Creating Dangerously

Welcome to this episode of the Creating Dangerously Podcast sponsored by the Shawna Foundation. Today we have the privilege of speaking with the director, Iryna Pravylo and producer Yulia Zi of the documentary film Flowers Beyond the Dark, which will be screening at the Massachusetts Independent Film Festival, which runs from April 2 -4 in Worcester.

“Flowers beyond the Dark” is an artful exploration of the human side of war, a raw witness account of people who know what it’s like to stare the enemy in the eyes, feel the pain, yet maintain hope and determination for victory. All while facing the prospect of being a victim of genocide. We get to know them, follow them in church, at home, behind the artist’s canvas, and in armored vehicles. 

Important links

Film’s website: https://www.righttimestudios.com/flowersbeyondthedark
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/flowersbeyondthedark/
Raphael Lemkin’s article: https://holodomormuseum.org.ua/en/publikacija/raphael-lemkin-soviet-genocide-in-ukraine-article-in-33-languages/

Book about the Holodomor: 
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Famine-Stalins-War-Ukraine/dp/0385538855
Mass Indie Film Fest Schedule: https://www.shawnafoundation.org/
Ukrainian Poem by Yevhen Stankovych: https://music.apple.com/us/album/ukrainian-poem/1195984640?i=1195985111

Join Patrick Bracken and Skip Shea as they drown in the sea of the never-ending daily stories of bad news. Nothing like cold coffee and stale diet cola to lift those existential blues. But then there is the cost of Bruce Springsteen Tickets.This Episode:This year’s Oscar nominees arrive at a moment when the world feels politically unstable, socially fragmented, and morally uncertain. The films we’re discussing today—Sinners, One Thing After Another, It Was Just an Accident, and, in tribute to the recently departed Béla Tarr, his masterpiece Werckmeister Harmonies—all wrestle with questions about responsibility, truth, and the fragility of social order.In very different ways, these films remind us that cinema has always been a mirror for its time, reflecting the anxieties, contradictions, and ethical dilemmas of the moment we’re living in.Taken together, these films suggest that the most powerful stories today are not simply about heroes or villains, but about systems—systems that shape how people behave, how truth is defined, and how communities respond to fear and uncertainty.Whether through allegory, satire, or stark realism, filmmakers continue to ask the same question that great cinema has always asked: when institutions falter, what responsibility falls on the individual?

The Modern Classics Audio Play Series revisits foundational texts not to preserve them in amber, but to place them in conversation with the present. In this episode we adapt Ernest Hemingway's Hills Like White Elephants. The original story, linked below, is a tense conversation between an American man and his girlfriend at a Spanish train station, revolving around an unspoken, implied abortion. Hemingway wrote Hills Like White Elephants at a moment when patriarchy, empire, and authority were rarely questioned aloud. Yet the story itself is built on tension rather than certainty—on what is said too often, what is not said at all, and who is ultimately asked to carry the weight of a decision.Hemingway’s work frequently exposes power as something maintained through calm insistence and silence rather than moral clarity. In this story, the imbalance of voice reveals an underlying instability: the fear that inherited authority may no longer be enough.This adaptation reframes that instability. By shifting the center of the narrative from persuasion to choice, it foregrounds autonomy as an act of courage rather than defiance. The woman’s decision is not presented as a conflict to be won, but as a departure—quiet, deliberate, and irreversible.In keeping with the mission of the Shawna E. Shea Memorial Foundation, this production reflects a broader commitment to amplifying voices that step away from coercive structures and toward self-definition. The play invites listeners to sit with uncertainty, to listen closely, and to recognize that change often begins not with argument, but with clarity—and the resolve to leave the table.Gregory Velez: The HostTiziana Guarini: The WomanPatrick Bracken: The AmericanClaudia Zonetti: The BaristaHills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

Welcome to what will now be an annual event, our rebroadcast of the 1938 Mercury Theater production of A Christmas Carol.A Christmas Carol (1938) — The Mercury Theatre, Orson Welles, and the Enduring Power of Radio DramaWhen the Mercury Theatre on the Air presented its 1938 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, listeners expected to hear Lionel Barrymore, whose portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge had become a beloved annual tradition. But when Barrymore fell ill shortly before the broadcast, a remarkable thing happened: Orson Welles, only twenty-three years old, stepped into the role. Already known as a bold experimenter in radio, Welles not only narrated the production but also assumed Scrooge’s voice with an authority far beyond his years.What emerged was not merely a holiday episode but a defining moment in radio history.In 1938, America was still wrestling with the emotional and economic wounds of the Great Depression. Dickens’s tale of greed, poverty, and redemption resonated deeply with audiences who understood hardship firsthand. Welles and the Mercury troupe embraced that resonance. Their production is lean, atmospheric, and psychologically driven—focused less on Victorian ornament and more on the internal transformation of Scrooge.The sound design, an innovative hallmark of the Mercury Theatre, layered music, voice, and environmental effects to create vivid auditory landscapes. The result is a story experienced not just as narration, but as an immersive journey. Welles’s interpretation of Scrooge—more intense, more introspective than the jovial Barrymore tradition—reveals a young artist already exploring the depths of character and the possibilities of sound to shape emotion.Why It Still Matters TodayThe themes that animated Dickens and captivated both Barrymore and Welles continue to speak to us. Economic precarity, social fragmentation, and moral exhaustion mark our historical moment just as they did the late 1930s. Yet A Christmas Carol insists on the radical idea that individuals and societies can still choose generosity, empathy, and transformation.There is also something profoundly meaningful in the way Welles stepped in for Barrymore. The continuity of tradition—handed off, adapted, and preserved by new voices—mirrors the evolution of storytelling itself. Every generation inherits the tale, but every storyteller reimagines it in the shape of their own time.An Annual Tradition of Artistic StewardshipBy making this rebroadcast a yearly tradition on Creating Dangerously, you join Welles in the act of keeping public storytelling alive. You revive not only a classic performance but a shared cultural ritual: gathering listeners to experience a story that has bound generations together in reflection and hope.In honoring both Barrymore’s legacy and Welles’s youthful audacity, this annual event becomes more than nostalgia. It becomes a statement. It says that art survives because artists—across decades, mediums, and personal histories—continue to pass the flame.And in that continuity, A Christmas Carol remains what it has always been: a reminder that even in difficult times, redemption is possible and kindness revolutionary.

Join us on this Halloween as we discuss all things Body Horror! And by that we mean movies about horrific things that happen to the human body, not about the horrors of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Bodies of Government, And, most importantly, we bid farewell to one of our cohosts, Andrea Wolanin who moves on to bigger and better things. We are truly grateful for her time and commitment to the Shawna Foundation and helping with our podcast and we look forward to having her on as a guest when we can discuss the cool new projects she is up to. Thank you Andrea.

Earlier this year the New York Times published a list of the 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century. Compiled by, as they state:

“More than 500 influential directors, actors and other notable names in Hollywood and around the world voted on the best films released since Jan. 1, 2000. Here is how their ballots stacked up."https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/best-movies-21st-century.html
They also let the readers select their favorites as well. Which was suspiciously similar to the list of the notables.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/movies/readers-movies-21st-century.html

So we decided to look elsewhere. We found a list on the Guardian which was a little different. It stopped at 2019 so it’s wasn’t as complete as the NYT. But still a great reference point.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/sep/13/100-best-films-movies-of-the-21st-century

Join Patrick Bracken, Andrea Wolanin and Skip Shea for a fun and irreverent discussion as they go through the lists - eventually - and listen to their thoughts on these lists. And lists in general.

The Shawna Foundation and the Creating Dangerously Podcast presents the New Classics Audio Play Series, where we reframe timeless stories through a modern lens.Our first episode is an adaptation of The Illuminati in Drama Libre, a short, audacious one-act by Alice Gerstenberg, a pioneering American feminist playwright of the early twentieth century. Alice Gerstenberg (1885–1972) was a bold and inventive voice in American theater, best known for experimenting with form and for her commitment to women’s voices on stage. Written in 1914, The Illuminati in Drama Libre is a sharp, satirical play that challenges authority, censorship, and the gatekeepers of art.Gerstenberg was writing during a time of immense change—the women’s suffrage movement, social upheaval, and radical shifts in art and culture. Her play pokes fun at institutions that tried to silence creativity and limit who could tell stories, echoing the struggles of women and artists of her era.Today, more than a century later, the questions she raised still feel urgent. Who controls art?Whose stories are told? How do power and censorship shape what audiences get to see and hear? The Illuminati in Drama Libre reminds us that theater can be both playful and political, a place to laugh while also questioning the world around us.We revisit Gerstenberg’s work not only to honor a pioneering feminist playwright, but also to show how her spirit of defiance and experimentation continues to inspire.
Join host Gregory Velez and cast Emma McKenzie and Patrick Bracken for our adaptation.

Join Patrick Bracken as he interviews three filmmakers where they discuss their feature length films that are either fully or partially animated. It’s a fascinating discussion about this unique way of storytelling. All three films will screen at the Shawna Shea Film Festival. For full schedule and ticket info go here: https://www.shawnafoundation.org/ssff-film-festival Inbetweening by Mel House Screens July 18th, 5PM at Studio 50 at WICN in Worcester Eric Linson is a struggling multiracial filmmaker with a few credits to his name and absolutely nothing to show for it. Inbetweening follows his journey trying to remain afloat and healthy in the liminal space between projects...while the voices in his head steadily become louder. Some are helpful, but most aren't...especially the Zombie Guy. Fortunately, the lead singer of Eric's favorite band (Angelo Moore, from the legendary Fishbone, playing himself) is on Eric's side. Inbetweening melds live action, animation, puppets, and even a musical number to reveal Eric's increasingly fractured journey. Inbetweening on Tubi: https://tubitv.com/movies/100036097/inbetweening For more info on Filmmaker Mel House: http://upstartfilmworks.weebly.com/ I'd Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food by Walter Santucci Screens July 18th, 5PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in WorcesterStarring the voices of punk rock legends Jack Grisham and Keith Morris, "I’d Rather Be Turned Into Cat Food" is an independent feature film that explores existential philosophy via hand drawn animation and live action puppetry. Funny and tragic, it's a strange confluence of "My Dinner With Andre", "Sid and Nancy" and "Sesame Street". More Info at: https://www.evilcatland.com/cat-food Autistic Mode by Bob Clark, Nix Busby, Charles Moss, Malcolm Thomas, Gabrielle Teaford Screens July 19th, Noon at Studio 50 at WICN in Worcester "Autistic Mode" is an anthology film of animatic films written and directed by a team of autistic animators.The films include-- "Dreamcatchers"-- by Bob Clark, a feature length sci-fi detective story about psychic agents who investigate Nightmare infections in the landscape of the mind "Hardmode"-- by Nix Busby, a JRPG inspired adventure following a gamer discovering their own Neurodivergent learning curve. "Honeyjack"-- by Charles Moss, a Hanna-Barbera inspired musical romp about an oddball honey bear and a misfit girl scout. "Tooned Up"-- by Malcolm Thomas, a jacked up slapstick cartoon following a Tex Avery obsessed kid in a world that just doesn't get him. "Canvas"-- by Gabrielle Teaford, an autobiographical music video about a girl growing up with loss and art. Follow Bob Clark at: https://www.instagram.com/neowestchester/ For more info on Autistic Mode go to: https://linktr.ee/autisticmode

Join Patrick Bracken as he interviews Chelsea Stone who directed the documentary Miss Fury and the Lost Legacy of Tarpé Mills and Rachel van der Bie who directed the documentary Love Me Bait Me. Both screen at the Shawna Shea Film Festival on July 17th at Studio 50 at WICN, Studio 50 at WICN 50 Portland St, Worcester, MA. Miss Fury and the Lost Legacy of Tarpé Mills by Chelsea Stone“Miss Fury and the Lost Legacy of Tarpé Mills” is a documentary that explores the rise to success and fall into obscurity of June Tarpé Mills, the first woman to write, draw, and create a female superhero: Miss Fury. For more information follow Chelsea Stone here: https://www.facebook.com/mschelseastone https://www.instagram.com/missfurytarpemills/ Love Me Bait Me by Rachel van der Bie This feature documentary explores the historical relationship between Hollywood, television, and the authentic portrayal of diverse LGBTQ+ experiences over the course of more than a century.Interviews and archival footage provide a constructive critique of the U.S. film industry that emphasizes the life-saving role storytelling plays in our collective imagination for a better future. For more information follow Rachel van der Bie here: https://lovemebaitmefilm.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@lovemebaitmefilm https://www.instagram.com/lovemebaitmedoc https://www.facebook.com/LoveMeBaitMeDoc For the full schedule of the Shawna Shea Film Festival go here:https://www.shawnafoundation.org/ssff-film-festivalTickets for the Shawna Shea film Festival can be purchased here: https://filmfreeway.com/TheShawnaSheaFilmFestival/tickets

Join us as we explore the role of artists in the face of fascism and how it can shape the narrative. What's an artist to do?Links to show notes.Kendrick Lamar Halftime
https://youtu.be/KDorKy-13ak?si=o84t6J0WE3vGwXpV

Shepard Fairey
https://obeygiant.com/

Banksy
https://www.banksy.co.uk/

Keith Haring
https://www.haring.com/

Philosophy Now
https://philosophynow.org/

Lost Cause
https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/lost-cause-the/

January 6th Choir
https://apnews.com/article/j6-choir-trump-national-anthem-capitol-riot-79618f1f2a689c308dfdc34d54d327ea

Rebecca Watson
https://skepchick.org/author/rebecca/

Join Andrea Wolanin as she interviews award winning filmmaker Susan Seidelman of such films as Smithereens, Desperately Seeking Susan & Musical Chairs.They will discuss her new book Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls and her life in the world of cinema and all of its challenges. Especially for women.

Putting the politics of the USA aside we dedicate a full episode to David Lynch on his passing. We discuss some of his work, his TM and how he has influenced artists to be just that. Artists.

Join us as we play the full 1938 Campbell Playhouse radio production of the Mercury Theater’s performance of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". The radio play had booked Lionel Barrymore to play the main character of Scrooge but his health prevented him from traveling to NY so a 23 year old Orson Welles took the role instead. He was already the narrator as it was a Mercury Theater Production. The NY theater company was started in 1937 by Welles and John Houseman.Join us as we listen to a classic that is as relevant today as it has ever been.Happy Holidays to all of our listeners and supporters.

Join Patrick Bracken, Andrea Wolanin and Skip Shea as they discuss the classic book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens and many of the film adaptations. Why does this story still resonate today. And is it really possible for someone to change like Scrooge did in our present time. Enjoy. Happy Holidays everyone!

We understand there is an election coming up… So in this episode we take the lead from TCM who are using a list published by the New Republic last year listed The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time. Not the best. Or most popular. But most significant. 
Here is a link to the article:
https://newrepublic.com/article/173376/100-political-films-new-republic-list

Here is an article about the list:
https://newrepublic.com/article/173432/what-is-political-film

Here is the list of moves we discuss, or mention in this episode on our Letterboxd Page.https://boxd.it/zFtiG

And we apologize for not mentioning Casablanca. But we thought that went without saying.

Our Interview with Jay Kay about his time in the horror community as a writer for HorrorHound, podcaster, panel host, film festival programmer and filmmaker. And then we explore his new film which is anything but horror, Swing 46: The Last Swingin’ Supper Club Documentary about the Swing Renaissance of the 1990s, A Club in New York that was a part of the scene and is still working it today, to Jay’s involvement in that scene.Social Media and Internet links from the discussion in the show. A Strange Man in a Film Land & SwingFrom Coast to CoastYouTubeFaceBookInstagramX (Twitter)FaceBook for Swing 46: The Last Swingin’ Supper Club DocumentaryLinks to People, Places & Things DiscussedSwing 46Jumpin’ At The Green Mill by the Mighty Blue KingsFletcher Henderson and His Orchestra Sing, Sing, Sing (1936) Written by Louis PrimaPhil KralBenny Goodman Sing, Sing, Sing (1937) Written by Louis PrimaLouis Prima Jump, Jive an’ WailLouis Jordan CaledoniaFrankie ManningJohnny BoydBrian SetzerRound Reel International Film FestivalF3 Film FestivalWoodstock Museum Film FestivalArt is Alive Film FestivalMosaic World Film FestivalThe Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival

Join Patrick Bracken as he interviews some of the nominated Filmmakers of this year's edition of the Shawna Shea Film Festival. And a very special interview with last year's Women in Film Fellowship recipient, Monaye Moyes as they discuss the world premiere of her directorial debut, Hunger.Joining them is Lindsay and Manny Serrano with Deana Demko for the short Concessions.Alexandra Gillespie for One Last Thing.Adam Newman for Everwinter Night.Jimmy Martin for The Painter.Samantha deManbey for One World is Writing.The Shawna Shea Film Festival takes place from July 24-27 at starlite in Southbridge, Massachusetts, 39 Hamilton Street.For the full schedule and ticket information go here: https://www.shawnafoundation.org/ssff-film-festivalFor the exclusive Patreon SSFF screenings visit and join our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ShawnaFoundationAnd we'll be back after the festival with more Creating Dangerously!

The Truth is Out ThereIn this episode I interview Brit Elders on the Release of the UFO…Contact from the PleiadesVolumes I & II (45th Anniversary Edition) by Lee Elders, Brit Elders and Thom Welch.Together they researched photographs taken by Billy Meier who claimed to have frequent visits with aliens from the Pleiades. Originally they thought it would take a day to label the photos as fakes. Eight years later they could not help to come to the conclusion that they were real.The book and documentary show the compelling evidence that verifies their findings. A compelling book to read, with spectacular photos, in present time as the government releases their own UFO files.Is it absurd to believe we are alone or is it absurd to believe we are not? I guess that depends on each individual. Give it a listen and see where you land.Here are links for more information.Brit Eldershttps://britelders.com/Beyond Words Publishinghttps://beyondword.com/UFO…Contact from the PleiadesVolumes I & II (45th Anniversary Edition)https://beyondword.com/collections/hardcover-books/products/ufo-contact-from-the-pleiades-45th-anniversary-edition-volumes-i-iiUFO...Contact from the Pleiades: A Documentary Filmhttps://beyondword.com/search?type=product,page,article&q=UFO

Part One where Patrick Bracken, Andrea Wolanin and Skip Shea explore the meaning of “Cults” in the arts. What is a cult movie? How is it defined? Does it extend into music like with Bruce Springsteen's SpringNuts and Taylor Swift's Swifts? Join us as we stammer our way in trying to define Cults in the Arts. Or do we just get more confused the deeper we go? Plus another shout out to JimMcDonough. Is he becoming the Matt Damon to our Jimmy Kimmel? Join us and find out.

Patrick Bracken continues interviewing filmmakers from the 2024 edition of the Mass Indie Film Festival. Joining him for this episode are:Gabrielle RossonShe, Who Dared (Short)April 28 Block Two: Shorts Program at the Hilton12:30PMAustin SmagalskiTo Die Alone (Feature)April 26 Block One: To Die Alone at the Hilton12:30PMJenny HerzogHear Me (Feature Length Doc)April 26 Block Thee: Feature Docs at the Hilton5:30PMDavid CamlinWe Are the Warriors (Feature Length Doc)April 26 Block Thee: Feature Docs at the Hilton5:30PMGet Tickets here: https://filmfreeway.com/theMassachusettsIndependentFilmFestival/tickets

Patrick Bracken interviews five directors who will have their movies screen at this years Mass Indie Film Fest!Sharon Grace BadiaDirector of A is for Alice (Feature)World Premiere on April 24th at starlite in Southbridge7:00PMLauren LegerDirector of How to Clean: An ADHD Story (Short)Screening on April 25th at starlite in Southbridge7:00PMLauren MusgroveDirector of Ugly Sweater (Feature)Screening on April 27th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Worcester5:30PMBillie Frank SmithDirector of Apophenia (Short)Screening on April 28th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Worcester3:00PMTheadora Shorrock Nedvins Director of Another You (Short) Screening on April 27th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Worcester12:30PM Full lineup can be found on the Shawna Foundation Website.https://www.shawnafoundation.org/mass-indie-2024-scheduleTickets can be purchased on FilmFreeway.https://filmfreeway.com/theMassachusettsIndependentFilmFestival/tickets

We traveled to Rome Italy and sat down for a brief conversation with cult film director Luigi Cozzi in his Profondo Rosso store and talked about his movies, what is a cult movie, the future of filmmaking and a little advice to filmmakers today. It's always fun to sit down with our friend Luigi Cozzi!You can find Luigi Cozzi's movies on Amazon, Severin and most other movie retail stores.You can find his books on Amazon. He's a terrific film historian, you'll definitely want to check some out.And here is a link to find out more about the Profondo Rosso store! A must stop if you are ever in Rome. Or you can shop from home!To learn more about the history of VIPCO, who helped distribute some of the best titles in the history of cult cinema. Here is an article from the Reprobate by David Flint about Vipco's history.Vipco has since returned and is releasing new genre titles.Full disclosure, one of them is mine.

Join Andrea Wolanin, Patrick Bracken and Skip Shea as they discuss all things Oscars. And some things not Oscars. We'll even begrudging make some picks! But I wouldn't bet on them.

Host Patrick Bracken discusses the creative process with musician Fyfe Dangerfield as a solo artist and as a founding member of the indie rock band Guillemots. In particular his new unique approach with his Birdwatcher Series.Other links mentioned in the interview:Videos:Made Up Love Song #43: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EaAYi64RpoFalling Out of Reach:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYLZFqrsh9EShe Needs Me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBPt2kfqi90I Don't Feel Amazing Now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lygVYTsKlZgShook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP_4zIy-5wMLittle Bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii7rIUvh-0oHis website, Channels May Change: https://www.channelsmaychange.com/Our Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kI19JKzjdFAp4WFYZVipp?si=cfb111f3047b4417

We recently interviewed film director Claire Jeffreys about her new documentary Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between which won the audience award at the Doc NYC Film Festival. It's a film about one of the most under the radar musicians whose fans rank amongst some of the biggest names in the industry. Like Lou Reed, Bob Marley and Bruce Springsteen. This remarkable film is also Claire's first. So we shine the light on her as a filmmaker as well as discuss Garland.For more info on the doc go to https://www.kingofinbetween.com and there you'll find all of the social media links to follow along.If you want to hear the songs mentioned in this episode go to our Spotify page.

We look back at what we consider some of the best books, songs and movies of 2023. Skip Shea tackles the books, Andrea Wolanin the songs and Patrick Bracken the movies. See if your favorites make it. If not, remember it is subjective. If that is possible!We are now on Goodreads so you can find the list of all of the books mentioned in this episode here!You can listen to all of the songs mentioned in this episode on on our Spotify music page on here!And find the movies now listed on Letterboxd!Be sure to follow us on those sites as well!

This episode of Poetry Versus with Tony Brown continues to explore the theme of the month, satire. With a little absurdism mixed in. He'll read and discuss the poem "Ape" by Russell Edson.Born in Connecticut, Edson studied art early in life and attended the Art Students League as a teenager. He began publishing poetry in the 1950s. His honors as a poet include a Guggenheim fellowship, a Whiting Award and several fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.Edson, who jokingly has called himself "Little Mr. Prose Poem," is inarguably the foremost writer of prose poetry in America, having written exclusively in that form before it became fashionable.Edson self-published several chapbooks and later, numerous collections of prose poetry, fables, two novels, "Gulping's Recital" and "The Song of Percival Peacock", and a book of plays under the title, "The Falling Sickness" and his final book was "See Jack"

As we continue to explore satire we had the opportunity to sit down with Oscar Winer Adam McKay to discuss its importance. The interview was recorded on May 15th, 2023 in the height of the writers strike and before the actors strike.

Join Skip Shea, Andrea Wolanin and Patrick Bracken as they discuss the importance of satire and absurdism, which is more fun than it sounds. Especially when we will be discussing things like The Marx Brothers, Blazing Saddles, Don't Look Up and Don Knotts. What do Albert Camus and The Incredible Mr. Limpet and have in common? Join us and find out.

As a part of the Creating Dangerously Podcast we will be interviewing artist from all walks of creativity who explore themes and push the boundaries of art. Who Create Dangerously! Our first guest is Catherine Marenghi.Catherine Marenghi is an award-winning poet, novelist, and memoirist. Her works include Our Good Name, a historical novel inspired by her Italian immigrant ancestors, and Glad Farm: A Memoir, about growing up in stark poverty; President Jimmy Carter called it “inspiring.” Her poetry books are Breaking Bread: Poems and her newest book Unfurled: Love Poems.

Tony Brown joins us monthly to bring a poem that relates to each episode of the Creating Dangerously Podcast. For the "Who Are We? Why Are We Here?" episode that explained the philosophy behind Creating Dangerously Tony Chose Russian poet Andrei Voznesensky's Darkmotherscream.Tony Brown has been writing for well over 50 years, and publishing and performing his work for over 40. He is the winner of the 2022 Stanley Kunitz Medal, endowed by the late US Poet Laureate and Worcester native and awarded annually to a poet for life achievement and service to the Central Massachusetts poetry community. Which he continues to do as the Poet Laureate of the Shawna foundation.

As if November isn't dark enough join us for a discussion of Noirvember where we will shine a light on the dark alley's and dirty bars found in the shadows of Film Noir.Join Skip Shea, Andrea Wolanin and Patrick Bracken as they try to define the genre (?) and give some examples of their favorites. And they might even find a connection with Albert Camus and Creating Dangerously! We hope you'll join us!

Now that we've got Episode Zero out of the way, it's time to get down to it. Our hosts Skip Shea, Andrea Wolanin and Patrick Bracken discuss what it means to Create Dangerously.Creating Dangerously, is based on the lecture by Albert Camus which he gave on December 14, 1957 at Uppsala University in Sweden, four days after he gave his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

In it he said “To create today means to create dangerously. Every publication is a deliberate act, and that act makes us vulnerable to the passions of a century that forgives nothing."What has changed? We have lived through things like the September 11 attack, to a pandemic to the new threat of the rise of fascism globally. Again. This century also forgives nothing.

This episode we will start to explore artists past and present who are doing their part to create dangerously to try to make sense of a world that often doesn't make sense at all.

Okay, so we're all busy. Episode One was recorded some time ago but we at the Shawna Foundation became too busy with running film festivals and drinking coffee. So co-hosts Andrea Wolanin, Patrick Bracken and myself (Skip Shea) decided we should start with Episode Zero. Just for fun! To discuss something near and dear to our hearts, horror movies. Episode One will follow soon and we'll get into what Creating Dangerously is all about. But it's almost Halloween! Let's have some fun first!