The (Blind)Man in Black: Recent Episodes
Blind Man in Black
My guest Co-Host/Brother (Shane Snyder) and I have a joyful conversation with retail master and dear friend, Kleon LeFever. We discuss Kleon’s formative years growing up with loving parents, having a corporate lawyer father, moving often as a child, studying/performing theatre, not growing up, performing a play in Rikers Island Prison, working in a hospital, fainting while observing a childbirth, not wanting to take his shirt off to get into Studio 54, having a Buddhist wedding ceremony, moving to San Francisco, Gammy’s caramel pudding, doing the two-step with Shane at Rawhide in San Francisco’s Castro District, working at famous retail stores in New York City/San Francisco, going down memory lane with Shane, experiencing the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, collecting toy robots, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, May 11th, 2022.
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have an exciting conversation with Indiana Fawcett, the Co-Founder of CHOBO (a new podcast production and studio rental company) and Randy Lee Owen, the Producer/Editor of our new podcast based on our TikTok channel entitled, “The Exhausting Snyders.” Come discover with us how we are creating a new show about living with loss, cancer, blindness, love, comedy, and sexy awkwardness. To learn about CHOBO or contact Indiana, please visit: www.chobo.co
I have a lovely conversation with Hair Stylist, Actor, Playwright, Japanese Language Translator, Fiction Writer, Poet, and dear friend, Teddy Matthews (also known as “E.H. Matthews”). We discuss Teddy’s memories of being raised by well-known stage/film actors, touring in theatrical productions as a child, Annette Bening visiting his home, stealing the book entitled “The Joy of Gay Sex,” his family warmly embracing his sexual identity, our time together at CalArts, teaching English in Japan, experiencing the devastatingly destructive 2011 Tohoku earthquake, translating Japanese entertainment into English, becoming a hair stylist, using a terrible ski accident as an opportunity to express himself creatively, writing a new ghost story, me overwhelmingly surprising Teddy with affection at a CalArts art opening, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, March 26th, 2022. To learn about Teddy’s current writing projects, please visit: www.ehmatthews.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a profoundly thought-provoking conversation with Director, Artistic Producer, and Professor of Theatre History/Directing, Michael Hackett. We discuss Michael’s formative years in a military family in Washington D.C., being mesmerized as a child by a televised production of the Nutcracker, wanting to be a dancer at a young age, being encouraged by his Marine Corps father to pursue a career in the arts, being inspired to become a theatre artist after seeing Peter Brook’s version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, falling in love with his wife (Claire) during his production of The Tempest, teaching at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), learning how to create a safe/supportive space for his actors, working with Robert Wilson on his version of King Lear, creating theatre in Poland shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, our time together at UCLA, working on a new project to make plays from around the world more accessible, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, March 16th, 2022. To learn more about Michael, please visit: https://www.tft.ucla.edu/blog/2011/09/08/faculty-michael-hackett/ To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have an adorably fun conversation with Dancer, Visual Artist, Musician, Storyteller, Impressionist, Mopar Mechanic, Comedian, and our beloved son, WeeBee Zee. We discuss how Rachel learned simultaneously that she had breast cancer while being pregnant with WeeBee, processing the disappointment that he did not receive radiation giving him super powers, how he did not want to leave Rachel’s comforting womb, my guide dog snoring through the entire conversation, his dramatic entrance into this world, how WeeBee made it difficult for his brother (Marcelo) to put on his diaper as a baby, how he angrily barked at me when I first met him, WeeBee not remembering meeting me, things that bring him joy, a stuffy dragon soap opera, changing my name to “Barbara,” the mysteries of extraterrestrial Siren Head, the horrifying saga of Huggy Wuggy, discovering “Cows” also known as YouTube, spending quality time with Grandma Judith, the trials/tribulations of 1st grade, loving singing/dancing, being Santa Claus’ personal advisor, favorite things/people, and much more. Recording Date: Monday, February 21st, 2022.
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have an intense, but also humorously lively conversation with Storyteller, Writer, and friend, Seana Miracle. We discuss Seana’s early childhood trauma, being raised by law practicing parents in New Mexico, her parents producing erotic versions of well-known plays at parties, being in a terrible car accident, the challenges of chronic pain/amnesia, revisiting why “Facebook means a lot to Rachel,” serving Bryan Cranston coffee, living the punk rock lifestyle, getting married/divorced, grieving the loss of her relationship with her son, putting out a literal dumpster fire, being a survivor of violence, meeting Rachel at Odd Salon in San Francisco, how we are impacted by suicide, not believing in conventional hope, the magic of how Rachel transforms her hardships into gifts for others, me not getting into Harvard Law School, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, February 16th, 2022. To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a fascinatingly fun conversation with Author, Skateboarder, and my dear brother-in-law, Sean M. Sanford. We discuss Sean’s early years growing up on a haunted ranch within Northern California’s Gold Country, seeing paranormal activity as a child, Rachel wearing an aluminum phallus on her head, Sean aspiring to be like his punk rock goddess sister (Rachel), feeling like an outcast, being recognized as a gifted writer at a young age, playing in a band, getting his first skateboard, surviving a horrific car accident, recovering from two severe traumatic brain injuries, reviewing horror films, assisting with disaster recovery after hurricane Katrina, finding love at first joke, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, February 12th, 2022. To learn about Sean’s work, please visit: www.seanmsanford.com To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a highly anticipated conversation with Educator, Activist, Fellow at the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, and friend, Meleiza Figueroa. We discuss Meleiza’s formative years growing up in Los Angeles with artistic parents, exploring her Filipino roots, loving musical theatre as a child, feeling acknowledgement as a human being through performance, depression due to being exploited from working in an internet company, discovering the writings of Karl Marx, becoming a social justice activist, working in academia, living within the precarious era of climate change, being an ally for indigenous land stewardship, how to rediscover hope in this uncertain world, her work with the Chico Traditional Ecological Stewardship Program, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, February 9th, 2022. To learn more about Meleiza’s current work, please visit: www.tekchico.org To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
Artist, Graphic Designer, Green Party Member, Foodie, and dear friend Nicole Raglin hilariously interviews my Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder and I about our exhausting journey together. We discuss the possibility that I may have had a stroke recently, Nicole cockblocking me, how Rachel and I met, ending the (B)MIB podcast, Rachel and I announcing starting a new podcast in late 2022, Rachel’s screenplay about her father’s band (Searching for Absalom), how Nicole and Rachel hate the word “Lovers,” Nicole finding me obnoxiously polite, how Rachel makes me feel alive in the midst of vision loss, blind serial killers, Rachel observing my weird OCD rituals, adapting to vision loss, discovering my desire to be a comedian, Rachel stating “It’s hard to be a (social justice) organizer when you hate people,” how becoming a stepfather has changed me, Rachel recovering from breast cancer while caring for her dying father, Nicole flipping me off with an accessible emoji, Rachel being passive aggressive towards deer, Nicole finding me creepy, Rachel reminding me that the universe does not want what I want, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022. To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a thought provoking reunion with Director, Educator, and friend, Jonathan Gellert. We discuss Jonathan’s early years growing up within a Jewish family in New York/New Jersey, finding his love for theatre at the age of seven through musicals, transitioning from playing baseball to acting, being inspired at French Woods (a performing arts summer camp) with Brian Kite, discovering his desire to direct, our time together in UCLA’s MFA directing program, my love for Jonathan’s cockapoo (Barnaby), mentors that guided him on his theatrical journey, starting a theatre company, hearing Vaclav Havel’s commencement speech at Harvard University, watching the Twin Towers fall from his rooftop on 9/11, building a family, Theatre in Quarantine, becoming an educator, creating supportive spaces to nurture his student’s creativity, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, December 22nd, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a fascinating discussion with Skateboarder, Musician, Social Worker, and friend, Glenn Hicks. We discuss Glenn’s formative years growing up with loving parents in the woods of North Carolina, embracing punk rock culture, his father pissing on Colonel Custer’s grave on a family road trip, how his grandfather fought racism with his custom dentures, discovering space through the art of skateboarding, playing side-stage for The Allman Brothers Band, working closely with Gavin Newsom as a valet parking manager in San Francisco, not meeting Bill Clinton, becoming a crisis counselor, living on the streets, discovering cockroaches taped to his office door, finding a dead body, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, December 15th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a mutually compassionate conversation with Disability Rights Advocate, Activist, Statewide Community Organizer for the Disability Organizing Network (DOnetwork), and friend, Russell Rawlings. We discuss Russell’s formative years growing up on the plains of West Texas with Cerebral Palsy, pursuing his childhood dream of working for NASA, finding connection through the early days of the internet, attending Texas A&M University for computer science, moving to Sacramento to start a business, living in poverty, going to the emergency room to have his basic care needs met, finding support/work at Resources for Independent Living (RIL), performing improv, participating in Occupy Sacramento, working towards systemic economic change, running as a candidate for the Mayor of Sacramento, feeling the stress of being at extreme risk for COVID-19, the possibility of me performing stand-up comedy in Sacramento with Russell in 2022, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, December 8th, 2021. To learn about Russell’s work, please visit: www.disabilityorganizing.net To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a universally much needed conversation on Transforming Rage into Love with Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Author, Activist, and dear friend, Gustavo Esteva. After Gustavo sets the context for the conversation, Rachel shares experiences of transforming rage into love focusing on her father’s (Myc James) efforts to not externalize his own rage violently on her or others. In the second half of the conversation Gustavo offers global perspectives of rage and illustrates how the Zapatistas are transforming rage into love by “embracing a world where many worlds are embraced.” At the end of the discussion, Rachel explores forgiveness and Gustavo stresses the importance of hope as a part of the process of creating change within ourselves and others in order to construct a peaceful coexistence with all living beings. Recording Date: Saturday, December 18th, 2021. To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a beautiful conversation with Musician, Actor, and our dear friend, Brian Buckley. Besides Brian playing three songs from his haunting new album (Color), we discuss Brian’s penis again, how acronyms are the death of language, Leonard Cohen’s version of “Hallelujah” versus Jeff Buckley’s version of the song, death of video/music retail stores, language of suicide, Brian’s vaudeville star grandfather, how Facebook means A LOT to Rachel, Brian making a child throw up at Denny’s, Rachel working in the funeral industry during COVID-19, experiencing grief from losing a life-long partner, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, November 17th, 2021. To learn about Brian’s band, please visit: www.brianbuckleyband.com To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a joyfully intense conversation with Photographer, Master Electrician, Author, and dear friend, Aaron Briese. We discuss Aaron growing up as a gifted child in an abusive home, going through Navy boot camp, taking on hometown bullies, hitchhiking across America, living on the streets of Santa Monica, being in the grips of addiction, hustling drugs to survive, stealing the wrong guy’s gun, selling meth to Richard Ramirez, doing hard time in San Quentin, becoming a prison peer counselor for fellow HIV positive inmates, becoming a father, driving a taxi in San Francisco, earning the title of Master Electrician, writing his first book “Back in the Day,” finding a kindred spirit in Rachel, revisiting a few of their adventures during their 20 year friendship, paying people to eat painfully hot peppers, following his heart in Hungary by bringing home his person, exploring his passion for band photography, being grateful to be alive, leaving a legacy, keeping loved ones that have died alive by talking about them, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, November 24th, 2021. To purchase Aaron’s book, please visit: https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/aaron-briese/back-in-the-day/ebook/product-18npdrm6.html?page=1&pageSize=4 To view Aaron’s photography, please visit Aa4on on Flickr. To learn about Rachel, please visit: www.rachelsjames.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have another stimulating conversation on the Art of Dying with Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Author, Activist, and dear friend, Gustavo Esteva. Rachel begins the discussion by sharing her experiences of preparing advanced directives as a death positive advocate, working with the grieving as a funeral counselor, and imparting her knowledge of assisting those making arrangements for end-of-life needs. During the second segment of the conversation, Gustavo shares his memories on celebrating life through the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) and Rachel talks about her Posy Filled Pocket event commemorating the multi-day holiday. Lastly, the discussion ends in preparation for our next conversation on “Transforming Rage into Love.” Recording Date: Sunday, November 14th, 2021. To learn about Rachel’s latest death-positive work, please visit: www.posy-filledpockets.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a humorous conversation with Director, Professor of Stand-Up Comedy, Author, and Founder/Director of the American Comedy Institute (ACI), Stephen Rosenfield. We discuss how Stephen told his father after dinner that he was “not masturbating at the moment,” how he began to coach comics as a theatre director, seeing Lenny Bruce perform live, the vulnerability of Richard Pryor, the importance of comedy within the context of the human experience, founding the American Comedy Institute in 1989, teaching a young Jim Gaffigan, being inclusive of people with disabilities, finding the joy of performing onstage, writing his book Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian, Stephen’s new book, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, November 20th, 2021. To learn about Stephen’s work, please visit: www.comedyinstitute.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a lovely conversation with Voice/Speech Professor, Actor, Musician, Author, and friend, Claudia Anderson. We discuss Claudia’s formative years in the Midwest, singing songs from musical’s to her siblings as a child, loving the harmonies of a choir, studying/teaching music, seeking intellectual stimulation through the art of acting, constantly returning to the human complexities of Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie, becoming a student of Kristin Linklater, writing the book Bringing Speech to Life with Louis Colaianni, loving the creative playfulness of her CalArts students, her working relationship with Fran Bennett, how we integrated the International Phonetic Alphabet pillows into our acting work, creating the voice of a character, performing in singing circles around the world during the pandemic, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, November 13th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a desperately needed conversation with Actor, Screenwriter, Musician, and dear friend, Arron Shiver. We discuss Arron’s formative years in Texas, his parents journeys from addiction to recovery, Arron’s aunt exposing him to the art of acting as a child, a hate/love relationship with Taos (New Mexico), discovering the first performance high in Noel Coward’s play Blithe Spirit, having “a tree inside himself,” our time together at CalArts, me wanting to “get off on it,” Arron sharing a cigarette with Ed Harris, watching his son (Jackson) grow into a good man, baking COVID-19 bread, collaborating with Cheryl Nichols, making music as Earl Buck, playing the psychopath Dean O’Banion in Boardwalk Empire, learning to tell stories with his father, Arron’s new film Doula, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, November 6th, 2021. To learn about Arron’s latest creative projects, please visit: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1377287/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0 To listen to Arron’s music on Instagram, please visit: @earlbuckmusic To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have an intensely funny conversation with Painter, Illustrator, Socialist, Porn Editor, and dear friend, Fritz Striker. We discuss creating families of your own choosing, finding your tribes, being a born artist, horror movies/pornography, surviving addictions, booze-fueled brawling, poor life choices of our 20s, the San Francisco swing scene in the 1990s, Rachel’s short stint as a used car salesman, predicting tech busts/social media scandals, Rachel and Fritz graduating from booze hound lunatics to semi-responsible adults, why you don’t throw candy in classic cars, using pint glasses smashed into your face as punctuation marks for big decisions, yelling at strippers, raccoons in the closet, dead slumlords, loss/grief, following the money versus following your dreams, Rachel’s crazy and infamous Dad (Myc James), our murderous healthcare system, climbing out of the bottle and choosing to live, asking for help, those who live fiercely also loving fiercely, caregiving, the bonding power of humor, the beauty of swearing, the tragic loss of Eddie Dane, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, October 27th, 2021. To learn about Rachel’s latest death-positive work, please visit: www.posy-filledpockets.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a laughter-filled conversation with Musician, Experimental Theatre Director/Playwright, Potential Stand-Up Comic, and Rachel’s new best friend, Juli Crockett. We discuss bringing home a roller blading crackhead, Juli analyzing Rachel’s street fighting abilities in relation to her own boxing skills, creating weird pandemic postcards, the tragedy of comedy versus the hilarity of mortuary work, Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) Tik Tok videos, Juli creating music with her band (Evangenitals) during the pandemic, being too exhausted for polyamory, transforming capitalism into an egalitarian barter economy, having silent dance parties in the woods, someone being way too high during this conversation, sound baths at the Integratron, how Juli’s new George Project made me cry over my breakfast toast, Creepy Daisy, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021. To learn about Juli and her latest projects, please visit: www.julicrockett.com To learn about Rachel’s latest death-positive work, please visit: www.posy-filledpockets.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a profoundly enlightening conversation with Psychologist, Educator, Author, and Activist, Dr. Paula Green. We discuss Paula’s experiences of growing up within a culturally diverse neighborhood in New Jersey, the development of her worldview, seeking to better understand herself through the study of sociology/psychology, the Women’s Movement helping her to “break out of the box,” having a transformative encounter with Angela Davis, practicing Buddhism, peacebuilding person-to-person within conflict zones across the globe, founding the Karuna Center for Peacebuilding, finding hope within our shared humanity, creating the CONTACT: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures Program at the SIT Graduate Institute, working to dialogue across divides in her latest project entitled, “Hands Across the Hills,” and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, October 13th, 2021. To learn about Paula’s work at Hands Across the Hills, please visit: https://www.handsacrossthehills.org/ To learn about Paula’s work at Karuna Center for Peacebuilding, please visit: https://www.karunacenter.org/ To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
Are you ready for some podcast-on-podcast action? My Co-Host/Wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a very funny conversation with Jon Huck, the Host of Speaking Highly with Jon Huck podcast and his Producer, Indy Fawcett. We discuss how Jon and Indy began their bromance on the set of the series My Death Co, how hilarious Rachel and I are on TikTok as “The Exhausting Snyders,” the creation of Speaking Highly with Jon Huck, Indy’s connection to Farah Fawcett, Rachel’s dead Dad’s Exorcist-style possession of our son, Indy’s long-haul trucking days, Jon watching my pornographic film Pirates (XXX) at Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, Rachel’s harsh critique of our show, Jon’s interactions with Norm Macdonald on Last Comic Standing, how I’m “unnatural,”, Indy’s emerging podcast network (CHOBO), Jon’s inspiring conversations with his guests (Garrett Morris, Jamie Kennedy, Harland Williams, etc.), and much more. Recording Date: Thursday, October 7th, 2021. To learn about Speaking Highly with Jon Huck, visit: www.speakinghighly.com To learn about Jon or see him perform comedy in your area, visit: www.jonhuck.me To view Indy’s podcast network, CHOBO, visit: https://www.chobopodcasts.com/ To learn more about Rachel and I, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
“Clara Fang is senior fellow at Citizens' Climate International, an organization that builds political will for climate solutions around the world. In addition, she is pursuing her PhD in environmental studies at Antioch University New England where her dissertation is on racial diversity in the climate movement. She also serves on the Board of the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences. Clara has twenty years of experience working in the field of sustainability and environmental advocacy. She holds a Master of Environmental Management from Yale University, an MFA in Creative Writing from University of Utah, and a BA in English from Smith College. She lives in Detroit, Michigan with her partner and three pets.” Recording Date: Wednesday, October 6th, 2021. To learn about Clara’s work, please visit: https://climatediversity.org/ To visit Clara’s blog, please go to: http://residenceonearth.net/ To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have an empathetically educational conversation with Poet, Writer, Social Justice Activist, Educator, and friend, Marcus Van. We discuss Marcus’ early years growing up in poverty with his single mother and siblings in Ventura (California), being guided by his mother’s compassionate faith, exploring the world through reading classic literature as a child, fighting bullies, finding meaning through creative writing, experiencing racism (including Neo-Nazi violence), discovering his concept of faith, living in Taiwan, embracing his passion for education, repairing his relationship with his father, illuminating the challenges/benefits of public education, showing his students their fullest potential, learning by doing, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, September 29th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a life-changing conversation with my dear friend, Sarah Louise Wilson. Sarah is a Visual Artist, Actor, Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Educator, and the author of the book entitled, S & M. We discuss Sarah’s brilliant, humorous, sensual, beautiful, haunting, and powerful exploration of inherited trauma from slavery and systemic racism within the United States through her book, S & M. Recording Date: Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021. To learn more about Sarah and her current projects, please visit: www.sarahlouisewilson.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
Former Editor-In-Chief of Atlas Obscura, Co-Founder of Odd Salon - San Francisco, Writer, Public Speaker, Funeral Counselor, and my sexy wife, Rachel Snyder and I have an erotically relaxing conversation with former Featured Showgirl, Dominatrix, Sex positive Advocate, and the Innkeeper at Innthrall (Pennsylvania), Kathleen Ashford. We discuss Kathleen’s early years growing up in Alaska, running away from home at 15-years-old, being sexually “curious,” becoming a featured showgirl after attending an amateur night at a gentlemen’s club, becoming a dominatrix, exploring the therapeutic aspects of BDSM, Rachel working in a strip club as a waitress/bartender in her early 20’s, Kathleen & Rachel’s shared experiences at Burning Man, Kathleen assessing my sexual proclivities, Rachel crying for the first time on the show, learning that tears are a sexual lubricant, the creation of Kathleen’s kinky bed and breakfast (Innthrall), and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, September 15th, 2021. To make a reservation at Kathleen’s kinky B&B (Innthrall), please visit: www.innthrall.com
I have a much needed conversation with Special Education Teacher, Disability Inclusion Advocate, Co-Founder of ArTES magnet school in Los Angeles, and my dear friend, Joshua Rauh. We discuss Josh’s formative years growing up in the Santa Cruz Mountains with his loving adopted family, discovering his love for the theatre/acting, extending our childhoods by playing lava tag as teenagers, our shared performances at Los Gatos High School, studying acting at U.C. Davis, living in Bologna (Italy), creating theater in Kenya (Africa), working in a theatre company in Los Angeles, discovering his love for teaching students with disabilities, co-founding an inclusive school for the arts, becoming a father, why I was called “Booger Snotter,” and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, September 1st, 2021. To learn about or support Joshua’s work, visit: www.artesmagnet.org To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have an anxious, yet lovely conversation with former Editor-In-Chief of Atlas Obscura, Co-Founder of Odd Salon - San Francisco, Writer, Public Speaker, Funeral Counselor, and my loving wife, Rachel Snyder and Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Author, Activist, mentor, and my dear friend, Gustavo Esteva. We discuss how capitalism transformed death into an unspoken subject/shady business, how death/dying is discussed in Mexico versus United States, COVID-19’s effects on the funeral industry, Día de los Muertos, celebrating life through death, and much more. This conversation will continue in a future episode where we will conclude this discussion on the Art of Dying and move into a conversation on “transforming rage into love.” Recording Date: Sunday, August 29th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a lovely reunion after 20 years with Creator, Director, Artistic Advisor, Writer, Educator, Intellectual, and dear friend, Jessica Kendall, Ph.D. We discuss Jessica’s formative years growing up in Baltimore (Maryland), welding in San Francisco, our time together at CalArts, exploring India, meeting the Dali Lama, grieving her mother & father’s deaths, being present with “what is,” training to be a circus performer, being comfortable with the familiar/strange, working on her doctorate in the United Kingdom, traveling the world, discovering who she is through becoming a mother, finding her home in Canada, perceiving reality, radical kindness, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, August 28th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
Despite both of us having severe apocalypse fatigue, it was lovely having this conversation with Artist and KVMR Radio Host, Prickly Pear. We discuss Prickly’s early years growing up surrounded in high quality upholstery, attending a Seventh Day Adventist private school, discovering a desire to serve others as a child, having dreams that accurately predict future events, experiencing traumatic relationships, creating an art gallery, becoming the radio host Prickly Pear on KVMR, witnessing systemic racism within Nevada County, being held at gun point, deescalating conflict, and much more. Recording Date: Friday, August 20th, 2021. To learn about Prickly Pear, visit her on Facebook at: Prickly Pear Radio. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a fun conversation with Musician, Audio Engineer, Host of The Beyond Barriers Unscripted Podcast, and my Assistive Technology Instructor, Randy Lee Owen Sr. We discuss Randy growing up in a military family, traveling the world as a child, being diagnosed with Cone-Rod Dystrophy or “Rod Stewart Dystrophy,” dreaming of being a military pilot, desiring to become a NASA computer programmer, stealing a Cadillac, experiencing jail, being a plumber with low-vision, fathering 7 children, finding solidarity through music therapy, being credible, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, August 14th, 2021. Visit The Beyond Barriers Unscripted Podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCBFTTsn5WB6KphGwKRmv-_g To contact Randy, E-mail him at: bb.unscripted@gmail.com To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
This is a continuing conversation with Deprofessionallized Intellectual, Author, Activist, mentor, and dear friend, Gustavo Esteva. We discuss the effects of policing within the United States/Mexico, truth, reconciliation, indigenous restorative justice, transforming rage into love, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, July 17th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
To celebrate our 50th episode, Rachel Snyder (my wife) and I have a historically insightful conversation with Writer, Singer, Performer, and my dear biological brother, Shane Snyder. We discuss Shane’s childhood of growing up on a comedy tour with the Snyder Brothers, the unconditional love of our hilarious grandmother (Gammy), our uncle Ken’s Three-Legged Man Dance, Rachel shares her ancestry research showing that we (Shane & I) are descendants of Brigham Young/Joseph Smith’s murderous bodyguard, Shane going to school dressed as Spock from Star Trek, his love for astronomy, discovering that he is going blind at 16-years-old, our uncle Ken’s mysterious suicide, the possible formation of the comedy team “The Other Snyder Brothers”, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, July 28th, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a lovely and intensely nostalgic conversation with Actor, Singer, and dear friend, Cynthia Shiraev. We discuss Cynthia’s experiences of growing up with a loving family in Los Gatos (California), having a wild computer programmer father and librarian mother, learning that her mom was in a coven of witches, discovering her love for singing/performance through her mother’s love of opera, being rewarded for good behavior with books as a child, reliving our theatrical performances at Los Gatos High School, Cynthia’s father intimidating her prom date by sitting in silence with the Discovery Channel on mute, me lounging around her home in heart covered boxer shorts, Cynthia having a friend prank call me to get me out of her house, discovering “performance culture” at San Francisco State University, being diagnosed with Multiple Scorosis in her early twenties, experiencing the effects of her boyfriend’s psychotic break in Prague, adapting to the loss of physical abilities, both of us rediscovering our desire to perform, and much more. AUDIO NOTE: My apologies for my sound quality for the first 30 minutes of the show. I meditated before the conversation began and I was so relaxed that I did not remember to connect my microphone to the computer! Recording Date: Wednesday, July 21st, 2021. To follow Cynthia on Instagram, please visit: @cynncie. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a desperately needed conversation with Actor, Director, Producer, Photographer, and dear friend, Alan Loayza. We discuss Alan growing up in the valley of the Karate Kid, discovering his love for acting in Saudia Arabia, searching for the truth within characters, our time together at CalArts, acting with Al Pacino, doing impressions with actor/comedian Jay Mohr, playing Colin McCrae on Gilmore Girls, working through the politics of the television/film industry, discovering his artistry as a photographer, playing Frank Sinatra, and much more. To learn more about Alan, please visit: www.alanloayza.com To find Alan on Instagram, visit: @alanloayza. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a lovely conversation with Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Storyteller, Entrepreneur, World Traveler, and friend, Athena Gam. We discuss Athena’s experiences growing up in a tumultuous family, discovering performing at a young age, meeting her lifelong person in high school, discovering the joys of stage management, our time together at CalArts, working with playwrights Athol Fugard & August Wilson, living in the United Kingdom, using Ayahuasca in Peru, sustaining a loving marriage, finding her creative spirit, surviving a wildfire, losing everything, and much more. Recording Date: Wednesday, July 7th, 2021. To learn more about Athena’s work, please visit: https://emergingbeyond.com/ To follow her on Instagram, go to: @emergingbeyond. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a much-needed nostalgic conversation with Model, Actor, Musician, Fiction Writer, and dear friend from the 7th grade, Chris Manning. We discuss Chris growing up feeling isolated in the haunted Santa Cruz mountains, experiencing racism in middle school, he and I bonding over Mel Brooks films during 7th grade PE, Chris preventing me from sitting on a child on Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride, meeting Metallica in their rehearsal studio, becoming the star of Third Eye Blind’s “Jumper” music video, modeling in Milan, getting arrested for fighting a cab driver in Paris, becoming a father, learning that forgiveness is critical to sustaining a loving marriage, Chris introducing me to “The Joy of Sex,” and a whole lot more. Recording Date: Saturday, July 3rd, 2021. To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a relaxing conversation with Painter, Producer, Graphic Designer, Writer, and friend, Sheila Cameron. We discuss Sheila’s early years growing up in Ohio, desiring to express herself creatively through writing at a young age, studying creative writing at Loyola University Maryland, unknowingly seeing her future husband (Greg Cameron of October Faction and SWA) play at a punk rock concert when she was 14-years-old, longing to collaborate with artists, moving to Hollywood to pursue writing, hanging out with Kevin Costner, waking up a grumpy Mick Jagger at 4AM, Harvey Weinstein stealing her table at Sundance, working with Matt Damon/Ben Affleck on Project Greenlight, being struck on the head by a lighting rig, healing through painting, high stakes in show business versus our current reality, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, June 23rd, 2021.
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a lively and joyful conversation with Comic, Actor, Screenwriter, Producer, Radio/Podcast Host, former Band Manager, Multi-Sport Coach, and friend, Bryan Erwin. We discuss Bryan growing up with six siblings in Wisconsin, being guided by an artistic father and a loving mother, being kicked out of an Avant Garde film school for creating a narrative mainstream film, becoming a well-known radio personality throughout the Midwest, having his radio career and first marriage end simultaneously, becoming a comedian, living life on the road as a band manager, giving up his life in Wisconsin and moving to Hollywood to pursue film/comedy, learning how to “fail forward” from Garry Shandling, working with Louie Anderson, reflecting on his life with Tom Segura, creating his film entitled, Fixed, inventing his YouTube sensation called, Policeman vs. Fireman for his sons, learning to enjoy life’s processes with his family, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
My wife (Rachel Snyder) and I have a lovely conversation with retired Special Education Teacher, Green Party Member, Singer, and Owner of the Wild Eye Pub (in Grass Valley, California), Beth Moore. We discuss Beth growing up with a sex-positive mother and stepfather, spending time in a free love commune, living in Uganda at the age of 7, her biological father driving home drunk after dark with a teenage Beth on the hood of his truck without headlights, living a free-spirited life as a young adult, building a log cabin with her father deep in the woods of Northern California, being in a physically abusive relationship, raising children while going to college for Special Education, discovering the joys of teaching children with disabilities, finding her singing voice, possibly identifying as ADHD, opening the Wild Eye Pub with her husband in 2018, becoming sober, and keeping her business on life-support during a pandemic, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, June 9th, 2021
To learn about the Wild Eye Pub, please visit: https://www.wildeyepub.com/
To learn more about Rachel and I, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a life-changing conversation with award-winning Theatre/Film Director, Professor Emeritus at UCLA, and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), José Luis Valenzuela. We discuss José’s formative years in Mexico, witnessing the misery of the wealthy as a child, identifying with the oppressed, desiring to create social justice theatre from a young age, working with El Teatro de la Gente, creating the Latino Theatre Lab in 1985, directing Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman at the National Theatre of Norway, directing the world premiere of Dementia, written by Evelina Fernandez for the Latino Theater Initiative, choosing artistic integrity over commercial success, working with Scott Bakula & Cheech Marin in the film Luminarias, encouraging me to share my creative gifts, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, June 2nd, 2021
To learn about José’s work at the Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC), please visit: https://www.latinotheaterco.org/
To learn more about José, please visit: https://www.tft.ucla.edu/blog/2011/09/08/faculty-jose-luis-valenzuela/
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a much-needed conversation with Director, Screenwriter, Actor, Anti-Porn Advocate, and friend, Michael Lovan. We discuss Michael growing up in a military family in Hanford (California), experiencing the horrific trauma/loss of a childhood friend, desiring to tell stories at a young age, being inspired by the musical Les Misérables, trying to find his creative path in UCLA’s Theater Department, working for a high-profile film/advertising executive, creating a documentary in Japan, helping with the tsunami recovery in Fukushima in 2011, transforming from being part of our pornographic culture to becoming an anti-porn advocate, finding love with Amy, becoming a father, writing/directing his latest film, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, May 26th, 2021
To watch Michael’s latest film, please visit: www.MurderBuryWin.com
Michael’s Instagram Account: instagram.com/MichaeLovan
To view Michael’s film-themed family portraits, please visit: instagram.com/everlovan
Michael’s Twitter Account: Twitter.com/Michaelovan
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I continue my conversation with Author, Activist, Deprofessionalized Intellectual, mentor, and friend, Gustavo Esteva. Gustavo shares his thoughts on removing the fascist within our minds by nurturing loving horizontal relationships within our families/communities and creating valuable means of living well without the need for having exhausting jobs. This is part of a series of discussions. To view previous conversations, please visit the (Blind) Man in Black YouTube channel or listen on Apple Podcasts. Please rate and review. Thank you for viewing/listening!
Recording Date: Saturday, May 15th, 2021
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a soulful conversation with former Actor, Pianist, Animal Rights Advocate, LGBTQ Advocate, Underdog Advocate, Psychotherapist, and friend, Lisa Shapiro. We discuss Lisa possibly being conceived in a swimming pool in Florida, her early life growing up in Brooklyn with a Russian grandmother with Borderline Personality Disorder, being a prodigy on the piano at 5-years-old, taking many walks on the “wild side,” dating a 25-year-old man at 16-years-old, being accepted into CalArts by being “annoyingly persistent,” dating a 34-year-old woman at 20-years-old, alluding to a mysterious means of making money, attending Columbia University, having empathetic eyes, the correlation between the desire to be an actor or psychologist, making Lisa feel safe by sharing my pornographic work experience, Lisa being recruited by the FBI to be a special agent, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, May 12th, 2021
To learn more about me, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
Rachel Snyder, my wife/mom, and I have a Mother’s Day celebration with my mom, Judith Leach. We discuss my mon’s feelings of not belonging to anyone or anything, catholic guilt, idealizing her mountain man father, scandalous rumors surrounding her parents’ divorce, having to eat potato peels as punishment for her poor peeling skills, studying modeling at the John Robert Powers School of Modeling, meeting Herb Caen, dating Troy Donahue, drag racing in Fresno, being asked to pose nude for Playboy, her role in Jerry Lewis’ film Cinderfella, being asked to wear lingerie for the Harvey Weinstein of the 1950s, dating/marrying my comedian/singer father, experiencing the suicide of my uncle, living the film This Boy’s Life, raising two blind/deaf sons, analyzing the paralleling life experiences of Judith and Rachel, and much more.
Recording Date: Saturday, May 8th, 2021
To learn more about Rachel and I, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have an impromptu conversation with Writer, Editor, Public Speaker, Death Positive Advocate, Funeral Counselor, TikTok Enthusiast, Late Night Bath Lover, and my loving wife, Rachel Snyder. We discuss her exploring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the evolution of our arguments, feeling joy amidst grief for missed opportunities/damaged relationships, repairing self-esteem after being recognized as neurodivergent late in life, living with regrets, whether a strong reaction to being interrupted is a pet peeve or a stressor, why Rachel records our arguments like Richard Nixon, how Rachel broke Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EDMR) therapy, what she's doing in the bathroom for 3-5 hours every night into the early morning, how I deal with severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), my feelings of not existing withing time/space, and my lack of desire to dry off after taking a shower.
Recording Date: Wednesday, April 28th, 2020
To read Rachel’s writings, please visit: https://www.rachelsjames.com/selected-work/
To learn about Rachel and Brian, please visit: www.blindmaninblack.com
I have a therapeutic conversation with Director, Musician, Founder/President of Actionplay, and friend, Aaron Feinstein. We discuss Aaron’s life growing up in Porn Valley, being bullied by Cobra Kai, cultivating friendships, the trauma of not being cast in a single children’s play for 3 years, paternal podiatry, me defiling his cherished family furs, finding peace in songwriting, Seinfeld versus Friends, our time together at UCLA, Trump/Ubu Roi, riding vintage bikes in New York City during a pandemic, drinking freezing gin to get through the day, Oliver Stone stealing Aaron’s screenplay for the film, “W,” creating accessible/inclusive theatre, me being an “unstable” actor, Aaron having no interest in being a comic despite the fact that he is very funny, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, April 21st, 2021
To learn more about Aaron’s work at Actionplay, please visit: https://actionplay.org/
I have a conversation with Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Activist, Author, and friend, Gustavo Esteva. We discuss how to find joy in living well through convivial autonomous activities, while removing fascist thinking from one’s own mind and understanding the methods of oppression, exploitation, and control which is instilled within all aspects of the prison-like confines of Capitalism. This is a continuation of a series of conversations that can be found on the (Blind) Man in Black YouTube channel or Apple Podcasts.
Recording Date: Sunday, April 18th, 2021
I have a conversation with Disability Justice Educator, Public Speaker, Workshop Facilitator, Author, Activist, Spoken Word Performer, and Goddess on Wheels, Maria R. Palacios. We discuss Maria’s early life growing up with a disability in Latin America, moving to Texas as a teenager, finding her community with people with disabilities, participating in the Capitol Crawl, always feeling “secretly sexy,” normies/ablism, working at a Center for Independent Living, independence versus interdependence, being a part of ADAPT, creating disability justice performance art with Sins Invalid, sharing her experiences through writing, welcoming those that acquire a disability into the community, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, March 31st, 2021
To read Maria’s writings, please visit: https://cripstory.wordpress.com/
To listen to Maria’s latest music project, please visit: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vamitU4E84g7LkLFiFXSgTghGokplTji/view?usp=drivesdk
Contact Maria at: palaciosmaria66@gmail.com
I have a conversation with former Mortician, Visual Artist, World Adventurer, Realtor, and friend, Tania Seabock. We discuss her life growing up in Los Angeles with Chilean and Brazilian roots, her parents practicing the Umbanda religion, witnessing a tragic death as a teenager, becoming a mortician in her early 20s, discovering her love of sacred art, using loving constructive criticism as an opportunity to grow, the difference between being a “fuck up” and an “eccentric,” creating art within a palace in the Middle East, witnessing indentured servitude, experiencing the beauty of Antarctica, almost being eaten by piranhas in the Amazon, being part of the formation of Death Guild’s Thunderdome at Burning Man, meeting the First Lady Laura Bush, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, March 24th, 2021
To view Tania’s artwork, please visit: https://taniaseabock.wixsite.com/portfolio
I have a conversation with Social Justice Educator, Nonviolent Activist, and a profoundly loving human being, Derek Johnson. We discuss Derek’s early life growing up in a rural East Coast farming community, his father’s drug addiction, experiencing childhood trauma, discovering pansexuality, the myth of “The American Dream,” understanding how education can be used as a force for social justice, the destructiveness of Capitalism, gardening as an act of resistance, making soap, exploring polyamory, experiencing racism, educational hegemony, patriarchy, white supremacy, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, March 17th, 2021
To follow Derek’s work, please visit:
Indigo Radio (SJ radio show): https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/UpkEbUMQ7DLjUEMx6
Collective Liberation Lab (SJ consultant work/curriculum design): https://www.collectiveliberationlab.com
Social Media: IG: wingedtraveler78 IG: veganvoyagenoir IG: islandvybztours
I have a much needed and hilarious conversation with former Actor, Comedian, current Owner of Crawford’s (Bar & Fried Chicken) in Los Angeles, and brother from another mother, Matthew Dittmann. We discuss Matt’s early life growing up in New York City/Connecticut, his father giving his mother crabs and blaming it on a used mattress, fighting on the mean streets of Chicago, attending a performing arts high school, seeing Chris Farley before he died, using his trauma to create comedy, attending CalArts, making out with me in Jean Genet’s play The Maids, defending his brother’s honor, having Richard Simmons as his Godfather, Matt’s mom making friends with Lily Tomlin, how I found non-sexual comfort with a prostitute, having an air-soft gun shootout in our apartment during the Christmas of 2005, and much more.
Recording Date: Tuesday, March 16th, 2021
To meet Matt, have a brew, and enjoy the best fried chicken in Los Angeles stop by Crawford’s at 2616 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 or visit: https://www.crawfordschicken.la/
I have a conversation with Wild Man, Fool, Clown, Storyteller, Comedian, Activist, Educator, Author, and my Father-in-Law, Izzi Tooinsky. We discuss Izzi’s childhood trauma, early cognitive/speech challenges, his garden & exile, discovering the art of juggling at a Renaissance Fair, embracing the role of “The Fool,” needing to be alone every several hours a day, eating a burrito with Ken Kesey, performing in Nairobi, using Ayahuasca to treat his Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, truth & parable, connecting with students during a pandemic, the juggling metaphors of “holding” & “releasing,” and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, February 24th, 2021
To learn more about Izzi, please visit: http://izzitooinsky.com/
I have a conversation with Opera Singer, Manager at a Fortune 500 software company, Matriarch of Death Guild’s Thunderdome Camp at Burning Man, Aerialist, and friend, Diva Marisa. We discuss Marisa’s early life growing up in the Bay Area, finding the love of singing opera, grieving the loss of her mother, being on the autism spectrum, singing for 5,000 people as a child, finding her career path in the tech industry, discovering her sexuality, riding a motorcycle down the steps of City Hall in San Jose, singing the National Anthem in front of 60,000 screaming Raider’s fans, the ethics of artificial intelligence/virtual reality, shaping Death Guild’s Thunderdome Camp at Burning Man, loving beyond fears, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021
To learn more about Marisa, please visit: https://www.divamarisa.com/home/biography/
I have a conversation with Director, Playwright, Author, and Educator, Mel Shapiro. We discuss Mel’s early years growing up in Brooklyn, discovering the art of theatre, becoming a Korean language translator in the Army, training at Carnegie Melon University, his career being “an unbroken series of green lights,” working with Joseph Papp & Tyrone Guthrie, winning the Tony Award for Two Gentlemen of Verona, cofounding New York University’s Tisch School of thee Arts, directing A-list talent like Christopher Walken, writing the books The Director’s Companion & An Actor Performs, teaching acting at UCLA, Brian sharing his regret for not staying in the theatre, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, February 10th, 2021
I talk with Visual Artist, Graphic Designer, Marketing Director, Mother, and friend, Anais Rumfelt. We discuss Anais’ early years growing up in Taos (New Mexico), grieving her father’s death at the age of 5-years-old, being chased/attacked by other kids, having nudist parents, drawing nude fairies, capturing vulnerability in nude figures, resistance artwork, crows versus ravens, hospitality, trauma, loving beyond fears by becoming a mother, Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy, Zoom fatigue, and Brian clogging up Anais’ toilet in 2006, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, February 10th, 2021
To view Anais’ artwork, please visit: http://www.anaisrumfelt.com/p/about.html?m=1
I interview former Department Chief at the Office of Veterans Affairs, Disability Rights Advocate, Independent Living Center Board Member, and friend, Mark Fenicle. We discuss Mark experiencing the effects of Polio as a child, his grandfather’s traumatizing mine incident, buying marijuana from Ed Roberts, “getting laid enough,” being at UC Berkley during the late 1960s and early 1970s, being shot at by law enforcement, adapting to disabilities, enduring loss, Brian announcing that his wife, Rachel Snyder is in a competition with former guest, Gene Landreth for the most (B)MIB YouTube views, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, January 27th, 2021
I interview Actor, Director, Playwright, Producer, founding Artistic Director of the Breath of Fire Latina Theater Ensemble, and friend, Sara Guerrero. We discuss Sara’s life growing up in Southern California, studying theatre at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), feeling marginalized by the mainstream entertainment industry, sharing unheard stories, Sara’s erotic “guardians,” performing in the nude, surviving COVID-19, teaching theatre, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021
To learn more about Sara, please visit: http://www.teatroguerrero.com/
Gustavo Esteva (Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Author, and Activist) shares his thoughts on the importance of “listening deeply with the willingness to be transformed,” the difference between “expectations” and “hope,” learning to endure the terrifying unknown days ahead, and being grateful for the little loving surprises during these uncertain times. This is part-two of a conversation that began within episode # 23.
Recording Date: Thursday, January 28th, 2021
Gustavo Esteva (Deprofessionalized Intellectual, Author, and Activist) and I explore our thoughts, fears, and frustrations surrounding COVID-19 and its adverse effects on our lives. This is the first of a two-part discussion, which continues into episode # 24.
Recording Date: Thursday, January 14th, 2021
I interview high-profile Event Planner, Digital Strategist, Project/Relationship Manager, Digital Influencer Consultant, founder of Blue Salt Strategies, and dear friend, Aria Marinelli. We discuss Aria growing up with me as an outcast in wealthy Los Gatos (California), finding familial comfort watching The Sopranos, Aria starting her own mafia crew, finding her creative path, working with Al Gore on climate justice, learning from Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook, social media as a useful tool for social change, street art, the time that I stole Aria’s car in high school, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, January 20th, 2021
To learn more about Aria visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariamarinelli
I interview Visual Artist, Clothing Designer, AirBnB Entrepreneur, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Madman, and dear friend, Patrick Hasson. We discuss Patrick’s early years growing up in Philadelphia, his father seeing art as a choice between a blue and red pen, wild sex in Naples, midnight drug running in Florida, unwillingly being protected in jail by the Aryan Brotherhood, speaking at film festivals while blackout drunk, directing the film Waiting, editing porn, Sexaholics Anonymous, creating art houses in Joshua Tree, Desert Rock, finding salvation through creating art, friendship, trust issues, a coworker shoving a dildo in Brian’s mouth, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, January 13th, 2021
To learn more about Patrick and his artwork visit: www.patrickhasson.com
To purchase prints of Patrick’s art visit: https://fineartamerica.com/art/patrick+hasson
USA Today article about Patrick: https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/09/05/meet-joshua-tree-artist-painting-desert-rockers-like-josh-homme/2074687001/
In this eve before New Year’s Eve episode, I interview Visual Artist, Social Justice Activist, Green Party Member, and very dear friend, Nicole Raglin. As a special treat, former Editor-In-Chief of Atlas Obscura, Cofounder of Odd Salon (San Francisco/New York), Death Positive Advocate, Funeral Counselor, Writer, and my loving wife, Rachel Snyder co-hosts this episode as well. We discuss living with PTSD, trust issues, climate collapse, Imposter Syndrome, Nicole rejecting Kelsey Grammar, surviving the era of COVID-19, journeying down 2021’s Fury Road, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Rachel meeting Kato Kaelin, American fascism, racism, sugar daddies, Brian’s past cocaine use, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, December 30th, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews Actor, Comedian, LGBTQA Advocate, and TikTok legend, Kendahl Landreth. They discuss Kendahl’s early years growing up in a rural California Gold Rush town, her desire to perform immediately after leaving the birth canal, discovering/embracing her sexuality, uniting people through comedy, creating content during COVID-19, honoring her mother (Darla) through TikTok videos, relentlessly working on her material, barely escaping a burning building in New York City, and much more.
Recording Date: Wednesday, December 23rd, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews Director, Screenwriter, Educator, mentor and dear friend, Craig Belknap. They discuss Craig’s life, almost becoming a medical doctor, starting a theatre company in a mortuary, meeting Tennessee Williams in front of a grocery store on Fire Island, working with playwrights Christopher Durang, Dennis McIntyre, & Nicholas Kazan, getting started in television with Steven Bochco, being confronted by Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, & Robert De Niro after a performance, getting kinky with Jean Genet, creating a loving creative space for actors, brutal honesty, mining a script, discovering the joy of the rehearsal process, finding profound love with Roberto, and much more.
Recording Date: Thursday, December 17th, 2020
To learn more about Craig’s writing workshop, contact him here: cbelknap@earthlink.net
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews International Advocate for Disability Rights, Policy Analyst, Independent Living Coordinator for the Vermont Center for Independent Living, Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Founder/Executive Director of Enlightening and Empowering People with Disabilities in Africa (EEPDAfrica) and friend, Dr. Grateful-Miranda Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie. They discuss Sefakor’s life growing up in Africa, adapting to the affects of Polio, friendship, disability stigma, faith, reasonable accommodations, inclusion, equal access, SIT Graduate Institute, marriage rituals in Ghana, the importance of education, disability & sexuality, independent living culture, Brian surprising Sefakor by swearing, and much more.
Recording Date: Saturday, November 21st, 2020
To learn about Sefakor’s work with EEPDAfrica, please visit: http://www.eepdafrica.org
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews social/racial justice activists, mutual aid workers, and cofounders of the Nevada County Left Coalition (NCLC), Yinnon and Tor. They discuss their respective lives, Yinnon’s experiences growing up in Israel as a conscientious objector, communism, climate collapse, providing life-sustaining basic needs during COVID-19 through mutual aid, the affordable housing crisis, fascists being violent against peaceful Black Lives Matter marchers in Nevada City, the mission and current projects of the Nevada County Left Coalition, and much more.
Recording Date: Thursday, November 19th, 2020
Contact the NCLC: https://www.facebook.com/ncleftcoalition/
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews musician, visual artist, community leader, Executive Director of the California Heritage Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) and Spokesperson for the Nevada City Rancheria – Nisenan Tribe, Shelly Covert. They discuss Shelly’s life growing up in Grass Valley, inherited trauma, the California Gold Rush, genocide, historical erasure, communal responsibility, ecological stewardship, tribal recognition, indigenous spirituality, living in “dos mundos,” forgiveness, Guns N’ Roses, and much more.
Preserve, Protect & Perpetuate Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Culture: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=YWDDZWSBZJSD8
Visit the Nevada City Rancheria – Nisenan Tribe: https://www.nisenan.org/
Contact Shelly Covert: info@chirpca.org
Recording Date: Wednesday, November 18th, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews songwriter, poet, actor, lead singer of the Brian Buckley Band, and Friend, Brian Buckley. Brian and Brian discuss creating music in the era of COVID-19, marriage, suicide, theatre, Nataki Garrett Myers (Artistic Director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival), Sacramento, rejection, finding your “person,” panic attacks, hysterical blindness, love, radical empathy, and the (B)MIB mentions the theatrical premiere of Brian’s penis at Cal Arts four times in the first five minutes of the show.
Recording Date: Wednesday, November 11th, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews comedian, actor, mental health advocate, soon to be author, and friend, Merrill Davis. They explore Merrill’s childhood trauma, growing up in Florida, being Jewish and attending Catholic school, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, her mother pulling a knife on her, meeting Trump at Mar-a-Lago, mysterious nude photos, psych meds, healing through comedy, and much more.
Recording Date: 11/05/2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews author, storyteller, disability advocate, songwriter, master salesman, man of faith, and friend, Gene Landreth. They discuss Gene’s life growing up in Alabama, masturbation, gender confusion, Forrest Gump, awkwardly discovering sex, lustful obsessions, guilt, God, Strokes, diabetes, sales ethics, pornography, homelessness, marriage, friendship, Brian asking the Great Creator to talk with him without using metaphors or symbolism and Gene’s book entitled, "Diagnosis: Screwed Up: A Misfit’s Guide to Achieving Mediocrity."
Recording Date: Friday, October 30th, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews world wanderer, former Burning Man Department of Public Works (DWP) team member, polyamorist, deprofessionalized philosopher, Makers Space organizer/practitioner. And friend, Nathan Parker. They discuss Nathan’s childhood trauma, acupressure, walkabouts, Albert Camus, Burning Man, existential philosophy, climate collapse, polyamory, deep adaptation, Dark Mountain Project, The Sopranos, Emergency Maker Space Culture, mutual aid, and much more. Recording Date: Saturday, October 10th, 2020
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews white, Queer, Disability Community Advocate, former Statewide Organizer for the Disability Organizing Network (DOnetwork), activist, Manager of Advocacy & Organizing at The Kelsey, and friend, Allie Cannington. They explore Allie’s life, disability stigma, internalized ablism, accessibility, disability justice, advocacy, the meaning of “Disability Pride,” Brian’s feelings of fading away due to his vision loss, and much more.
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews the lead singer of the Evangenitals, experimental theatre director, playwright, songwriter, former professional boxer, and friend, Juli Crockett, Ph.D. They explore Juli’s childhood of art and madness, finding self-actualization through performance, her desire to be an Avant Garde stripper in Hollywood, being the inspiration for Clint Eastwood’s film Million Dollar Baby, existential philosophy, living below a sex toy shop, finding creative clarity during a pandemic, responses to loss, experimental theatre on Mars, and Brian being deep inside Juli’s Moby Dick.
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews non-conformist, rebel, Death Guild veteran, ethical non-monogamist, owner of Hairetics Salon in San Francisco, and friend, Heather Jordan. They explore Heather’s formative years growing up in a seemingly typical “American Family,” where corporal punishment was a standard disciplinary practice, self-mutilation, her time in a mental health facility, learning to create boundaries, Death Guild, brawling as a bouncer, finding her tribe at Burning Man, threesomes, her transition from unethical non-monogamy to ethical non-monogamy, social justice, sex as a form of loving worship, universal basic income, Erich Fromm, the meaning of love, and much more.
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews 2004 Green Party Presidential Candidate, activist, people’s lawyer, cofounder of Move to Amend, storyteller, and cofounder of Cooperation Humboldt, David Keith Cobb. They explore David’s life, the origins of his optimism, growing up in poverty, learning how to share, working with Jesse Jackson and Ralph Nader, managing Jill Stein’s 2016 campaign for President of the United States, patriarchy, white supremacy, nonviolent communication, fascism, solidarity economies, and Brian remembers the euphoria of using cocaine.
In this episode, the Blind Man in Black interviews actor, director, screenwriter, producer, musician, educator, visual artist, and author, Sarah Louise Wilson. They explore: racism, poverty, acting at CalArts, marriage, social justice, loss, disability, brain tumors, CBD, the myth of the “American Dream,” trauma, faith, conflict transformation, collective social reconciliation, radical empathy, the power of love, forgiveness, The Great Mystery and how artistic expression is sometimes the only means of survival.
The (Blind) Man in Black interviews comedian, actor, producer, and pornographic voiceover artist, Jon Huck. They discuss the origins of Jon’s career as a comic, The Three Stooges, Laurel & Hardy, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, marriage, Motorhead, Jon’s father’s anger with individually wrapped American cheese, Oscar the stranded power wheelchair user, rewarding menial favors with blowjobs, and how comedy can be used as a tool for social change.
In this special episode, the (Blind) Man in Black is partially interviewed by his wife, Rachel James-Snyder. Rachel is the cofounder of Odd Salon in San Francisco and founder of Posy-Filled Pockets. She has also written for Playboy, Penthouse, and was the Editor-In-Chief of Atlas Obscura. Rachel and the (B)MIB discuss marriage, social justice, Black Lives Matter, fascism, MDMA, Jeffery Epstein, sociopaths, loving beyond fear, nonviolent communication, peace literacy, blindness/deafness, trauma, and much more.
In Part 3 of his interview with Gustavo Esteva (deprofessionalized intellectual, author, activist and advisor to the Zapatistas), the (B)MIB (Brian Snyder) revisits their “peculiar” conversation about living and loving in the era of COVID-19, GMOs, neo-feudalism, neo-fascism, the American way of life, Carlos Slim, indigenous learning, food sovereignty, forest management, wildfires, George Carlin, climate collapse, anger, guilt, forgiveness, and Brian’s nervous tick of saying “you know” throughout his interviews, and much more.
In this episode of The (Blind) Man in Black, Brian begins Part 2 of his interview with Gustavo Esteva by awkwardly unloading his feelings of exhaustion and weariness about the current state of the world on his dear friend. They discuss living and loving in the era of COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, Jeffery Epstein, social justice, climate change, friendship, food sovereignty, internalized fascism, Brian’s inability to stop saying, “You know,” and much more.
In the first episode of the (Blind) Man in Black (BMIB), Brian Snyder interviews deprofessionalized intellectual, author, activist, and advisor to the EZLN (Zapatistas), Gustavo Esteva. The (B)MIB explores Gustavo’s life, his indigenous Zapotec roots, being the youngest executive at IBM and Procter & Gamble, finding love during Marxist guerrilla warfare training, his friendship with Ivan Illich, radical kindness during COVID-19, and much more.