Actor, comedian, and director Bobcat Goldthwait visits Craft to discuss his career: acting in the Police Academy films, directing World’s Greatest Dad, and engaging with fans at comic cons. Reflecting on his works and experiences, he fondly remembers Robin Williams and describes why he enjoys going to cons, like the Columbus Galaxy Con on December 6 and 7. Bobcat has had a wild career, so listen in to hear his softer side.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
The Accidentals, violinist Sav Madigan and cellist Katie Larson, have been captivating audiences since a little after they met in a Traverse City, Michigan, high school. Their latest album, “Timeout 3,” is the most recent addition to their Timeout series of cowritten albums. Sav describes how the album was born during the pandemic, leveraging unexpected free time to collaborate remotely with their musical heroes. This new album continues to build on the storytelling and emotional processing initiated in earlier projects.
Their new-found freedom has them exploring edgier lyrics, including some that necessitated original and radio-friendly versions. Songs like “Better Than Me” use explicit language as a powerful response to individuals in the music industry who attempt to belittle the band’s unique voice.
They also discuss their “Play It Forward Again and Again” nonprofit initiative that brings instruments and assistance to student musicians,
Catch the Accidentals’ return to Columbus on November 21st with Six String Concerts
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Ohio musician David Wilcox has released over 20 albums, including his latest The Way I Tell the Story. Wilcox discusses his songwriting process as a form of emotional and traumatic event processing. He emphasizes the joy of exploring feelings through music, how songs evolve to offer new meanings, and the balance between playing new and old songs for his audience. He also shares insights on connecting with listeners and the transformative power of songwriting.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Columbus authors Diane Callahan and David Dixon discuss their new poetry collection, The Ship and the Storm. They employed a unique system of organization by putting their poems with similar themes and forms into conversation with each other on opposing pages. This impacted their collaborative process, altering how they experienced each other’s writing. In our interview, they share excerpts of their poems with listeners and talk about their creative exchanges, differing poetic styles, and the layers of meaning and references in their work. The discussion also highlights their mutual challenge to refine each other’s writing, ultimately aiming for a more polished and cohesive collection.
Bonus! You can also watch our interview below.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
“ The most important part about life is living it” – Ernest Hemingway
Brandy Gleason, chief writer at Gleason Family Adventure and the creator of the Ohio Road Trips Facebook group, follows this Hemingway quote in life and in her writing. Her recent book 100 Things to Do in Ohio Before You Die, explores the Buckeye State, recommending spots for families and couples. From Ohio zoos in Toledo, Cincinnati, Akron, and Columbus to retro pinball halls to Lakeside Chautauqua to the haunted history of Ohio cities like Marietta, Gleason has suggestions throughout the state.
So get out and live life to the fullest in the state of Ohio!
Photo by Michael Bowman on Unsplash
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Novelist Meg Cabot is more than just The Princess Diaries, although that’s an impressive accomplishment. She’s had an her extensive career, writing over 50 novels for young adults and adults. Next up, she will appear at a Meet the Author Talk at the Westerville Library on September 17th. Fans can attend to hear about the first book in the new Princess Diaries graphic novel (releasing in April 2026) and they’ll get exciting news about the upcoming Princess Diaries 3 movie, which will start filming around the same time. She might even talk about attending DC University, where she learned about writing graphic novels (but, disappointingly, not about becoming a superhero). Cabot teases her future works, including a sequel to her adult novel Enchanted to Meet You, and she describes the need of YA authors to be flexible about what they sign, like a dictionary
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Abby Posner has released four albums and won the 28th annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2023. She’ll be in town with the Six String Concert series on September 19. We discuss her multi-instrumental talents and her journey in learning music from a young age. Abby also answers my eternal question of what musicians mean when they say they want to push their boundaries. It’s not buying the neighboring apartment, like I thought.
Join her at Six String!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Journalist and improv comic Bridjet Mendy will perform at the Columbus Comedy Festival, September 4th – 7th. Bridget discusses her comedy style, heavily influenced by her experiences as a 30-something first-generation American with family roots in the Soviet Union. Initially a journalist, Mendy transitioned to comedy after moving to Chicago and taking improv classes to overcome her fear of public speaking. Now based in Columbus, she performs at clubs and bars around town and has enjoyed the growth in Columbus’s comedy scene. Get to know Bridjet on Instagram @BJMendy and then see her at the Columbus Comedy Fest!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Columbus comedian Nef Johnson got his start at open mic nights at Columbus bars like the Shrunken Head, and he’s progressed to being a comic at the Columbus Comedy Festival. He calls his style conversational, and we discuss how he adapts his performances to suit the audience’s tastes. Johnson describes the emotional high of successful sets (a great set equals a sleepless night), along with the struggles of being a working comic. Catch him at the festival and tell him Dustin Hoffman says “Hello.”
New York Times bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray has written or cowritten more than 30 novels, including Stand Your Ground and The Personal Librarian. In our discussion, Murray discusses her latest book, Harlem Rhapsody, a historical fiction novel about Jesse Redmond Fauset, a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Murray shares her extensive research process, which involved moving to Harlem and reading numerous editions of Crisis Magazine, as well as her discovery of a romantic affair between Fauset and W.E.B. Du Bois. We discuss how she navigates blending historical facts with fiction and she recounts her first story (in elementary school!). She will be at the Columbus Book Festival on July 12 and 13.
Image credit: Three African American women in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, ca. 1925. From http://www.blackpast.org/perspectives/passing-passing-peculiarly-american-racial-tradition-approaches-irrelevance
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
