Savage Wonder: Recent Episodes
Christopher Paul Meyer
Savage Wonder is a podcast about warriors and artists. It features long-form, one-on-one conversations with people who have a foot in both the world of the artist and the world of the warrior.
It is produced by the Veterans Repertory Theater, a creative hub for talented veterans and world-class performers to create compelling live theater and events.
Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.
Follow her here.
Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.
Follow her here.
Kimberly Evans is a federal law enforcement officer as well as being an up-and-coming poet, photographer and writer.
Follow her here.
Lois Hicks-Wozniak is an active concert saxophonist and educator in the New York Metropolitan and the Hudson Valley region, committed to community engagement through new music and Global Music styles. A D’Addario Woodwinds Artist, her many awards include winning the Special Presentation Winners Recital Series, sponsored by Artists International Presentations; earning her a New York Recital Debut at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall. She is described in performance as having “tremendous technique and fidelity to tone without sacrificing musical line,” and a “beautiful soprano saxophone sound...preserving the beauty and consistency of her sound regardless of the technical or musical demands of the moment” (Saxophone Symposium).
From 1996-2004 she served active duty in the U.S. Army as a saxophonist with the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, the West Point Saxophone Quartet and as a featured soloist at the World Saxophone Congress 2000 in Montreal, where she performed the Glazunov Concerto with the West Point Concert Band. She resigned her position in the Army to take on her most prized role as proud mom of four terrific children. (two sets of twins!)
She can be heard on her recording Playback: Music for Saxophone and Bass Trombone with Matthew Wozniak, bass trombone and Nadine Shank, piano and on the West Point Saxophone Quartet CD, Fault Lines. Her performances have been broadcast on New York public radio and she has an educational YouTube channel called “TheSaxophoneLady,” featuring frequent audition material for elementary and junior high students.
As a subscription series soloist with the New Jersey Wind Symphony, she presented the east coast premiere of the Concerto for Soprano Sax and Wind Ensemble by John Mackey. An artist-in-residence at Mississippi State University, she performed the Mississippi premiere of Dream Dancer for Alto Saxophone and Wind Ensemble by Michael Colgrass, and she has been a guest of the Ithaca College Saxophone Society. She served as principal saxophonist with the New Jersey Wind Symphony from 2005-2018, and has performed and recorded with the Albany Symphony; along with the Hudson Valley Philharmonic Orchestra, the Greater Newburgh Symphony, the Lawton Philharmonic, the Pone New Music Ensemble and the Dallas Wind Symphony, to include their recording, Fiesta! She maintains an active schedule as a performer and clinician, appearing as guest soloist with high school, university and community ensembles. As a freelance musician, she has shared the stage with diverse acts from Manhattan Transfer to Milton Berle. She has commissioned and championed many new works for saxophone.
With a passion for World Music, Ethnomusicology, and Diversity, she has studied South Asian Carnatic percussion and has recorded with Pat Waing master, Kyaw-Kyaw Naing and the first Burmese-American Hsiang Waing ensemble. She is a featured professor in the textbook, World Music Pedagogy Vol VII: Teaching World Music in Higher Education (Routledge 2020), holds a certification in Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy, and teaches classroom courses in Global Music Studies.
An advocate of new chamber music, she and her husband, Matt Wozniak, comprise the saxophone and bass trombone duo, The Wozniak Duo. During the 2020 pandemic, Lois and Matt created “Music Tells a Story,” a recorded local library program for children and care-givers featuring story-telling, enactive music involvement, global music and incorporation of new music. Championing new works for this unique ensemble, they have commissioned and premiered works by Kevin Ames, Rob Deemer, Zae Munn, Carter Pann, and Gregory Wanamaker, most recently presenting the world premiere of Zae Munn’s Gnashing of Teeth at the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, March 2020. They premiered Pann’s Duo for alto saxophone and bass trombone in 2011 in Washington D.C. at the Eastern Trombone Workshop and were featured performers at the International Trombone Association Conference, held at the Eastman School of Music in June 2014. Their CD, Playback, with Nadine Shank, piano, was released in 2015.
A featured soloist at the Caramoor Music Festival with the Westchester Symphonic Winds, she was also a guest soloist along with internationally acclaimed saxophonist, Kenneth Tse for the New Jersey Wind Symphony’s “Saxophone Spectacular.” Presenting a preview performance of David Kirkland Garner’s Concerto for soprano saxophone and wind ensemble,she gave encore performances of this tour de force at the 2014 New Jersey Music Educators Association Convention and the 2014 Association of Concert Bands Convention.
Currently an Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, Marist College and the State University of New York at New Paltz, she spent several summers as artist teaching faculty at the New England Music Camp and was a former visiting saxophone instructor at Susquehanna University. With studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy, the University of North Texas, Florida State University, and Montclair State University, her teachers include Dr. Frederick L. Hemke, Patrick Meighan, Debra Richtmeyer and Stacy Wilson.
Mitchel Coffman is a New York City-based artist. He is the son of a Vietnam-era veteran and is the longtime friends of several special operations folks. His 25 oil-on-canvas portraits of fallen Rangers are featured at the 75th Ranger Regiment Hall of Honor at Hunter Army Airfield and his newest exhibit is an immersive look at the GWOT, titled, "Wish You Were Here." He has painted murals in Maryland and New York, including pieces for the Brooklyn Diner in Times Square and the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visit him at MitchelCoffman.com.
Listen at https://profilesinhavok.captivate.fm or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch on YouTube at YouTube.com/@veteransrepertorytheater
The daughter of a veteran, Jean Ciampi is a playwright, freelance writer, humorist, Dramatists Guild of America member, passport holder, scuba diver, actress, baseball fan, director, Texan, humorist, dog lover and cilantro hater. She was mentored by Canadian playwright Sharon Pollock and is a member of the 2022 Kennedy Center Playwriting Intensive. Her latest farce, "Yazoo, Miss'ssippi" won the 2024 Robert J Pickering/JR Colbeck Award for Playwriting Excellence. Her other full-length plays and shorts have been produced internationally. She uses the Oxford comma indiscriminately and single spaces after periods. Her ten-minute play, "Unboxed" placed third in the latest VetRep playwriting competition.
Follow her here.
Dakota Silvey is a New York-based playwright, stage manager, wildland firefighter and U.S. Air Force Veteran. Recorded in-person at the Players in NYC, Dakota spoke about life as both a writer and an active participant in the profession of arms. His play INTERMISSION PLAY placed second in Veterans Repertory Theater's latest 10-minute playwriting competition.
Stephanie Kline is a playwright from Arlington, VA. She is a Marine Corps veteran, former Air Force dependent, and served as an Army civilian and defense contractor.
Her short plays have won multiple competitions and festival selections, including selection to the NYC Players’ Theatre 2021 Short Play Festival with a four-night, off-Broadway run of ‘Torture Chamber.’
Her first full-length stage play-in-progress, a drama about the military’s treatment of servicemembers with PTSD, was selected for the 2023 Chicago Dramatists’ Scene Showcase. Stephanie is a Dramatists Guild member and studied playwriting at the Kennedy Center, DC’s Shakespeare Theatre Company, and Chicago Dramatists.
Kat Furrow is a self-taught artist based in Carlsbad, California. She is a Navy veteran, a full-time student, and an art instructor with over a decade of experience. Drawing inspiration from her love of people and nature, Kat is passionate about her craft, utilizing bold colors and textures. She embraces an "Art Every Day, it’s a Mindset" philosophy, viewing her art as a metaphor for living life with curiosity and hope. As a "Trusted Art Seller" with the Art Storefronts Organization, she ensures quality and value in her work. Kat is open to commissions, special editions, and offers classes, embodying her belief in the transformative power of art.
Follow Kat here.
Dan Lauria has appeared as a guest star in over seventy television episodic programs and more than twenty Movie Of The Week productions plus a score of motion picture credits. Dan is a very familiar face to the off-off, and off-Broadway and regional theatre scene having performed, written or directed over 50 professional stage productions. In 2010/11 Dan was seen on Broadway as the legendary coach Vince Lombardi in LOMBARDI, with the beautiful and talented Judith Light playing Marie Lombardi. The production was directed by Thomas Kail (Hamilton). Dan returned to Broadway in the 2013 & the 2014 production of the Tony-nominated A CHRISTMAS STORY: The Musical directed by Tony winner John Rando. A published playwright, Dan’s DINNER WITH THE BOYS and JUST ANOTHER DAY have received many productions. However, Dan is most recognized as the Dad on the highly acclaimed, Emmy-winning ABC television show THE WONDER YEARS. Dan was most recently seen on the Fox TV show PITCH as manager Al Loungo and then joined the family of THIS IS US both series written by television’s most talented writer, Dan Fogelman. Dan and dear friend, the lovely and talented Wendie Malick have performed the play THE GUYS by Anne Nelson, for veteran & firemen organizations around the country. THE GUYS is a tribute to those brave men and women who died on 9/11. Wendie and Dan now do LOVE LETTERS as fundraising events for the development of new plays at regional theatres, and to save our planet and the animals that inhabit it. Dan is a Marine and Vietnam Veteran.
See Dan's JUST ANOTHER DAY in NYC this March!
Michael D. Fay is a former USMC Combat Artist with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Penn State Univeristy and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) and was a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993. Fay returned to service in the USMCR in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist. He is now retired from the Marine Corps. Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. His artwork has been published in Leatherneck Magazine—the official magazine of the Marine Corps Association—and the New York Times. The Guardian called his work "exceptionally moving and thought-provoking", and said, "Over the past decade, Fay has seen action as a war artist with US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but his latest journey was to a military veterans' hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In the resulting New York Times blogs, he relays his meetings with three young men severely wounded in Afghanistan. His account of their injuries and rehabilitation is gripping, but what really deepens the reporting are his drawings, reproduced alongside the articles."
Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. Fay also uses sculpture. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.
The child of a Ukrainian POW and US Air Force veteran, Michael Bard is an active musician, composer and teacher who resides near Washington, D.C. He has performed as a soloist and with various musical ensembles throughout the United States, Europe, Japan, North Africa, South America, Central America and the Middle East. He has also been featured on various radio and television programs around the world. He has served as Vice President of the Dayton Classical Guitar Society as well as Vice President of the Washington Guitar Society.
While pursuing graduate studies at Arizona State University, Tempe, Michael was awarded a full scholarship to study at l’Accademia “Ottocento” in Vigevano, Italy, a school which specializes in the classical guitar music of the 19th century. During that time he also participated in a concert tour of northern Italy and Switzerland.
Michael has also performed as rhythm guitarist for Higher Octave/Virgin recording artists Shahin and Sepehr with whom he has toured nationally and abroad. He also appeared on their fourth album “World Cafe” which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts and was featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
As a performer, Michael was chosen by the U.S. State Department to concertize throughout Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and the kingdom of Morocco with fellow guitarist Corey Whitehead. Billing themselves as ‘Douze Cordes’ Michael and Corey effectively served as cultural ambassadors, offering diplomacy through music. They were later invited to give more performances in Jordan and Kuwait on a second tour again sponsored by the U.S. State Department. More recently they embarked on an 11 city concert tour throughout the country of Chile, this time as a trio with vocalist Deborah Benner, Michael’s wife & musical partner.
Michael has performed for many luminaries and dignitaries including former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore as well as various members of royalty throughout the Middle East & South America.
His first recorded solo effort entitled ‘Illumination’ features original compositions for guitar and solo piano, blending a soothing mix of of Spanish, Latin, and adult contemporary instrumental styles. His composition ‘Mediterranean Beauty’ for two guitars is published by Lathkill Music Publishers, England.
He provided Spanish guitar accompaniment for The Choral Arts Society of Washington‘s award winning NAXOS recording “Celebrating Sacred Rhythms” featuring Ariel Ramirez’ “Misa Criolla” & “Navidad Nuestra.”
Michael currently performs & records with Washington D.C. based Latin Rumba-Flamenco group Trio Caliente, which has released 3 albums, performed nationally, and whose music was featured on NBC’s former hit TV show “Smash” as well as E! Entertainment Television Network.
Michael holds a Masters degree in music from Arizona State University, Tempe and a Bachelors degree in music from Wright State University, Dayton, OH.
Get tickets to Michael's Carnegie Hall concert on November 4, 2023.
Savage Wonder podcast, episode 87 with former NYPD detective and actor/singer Michael Devine. Mike, a native New Yorker, is an intrepid character actor recognized for his roles as Detective Paul O'Rourke on the Emmy-nominated "The Undoing" (HBO) and James Tech on "Limitless" (CBS). With various guest star appearances on network, streaming and pay cable television, he is no stranger to the camera. His work can also been seen on the big screen in dozens of A-List directed films such as The Wolf Of Wall Street, The Post, The Woman In The Window, Inside Man, etc.
When not working on set, Michael is in the recording studio. As an accomplished singer, Michael's first album, "Songs of Valor and Hope," hit #1 in four categories on Amazon. His second album, "Sentinels" has just been released.
Ivan F. Ingraham is a writer, speaker, and storyteller. He served 24-years in the United States Marine Corps, mostly in Special Operations. Ivan is the CEO of Golden Compass, LLC, a leadership consulting company.
Read Ivan's work at The War Horse, Task & Purpose, and Havok Journal.
Ivan's Amazon author page
Follow Ivan here
Poet, musician and former USMC combat veteran Benjamin Fortier has finally published his latest book PHANTOMS, covering his deployment to Iraq in '06-'07.
About the book, Sebastian Junger said, "Fortier’s poetry – can I even call it that? - seems to do the impossible: transfer the experience of combat directly into our psyches. PHANTOMS is stunning. If you have never been in combat, you will understand something new and important. And if you have – well, you don’t need to hear it from me. Just take a deep breath and open up the book."
Follow Ben here.
Poet, musician and former USMC combat veteran Benjamin Fortier has finally published his latest book PHANTOMS, covering his deployment to Iraq in '06-'07.
About the book, Sebastian Junger said, "Fortier’s poetry – can I even call it that? - seems to do the impossible: transfer the experience of combat directly into our psyches. PHANTOMS is stunning. If you have never been in combat, you will understand something new and important. And if you have – well, you don’t need to hear it from me. Just take a deep breath and open up the book."
Follow Ben here.
Mike Schropp is a visual artist, specializing in abstract painting and sculpture. Mike is a combat veteran, having deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan with the US Army. Our wide-ranging conversation touches on his artistic process, the unique circumstances of his marriage, his most eventful day in Afghanistan, his adjustment to civilian life, and the rugged independence he has claimed on his artistic journey. Mike was one of the first veteran artists I followed on IG. Yet it still took this long to get him on the show. His work is phenomenal and his personal story of wrong turns, false starts and dead ends culminates in absolutely magnificent artwork. My two cents, but seriously - buy his work before it goes out of your price range.
Follow Mike here.
Scott Cottrell is a retired US Army Colonel. His debut novel, When Chaos Reigns, is available now on pre-order and will be released on Kindle on August 8, 2023.
China, Russia, a powerful drug cartel, and a radical Islamic terrorist group form a secret cabal bent on shocking America and her global influence to its core while taking what they want across the globe. With the U.S. President facing impeachment on multiple counts and focused on securing a trade agreement with China without Senate approval, his actions put the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll at risk and ignite the tinderbox of the South China Sea.
Can the web of corruption and deceit created by enemies, foreign and domestic, be uncovered and destroyed in time to save the United States and Western civilization? So well documented in present-day fact,When Chaos Reigns seems too close to reality to be called fiction.
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Scott served for 29+ years in the U.S. Army in locations worldwide, including as Commander of the US Army Kwajalein Atoll/Kwajalein Missile Range, now the Reagan Test site. Scott has three master’s degrees, including a Master’s in Military Art and Science from the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies; and a Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College. Scott’s other military assignments included the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii; the Near East Project Office in Ovda, Israel, with the US Army Corps of Engineers; US Southern Command’s Engineer Directorate in Panama; XVIII Airborne Corps G3 Plans section in Fort Bragg, NC; US Space Command J5 Plans Section; and the US Central Command’s Engineer, which involved many trips to the Middle East. He is married to Peggy, with two children and eight grandchildren.
Follow him here.
Gina Herrera is a mixed-media artist residing in California. A 25-year veteran of the Navy, Army and Air Force, she received her BFA in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During her studies, she was deployed overseas in support of several war contingencies with the Armed Forces. Once her final tour was complete, she obtained her MFA in Studio Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Herrera has exhibited extensively throughout California and nationally. She has been privileged to receive recognition for her work through various grants and has been published in various media including Peacock TV and Hulu.
Follow her here.
Jason Kasper is the USA Today bestselling author of the Spider Heist, American Mercenary, and Shadow Strike thriller series. Before his writing career he served in the US Army, beginning as a Ranger private and ending as a Green Beret captain. Jason is a West Point graduate and a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and was an avid ultramarathon runner, skydiver, and BASE jumper, all of which inspire his fiction.
Follow Jason here.
Ryan Stovall is a former adventurer, world traveler, and Green Beret, twice decorated for valor and awarded two Purple Hearts. His poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction can be found in numerous anthologies and journals, and on his blog at ryanstovall.com. Having completed one Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree through Fairfield University in 2021, in 2022 he began taking classes towards a second MFA through Lesley University’s low-residency writing program. He recently finished a first draft of a fiction novel, and hopes to have it placed for publication within the next two years. Ryan, a University of Maine alumnus (class of 2018), lives in Phillips, Maine, with his wife and three kids. Black Snowflakes Smothering A Torch is his first book.
Elliot Ackerman is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. He is a contributing writer at The...
Jeff Bosley is a film and television actor with extensive background and training originating on the stage where he was nominated, and won, many awards and accolades including the Theatre Recognition Award, the Theatre Service Award and 2 nominations for Best Actor.
During his years in theatre performing on stage Jeff's studies focused on The Meisner Technique. As he transitioned to film & television his education expanded to Stanislavski's 'Method' while studying for nearly 5 years at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Conservatory. He continues to train and study at Strasberg, the American Film Institute, the SAG-AFTRA Conservatory and multiple studios in the Los Angeles area.
His current work and projects have earned him major roles transporting him to international movie sets and Cannes Film Festival Screenings. His indie feature film 'Parallax' (which he starred in and produced) has been making the festival rounds for the last several years with 11 awards as of December 2021- including multiple winners of Best Actor, Best Producer, Best Short Film and Best Thriller.
Proud theatre geek turned Army Special Forces Green Beret, turned 'Medal of Valor'-earning firefighter and now back to actor, Jeff puts in every ounce of life experience he can which translates to all he does on screen as an actor and behind the camera as a producer.
As a musician, Tyron McFarlan was almost signed to two major record labels before each opportunity was derailed. As an actor, Ty McFarlan appeared on Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill Drop Dead Diva, and Army Wives and in addition to many other commercial and TV appearances. But Ty may be best known as the 34th Ringmaster of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus.
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Ty was the son of a career Army warrant officer who went on to became the first black state trooper in South Carolina. Ty himself served 13 years in the Army National Guard rising to the rank of Captain in the Ordnance branch.
Master Sergeant Corban Lundborg is currently serving in the Air Force Reserve as a combat photojournalist at the 4th Combat Camera Squadron based out of Charleston, South Carolina. Corban is one of the unit's designated aerial photographers, working as fully qualified aircrew. The unit supports the Department of Defense with frontline imagery in combat, aerial and humanitarian environments. Corban's photojournalism work has been recognized around the world. He earned the title "Air Force Photographer of the Year" in the 2018 media awards and won first place at the 2022 international Best Combat Camera Competition.
Corban is now living in Atlanta, Georgia where he creates full time, working on a variety of projects in different mediums, from painting to woodworking. He also leads a creative agency with his wife called CALM Collective, where he works as a creative director and cinematographer. His camera work has attracted top companies and non-profits from around the country, who have hired him as a director of photography on national ad campaigns and commercials. Moving forward, Corban's dream is to use his creative gifts to serve others and Christ.
Corban's website
Larry Freeland is the author of historical fiction novels Chariots in the Sky and the Patriarch, the first part of the Legacy of Honor trilogy.
Larry was born in Canton, Ohio. Since his father was an officer with the United States Air Force he grew up on many Air Force bases across this country. After graduating from High School at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico, he attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in mathematics and a concentration in finance. He joined the U.S. Army and served one tour in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division as an Infantry Officer and a CH-47 helicopter pilot. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Air Medal, with 10 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star, and various other military service medals.
Upon release from active duty in 1973, Larry returned to civilian life and pursued a career in the Financial Industry. During his professional career, he continued his education earning graduate degrees in Management and Banking. He worked for 29 years in the banking business with Trust Company of Georgia, Citizen and Southern Corporation, now Bank of America, and Wachovia, now Wells Fargo. After retiring from banking he worked as an independent financial consultant for 3 years in the Atlanta area and then worked as an instructor for 6 years with Lanier Technical College in their Management and Leadership Development Program.
Larry is now retired and lives in North Georgia with his wife Linda, a retired school teacher. They stay involved in various activities, most notably those associated with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Veterans related organizations. They also enjoy traveling together and spending as much time as possible with their two daughters, three grandsons, and two granddaughters.
Michael Jerome Plunkett served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve. After working in the financial industry for Fidelity Investments and Morgan Stanley for several years he began pursuing fiction writing and acquired his MFA at College of Charleston. He currently works as an EMT. His writing has been published by Coffee of Die (Black Rifle Coffee), Dead Reckoning Collective, and The Havok Journal.
Lit of War
Savage Wonder podcast, episode 73 with Navy veteran Logan Vath. Logan is an award-winning singer/songwriter from Norfolk, Virginia. A Midwest native, he has established himself as a biographical lyricist who finds balance in intricate phrasing and a simple, genuine connection to his audience. His songs have found themselves on Spotify's "Roots on the Rise" and "Fresh Folk" playlists, as well as Apple Music's "Breaking Singer/Songwriter."
You can see him live at VetRep's performance of Savage WonderGround: Three Strangers at @principlegallery on April 13 at 6pm (savagewonder.com)
Michael D. Fay is a former USMC Combat Artist with multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mike enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and was discharged in 1978 as an 81 mm mortarman (MOS 0341). In 1978, he returned to Penn State Univeristy and graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education. In 1983, re-enlisted into the Marines and served as an avionics technician (MOS 6322) in the Presidential Helicopter Squadron (HMX-1) and Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 365 (HMM-365) until 1993. Fay served a tour on recruiting duty (MOS 8411) and was a recruiter of the year for 1989 and 1990. He left active duty at the end of September 1993. Fay returned to service in the USMCR in January 2000. He was assigned as an official combat artist. He is now retired from the Marine Corps. Fay's artwork is in the Marine Corps Combat Art collection, the National Museum of the Marine Corps and the collection of the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Fay has also had solo exhibitions at the Farnsworth Museum, where he was the target of a protest group. His artwork has been published in Leatherneck Magazine—the official magazine of the Marine Corps Association—and the New York Times. The Guardian called his work "exceptionally moving and thought-provoking", and said, "Over the past decade, Fay has seen action as a war artist with US troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but his latest journey was to a military veterans' hospital in Richmond, Virginia. In the resulting New York Times blogs, he relays his meetings with three young men severely wounded in Afghanistan. His account of their injuries and rehabilitation is gripping, but what really deepens the reporting are his drawings, reproduced alongside the articles."
Fay has also recorded wounded veterans recovering from their injuries. As part of this work he founded the Joe Bonham Project to document the experiences of the wounded. After retirement, Fay campaigned for enhanced recognition and improved working opportunities for war artists. Fay also uses sculpture. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration; his thesis was called The Boy Who Drew Soldiers.
A Coast Guard veteran and native of Long Beach, California, Reagan Pettigrew found his love for reading and writing while in the military. After his discharge, he began a new life on the road that took him from America to Europe. Suicide In Slow Motion is his breakout novel.
From Long Beach, California to the mountains of the Pyrenees in northern Spain, Suicide In Slow Motion takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through Tristan’s eyes, while confronting the horrors of PTSD and delving into the philosophy of self-destruction. It also seeks to answer the question that many veterans ask once they leave the military... what the hell do I do now.
Charles McCaffrey is a Navy Veteran with over 35 years of military, government contracting and small business experience; and is a serial entrepreneur, instructor, mentor and ardent supporter of the military community. Charles serves as the Director of the Veterans Career Program (VCP) at Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) that provides FREE employment support and vocational counseling assistance to ALL veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, and caregivers. Prior to joining PVA in October 2021, he served as the Executive Director of Eastern Market Main Street (EMMS), a nonprofit, and designated DC Main Streets program, dedicated to fostering a collaborative, connected, and competitive business community in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, DC.
He was on the staff at George Mason University’s Community Business Partnership; and served as Director of the Business Incubation Center (2012-2013) and Director of the South Fairfax Small Business Development Center (2013-2015) before founding and serving as the Director of the Veterans Business Outreach Center for the Mid-Atlantic region from 2015 to 2019. The Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) program (a program of the Small Business Administration) is designed to provide entrepreneurial development services such as business training, counseling, and resource partner referrals to transitioning service members, veterans, National Guard & Reserve members, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. In 2016, he was named Boots to Business Instructor of the Year; and in 2018, the VBOC at Community Business Partnership was named the Veteran Business Center of Excellence by the Small Business Administration.
Charles is also active in the broader community; serving as a learning lab partner for the Dog Tag, Inc., Fellows program. He is also an avid storyteller, writer and artist; and has been a mentor with the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP).
Charles told his first story on stage in 2017 as a graduate of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP) Storytelling 101 class; and has since gone on to perform at ASAP’s Service to Stage performance (DC Improv in 2018), Story District’s annual OutSpoken show (9:30 Club in 2019), and Story District’s TopShelf performance (Lincoln Theater in 2020). His first short story (fiction), “Dancing in the Dark,” will be published in a special literary issue of the Journal of Veterans Studies in Spring 2023.
Kacy Tellesen was born in Spokane and raised in Spangle, Washington, a small farming community that clings to the edge of the Palouse. Kacy joined the Marine Corps infantry directly out of high school and deployed twice to Iraq as an Infantry machine gunner with Second Battalion, Third Marines from 2005-2009. He lives in Spangle, Washington with his wife and two children and is currently pursuing a Juris Doctor at Gonzaga University School of Law.
Kacy's debut memoir, Freaks of a Feather, has been reviewed and excerpted by Task & Purpose, The War Horse, The Big Smoke, KHQ, and others. Previously, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Zero-Dark-Thirty literary journal, as well as the SOFLETE website.
Ben Cantwell is a USMC veteran, firefighter and artist from Northern California. His original work reflects his experience as an infantry veteran. Featuring an array of styles, moods and themes, Cantwell’s work is available on custom shirts, playing cards, patches and more.
See it here.
Francisco is a product of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and serves as an editor and contributing writer to Panorama: The Journal of Intelligent Travel. He is an Into the Fire writing retreat scholarship recipient, and a Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Fellow. He is a product of the Writers Guild Foundation Veterans Writing Project, and the Veteran’s Summer Writing Intensive at Marlboro College sponsored by Words After War. He also participates in a Veterans Playwriting Workshop, created by the Theatre Communications Group as part of their Veterans & Theatre Institute, at the La Jolla Playhouse.
Francisco’s work has been featured inThe Line Literary Review, Hippocampus Magazine, Iron & Air (Issue 41), Wrath-Bearing Tree, Consequence, BULL, Hobart, Construction Literary Magazine, Split Lip, The War Horse, River Teeth: Beautiful Things, Collateral Journal, and the Dominican Writer’s Association. He is also a contributing co-editor in the second volume of the Incoming series Sex, Drugs, and Copenhagen.
Denis Meadows has been plying the craft of playwriting for a long time, encouraged along the way by the likes of Lloyd Richards, Austin Pendleton, Zoe Caldwell, Audrey Wood, Bill Irwin and Robert Ganz. His play A BRUSH AGAINST THE INDIFFERENCE OF THE UNIVERSE placed second (out of over 200 submissions) in VetRep's latest 10-minute playwriting competition.
David M. Stamps has developed a play entitled, “The Black Bullet Dichotomy.” It placed as a Finalist in the Arts in the Armed Forces Competition. As well as, Finalist in The Writer’s Guild Foundation, a non-profit affiliated with The Writer’s Guild of America Veteran’s Writing Program.
As a Writer/Producer, through his production company, SPOKEN WORLD ENTERTAINMENT, he wrote, produced, performed, and marketed his perennial Spoken Word Film, “The Deadly Ms. Susan Aside.” His latest Spoken Word song, “The Night-Mare” is available here.
David has taken classes through (TRU) Theater Resources Unlimited. He has taken The Producer Development and Mentoring Program (PDMP and PDMP PLUS), developed to help self-producing artists to advance in the creative arts.
As a teenager, David hosted, produced, and wrote for a segment on the legendary FRANKIE CROCKER RADIO SHOW on WBLS. His segment increased the show’s listenership by over 3 million, over the course of 18 months. An iconic voice during “The Golden Age of Hip-Hop” in 1982, he was a trailblazer and Master Storyteller. He was also one of the original producers for Def Poetry Jam.
Stamps is the Artist-In-Residence, for Senator Leroy Comrie’s Veteran’s Advisory Board, in St. Albans, Queens. He performs his poetry at events for Homeless Veterans and fundraisers on the Senator’s behalf.
Arianna Rose is a professional Playwright, Musical Theatre Writer, Dramaturg, Visual Artist and Educator. She is the recipient of the MAC Song of the Year Award, the York Theatre NEO Award, and various best play/playwright awards from Theatre Odyssey, Tree City Playhouse, Mixing It Up Productions, the Know Theatre, Studio 1 Theatre, South Baldwin Theatre, Veterans Repertory Theatre and Clocktower Theatre Company. Her plays and musicals have been presented to date in twenty-seven states and seven countries. She was selected 4 years in a row for Theatre Lab at FAU’s New Works Festival readings, 3 years in a row for Theatre Three’s One-Act Play Festival, and selected twice for Theatre Odyssey’s Ten-Minute Play Festival, winning best play there for FAMILY BY NUMBERS. Arianna was a 2020 finalist for the Edward Kleban Lyric Writing Award. She was one of the three finalists for the 2020 Kenneth Branagh Award for New Drama Writing in the UK, which included a production of her one-act version of Touch The Moon at The Windsor Fringe Festival.
Arianna was one of four playwrights selected for the 2019-2021 Miami-Dade County Council of Cultural Affairs Playwright Development Program, moderated by Kia Corthron. Two of her full-length plays developed in the program have gone on to have readings and workshops across the country and awarded finalist status in many playwriting competitions. She was a 2022 participant in the Kennedy Center Playwrights Intensive and the William Inge Theatre Festival Playlab.
Edge Media Network lauded Ms. Rose’s play FAMILY BY NUMBERS, calling it “One of the best plays” with a “powerfully haunting conclusion”. The world premiere was at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, NY in April 2019 with more than 20 productions across the country. It’s been selected twice for Columbia University’s Narrative Medicine Program. It is published in the 2021 Smith & Kraus Anthology of Best 10-Minute Plays and Theatre Odyssey Best Plays Anthology, joining her other winning play SEX, LIES & STYROFOAM. Arianna also has monologues published in Applause Books “Best New Monologue Anthologies “ 2019 and 2020.
Full-length plays: TOUCH THE MOON. Selected by HRC Showcase Theater New Works Festival and Fantasy Theatre Factory’s New Year, New Works Series for staged readings in 2021-2022. Semi-finalist, Garry Marshall Theatre New Works Festival 2020; Honorable Mention, Panndora’s Box 2020 New Play Festival. A one-act version was produced at the 2020 Windsor Fringe Festival UK, The Know Theatre 2019, and selected for the William Inge Theatre Festival New Play Lab 2020.
THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION has been developed at the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council PLAYWRIGHT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. It was one of five plays selected nationwide for the 2021 Finstrom Festival of New Plays at Zoetic Stage in Miami Florida. Readings followed at the Sandrell Rivers Theatre in Miami. The Playwrights Center in Minneapolis held a workshop and reading of the piece in June 2022, followed by a zoom reading by VS Theatre Company in Los Angeles.
Full-length musicals: THE LOST GIRL musical, written with Jonathan Larson and Fred Ebb award winner Ben Bonnema, was selected for the Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival, Viterbo New Works Festival, NYU Steinhardt’s School of Music, the year-long CDP workshop, the 2021 Florida Festival of New Musicals, and JetFest 2022 in Michigan . It is regularly featured on Musical Theatre Radio. A musical version of her play THE EQUIVALENT OF SENSATION entitled A COLLECTIBLE SENSATION is in development with director Clayton Phillips and composer Amy Engelhardt. A CHANGE OF HEART is currently in development with composer Tom Sivak.
Arianna is an Adjunct Theatre Professor at Broward College and was awarded Adjunct Professor of the Year for 2022-2023. M.F.A., NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program; B.A. in Theatre from Bucknell University; BMI-Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Writing Workshop. A proud member of ASCAP, Literary Managers & Dramaturges of the Americas, Musicians Local 802, SEIU, New Play Exchange, The South Florida Theatre League, and the Dramatists Guild of America, where she has served as Regional Ambassador since 2020. She is the founder and moderator of the Plays on Purpose/Miami New Musicals weekly writers group.
A native New Yorker, Arianna moved to South Florida in 2016 and has been making a name for herself in the vibrant South Florida Theatre community.
Deborah Yarchun is a New Jersey-born, Air Force-raised, and Austin-rooted playwright; her plays are just as geographically discombobulated. She’s currently LA/NYC-based. Her plays have been produced and/or developed at Ensemble Studio Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, The Civilians’ R&D Group, Capital Rep, The New Harmony Project, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, Amphibian Stage Productions, The Great Plains Theater Conference, Jewish Ensemble Theater, The Playwrights’ Center, Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre, TheatreSquared’s Arkansas New Play Festival, the William Inge Center for the Arts, Jewish Plays Project, the Minnesota Fringe, Minnesota Jewish Theatre Company, Northern Stage, the Philadelphia Fringe, The Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, Playwrights Horizons’ Peter Jay Sharp Theater by Young Playwrights Inc., Williams Street Rep, and at theaters and universities across the United States and in Canada.
Deborah’s honors include two Jerome Fellowships at The Playwrights’ Center, a Dramatists Guild Foundation Fellowship, an EST/Sloan Commission, Dartmouth’s Neukom Literary Arts Award for Playwriting, The Kennedy Center’s Jean Kennedy Smith Playwriting Award, the Kernodle New Play Award, the Richard Maibaum Playwriting Award, and Women in the Arts & Media Coalition’s Collaboration Award. Her play GREAT WHITE was an Honorable Mention for the Relentless Award and her play ATLAS, THE LONELY GIBBON was a finalist for the 2021 National Playwrights Conference. Deborah is a 2021-2024 Core Writer at The Playwrights’ Center and a New Georges Affiliated Artist. She earned her M.F.A. from the University of Iowa where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow.
Deborah is the winner of VetRep’s latest full-length playwriting competition for her play TECTONIC MELANGE. Her play THE CALM BEFORE is currently in development with VetRep.
Mike Reynolds is an active duty Marine and Marine Corps Combat Artist. With roots at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA while attending some very basic elective art classes; following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, he left college and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. As an Ammunition Technician he has been assigned to 10th Marine Regiment, 8th Marine Regiment, and Combat Logistics Regi
ment-35. As a Chief Warrant Officer, he has served with 3rd Supply Battalion, Marine Corps Systems Command, Marine Corps Base Quantico, and as an LDO he currently serves with Marine Forces Special Operations Command. A veteran of OIF, OEF, and OIR he has done his share of creating unit t-shirts and coins, but took a more focused approach to creating artwork in recent years.
“A few years after transitioning to the Warrant Officer ranks, I volunteered to assist the annual Warrant Officer Basic Course at Quantico, Virginia. I was was teamed with Staff Platoon Commander and Marine Corps Combat Artist, Captain Charles “CJ” Baumann where I rediscovered my passion for art in working with him and studying his work.”
Mike's passion for creating artwork stems from the idea that art should tell a story, and the stories of the GWOT demand to be told.
Check out Mike’s work here.
Steve Callahan is a writer, a poet and a former Marine infantryman. Bursting with creative efforts, Steve runs a poetry site, podcast, and is heavily involved in PB Abbate. As someone who separated from the Corps this past February, Steve’s writing about the Marines, his deployment to Helmand and the psychological peaks and valleys of an infantryman’s life feels very fresh and relevant. In fact, I find that Steve writes about the Marines in a very post-breakup sort of way – a kind of writing loaded with raw, tender-to-the-touch emotions. This is somewhat by design. Steve was a writer from an early age. Much like Jack Kerouac or George Orwell, Steve felt an innate compulsion to shuck the comfortable malaise of young writer for the constant discontent of an adventurer. In Steve’s case, that meant joining the Marine Corps. After a somewhat fulfilling, somewhat demoralizing six year stint, Steve now finds himself tackling his novel, his poetry and short stories with a renewed perspective and a greater understanding of humanity at the extremes. This was an incredibly enjoyable chat with a true artist whose stroll down a warrior’s path has left him a far more interesting writer and thinker.
Angelo T. Robinson is an interdisciplinary artist and photographer who lives and works out of Senoia, GA. A self-taught artist, he joined the US Navy in 1992, where he served ten years active duty and four years in the Naval Reserves as a Seabee. Traveling to locales such as Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Africa, France, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Egypt, the Virgin Islands, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates greatly influenced Angelo’s approach to art. The vibrancy, diverse richness and simple beauty of the cultures he experienced are shown throughout his work.
His work exudes a level of spirituality and an organic connection with the human condition. This reflects his experiences growing up as the son and grandson of preachers. Angelo’s creations invite the viewer to participate in a physical, mental or spiritual dialogue with what they experience. Deep vibrant abstracts, joyous colorful mixed-media portraits, and majestic sports pieces are brought to life using vivid colors and bold compositions.
Yellowtub Creative
Don’t listen to this week’s episode. Seriously.
We wanted to do a cool, year-end episode to talk about the highs and lows of VetRep’s first calendar year - and we did that. Star, Dex, and Lilla were great - funny, moving, poignant even - but, well, it just sucks to do a four-person Zoom podcast. Everyone’s muted when they’re not talking so you don’t hear the laughing or crosstalk that makes it seem like, well, four people talking. Instead it sounds like we’re each in our own little pods speaking in isolation. I was dangerously close to scrapping the whole thing. But I didn’t. There are some wonderful memories that are worth sharing and remembering. Hopefully those will outweigh the technical blahs. But if you haven’t listened before - don’t let this be your first episode. We’re so much better than this. Have I undersold the episode enough?
Thanks to everyone who has listened this year, not to mention our outstanding guests. It’s been a privilege to bring you the stories of so many veteran artists. We can’t wait do it again next year.
Happy New Year everyone!
The son of a WWII combat veteran, Fred Graver is an American television comedy writer, producer, and network executive.
Fred was co-editor-in-chief of National Lampoon along with Sean Kelly, under the pseudonym L. Dennis Plunkett. He left the Lampoon in 1984 to join Late Night with David Letterman, where he worked as a writer until 1990. While at Letterman, he wrote several unproduced screenplays with Kevin Curran (who also edited National Lampoon).
In 1990, Graver worked for Norman Lear's production company Tandem Productions. He left a year later to join the staff of In Living Color, where he worked until 1992, when he joined the staff of Cheers as a writer and eventual co-producer.
In 1994, the Northridge earthquake convinced Graver and good friend Charlie Rubin to return to New York, where the two wrote for The Jon Stewart Show.
In 1995, Graver leapt into the internet as executive producer of convergence programming Disney and ABC Cable. In 1999, he began work as an executive at MTV Networks and VH1, where he joined their MTV Networks Online division as head of VH1.com and Sonicnet.com. He then went into television programming as the head of VH1, and created the show Best Week Ever. In 2010, Fred was named SVP of Programming for the Travel Channel. In 2012, Graver joined Twitter as Creative Director of Media Partnerships.
Most recently, Fred served as Chief Judge of VetRep’s playwrighting competition.
Follow Fred here.
Army combat veteran Christopher Soucy is an actor, puppeteer, director, screenwriter, and playwright living in Savannah, Georgia. He has been writing for stage and screen for over 20 years.
Read some of Chris' poetry on the Savage Wonder literary blog here.
Chris tweets here.
Follow Chris here.
Chris Sparks is an Army veteran who could speak Arabic, a former police officer and current stand-up comic. More than that, he's an incredibly affable, humble, intelligent and ambitious guy. His documentary Thank Me for My Service: A Veteran’s Cry for Help is a tough watch. It is tough technically – intentionally – and it is tough because of its subject matter – which is Chris himself. The film captures a two-day period this past August when Chris finds himself in a manic state due to the meddling and persistent worrying of his family. Their worry is not without cause – Chris has a TBI and is bi-polar. But Chris’ focus is on developing his one-man live show (of Thank Me For My Service) and he needs a few days of isolation to develop it, but instead has to navigate psychiatrist appointments and arguments. It should be the stuff of comedy – especially since Chris is a stand-up comic. It screams for the irreverence of Jack Nicholson or the fevered outbursts of a young Michael Keaton. Chris opts to take it all at face value and seriously – which seems very reasonable considering that the events of the film are still so fresh and raw in his mind. If comedy is tragedy plus time, the film needs time. That said, it is undoubtably raw, poignant and memorable, a worthy addition to the conversation about PTS, suicide prevention and the treatment of veterans in the healthcare system. With time and distance from these events, I think there is comedic gold in Chris' life and experiences. But Chris is just getting started. I think his next steps will be ones to watch, and I, for one, can't wait to see what they are.
Nicholas Efstathiou is a US Army veteran. He writes horror, paranormal, and strange fiction. He has worked as a bookmobile driver, a librarian, a trashman, a bookseller, and now as a teacher. He has also ghostwritten dozens of popular books. His writing @crossmassachusetts is not for the faint of heart.
Kristopher Battles is a contemporary fine artist creating artworks in a variety of media which honor the highest traditions of representational art.
Battles graduated with a BFA in Painting from Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman State University) in December 1991, and earned his MFA in Illustration from the University of Hartford in September 2013.
Originally serving as a Marine Reservist from 1986 until 1996, Battles became a Marine combat artist after reenlisting in 2006, and deployed to Overseas Contingency Operations several times to create art for the United States Marine Corps, serving in that billet until 2014.
From 2014 until 2019, Battles served as a civilian combat artist for the Naval History and Heritage Command at the Navy Yard in Washington, DC. Battles is currently the Marine Corps Artist in Residence, on staff at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA.
His work has been featured in publications and art venues across the country, including the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museumin Washington, D.C. as a part of the art show “Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation 1912-2012” from January 2012 through January 2013.
Battles’ work was featured on the cover of Leatherneck magazine, March 2008, December 2009, and August 2020. His illustrations for the “Sharing the Courage” series were featured in Marines magazine, Oct/Nov/Dec 2009, and ina Marine Corps Times article “Heroics illustrated, comic-book style” by James K Sanborn, March 22nd, 2010.
Battles was featured in the New York Times Arts & Leisure section on July 18th, 2010, in an article by Carol Kino entitled, “With Sketchpads and Guns, Semper Fi”.
Battles has been invited to be a guest speaker and artist for many events and organizations. He was featured at USS Constitution Museum, Boston, MA during Marine Week in May, 2010, and his work was also on display May 5th 2010 in the John F. Kennedy School of Government for Harvard University. Battles was also guest speaker at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, January 28th 2011, and was forum speaker at The Army and The Navy Club in Washington, DC March 2nd, 2011.
Battles was featured in ABC ‘s “Persons of the Week: Combat Artists” with Charlie Gibson, September 2007, along with fellow combat artist and Hartford MFA alumnus Michael Fay, and combat artists Charles Grow and Col Charles Waterhouse.
Battles is a 2008 and 2010 recipient of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s John W. Thomason Award for excellence in combat art, and the 2010 and 2011 recipient of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondence Association’s Merit Award for Combat Art.
Follow the Marine Corps Combat Art Program here
Follow Kris here
Stephen Camelio is a screenwriter and son of a Vietnam veteran who died from complications due to Agent Orange. Stephen's first film is Mending the Line, the story of a Marine returning from Afghanistan who finds mental health through fly fishing. Previously, Stephen was a freelance writer and former editor at In Style magazine. His work has appeared in books and countless publications including ESPN The Magazine, Field & Stream, Entertainment Weekly and Men's Journal. Having been a long-time contributor of reviews to Publisher's Weekly, he's adapting books about the Vietnam War and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone into TV/film projects. He's also developing a script about being a founding member of the Scorpions, the world's manliest book club. A graduate of Villanova University with masters degrees from NYU and Queens University in Belfast, he lives in Montana, where he fishes, hunts and plays princesses with his two young daughters.
Follow Stephen here
Stephen Camelio is a screenwriter and son of a Vietnam veteran who died from complications due to Agent Orange. Stephen's first film is Mending the Line, the story of a Marine returning from Afghanistan who finds mental health through fly fishing. Previously, Stephen was a freelance writer and former editor at In Style magazine. His work has appeared in books and countless publications including ESPN The Magazine, Field & Stream, Entertainment Weekly and Men's Journal. Having been a long-time contributor of reviews to Publisher's Weekly, he's adapting books about the Vietnam War and the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone into TV/film projects. He's also developing a script about being a founding member of the Scorpions, the world's manliest book club. A graduate of Villanova University with masters degrees from NYU and Queens University in Belfast, he lives in Montana, where he fishes, hunts and plays princesses with his two young daughters.
Follow Stephen here
A Seattle-based playwright, photographer and novelist, https://www.davidtuckerphotography.com/ (David A. Tucker II) has had several of his plays produced and/or developed at theaters across the nation, including Seattle Repertory Theatre, Abingdon Theater Co., ACT, Tacoma Actors Guild, and Foothill Theater Co. His theatrical works include The Nude, Persistence of Vision, Another Day in Baghdad (about his military experiences in Iraq), Under the Skin and North Wind Blowin’, a play with music. David received 2016 GAP funding for Smoke, a project where he interviews, photographs and videotapes members of Ebola burial teams as well as medical personnel who combatted the disease, an Ebola survivor, and staff on the Dead Body Management Teams in Liberia. His intent is to capture this challenging time in West African history by creating a theatrical work that weaves not only dialogue based upon these interviews, but also black and white photographs and video footage of the Liberian people and the locations in which these events took place. David has also been creating fine art and documentary photographs since 1980. His photographic series, The Human Landscape, explores the human figure in studio and natural environments. In 1995 he began DANCEWORKS, collaborating with ballet and modern dancers to capture the transitory beauty of dancers in motion. He continues to explore and add new images to each photographic series. The images in DEPLOYED: Haiti, Kosovo, Iraq were taken from 1994 - 2004 while a member of the U.S. Army. Tucker has exhibited and sold his photographs at a number of galleries and museums throughout the nation, including the Springfield Art Museum, Blue Sky Gallery, Photographic Center NW, M.I.A. Gallery, New York Center for Photography, Lightbox Photography Gallery, the DeMatteis Gallery, Silver Image Gallery, PhotoZone Gallery, Lumina Gallery and Photography West Gallery. His works may be found in several private collections. As both a fine art and journalism photographer, his images have been published in numerous publications including Black & White Magazine, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register, The Seattle Times, American Theatre Magazine, Dramatics Magazine, InTheatre Magazine, and the book, "Theater in America."
https://www.instagram.com/james_henry44/ (James David Henry) is an Army Ranger and combat veteran turned actor, playwright and screenwriter. He graduated from NYU's Grad Acting Program in 2021. James will appear as one of the two leads in the upcoming feature film Sirens as well as Gareth Edwards' science fiction blockbuster True Love, releasing in 2023. Follow him https://www.jamesdavidhenry.com/jamesdavidhenry (here).
As the Producing Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jon Jory directed over 125 plays and produced over 1,000 during his 32-year tenure. He conceived the internationally lauded Humana Festival of New American Plays, the SHORTS Festival, and the Brown-Forman Classics-in-Context Festival. He was also the Artistic Founding Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, and he has been inducted in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame. Mr. Jory has directed professionally in nine nations, and in the United States has directed productions at many regional theatres including Washington's Arena Stage, San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, Hartford Stage, the McCarter in Princeton, Guthrie Theatre, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has received the National Theatre Conference Award and ATA Distinguished Career Award. For his commitment to new plays, he has received the Margo Jones Award twice, the Shubert Foundation's James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, Carnegie Mellon's Commitment to Playwriting Award, and the Special Tony Award for Achievement in Regional Theatre. He currently teaches acting and directing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
As the Producing Director at Actors Theatre of Louisville, Jon Jory directed over 125 plays and produced over 1,000 during his 32-year tenure. He conceived the internationally lauded Humana Festival of New American Plays, the SHORTS Festival, and the Brown-Forman Classics-in-Context Festival. He was also the Artistic Founding Director of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, and he has been inducted in New York's Theatre Hall of Fame. Mr. Jory has directed professionally in nine nations, and in the United States has directed productions at many regional theatres including Washington's Arena Stage, San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre, Hartford Stage, the McCarter in Princeton, Guthrie Theatre, and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has received the National Theatre Conference Award and ATA Distinguished Career Award. For his commitment to new plays, he has received the Margo Jones Award twice, the Shubert Foundation's James N. Vaughan Memorial Award for Exceptional Achievement and Contribution to the Development of Professional Theatre, Carnegie Mellon's Commitment to Playwriting Award, and the Special Tony Award for Achievement in Regional Theatre. He currently teaches acting and directing at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvFFDCJmAZ/ (Josh Francis) is a Marine veteran who is now a stand-up comic working across the US. A former writer at VET TV, Josh was raised with heavy comedic influences in his life. He embodies not only the flexibility and adaptability of the functional veteran, but the entrepreneurial spirit and discipline necessary to succeed as a comic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvFFDCJmAZ/ (Josh Francis) is a Marine veteran who is now a stand-up comic working across the US. A former writer at VET TV, Josh was raised with heavy comedic influences in his life. He embodies not only the flexibility and adaptability of the functional veteran, but the entrepreneurial spirit and discipline necessary to succeed as a comic.
Matt Smythe is a staff writer for Free Range American. He hails from the Finger Lakes region of western New York. An Army veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, Matt suffers from an inability to sit still. If he’s not in the woods, or on the water, he’s scheming ways to get there. His work has appeared in https://www.grayssportingjournal.com/ (Gray’s Sporting Journal), the https://www.theflyfishjournal.com/ (Fly Fish Journal), https://drakemag.com/ (The Drake), https://www.southerncultureonthefly.com/ (Southern Culture on the Fly,) Revive, https://midcurrent.com/stories-essays/ (Midcurrent), https://www.tu.org/about/media/trout-magazine/ (TROUT Magazine), and a handful of other non-outdoors-related magazines and literary journals. He has also recently published a book of poetry with Dead Reckoning Collective titled https://deadreckoningco.com/collections/books/products/book-revision-of-a-man-1 (Revision of a Man).
Matt Smythe is a staff writer for Free Range American. He hails from the Finger Lakes region of western New York. An Army veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, Matt suffers from an inability to sit still. If he’s not in the woods, or on the water, he’s scheming ways to get there. His work has appeared in https://www.grayssportingjournal.com/ (Gray’s Sporting Journal), the https://www.theflyfishjournal.com/ (Fly Fish Journal), https://drakemag.com/ (The Drake), https://www.southerncultureonthefly.com/ (Southern Culture on the Fly,) Revive, https://midcurrent.com/stories-essays/ (Midcurrent), https://www.tu.org/about/media/trout-magazine/ (TROUT Magazine), and a handful of other non-outdoors-related magazines and literary journals. He has also recently published a book of poetry with Dead Reckoning Collective titled https://deadreckoningco.com/collections/books/products/book-revision-of-a-man-1 (Revision of a Man).
https://www.instagram.com/justinthomaseggen/?hl=en (Justin Eggen) is a father, 2X national award-winning poet, motivational speaker, combat veteran, and Graduate Student at Florida Atlantic University. Justin Eggen is also the President of the ‘Veteran Owls’, the FAU Veteran Organization, and he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from FAU. He served active duty Marine Corps from 2008-2012 as a combat engineer attached to 2nd CEB, 2nd MARDIV serving in Marjah 2010 & Sangin 2011. He also the President of Stand To: Change The Narrative Inc., a literacy-focused nonprofit organization that is challenging the common narrative while clearing a new path for positive and educational community growth. https://www.amazon.com/Justin-Eggen/e/B07FG1LZSS?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1661022889&sr=8-2 (Books by Justin Eggen) https://www.standtochangethenarrative.org/ (Stand To: Change the Narrative)
Air Force spouse Ashley Gutermuth turned down a surefire career as a flight investigator and inspector to pursue stand-up comedy. Not only was she not deterred by the pandemic, she succeeded in navigating the Zoom comedy world, finding corporate gigs and continuing to hone her craft. Finding a way to tell jokes and not fully derail her husband's career, Ashley is a natural comic who is just hitting her stride and taking the military community along with her.
https://www.instagram.com/mattrendar/?hl=en (Matt Rendar) is an Army combat veteran, current NYPD officer and wildly popular artist. His Etsy shop BattleTribe features evocative, colorful, playful, memorable images that pay homage to both his military past and his pop culture influences. https://twitter.com/mattrendar1?lang=en (Matt Rendar Twitter) https://www.etsy.com/shop/BattleTribe?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search_US_DSA_GGL_ENG_General-Nonbrand_Catch-All_New&utm_ag=US_DSA-General&utm_custom1=_k_Cj0KCQjwjIKYBhC6ARIsAGEds-L7g5Cozan4fnY3-ENe78k4psGVyPPDEZLDh7_6le0T30cCvktQUmAaAsDTEALw_wcB_k_&utm_content=go_13830723579_124027385945_544453574788_dsa-19959388920_c_&utm_custom2=13830723579&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjIKYBhC6ARIsAGEds-L7g5Cozan4fnY3-ENe78k4psGVyPPDEZLDh7_6le0T30cCvktQUmAaAsDTEALw_wcB (Matt Rendar's Etsy shop)
https://avaaston.com/index.html (Ava Aston) is an award winning Independent Recording Artist. She is the wife of a U.S. Air Force Veteran and the daughter of a former Purple Heart National Service Officer. Ava is a passionate supporter of U.S. Veterans, Active Duty Military, Fire, Police and First Responders, as well as animal and humanitarian causes. Born and raised in upstate New York where she was classically trained, Ava draws from a broad range of influences from Frank Sinatra and Doris Day all the way to the Goo Goo Dolls. Ava's latest release along with all her other music is available onhttps://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ava-aston/308276582 ( iTunes). In addition to performances at the White House Christmas Celebration, the Grand Ole Opry, Ava has sung the national anthem for the New York Mets, Giants, Rangers, Knicks, New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Lakers, and Nashville Predators. https://open.spotify.com/artist/5aBS5raDD4m4U9qqDihdfi (Listen to Ava on Spotify)
Jason Pizzarello is a Connecticut-based playwright and co-founder of Stage Partners, a digital licensing house for new plays (yourstagepartners.com). He is currently developing his plays Lost Near Daytona, Found (Semi-finalist, Arts in the Armed Forces Bridge Award) with The Tank /dir. Meghan Finn, and his outdoor immersive children’s play Off the Trail (grant recipient, Frances R. Dewing Foundation) with CT’s Stamford Museum & Nature Center. Other plays include: Bethel Park Falls (Everyday Inferno Theatre Company/NYC Central Park, published with Playscripts); After People Like You (Blue Riders at Classic Stage; Finalist, AITAF). He has also developed his writing with Soho Rep Writer/ Director Lab, Irondale Ensemble, Fordham Alumni Theatre Company, HERE Arts Center, The Flea Theater's Pataphysics, New Group's Playwriting Workshop, and the Veterans Writing Workshop. Over thirty of his plays for young actors are published and have been performed over 3,000 times in all 50 states and in over 25 countries, including a Norwegian and Bengali translation. When he’s not writing, he proudly serves as a logistics officer with the New York Army National Guard, and is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan/ Operation Enduring Freedom. Jason's military-themed drama BRAT won VetRep's inaugural full-length playwriting competition. BRAT is the story of a mother and son - both veterans of the forever war in Afghanistan - as they struggle to reintegrate into the civilian world and mend their broken relationship. Jake signed up to follow in his mother’s footsteps, but doesn’t get what he expected when he returns home to confront everything, and everyone, that’s been waiting for him. Our judges said the following about BRAT: "Mysterious, emotionally sound, haunting — it’s also clearly a very personal piece. The language is lean and spare, the opening is terrific, and the last scene is gripping." Follow Jason https://www.instagram.com/jasonpizz/ (here) https://www.yourstagepartners.com/ (Stage Partners website)
This week on the Savage Wonder podcast… Lindsay Partain is an internationally published and produced Oregon playwright and member of the Dramatists Guild. She holds her BA in Theatre from Pacific University and is a resident artist of Theatre Viscera. She was selected to be part of the Ashland New Play Festival's 2022 New Voices Cohort, her 10-minute play, "Cookie Cutter Christmas" was selected as a top-10 semi-finalist for VetRep Theatre's 2022 Play Writing Competition, her 10-minute play, "Last Dance with MJ" was selected for the 2022 Lanford Wilson New Plays Festival, and her new full-length play, "The Light Keepers" will be part of Willamette University Theatre33's 2022 Summer Reading Pop-Up Series this August. Recent publications include: "The Way You Made Me" and “Siren Songs” (Next Stage Press). Her body of work can be found on New Play Exchange. Find Lindsay on the https://newplayexchange.org/users/16564/lindsay-partain (New Play Exchange). Follow Lindsay https://www.instagram.com/lindsaypartain/ (here).
Katie Grugin is a Knoxville, TN native who served five years as a Field Artillery Officer and fell into art after injury. She is a pen and ink artist and has illustrated two books of poetry on family and grief. Katie is currently a graduate student in a Master of Science of Social Work program at the University of Tennessee. She has worked with victims of Intimate Partner Violence and is currently working with homeless veterans and men in recovery from substance use disorders. These experiences gave her perspective on the lasting effects of trauma and specific issues that come with experiencing PTSD. Katie is passionate about the way that art can fill up empty spaces in life for veterans and positively impact mental health. Follow Katie https://www.instagram.com/katiegruginart/ (here).
This is one of those conversations I won't forget easily. I spoke the unbelievably honest, vulnerable and thoughtful Leilani Squire about her childhood as a Navy brat during the Korean War, her deep dive into nefarious activities during her early adulthood, her iron-willed classical dance training, and, ultimately, her highly disciplined and inspiring writing career as a poet and playwright. Leilani is the winner of our inaugural 10-minute playwriting competition. About her play 15 DEAD SOULS, the judges said it was “poetic, touching, powerfully written. Earnest — which is good — but also not sentimental. Haunting and affecting.” Leilani Squire is a writer, certified creativity coach, and works with active duty, veterans and their families to help them tell their stories through the written word. She is founder and CEO of the nonprofit https://email.mg1.substack.com/c/eJwlkM2OgzAMhJ-mOaL8EeCQw172NVB-XJotJMgxVLz9pq1k-TJjj74JjmApeNm9VGLvNdO1g83wqisQAbKjAs4pWjHJcZp6zqLlgwyDZ6nOdwTYXFot2w-_puAolfxx95Mwhj2s6b1U3EctJ6ND1MrFXiklpLlrL_zwDXVHTJADWDgBr5KBrfZBtN_Uz03-tkGgA3PKSy1rs2KtO7hnV3BpIktWctmGK6E417qTnRm8BBFHLWJ02oVuw8efN7W_ab4toquHr-TCswtlY2jDvjXhBELY31_fPHOTtiMnumbIzq8QLeEBjL5tfcDnBTJgazHOjqwwWo2TkkODl1-y1oUexlH0fGQtM5Z2lW11p1vgVXIE_Ac7ooLF (Returning Soldiers Speak) and an associate member of https://email.mg1.substack.com/c/eJwlkM1uwyAQhJ8mHC3AGPCBQy99DYufqUNrgwU4Vt6-JJFWe9jZ3dE33jasuTzNkWsjr7a05wGTcNUNraGQs6IsMRg2cz3PEyXBUMW9ciTW5acAu42bIcfptuhtizm9t6eZSUnuRukgvXAOaqZOBE5nWCXhtNWSMoePqT1DRPIweKA8cwLZzL21o97Grxv_7nVd14DatlxtWrGhDrmsfU6i4ZT3oiMbKRVi4INUjoMFLVgIVlg_7OX-62SdboLuKxvq6Wqz_m_weSfF-GPvwgOt4Hh9fbEsXdrPFNtzQbJuQzCtnCDtk9QbelmRUHqCYbHNMClGPY9cdXD-oeo5CKU1m6gm3TPkfpVMtQ-74sopoPwDr3KBww (EST/LA) where she is also part of their playwrighting unit. Follow her https://www.instagram.com/lssquire/ (here).
This week on the Savage Wonder podcast… Phanésia Pharel is our third-place finalist in our inaugural full-length playwriting competition for her drama LUCKY. About her play, our judges said, "Beguiling, moving, deeply satisfying — and genuinely original. Her theatrical devices were both enchanting and extremely credible. She offers a fresh look at Creole and Haitian cultures and how both have been affected by wartime. The pacing and dialogue are terrific, and the end of the play delivers a richly-earned gut punch." Phanésia is a playwright from the great state of Florida and even greater city of Miami!! Grounded in poetry and Afrofuturism she often writes about the divine metaphysical dilemma of colored girlhood. Her plays span revolutions, islands, and explores futures built on love by centering women's pleasure, safety, and joy. AKA hopeful and magical survivor stories for the young, poor, women, colored, and those audacious enough to be all of the above. Full lengths; LUCKY (developed at New York Stage and Film) . BLACK GIRL JOY (Frank Moffett Mosier Fellowship for Works in Heightened Finalist Prize, Jane Chambers Finalist, Bay Area Playwrights Festival Finalist, O’Neill Semi-Finalist). Other Honors include City Theatre National Short Playwriting Finalist and Blank Stage “Future of Playwriting” Semi-Finalist. Phanésia is a member of the Obie award-winning EST/ Youngblood group. Commissions include City Theatre Miami, the Latinx Playwrights Circle & Pregones/PRTT Greater Good Commission and Thrown Stone Theatre. Residencies include New York Stage and Film, Echo Theater Company of Los Angeles, the Playwrights Center Core Apprenticeship and the Inaugural 068 Magazine Thrown Stone Theatre Fellowship. Publishing: Concord Theatricals, Smith and Kraus Best Plays of 2020, Reset Coalition 2020 Anthology and the City Theatre Anthology. BA: Urban Studies, Barnard College of Columbia University. Follow Phanésia https://www.instagram.com/phanesiapharel/ (here).
J.F. Holmes is a retired Army Senior Noncommissioned Officer, having served for 22 years in both the Regular Army and Army National Guard. During that time, he served as everything from an artillery section leader to a member of a Division level planning staff, with tours in Cuba and Iraq, as well as responding to the terrorists attacks in NYC on 9-11. From 2010 to 2014 he wrote the immensely popular military cartoon strip, "Power Point Ranger", poking fun at military life in the tradition of Beetle Bailey and Willy & Joe. His books range from Military Sci-Fi to Space Opera to Detective to Fantasy, with a lot in between, and in 2017 two are finalists for the prestigious Dragon Awards. In 2018, he launched https://www.cannonpublishing.us/home (Cannon Publishing), (www.cannonpublishing.us) specializing in anthologies and works from up and coming authors. J.F. Holmes has published over eighteen books and two novellas. Feel free to join https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecommandpost (The Command Post) on Facebook, and get a chance to influence the course and plot of his next book!
Anthony Torres is a writer, performer, and Executive Director of https://www.thecombathippies.com/ (Combat Hippies), an ensemble of Puerto Rican military veteran performing artists based in Miami, Florida. A grandchild of Puerto Rican immigrants, Anthony was born in New York City and raised in Utica, New York. Following high school, he enlisted into the military and later deployed to Abu Ghraib Prison, Iraq where he provided mental health treatment to deployed troops, coalition forces, and Iraqi detainees. The Combat Hippies was founded in 2015 during a veterans creating writing workshop created by MDC Live Arts and led by renown theater artist and director Teo Castellanos. Their latest and most ambitious project, AMAL, premiered during MDC Live Arts 2018/19 season and is touring nationally. AMAL explores the quest for meaning, purpose, and identity sought through enlisting in the military and shares the unifying experiences of both combatants and noncombatants as people of color. This all-Puerto Rican theater company places Puerto Rico’s colonial status, cultural, and military heritage center stage. Anthony holds a MS in Psychology from Carlos Albizu University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from Barry University. https://savagewonder.captivate.fm (Listen to the Savage Wonder podcast) Follow Combat Hippies https://www.instagram.com/combat_hippies_teo_castellanos/ (here). Follow Anthony Torres https://www.instagram.com/anthonyt81/ (here).
http://keithrousseau.com/index.html (Keith Rousseau) is an Air Force Veteran who is an actor, model, writer, photographer and abstract artist. His path has been tumultuous, unpredictable yet successful. I had a great time talking with this hard-working artist who is juggling five artistic pursuits at the same time while maintaining his inspiration and his passion. Follow Keith https://www.instagram.com/keith_rousseau/ (here).
Out of over 180 full-length plays, Anton Sattler's poignant drama LOCAL GODS placed second in our playwriting competition. Our judges said the following about LOCAL GODS: "Authentic, panoramic, fascinating. Lots of terrific detail and dialogue and chock-full of story and characters. A haunting story about the interaction between the services and how humans can and can’t show care for each other." It is a promising start for a playwright only two plays into his career. But then, Anton has been a promising writer for a long time. Anton is a combat-decorated Marine Corps veteran based in Queens, NY. His second play, LOCAL GODS, won the 2020 Bridge Award from Arts in the Armed Forces. Sattler’s first play, THE BOROUGH, was a semifinalist for the Bridge Award and the Theatre 503 International Playwriting Award in 2018. Anton grew up in Monroeville, PA. He studied film and fiction writing at the University of Pittsburgh and was the first student to win both the Taube and Montgomery Culver awards for a trilogy of short stories in 2002. After graduating In 2002, he served as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, deploying twice to Iraq with Third Battalion, Seventh Marines. After leaving active duty, Anton produced the critically-acclaimed Korean War documentary CHOSIN, among other film, TV, and digital projects. He now works in the tech and media space in New York City in order to fund his writing habit. Anton lives with his wife Jacqueline Kittivarakul in Forest Hills, Queens. I couldn't have had a better time sitting down and talking with Anton. It hopefully won't be the last time. I think there will be plenty more reasons to talk as his career progresses... Follow Anton https://www.instagram.com/antonsattler/ (here).
It is a real thrill to interview our first finalist from our inaugural playwriting competitions - Arthur Boatin. Arthur's play NOW DEPARTED placed third in our inaugural 10-minute playwriting competition. A character-driven piece, NOW DEPARTED is the story of a chance meeting by small-town natives Rhonda and Clayton. They learn who have in common and compare notes on parenting, drinking, and losing a partner. Our judges described the play as a "subtle and effective slice of life mini-drama. Realistic dialogue and a well-constructed story — not easy within such a short form!" Arthur Boatin is a Michigan native who since 1985 has lived in Maine, where much of his writing is set. His employment history includes proofreading, newspaper reporting, foreign student advising, and teaching high school and college English. He worked as a guide in the American pavilion at the Brussels Worlds Fair. In 1959-60 he was a soldier in the U.S. Army. Arthur’s one-act plays have been produced (2015) and stage read (2017, 2021) in Portland, Maine. His first full-length play, THE DAUGHTER OF THE RULER OF THE SEAS AND TIDES, received a Zoom reading by Maine Playwrights Festival in March 2021. His work is included in the Smith and Kraus publications THE BEST MEN’S STAGE MONOLOGUES 2020 and THE BEST WOMEN’S STAGE MONOLOGUES 2020. Arthur has published short fiction in literary magazines, including Worcester Review, Whetstone, Anastamos, and Western Humanities Review. His essays and journalism have appeared in the Boston Phoenix, Technology Illustrated, and the Downeast Coastal Press. Please join us in congratulating Arthur on this outstanding accomplishment! Learn about Arthur's wife Elaine Ford http://www.elainefordauthor.com/ (here).
It's ironic that the festival spawned by this podcast is the very thing that caused this podcast to go dark for the past two months, but thank you all very much for staying with us as I got thru the final months of festival planning to pull off a successful year 1 of the Savage Wonder Festival of Veterans in the Arts. That said, I knew we needed to come roaring back with a kick-ass guest. We got one. https://www.phillipkennedyjohnson.com/ (Phillip Kennedy Johnson) is an Eisner-nominated writer and musician living in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region. His comics work has been published by DC, Marvel, BOOM! Studios, Archaia, IDW, Aftershock, and Scout Comics. He is the creator of comic series The Last God from DC Black Label, Last Sons of America, Warlords of Appalachia, Smoketown, and many more. Outside of writing, Johnson has a full-time career as a soldier, trumpet player, composer, arranger, and teacher. As a Sergeant First Class in the United States Army, he regularly tours the continental United States with The U.S. Army Field Band and the Federal Brass of Washington, DC. Prior to joining the Army Field Band, he toured the world with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from 2004-2005, and has performed with the Moscow Ballet, the Dallas Opera, Washington Symphonic Brass, the Lexington Philharmonic, and the Benny Goodman Orchestra. Johnson is a devoted lover of American art forms, especially jazz, comic books, and mixed martial arts. Follow Phillip https://www.instagram.com/phillip_kennedy_johnson/ (here).
https://www.facebook.com/derekstonermusic (Derek Stoner) is the kind of veteran artist that stands out on paper. He is a former Green Beret who is now a country/Southern Rock Nashville recording artist. But what you can't fully appreciate until you hear him is what a talented singer he is. For someone who only recently retired from the military, he has found a new platform incredibly quickly and has the talent to make as big a splash as he wants to make. And yes, on May 29, at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center in Chester, NY, you can see him at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival)! https://music.apple.com/us/album/break-the-chain-ep/1598743204 (Derek Stoner's EP) Derek Stoner https://www.derekstonermusic.com/ (website) https://youtu.be/yc4GzDFefOs (The best performance you've ever seen in a garage)
https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (Scott Mann) is a professional storyteller. His play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5W2yxND_8 (Last Out) is a full-spectrum treatment of our war in Afghanistan. It is not an anti-war play. It is not a pro-war play. It is simply a play about war and all its complications - the toll it takes on the warfighter; the way it impacts the warfighter’s family - both positively and negatively; the intersection of cultures in this particular war; finding - or failing to find - a strategic equilibrium that worked and was sustainable. It short Scott gives a 360-degree look at the micro and macro implications of the war. It is rare to find a play that feeds both left and right brains, yet Scott managed to write it. More than that, he also starred in the play, along with a cast that includes two other combat veterans. Only the outbreak of COVID stopped Last Out’s tour of 16 cities. But you can’t understand Scott as a warrior-artist until you really understand his warrior path. A career Army officer, Scott retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with most of his time spent in Special Forces. Also ten years after retirement, Scott found himself launching Task Force Pineapple to help evacuate Afghans, especially Afghan commandos from the country following our withdrawl. As a result, Scott has a real chip on his shoulder about the way the war was fought, the way we left the country and the way we abandoned our allies. He also carries a lot of love for the Afghan people and the Green Berets he served with. Now, on the cusp of potential US involvement in Ukraine, Scott still has skin in the game - his son is an Infantry platoon leader. In other words, there’s no way we could not spend the bulk of the episode unpacking Scott’s takeaways from his military, familial and humanitarian efforts. This was a truly unique episode with a truly accomplished warrior-artist who has managed to find the balance of his art, his moral obligations and his warrior path. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5W2yxND_8 (Last Out) - coming soon to Amazon Prime! Follow Scott’s Rooftop Leadership company https://www.instagram.com/rooftop_leadership/ (here), https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (The Heroes Journey) https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (here), or his personal account https://www.instagram.com/david.s.mann.9/ (here).
https://m.facebook.com/jerichohillusa (Jericho Hill) is a metal band with catchy hooks and a twinkle in their eye. Former Navy corpsman McClain Potter and former Army soldier Steve Schneider sat down with me to talk about their lives, their musical journey, and the process of being Jericho Hill. Listen to Jericho Hill https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-suicide-jack/1421277237 (here). Follow Jericho Hill https://www.instagram.com/officialjerichohill/ (here).
From the Cold War navy to the dizzying heights of the booming hip-hop scene of the mid-90's, https://augusterdwilliamsjr.com/ (Auguster D. Williams Jr.)'s life was a success story until drugs and burnout turned him into a statistic - a homeless veteran with a growing rap sheet and a legacy a disappointment. His life could have ended there. But it didn't. Instead, Gus became an award-winning collage artist who takes reclaimed materials destined for the landfill and turns them into something beautiful. He sees his art as a metaphor for his life. I was a fan of Gus' work before, that's why we invited him the to Savage Wonder Festival. But after talking to him, my appreciation for his art has skyrocketed even more. https://savagewonder.Captivate.fm (Listen here) Check out Gus’ website https://augusterdwilliamsjr.com/ (here). Follow Gus https://www.instagram.com/puzzlepeacearts/?hl=en (here). See Gus’ work live at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival of veterans in the arts) on May 29! Have you gotten your https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (tickets) yet? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (The Savage Wonder Festival)
This week, https://www.instagram.com/deadgunnerpoetry/ (Mason Rodrigue) returned to Savage Wonder to talk about his debut book, https://deadreckoningco.com/blogs/read/rock-eater-book-preorder (Rock Eater). Our conversation spans everything from granular details about the book to foreign policy to the emotionally significant events in Mason's life. But the real takeaway should be what a fine piece of literature https://deadreckoningco.com/blogs/read/rock-eater-book-preorder (Rock Eater) is. An autobiography disguised as poetry, I truly believe it will go down in the annals of military literature as one of the most jarring, vibrant, real looks at lower enlisted Marine Corps infantry life ever recorded - and made all the more indelible by Mason's belt-fed verse. Political but not partisan, not anti-war, not pro-war, Mason captures the nuances, the mistakes, the loss, the trauma, and the psyche of a warfighter in a consentingly abusive relationship with the Marine Corps. https://savagewonder.captivate.fm (Listen here) Buy https://deadreckoningco.com/blogs/read/rock-eater-book-preorder (Rock Eater) Support Mason https://www.patreon.com/deadgunnerpoetry (here). Come see Mason read Rock Eater live at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival of veterans in the arts) on May 29! Have you gotten your https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (tickets) yet? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (The Savage Wonder Festival)
https://www.benjaminfortier.com/ (Benjamin Fortier)'s writing is not for everyone. It can be shocking, disturbing, wildly imaginative, jarring. There is no doubt it is well done, though. But much like understanding the history of a wine gives you an appreciation for it, understanding Ben's background - from his time in Iraq to his love of metal - gives you the context you need to enjoy his work. I can't wait to hear him read some of his selections at the https://savagewonder.com (Savage Wonder Festival) - and after listening to his story, I think you'll look forward to it as well. https://savagewonder.captivate.fm (Listen here) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1096039079/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2 (Stones of the Wooded Valley) by Benjamin Fortier Follow Ben https://www.instagram.com/thebenfo/ (here). You can see Ben read his work live at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival of veterans in the arts) is coming on May 29! Have you gotten your https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (tickets) yet? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (Tickets are only FREE until April 1). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (The Savage Wonder Festival)
https://www.jesusdanielhernandez.com/ (Jesus Daniel Hernandez) may have the most Dickensian life story we have ever featured on the show. Jesus immigrated to the US at 14 from Mexico, found himself working a string of low-end jobs as a young father, enlisted in the Army, deployed to Iraq...and then magic happened. He was plucked from the military and thrust into the top tier of classical singers by Placido Domingo and Carlos Slim. It is an inspirational story that continues to unfold. A true pleasure to discuss everything from CBRNE school to the diva mentality of the singing elite. And at the end, we even talk about his upcoming appearance at our https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival) - first time we've talked about the festival with a guest who is going to be appearing there! Have a listen https://savagewonder.captivate.fm (here). Follow him https://www.instagram.com/thewalkingtenor/ (here). Buy his debut album “L’Orologio” https://www.jesusdanielhernandez.com/album (here). You can hear Jesus Daniel Hernandez sing live at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival of veterans in the arts) on May 29! Have you gotten your https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (tickets) yet? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (Tickets are only FREE until April 1). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-savage-wonder-festival-tickets-278849264657 (The Savage Wonder Festival)
My guest this week was Stephan Wolfert. Stephan left a career in the military for a life in the theatre after seeing Shakespeare’s Richard III. Stephan Received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Trinity Repertory Conservatory in Providence, Rhode Island. On Broadway, Stephan created and directed the military segments for Twyla Tharp & Billy Joel’s Tony-Award winning production Movin’ Out and a character coach for Cirque du Soleil’s, Mystere. He also co-created a touring Shakespeare Company for Trinity Rep Company, directed and taught acting Shakespeare at Cornell University and at Antelope Valley College. Currently, Stephan is based out of NYC where he is an actor and the Director of Veterans Outreach for the critically-acclaimed, award-winning off-Broadway company Bedlam. He is also the creator of https://www.decruit.org/ (DE-CRUIT®)–a program to reintegrate military Veterans using Shakespeare, psychology and classical actor training. For more than a decade Stephan has worked with two Native American theater companies: Native Voices in Los Angeles and Native Earth in Toronto, Canada. Stephan was also the Founding Artistic Director for: Shakespeare & Veterans, and the Veterans Center for the Performing Arts (V.C.P.A.) in Los Angeles. For his work with Shakespeare & Veterans, Stephan has received a certificate of appreciation from the City Council of Los Angeles, presented by fellow veteran and councilman the late Bill Rosendahl. He has been published in the fields of art and science for his work, and is also a member of the NYU think tank PACH (Project for the Advancement of our Common Humanity). As an actor Stephan continues to perform his critically-acclaimed, award-winning, one-man show CRY HAVOC off-Broadway, nationally and internationally. His most recent off-Broadway productions for Bedlam were The Seagull, Sense & Sensibility, Hamlet and Saint Joan. His favorite Shakespeare roles performed include: Richard III, Richard III; Pericles, Pericles; Petruchio, Taming of the Shrew; Antony, Antony & Cleopatra; Cassio, Iago, Othello; Leontes, Polixenes, The Winter’s Tale; Antonio, Measure for Measure; Cassius, Julius Caesar; Mercutio, Paris, Friar Lawrence, Romeo & Juliet; Andrew Aguecheek, Orsino, Twelfth Night. His favorite Shakespeare plays he has directed are: Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Coriolanus, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, King Lear, Much Ado About Nothing, and an all-female production of Henry V. Follow Stephan https://www.instagram.com/decruitvets/ (here). Learn more about De-Cruit https://www.decruit.org/ (here).
My guest this week was https://www.instagram.com/inkstickart/?hl=en (Elize McKelvey). Introvert. Art school graduate. Marine (makes Staff Sergeant in 6 years). Combat artist. Elize McKelvey managed to excel as a truly "martial artist" - capturing the stories of Marines as rendered by a Marine. There may be other introverts who became wildly successful freelance artists, but few, if any, did it through the Marine Corps. She and I chase shiny objects in a wide ranging conversation that goes from the technical - how many paintbrushes do you pack in your war belt? - to the emotional - capturing the aftereffects of an Osprey crash that kills two Marines. She is funny, determined, and the true embodiment of the warrior artists. Can't wait to see her at the https://savagewonder.com/ (Savage Wonder Festival) and can't wait to see what new adventures await her artistically. Check out her work https://beacons.ai/inkstickart (here).
https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (Scott Mann) is a professional storyteller. His play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5W2yxND_8 (Last Out) is a full-spectrum treatment of our war in Afghanistan. It is not an anti-war play. It is not a pro-war play. It is simply a play about war and all its complications - the toll it takes on the warfighter; the way it impacts the warfighter’s family - both positively and negatively; the intersection of cultures in this particular war; finding - or failing to find - a strategic equilibrium that worked and was sustainable. It short Scott gives a 360-degree look at the micro and macro implications of the war. It is rare to find a play that feeds both left and right brains, yet Scott managed to write it. More than that, he also starred in the play, along with a cast that includes two other combat veterans. Only the outbreak of COVID stopped Last Out’s tour of 16 cities. But you can’t understand Scott as a warrior-artist until you really understand his warrior path. A career Army officer, Scott retired as a Lieutenant Colonel with most of his time spent in Special Forces. Also ten years after retirement, Scott found himself launching Task Force Pineapple to help evacuate Afghans, especially Afghan commandos from the country following our withdrawl. As a result, Scott has a real chip on his shoulder about the way the war was fought, the way we left the country and the way we abandoned our allies. He also carries a lot of love for the Afghan people and the Green Berets he served with. Now, on the cusp of potential US involvement in Ukraine, Scott still has skin in the game - his son is an Infantry platoon leader. In other words, there’s no way we could not spend the bulk of the episode unpacking Scott’s takeaways from his military, familial and humanitarian efforts. This was a truly unique episode with a truly accomplished warrior-artist who has managed to find the balance of his art, his moral obligations and his warrior path. Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP5W2yxND_8 (Last Out) - coming soon to Amazon Prime! Follow Scott’s Rooftop Leadership company https://www.instagram.com/rooftop_leadership/ (here), https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (The Heroes Journey) https://www.instagram.com/theheroesjourney_org/ (here), or his personal account https://www.instagram.com/david.s.mann.9/ (here).
Savage Wonder episode 21 with guest https://linktr.ee/shairiengle (Shairi Engle). Our first veteran playwright - finally! There are a few reasons it took us a while to finally book a veteran playwright. The biggest reason is that I didn't want to book someone whose play was under consideration in our playwrighting competitions. Fortunately for this episode, Shairi has been too busy with residencies and work to submit any work, so I felt free and clear to book her for the show. And I'm glad I did. Shairi first came to my attention when I saw she won https://aitaf.org/2019-bridge-award-winner-announcement/ (AITAF's Bridge Award) in 2019 for her play Tampons, Dead Dogs and Other Disposable Things. In judging Shairi's work, some guy named Tony Kushner called it "...a tough, disturbing, enraging, consistently surprising, smart, very funny and ultimately moving and revelatory play. It's a powerful, unsparing exploration of the nature of traumatic memory that fully and bravely confronts intractability while discovering within despair an ambiguous but possible opportunity to hope. The writing is rich and vivid, the characters are original and unpredictable, and it's propelled dramatically, through conflict and action, with a deeply serious purpose. Central to the play is a device that almost never succeeds; I won't specify what the device is, because flat description can't do justice to the deft way Ms. Engle handles it or the theatricality and meaning she derives from it. The play is marvelously stageworthy, but it's also literature, written to be read - that understanding of playwriting is rarer than it should be, and encountering a playwright who gets it is an occasion to rejoice." Clearly, not an impressive piece of work. But even more impressive than her work is her story. I had no idea what an emotional reservoir Shairi draws from until she spoke honestly, transparently and with unsparing self-awareness and compassion. This is a great one. Follow https://www.instagram.com/shairi_engle/ (Shairi Engle on IG) https://linktr.ee/shairiengle (Everything Shairi)
Savage Wonder, episode 20 with https://www.instagram.com/keithwalterdow/ (Keith Walter Dow). Probably no segment of western society over the past 10 years has seen a bigger spike in creative writing as the veteran community. So it makes sense that an entity like https://deadreckoningco.com/ (Dead Reckoning Collective) exists to capture and publicize so much of that writing. But that spike is also a byproduct of folks like DRC bringing so much literary education to the veteran community - through workshops, writing prompts, peer groups, etc. I had a great time sitting down with founder and editor Keith Walter Dow to learn about the evolution of DRC and how the rubber meets the road in the veteran writing community.
It's not every 30-year veteran that will leave the military as an equally pedigreed poet. But, with an MFA degree, multiple professorships under his belt and a Pushcart Prize-nominated debut book, that is just what Anthony Thomas is. Articulate, erudite and thoughtful, Anthony and I nerd out on the various forms of poetry, analyze the intersection of sobriety and art, and dive into what brought him to the brink of suicide. From the mechanics of poetry to the beauty of a life well lived, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Follow Anthony https://www.instagram.com/varangiwriting/ (here). https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthony-Roberts/e/B07BBX4K19?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4&qid=1639966921&sr=1-4 (Pigtown) by Anthony Roberts (Pushcart Prize-nominee) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733382275/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_CDN52J8SPZE9WS9K90Q1 (The Clearing Barrel) by Anthony Roberts
Savage Wonder episode 19 with guest Brad Thomas. Army Ranger, veteran of the Battle of Mogadishu, Delta Force operator…guitarist and composer for metal band Silence & Light. There are a lot of reasons I couldn't wait to sit down and talk with Brad. For one thing, he embodies the warrior-artist characteristics we like to celebrate here. I've listened to Silence & Light's debut album a lot. We both spent time in Somalia - his was a lot more eventful. And like him, I was greatly influenced by a lot of early 90's bands. So I had high hopes for the interview. They were all surpassed. There are not a lot of rock band founders who can discuss military culture with any real authority or insight. There are not a lot of former Delta operators who can nerd out on open choruses and Barry Manilow. Between the military and the music, we manage to cover so much ground. And even so, I had enough questions and follow-ups for another few hours. Do not miss this one. https://havokjournal.com/culture/from-heavy-metal-to-mogadishu-a-delta-operator-looks-back-part-one/ (A Delta Operator Transitions from War to Music) by Brad Thomas Follow https://www.instagram.com/silence_and_light_official/ (Silence & Light) Follow https://www.instagram.com/bradthomas_official/ (Brad Thomas) Silence & Light https://www.silenceandlightmusic.com/ (merch page) https://marineraiderfoundation.org/ (Marine Raider Foundation) https://www.warriorsheart.com/ (Warriors Heart)
Amy's debut book, Poppies, covers a lot of ground - West Point, motherhood, war, loss, toxic relationships, femininity, and all the places she's peed...the list goes on. I could say Amy's work is unpretentious and brilliantly executed with real insight into so many personal moments and structured in enough of a chronological narrative to make it a page-turner. But what really struck me about her writing was her ability to surprise the reader almost every time with a misdirection or right-turn into a new conclusion or an unexpected summation. She also happens to be a great conversationalist and it was a real pleasure to discuss various aspects of her writing process, her warriorship and her evolution as a writer. If the episode is half as much fun to listen to as it was to record, you're really going to dig it.
Follow Amy Sexauer here.
From his bodybuilding ambitions in South Africa to writing poetry in his native Afrikaans while deployed to Helmand Province, Neville Johnson has lived enough to fuel his writing for as long as he wants. Still so early in his writing career, he has attracted a lot of attention in veteran poet community for his moving descriptions and honest memories. Our first Five Eyes veteran on the podcast, Neville opened up about everything from his father on the South African police force to when he knew it was time to quit the military...and what it took for him to return to Iraq as a contractor. It's one hell of a life, made richer by the words of a talented - and still developing - writer.
Show Notes
Follow Neville Johnson here.
Sweeping Leaves in the Wind, Good Soldiers Don’t Cry, and Alone in a Crowded Room by the Veterans Collective, featuring selections from Neville Johnson.
War...& After The Anthology of Poet Warriors Collection 2 by Dead Reckoning Collective, featuring selections from Neville Johnson.
Savage Wonder, Episode 15 with artist Sarah Rossetti, or, as she is known on Instagram @_invadergirl_. Sarah finds a way to create mythic canvases that capture the nobility and struggle of military and first responder lives without becoming propagandistic or shallow. A former Air Force brat she comes to her admiration of the military and first responder community honestly. Her decade tending bar for troops transiting through Guam made her a witness to resilience and nobility of purpose that she captures in her work now. She and I have a great conversation that ranges from her butting heads with her art teachers to getting punched in what it takes to become a full-time artist in only two years.
Shop Sarah’s work here.
Lani Hankins served for six years in the US Army, during which time she did one deployment to Afghanistan as a member of a female engagement team.
A lot of veterans have experienced a significant amount of trauma that cannot help but infuse their art. That is certainly the case with Lani, but this episode felt a bit different. For one thing, Lani is an artist in many media – publishing books, poetry, starting a blog, hosting a podcast and creating visual art. But her art – so far – revolves around three significant traumatic events: the sexual assault she suffered upon arriving at Fort Riley after basic training, the suicide of her battle buddy, and the domestic abuse she escaped in her first marriage. Her art has purpose beyond therapy, I would say it gives voice to experiences that most would not share. There is something humble, hard and healing in the Savage Wonder of Lani Hankins.
Show Notes
Bottled Away: Confessions of a Struggling Veteran by Lani Hankins
The Gaslit Heart: A Story of Service and Survival by Lani Hankins
Eased Pain: Poems About Surviving Domestic Violence by Lani Hankins
Kruse Corner
Follow Lani here.
Savage Wonder, episode 13 with guest William "Buck" Bolyard. Had a great time getting to know Buck. From his early days in juvie to his time as an Army infantryman to his lonely New Year's Eve in Guatemala with a missing toenail, Buck has always been a writer and a wanderer. His life has become a seething cauldron of experiences from which he draws inspiration. He is resentful of poetry’s consistent intrusion into his life - not to mention, disruption of his novel writing. Yet, at the same time, he is fully burdened to wring as much writing out his life as he can. A really entertaining, lively, discussion with this prolific Appalachian-American. His first book "Sober Man's Thoughts" is out right now and it is just the beginning. He has so many projects in the hopper, so many ideas waiting to be birthed, there is little doubt in my mind that he is a writer to watch.
Show Notes
Follow Buck here.
Buy “Sober Man’s Thoughts” here.
Veterans Repertory Theater
s.p. burke has been one of the most prolific poets featured on the Savage Wonder literary blog - and for good reason. He has only just begun to deconstruct and unpack the significant emotional events of a 20-year Army career. I got the sense, in speaking with him, that his writing is just trying to catch a waterfall in a cup and he will be mining his life experiences for years. I was also struck by how nakedly partisan he is about poetry. He is a true aficionado of poetry - not just its poignancy and beauty, but also its form and structure. We talked craft, we talked about how poetry has affected his life, and we talked about his future plans with it. I ended the interview feeling that s.p. burke will be a significant writer for a very long time. It was a privilege to catch up with him and take stock at this point in his journey. Show Notes Follow s.p. burke here. Veterans Repertory Theater
In a crowded field of veteran poets, Dex stands out. Sure, there are not a lot of former Marine MPs writing poetry, but that’s not what sets her apart. And she doesn’t just stand apart because of her eloquent, poignant writing. I think what makes her exceptional is the diversity of subjects she tackles: motherhood, family history, the expectations of being a wife, the expectations of being a woman - and the way they intersect, conflict, or harmonize with her warrior self. She was a rock star at the VetRep poetry reading last month. Have a listen and you'll see why.
Show Notes
Follow Dex here.
Veterans Repertory Theater
Sure, he was a Navy SEAL. Yes, he's become an established actor and producer. But most of all, David B. Meadows is an articulate thinker, a trait cultivated after years of introspection and accumulated self-knowledge. What a conversation we had. His operating system - how he has managed to live two very different lives while blending the best of both together and avoiding the negativity - is more than worth hearing. By the end, our phones were buzzing with missed texts, emails and calls - our friends and family probably thought we were missing or being held hostage. It was that good a conversation.
Show Notes
The Manson Brothers Midnight Zombie Massacre
Max Martini
Psycho Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
Luke Ryan was raised in the US, Pakistan and Thailand. He survived a school shooting. He was an Army Ranger. And instead of writing a memoir or three, he opted for post-apocalyptic fiction, authoring The First Marauder. Borrowing from the tradition of Hemingway, Joseph Conrad and George Orwell, Luke has somewhat intentionally sought to build a trove of adventurous life experiences from which he can now mine his fiction. We talk about the book, but we talk about so much more - everything from the craft of writing to pondering your own mortality.
The First Marauder
Luke Ryan author page
Veterans Repertory Theater
Get tickets to live shows at VetRep’s Parlor here.
Savage Wonder podcast, Episode 8 - part II of our conversation with Roman Baca. How does a Marine machine gunner transition from Fallujah, Iraq back to being a professional dancer? How does wartime experience in Iraq change Roman's purpose? How does dance help Roman return to Iraq? You don't want to miss this conversation. . .
Exit12 Dance Company
Veterans Repertory Theater
USMC machine gunner, veteran of Fallujah, Iraq in 2005...professional dancer. Yeah, you read that right. Roman Baca is neither an ordinary Marine nor an ordinary dancer. What makes a professional dancer want to join the Marine Corps? Does he tell anyone he's a dancer? What does Marine Corps fitness do for his dancing? So many questions and Roman had no shortage of humble, articulate, intelligent answers. Such an enjoyable, articulate interview that we couldn't finish it in one sitting. This is Part I. I, for one, can't wait for Part II.
Exit12 Dance Company
Veterans Repertory Theater
Doc Oliver is a Singer-Songwriter based out of the Central Coast of California. He is also a medically retired Navy Corpsman with two deployments to Afghanistan. On August 31, 2021 on the day the US pulled out of Afghanistan, Doc released his first record “Welcome Home” which is an autobiographical record about his life pre-, during, and post- Operation Enduring Freedom. The record was engineered by Grammy winner Mark Rains at his studio Station House in Los Angeles, and Mastered by multi Grammy Winner Pete Lyman in Nashville.
Doc Oliver
Doc Oliver on Instagram
Welcome Home
Veterans Repertory Theater
Mason Rodrigue is a former USMC machine gunner with multiple overseas deployments. He is currently a professional poet and writer about to finish his first poetry collection.
Show Notes
Support Mason Rodrigue here.
Follow Mason Rodrigue here.
Savage Wonder literary blog
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater
Nicholas Luchenbill is a photographer who has been featured in Dek Unu Magazine, The Esthetic Apostle, and Fraction Magazine. His photography has been juried at Crossland Gallery, El Paso, Texas, won first place at the New Mexico Veteran’s Art Show, won the Prix de Photographie at Salon International Art Résilience, Saint-Frajou Art Museum, France, and won People's Choice at the International Museum of Art. He is also an Army veteran who served 10 years on active duty, including three combat tours. He was medically retired and receives 100% disability for the trauma he endured from combat.
Have a listen here.
Show Notes
Nicholas Luchenbill Photography
Nicholas Luchenbill on Instagram
Savage Wonder literary blog
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater
Lilla Faint is the Managing Director of the Veterans Repertory Theater. She served in the Army for a decade, including assignments with the 101st Airborne and JSOC. She is also a military spouse, a mother, and a lifelong, singer, dancer, and musician.
Show Notes
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater
Savage Wonder literary blog
Dr. Donnelly Wilkes, is the author of Code Red Fallujah: A Doctor's Memoir at War. He is board-certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Dr. Wilkes obtained his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and his medical degree from Tulane School of Medicine on a full Navy Scholarship. Following medical school, Dr. Wilkes was commissioned in the U.S. Navy, completed residency training in family medicine at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and served seven years on active duty. Wilkes served two combat tours in Iraq in 2004 and 2008 and was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with Valor for his actions in the battle of Fallujah in April of 2004. Upon completion of his Naval service, Dr. Wilkes was honorably discharged as a Lieutenant Commander He is now the president and medical director of Summit Health Group in Thousand Oaks, California.
Show Notes
Code Red Fallujah: A Doctor's Memoir at War by Dr. Donnelly Wilkes
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater
Charlie Faint is an active duty Army intelligence officer, the owner of the Havok Journal, founder of Second Mission Foundation, and board member of the Veterans Repertory Theater. He is currently the Deputy Director of the Modern War Institute at West Point Military Academy.
He served seven tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq and over the course of his career was assigned to units including the 101st Airborne Division, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 5th Special Forces Group, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and the Joint Special Operations Command.
Widely published in a number of blogs and professional journals, his most recent publication is co-authorship of the book Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror.
His views expressed here are his own, and are not necessarily reflective of the policy of the US Army or the United States Government.
Show Notes
Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror
The Havok Journal
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater
Savage Wonder is a podcast about warriors and artists. It features long-form, one-on-one conversations with people who have a foot in both the world of the artist and the world of the warrior.
It is produced by the Veterans Repertory Theater, a creative hub for talented veterans and world-class performers to create compelling live theater and events.
Show Notes
Veterans Repertory Theater
@veteransrepertorytheater