SoundPages
SoundPages is produced by Jack Straw Cultural Center as part of the Jack Straw Writers Program. This podcast features interviews and live readings from artists in the Jack Straw Writers Program. Each year a series of twelve episodes is produced featuring the current Jack Straw Writers and curator.-
White Shoulders, San Francisco 1953 – Mitsu Sundvall
Mitsu Sundvall takes you back to San Francisco in 1953 where multi-generations of a Japanese family play out their roles. Backstage at a nightclub, readers take in the atmosphere in a cultural context.
THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE.
Music by Rachel Matthews and produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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She Loves Me Not – Robert Lamirande
With easy humor and an engaging voice, Robert Lamirande relays the encounters of a young adult in the dating world. Readers feel embarassed, hopeful, reminiscent, and discouraged as they experience the characters’ travails. Lamirande’s narrative is a breezy look into modern courtship.
THIS PODCAST CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE.
Music performed by Grand Hallway and recorded as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Real Context – Nassim Assefi
Drawing from her own experiences abroad, Nassim Assefi creates true to life scenarios playing on today’s world politics. Her characters bring different perspectives to a story that requires multi-layered explanation. From the streets of Kabul, Assefi shares the world of war in a contemporary context.
Music performed by Srivani Jade, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Moving through History – Larissa Min
Larissa Min reflects on global migration through her own family’s journey from Korea to Brazil to the United States. Her intimate story is told with poignant lyricism and brings to light not only her own history, but also the transformations that families experience through migration.
Music by Randal Bays, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Travel through Trade – Donald Fels
In his exploration of trade, Donald Fels brings to light stories of rich, cultural heritage. As a world traveler, artist, and writer, Fels weaves together his experiences and research, resulting in an intricate account of history.
Music by August Denhard and Munir Nurettin Beken, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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The Color of Fog – Anne McDuffie
Anne McDuffie creates a sensory portrait of fog in a set of essays from an earlier chapter in her life. Her descriptions are immersive, and saturated by deep hues. The reader learns of her time in Madrid as a student and joins her for a long walk through the fog.
Music by the Black Cat Orchestra, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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A Cultural Journey – Harold Taw
In his work, Harold Taw explores voice and perspective. Readers travel through cultural and emotional territory with complex characters, moving through stories with remarkable storytellers.
Music by Victor Noriega, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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By the Bedside – Ann Teplick
In her Jack Straw residency, Ann Teplick shares her grief, wrestling the difficulties and pain of losing parents. Her poetry imparts sorrow, beauty, love, and loss. Each word is chosen with courage, leaving the reader absorbed in the fragility of human life.
Music by the Bird Tribe Orchestra, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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Architecture of Poetry – Nora Wendl
Through her study of a Mies van der Rohe glass house in Illinois, architect and poet Nora Wendl illuminates the life of Dr. Edith Farnsworth. Yearly visits to the home and extensive research inform Wendl’s portrayal of the house and the character of Farnsworth. With an architectural lens, Wendl brings life and sentiment to marble floors and glass walls.
Music by the St. Helens String Quartet, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
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That’s Magic – Maritess Zurbano
In her writing, Maritess Zurbano depicts the little known world of a female magician. Her work brings to light racial and gender issues surrounding the art and captures the intrigue of performance. Original subject matter and dramatic delivery make for a captivating read.
Music by the Owcharuk Sextet, produced as part of the Jack Straw Artist Support Program.
