Books and Brews Podcast

Kathryn Kysar is the author of two books of poetry, Dark Lake and Pretend the World, and she edited Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers. She has received fellowships from Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts, the Minnesota State Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. Kysar recently served on the board of directors for the Association of Writers and Writing Programs and teaches at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and the Loft Literary Center and lives with her family in St. Paul

LINKS

http://www.kathrynkysar.com/

https://twitter.com/darklake

https://sonoglyphcollective.com/

Upcoming Events:

• Kathryn is reading at the St. Paul Irish Fair of Minnesota on August 10th. Time: 12:00 pm. Address: Eóin McKiernan Speaker’s Tent, Harriet Island.
• Kathryn is performing as part of the Minnesota Fringe Festival at 5:30 pm on August 10th at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She will be joined by Marie Cooney and musician Kevin Kern among others.
• Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on August 11th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Eggroll Queen Café, 1579 Hamline Avenue North, Falcon Heights, Minnesota
• Laura is appearing at the Startled by JOY 2019 poetry reading and open mic on October 6th. The event goes from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Troubadour Wine Bar, 2827 Hennepin Avenue
• Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kathryn’s Readings:

• Escape from Paradise, Iowa – 10:09
• Things I Learned from my Grandmother – 20:05
• German – 22:16
• Returning to Lake Superior – 42:11

Michael’s Beer Pairings

• Hamm’s, Hamm’s Brewing Company (paired to Escape from Paradise, Iowa) – 8:48
• Fort Road Helles, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to Things I Learned from my Grandmother and German) – 18:13
• Ring of Fire, Bad Weather Brewing (paired to Returning to Lake Superior) – 39:00

Interview Highlights:

• Kathryn’s Background – 13:11
• Kathryn’s Craft; Finding Inspiration and Writing Process – 14:42
• Why Poetry? – 16:21
• Title and Cover of book, Pretend the World – 25:09
• Organizing a Book of Poetry; Finding the Themes – 30:29
• Kathryn speaks on her grandmother and the advice of yesterday and today – 33:20
• Mixing music and poetry – 45:31
• The future of poetry in the era of self-publishing – 51:02

COMING NEXT MONTH: Tekkan, local poet of the Everyday Mind series

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

This month Michael and Laura spoke with Loren Niemi. Loren is a storyteller with 40 years of creating, performing and teaching stories that matter. His work has been called “post-modern,” pushing the boundaries of narrative form “with a dark beauty of language that is not ashamed of poetry.”

Loren is also an author. His books include the award winning The New Book of Plots, an examination of oral and written narratives, and the critically acclaimed Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories, which he co-authored with Elizabeth Ellis. In 2016 he received the National Storytelling Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award. His collection of original and collected ghost stories What Haunts Us came out in February 2019.

www.lorenniemistories.com

Loren’s stories:

• Remodeling the Kitchen – 10:59
• Barbecue Bus – 26:53
• The Hungry Carpet– 47:23

Michael’s beer pairings:

• Oh Fudge!, Prairie Artisan Ales – 9:02
• Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen, Brauerei Heller-Trum – 24:14
• Kriek Boon, Brouwerij Boon – 44:45

Interview highlights:

• The impact of growing up moving on storytellers – 15:54
• Becoming a storyteller – 17:33
• ..on the Great Wall of China – 21:05
• Why we tell stories – 22:55
• Why we’re drawn to ghost stories and other dark tales – 36:53
• Telling stories vs. writing stories – 51:00

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

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Mark Connor is from St. Paul, MN. In summer 2019, he was featured in the first Gabriel’s Horn Press anthology, Surprised by Joy. A boxer since age 10, he currently trains competitive and recreational boxers, runs a training business called Fighting Chance/Boxing for Life and writes fiction, poetry, and journalism. He has written and published many articles about Boxing and Irish culture and history, as well as other features. boxersandwritersmagazine.com

Mark's Readings:

• The Perfect Metaphor – 9:26
• Halfway Around – 29:53
• Two Pilgrim Souls: Anam Cara – 46:14

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

• Veltins Pilsener, Brauerei C & A Veltins (paired to The Perfect Metaphor) – 6:03
• Ommegang Saison Rosé, Brewery Ommegang (paired to Halfway Around) – 27:24
• Dirt Wolf Double IPA, Victory Brewing Company (paired to Two Pilgrim Souls: Anam Cara) – 42:43

Interview Highlights:

• Boxing and jazz improvisation – 11:41
• Boxing and poetry – 14:48
• Mark’s start in boxing – 17:30
• Mark’s mentors – 21:06
• Similarities of boxing to poetry – 24:24
• Other boxer poets – 25:16
• Native American medicine wheel – 37:04
• Spontaneous writing vs re-working a poem – 39:07
• The epic Irish poet and his muse – 48:06
• Becoming a monstrance – 53:03

COMING NEXT MONTH: Mike Faricy, mystery author

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology

John Gaspard is author of the Eli Marks mystery series as well as two other stand-alone novels, "The Greyhound of the Baskervilles" and "The Ripperologists." He also writes the Como Lake Players mystery series, under the pen name Bobbie Raymond. In real life, John's not a magician, but he has directed six low-budget features that cost very little and made even less - that's no small trick. He's also written multiple books on the subject of low-budget filmmaking. Ironically, they've made more than the films. Those books ("Fast, Cheap and Under Control" and "Fast, Cheap and Written That Way") are available in eBook, Paperback and audiobook formats. John lives in Minnesota and shares his home with his lovely wife, several dogs, a few cats and a handful of pet allergies. elimarksmysteries.com Free Eli Marks Short Story - The Invisible Assistant Ebook version: https://BookHip.com/RLJQGX Audiobook version: https://BookHip.com/GGHJVS Free Eli Marks Short Story - The Last Customer Ebook version: https://BookHip.com/TXSQS Audiobook version: https://BookHip.com/NCPKGD

Jim Cunningham is an actor, writer, producer, and director. He spent three years in Dudley Riggs Brave New Workshop’s Resident Improv Company and has done numerous television commercials—including the Carsoup Guy—and voiceovers for TV and animated series.​ He hosted Mall of America, the Show, Explore Minnesota, Golf Nut for WCCO TV, “Minnesota Fun” for the Twins and Minnesota Wild, and has been the host of the Renaissance Festival’s Feast of Fantasy for almost 30 years.​ Last but not least, Jim spent three years hosting his own radio show on sports and entertainment.

John's Readings:

• The Ambitious Card (Eli Marks Mysteries) – 10:11
• Acting Can Be Murder (Como Lake Players) – 21:57
• Greyhound of the Baskervilles – 38:10

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

• Schell's Hefeweizen, August Schell Brewing Company (paired to The Ambitious Card) – 7:15
• Triumphant Session IPA, Summit Brewing Company (paired to Acting Can Be Murder) – 19:51
• Ellie's Brown Ale, Avery Brewing Company, Boulder Colorado (paired to Greyhound of the Baskervilles) – 7:04

Interview Highlights:

• Writing novels vs. writing screenplays – 15:38
• Writing novels inspired by magic tricks – 18:08
• On planting clues and red herrings – 26:06
• Murder mystery theater – 28:54
• Making audio books – 29:56
• Sunday Night Magic! – 32:10
• Jim's years doing voice-overs and narration – 47:39

COMING NEXT MONTH: Poet and boxer Mark Connor.

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS: Gabriel's Horn is accepting submissions for its anthology

Tony Plocido is the author of three collections of poetry. The first, Sucker Punch Wisdom, was published with two other K.C. poets (Jeremy O'Neal & William Peck). His other books are Aging and Other Side Projects (2016) and Felt This So Many Times (2018). Is writing can also be found in 2019 Martin Lake Journal, Starled by Joy (2019), and 2019 Talking Stick by Jackpine Press. March 2019, he became the host/curator of the long running showcases, Poets & Pints and Writers Read. He also is a board member for Cracked Walnut the local chapter of The League of MN Poets. You can find his work on his personal website, Mental Valley. Poets & Pints Poets & Pints Facebook

Writers Read Writers Read Facebook Mental Valley Mental Valley Facebook Tony on YouTube: Argument Word Hinged Desire

Events:

Tony will be leading a virtual Poets & Pints via Zoom on April 15th. Check the Facebook page for additional information.

Tony’s Readings:

• The Loose Loop in My Sweater – 13:04
• Expense – 28:33
• Awakened – 43:11

Michael’s Beer Pairings:

• Samuel Adams Utopias, Boston Beer Company (paired to The Loose Loop in My Sweater) – 9:16
• Salted Nut Roll Cream Ale, Tin Whiskers Brewing Company (paired to Expense) – 24:13
• Aspall Dry English Cider, Aspall Cider (paired to Awakened) – 40:41

Interview Highlights:

• Poetry as reflection on life lived and yet to be lived – 17:15
• Writing on the fly, borrowing from others, writing from life – 30:22
• Being a Generation X poet – 32:53
• Performance poetry – 36:26
• Self-affirmation – 55:55
• Becoming active in the poetry scene – 48:38
• Tony’s performance poetry workshop – 51:18

COMING NEXT MONTH: Judith Granahan

Our theme music is from www.bensound.com.