Craft: Exploring Creativity

Central Ohio author Erik John Slangerup grew up in the 1980’s, what he recalls as “a magical time, before cell phones or the internet.” But it was also a time when mutant insects and terrible monsters roamed the land…on TV. … Continue reading →

With publications ranging from fantasy to science fiction to mystery and novels to short stories to comics, Sarah Gailey has been honored with multiple writing awards and nominations. Gailey describes their latest, Make Me Better, as their hardest, taking six … Continue reading →

Although he’s often known for his popular YouTube videos dealing with hecklers, comedian Steve Hofstetter says that he gets far fewer hecklers noe than when he started out. Hofstetter, in town on June 23 at the Funny Bone Comedy Club, … Continue reading →

While researching his book, Black Patriots: Recovering a Lost History of the American Revolution, Patrick S. Poole was surprised to find dozens of Black Patriots, including Salem Poor, Peter Salem, James Arcule, and Prince Estabrook, a slave wounded at Lexington … Continue reading →

The Central Ohio Folk Festival will be held June 6–7 at Bank Run Metro Park. Folk singer Bill Cohen has been part of the event for many years, and he joined Craft to discuss the festival and play excerpts of … Continue reading →

Novelist Steven Rowley has written five books including Lily and the Octopus, The Editor, The Guncle, and its sequel The Guncle Abroad. His work has been published in 20 languages, and he received the 2023 Thurber Prize for American Humor. … Continue reading →

Alison Espach‘s novel The Wedding People was not only a New York Times bestseller and Best Book of the Year pick but it granted her finalist status for the 2026 Thurber Prize for American Humor. During our talk, she described … Continue reading →

Singer-songwriter John Gorka knows how to write songs. But he wasn’t always so disciplined about it. Listen in as he describes what changes he made that has allowed him to be a prolific and insightful songwriter. Then, check him out … Continue reading →

Singer‑songwriter Seth Walker’s latest album, his 12th, is Why The Worry, a meditation on modern anxiety I spoke with Walker ahead of his March 27 appearance at Natalie’s Grandview in Columbus. The title track, “Why The Worry,” was inspired by … Continue reading →

Central Ohio author, photographer, and teacher Ben Berens’ young reader book Jump tells the story of a boy facing a big challenge: jumping off a diving board. (Hey, I had the same fear way back when.) Berens relied on his … Continue reading →

Singer-songwriter Leslie Mendelson’s song “Rock and Roll on the Radio” is a jaunty look at changes on US airwaves. I remember when rock and roll could’ve changed the world any day nowA revolutionIt’s the only solution -Leslie Mendelson Mendelson will … Continue reading →

Magician and variety artist Carissa Hendrix will perform in Columbus March 16–17 as Lucy Darling in a nontraditional variety show with Sarah Hester Ross. They’ll feature magic, singing, comedy, clown bits, and improv. But wait. Before there was Lucy Darling, … Continue reading →

Sometime categorized as “American Noir” Ben De Le Cour’s songwriting grew out of his musical upbringing, broad influences, and the evolution of his storytelling. De Le Cour, who will perform in Columbus with Six String Concerts on February 21st, reflects … Continue reading →

Broadway actor David Josefsberg plays Doc Brown in the touring musical adaptation of Back to the Future, in Columbus Jan 6-11. We discuss the changes in the musical version, such as added dance and songs, and his experiences with great … Continue reading →

Emma Elizabeth Smith portrays Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in the musical Six, a modern retelling of the lives (and deaths) of the king’s six wives. The musical is a singing competition between the wives, arguing for who … Continue reading →

From her early days singing with her parents’ band to becoming a standout on American Idol, Haley Reinhart has carved a unique path in the music world. Buzzfeed ranked her cover of Bennie and the Jets as the most iconic performance in the … Continue reading →

German singer-songwriter Lia L Shoshann‘s time living in Columbus had a significant impact on her music, including the song “Down High Street” on her album Time Lapse. Her follow up Josefin Sans also feature pop, folk, and singer-songwriter influences. Lia … Continue reading →

Tim Kazurinsky was part of the cast of Saturday Night Live when I first started watching it and kind of getting the humor. He had many memorable characters, including a scientist who identified sex in a sports car as a … Continue reading →

Actor, comedian, and director Bobcat Goldthwait visits Craft to discuss his career: acting in the Police Academy films, directing World’s Greatest Dad, and engaging with fans at comic cons. Reflecting on his works and experiences, he fondly remembers Robin Williams … Continue reading →

The Accidentals, violinist Sav Madigan and cellist Katie Larson, have been captivating audiences since a little after they met in a Traverse City, Michigan, high school. Their latest album, “Timeout 3,” is the most recent addition to their Timeout series … Continue reading →

Ohio musician David Wilcox has released over 20 albums, including his latest The Way I Tell the Story. Wilcox discusses his songwriting process as a form of emotional and traumatic event processing. He emphasizes the joy of exploring feelings through … Continue reading →

Columbus authors Diane Callahan and David Dixon discuss their new poetry collection, The Ship and the Storm. They employed a unique system of organization by putting their poems with similar themes and forms into conversation with each other on opposing … Continue reading →

“ The most important part about life is living it” – Ernest Hemingway Brandy Gleason, chief writer at Gleason Family Adventure and the creator of the Ohio Road Trips Facebook group, follows this Hemingway quote in life and in her writing. … Continue reading →

Novelist Meg Cabot is more than just The Princess Diaries, although that’s an impressive accomplishment. She’s had an her extensive career, writing over 50 novels for young adults and adults. Next up, she will appear at a Meet the Author … Continue reading →

Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner has released four albums and won the 28th annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2023. She’ll be in town with the Six String Concert series on September 19. We discuss her multi-instrumental talents and her journey … Continue reading →

Journalist and improv comic Bridjet Mendy will perform at the Columbus Comedy Festival, September 4th – 7th. Bridget discusses her comedy style, heavily influenced by her experiences as a 30-something first-generation American with family roots in the Soviet Union. Initially … Continue reading →

New York Times bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray has written or cowritten more than 30 novels, including Stand Your Ground and The Personal Librarian. In our discussion, Murray discusses her latest book, Harlem Rhapsody, a historical fiction novel about Jesse … Continue reading →

No insects were injured in comedian Steve Hofstetter’s new comedy special, “Kill the Butterflies.” Instead, Hofstetter combines stand-up comedy with documentary interviews exploring comedians’ experiences with anxiety and mental health. He discusses his own mental health journey, along with more … Continue reading →

How do you ensure authenticity as a writer? Some authors do a lot of library research. Others write what they already know about life. Gregg Hurwitz “introduces [his] face to the training mat repeatedly and …gets choked out.” It’s all … Continue reading →

The award-winning fiction, poetry, and criticism of writer Amal El-Mohtar have appeared in publications ranging from Tor.com, Fireside Fiction, Lightspeed, Uncanny, and Strange Horizons, and in her own collection, The Honey Month. With Max Gladstone, she co-authored the multiple award-winning … Continue reading →

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Applegate has written or cowritten an impressive number of books from the 54-volume Animorph series to her latest, Odder. We discuss the inspiration behind Odder, the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s surrogate mother program for orphaned … Continue reading →

Singer-songwriter Iris Dement has released seven albums since 1990, including her latest, Workin’ on a World. Her songs sometimes juxtapose heavy lyrics with upbeat music, letting the listener feel energized while contemplating the difficulties of life. While she doesn’t see … Continue reading →

Emmy-nominated producer, writer, and freelance journalist Nora Neus will visit the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s South High Branch on April 11 as part of the Authors at the Library series. Her most recent book is “Renegade Girls,” a young adult graphic … Continue reading →

American writer, illustrator and filmmaker Vashti Harrison is the New York Times bestselling creator of Big, winner of the 2024 Caldecott Medal, both the Coretta Scott King Book Award Author and Book Award Illustrator Honor, and a National Book Award … Continue reading →

Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Martian Contingency, will appear with John Scalzi, author of When the Moon Hits Your Eye, to celebrate the release of their books on Sunday, March 23 at 2:00pm at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Mary … Continue reading →

The past few years have seen rising problems in the United States and increasingly divided citizenry. Conflict seems to be getting worse. So what can we do? Harvard negotiation expert Robert Bordone argues that conflict can be reframed as a … Continue reading →

Scottish-born Canadian singer-songwriter David Francey has released 13 albums, including his latest, “The Breath Between.” He’ll perform selections from across his catalog on February 14 at Six String Concerts. He talks about “The Breath Between,” created during the COVID-19 pandemic; … Continue reading →

Identical twins Adam and David Moss perform as the Brother Brothers, and they’ll be in Columbus on January 10, 2024, with Six String Concerts. Their latest release is The January Album, so named because they recorded it in January 2021. … Continue reading →

Science writer Erika Engelhaupt, author of one of my favorite recent books, Gory Details: Adventures From the Dark Side of Science, joins me to discuss her new book Go to Hell: A Traveler’s Guide to Earth’s Most Otherworldly Destinations. It’s … Continue reading →

Columbus poet Darren C. Demaree makes his returns to Craft to discuss his latest poetry collection, his 23rd: So Much More. He explores death, fatherhood, nature, and empathy, along with other topics. Demaree discusses his approach to poetry, emphasizing the … Continue reading →

What does is take to be a successful comedian, like David Nihill? Practice. And a desire to tell people interesting facts, like Columbus used to have the oldest captive gorilla and currently has the longest span, single tower S-shaped suspension … Continue reading →

Most scary Halloween stories work because evil creatures or people threaten the protagonist is threatened by. “Torture the women!” Hitchcock famously said. But this year’s halloween story considers the question of “Who’s the monster?” something worth considering at any time … Continue reading →

The days are getting shorter, a chill is in the air, and pumpkins are attacked mercilessly by knife-wielding maniacs: it must be Halloween season. It’s also one of the favorite times of year of Maxwell I. Gold, a Columbus native, … Continue reading →

Blogger and food writer Sarah Lohman won not one but two 2024Ohio Book Awards: the Ohio Book Award in Nonfiction and the Reader’s Choice Award for her book Endangered Eating: America’s Vanishing Food. The Ohioana Library will present the Ohio … Continue reading →

Singer-songwriter Ruth Moody will be in Columbus on September 27 with Six String Concerts. We discussed her new solo album “Wanderer,” her first in a decade, which reflects on motherhood, grief, and love. The album, recorded in Nashville, is deeply … Continue reading →

Poet George Bilgere, aka, Our Man in Berlin, drops by to discuss his latest, Cheap Motels of My Youth, which began at a café in Berlin and won the Rattle Magazine chapbook contest. We talk about his writing process, family, … Continue reading →

​Violinist Savannah Buist, cellist Katie Larson, and percussionist Michael Dause make up The Accidentals, who will perform in Columbus on March 12 with Six String Concerts. I spoke with Sav and Katie about their time as musicians, how the pandemic … Continue reading →

If you’re looking for a break from the various crises filling our lives right now, you might find some solace in reading up on a volatile moment in the United States’ past. This week we talk to Columbus author Karin … Continue reading →

My father was a school administrator for many years and I heard his enthusiasm for schools throughout my childhood. So I was intrigued by the title of Doris Caceres-Schumick’s book Public School Teaching Sucks, Period.: A Memoir of a Special Education/ESL … Continue reading →