Arts Educators Save the World

This one's for all you poetry stans out there! On this episode, Erica sits down with two very singular gentlemen of letters, each of whom both teach and write poetry for a living. They discuss what poems are, what people are, and how to connect with students today in such a niche literary field. Jason Morphew is the author of the collections Eject City (Poets Wear Prada, 2024) and dead boy (Spuyten Duyvil, 2018) and the chapbooks What to deflect when you’re deflecting (Poets Wear Prada, 2017) and In Order to Commit Suicide (Floating Wolf Quarterly, 2012). His poems have been published in Seneca Review, Lana Turner, Bellevue Literary Review, and Smartish Pace, among other journals.  Joe Wenderoth is an American writer, performer, teacher, and film-maker. He has published seven books: five books of poetry, an epistolary novel (Letters to Wendy's), and a book of essays. His work is widely  anthologized, and has been published in collections and periodicals such as Harpers, The Nation, The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, Best American Poetry 2007, Best American Essays 2008, Poetry 180, The Next American Essay, The Best American Poems: From Poe to Present, The Body Electric, The New American Poets: A Bread Loaf Anthology, and American Poetry: Next Generation. He and his work has a notable mention in The Best American Essays 2011.

In this live podcast, Arts Educators Save the World podcast hosts Dr. Erica Halverson and Alek Lev will interview the actor Anjali Bhimani (Ms. Marvel, The Legend of Vox Machina, Overwatch, Apex Legends) in conversation with her mentee Owyn P Taylor about the role of arts learning in her success as a multi-hyphenate actor . Using stories from Bhimani’s career and her role in Owyn's development, this conversation will highlight how Bhimani draws upon her training as an actor to adapt her work across multiple forms of media, including television, film, Broadway, and gaming – and how her connection with Owyn inspired his unlikely but undeniable creative emergence.

In this live podcast, Arts Educators Save the World podcast hosts Dr. Erica Halverson and Alek Lev will interview Emmy Award–winning writer Joshua Pruett (Phineas and Ferb, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Doctor Who, The Last Comics on Earth) alongside his mentor, Emmy Award–winning head writer and co-producer Scott Peterson (Phineas and Ferb, The Last Kids on Earth) about the role of learning as an ingredient of artistic success. Using real stories, this conversation will showcase the invaluable impact of mentorship and continuous learning on creating and sustaining successful creative careers.

No “Bones” about it, this episode features the great Emily Deschanel, waxing nostalgic with high school pal and Arts Educators Save the World Executive Producer Jamie Salka and their high school drama teacher, the great Scott Weintraub! Scott is a true polymath, professional actor, teacher and director of students k-12, and responsible for mentoring Emily and many other household names to television and film success.

Revisiting another Oldie-But-Goodie this week while we're recording new episodes at the Comic Con Museum in San Diego!! More to come soon!! Our dear friend Craig Thomas, working at the highest levels of network television, is proof positive that mentorship doesn't end at graduation. Craig is the co-creator of CBS's smash sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which received 30 Emmy Award nominations in its nine-season run. His prose has been published in The Iowa Review, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and the Weekly Humorist. In this episode, he joins us in conversation with Rob Greenberg, who, as a writer/producer on FRASIER, won three Emmys, and a Writers Guild Award. Rob was an executive producer for the pilot of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, where he remained as consulting producer -- and mentor to Craig and co-creator Carter Bays -- for the show's first six years. At the time of this recording, he and his partner, Bob Fisher, are writing, directing and producing the second season of ANIMAL CONTROL for Fox.

The Zuckerman sisters have been partners-in-crime their whole lives. From the time they bought a secret TV to watch Twin Peaks without their parents knowing to their collaboration as showrunners of the Peacock hit show Poker Face, Lila and Nora Zuckerman are powerhouse women together and as solo acts. The hour we got to spend with them was pure delight - 10 out of 10, no notes!

We’re welcoming you back to new episodes with a bang! Lili-Ann Brown is one of the leaders of American regional theatre, directing all over the country from Chicago’s Goodman Theatre to the New York City Center Stages. We hosted an amazing conversation between emerging superstar director Nadia Guevara and Lili-Ann, two powerhouse women who explore everything from the crucial role of social capital in art-making to why making animal sounds is the secret to success. Cock-a-doodle-doo y’all!

One more from the vault! This one is producer Doug's favorite Season 1 episode. Bill Strickland is the founder of Manchester Craftmen’s Guild and Bidwell Corporation. He's also a MacArthur Fellow. Sharif Bey is an artist and professor, whose work is focused on the visual heritage of Africa, Oceana, and contemporary African American Culture. He's also the winner of The United States Artist fellowship. Bey got his start at Strickland’s Craftman’s Guild, and counts Strickland as one of his earlier and most influential mentors. These two master ceramicists join together for a wide-ranging discussion on the beauty of clay, the value of mentorship, and the power of art to “heal cancer of the human spirit.”

This week we're bringing back another episode from the vault for some of our new listeners! On this episode, we talk to an Emmy-award winning writer from “The Daily Show.” We talk to a writer from “How I Met Your Mother,” one from “Parks and Recreation,” one from “Veep,” and one from the deeply under appreciated “Bored to Death.” We also reconnect with a friend from our high school with the singing voice of an angel. And what do you know... It’s all the same person! We are thrilled to introduce you to the brilliant Rachel Axler, who has brought along her teacher from her days at Williams College, award-winning author, Jim Shepard.

Part 5 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

On this episode we celebrate all things Midwest with Chicago-based actor and comedian Mizha Lee Overn and her mentor, Milwaukee Repretory Theatre’s Director of Training, Jeff Mosser. Mizha’s experiences at Milwaukee Rep launched her into a successful professional life as an actor – join us to hear how that happened and celebrate the power of the understudy/overstudy as a mentorship relationship that’s crucial for young artists!

One of our favorites from the archive... The incomparable Cecily Strong!! Fresh off her search for signs of intelligent life, soon to once again be live from New York, Cecily sits in conversation with Mary Lou Rosato, her CalArts acting teacher – the kind of acting teacher every artist dreams of having. As they talk sonnets, Lady Macbeth, and sketch comedy, you'll be very glad we started this conversation with her at our party.

Ever wonder how musicians who don’t go to music school learn to play? Professor of video games and informatics Kurt Squire gives us the gift of his mentor, the greatest living harmonica player Mickey Raphael and their virtual mentorship relationship. You will not want to miss hearing how Mickey has played with everyone from Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson to U2 and Snoop Dogg, and how he has taught everyone from our friend Kurt to greats like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan! For real!

Music director, composer, and virtuoso pianist Dan Lipton has performed at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, on Live with Kelly Ripa, The Today Show, PBS Great Performances, Late Show with David Letterman, and with major symphony orchestras across the country. He has also been in my life since we were 13. He even wrote the music to this podcast. So the thrill of hearing him talk with his musical mentor, Gena Raps is an episode you won’t want to miss. And the Easter egg? We've got archival audio of a high-school-age Dan Lipton playing Rhapsody in Blue! It's the best!

We launched this podcast in Season One with a conversation between Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, and Ms. Barbara Ames, who was not only their mentor (and elementary school music teacher), but Erica's as well. We now end Season Two with Bradley Whitford, whose mentor (and university theater professor) was, in fact, Alek's as well. Bradley Whitford is, of course, a three-time Emmy Award-winner actor, known for his work on THE WEST WING, TRANSPARENT, and now, as the enigmatic Commander Joseph Lawrence on THE HANDMAID'S TALE. As Brad explains, he's "now at the age when his mentors are no longer... mentoring." So we are thrilled to have with us Paul Milisch, the producing director of theater at Madison East High School, where a certain Mr. Whitford was a student years ago. Without further ado, enjoy this fantastic conversation about acting, directing, mentorship, and arts education--and we confront Brad's fundamenal question about students' access to the arts: "Are we expanding opportunity, or are we preserving privilege?" Follow Bradley: X: @bradleywhitford IG: @bradleywhitford

We are honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. She hosts the hit independent podcast Glamorous Trash with Chelsea Devantez covering celebrity memoirs, pop culture and all things Glamorous Trash. Anne Libera is the Director of Comedy Studies for The Second City and is an Associate Professor who coordinates the degree in Comedy Writing and Performance at Columbia College Chicago. She is a resident director for The Second City. Her book, Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications, will be published by Northwestern University press, who also published her first book, The Second City Almanac of Improvisation. For more on Chelsea: Get her book: https://www.chelsearosedevantez.com/the-book URL: ⁠www.chelsearosedevantez.com⁠ ⁠IG: @chelseadevantez⁠ Learn about Anne: URL: www.comedystudies.com IG: @anne.libera

Let the Storm Rage on, because You'll Be Back! It's Part 2 of our conversation with Robert Lopez, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and their elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames, where they discuss composition, performance, and reminisce about their school's auditorium... the room where it happened.

In this bonus episode, Erica talks with our good friend, writer Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about the myriad wonderful stories he encountered—ALL of them inspiring and ON POINT—while researching his new biography Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist (Simon & Schuster). EXTRA! EXTRA! Listen all about it... in this bonus episode where Erica talks with friend of the pod and author Daniel Pollack-Pelzner about his new book, Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist. You will love the myriad wonderful stories he encountered - ALL of them inspiring and ON POINT - and focused on teaching and learning with the mind, the body, and the heart.

In this episode... Wait for It... then Let it Go. Lin-Manuel Miranda (HAMILTON, ENCANTO) and Robert Lopez (FROZEN, BOOK OF MORMON) together in their first ever joint interview, sit down with their shared elementary school music teacher, Barbara Ames. The trio discuss Barbara's dedication to instilling a love of music and the arts in all her students, and we hear stories about (and long-lost audio clips from) Lin and Bobby's early work on the elementary school stage.

To round out the summer and mosey back into the school year over the next few weeks, we'll be revisiting a few of our favorites episodes from prior seasons. For any new listeners, be sure to check out our back catalogue -- we've got some DOOZIES!! In this episode, Broadway's reigning Tony-award winner for Best Actor, Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along, oh yeah, and Frozen, oh yeah, and Hamilton), and his elementary school music teacher, Linda Tough, talk about music-making, education, and their shared passion for "I Love Lucy."

As we gear up for a new school year, we're bringing you a special episode from our friend Betsy Burris called "Pre-school teachers have it right: Professional Love." In this episode, Betsy interviews her old and dear friend, Sarah Becker, who has been teaching and teaching teachers and directing at the early childhood level for years. They discuss a topic that has always fascinated Betsy (ever since she first met Sarah and saw her in action): What do early childhood educators know that the rest of us teachers, from elementary through graduate school, can afford to learn? In this conversation, you'll hear about:* basic tenets of early childhood education* how those tenets apply at other educational levels* emergent and project-based curriculum* the concept of “professional love” (great concept!)* what you can do tomorrow that will make you more present and effective whatever and wherever you teach The new season of TTE drops September 4th! And Betsy also just shared a wonderful back to school episode for teachers to get them through those first weeks that are always exciting and challenging. Get weekly practical tips and heartfelt stories to navigate relationships and really connect with one another for a change. Sometimes for teachers, mostly for everyone. https://www.teachingthroughemotions.com

Live and in person! Arts Educators Save the World kicks off our new series of super hero interviews, in partnership with the Comic-Con Museum, with a live recording at The Con with Marvel comics writer Gerry Duggan (X-men, Deadpool) and DC comics writer Heath Corson (Justice League, Bizarro). Listen to them discuss their creative evolution, their mentors, and how those lessons forged them into the artists they are today!

Teaser for our upcoming episode that we recorded Live at Comic-Con!!

Sweet home Chicago! Join us for this love letter to arts education in Chicago with the amazing Professor-poet-comics-author-bookstore-owner Eve Ewing and her mentor, poet laureate and performance artist avery r. young. Arts education creates families!

Part 2 of our conversation with comedian, actor, and writer Billy Eichner continues, as we delve into how acting teacher Mary Poole’s approach to mentoring shaped all of our lives. Find Part I in your podcast feed!

It’s Billy on the podcast! This episode features comedian, actor, and writer Billy Eichner alongside guest co-host Jamie Salka (CEO of Story Pirates) as we talk with the college acting teacher we all shared: Mary Poole. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it’s better than Cats.

Part 4 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

What does it take to be the Artistic Director of a major theatre company? And how do you recognize someone’s potential to succeed in this kind of a leadership role? You will not want to miss the answers to these and other questions about leadership in theatre in our conversation with two grandes dames of the American theatre world, Molly Smith and Wendy Goldberg!

Live! from the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts it’s AESTW!!! Erica and Alek traveled to Salt Lake City for a live recording at the NCECA conference with VETART Executive Director Steve Dilley and ceramicist and navy veteran Reginald Green. Our audience was moved by Reggie’s story of transformation and identity-making through ceramics… and now you can bear witness!

Dropping in our feed today is an episode from our friends at Blue Sky. Bill Burke and the Optimism Institute host conversations about positivity, including this gem with Vanessa Cooksey about her optimistic take on the future of the arts, the vital role that artists play in our communities, the joys of arts education. Onward together!

On today’s episode we journey through the amazing arts education program Disney Musicals in Schools with Broadway star L. Steven Taylor (Mufasa in "The Lion King") and Dr. Lisa Mitchell (Director of Education, Disney Theatricals). This team of artists and educators works in elementary schools across the US to bring musical theatre joy to students everywhere!

Part 3 of our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

In this episode, we're sharing a story from our friend Kyle Wood, host of the delightful podcast "Who ARTed?" Kyle is a National Board Certified Teacher with 17 years experience in public schools, and his show is meant to be accessible for anyone interested in art with a focus on fun facts that are appropriate for listeners of all ages, so it's totally safe to listen with your kids! Katsushika Hokusai is best known for The Great Wave off Kanagawa, part of his series of 36 Views of Mount Fuji. His family was in the mirror business, but Hokusai showed a proclivity for art starting at a young age. When he was 14 he started apprenticing as a wood carver. He spent 4 years carving wood blocks to use as stamps for printmaking. He then went on to study under artists to produce his own designs. His first prints were of actors from the Kabuki theater in 1779. Some years later, he would shift his focus to landscapes. Follow Who ARTed: Weekly Art History for All Ages on your favorite podcast platform: https://pod.link/1485813093

Sometimes, the most compelling mentorship relationships are mutual – where the student has as much to give as the teacher. In this wide-ranging conversation, Warrington Hudlin, founder of the Black Filmmakers of America and Loren Hammonds, head of documentary for Time Studios, talk about the importance of community and showing up for one another, and their mutual love for virtual reality and immersive filmmaking. These two are changing the face of film production!

Holy moly, it's a great day indeed when you get to talk with, not one, but two of the greatest living composers of musical theatre and opera!! On today’s episode, we talk with 2024 Tony Award-winner Shaina Taub and her mentor, Pulitzer Prize-winner Jeanine Tesori about critique, the importance of community, and, of course, mentorship. Even Alek was moved by our conversation, so you know we were onto something here!!

This week we're sharing an episode from our friends at The Story Pirates. In it, a magnetic, musical manatee (John Legend) tries to convince the Story Pirates to form a marching band, but is he really who he says he is? Featuring two new stories: “Butts,” a song about, well, butts, sung by Broadway star F. Michael Haynie and written by Malachy, a 7 year old from Pennsylvania, and “The Audition,” a story about the trials and tribulations of putting on a brand new musical, written by a 10 year old from Massachusetts named Nora.

On today’s episode, we explore the art of choreography with artist Parker Esse and his mentor, the legendary Baayork Lee. We ask "what do you do as an artist when words aren’t enough?" The answer? You dance!!!!

It's the second episode in our ongoing mini-series "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

This episode is for the thinkers! Join glass artist and PhD student in Materials Science Engineering Aaron Bossen and his mentor, Head of the UW-Madison Glass Lab and United States Artists (USA) Fellow Helen Lee as they talk about the art of making glass and making with glass. We dive into the world of conceptual art, and we talk about glass as both a material and a metaphor for life. Enjoy this incredible food for your artist brain! More info on Helen here: https://www.unitedstatesartists.org/artists/helen-lee And here: https://pink-noise.org/ And here: https://www.instagram.com/hotpinknoise/

In this episode, we're sharing our pal Michael Goodfriend's conversation with Dorcas Leung, who plays "Juliet" in the Play On Podcasts production of "Romeo and Juliet." Michael and Dorcas are passionate artists and arts educators who talk about everything from representation in the theatre to the power of HS arts education. Find more Play On & Next Chapter podcasts at: https://www.nextchapterpodcasts.com/playonpodcasts And on Apple Podcasts at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/play-on-podcasts/id1561429994

This is the first episode in an ongoing mini-series we're calling "Erica & Alek Chats," where our hosts take a deep dive into a specific aspect of arts learning-and-teaching from Erica's book, How the Arts Can Save Education.

Broadway and TV's finest production stage manager Cody Renard Richard reflects with his HS theatre teacher Carrie Wood about their shared love of stage management, HS theatre, rodeo, and Cody's foundation: The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Foundation, which supports young technical theatre artists of color. Read about Cody here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/18/arts/culture-diary-cody-renard-richard.html And follow Cody on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/codyrenard/?hl=en

Multimedia artist, teaching artist, and all around badass Carlos Gacharna talks with his high school ceramics teacher Geof Hermann. They explore how the high school ceramics classroom is a life-saving space for both students and teachers. Follow Carlos on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/caduphoto/?hl=en

Broadway's reigning Tony-award winner for Best Actor, Jonathan Groff (Merrily We Roll Along, oh yeah, and Frozen, oh yeah, and Hamilton), and his elementary school music teacher, Linda Tough, talk about music-making, education, and their shared passion for "I Love Lucy."

Erica and Alek are back! And from now on, we're gonna be a semi-weekly podcast! New episodes start dropping Nov 14, with none other than Jonathan Groff! Follow the show on Twitter @artseducators, on IG @artseducatorspodcast, and learn more at www.ArtsEducatorsPodcast.com. Subscribe today to be inspired by how these educators and mentors changed the lives of the artists... that change our worlds.

So many first-time ingredients to spice up the episode we've whipped up this week: Our FIRST guest from the CULINARY arts... Our FIRST guest co-host who is also an artist in the art form o' the day... and our FIRST guest who has brought along his MOM! A melange of new flavors baked into this week's conversation with 2024 Top Chef-testant CHEF VALENTINE HOWELL, JR, and his mother, STEPHANIE JOACINE, at whose side Val first came to know and love the art and science of food. And because there are never truly too many cooks in the kitchen, we are thrilled to be joined by guest co-host LINDSAY CHRISTIANS, a full-time food editor and arts writer at The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. Bon appetit! BIOS: Born and raised in Boston, VALENTINE HOWELL, JR. was drawn to the magic of hospitality and food as far back as he can remember. Officially starting his culinary education at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School and graduating from Newbury College with a B.S. in hotel, restaurant and hospitality management, he continues to be inspired by food, art, and his love for culture, travel and the people around him. With over two decades of experience working behind the line in some of Boston’s most notable kitchens, Valentine’s path has led to experiences working alongside culinary royalty such as Lydia Shire, shaping how he approaches cooking and expanding his culinary acumen. A James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef in the Northeast in 2023, every kitchen has imparted diverse knowledge to Valentine’s repertoire. Highlighting local produce and other various cultural and local ingredients, Valentine is currently focusing on hosting pop-ups to promote his international food concept, Black Cat Eatery, which consists of tacos, shared plates of Caribbean, Afro-Latin, and Latin street foods, and dishes with his creative take. Chef Val is currently the head chef at Lingo, the in-headquarter restaurant and bar at EF Education First in Cambridge, MA, which is enjoyed by EF employees and guests. Chef Valentine's official Instagram handle is: @_valentino_86 Bravo's Top Chef official Instagram handle is: @bravotopchef LINDSAY CHRISTIANS (she/hers) is a full-time food editor and arts writer at The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin. She is the host and producer of The Corner Table, a podcast about food and drink in Madison, and a monthly video series called Cooking with the Cap Times featuring local chefs. She is the author of “Madison Chefs: Stories of Food, Farms and People” (UW Press, 2021) and "The Osteria Papavero Cookbook" (Little Creek Press, 2023) with Francesco Mangano. Lindsay earned a BA in journalism from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in theatre research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She served as a judge for Wisconsin's high school musical theater awards program, The Jerry Awards, for 14 years. She also founded the Student Critics Program at Overture Center for the Arts and ran it every season from 2009-2020. Lindsay is a member of the American Theatre Critics and Journalists Association and the International Association of Culinary Professionals. lindsaychristians.com

We launched this podcast in Season One with a conversation between Lin-Manuel Miranda, Robert Lopez, and Ms. Barbara Ames, who was not only their mentor (and elementary school music teacher), but Erica's as well. We now end Season Two with Bradley Whitford, whose mentor (and university theater professor) was, in fact, Alek's as well. Bradley Whitford is, of course, a three-time Emmy Award-winner actor, known for his work on THE WEST WING, TRANSPARENT, and now, as the enigmatic Commander Joseph Lawrence on THE HANDMAID'S TALE. As Brad explains, he's "now at the age when his mentors are no longer... mentoring." So we are thrilled to have with us Paul Milisch, the producing director of theater at Madison East High School, where a certain Mr. Whitford was a student years ago. We bring Season Two to a close with this fantastic conversation about acting, directing, mentorship, arts education, and we confront Brad's fundamenal question about students' access to the arts: "Are we expanding opportunity, or are we preserving privilege?" Follow Bradley: X: @bradleywhitford IG: @bradleywhitford

Our guests today, working at the highest levels of network television, are proof that the mentorship doesn't end at graduation. Craig Thomas is the co-creator of CBS's smash sitcom HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, which received 30 Emmy Award nominations in its nine-season run. His prose has been published in The Iowa Review, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, and the Weekly Humorist. He joins us in conversation with Rob Greenberg, who, as a writer/producer on FRASIER, won three Emmys, and a Writers Guild Award. Rob was an executive producer for the pilot of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, where he remained as consulting producer -- and mentor to Craig and co-creator Carter Bays -- for the show's first six years. Currently, he and his partner, Bob Fisher, are writing, directing and producing the second season of ANIMAL CONTROL for Fox. Check out Craig online: Website: craigthomaswriter.com Instagram: instagram.com/craigtthomas/ Threads: threads.net/@craigtthomas And please learn more and consider donating to the invaluable work of Dr. Paul Grossfeld, whose unique research on Jacobsen's syndrome is helping people every day. And follow Rob: IG: @greenberg.rob

In Season One, we looked at the representation of arts educators on television with Christina Anthony (Episode 8, for those who want to give it a listen). This season, we are taking a look at a few arts educators from the big screen, and who better to speak with than Dana Stevens, Slate’s film critic since 2006 and a co-host of the Slate Culture Gabfest (the magazine's weekly culture podcast). She has also written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Atlantic and Bookforum. Her first book, Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, was named one of the best books of 2022 by The New Yorker, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. Your homework, should you choose to accept it, is a rewatch of DEAD POETS SOCIETY, CAMP, and WHIPLASH. Check out more from Dana: Her (amazing) Buster Keaton book on Amazon: https://bit.ly/danastevensbusterkeaton Slate Culture Gabfest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/culture-gabfest/id1482212953 IG: @thehighsign Century Tree; composed by Victoria Williams; performed by Aisha Dehaas, Idina Menzel, John Eric Parker; ℗ 2003 Universal Classics Group, a Division of UMG Recordings Inc.

We are back from the holidays and honored to have Chelsea Devantez in conversation with her "comedy mom", The Second City's Anne Libera, who is also the Director of Comedy Studies for the Theater Department at Columbia College Chicago. Chelsea is an Emmy-nominated TV writer, comedian, and filmmaker. She’s written on Peacock’s Girls5Eva, ABC’s Not Dead Yet, and was the Head Writer on The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+. She hosts the hit independent podcast Glamorous Trash with Chelsea Devantez covering celebrity memoirs, pop culture and all things Glamorous Trash. Anne Libera is the Director of Comedy Studies for The Second City and is an Associate Professor who coordinates the degree in Comedy Writing and Performance at Columbia College Chicago. She is a resident director for The Second City. Her book, Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications, will be published by Northwestern University press, who also published her first book, The Second City Almanac of Improvisation. For more on Chelsea: Get her book: https://www.chelsearosedevantez.com/the-book URL: www.chelsearosedevantez.com IG: @chelseadevantez Learn about Anne: URL: www.comedystudies.com IG: @anne.libera