bills off the trees.

KATE. (1st row, 3rd image) Over the years, my father has taught me the importance of family. And by family, I don't just mean blood relatives but also those great friends who we love and cherish like blood relatives. The people in our lives and the relationships we have with them are a foundation for a happy life. I have no doubt that in my almost 40 years, he is spot on.

MARGARET. (2nd row, 1st image) I can't really think of advice my dad has given me. But I do value his sense of humor and love of absurdity which I think I picked up a little bit of. Once when I was 6 years old he came home in a brand new shirt he had bought to throw me and my sister off and insisted he was our long lost uncle Robert. His ruse thankfully lasted only about a half hour, the most confusing half hour of our childhood.

CLAYTON. (2nd row, 2nd image) My dad is the type of guy who will say, "That's your dog ... I want nothing to do with it." But then you catch him lovingly petting that dog's forehead on the side of the couch. He’s never really been the best at teaching me things like how to tie a tie but he has given me three pieces of advice over the years that help me out on a daily basis. They're pretty simple in phrasing but challenging to live by: 1) you're always sorry after the fact (in other words, think before you do something stupid); 2) just do your best; 3) believe in yourself. These pieces of advice are simple, but they mean a lot coming from him.

EMILY. (2nd row, 3rd image) I think my most remembered advice from my dad is, "if you're going to do something, do it right."

SARAH. (3rd row, 1st image) Without fail, my Dad knows how to make me laugh. Whether we're discussing the latest soccer game (Go Germany!) or current events, no matter if I am upset or frustrated, Dad's witty sense of humor always cracks me up and keeps me smiling.

SABRINA. (3rd row, 2nd image) Heart to hearts with my dad weren’t a big thing growing up. But he stands firmly by certain values that I fortunately inherited from him: 1) laziness gets you nowhere; when you decide to do something, put in 110% (whether it's school, work or your golf game); 2) don’t waste because see Deb's dad's adage above (I still feel guilty if I leave food on my plate or accidentally leave the lights on when I'm out); and 3) tiger balm will fix anything (okay, truth be told, I'm not sold on this one).

RHEANA. (3rd row, 3rd image) My dad owned a few small businesses throughout the years and watching him as a business owner taught me to roll the dice and take a shot in something you believe. He always said you have to work hard and make sacrifices if you want or need something. Nothing in life will be handed to you; you need to work for it. Plus if you work for it you will appreciate it more. Most memorably he taught me how to change a tire before I could drive my first car out of the driveway. He didn't want me to ever break my curfew "because of a flat tire." He was always thinking about the future and what to do to make life easier in the long run even if it means that it's harder at that moment. And that is a lesson that serves me well every day.

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