The Ben LeRoy Show: Recent Episodes
Ben LeRoy
Former publisher, 50 state volunteer, and internal explorer Ben LeRoy looks for comfort in the good things and good people of the world.
"It's the Ben LeRoy Show" theme song was written and performed by Lauren Boyko.
Welcome to 2022, Listener!
To kick off the new year, my friend Cedric stops by to talk about what almost 40 years of friendship means. This is part of an effort where I'm trying to record my history since I have such a terrible memory and someday I'm going to get hit by the Cosmic Bus and I want to leave behind a record for the aliens who show up in 10,000 years.
I'm trying an experiment. What happens if I podcast while going to sleep? I don't know, either. Let's find out!
Author Ted Flanagan stops by the podcast to discuss his debut novel, Every Hidden Thing.
Ted Flanagan is a Paramedic and former daily newspaper reporter from central Massachusetts whose writing has appeared on Shotgun Honey and Cognoscenti, among other places. In addition, he served as a Recon Marine with 2nd Recon Battalion. He lives with his wife and kids outside of Worcester, Mass.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
was in Salida, Colorado for the Salida Writers Retreat when I was introduced to artist Carl Ortman. A day or two later we were podcasting.
Here's a bio I stole from the internet -
Carl Ortman's affinity for art began at an early age when he was accepted into Western Reserve Academy boarding school to study fine arts. And though his next step was to go to college, he knew from his initial moments there that he would not end up with his ideal life if he followed the predetermined degree outlines. He viewed college as a means to help sharpen who he was as an artist and person, not a place to follow a systematic course schedule en route to receipt of a degree. He proceeded to take an assortment of college classes dealing with psychology, design, and traditional art skills.
After he finished his formal education, he pursued career paths in graphic, interior, and conceptual design and fulfilled entrepreneurial interests by starting two businesses. Carl also sought out mentors and life coaches over the next several years in an effort to continue bettering who he was as both an artist and a human being. These people’s gracious efforts and time investments have forever molded and shaped his life. His background in art and psychology, through formal education and mentored apprenticeships, has helped to form the artist you see now.
In 2004, Carl had an epiphany that came when he found that he could couple all of his earlier pursuits into a single rewarding career by producing gallery quality art. The years since that breakthrough have demanded tremendous faith on his part that his work could succeed and that the path he took to follow his heart’s desire would be the right one. Looking back, Carl can honestly say with confidence that he made the right decision. His life has never been richer or fuller now that he has allowed himself to do what seems to be intrinsically a part of who he is.
Here's an Instagram feed
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
Are you exhausted? I'm exhausted, too.
But I still love you very much.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
My nephew Aidan joined me a day after his 18th birthday to talk about the state of the world, the future, and what the important things are in life.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
Erica Freas joins me on the podcast to discuss the one year anniversary of her album Young.
Full show notes, including links to Erica's music can be found over on my website - https://thebenleroy.com/the-ben-leroy-show/
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
After requesting audio clips celebrating the good in the world, I ended up getting more than I planned on getting. That's a good sign!
Last episode I shared a cross section of those comments. I received a lot of phone calls, text messages, and emails talking about how much it helped people feel close to others even when distant. That makes me really, really happy to hear.
Here's another batch of postcards from the people in my life.
I made a request on my website (thebenleroy.com) for people to submit recordings of themselves talking about the good in the world. I told them I would like to string everything together into one long podcast.
I figured I'd get movie and music recommendations. Books to read. New recipes.
What I got was different and I wasn't sure I was going to share it. But then I came to the conclusion that me sharing these intimate monologues is putting Good into the World. And wasn't that the point?
Can I go from famous French football goalie Benjamin Leroy to me in eight degrees of separation? Let's find out!
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
On this episode, we learn about the 200s by reading a few paragraphs on Wikipedia.
Fascinating!
Musician Anika Pyle (Chumped, Katie Ellen) joins me on the podcast to talk about growing up in Colorado, her musical projects, and her upcoming album, Wild River.
Full show notes, including links to videos, reviews, and Anika's Patreon can be found over on my website - https://thebenleroy.com/the-ben-leroy-show/
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
Guitarist Matt Harvey of We Lost the Sea joins me on the podcast to discuss the band, the process of creation, self-doubt, and how art helps us translate grief.
Over the last five years I’ve talked at great length about their album Departure Songson my blog, on Twitter, and with any music fan who will listen. It’s a spellbindingly layered album, both an instrumental masterpiece and an emotional battle. I routinely put it in my Top Five albums of all time list.
I don’t think I can adequately express how important this album and band have been to me over the last five years, but it was a privilege and an honor to talk with Matt. If you’re already familiar with the work, I hope this gives you more context. If you aren’t familiar with the work, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to familiarize yourself with it.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
I had dreams of doing some 2020 year in review recap show, but the fact is, I'm not up to it, and I don't think any of us are. I do, however, tell you my favorite book and album of the year and talk to you about my general thoughts about this year and next and my hope for the last 80% of this century.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
I tell the story of the time I thought I opened a portal to Hell by listening to one of my brother's albums. An event that occurred about the same time I saw the legendary Ox Baker on WTBS--a professional wrestler who was too violent for tv and was alleged (by some) to have killed two men in the ring.
Ready for Ronnie James Dio's "Holy Diver" and the consequences that follow?
You've come to the right place.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
I'm joined on the show by Paul J. Garth to talk about new reports discussing the old subject of unidentified craft. We talk about theories, implications, and Paul's thoughts about it all.
You can find Paul on Twitter (@pauljgarth).
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
In my slightly fraying bag of stories, I'm headed back to the fall of 2003 and my first trip to Los Angeles for the red carpet Hollywood premiere of a movie about werewolves and vampires.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
A few episodes back I told you the story of my only sip of alcohol. This is a story kinda like that, but different. It’s about the only time I ever did mushrooms.
Places visited include Oregon, London, and Amsterdam. Time period is 2006. The world was a simpler place. I was a simple kid. I was.
I am.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
I was inspired to try an experiment this evening. I was having a good day on Twitter and decided that I wanted to involve Twitter in a podcast so I asked people to hand over some topics so I could be a part of the conversation (via podcast). I took the first two topics suggested:
- Road Warriors
- From Parts Unknown
It was fun to see what my brain did to consider, adapt, and expound on the topics. Kept it short.
Definitely want to do this again in the future, so keep an eye on Twitter for your chance to give me a freestyle podcast subject.
As always, big thanks to Lauren Boyko for the intro music. Thanks to you for listening. If you’re not already subscribed to the podcast on every single platform, consider doing that in your downtime. If you’ve got additional free time, please feel free to leave a review.
Extra: At the end of the episode I thanked my friend Raven Mack for his topic suggestion of from parts unknown. I said if you didn’t know him, you should know him. Here’s a documentary about Raven.
We're living in uncertain times and I know that everything can feel overwhelming. But you aren't alone and you aren't powerless. There's a lot of work to be done, but there are a lot of us who can do it. Here's a reminder.
Brief episode in response to what will ultimately be a historical footnote, but is a train station of a wider and more necessary conversation about men feeling comfortable with telling their friends/family/humans that they love them.
Here's the jumping off point for today's discussion.
Here are some articles discussing the Tweet, its implications, and the broader subject of why the inability of men to express love for the people in their lives stunts growth, creates problems, and is something we should strive to honestly address.
Slate - https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/10/joe-biden-hunter-kiss-masculinity.html
MSNBC - https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/joe-biden-hunter-biden-photo-teachable-moment-fathers-masculinity-n1244438
Yahoo - https://money.yahoo.com/attacks-joe-biden-kissing-adult-205138964.html
No guests on today's show AND YET! I still figure out a way to talk for thirty minutes. This is a story I've told about a million times. It's about the only sip of alcohol I've ever had and how I ended up at a West Virginia birthday party.
Bonus content/show notes can be found on my website thebenleroy.com.
"It's The Ben LeRoy Show" theme song was written and performed by Lauren Boyko.
I'm joined on the podcast by author, musician, and friend Melissa Faliveno whose debut essay collection, Tomboyland, was released in August.
FROM THE PUBLISHER - In this intrepid debut essay collection, Melissa Faliveno traverses the liminal spaces of her childhood in working-class Wisconsin and the paths she’s traveled since, compelled by questions of girlhood and womanhood, queerness and class, and how the lands of our upbringing both define and complicate us even long after we’ve left. Part personal narrative, part cultural reportage, TOMBOYLAND navigates midwestern traditions, mythologies, landscapes, and lives to explore the intersections of identity and place. From F5 tornadoes and fast-pitch softball to gun culture, strange glacial terrains, kink party potlucks, and the question of motherhood, TOMBOYLAND asks curious and critical questions about belonging and the body, isolation and community, and what we mean when we use words like woman, family, and home.
“Faliveno’s dynamic essay collection inhabits the spaces in-between—male and female, Wisconsin and New York, personal and political, fear and desire—and probes the profound paradoxes of personhood.” —Oprah Magazine
BEST NEW BOOKS OF AUGUST 2020 —Vogue
www.melissafaliveno.com
Rock climber, author, and all-around good dude Peter Brown Hoffmeister joins me on the podcast to discuss the new documentary, Peter and the Columns (featuring Hans Florine).
Author John Vercher joins me to talk about his novel Three Fifths, the state of American unrest, the power of literature, and the necessity of hope.
Three Fifths is about a biracial black man, passing for white, who is forced to confront the lies of his past while facing the truth of his present. It's a story of secrets, identity, violence and obsession with a tragic conclusion that leaves all involved questioning the measure of a man, and was inspired by the author's own experiences with identity as a biracial man during his time as a student in Pittsburgh amidst the simmering racial tension produced by the L.A. Riots and the O.J. Simpson trial in the mid-nineties.
John Vercher is a writer currently living in the Philadelphia area with his wife and two sons. He holds a Bachelor's in English from the University of Pittsburgh and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Mountainview Master of Fine Arts program. His fiction has appeared on Akashic Books' Mondays are Murder and Fri-SciFi. and he is a contributing writer for Cognoscenti, the thoughts and opinions page of WBUR Boston. Two of his essays published there on race, identity, and parenting were picked up by NPR, and he has appeared on WBUR's Weekend Edition. His non-fiction has also appeared in Entropy Magazine. You can find him on his website www.johnvercherauthor.com and on Twitter at @jverch75.