EPISODE · Jan 12, 2026 · 13 MIN
An Awesome Bird The Pelican From Reality TV's Greatest Producer Rusty Austin
from Arroe Collins: Unplugged & Totally Uncut · host Arroe Collins
Rusty, who worked in Hollywood for nearly four decades, mostly as a freelance television producer for some of television’s longest-running, all-time rated reality shows, as well as on movies like Terminator 2 as an electrician, knows how to entertain people. He applies that experience to penning informative and entertaining illustrated children’s books of poetry.Since retiring in 2018, he has had six books published, including a memoir, one on baseball history, and four children’s books. His nephew illustrated two of the children’s books, while another nephew did another, and his newest book, An Awesome Bird, The Pelican, was illustrated entirely by seventh and eight graders attending his local middle school in California.“I try to include in the poems some facts about where the animals live, what they eat, and what they look like,” says Rusty. “I try to use new words and concepts so the readers learn something new. For example, a Caiman has a nictitating membrane and the Brown Bat uses echolocation to navigate in the dark.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.
What this episode covers
Rusty, who worked in Hollywood for nearly four decades, mostly as a freelance television producer for some of television’s longest-running, all-time rated reality shows, as well as on movies like Terminator 2 as an electrician, knows how to entertain people. He applies that experience to penning informative and entertaining illustrated children’s books of poetry.Since retiring in 2018, he has had six books published, including a memoir, one on baseball history, and four children’s books. His nephew illustrated two of the children’s books, while another nephew did another, and his newest book, An Awesome Bird, The Pelican, was illustrated entirely by seventh and eight graders attending his local middle school in California.“I try to include in the poems some facts about where the animals live, what they eat, and what they look like,” says Rusty. “I try to use new words and concepts so the readers learn something new. For example, a Caiman has a nictitating membrane and the Brown Bat uses echolocation to navigate in the dark.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/arroe-collins-unplugged-totally-uncut--994165/support.
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An Awesome Bird The Pelican From Reality TV's Greatest Producer Rusty Austin
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