PODCAST · society
Five Things
by Louisville Public Media
How do the objects we love define us? What can we learn from the things we treasure? And how can we discover a life story through those objects? Five Things, from 89.3 WFPL and Louisville Public Media, explores those questions and more.+
Episodes
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Musician Clarence Bucaro has a two-person book club... with his mom
Clarence Bucaro is a singer-songwriter and a one-time stay-at-home dad. He's been making albums since 2000, with some twists and turns along the way. He's also in a two-person book club with his mom. #goals +
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A Life Update from (Pastor) Joe Phelps
This week’s episode is an update from one of our previous guests, Joe Phelps. He was originally on the show in May of 2017, when he spoke about the unexpected loss of his son, his work as pastor of Highland Baptist Church, and that one time he got to hang out with Bruce Springsteen. It’s still…
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NYC Doorman Mario Landa Loves Tattoos and Tatooine
I met Mario Landa probably 15 years ago, when he was the doorman in my apartment building in New York City. For five years, I saw him almost every single day. If you’re not familiar with what a doorman does, we’ll talk more about that in this interview. Spoiler: it’s a lot more than opening a…
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A Life Update from Musician Ben Sollee
Musician Ben Sollee, who was first on the show in September 2017, gives us an update on his new daughter, his new day job, and his new side gigs. It's a lot.
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Writer Minda Honey on relationship advice and the very best rice cooker
Writer Minda Honey has an advice column for Louisville's LEO Weekly, and she's working on a memoir about her dating life. She also really, really loves her rice cooker.
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Civil rights attorney Dan Canon is still a musician at heart
As an attorney, taking a case to the Supreme Court is about the highest goal one can aspire to -- and then actually winning that case, and helping change the lives of millions of Americans... it's a huge achievement. So what's a fellow to do next? If you're Indiana lawyer Dan Canon, and you just...
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Poet Maggie Smith, author of "Good Bones," finds freedom after viral success
It’s not often that a poem goes viral. But it happened in 2016, with “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith. I won’t read it for you now, but it’s short and you can find it online with a quick search. It speaks to anyone who’s concerned about the current state of our world -- which is probably most of us....
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Checking in with Emily McCay
Checking in with Emily McCay, who was a guest on this podcast in July of 2017. She was known around Louisville as "The Diaper Fairy," because of her cloth diaper business of the same name, which had also grown into a store and a community center for new parents. When we spoke last summer, she was...
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Gilda Wabbit, the opera-singing drag queen from Kentucky
Today’s guest has two personalities, in a way -- in daily life, he’s Samuel Penn, 26 years old, grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky, then moved to New York City. He’s also a drag queen, named Gilda Wabbit, with huge hair, long fingernails, a big voice and a pretty filthy mouth. www.gildawabbit.com
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Mindy Thomas wants to WOW you with her tiny hands
Our guest is Mindy Thomas, host of "Wow in the World," a podcast for kids about science from NPR, and "Absolutely Mindy" from Sirius XM. Her actual hands aren't particularly tiny but she has some fake ones that have come in... handy. (Sorry not sorry.)
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Playwright Idris Goodwin on Cassius Clay, Alice Waters, and Frankenstein
Idris Goodwin is a playwright and the (new) Artistic Director of StageOne Family Theatre in Louisville. Listen to find out what a breakbeat poet is, how a cookbook is like a play script, and his complicated relationship with Mary Shelley.
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Murder By Death's Adam Turla Likes Being At Home
A dog, a houseplant, an old car for driving around town. These are the things valued by a busy touring musician-slash-restauranteur.
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How to give away your most valued possession, with writer and meditation teacher Susan Piver
I first “met” writer Susan Piver when I read her book, “The Hard Questions: 100 Questions to Ask Before You Say ‘I Do’” which I recommend as an excellent guidebook for talking with your significant other before taking that big step. Later, I learned that she was a Buddhist and a meditation…
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Physicist, psychoanalyst, and Holocaust survivor Izio Rosenman
Izio Rosenman is 83 years old, he was born in Poland, he spent his childhood in the Buchenwald concentration camp, and he has lived in Paris since the camp was liberated. Professionally, he was a physicist, a psychoanalyst, and an anthropologist. He 's got some thoughts on life.
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Quick update: new episodes coming Sept. 6!
Hey, it's Tara, here with a quick update. I know this feed has been quiet for the past little while, and I'm here to let you know that the next season of Five Things is coming up really soon! I've been working this summer on seeking out some extraordinary guests to interview, and I think you'll...
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Don't try to shop for "Bullseye" host Jesse Thorn
Jesse Thorn, of NPR's "Bullseye" as well as "Jordan, Jesse, Go!" and "Judge John Hodgman," tells us about the highly idiosyncratic objects that sum up his highly idiosyncratic life. I recently learned that he is a devotee of "Antiques Roadshow," and I knew I needed to get him on Five Things....
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Angela Davis Knits Her Life Together
This week’s guest is Angela Davis, a schoolteacher whose primary teaching tool is knitting needles. And this conversation between us arose from her first item -- I saw her at the theatre, wearing a gorgeous coat, and I had to ask her about it.
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School librarian Lindsy Serrano isn't judging you
This week, we’ll hear from a woman whose job is to get kids psyched up about reading. And through that job, she met her hero.
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Writer Leesa Cross-Smith is Quietly Radical
Writer Leesa Cross-Smith is based in Louisville, and she’s just published her first novel, "Whiskey and Ribbons." Find out why she considered it a radical act to tell the story in the way she did, what’s her secret weapon when it comes to getting writing done, and the tweet so good… she put it on…
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Musician Joe Henry makes coffee for everybody
My guest this week is one of my very favorite musicians, Joe Henry. His brother Dave was one of my first guests on this show, and I was thrilled when Joe agreed to take part as well. He’s just released his fourteenth studio album, called “Thrum,” and he’s also produced records for a lot of…
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Manoush Zomorodi of "Note to Self" tells you why she still wears a watch.
The host of "Note to Self," a podcast about the human side of technology, tells us about the simple, small things that keep her grounded (and on time).
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Mark Schultz, Playwright and Priest, on the Music of Theatre
Mark Schultz is the author of "Evocation to Visible Appearance," among other plays, and he's also a priest in the Episcopal Church. He was in Louisville for the premiere of his play at the Humana Festival at Actors' Theatre, and we talked about his fondness for black metal, Kurt Weill, and his...
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Pomegranates and Ginger with Chef Anoosh Shariat
This episode's guest is Chef Anoosh Shariat, owner of two Louisville restaurants, Anoosh Bistro and Noosh Nosh. He grew up in Iran, learned classical “fine dining” techniques, and was a local pioneer in fusion cooking.
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Cigar Boxes and a Jar of Marbles with Claude Stephens (Episode 58)
My guest this week on Five Things is Claude Stephens, who works as an educator at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, just south of Louisville. But as he says, there are many other ways he moves through the world.
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Benny Goodman, A Painted Pith Helmet, and the Theatrics of Religion with Vin Scelsa (Episode 57)
Vin Scelsa is a familiar name to anybody who grew up listening to FM radio in the New York/New Jersey area. He spent nearly 50 years playing music on the radio, starting out at a college station, then a couple of commercial stations, before heading to public radio.He was on the air the night that...
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Tattoos, Social Work, and Family with Disability Activist Amanda Stahl (Episode 56)
Amanda Stahl works at Mattingly Edge, a Louisville organization that works with people with disabilities, with the goal of helping them live independently. Amanda has a masters degree in social work, and works at Mattingly as a counselor, talking with clients about personal and emotional issues....
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Haitian Music, A Wedding Ring, and a Grammy with Musician Dan Zanes (Episode 55)
Musician Dan Zanes calls what he does "family music" or "all-ages music," not "children's music," because he really is playing for everybody. In talking with him, I learned about how he really sees his music and the way he plays as part of an effort toward social justice. We also talked about his...
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Biking, Technology, and Our Place in the Universe with Conductor Teddy Abrams (Episode 54)
This week’s guest is a big thinker, with his head in a million different places. He’s got a very public job that puts him in touch with a lot of people -- and the ensemble he leads had the number 1 classical album in the country last year -- but this was a rare opportunity to just sit down and…
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Body Image, Orchids, and Rescue Dogs with Angie Fenton (Episode 53)
This week's guest is Angie Fenton, a name that’s familiar to many Louisville TV viewers -- she’s frequently seen on WHAS 11, as a contributor to their morning news show. She seems to be everywhere -- emcee-ing a gala event, reporting on happenings all around the community. She’s the…
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Magic, Music, and the Sunny Side of the Bay with Brett Schneider (Episode 52)
This week’s guest is a performer who specializes in hiding what he’s actually doing onstage -- and directing your attention elsewhere.
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Episode 51: Author Frank Bill on Martial Arts, Inspiration, and Raccoons
My guest this week is an author based in Corydon, Indiana, not far from Louisville. Frank Bill has just released his third book, a novel titled The Savage. It’s a post-apocalyptic tale of survival, set in and around Corydon after the economy has totally collapsed, and civil society along with it....
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Episode 50: Writer Hannah Drake on Family, Taking Chances, and Picking Cotton
Hannah Drake is a poet, a spoken-word artist, and a cultural producer with Ideas xLab, which works at the intersection of health and art. She’s someone who thinks deeply, feels deeply, and communicates brilliantly. All of Hannah’s items were fascinating, but one in particular resonated with me in…
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Episode 49: Inmate Actor James Prichard on Shakespeare, Friendship and Regret
This week, my guest is someone who spends some of his time in creative work, but it’s not something he ever imagined he’d do. James Prichard is a member of Shakespeare Behind Bars, a theatre troupe based at the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange, Kentucky. That also means -- he’s...
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Episode 48: "Ask Me Another" Host Ophira Eisenberg on Parenting, Orchids, and Snow Globes
This week's guest on Five Things is Ophira Eisenberg, stand-up comedian, writer, and host of the NPR comedy game show Ask Me Another. She's also got a new comedy special just out, called "Inside Joke," which she taped when she was about 38 weeks pregnant with her first child. She was 43 years old...
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Episode 47: Writer Kayla Rae Whitaker on Imposter Syndrome, Pencils, and Peanuts
Kayla Rae Whitaker is the author of "The Animators," a novel published earlier this year by Random House. She's a Kentucky native who recently moved to Louisville after several years in New York City. Among other things, we talked about what it's like to come back "home" and how she finally…
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Episode 46: Kentucky Poet Laureate Frederick Smock on Fossils, Travel, and Paying Attention
This week's show was recorded live at the Writers' Block Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 2017. Kentucky's Poet Laureate, Frederick Smock, was my guest -- we talked about how children are natural poets, how his father taught him to be a professional "noticer," and what writers can…
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Holiday Rebroadcast: Pastor Joe Phelps on Loss, Family, and Bruce Springsteen
This week, we're sharing a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes: a conversation with Joe Phelps, pastor at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville. He's recently announced his retirement after 20 years of service. After nearly 50 episodes of Five Things, I can honestly say that this is…
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Episode 45: Fred Johnson on Shakespeare, Running, and PTSD
My guest this week has been in situations that I can only imagine -- four deployments with the US Army will put you in harm’s way on a regular basis. Fred Johnson is a retired Army colonel who now describes himself as a “professional volunteer,” as he’s trying to find his path after nearly 30…
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Episode 44: Writer Amy Bammel Wilding on Goddesses and Community
This week's guest on Five Things is writer and community leader Amy Bammel Wilding. She's the creator and lead facilitator at Red Tent Louisville, which she describes as a gathering place "dedicated to witnessing and inspiring the reawakening of the Sacred Feminine." A collection of guided...
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Episode 43: Writer Victor LaValle on Comic Books, Metallica, and Malcolm X
The first Victor LaValle book I ever read was his 2012 novel, "The Devil In Silver." It's a masterful blend of horror and social commentary -- horror's not typically my thing but I loved it. LaValle has won all kinds of awards and accolades, and his latest book, "The Changeling," not only…
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Episode 42: Dawn Howard on Political Transformations and Facing Fears
This week's guest on Five Things is an accountant who's finally figured out how to use her skills to support the things she believes in. Let me explain -- Dawn Howard has experienced a political transformation over the past few years. She describes herself as a former Republican who is now...
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Episode 41: Actress Reshma Shetty on Hard Work, Motherhood, and a Stuffed Penguin
Reshma Shetty and I met nearly 20 years ago in Lexington, Kentucky, when she had just moved to town for graduate school in music and I was working at the university. Later, we both lived in New York City, right around the corner from each other. I helped her practice her lines when she had an...
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Episode 40: NPR's Sam Sanders on Trying New Things and Being a Grownup
NPR reporter Sam Sanders was one of the breakout stars of the 2016 election season. He's now the host of his own podcast (and radio show), called It's Been A Minute, in which he talks with newsmakers, artists, and other reporters about everything from music and television to a round-up of the...
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Episode 39: Lebowski Fest Founder Will Russell On Loss, Monsters, And Bowling
Will Russell founded Lebowski Fest, a yearly celebration of the Coen Brothers’ movie that then spread nationwide. He owned two stores, Why Louisville, that sold t-shirts and other work made by local artists. Then he got a big, ambitious idea -- around the same time that his mental health started…
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Episode 38: Opera Singer Christine Brewer On Being Prepared — Or Not
This week’s guest is world-renowned opera singer Christine Brewer, a Wagnerian soprano who’s performed on just about every stage and with every company you can imagine: the Metropolitan Opera, The London Symphony Orchestra, English National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and more. She’s...
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Episode 37: Musician Ben Sollee on Polaroids, Coffee, and the Legend of Zelda
My guest this week, Louisville-based musician Ben Sollee, has been recording and touring since 2008, so he's done a LOT of interviews over the years. He's good at talking about his music, how he makes it, why he does what he does, and the environmental and cultural issues he wants to advocate.…
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Episode 36: Baker Tom Edwards on Self-Reliance and Beets
Each week on Five Things, we meet a guest who has selected five physical objects that have been resonant or important in his or her life, and we learn about that person from those things. Usually we sit in a quiet studio at Louisville Public Media, but for this week’s interview, I went to visit…
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Episode 35: Actor Teresa Willis On Marriage, Ambition, And Her Very Famous Cousin
A situation almost guaranteed to produce dread: when your friend says, "Hey, I'm performing the one-woman play that I wrote about my life, you should come!" I hadn't known Teresa Willis all that long when she invited me to come see "Eenie Meenie," but I wanted to be supportive, even though a solo...
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Episode 34: Author Patrick Wensink On Gorillas And Creative Resilience
On this week’s episode of Five Things, our guest is writer Patrick Wensink, a novelist whose first-ever children’s book is coming out next week. "Go Go Gorillas” was inspired by Wensink's visits to the zoo with his young son, when he wondered why the gorillas were always sleeping during the day....
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Episode 33: Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio
On this week’s episode of Five Things, my guest is Matt Jones, the host of Kentucky Sports Radio and the co-founder of the New Kentucky Project. He’s best known for being a professional fan of Kentucky basketball, but he’s also an attorney with several years of practice under his belt. We talked...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
How do the objects we love define us? What can we learn from the things we treasure? And how can we discover a life story through those objects? Five Things, from 89.3 WFPL and Louisville Public Media, explores those questions and more.+
HOSTED BY
Louisville Public Media
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Five Things have?
Five Things currently has 84 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Five Things about?
How do the objects we love define us? What can we learn from the things we treasure? And how can we discover a life story through those objects? Five Things, from 89.3 WFPL and Louisville Public Media, explores those questions and more.+
How often does Five Things release new episodes?
Five Things has 84 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Five Things?
You can listen to Five Things on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Five Things?
Five Things is created and hosted by Louisville Public Media.
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