Head On Fire: Recent Episodes
Don Martin
Join author Don Martin every other week as he has deep dive conversations with experts in interesting, often overlooked fields in a search for meaning and answers behind life’s biggest and smallest questions.
2025 has been the most decade-iest of years. The highs, the lows, the tech innovations, the stories that both captured our hearts and the stories that made us step outside and seek grass expeditiously. It's a lot for one person to remember. Thankfully, I don't have to do it alone!
V Spehar of Under the Desk News stopped by to remember 2025...just in time to toss it in the bin.
Buy Where Did Everybody Go? here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire here: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Social media links, contact form, & more here: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Abby Cox joins me as my conversation partner for the digital launch party celebrating the release of my new audiobook Where Did Everybody Go? Why we're lonely, but not alone. We dive into the subjects of loneliness, underwater basket weaving, and my favorite abandoned malls.
Get more of Abby Cox here.
Buy Where Did Everybody Go? here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire here: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Social media links, contact form, & more here: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Carolyn, the creator behind Epicurious Expeditions, makes cooking accessible to everyone. Motivated by her own recovery from an injury, she develops inclusive, disability-friendly recipes that minimize standing and chopping, often using simple appliances like air fryers and crockpots. Join us as she shares her inspiring journey to make the kitchen a safe and welcoming space for people of all abilities!
You can follow Carolyn on TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms as @epicuriousexpeditions.
Buy Where Did Everybody Go? here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire here: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Social media links, contact form, & more here: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Nadira Goffe is a very serious journalist. She's a staff culture writer at Slate who does Real Journalism™️ about Serious Subjects™️. But every now and then she does very silly stuff like talk to me about witches and Appalachia and witches in Appalachia. Nadira turned the tables on me in an interview all about the making of my bestselling debut novel, the importance of young adult literature, and the future of Foxfire.
Pre-Order Where Did Everybody Go? here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire here: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Social media links, contact form, & more here: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
In my continuing quest to highlight professions that are overlooked or misunderstood, I'd like to introduce you to Shari Phippen. She has decades of experience as a city planner, which is one of the most important roles in determining where we live, how we live, and what we can do while we live there...but nobody seems to know what they do or how they do it.
This also serves as the first teaser for my upcoming audiobook, Where Did Everybody Go?, coming out from Simon & Schuster Audio this November.
Pre-Order Where Did Everybody Go? here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire here: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Social media links, contact form, & more here: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Jennifer Hale stopped back by the podcast to discuss the nearly yearlong Voice Actors’ strike, forging your own creative career, and becoming Verity Vox.
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire is available now from your library or favorite bookseller. https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Pre-order Where Did Everybody Go? Here: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Find Jennifer here: https://www.jenniferhale.com
Social links: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
Superheroes dominate cinema and pop culture, and they have for a while now. Sure, there's been a shift in movie theater attendance post-COVID pandemic, but people still show up for superheroes. I wondered why, so I asked an expert on the subject why he thinks caped crusaders and teams of mutant misfits capture our imagination.
Find @BlerdWithoutFear over on his YT channel!
Social links: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
Buy Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
Buy Where Did Everybody Go?: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
The internet has become a place where we all perform for one another, where authenticity is both something to aspire to and something to be wary of. I sat down with Franchesca "Chescaleigh" Ramsey to discuss the role of the content creator, how it differs from an influencer, and what it means to exist on social media these days.
Find Franchesca on her website at: https://www.franchesca.net/
Pre-order Where Did Everybody Go?: https://bydonmartin.com/where-did-everybody-go%3F
Pre-order Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire: https://bydonmartin.com/verity-vox-1
For everything else: https://bydonmartin.com/social-media
If you are someone who has complained that every new piece of media is a sequel, prequel, remake, reboot, or a studio banking on pre-existing IP (intellectual property) to bring in audiences, this is the episode for you. We are kicking off 2025 with Nadira Goffe, a staff writer at Slate, who helps us contextualize this moment in pop culture as well as looking back at a time when media felt like "hope-ium".
Links, books, and more at https://bydonmartin.com/
Grab your wieners, your marshmallows, your bad haircuts, and toss them all on the funeral pyre of 2024.
Robyn Valentine, co-host of the Coffee & Cauldrons podcast and author of Magickal Tarot & The Apprentice Witch, joins me to review the highs, lows, personal triumphs, and things we'd love to leave behind as we BURN 2024 DOWN to prepare for a bright new year ahead.
Hopefully.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire preorder links
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/21737256
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/1146128413
Target: https://www.target.com/p/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-by-don-martin-hardcover/-/A-93229313
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Verity-Vox-Curse-Foxfire/Don-Martin/9798890032706
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire/id6608980931
Amazon: https://a.co/d/4bzX26r
Ella Harrison is the author of The Book of Spells. She has a degree in anthropology and uses her social media platform to educate and entertain audiences on the topics of folklore, folk magic, and the history of holiday traditions. If you've ever wondered about figures like Krampus or Perchta, this is the show for you.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire preorder links
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/21737256
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/1146128413
Target: https://www.target.com/p/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-by-don-martin-hardcover/-/A-93229313
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Verity-Vox-Curse-Foxfire/Don-Martin/9798890032706
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire/id6608980931
Amazon: https://a.co/d/4bzX26r
They say all politics is local, but that's difficult to believe when every single topic of conversation at our dinner table seems to have national stakes. From the books on our kids' shelves to who reads those books to them to the statues in our parks to who is allowed in our parks, every issue large and small feels like it's operating on some grand scale. It's hard to gain perspective, hard to know what information to trust, especially when some of our politicians are telling us not to trust what we've seen and heard with our own eyes and ears.
That's where good journalists come in.
Gregory Royal Pratt is an investigative reporter with the Chicago Tribune. He's made a name for himself covering corruption, triumphs, and everyday heroes in the third largest city in the country. We had a conversation about the power of local journalism, the influence of national politics in small town spaces, and why he wrote a book about Lori Lightfoot.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire preorder links
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/21737256
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/1146128413
Target: https://www.target.com/p/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-by-don-martin-hardcover/-/A-93229313
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Verity-Vox-Curse-Foxfire/Don-Martin/9798890032706
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire/id6608980931
Amazon: https://a.co/d/4bzX26r
Thanks to the Make America Healthy Again movement, there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation on the rise about food, "chemicals", and whether what we eat is safe. Thankfully, Erin the Food Science Babe is here to help.
Subscribe to Erin's channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/FoodScienceBabe
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire preorder links
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/21737256
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-don-martin/1146128413
Target: https://www.target.com/p/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire-by-don-martin-hardcover/-/A-93229313
BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Verity-Vox-Curse-Foxfire/Don-Martin/9798890032706
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/verity-vox-and-the-curse-of-foxfire/id6608980931
Amazon: https://a.co/d/4bzX26r
The mantel of the witch is one that has been worn by people for all sorts of reasons.
There are those who don the black hat for political purposes, as a feminist symbol, or a way for those who find themselves on the margins of society in one way or another to reach for the power they otherwise could never hope to have.
Then there are the people call themselves witches because they cast spells and divine the future and talk to the dead. And still there are others conjuring up new titles or resurrecting old ones all in an attempt to define a personal spiritual path that is inclusive, empowering, and allows for a spark of magic in the real world.
I summoned three fabulous witches to help me call the corners, cast a circle, and chat all about how to walk the witches’ road in real life.
Please support today's guests:
Thorn Mooney
Courtney Weber
Mawiyah Bomani
Order my books, The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft and Verity Vox and the Curse of Foxfire, here.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Dr. Sam Montano is no stranger to combating conspiracy theories regarding emergency management. She’s been doing it since Hurricane Katrina. She holds a BS in Psychology, as well as Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Emergency Management and teaches the subject at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Her book Disaster-ology came out in 2021. I sat down with her to help parse fact from fiction on what FEMA is, the politicization of climate disasters, and how emergency managers are preparing for the next catastrophe.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author known for his immersive, year-long experiments, including The Year of Living Biblically, The Know-It-All, and his latest book, The Year of Living Constitutionally.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
By all accounts Victoria Aveyard is both an outlier and also as close to the Hollywood version of becoming an author as it gets.
While the average age for a debut novelist is around 36, Victoria’s debut novel—Red Queen—was published shortly after graduating from college and went on to become a massive, runaway success. And so did all of the rest of her novels. In fact, every one of Victoria’s novels has been a New York Times bestseller, and she even made it onto the coveted Bestseller Series list which is rareified air indeed.
So it came as quite a shock to her readers when, earlier this year, she talked about having to go back out on submission this year with what will be her debut adult novel. They were even more shocked to learn that she received a number of rejections, thinking, of course, that past performance meant that every future book would automatically receive the green light from any future publisher.
I sat down with Victoria to have a long discussion about the actual job of being an author, what readers and prospective authors alike get right and wrong about the labor of a creative career, and how to reframe rejection for yourself as just another part of the job.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Charlie Sprinkman developed the app Everywhere Is Queer, which is quickly becoming one of the best, most comprehensive lists of queer owned and operated businesses.
Whether you’re looking for a travel agent, a craft store, a bakery, or a horse ranch, the Everywhere is Queer app is helping people realize that supporting queer owned and operated businesses in person and online might be easier and closer to home than people realize…just in time for you to divert those Brr month shopping dollars to a small business near you. I sat down with Charlie to discuss the app’s creation, the importance of speaking with your dollars, and why ally owned businesses aren’t going to be listed on the app anytime soon.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Danny Hieber earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and his B.A. in linguistics and philosophy from the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Prior to and during graduate school he worked for Rosetta Stone’s Endangered Language Program to create language-learning software with Native American communities.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Chris Copeland has worked on some of your favorite things. Invincible, The Witcher, Young Justice, and he made his directorial debut for Dreamworks on the series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. He’s had a long career that began here in Chicago as a nerd who loved superheroes and now gets to help bring them to life. We talked about how a storyboard artist is one of the first people to visualize what a writer has written, how animation kept Hollywood alive during a time of crisis, and how you know you’re ready for the next phase of your career.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Roberta Blevins left the MLM world in 2017 and spent all of her time since then educating the public on the dangers involved in joining these barely legal pyramid schemes. She was a key witness in the case against Lularoe and was featured in the documentary LuLaRich which showcased how the billion dollar clothing company misled thousands of women. These days Roberta educates people via her podcast and social media platform titled Life After MLM where she helps people unpack the history, legality, and real world harm of multi-level marketing.Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Clare Brown is a satirist and author of the new audiobook New Nigeria County. Her social media platform is famous for flipping gender and racial stereotypes while both educating and inviting her audience to laugh.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Even if you don’t play video games, Jennifer Hale is still probably one of your favorite actors…you just didn’t know it. As of this recording she is just shy of 500 acting credits on IMDb including numerous roles in the Star Wars universe, Mortal Kombat, DC, Marvel, Disney. Even Biker Mice from Mars…remember that? She’s been in DuckTales and Rick and Morty and The Little Mermaid and the Big Bang Theory and the PowerPuff Girls and Scooby Doo and Melrose Place. She’s been Ivy in Where on Earth is Carmen San Diego and Galadriel in Lord of the Rings and she’s played Jean Grey in X-Men more than any other actress.
I spoke to the maven behind the microphone about her legendary career, the best advice for new voice actors, how she keeps finding new and interesting ways to bring characters to life, and what exactly is going to happen in the second season of X-Men '97.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Maggie Tokuda-Hall is a children’s and young adult author who writes stories that help kids of all types see themselves on the page as the main character. She also writes books that help parents and kids have age appropriate conversations about the world we live in. One of those books, Love In The Library, became the centerpoint for exposing a longtime issue with a major children’s publisher and book distributor about the practice of quietly asking authors to censor themselves in exchange for visibility and placement. Maggie is also one of the founders of Authors Against Book Bans, an organization I’m proud to be a member of. We had a discussion about the importance of diverse books, the future of publishing, and mermaids.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Dr. Althea Need Kaminske is a cognitive psychologist who teaches at the Indiana University school of medicine interested in the application of human memory research to educational settings. She also helps run The Learning Scientists, an international group of cognitive psychologists who engage in science communication about the science of learning. Her new book, The Psychology of Memory, came out earlier this month.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
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Matthew Keith is a Barbie collector, photographer, and doll expert whose work has been featured in The Los Angeles Time, NewNowNext, and on a social media feed near you.
Find him at https://www.dollsonthebrain.com
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
Chaya Milchtein is known to the internet as the Mechanic Shop Femme. She uses her platform and her new book Mechanic Shop Femme’s Guide to Car Ownership— to make every facet of car ownership less terrifying—from the day you decide to purchase to doing your own regular maintenance and care—and she’s showing folks in the margins of society who are typically left out of these spaces that we belong in the shop and showroom too.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Kevin Maxen is a strength and conditioning coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s also the first male coach in major American men’s professional sports to publicly come out as gay. I sat down to talk to him about what it takes to train some of the world’s best athletes, divorcing yourself from outside criticism, and whether the NFL is finally becoming more welcoming to the queer community.Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Dr. Maya C. Popa is a poetry educator, a poetry critic, and a poet in her own right. She is the poetry reviews editor at Publishers Weekly, a professor of poetry at NYU, and her most recent collection, titled Wound is the origin of wonder, was named one of the Guardian’s Best Books of Poetry and has been featured in The Washington Post, The Irish Times, The Harvard Review, and Booklist. I sat down with her to talk about the state of poetry education, why poetry gets such a bad rap, as well as the juiciest gossip I’ve seen in the poetry community in decades.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Dan Savage has done a lot of things in his life. He founded both the It Gets Better project and the Hump porn festival. He popularized the Campsite Rule of relationships. He made Rick Santorum’s name a dirty word. And he’s been one of the country’s foremost sex, dating, and relationship advice columnists since the creation of Savage Love in 1991. He’s a pioneer of podcasting, a former drag queen, and he is my guest today. We discussed sex, advice, and sex advice.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
With spring right around the corner, many people are thinking about cleaning their homes and turning to social media for tips and tricks only to suddenly learn we all seem to be doing everything wrong. That's where Melissa Pateras, the lesbian queen of Laundrytok and author of the new book A Dirty Guide to a Clean Home, comes in. She told me all the secrets of folding a fitted sheet, the magic of swapping your fabric softener for vinegar, and whether any of those homemade washing powder recipes actually work.
Email: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) is a two-time RuPaul’s Drag Race winner, Broadway breakout star, and soon to be villain on the beloved British sci-fi series Doctor Who coming to Disney+ in 2024. The self-proclaimed “internationally tolerated” drag icon has taken over the entertainment industry as an award-winning stage actress, acclaimed vocalist, stand-up comic, and theatre sensation.
Jinkx first garnered an international fan base following her win on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 (2013), and continued her winning streak on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 7 (2022) where she was crowned “Queen of All Queens,” winning the competition against all previous winners. In January 2023, Jinkx made her highly-anticipated Broadway debut as Matron “Mama” Morton in Broadway’s longest-running musical, Chicago. Jinkx's monumental and extended 10-week run broke box office records, achieving the highest selling non-holiday week in the show's 26 year history (as reported by Playbill). Following the run, she went on to sell out theaters across 45 North American cities with her first ever concert tour titled "Jinkx Monsoon: Everything at Stake" from June through August 2023. Jinkx closed out 2023 with the 6th annual "The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show" tour which sold out the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and traveled for 8 weeks across the U.S., UK and Canada.
Jinkx has toured the world performing her original cabaret shows with music partner Major Scales, including highly-acclaimed shows like The Ginger Snapped, The Vaudevillians (which became a hit Off-Broadway sensation) and their most recent production, Together Again, Again (2022). As a recording artist, Jinkx has released three critically-hailed albums of original music written by Major Scales including her most recent The Virgo Odyssey (2022), The Inevitable Album and The Ginger Snapped.
No stranger to film and TV, Jinkx has voiced characters for such animated shows as Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake (playing the beloved character Lemongrab), Steven Universe, Mighty Magiswords, Bravest Warriors. She has also appeared on the CBS cop drama Blue Bloods and the Netflix original AJ and the Queen. Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries: Drag Becomes Him, and The Queens. She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, The MAC Award for her show The Ginger Snapped, co-written with Major Scales.
email me: contact@headonfirepod.com
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Buy me a Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Kyne Santos uses social media to teach math subjects that range from simple addition and subtraction to more esoteric concepts about impossible objects or quantum mechanics. And he does it in drag. Because sometimes Kyne puts on a wig, drops the surname and becomes the Canadian Drag Race superstar alum Kyne who teaches us how math can be a living, breathing, interesting subject that both enriches and entertains.
Kyne's new book, Math in Drag, comes out March 5, 2024.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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2023 was great and terrible. There were technological marvels, horrible television, phenomenal movies, brilliant books, and more author drama than you ever thought possible. Come around the dumpster fire as Meg Elison and I build the year its funeral pyre.
Social links:
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Bonnie Klopfer is an actress and comedian whose videos have been loved by millions of people around the world. She’s a stand up regular in LA and makes content online about finding the funny in mundane things, including a breakout series of shorts about product packaging. Find her here: https://linktr.ee/boobieklapper
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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We are often told to ignore anger, to repress anger, that anger has no value in a polite society. Anger gets us in trouble. Anger removes our ability to think rationally. Anger is always bad all of the time and we should never, ever feel it.
Or, at least, that's what we've been told.
Some researchers wanted to test that theory, and turns out it might not be true.
Dr. Heather Lench is a professor specializing in affective science, personality processes, and social & personality psychology. She recently led a team of researchers in publishing a paper that tells us what anyone who has ever washed the dishes after a fight knows: anger might make us more productive and better at problem solving. We might actually get more accomplished if we do it out of spite.
Social links:
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Hannah Robinson has been an editor at some of publishing’s biggest houses. HarperCollins, Simon and Schuster—where we met—and now Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette. She primarily works with non-fiction, which is a massive slice of the publishing pie that seems to get all but ignored on social media. We had a discussion about what the job of an editor is, what it isn’t, and whether they’re the scary gatekeepers aspiring authors make them out to be.
And because I couldn’t resist, we talk a bit about the making of The Dabbler's Guide to Witchcraft and why certain things did and didn’t make the cut.Social links:
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Jerry Saltz is one of the last real critics, the kind of critic that matters, whose voice is held in high esteem both by the art world and by the artists who make the world go round. He’s been the senior art critic for New York Magazine since 2006. He also happens to be one of, if not the most, widely read critics in the world—possibly outranked by his wife. He is a former long-haul truck driver, a failed artist, and a Pulitzer Prize winner, and he is my guest today. We had a far reaching discussion about what makes good art, the democratization of critique, and whether he really is just a professional hater.
Follow Jerry on Instagram here.
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My guest today is Diana Helmuth. She is an award-winning author of a book about hiking who decided to take a page, or several, out of the books of people who I look up to: AJ Jacobs, Mary Roach, Elizabeth Gilbert. Authors who spent time approaching a field as a complete novice in order to learn everything they could about it, to see how it might change them, to see what we can learn about ourselves through the challenge of transforming some integral part of our lives. Her project? The Witching Year, a book about becoming a witch and finding a bit of magic in a modern world.Social links:
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Alicia Simpson is a registered dietitian and the Executive Director for Pea Pod Nutrition, a nonprofit dedicated to the nutritional health of Georgia families. She holds a Master’s degree in Nutrition from Georgia State University and a PhD in public policy. For years she worked as a professor teaching these issues to college students, but for the past several years she has made it her mission to provide this vital information to children and families. I sat down with Alicia to have a conversation about why, exactly, food is so hard and whether it has to be.
Social links:
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From best-selling novels like "Mexican Gothic" to blockbuster media hits like "The Last of Us," it seems like everyone is buzzing about fungi these days. Think of it as your houseplant's weirder, spongier, and creepier cousin. Fungi have a significant role in decomposition, which adds to their eerie reputation. However, they can also serve as food, a recreational drug, a source of medicine, and even a multi-story residence if you happen to be a Smurf.
As we delve deeper into the world of fungi, things get even stranger. Did you know that the largest organism on Earth is a fungus? Fungi can have thousands of different genders, and they reproduce and communicate in ways that we are just starting to comprehend. Yet, there are dedicated individuals attempting to unravel these mysteries.
Meet Dr. Leslie Holland, a mycologist specializing in the study of fungi. She joined the University of Wisconsin's Department of Plant Pathology in 2020, where she focuses on researching how fungal diseases impact fruit crops. With a teaching schedule that most professors can only dream of, Dr. Holland is the perfect person to demystify the fascinating world of fungi. Join me for an enlightening conversation with her as we separate fact from fiction when it comes to these remarkable organisms.
Social links:
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When you think about what the ocean sounds like, what does your brain conjure up? Maybe the gentle ebbing and flowing of tides? Maybe you think of marine life? Perhaps the songs of whales or that clicking sound dolphins make. But what about the snapping of air bubbles created by thousands of shrimp in tide pools? What about the ambient noise of both the shallow and deep parts of the ocean? Have you ever considered those, and, more importantly, have you ever considered that what the ocean sounds like can have an impact on everything from conservation to energy to video games?
Dr. Heather Spence is the living embodiment of every 90s kids’ dream of growing up to become a marine biologist. But unlike most 90s kids, she didn’t get there by dreaming of swimming with dolphins. She got there through sound. Dr. Spence is a cellist who became fascinated with the concept of sound in college, and that fascination led her all the way to the depths of the ocean. Now her research is in a curious field called Marine Bioacoustics, and her work is used both by the Department of Energy and video game developers. And lately she’s even studying whether the ocean has a memory and how we can access it.
We sat down for a conversation spanning the blue depths that make up the majority of our planet’s surface.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Matthew Blake, better known as Flamy Grant, is a shame slaying, hip swaying drag queen from the Bible Belt who also happens to be a gospel singer. Her debut album Bible Belt Baby came out in 2022 and largely flew under the radar until she came under fire from a conservative preacher that decided to make her the target of an online hate campaign. The campaign backfired. Big time. Instead of sending the drag queen’s gospel album off into obscurity, he put a massive spotlight on it which sent it rocketing up the gospel charts where it peaked at number 1. It should be noted that as of this recording, the album is still sitting comfortably in the top 100 at number 62.
I sat down with Flamy herself to talk gospel music, drag, and figuring out a space where both fit just fine.
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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Bonnie McKee is a singer, songwriter, director, actor, and world class DIYer. She's written numerous number 1 hits for artists like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Cher, and Katy Perry. She's also a pop star in her own right, having released the album Trouble, the EP Bombastic, and the single American Girl among many, many other indie hits. After a decade of writing smashes for everyone else in the music business, she's making a return behind the microphone with her much anticipated new album Hot City. We sat down for a conversation about the craft of songwriting, what the critics get wrong about pop music, and what it takes to make it in an industry built around putting people in boxes and keeping them there.
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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As a lifelong geek I will preach the good word of all things niche and nerdy to anyone who will listen and even some who won’t. I’m the kind of person who strongly believes that a good story can change your entire outlook, that a well-crafted game can be a balm for the soul, and that superheroes can save you even if they aren’t real.
But there are a lot of aspects of geek culture that are still seen as far-fetched, laughable, even dangerous by authority figures, especially when it comes to the field of mental health. Geeks, gamers, and other folks with insular or niche interests oftentimes have to spend time explaining fandom dynamics or the concept of internet friendships or why they spend so much time reading and writing fan fiction to people who aren’t always welcoming.
Enter Dr. Megan Connell, Licensed Psychologist & Therapeutic Dungeon Master with over a decade of experience in the field. She’s an incredibly accomplished therapist, educator, author, and content creator in her own right who has turned her attention to creating a safe space for geeks who want to get serious about their mental health in a space tailored for them. She is the author of the upcoming book Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy. She is a board member for Geek Therapeutics a training platform that develops professional programs teaching the inclusion of games in clinical practices. Dr. Connell speaks nationally on the intersection of gaming and psychology and on geek culture.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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This show is all about overlooked or misunderstood fields, and in 2023 I can think of no more misunderstood field than that of gender affirming care. It is the boogeyman of every conservative talking head and your transphobic aunt’s Facebook feed. There is so much misinformation floating around social media and YouTube, oftentimes masquerading as fact-based or presented by experts.
So I wanted to talk to an expert.
Dr. Ashley Brandt is a board certified OBGYN with a fellowship in gender affirming surgery. She’s a queer surgeon who uses her platform to help educate the public about gender affirming care and remove the stigma around those who provide treatment, those who seek it, and those who love them.
We have a broad, frank conversation about the myths and misconceptions of her work, the changes in technology, what it’s like working with kids, and where the field is going. Please note that this episode does contain information, but it should not be taken as medical advice or opinion. Here’s Dr. Brandt.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
David Archuleta began winning singing contests while many of us were learning how to ride a bike. He won Star Search at the age of 12. When he was 16 he auditioned for American Idol, and by the time it was all over he’d come in second, got a recording contract, and was whirled into a studio to create his debut album and smash single ‘Crush’ at the age of 17.
In the blink of an eye he was suddenly in a cohort that featured the Jonas Brothers, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, and was duking it out in the charts with Rihanna for the number one spot. However, among all of that, he was still trying to be a good Mormon boy, which meant desperately trying to suppress his burgeoning queer identity.
Fresh off a number of tv spots, I sat down with David for a discussion about the perils of the spotlight when you’re a child star, finding perspective when the eyes of the world are on you, falling in love with a career you might never have wanted, and the joy of finally living your truth.
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**We are in an era of remakes and reboots and revivals and retellings of stories that were just remade and rebooted and revived and retold less than a decade ago. An era of cinematic universes whose stories sometimes don’t feel like they go together, characters that seem to suddenly change in power and personality. Sometimes it can be enough to make even the most chill movie goer wonder where all the new ideas are.
But, this isn’t anything new in storytelling. The greek myths are pretty much the blueprint for the modern cinematic universe. The way we tell stories, hero stories, adventure stories, sword and sorcery stories, all stem from the gods of Mt Olympus and the lives they meddled in. The wars they waged and the petty grievances they exacted upon one another.
But these are more than just stories. They’re the narrative of a very real people, the history - if often allegorical - of a very real place where these very real people still live. These gods still have worshippers from within that culture all around the world. And, these gods have worshippers from outside of that culture all around the world.
With thousands of years of their own retellings and reimaginings that have taken the stories of Greek gods and heroes out of their culture of origin and sprinkled them about as though they are their own, separate thing. This has led to some struggle as Greek scholars, Greek people, and Greek culture enthusiasts are all colliding in recent years to ask who these gods belong to and who should be centered in the telling of their stories.
Angelo Nasios is one such scholar. He has a Master’s Degree in Ancient History, is an author writing about the history and practice of Greek religion, and is the host of the podcast Hearth of Hellenism where he explores this murky intersection in depth. And he is my guest today.**Social links:
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Ryan La Sala is a bestselling, award winning author of multiple queer books. His horror novel, The Honeys, is a love letter to queer folks who thought Clueless and The Craft should have had a crossover film. It was named the best book of 2022 by NPR, New York, public library, school library, journal Barnes & Noble, and publishers weekly. He’s currently serving as executive producer on the film adaptation, but he took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with me about writing in the current book ban climate, the creative process, the draw of horror, and how queerness is a superpower.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Ryan La Sala is a bestselling, award winning author of multiple queer books. His horror novel, The Honeys, is a love letter to queer folks who thought Clueless and The Craft should have had a crossover film. It was named the best book of 2022 by NPR, New York, public library, school library, journal Barnes & Noble, and publishers weekly. He’s currently serving as executive producer on the film adaptation, but he took time out of his busy schedule to have a chat with me about writing in the current book ban climate, the creative process, the draw of horror, and how queerness is a superpower.
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
The Writer's Guild of America is currently on strike in a union negotiation that has implications far beyond the city limits of Hollywood. Screenwriter Joshua Conkel (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Dead Boy Detectives) returns to discuss how streaming services are attempting to turn screenwriting into a gig economy job, why in the new "golden age of television" isn't so golden, and how AI became a central talking point.
Social links:
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Charles Lu is a Canadian fashion designer whose work has been seen in London, Dubai, and on the hit Netflix show Next In Fashion with Tan France. The child of Vietnamese refugees, he knew his entire life he was going to be a fashion designer. He will make you rethink your relationship to hoodies, and he is my guest today.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
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96% of Americans claim to love cheese, according to one survey. The same survey said our love of cheese outranks our love of coffee, social media, national pride, and even our beloved cell phones. Americans’ favorite dish? Mac & cheese. Almost every type of cuisine on the planet features at least one type of cheese. But what do we really know about this most beloved of foods?
Emilia D’Albero calls herself the CEO of Cheesetok, and for good reason. Her educational videos showcasing the history, preparation, storage, and myth busting of cheese have been seen by millions of people. I sat down with the cheesemonger herself for a deep dive discussion to ask all the questions even I never knew I wanted answers to about this most supreme of foods.
For a brief time only, get signed copies of my book ‘while I wait to be a god again’ here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/784773093/while-i-wait-to-be-a-god-again-signed
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Clarkesworld magazine is a publisher of short form science fiction with the distinction of providing its prospective authors a quick turnaround on submissions. This uniqueness is compounded by the fact that, unlike most other similar publications, the magazine is always open to submissions. All of that changed earlier this year when the Neil Clarke, the founder of Clarkesworld, made international headlines for closing submissions down for the first time in the magazine's decades-long history. Why?
Because of ChatGPT.
I sat down with Neil to have a deep dive discussion about how legacy media is evolving with technology and accessibility, how the sudden onslaught of chatbot generated content has transformed the submission process, and where science fiction goes from here.
Social links:
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Chances are if you have a racist aunt with access to social media, you've come across the term DEI a lot lately. It's the new conservative boogeyman. It's the reason why SVB closed. The reason why drag queens read books to kids. And it's what happens when big companies get dragged on social media for being run almost exclusively by cisgender, heterosexual white men making 7-figures a year.
But what is DEI - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - education? Why has it become so synonymous with corporate training? What are its uses, if any, in the world at large?
Tanorria Askew has spent decades as a passionate advocate for DEI, creating or consulting on a number of programs for an even larger number of companies. She's seen what happens when DEI training is done well, done poorly, and what promise it holds for future workers. She's also an accomplished chef - you may have seen her face alongside Gordon Ramsay on MasterChef. She's combined her background in DEI and her time in the kitchen to create Unity Tables - "a safe space for women of different races, cultures, and backgrounds to sit around a dinner table and share their heart as a way to create unity". Look for her cookbook Staples + 5: 100 Simple Recipes to Make the Most of Your Pantry everywhere books are sold.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
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The internet allows all sorts of people to come together to share their love of musicians, actors, tv shows and movies, and...anything. Everything. There are communities who share a love even specific characters from a book series, and I've even recently come across a diehard community of people who share a specific love of Uncrustables - a frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich snack.
But what happens when fandoms go too far? What happens when a group of people with a lot of big feelings, access to all sorts of personal information, and the anonymity of a screen name decide to turn on you? That's when fandom gets extreme.
I spoke to illustrator and researcher Sam Aburime about the rise of Extreme Fandoms. Sam kindly provided resources for you to use as a springboard if this topic interests you:
Further Published Reading on Anti-Fans: "Jonathan Gray describes anti-fans as those who 'strongly dislike a given text or genre, considering it inane, stupid, morally bankrupt and/or aesthetic drivel' (Gray 2003, 70). He also acknowledges that 'fans can become anti-fans of a sort when an episode or part of a text is perceived as harming a text as a whole' (73). However, as his contribution to this collection discusses, anti-fan practices are varied and take a number of different forms." (Williams, 2020, Anti-fandom: Dislike and hate in the digital age) * Symposium specifically related to Antis: Aburime, Samantha. 2021. "The Cult Structure of the American Anti." Transformative Works and Cultures, no. 36. https://doi.org/10.3983/twc.2021.2147. * Wikis: + ‘Anti-Shipper’, (2023), Fanlore Wiki, May 12, https://fanlore.org/wiki/Anti-shipper * Books & Articles: + Click, M. A. (ed.), (2020), Anti-fandom: Dislike and hate in the digital age, New York: New York University Press. + Gray, J. (2022), Dislike-Minded: Media, Audiences, and the Dynamics of Taste, NYU Press. + Gray, J. (2003), ‘New Audiences, New Textualities: Anti-Fans and Non-Fans*.’ International Journal of Cultural Studies, 6 (1), pp.64–81 + https://books.google.com/books/about/Cultish.html?id=L-n8DwAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description
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Voice acting brings life to everything from corporate training videos to tearjerker holiday commercials to your favorite characters in animated movies or video games. But the daily grind isn't as easy as sitting down and reading a few lines. Tawny Platis is a lifelong actress who has found recent success behind the microphone, and she guides us through what it takes to make it in the cutthroat world of microphone jockeys.
Social links:
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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I think you should confront the things you fear. Not me, of course, but you definitely should. I hear it's great therapy. Me? I talk to experts about the things that I fear, and I cannot think of a creature that inspires for fear, misunderstanding, and general "icky" feelings than bats. But, maybe that's because I don't know enough about them.
Alyson Brokaw is a behavioral ecologist and bat scientist who earned her PhD from Texas A&M University. She's a passionate advocate for not only education, but navigating the world around us. (Literally, her dissertation was on how bats use their sense of smell to navigate.) She uses her social media platform to teach the public about the fascinating truth behind one of the world's most maligned creatures.
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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What's the difference between myths, legends, and folklore? Or...is there a difference?
The winter holiday season is chock full of magic and monsters and bits of folklore abounding in everything from the colors of the season to the foods that we eat. Folklore itself - as a topic of study and discussion - has had a bit of a moment this year. Plenty of voices have made a bit of a name for themselves bringing folklore to the masses via social media, but there's a lot of nuance when you scratch the surface of the topic.
So, I talked to my very favorite folklorist, Dr. Cory Hutcheson, about the study of folklore, its misconceptions, and what it teaches us about cultures past and present. We also talked about comic book mythology and what has to happen for the stories of today to become the folklore of tomorrow.
Find out more about Cory on his podcast, New World Witchery, or by picking up his book of the same name.
Brief housekeeping note: I'll be taking January off from producing new shows. Look for new episodes of Head On Fire in February 2023! Happy New Year everyone!
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We know Christmas today as a time of Santa in a red suit flying around delivering presents. We know it as a festive holiday filled with plenty of food and gift-giving and light. However, throughout history, this time of year was a pretty dark time filled with mischievous spirits and ghost stories.
On this throwback episode that originally aired in 2019 I speak with art historian Susan Owens, author of The Ghost: a cultural history, about how ghosts were seen throughout the centuries and how they became the specters we know today.
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"Didn't he just put out an episode about quantum physics?" you might be asking yourself. First of all, shut up. Second of all, yes. Yes I did, BUT when you come across an expert who can correct Hank Green on quantum entanglement and help me understand basic tenets of quantum physics using a pair of socks, YOU DO ANOTHER SHOW ABOUT QUANTUM PHYSICS.
Caroline R.Z. is a multitalented educator who uses her platform to discuss issues of culture, finance, physics, and gaming. (Just don't give her chicken in pasta.)
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
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Everyone is scared of "The Talk". We avoid it by using phrases like "the birds and the bees" instead of proper names for our bodies. Parents hope the schools do it but don't want the schools to do it and if the schools do it anyway they want to teach kids not to do..."it". And I get it. The intersection of sex education and children is uncomfortable, especially these days when children are being used as footballs by people who are more interested in scoring political points than making their lives safer and better. Not to mention the fact that when The Talk does happen, it tends to exclude folks belonging to LGBTQ+ or disabled communities.
Enter Kathleen Hema. She's a sex educator with multiple advanced degrees and years of experience teaching children, adolescents, teens, and young adults. These days she's helping parents and kids find better ways to have The Talk through social media and her fun, informative videos. We have a deep dive discussion that will, hopefully, help you get comfortable with this uncomfortable topic.
Not that I think it needs to be said, but this is a frank discussion of sex education. Correct names for body parts, discussions of sex, and other related topics will come up.
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By now you're probably aware there's a new Ant-Man movie on the way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe called Quantumania. In the MCU and other science fiction media, the word "quantum" gets thrown around quite a bit.
Why can you teleport? Quantum physics. Why can you shrink to the size of an atom? Quantum mechanics. Why can you walk through walls or travel the multiverse or bring someone back from the dead? Quantum entanglement. Quantum computing. Quantum. Quantum. Quantum.
At this point the word "quantum" paired with just about any other word is a stand-in for something like "science magic". It's the label slapped on a bit of plot to explain why the protagonist can do the thing. But this type of slapdash explanation isn't relegated to the silver screen.
Films like 'What the BLEEP do we know?' and books like 'The Secret' all maintain that our thoughts affect the world around us. The phrase "thoughts are things" gets bandied about. Oftentimes this is called the "Law of Attraction", or whatever you think about most often tends to show up in your life. These days other buzzwords float around and occupy similar space. Affirmations. Manifestation. And why does any of this work? Quantum physics. Quantum mechanics. Quantum entanglement. Quantum. Quantum. Quantum.
I'm no physicist, but I know enough about marketing to know that the same word cannot possibly mean all of these things at the same time. Or could it? I'm no physicist after all. Perhaps it can? I wanted to ask an expert.
Jed Buchwald studied physics and science history at Princeton University, and earned a PhD from Harvard in 1974. He taught at the University of Toronto for two decades, where he spent a year as the director of that university's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Buchwald then became the director of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology and the Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining Caltech in 2001. He has authored or co-authored six books in the history of science and, more recently, on the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics. He edits or co-edits three book series for Springer, one for MIT, and two journals. Buchwald is a member of the American Philosophical Society, a member of the International Academy of the History of Science, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also a MacArthur Fellow (1995) and a Killam Fellow (1990–1991).
Social links:
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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By now you're probably aware there's a new Ant-Man movie on the way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe called Quantumania. In the MCU and other science fiction media, the word "quantum" gets thrown around quite a bit.
Why can you teleport? Quantum physics. Why can you shrink to the size of an atom? Quantum mechanics. Why can you walk through walls or travel the multiverse or bring someone back from the dead? Quantum entanglement. Quantum computing. Quantum. Quantum. Quantum.
At this point the word "quantum" paired with just about any other word is a stand-in for something like "science magic". It's the label slapped on a bit of plot to explain why the protagonist can do the thing. But this type of slapdash explanation isn't relegated to the silver screen.
Films like 'What the BLEEP do we know?' and books like 'The Secret' all maintain that our thoughts affect the world around us. The phrase "thoughts are things" gets bandied about. Oftentimes this is called the "Law of Attraction", or whatever you think about most often tends to show up in your life. These days other buzzwords float around and occupy similar space. Affirmations. Manifestation. And why does any of this work? Quantum physics. Quantum mechanics. Quantum entanglement. Quantum. Quantum. Quantum.
I'm no physicist, but I know enough about marketing to know that the same word cannot possibly mean all of these things at the same time. Or could it? I'm no physicist after all. Perhaps it can? I wanted to ask an expert.
Jed Buchwald studied physics and science history at Princeton University, and earned a PhD from Harvard in 1974. He taught at the University of Toronto for two decades, where he spent a year as the director of that university's Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology. Buchwald then became the director of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology and the Bern Dibner Professor of the History of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology before joining Caltech in 2001. He has authored or co-authored six books in the history of science and, more recently, on the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics. He edits or co-edits three book series for Springer, one for MIT, and two journals. Buchwald is a member of the American Philosophical Society, a member of the International Academy of the History of Science, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was also a MacArthur Fellow (1995) and a Killam Fellow (1990–1991).
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
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Everyone has those stories from their childhood that are a mix of things that happened and things that didn't happen. This is one of mine.
It is a story of death and grief and loss and how a child processes those things.
But, it is also a story of an imaginary friend, a mostly forgotten Greek myth, and the stories families tell about themselves.
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Everyone has those stories from their childhood that are a mix of things that happened and things that didn't happen. This is one of mine.
It is a story of death and grief and loss and how a child processes those things.
But, it is also a story of an imaginary friend, a mostly forgotten Greek myth, and the stories families tell about themselves.
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
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Dr. Eva Burke returns to provide an education on the value and cultural significance of horror movies.
Dr. Eva Burke is a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, and she both studies and teaches pop culture, genre fiction, crime novels, and, of course, horror.
The official Head On Fire Horror Watchlist:
Black Christmas (1974)
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The Fly (1986)
Candyman (1992)
Audition (1999)
Lake Mungo (2008)
Suspiria (2018)
Social links:
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Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Dr. Eva Burke returns to provide an education on the value and cultural significance of horror movies.
Dr. Eva Burke is a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, and she both studies and teaches pop culture, genre fiction, crime novels, and, of course, horror.
The official Head On Fire Horror Watchlist:
Black Christmas (1974)
Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
The Fly (1986)
Candyman (1992)
Audition (1999)
Lake Mungo (2008)
Suspiria (2018)
Social links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/headonfirepod
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@headonfirepod
Support my work on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/headonfirepod
Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh?si=5387b774ed6e4524
YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/HeadOnFirePod
Poetry has a weird reputation in literature. I cannot think of a time when it felt cool to like poetry. All sorts of other genres and styles of writing have had their heyday - seriously who would've thought that "dinosaur smut" would bring in such big bucks? - but poetry seems continually relegated to being that thing you had to get through back in school.
Taylor Mali has been on a mission to transform the way we think about, read, listen to, and consider poetry. He has been featured in Russell Simmons' Def Poetry, as well as the documentaries SlamNation and Slam Planet. He has shared stages with Billy Collins and Allen Ginsberg. He's published several books and been featured in even more anthologies, and he took time out of all that to have a conversation with me about bad poetry, good poetry, and all the poetry you aren't reading but should be.
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When you're into crystals as a kid that - at least for me - takes the form of "rock on the side of the road pretty, must take home". When you're into crystals as an adult it comes with all this extra baggage. What's the name of the crystal in your hand? Where does it come from? How much child labor went into getting it out of the ground and into your hands? Does it actually cure my migraines?
Yinan Wang is a geologist and children’s book writer. He is currently studying potential uses of new technology to aid the field of paleontology. He stopped by to have a conversation about the science and salesmanship behind pretty rocks.
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Ola Ojewumi is a force of nature. When she was nine she learned she had a rare heart condition and by eleven she was faced with undergoing kidney and heart transplants. She grew up navigating a complex world of intersectional privilege and challenge which was only exacerbated when, as a young adult, she was diagnosed with cancer and soon after became a wheelchair user.
She's a fierce advocate for the disabled community, having worked with Lady Gaga, Nancy Pelosi, Cory Booker, Steny Hoyer, and Barack Obama. She accomplishes more before breakfast than I do in an entire year. Today, she gives us a look at disability advocacy, the lyrical dust up involving Beyonce and Lizzo, and choosing our words more thoughtfully.
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/head-on-fire/id337689333
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You might have at one time said something like “I think if we ever met, I’d be really good friends with Dolly Parton.” Or thought if Chris Evans happened to come into the cafe where you work, he’d definitely go out with me.
Have you ever heard of a parasocial relationship? The term was created in 1956 by Donald Horton and Richard Wohl to describe a unique one-sided relationship in which a member of an audience believes a person they see on tv or social media is their close personal friend. That they’re in a relationship with that person. I’m not talking about imagining meeting a celebrity in real life and then striking up a genuine friendship like in my initial examples, but believing that right now - without ever having met - you are in an intimate relationship of some kind.
These days social media has made all of these lines even more blurred. A celebrity liking a tweet or a famous author answering your question. Television, social media, these have given us ways to carry celebrities around in our pockets, to give us a false sense of intimacy with people we’ve never met. When parasocial relationships stay in the realm of hypothetical, or perhaps even in something like passionate adoration, that’s fine. That’s not a crime. But some people take it too far. They believe celebrities, influencers, authors, actors owe them something. Parasocial relationships have a proven link to negative body image issues, increased aggression, and a whole host of problematic behaviors all stemming from this one-sided false intimacy.
If you’re a creative person who puts their work out for public consumption, there’s one additional layer to consider. Ownership. Creative people - writers, actors, painters, etc - aren’t just known as themselves, but as their work, too. And, as a result of parasocial interactions and the general toxic discourse existing in various corners of the internet, there are those folks out in the world who feel a sense of ownership over that creative person’s work and career. They feel personally invested in its trajectory, taking losses as personal, and oftentimes expressing that they are owed something for wins and successes.
Meg Elison is an author who knows this terrain all too well, and she wrote about it in her new book Number One Fan. It’s a breakdown of how social media blurs barriers between creator and audience, emboldens parasocial interactions, and acts as a cautionary tale for anyone who has ever summoned up a stranger by pressing a few buttons on their phone and then gotten into their car. While the story itself is fiction, the events inside it can be seen paralleled in news headlines on a weekly basis. Since recording this interview I can think of at least 3 times when I read or heard a story that shared shocking similarity to the plot being relayed by young women simply existing out in the world. This is a conversation about one-sided relationships, the specter of Stephen King, book consumption culture, niche internet communities, and who owns a creator’s work once it is out in the world.
Social links:
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We love talking about food, but we have a tough time talking about eating. For some reason we are allowed to almost fetishize food, salivating over perfectly aesthetic photos of food but the moment that food touches our lips we are judged for it. And, naturally, the more layers of intersectional oppression you experience, the more you are judged for your food choices.
Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson is Professor and Chair of the Department of American Studies at the University of Maryland College Park. Her research explores the ways in which Black people engage their material worlds, especially with food and food cultures as well as historical legacies of race and gender (mis)representation. She has conducted extensive research throughout the United States in this area using intersectionality, cultural studies, popular culture, and more to inform our understanding of these phenomena. She is the author of the new book Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Hate ads? Consider joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
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Writing is a special kind of solitary torture. The only thing about it anyone ever sees is the end result, the finished, published work resting on shelves. In today's booktok culture, books are consumed at lightning speed and reviewers rush to deliver the most controversial hot take they can think of for engagement. Years of a person's life are spent writing the stories that become our blockbuster movies or our summer beach reads. Years spent alone in a room somewhere with a pen and paper or a keyboard tapping out scenes and dialogue only to scrap it all later and rewrite. Creating work, toiling over its perfection, and then navigating social media to spread the word is all part of the job of a writer these days, on top of all the other actual work the author must do to create something special.
It's agony. It's glorious. And, for some, it's incredibly rewarding.
Ayana Gray's debut novel, Beasts of Prey, did something few debut authors achieve: it hit the New York Times bestseller list. Her follow up, Beasts of Ruin, is poised to do the same. (It's out today.) We sat down for a discussion on the work of writing, how that job has expanded, navigating how much of ourselves we give away, and how much we get to keep.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
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Would you make a good cult leader? If not you, then you probably know someone who would. We're fascinated by cults. It seems like every day a new docuseries is dropped on some streaming service or podcast platform about yet another cult out there in the world taking people's time, energy, or money.
Jennings Brown is an investigative journalist with a penchant for investigating cults. He's reported on Teal Swan, the Fellowship of Friends, as well as a number of conspiracy theories, algorithm blackholes, scam artists, and assorted ways people prey on others. We have a discussion about what it takes to not only investigate cults and cult leaders but what it takes to simply be a journalist in the sociopolitical climate of 2022.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
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Pre-K pause. If you’ve been online in any capacity in the last year, that phrase probably conjures up the face of Tell Williams. He was a pre-K teacher for 9 years before resigning to pursue a Master’s in social work. Along the way he accidentally found viral fame when a video he posted about the realities of being a teacher hit the algorithm jackpot. He’s gone on to try his hand at stand-up comedy, being the face of a nail polish brand, and even act in the new show The Book of Queer that just premiered on Discovery+. Despite sitting atop the influencer game, we had a lengthy conversation about his offline life. What it means to be a visibly queer, visibly BIPOC teacher right now when every news cycle seems to both praise teachers and vilify them. What it means for content to be “age appropriate”, and just how much our kids actually understand at a young age.
I do want to warn you, we do touch on the subject of school shootings, though we do not go into specific details about any one shooting, however if that topic is sensitive for you at this time please listen with care.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
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Lots of people have lots to say about the Bible. Loads of conspiracy theories exist about it. Whether it’s conspiracy theories about its creation, or lost books that didn’t make the cut, or obscure interpretations seen by a select few as prophecy about our modern world, not a day goes by that someone, somewhere isn’t holding the Bible up to the light and seeing if we missed anything.
Beyond that, so-called biblical literalism has been the basis of support for a lot of pretty heinous parts of our country’s past and present. From regulating the sale of alcohol to vilifying interracial marriage and queer identity to demonizing immigrants to supporting slavery, supposed biblical scholars have found a way to twist the Bible in such a way that it is a timeless scapegoat for current hatred.
All of this turns a lot of people off from not just modern Christianity, but of religion in general. Few scholars wish to use their time, energy, and knowledge to combat the misinformation and vitriol online. But, thankfully, my guest today does just that.
Dan McClellan is a scripture translation supervisor for the LDS church, with a PhD in theology and religion. He ran for the State Senate as a Democrat in Utah. He is a fierce ally of the queer community, a debunker of conspiracy theories, and a Marvel fan. We had a lot to talk about.
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Witchcraft and magical practice has been an indelible part of the human experience throughout recorded history. Wherever there are people, there are people practicing magic. It shows up in all sorts of places: tv shows, fantasy novels, and the strange shop on the corner that smells of incense and has shelves lined with crystals. But what if I told you there is an actual, formal discipline of study when it comes to the history and practice of magic?
Owen Davies is a professor of history at the University of Hertfordshire whose career has been spent largely researching witchcraft, magic, and ghosts. He is the president of The Folklore Society in the UK, and the author of - as of this recording - 16 publications on the subject. He is considered one of the world's leading academic experts on the study of witchcraft, and he took some time to chat with me about witch trials, the fact and fiction of real witches, and, of course, Taylor Swift.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
Connect with me on social media @headonfirepod everywhere.
Social links:
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Early mornings and late sunsets are a hallmark of the summer season. The extra warmth and daylight is a blessing for many of us that live in areas where it is cold, dark, and wet or frozen for much of the year. It is a time of year that calls many of us to go out in search of high mountaintops or deep canyons, verdant forests, and untouched landscapes. To get back to nature. But getting back to nature isn't without its pitfalls, which is where my guest today comes in.
Diana Helmuth is the author of How to Suffer Outside, a humorous guide for the beginning backpacker or hiker who would love to experience the great outdoors while keeping the agony to a minimum.
Diana also graciously sent along a list of organizations specifically operated and aimed at people who are queer, women, or people of color who want to seek out more resources or engage with the outdoors near you!
- KweenWerk
- SheColorsNature (also great for advice for parents!)
- OutdoorAfro
- BrownPeopleCamping
- LatinoOutdoors
- WildDiversity
- UnlikelyHikers
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
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Do you want to see a dead body? How about two? Would you like to see 1-2 dead bodies every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the next 20, 30, 40 years? If you said yes, you might have what it takes to do the job of my guest on today's episode of Head On Fire.
The preparation and care for our dead is not just a sacred rite, or a taboo subject, but for folks like Temple Ruff it's a job. One that isn't without its perks, I mean how much more job security can you get than death, right? Temple is a mortician and funeral director, and today she helps us scratch the surface on what it means to care for our bodies after we're done using them.
Temple Ruff is also the founder and COO of Idun Ruth, a nonprofit organization that seeks to help all those in her local North Carolina community who need access to personal sanitation items - such as diapers or menstrual products - get them. Idun Ruth offers inclusivity and anonymity to all. Please consider supporting this important local organization.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
Connect with me on social media @headonfirepod everywhere.
Social links:
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
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How much does the marketing industry know about you? You, specifically. Sure, you've heard all the horror stories - or maybe you've lived it - in which you're thinking about Pop Tarts and suddenly you see an ad on social media for Pop Tarts. That's freaky, right? But marketing existed long before the advent of modern technology and still seemed to somehow catch the pulse of what we all wanted to consume. Or did it? Maybe the truth about marketing isn't that it is reacting to what you're seeing or hearing, rather it is shaping it, shaping you. Helping you tell stories of how your life might look if you purchased this candy, went to see that movie, or, in the case of the United States, took this prescription medication.
Or perhaps you've seen an ad that seemed so incredibly ill-advised you wonder...how many people had to look at this ad and ignore all the blatantly problematic visuals or ad copy before it was sent out in the world? How many people thought this was a good idea?
Hayley Grant is a VP of Strategy for VaynerMedia, one of the country's largest and most influential marketing firms. She sat down for a deep dive conversation about the realities of the marketing industry. There were no topics off the table. We discussed how marketers decide who a product or service is for, how they develop a marketing strategy for them, and how they make us want things we didn't ever think we'd want. We discussed the taboos of pharmaceutical marketing and whether the US should change tactics to match the rest of the world. And, we discussed which piece of media the marketing industry is most like. (Hint: it's not Mad Men.)
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing regularly by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
Connect with me on social media @headonfirepod everywhere.
Social links:
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"Grief is a feeling made of feelings," says Mahlakai Rose, a death doula and co-founder of The House of Grief. We are all thinking about death lately. How we want to die, where and with whom we want to spend our final moments, and what we'd like to happen afterwards. But given how much our lives have changed in the last few years, we're also becoming clued in to the fact that death and grief happen more often than we'd like to think.
We die little deaths throughout our lives. Unexpected loss of a job. Moving across the country. The end of a cherished friendship. Mal has a lot to teach us about dealing with grief and demystifying the role of a death doula in both our deaths and lives.
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There’s this urge to turn yourself into a brand online. No matter how specific your interests are, no matter how tiny you think the niche is, social media compels you to believe that if you want to participate in that culture you must become a copy of those who came before you.
If you come online hoping to research anything - how to be a writer, how to organize your home, how to exercise - you are instantly bombarded with people who are not only far more advanced at that thing than you are, but they’ve cultivated their social media presence in such a way that you think the only way to get where you want to go is to buy what they’re selling. Surely they have the secret, right?
Minimalism is a movement that is quite literally about living with less, and yet if you go online to research minimalism you’ll soon find that people are more than happy to sell you lots and lots of things in order to become a minimalist. Minimalist home organization supplies. Minimalist tables. Minimalist jewelry. Minimalist…refrigerators? (I googled it and the first search result is $4600.) Slap a branded label on it and suddenly you can sell a “minimalist decorative branch” for $250…for a stick you are going to lean in a corner of your room as decoration.
Christine Platt is an expert on minimalism, personal branding, and navigating this uncomfortable confluence of authentic exploration and capitalism. She’s the author of The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less, and she says there’s a way to live with less without buying more. It’s all about creating an intentional life.
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The last two years of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic have forced a lot of people to take stock of what is important to them. For many that has meant assessing whether they're in the right career or whether it's time to take a chance on forging a path for themselves. That's what Nikk Alcaraz - an actor, food artist, and DIY craft maker - did. He created Practical Peculiarities, a content creation brand under which Alcaraz inspires people to add a bit of magic into their dinner menus or around their home. If you haven't heard the name before you've surely seen one of his many viral videos. Hear how he took the skills he learned from his previous jobs and lifelong passions and turned them all into a magical career of his own making.
What’s important to you? What do you value? What makes you happy?
No matter how you answered I want to know: would your answers change if you were telling your significant other? A work acquaintance? Your boss? If I were there right now with a microphone and camera asking you on the record, would any of those answers change?
The answer is…probably…yes. Right? Yes, of course, we don’t tell our bosses everything about our off-hours lives. We don’t tell our coworkers all the smutty shows we watch or tell our relatives about the things we enjoy that we don’t really want grandma asking us about around a holiday table.
I’m speaking, of course, about guilty pleasures. The bits of pop culture that are considered silly, juvenile, and are often spoken of with derision. Reality television. Pop music. Fashion trends. It is rare that these bits of culture are seen as areas of legitimate interest, and rarer still when they are given serious study and consideration.
My guest today hopes to change the discourse around so-called guilty pleasures. Her name is Dr. Eva Burke. She’s a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin, and she both studies and teaches pop culture. We open our discussion on the topic of guilty pleasures, and Dr. Burke had quite a lot to say on the matter.
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Subscribe to the Head On Fire podcast
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An all too common problem for anyone in a creative field is other people's opinions. The folks who look over your shoulder and tell you that you should've painted something blue instead of red. The folks who take years of your life's work and turn it into bumper sticker commentary for easy engagement on social media. The alleged fans of a show that seem to take glee in tearing apart the thing they profess to love and ruining the lives of those who make it.
My guest today knows this intimately, having written for some of the biggest shows to come on Netflix in recent years. Joshua Conkel is a screenwriter behind some of your favorite scenes in shows like The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and A Series of Unfortunate Events. We sat down to discuss the perils of listening to other people's opinions, deciding whose opinions matter and whose don't, how consumers of media feel a sense of entitlement and ownership of that media, and how to create through all that noise.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Share it with your friends on social media. You can also like, rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a review. Reviews help recommend the show to other listeners like you.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by joining my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and a monthly book club! Sign up at Patreon.com/headonfirepod. Or if a one-time donation is more your speed, you can buy me a coffee at https://ko-fi.com/headonfirepod.
Connect with me on social media @headonfirepod everywhere.
A promotional trailer for Head On Fire.
"Seek illumination the way a man with his head on fire seeks water."
That's the ethos behind Head On Fire, a new podcast featuring deep dive conversations with experts in interesting, often overlooked fields. It's a search for meaning and answers to life's biggest and smallest questions.
Join me, author and host Don Martin, every other week as we discuss everything from climate change and reproductive Justice to the cultural importance of reality television or the value of believing in monsters.
Head On Fire, every other week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Coming February 2022.
Goodbye.
Today is the very last episode of Inciting A Riot.
And the last time I'll be speaking to you as Fire Lyte.
Sometimes growth means putting yourself back together, and in 2022 I am going to embark on a more personal, more authentic journey. As myself. I hope you’ll come along with me.
The antagonistic, pointed energy of Inciting A Riot is going away as it no longer serves me. In its place will be a new title and a new me. The real me. The me that my friends and loved ones know. No more mask.
I explain everything in the podcast episode, but in short there’s no need to unsubscribe or resubscribe. The feed will stay the same. And, if you have any podcast name suggestions, I’m certainly willing to entertain them all.
I’m also taking a month off from producing the show, the first break I’ve had in a few years. I want to give myself a space to breathe, to consider, and to feel confident and certain about my next steps.
I’m a bit scared, if I’m being honest. Fire Lyte has presented a certain version of myself - a version that always has a witty, biting response or is willing to jump right in the middle of a fight without quite knowing whether he should - that you all like…and packing him up and living as my authentic self feels raw…shaky. I feel very much like a kid awaiting their first day at a new school scared that nobody will like them.
But it’s time, and no time like New Year’s Eve.
I wish you the happiest of New Year’s. Thank you so much for letting me be part of your lives. I hope we can go on a new journey together in 2022.
And, since I won’t be saying it much more in the future, I’d like to leave you with Love and Lyte.
Fire Lyte
Queer as Folk's Peter Paige on the legacy of his career, stepping behind the camera to craft queer-centric television shows and movies like The Fosters and The Thing About Harry, casting cishet actors in queer roles, and where Hollywood goes from here.
Connect with Peter Paige here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
The witch is a curious figure, existing in a uniquely liminal space of both fact and fiction, this world and the next. Many practitioners of magic walk a path that carefully stays in that middle ground, but a few heed the call to peek beyond the hedge, to walk amongst ancestors and spirits and gods and beings for which we don’t yet have names.
It can be daunting, to leave that comfortable middle path, but Christine Grace’s book The Witch at the Forest’s Edge provides a gentle, encouraging hand to hold as you take your first steps past the hedge into the world beyond. The advice is practical, grounded in a practice that begins with what you have on hand and in your surroundings, includes discussion of ancestry and the many ways that family is made and found, and includes a deeply appreciated section on magical ethics. This book is practical, fresh, and will help guide a whole new generation off the well-trod path to embrace the old, wild magic found beyond the hedge.
Get more of Christine Grace here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
When I wrote an article for Writer's Digest about witches in stories, I said that the best stories aren't about the magic but about the power. In science fiction and fantasy writing, I've found that a superpower or access to magic or a special tool that grants an ability - whatever it is - isn't nearly as interesting as the power that it grants the user. The ability for magic to level a playing field, to allow the righting of wrongs.
In her latest graphic novel, Squad (illustrated by Lisa Sterle), author Maggie Tokuda-Hall tells a story of werewolves, yes, but the story is far more about a young girl finding the power to fit in, to feel in control of her life for the first time ever. We talk about her new work, the importance of queer representation, receiving critique, and how we'd rewrite Mean Girls if we could.
Buy her new book here: https://bookshop.org/a/56826/9780062943149
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
The Day of the Dead, El Día de los Muertos, is a celebration originating in Mexico. It's been gaining visibility and popularity in the United States and beyond thanks in part to films like Book of Life and Coco. However, a lot of misconceptions surround this cultural event, such as it being a "second Halloween". Too often elements of the celebration are taken piecemeal by those from outside the culture and used as costume or in ways that remove the context or history behind it - such as calavera face paint.
Jaime Gironés has written a phenomenal new book, Llewellyn's Little Book of the Day of the Dead, to guide you through the history of the holiday, the myths and traditions surrounding it, and how it can be appreciated - and even adapted - in your household.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Every year around Halloween, I gather together a collection of stories, poems, and songs from around the magical world to help bring a bit of magic to your Samhain season. This year's Hallowed Riot features the following works:
The Lockkeepers's Door - original short story by Vinna Harper
Dawn of Maw - an excerpt from Taylor Narváez Claman
Love Letter to Hades part 2 - a poem by Lauren Theresa
travel - a poem from the book while I wait to be a god again read by Cory Hutcheson
Verity Vox & King Earl - a full-cast short story by Fire Lyte
- Cast
- Verity Vox - Jax in the Box
- Tacita Tarry - November Sierra
- King Earl - Cory Hutcheson
- Gilly Green - Vinna Harper
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Being a femme presenting person in an online space is to constantly walk a minefield of harassment, intimidation, and abuse. To have your authority questioned and your opinion overlooked in favor of a man's. Things aren't better behind the screens either. Earlier this year a lawsuit against one of the world's biggest game makers, Activision Blizzard, brought to light a long-standing "frat boy" culture that permeated all levels of the company and promoted a culture of harm.
My deepest gratitude to my guests Cara and Deme for their honesty.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Recently I was asked to define some important rules to remember when writing about witchcraft, especially in fiction. My response was to keep in mind that it's never about the magic but about the power that magic provides. For many of us who are drawn to the witchy characters in fiction and folklore, we're often drawn to the witch's ability to level the playing field in an otherwise unfair society using some form of magic. In the new book Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis, this dynamic is played out in one of the most unique and harrowing character studies I've seen in recent years.
Her book takes on not only what it means to be a young black girl living in poverty and under the care of abusive parents, but what happens when that young girl realizes she has tremendous abilities that allow her to not just communicate with the dead but bring them back. It's a slow burn novel that's perfect to kick off spooky season.
Find more of Jessica Lewis here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Being an author shares a lot of similarities with being a witch. Much of the work we do is alone, toiling away at improving skills or deepening our knowledge about obscure topics. Should we work in groups it's typically in very small circles of trusted peers. The other way that witches and authors are alike is that the general public has a lot of very wrong opinions about what it's like to be one.
So, that's why Thorn Mooney, author of the new (phenomenal) book The Witch's Path and I sat down to chat about publishing, marketing, the pressures that come with authorship, the weird authority we place on books, and the writing process itself. It's a long conversation in which we interview each other about our respective work, our goals, and where we each want to go from here.
You can find more about Thorn Mooney here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
In recent days a new law went into effect in the state of Texas prohibiting access to an abortion after 6 weeks. 6 weeks after what, though? Conception? Your period? Something else? And why so restrictive? And why are so many organizations setting up websites to gather tips about patients, providers, and those that aid them? This conversation requires an expert to guide us through the nuance, and I'm grateful that Dr. Leah Torres returned to lead us through the thick of the issues.
Follow Dr. Torres on Twitter @LeahNTorres and learn more about her work at LeahTorres.com.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Shadow Work is a trend that seems to have come out of nowhere in the last two years. One cannot explore much of witchy social media these days without seeing recommendations to “do your shadow work”, which seems to mean anything from “go to therapy” to “meditate more” to “write your feelings in a journal”. As with many trends, plenty of people are trying to commodify it with spiritual advisors selling shadow work services alongside tarot and astrology readings, sometimes inserting it into a reading without prior notice. Spiritual dabblers are buying up Shadow Work journals and seeking out more information about how to do this work themselves or with a professional. But…what is it and what makes a professional Shadow Work…er?
Shadow Work is a term stemming from Jungian psychology and is a part of trauma therapy, a sensitive practice where licensed trauma counselors assist patients with processing serious traumatic events in their lives. It is delicate, difficult work that takes years of training to master. Because of the nature of this form of therapy, there are a number of risks involved with undertaking it, and even more risks when determining what kind of professional should assist you. I spoke to Lauren Theresa, a licensed Trauma Therapist and witch, to unpack how this term got wrapped up in modern spiritual discourse, what it really means, whether the online community’s version of shadow work matches up with reality, and what warning signs to look out for when beginning shadow work. Find more of Lauren Theresa at LaurenTheresa.com. If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects. Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide Love and Lyte, Fire Lyte IncitingARiot.com FireLyte@incitingariot.com Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: beacons.ai/incitingariot
Have you ever seen those food videos on YouTube where a chef or a food scientist tries out a series of “food hacks” found in those viral videos by places like 5-minute crafts or Blossom? The “hacks” as they’re commonly called showcase a new, easier way of cooking in well-edited videos lasting only a few seconds per recipe. Ostensibly, this is to help folks who don’t have a lot of cookware on hand or prior skill make something delicious in a way that’s cheap, accessible, and easy. Making brownies in a paper bag or caramel corn with a bit of candy and some kernels.
These videos are made in a way that most people find not only aesthetically pleasing, but enjoyable to watch and rewatch, to share with their friends, and, of course, to try and replicate. Some of the biggest channels on YouTube are these life hack or food hack videos, garnering hundreds of millions of views across multiple channels and raking in large sums of money for the never-seen owners of the channel.
Invariably, what the chef or food scientist realizes pretty quickly is there is a problem, several actually, with these slick, trendy videos: there are no lists of ingredients used, no temperatures provided, no times given, and no narrator telling you what they’re doing. So, when the expert attempts to replicate the video they immediately run into some problems and typically need to have a fire extinguisher on hand.
The food scientist or experienced chef can usually break down exactly why the hack doesn’t work as they’re showing you the technique used in the viral video. Either the recipe is missing a key ingredient that would cause the bread to rise or the video tells you to use something that would fall apart in real life. What is most often the case is, if you look closely, the videos are edited in a way that the end result is an already prepared dish that wasn’t made using the hack.
What does this have to do with a podcast about witches and other magical people? Well, we have similar issues with trendy, viral videos. Except, in our case, they typically come in the form of supernatural claims, ghost hunting videos, and the broad reaching world of paranormal entertainment programs.
In these videos you might see a person performing a feat of magic or displaying a supernatural ability - such as walking on water or fire - as proof of their gifts. In other videos, you might hear an investigator give long, detailed explanations about all of their technical equipment and how it will prove or disprove the presence of a ghost or other being.
While many people online making recipe videos or showing off life hacks or, as is the case in our topic today, hunting ghosts are doing it in good faith…there are a few out there that aren’t and they tend to be the most visible.
Going viral is a goal for a lot of people putting content online. It represents the chance to be seen by millions of people and to suddenly experience fame, receive a financial windfall, or accrue a legion of adoring fans hanging on their every word. Some people seek all three of those, some only one, but in either case what they’re usually seeking isn’t to provide a legitimate good or service to the world, but to increase their own standing in it.
This distinction is important, because it illustrates that the person’s motivation might end up causing harm on you, the end user. Harm can look like a lot of things. If you don’t know how to temper chocolate properly or how to handle it, you can do anything from destroy your cookware to need a trip to the ER to treat a burn. Likewise, if you are not cautious, a bad faith paranormal entertainer might take your time, money, or worse.
Kenneth Biddle joins a long line of people who investigate big claims of the possibly paranormal. Like his mythbusters predecessors, Biddle employs a knowledge of scientific research, fact checking, and common sense in his attempts to provide context and reasoning for some of the bigger, more outlandish claims of the paranormal floating around the internet today. He is my guest today in a long, important discussion about the science behind ghost hunting, the tools used and misused by paranormal entertainers, the spectrum of potential harm, and, of course, cryptids.
Find more from Kenneth Biddle here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
The International Panel on Climate Change - otherwise known as the IPCC - just released their Sixth Assessment Report and it is pretty much all the various news outlets, politicians, and talking heads can discuss. But, it's a big report. The full report is thousands of pages long with hundreds of authors and well over 10,000 source citations. When all the headlines seem to say is something like IPCC Report Confirms We're All Gonna Die, it can be difficult to parse out what is important, what is relevant to you, and how much of the catastrophizing to believe.
That's where Dr. Sam Montano, the disasterologist herself, comes in. She's back to tell us what this report means, which parts she and other researchers are focused on, how alarmed we should be, and what the average consumer can do. We discuss issues like the California wildfires, the Line 3 pipeline in Minnesota, and even touch upon the current wave of COVID resurgence here in the United States.
Find more of Dr. Montano's work here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Paganism isn't immune to any number of societal ills. While the same issues that plague the culture at large exist in all parts of our community in some way, it is groups associated with Norse Paganism - and all its related and parallel names, Asatru, Heathenry, Germanic Reconstructionism, and more - that most often come under scrutiny. White supremacy. Transphobia. Homophobia. Xenophobia. When one sees a headline from inside our community mentioning Heathens or Asatru or the like, there is a bit of white knuckling that happens before you click the mouse as you wonder...which one is it this time?
It can be difficult to navigate an authentic spiritual journey into Heathenry because of its associations with these and other issues, and those who do are often afraid to tell others they are Heathens for fear that they'll immediately be labeled a Nazi, or at least a Nazi sympathizer. However, one person is doing just that on the podcast Heathen's Journey.
Siri, the creator and host of the show, is a queer, non-binary practitioner who is hoping to reclaim the moniker of Heathen from those who would use it as a racist cudgel. They are my guest on episode 175, and we have a wide-ranging and discussion that doesn't shy away from topics such as why white supremacy seems to go hand in hand within Heathenry, the value of reclaiming symbols that have been appropriated by actual Nazis, and what it's like working as an ambassador for modern Paganism and Heathenry specifically in the Minnesotan prison system.
Get more from Siri here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
The element of fire has a long history in myth and magic. Fire transforms whatever it consumes, turning it into something new. Yes, of course, wood into charcoal, but it also cooks our food and warms our home. Metaphysically, it is the energetic spark that burns away the parts of us that do not serve our growth and makes way for what should be. Of course, it's a personal favorite of mine.
Josephine Winter wrote a whole book about Fire Magic, examining the subject from all angles, adding her unique perspective as an Australian witch and Wiccan. It is an excellent book and it is the subject of our interview.
Find more of Josephine Winter here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
The magical tradition of brujería is shrouded behind a veil made of assumption, colonization, and entitlement. We assume quite a lot about it. One common assumption is that it’s simply the word for witchcraft in Spanish and therefore anyone practicing any kind of magic is, indeed, practicing brujería.
Learning about this tradition is difficult and confusing for a newcomer. If you don’t already know where to go or who to ask, you do what a lot of people do - you go online and look for books or YouTube videos or podcasts. The issue there is that the novice is suddenly faced with the task of discerning which practitioners are coming from a place of genuine scholarship, cultural ownership, or good faith.
Too often practices such a brujería, hoodoo, yoga, or reiki are mined by white, western practitioners for magic that will be appealing to suburban audiences, stripped of the fullness and context of the culture from which they originate. They might be combined in a slapdash manner with other practices hailing from unrelated spiritual traditions and sold back to you as genuine for a nice profit.
In that murky space it can be difficult to discern how to start learning and where to go once you’re on the path.
I spoke to Laura Davila, a lifelong bruja and hechicera who hails from a family of practitioners in Mexico. She came to the US a few years ago and discussed what it means to be a cultural carrier of this magical tradition, who can claim ownership, what gates exist to brujería and who - if anyone - are the gatekeepers.
Find out more from Laura on her Instagram or Twitter.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Almost everyone at some point looks around at their lives and asks why. We wonder why our family believes in the politics we do or eats the foods we eat. We also wonder about where our beliefs come from. Oftentimes those questions and the subsequent journey after lead people to interact with the magical community. But, what if you are already here? What if you were raised in a magical household? Where do your questions take you, then? To other religions?
Dr. Eric Scott is a co-editor for The Wild Hunt, a researcher on the subject of spiritual pilgrimage, and has the unique quality of having been raised by witches. He did what many of us do. He looked around at his magical existence and asked where it all came from and whether it all fits his worldview, and then he set out to find those answers.
What he finds is just about what you’d expect to find: that a lot of what he believes and practices was simply cobbled together or made up in recent decades by…some guy. So, the question is then…what do you do when you find out that your belief system and worldview is made up? By some guy? And is there still value to be found in faith despite knowing its origins?
Find more of Eric Scott here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 171 is an interview with author, anti-racism activist, and minimalist Christine Platt. We discuss her new book, The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living with Less, which brings a fresh new perspective to the conversation of minimalism. Platt guides her reader through the sociological and psychological ways in which we form attachments to things and patterns of accumulation, not to tell you to get rid of all your stuff or to only have so many of a given item, but to help you build a home and life that is created with intention. She doesn't shy away from the fact that too often marginalized communities are left out of these types of dialogue, often because minimalism is marketed to well-off cishet white people with a steep price tag, and seeks to create a new kind of inclusive community of minimalists and those who wish to live with less.
Find more about Christine here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 170 is a roundtable with a diverse group of queer practitioners from around the world representing multiple facets of the magical community. The modern Pagan community is seen by many as focusing on fertility and binary gender identity which can leave LGBTQ+ practitioners feeling disenfranchised. We explore the notion of being LGBTQ+ in a fertility religion, embracing the term 'queer' as well as other terminology with a problematic past, spiritual bypassing used as a means to invalidate lived experience, and how cishet Pagans can be better allies.
My sincerest thanks to my guests, Mhara Starling, Honey, and Phoenix Coffin-Williams. Please find their contact information below:
Mhara Starling That Honey Witch Phoenix Coffin-Williams If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here: https://bit.ly/DabblersGuide
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 169 asks What is an expert? Is it formal academic achievement? Certifications? Is being an expert subjective to the field itself? To answer that question, I've brought together a circle of experts in different fields to parse out the finer points of the discourse surrounding expertise.
We discuss bona fides, goalposts, how experts identify experts and they way they identify frauds, the ways in which certifications and titles are both helping and hurting the identification of experts, and by the end of the episode you'll be initiated into the Kevin Bacon tradition of witchcraft and heading off to a goat rodeo.
Find more from my guests here: Meg Elison
Thorn Mooney
Marika Clymer
Support the Riot If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-Order My Book Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 168 of Inciting A Riot is a roundtable with some familiar voices. I am welcoming back Rene Collins, Ginger Doss, SJ Tucker, and Cheshire Moon to the podcast. They are some of modern Paganism's foremost musical acts, and we had a delightful conversation about the business of independent artistry, what leadership means, fear, and the joys of being a bard for a bunch of witches.
Links to all artists are on IncitingARiot.com.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 167 is an interview with folklorist, witch, and author Via Hedera. We had a far-reaching discussion about the hidden history of superstition, the double-edged blade of using genetics as a basis for cultural exploration, the increasing visibility of BIPOC and queer witches, and the absolute grossest spell she knows. Her new book Folkloric American Witchcraft and the Multicultural Experience is out now from Moon Books.
Find more of Via on her website here.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
Social Media & Podcast Subscription links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 166 is an interview with longtime friend of the show Dr. Cory Hutcheson, co-host of New World Witchery and author of a new book of the same name. We have a far-reaching discussion about the academic and personal pursuit of folklore, why the Devil keeps coming up in his book, and how to find magic in your own backyard.
Find more about Dr. Cory Hutcheson here and follow New World Witchery online here.
Fun Fact: Patreon supporters got about 37 minutes of additional content for this episode where we discussed how social media has transformed Pagan discussion and how each of us thinks we'd have fared in today's environment if we were just starting out.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a private Discord server, and monthly chats with special guests! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft here.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@incitingariot.com
All other links: https://linktr.ee/IncitingARiot
Episode 165 is an interview with Dr. Sam Montano, expert in emergency management and author of Disaster-ology. We have a broad ranging discussion about climate change, how to talk about misinformation with loved ones, and how she would manage the fallout from WandaVision.
You can find more of Dr. Montano at Disaster-ology.com.
If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and sharing it on social media. You can also rate the show 5-stars on Apple Podcasts and leave a review.
Help keep the show free and producing on a regular basis by chipping in whatever you can. You can buy me a Ko-fi (a one time donation of your choosing) https://ko-fi.com/incitingariot or join my Patreon on a monthly basis. Patrons receive additional audio and video content as well as archived episodes, a Discord serve, and monthly chats! Sign up at Patreon.com/IncitingProjects.
Pre-order my book, The Dabbler’s Guide to Witchcraft, here!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 164 is an interview with magical makeup artist, occult researcher, and atheist witch Chaweon Koo. The conversation is an impactful deep dive on the nature of leadership, how to be an ally, skeptical spiritual seeking, and conspiracy theories.
Find more of Chaweon on social media @HiChaweon or on her YouTube channel.
Patreon supporters heard this show first (and got over 20 minutes of additional content)! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like video and audio content with bonus pre-show chat from Inciting A Riot, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else (like archived episodes!)! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
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Episode 163 is an interview with the Chaotic Witch Aunt, Frankie, who is one of the social media stars who rose to prominence during the 2020 lockdown. As people turned to new ways of connecting during the pandemic, such as TikTok, comedians, home chefs, and even a few witches, became overnight household names. These content creators are emblematic of the way in which witchcraft is being discovered, researched, and practiced in 2021. At the tippy top of those social media witches is a young practitioner named Frankie, aka Chaotic Witch Aunt, who just passed 1 million followers on the social media app TikTok.
We sat down for a chat to discuss how social media has transformed Pagan scholarship, the pitfalls of mixing content meant to entertain with practical tips, what it means to be canceled, the responsibilities of ethical content creation, and where all those cute sweaters come from.
Find more of Frankie here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like video and audio content with bonus pre-show chat from Inciting A Riot, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else (like archived episodes!)! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 162 is an interview with Cassandra Snow - author of Queering Your Craft and Queering the Tarot. We discuss what cisgender people can get out of queering their craft, how tarot works, ethical readers, and the Babysitter's Club.
Find more of Cassandra at their website here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
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Episode 161 is an interview with Welsh witch Mhara Starling, whose TikTok has gone viral in recent months for reviving ancient Welsh Paganism for a new generation. I'm particularly excited for this conversation, because, as a trans woman, Mhara's experience navigating the Pagan community - that is often so focused on sex, gender, and fertility - is part of a long history of queer people navigating Pagan spaces in a state of discomfort or having to work to make the heteronormative teachings work for us. We discuss being a trans witch in a community so focused on gender and fertility, carpet witches, and the beauty of bad reviews.
You can find more of Mhara's work on Twitter (@MharaStarling), Instagram (@Mhara_Starling), and TikTok (@Mhara_Starling).
Quick note: I mention this in the podcast, but I want to state it here on the blog as well. Given the nature of the show and the fact that the previous format focused so heavily on current events that by dint of being current events are now outdated or possibly problematic, I will begin archiving old episodes at the end of this morning. The audio was pretty rough in those first few years, and I wasn't as careful keeping my mundane and magical identities separated, and these are all things I'd like to remedy as the show has found new footing and a new direction. Those archived episodes will be available for Patreon supporters at a new tier beginning at the end of this month.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 160 is an interview with author Maggie Tokuda-Hall about mermaids, pirates, writing queer, inclusive narratives, and setting stories in a world that doesn't center whiteness.
Find out more about Maggie at her website here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
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Patreon supporters joined me and my special guests Lilith Dorsey and Patti Wigington for a look at the highs and lows and comfort foods of 2020. This was my way of saying thank you to the folks who kept the lights on here at Inciting A Riot by paying the bills. If you'd like to become a supporter and partake in some sweet rewards, check out Patreon.com/IncitingProjects. We'll be doing more fun things like this in 2021!
For more about Lilith, click here!
For more about Patti, click here!
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
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Episode 158 is an interview with Christina Oakley-Harrington, owner and operator of the esoteric bookshop Treadwell's of London. We talked about building community, not seeing other Pagan creators as competition, the changing trends of Pagan interest, and the difference between the online and brick & mortar Pagan community.
Seek out more of Treadwell's here.
Learn more about the Stitch and Witch podcast here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 157 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with Joe Phillips. Joe is a comic book artist with an impressive resume that includes Marvel and DC, and he is also the creator of the viral witchy sensation "Witch Boys", which features a diverse array of queer men as witches. We chat about the comic book industry, authenticity, and inclusion in media, and the sometimes uncomfortable compromises one makes when making a living as a full-time artist.
To find more about Witch Boys, you can visit the official website here.
Joe's website is here.
Because it is December, there is a lot of talk in the ether about "best of" style lists and reviews alongside a general push to tell people to "be positive". I felt it was a good a time as any to talk about the intersection of "toxic positivity" and honesty. If you don't feel like hearing me talk about it, the interview with Joe starts at 18:45.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 156 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with "Sarah". Her name has been changed and identity protected in order to discuss her profession: being a phone psychic. Were her identity to be revealed, she would almost certainly lose her job and possibly face legal action. For this reason, I'm not releasing the video version of this episode on Patreon as per usual.
Sarah talked to me about what it's really like working for a psychic hotline, including the interview process, quality control, abusive behavior by both the psychics and clients and pretty much anything else you've ever wanted to know about the realities of these businesses. I found it to be a fascinating discussion and think you will, too.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 155 is an interview with Jess Mason, writer for The Mary Sue and hostess of the Reel Magic podcast which examines the intersection of magic and Paganism with how they're portrayed in film and television. We discuss queering media, curative fandom, and whether the aunts from Practical Magic are secretly a lesbian couple.
Find more about Jess Mason's writing here. You can also follow her on social media @fangirlingjess on Twitter and Instagram.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Welcome back to our annual celebration of stories and songs from across the Pagan world. Each of the storytellers and musicians is listed below. I encourage you to click their links, buy their wares if you can, and share them with your friends.
Stories * + “The Church” - Written & Narrated by Vinna Harper + “Hunger Pains” - Written & Narrated by Rommy Driks * Visit her Blog * Buy her Book + “A Purveyor of Small Enchantments” - Written and Narrated by Bree NicGarran * Visit her Blog - Music by Kevin MacLeod + “The Ghosts of Mahala St.” - Written & Narrated by Fire Lyte * Buy his Book * Buy Original Art * Buy Art Prints
Music * + S.J. Tucker - “Song of the Witches” - “Ravens in the Library” - “Believe in Lullabies (After Hours)” * Visit her Website + Ginger Doss - “Thankful (Special Edition)” - “Rain Down” - “Hanged Man” * Visit her Website * Like her Facebook Page * Follow her Instagram + Rene Collins - “Libation” - “Glow” - “Psychic Radio” * Visit his Website * Like his Facebook Page * Follow his Instagram + Cheshire Moon - “Persephone” - “The Midnight Contingent” (intro and outro) - “Call Me Home” - “Bone Man’s Daughter” * Visit their Website * Like their Facebook Page * Support their Patreon * Visit their YouTube
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 153 is an interview with Marika Clymer, an Own Voices Japanese-Ainu American reiki practitioner whose efforts to decolonize this traditional Japanese healing modality on social media have garnered her a lot of attention. She pulls no punches in discussing the many ways white practitioners unapologetically take from BIPOC spiritualities and the ways in which many of these practices have been white-washed and sanitized to appeal to white audiences in the United States.
Some topics in the discussion include: The medicalizing of reiki in the 19th century, internalized racism both in and out of BIPOC communities, the idea of becoming a "reiki master" over a weekend, "love and light", performing reiki remotely, honesty and integrity when it comes to discussing your spiritual experiences, and drag queens.
Find more of Marika on her website here or on Instagram @moonhousenw.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 152 welcomes back author, artist, and all-around great guy Aidan Wachter as we celebrate the release of his second book Weaving Fate: Hypersigils, Changing the Past, & Telling True Lies. Aidan's independently published books have made him a well-respected, best-selling Pagan author without going through the traditional "Big 2" publishing route. We spend some time not only talking about the content of his book but about the nature of Pagan publishing and how scholarship will change in the coming years.
Find out more about Aidan, his books, and his new podcast here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte, Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 151 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with Moon Ferguson, creatrix of Juju: the Web Series available on Amazon Prime. Moon is a single mom who grew up with a love of Charmed, the Vampire Diaries, and Disney who went on to accidentally fall in love with film school while working as a Physician's Assistant. She talks openly about owning your sexuality, how bartending in a strip club helped pay for her first camera equipment, and whether you can ever separate art from artist.
Learn more about Moon at her website here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 150 is an interview with witchy musician Alex Robshaw. She opened up about being an independent artist, creative burnout, the value of art, and when you can call yourself a musician. We also discussed her recent desire to discuss her white passing privilege during this time of social evolution. Listen to find out what she said "makes me be more solid in what my fights are".
Find more of Alex Robshaw at her website here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 149 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with author Bill Konigsberg. We discuss how YA queer fiction has evolved, the complexities of writing diverse and representative characters, and the importance of treating teenagers like people.
You can learn more about Bill at his website here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 148 continues my conversation with Cory Hutcheson of New World Witchery about the history of pandemics. This time we remain firmly in the present.
My thanks to Cory Hutcheson. Please go support him at New World Witchery!
Some sources for further reading:
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death https://www.jstor.org/stable/2764425?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-bright-side-of-the-black-death https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/humanities/sociology/the-black-death-turning-point-and-end-of-the-middle-ages/ https://daily.jstor.org/caused-salem-witch-trials/ https://blog.oup.com/2016/11/salem-witch-trials-significance/ https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-brief-history-of-satanic-panic-in-the-1980s-1679476373 https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/04/09/alexandre-white-how-pandemics-shape-society/ https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-soc-071312-145621#_i4 Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 147 of Inciting A Riot brings back friend of the show Cory Hutcheson of New World Witchery for a look back at the social and folkloric history of pandemics. (Hey...you guys asked for this episode. I think the topic is kind of bleak, too, but... 🤷🏼♂️) Our topics ranged from some that were actual medical pandemics to others that were more of a social plague to get a good feel for how society has reacted to widespread panic in the past.
We looked at the Black Plague, Salem, the Satanic Panic, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and the H1N1 epidemics of yore.
My thanks to Cory Hutcheson. Please go support him at New World Witchery!
Some sources for further reading:
https://www.history.com/topics/middle-ages/black-death https://www.jstor.org/stable/2764425?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-bright-side-of-the-black-death https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/humanities/sociology/the-black-death-turning-point-and-end-of-the-middle-ages/ https://daily.jstor.org/caused-salem-witch-trials/ https://blog.oup.com/2016/11/salem-witch-trials-significance/ https://www.vox.com/2016/10/30/13413864/satanic-panic-ritual-abuse-history-explained https://io9.gizmodo.com/a-brief-history-of-satanic-panic-in-the-1980s-1679476373 https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/04/09/alexandre-white-how-pandemics-shape-society/ https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev-soc-071312-145621#_i4 Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 146: Patti Wigington is back! We are celebrating her new book Herb Magic as well as getting a sneak peek at her upcoming book Badass Ancestors, out in September 2020.
Since Patti has spent most of her career as a Pagan advice columnist, we thought it would be a fun opportunity to throw a number of listener-submitted questions at her and test her witchy advice-giving capabilities on the spot!
A special thanks to all those whose questions we used - Peter, Emilia, Alexandra, Renee, Teresa, Joe, Nicole, Amelia, Polly, and Angela - and a big thanks to everyone else who submitted, but we ran out of time! Perhaps we can get Patti back on in the fall for another Q&A!
Find out more about Patti at her website.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter / Instagram
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 145 is an open conversation among Black activists and spiritual leaders regarding recent protests, police brutality, whether watching The Help solves racism, what it means to be a good ally, and specifically how white authors, teachers, and publishers in Paganism assist in the erasure of Black Pagan voices.
My sincere gratitude to the 7 people who stepped forward and were willing to speak on this matter. It was an act of emotional labor and courage, and I hope the community at large will listen, get uncomfortable, and grow.
For more from the contributors to this episode, please find their information below:
Phoenix Coffin-Williams
Find him on Facebook or email rev.phoenix1@gmail.com.
Cat Thagard
Catandmonkeyevents@gmail.com
Niagara witches and pagans group on FB
Cat and Monkey Events on FB
Tiffany Newson
Instagram: SankofaNewsonAcademy
Lilith Dorsey
voodoouniverse@yahoo.com
LilithDorsey.com
Rebeca Spirit
Find her on Facebook as Rebeca Spirit or Instagram @RebecaSpirit1
Amanda Troutman
Crystal Blanton
Resources to learn more or give donations:
https://blacklivesmatter.com/resources/
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/a-growing-black-lives-matter-resource-list-for-designers-and-humans/
Additionally, all Patreon donations for the month of June will be donated to the Crisis Queer Fund, a mutual aide fund started by black trans activist Indya Moore to get money to trans people of color in need affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and BLM time of protest.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 144 is an interview with Nealie Sanchez, co-host of the Dairy Diary Podcast as well as the founder and editor-in-chief of Texas Dog Magazine and Plai Magazine. Nealie is a Latinx body positive activist, and in addition to a discussion of her creative projects we do have a candid discussion regarding her journey with eating disorders and body acceptance.
Find Nealie:
Instagram @nothingbutnealie
Texas Dog Magazine: bit.ly/texasdogmagazine
TDDP: bit.ly/thedairydiarypodcast
If you or someone you care about is struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out to: http://eatingdisordersanonymous.org
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 143 is an interview with author Meg Elison. Meg is celebrating two new books - Find Layla and Big Girl. We have a discussion about creativity during quarantine, whether the apocalypse looks like she imagined it as an author of speculative post-apocalyptic fiction, and the body positive / fat acceptance movements. A good chunk of time was spent discussing writing authentically and inclusively, and how to walk the line as a creator of realistic portrayals of diversity without falling into the pitfalls of stereotypes or problematic tropes.
Find more of Meg Elison here.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 142 of Inciting A Riot is my interview with author, anthropologist, and Voodoo priestess Lilith Dorsey. We discuss her new book Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens coming out May 11th from Weiser Books. This conversation includes a candid discussion regarding Lilith's struggle to get this book published and to include the content she wanted. It also contains a bold, honest look at the overwhelming racial disparity in Pagan publishing specifically regarding authors of books stemming from African Traditional Religions.
Seek out more from Lilith Dorsey on her website.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 141 is an interview with returning guest, Pagan author Dorothy Morrison. We discuss the relaunch of her book Utterly Wicked: Curses, Hexes, and Other Unsavory Notions.
Topics of note: Writing about curses when Pagan publishers only want happy spells, examining claims of cultural appropriation, and what alcohol Auntie Dorothy would bring over when there's a man that wronged you.
Look for Utterly Wicked out on May 11th from Weiser Books.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4qTYYhCLMdFc4PhQmSL1Yh
Episode 140 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with Dana and Greg Newkirk, lead investigators of the metaphysical research group at the center of the viral hit show Hellier. We discuss the concept of "high strangeness", authenticity in paranormal investigations, the original ending to their first season, and the big question of when (if?) they plan on releasing season 3.
You can find all the Paranormal Quarantine goodies we discussed on their Patreon.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 139 is an interview with one of my personal icons SJ Tucker! SJ is one of Paganism's musical treasures with a career spanning decades. From her days in Skinny White Chick to her solo career and occasional team-up with Pagan Supergroup Tricky Pixie. We talk artistry and finding the courage to strike out on your own and make a life that's yours.
Find more of SJ Tucker here!
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 138 is a trip down memory lane with my friend Greywolf Moonsong. Greywolf is the host of A Pagan Heart in Maine as well as an accomplished artist and former Christian minister. Our conversation spans the past decade as we discuss how the community has changed, what has stayed the same, and find out which one of us takes a compliment the worst.
Hint: it's me.
Find more of Greywolf at PaganHeartInMaine.com
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 137 is an interview with the Fat Feminist Witch herself, Paige Vanderbeck! She is the host of the Fat Feminist Witch podcast and author of the new book Green Witchcraft: A Practical Guide to Discovering the Magic of Plants, Herbs, Crystals, and Beyond.
We talk pop culture, astrology, and what it means to be a body positive Pagan activist.
Find more about Paige here!
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 136 is an interview with Tiffany Newson, founder of Sankofa Newson Academy. We talk about her decision to homeschool, stigmas and joys, and that pesky question of "socialization".
Additionally, we discuss what it means to be a black mom in Trump's America, and how being a homeschool mom allows her to guide discussions of race and politics for her children.
Then, of course, we couldn't do a Pagan show without touching on her spiritual roots beginning in the Baptist church, discovering Wicca, and moving on to African traditional spiritual practices and Hoodoo.
Find more of Tiffany at the links below:
Instagram South Fulton Homeschool Collective63 members Sankofa Academy Facebook Page Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 135 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with the legendary Pagan blogger and author Patti Wigington. We discuss her witchy advice column, Pagan trends, and the best recipes for cooking babies.
Patreon supporters heard this show first! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Learn more about Patti Wigington here!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 134 of Inciting A Riot is an interview with Pagan and children's author Jordan Stratford. We discuss his successful series, The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency.
Topics of note: Teaching feminism at an early age, the importance of authentic representation in children's literature, and finding success later in life. (Oh, and we discuss that TERF tweet from J.K. Rowling.)
Find more about Jordan at JordanStratford.com!
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 133 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with art historian and author Susan Owens. Her latest book The Ghost: A Cultural History provides us with a different take on ghosts. Rather than discussing the spiritual or religious aspects of the dead, we discuss the ghost as a cultural entity, a living memory.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 132 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with author, artist, tarot designer, folklorist, and Pagan scholar Melissa Ivanco. We have a fascinating discussion ranging from her experience as a West Point cadet and career with the military police to her studies of Slavic folklore and Russian culture. It's a fun, interesting conversation on a topic rarely touched upon in Western Paganism.
Find out more about Melissa Ivanco at MAIMurray.com!
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 131 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with New Zealand Pagan artist Polly Lind! We discuss finding Paganism in the Southern Hemisphere, and how it differs from our practices in the north. We also talk cultural appropriation, making art, and doll penises.
Support this phenomenal independent Pagan artist by visiting her around the interwebs:
PollyLind.com
Instagram @Pollylind
Twitter @mistresspolly
Facebook Polly Lind Artist
https://www.patreon.com/pollylindartist
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 130 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is a delightful interview with the lovechild of Myrtle Snow and Sarah Sanderson: author, blogger, and Gardnerian Priestess Thorn Mooney.
We not only discuss exploring Wicca, but Pagan gatekeeping, what it means to be a good ally, using your privilege, and dealing with the changing face of the Pagan community.
Find Thorn Mooney:
Blog: https://thornthewitch.wordpress.com
Twitter: @TarotSkeptic
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX1hub6z9z_nMsWGoZk1Bw
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thorn.mooney/
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Samhain Special 2019
Music
O Death - Ralph Stanley
Sasha Sloan - Dancing with Your Ghost
Sorciere - Alex Robshaw
Original Game - Alex Robshaw
Wolves - Down Like Silver
Hell - Squirrel Nut Zippers
Poems
after you died - Fire Lyte
The Seal Wife - Signe Pike (read by Ruth Colcombe of the Celtic Myth Podshow)
Stories
Vasilisa Prekrasnaya & Baba Yaga - folktale retold by Melissa Ivanco-Murray
Shallow Breaths - Fire Lyte
Episode 128 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is a riveting interview with author, artist, and jeweler Aidan Wachter. We discuss his phenomenal first book, Six Ways, as well as what it means to be a Pagan, Artist, Pagan Artist, and interacting professionally with the Pagan community.
Also, I discuss a bit about where I've been, why I took a hiatus, and the benefits of self-care.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 127 of Inciting A Riot features an interview with professional psychic, author, and tarot adviser Courtney Weber.
We discuss what it means to be a psychic, charging for services, spotting a fraud, and dealing with stubborn clients. Don't worry, though, we also discuss the expectation for results and repeat clients, scientifically testing psychic claims, being proved wrong, and what it means to be a scrupulous psychic.
This special, unedited edition of Episode 127 also features a mock psychic hotline call. So, Patreon supporters, check your feed. I ask Courtney real questions about my real life and get real answers...just like if I called her phone line. You can judge for yourself how you think it goes. Did she draw only Death cards? Is the Tower looming over my future? Find out!
CourtneyAWeber.com
ThatWitchLife.com
@TheCocoWitch
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 126 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is an interview with the Bad Tarot Reader himself, Matt Harris. You may have seen his hilarious Tarot memes on Instagram under the name @BadTarotReader.
Check him out on Instagram or at BadTarotReader.com
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Hallowed Riot 2018
Music
Noe Venable - Feral
Cool to be a Witch - Alexian
The Dead South - In hell I’ll be in good company
Melanie Martinez- Milk & Cookies
The High Price of Necromancy- Split Lip Rayfield
Shores of Avalon - Tina Malia
The Witch Song - Julie Felix
A Little Wicked - Valerie Broussard
Bartholomew - The Solent Comedy
Poems
The Moss of His Skin - Anne Sexton
Her Kind - Anne Sexton
Spells
To Be Rid of Anger - Valerie Worth - Crone’s Book of Magical Words
Water Divination - Gillian Kemp - The Good Spell Book
Knots of Chaos - Dorothy Morrison - Utterly Wicked
Episode 124 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is a candid interview with Sarah Lawless, whose recent series of blogs and social media postings have brought the #MeToo conversation to the forefront of Pagan conversation.
For legal reasons, we will not be discussing the details of Sarah's allegations, nor any specific occurrence mentioned therein. Rather, we will be focusing on the discussion of sexual assault, abuse, and impropriety in and around Pagan community spaces.
Also, I would be remiss if I did not give a TRIGGER WARNING. This conversation is frank, honest, and blunt about Sarah's experience. If sexual assault, emotional abuse, abuse of power by leaders, or other related areas are triggers for you, you may want to skip this episode or put a support system in place for when and how you listen to it.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 123 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is a discussion with author, illustrator, and Pagan artisan Mickie Mueller. We celebrate the release of her latest book, Llewellyn's Little Book of Halloween, and talk about how to make your Samhain extra witchy.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 122 of Inciting a Riot: the Podcast finds us discussing some of the recent expressions of problematic behavior in the Pagan community. Also, there are two interviews from Chicago's Pagan Pride.
A trigger warning: the latter part of the show has a discussion of sexual misconduct inside the community. While it is by no means graphic, the topic is discussed.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Signe Pike returns to Inciting A Riot to talk about her upcoming debut novel The Lost Queen, on sale September 4, 2018 from Touchstone Books.
Signe discusses what she's been up to in the 8 years since publishing Faery Tale and how she brought the as-yet-untold story of a queen lost to time to life. If you enjoy being swept up in historical fantasies like Outlander or The Mists of Avalon, you'll want to run straight to your nearest bookstore to pick up The Lost Queen.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 120 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast sees the return of Pagan geophysicist and podcaster Kathleen Borealis of Borealis Meditation!
We talk about the history of crystals in magical use, how to find crystals on a budget, and what two stones you must have in your witchy kit (believe me, you won't guess what they are).
You can find Kathleen on her podcast Borealis Meditation, or by searching out @KatBorealis on Twitter!
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 119 of Inciting a Riot: the Podcast finds us Inciting Morgan Daimler's Riot! Morgan is an expert on Irish Myth and Fairy Folklore. We discuss how to start researching Irish Myth, what's up with the Fairy Queens, and whether I'm a terrible uncle for inviting the fae to live with my 3 year old niece.
Quick Note: I must apologize for the audio quality in this episode. Apparently, Skype recently had an update and I didn't realize it mucked about with the audio settings. As such...well...you'll hear it. It's not great. But Morgan is delightful, and no amount of technical interference could dull her shine! (This is what I get for recording during all of the retrogrades.)
To contact Morgan:
Twitter - @MorganDaimler
Facebook.com/MorganDaimler
lairbhan.blogspot.com
Or search for her books on Amazon!
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 118 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is discussion with blogger and (soon to be) podcaster Autumn Lily Harari. She currently lives in Israel not too far from the Palestinian border. With all that has gone on in that area in the last several months, I wanted to discuss what it's like to live and raise a family in an area that most of us only think about in terms of war and terrorism.
Episode 117 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast finds us discussing what it feels like to pack up your Paganism. What kind of closets do you find yourself in, and who incites you to retreat to those closets? How important are these pieces of yourself that you keep from the eyes of others?
This episode is a departure from the traditional Riot format. My hope is that, without the strict requirements of segments, I'll be able to take deeper dives into whatever topic inspires me at the time. This will, hopefully, lead to more frequent, more passionate episodes. I've often found that I don't put out an episode, because I didn't have enough content to fill out all the other segments. This way I'm hoping to give myself permission to provide you stories and topics that are interesting, timely, and important.
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons! Patrons are charged on a per-creation basis, so you only pay for the content you want!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
News: 1500 missing children, Census, Yeshe Rabbit, Lupe Valdez, abortion, workers rights, environmental dna Loch Ness
WOTD: Incel
Soc: The “special” argument and the Pope
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small, monthly donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 115 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast finds us exploring the topic of LGBTQ representation in media in two parts. The first is a case study on why allowing minorities to tell their own stories is important and necessary.
We examine Black Panther, Harry Potter/JK Rowling, Will & Grace, Call Me By Your Name and other minority programming to get a sense of why it matters who tells whose story.
Then, I'm so excited to introduce you all to Myxter Hyde. We have a free form discussion on the topic of representation and geekery and what it means to see yourself in media accurately. You can find him on any of his multiple podcasts or on Twitter @MyxterHyde
In the Myx: blazingcariboustudios.com/shows/inthemyx/
Criminal Musings: http://www.blazingcariboustudios.com/shows/CriminalMusings/
Red Wing: Redwingpodcast.com
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small, monthly donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 114
News: 2017 retrospective - the best stories of the year.
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/opinion/sunday/2017-progress-illiteracy-poverty.html
http://www.newnownext.com/11-amazing-things-that-happened-for-lgbt-people-in-2017-in-spite-of-trump/12/2017/
https://www.inverse.com/article/37361-skin-color-genetics-study
WOTD: 2017 word of the year ‘Feminism’
Books: Fav reads and views of 2017
Spirituality: magical coping - tea bag spell
Support Pagan media! Consider giving a small, monthly donation to Patreon.com/IncitingProjects! You’ll get cool rewards like unedited video and audio podcasts from Inciting A Riot and Inciting A BrewHaHa, as well as bonus extras not published anywhere else, plus deals and coupons!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 113 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast is a frank group discussion all about body politics. We have an honest look at what makes a "real woman", the issue of black hair, dress codes, and much more.
Major thanks to High Mugwump Danny Kinniburgh, as well as Priestesses Kerry Beckler, and Andrea Santoro for being major donors!
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
A Mystery in the Webster Tunnel - Meg Elison
Witches’ Ball - The Dagons
The Haunted Oak - Paul Lawrence Dunbar as read by Stephanie Swan Quills
Black Eyes - David Wirsig
Lady M.’s Fortune Shoppe - Fire Lyte
News: Las Vegas, Trump/NBC, To Kill A Mockingbird, Wigglian News
WOTD: Palliate:
Sociology: Thoughts on National Coming Out Day
Spirituality: Pagan Pride interviews on Leadership
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
News: SCOTUS Travel Ban & Wisconsin Gerrymandering, Michelle Carter/Texting Murder, Texas’ LGBT rulings, New England Journal Air Pollution
WOTD: tristful
Sociology: Let me tell you of my privilege.
Poetry: When does a war…
Spirituality: Wonder Woman and Pop Culture Deities
Feedback
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 109 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast deals with spiritual protest. We also discuss problematic Pagan community leadership, how to avoid catastrophizing the news, and catch up on listener feedback.
News: Nuclear Option, Chechnya gay concentration camp, revenge porn banned marines/Navy, Arkansas lethal injection deadline, FBI Director Comey
WOTD: Vaticination
Soc: BNPs and Bad Behavior - Kenny Klein, Christian Day, et al.
Tips & Tricks: Catastrophizing
Spirituality: Spiritual Protest
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Patreon: Patreon.com/IncitingProjects
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 108 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast features around a dozen women voices from around the United States that all attended the recent Women's March on January 21, 2017. They provided their reasons for attending, experience at their respective location's march, reactions to the intersectional representation and speakers, as well as their views on future protests.
My eternal gratitude to these women for speaking up.
I would like to say a very special thanks to Katelyn Burns for being my guest today. You may tweet her @Transscribe.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 107 features interviews with two bad ass feminist voices: Dr. Leah Torres and author Meg Elison.
Dr. Torres will be discussing the recent election and what women should be doing to prepare for a Trump administration in regards to access to healthcare, birth control, and abortion.
Meg Elison discusses her novel, The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, and its upcoming sequel regarding a dystopian future in which women are endangered and access to proper healthcare is a thing of the past. (I promise this was written to be fiction.)
News: Michigan HB 4643, update on the DAPL Standing Rock "victory", and a restauranteur that's ensuring transgender people have a safe place to work.
Word of the Day: Salient
Inciting A Riot is now a Patreon supported podcast. If you'd like to support this show, as well as my joint show Inciting A Brewhaha, please consider giving a small, monthly donation at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 106 of Inciting A Riot: the podcast meets Annie Weible of COPS Paranormal Investigations. We learn all about ghost hunting in the real world as it differs from what we see on TV.
We also discuss debunking ghostly claims, how to cleanse yourself and your fellow investigators after a hunt, and how you can get started doing your own investigations!
Also, this episode features a (mostly) comprehensive guide to the Standing Rock protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline. Many of you have written in and requested that I cover this topic in depth, and I encourage you to please continue to remain engaged in this ongoing story.
COPS Paranormal info:
https://www.facebook.com/copsofwv/ Twitter @COPSofWV
NoDAPL Protest Resources:
http://www.powwows.com/2016/09/07/10-ways-can-help-standing-rock-sioux-fight-dakota-access-pipeline/?utm_content=buffer45bd6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer#ixzz4OhExjXP3
Inciting A Riot is now a Patreon supported podcast. If you'd like to support this show, as well as my joint show Inciting A Brewhaha, please consider giving a small, monthly donation at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 105 is an interview with feminist witch Lasara Firefox Allen, author of Jailbreaking the Goddess: A Radical Revisioning of Feminist Spirituality.
Lasara introduces us to a new way of thinking about Paganism, Goddess worship, and feminism. She discusses marrying her passion for social justice with her spiritual work. We discuss her previous work, Sexy Witch, and how modern Pagan publishing is evolving to suit a next level of education for the community.
You can purchase her book by visiting her page on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2e0jnqq
Register now for her upcoming class: http://lasarafirefoxallen.com/the-initiation/
You can follow Lasara on Twitter @Lasara_Allen or find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lasara.firefox.allen/
Inciting A Riot is now a Patreon supported podcast! If you'd like to help build Pagan media, consider giving a monthly donation at Patreon.com/IncitingARiot
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 104 of Inciting A Riot Podcast is a day at Chicago Pagan Pride 2016.
I also spend the episode meditating on our community, and specifically the term Fluffy Bunny.
Special thanks to Twila York, Michael Greywolf, Mike Indovina, Cheshire Moon, Selena Fox, Veronica Daylight, Vinna Harper, Katrina Ray-Saulis, Jay, and Greenwolf for sharing your thoughts with me and the Riot audience.
More about Chicago Pagan Pride:
http://www.chicagopaganpride.org
https://www.facebook.com/chicagopaganpride/
Twitter: @ChicagoPaganPri (Note the spelling)
Mike Indovina’s Work:
http://satyrplayproductions.com
Cheshire Moon:
http://www.cheshiremoonband.com
https://www.facebook.com/cheshiremoonmusic/
Velma Nightshade’s Shop:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/magickalmiscellany
Inciting A Brewhaha:
IncitingABrewhaha.podbean.com
https://www.facebook.com/IABHH/
Selena Fox:
https://www.facebook.com/circle.sanctuary
https://www.facebook.com/CircleSanctuaryCommunity/
https://www.circlesanctuary.org
Vinna’s Book Recommendation:
Ocean Vuong - Night Sky with Exit Wounds
https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/pages/browse/book.asp?bg=%7B22111C10-96F9-4D24-AD78-EF8192FDFBE4%7D
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
News: Private Prisons
Word of the Day: imprecation
Sociology: Safe Space
Poetry: While I wait to be a god again
Spirituality - Unforgiveness
Feedback: War Room
Big thanks to Nicole Youngman for reaching out and being a resource. To learn more about how YOU can help the victims of the recent flooding, please visit Together Baton Rouge:
https://www.facebook.com/togetherbr
http://www.togetherbr.org
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 102 finds us Inciting A Brexit Riot. I spend 90 minutes discussing what led up to the recent decision by the UK to leave the European Union, how it happened, and what the future holds for the UK and around the world.
Please forgive some of the audio quality. It's obvious that Skype voted Leave and didn't want us to have a clear connection.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 101 finds us inciting David Salisbury's riot! David is a pagan author and civil rights activist, and I was so honored that he spoke with me on a range of topics.
His upcoming book - A Mystic Guide to Cleansing and Clearing - will be available later this year.
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Ep 100 - Inciting A Disambiguated Riot
News: Obama bans solitary confinement for juveniles, WV & Mississippi allowing guns without permits, Religious Freedom bills in NC, Missippi, and Georgia; Justice Scalia died, Siri gets a little more compassionate
WOTD: alacrity
Gripe: teen sexting http://reason.com/blog/2016/02/03/male-teen-takes-nude-photo-of-himself-ch
Sociology: FBI v Apple
Poetry: denouement
Spirituality: Witchy Disambiguation
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot
Episode 99 of Inciting A Riot: the Podcast brings us another roundtable discussion. Today's topic? PARENTING! Special thanks to our parents - Marie, Rommy, and Ross (of Oh No! Ross & Carrie) News: North Korea H-Bomb, Obama gun control, Alabama attempts to ban gay marriage, Armaan Singh Sarai, Knightscope K5 security bot
WOTD: singular ‘they’
Sociology: #OregonUnderAttack
Also, a special thanks to Cory of New World Witchery and Greywolf Moonsong for helping make today's sociology segment a sordid affair.
Episode 100 is right around the corner! Send in your favorite moments from the last 99 episodes! You can submit an audio comment as well!
Love and Lyte,
Fire Lyte
Blog: IncitingARiot.com
FireLyte@IncitingARiot.com
@IncitingARiot on Twitter
Facebook.com/IncitingARiotPodcast
Subscribe/Rate/Comment on iTunes: http://bit.ly/iTunesRiot