Crude Conversations

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with artist and musician Robi Gonzalez. Robi’s had an affinity for music since he was a kid, back when his uncle taught him how to sit on the drums and play a basic beat. In 2006, that took a more tangible shape in the form of two projects. One was Robi’s solo project called Robot, where he produced ambient music that, he says, would fit a sci-fi movie. The other was a project called rawbeats, where he teamed up with his best friend Max Cuzor. They both played the drums at the same time while sharing a kick drum. In 2012, Robi started drumming for A Place to Bury Strangers, a rock band known for their loud, atmospheric performances. He eventually quit so he could pursue a career as a hairdresser, but after he got his hair license he joined another band, This Will Destroy You. In the first issue of Crude Magazine, back in 2013, Cody interviewed Robi and he described himself as, “tangential, not scatterbrained.” And that still holds true. He always seems to make it back to his original point. In this conversation, like many others Cody and Robi have had, they talk about following the unconventional path of an artist and a musician, and where that leads. How there are benefits and there are pitfalls to pursuing that tumultuous and uncertain road.

Tiffany Shaw-Collinge is an artist, curator and architect based in Alberta, Canada. She says that place and climate contributes to her work in a way that can’t be understated. It’s as integral to her craft as much as it is to her identity. In Part 2 of this conversation, Tiffany talks about her preference for working in a collective—that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts—and that her ultimate goal is to convey a sense of wonder and belonging in every project she’s part of.  Chatter Marks is a podcast of the Anchorage Museum, and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts. Just search "Chatter Marks."

Tiffany Shaw-Collinge is an artist, curator and architect based in Alberta, Canada. She says that place and climate contributes to her work in a way that can’t be understated. It’s as integral to her craft as much as it is to her identity. Her lineage is Métis, a fact that became more and more part of her professional life after she realized how little indigenous voices and identity are covered. Today, she continues to explore her Métis lineage through her family, and then expressing it through her craft. Chatter Marks is a podcast of the Anchorage Museum, and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts. Just search "Chatter Marks."

In this episode, Cody has a conversation with retired pararescueman Jimmy Settle. Jimmy details his arduous journey to becoming a pararescueman, or PJ, in his book “Never Quit.” He talks about the endless hours of training and everything it took to become a PJ. All of that training ultimately led him to a heavy firefight in the Watapur Valley in Afghanistan in 2010. He was part of a military operation called “Bulldog Bite 2 Charlie,” and while on his way to provide medical aid he was shot in the head. Fortunately, the bullet didn’t penetrate his skull. And after he received medical attention, he got back out there and continued his duties as a PJ. When Jimmy got back home from war, he felt broken. His career as a PJ had ended long before he had planned. On top of that, he was experiencing serious physical pain and PTSD. And he couldn’t find any help. As a result, he went through a period of suicidal depression and homelessness. Since then, Jimmy has found help in therapy, family and college. He says that “Life’s funny like that. You don’t always see the spot you’re gonna land when you let go of the thing you’re holding onto.”

In this Special Conversation, Cody talks with Meghan Barker about the ongoing Pebble Mine controversy. Meghan is the Bristol Bay Organizer at Trout Unlimited, a non-profit dedicated to conserving the habitats of aquatic species and people.

Aaron Leggett is the president of the Native Village of Eklutna. He is also the Senior Curator or Alaska History and Indigenous Culture at the Anchorage Museum. In both of those responsibilities, he’s been a champion and an educator of the Alaskan identity. He’s found that critical thinking is key to understanding how Alaska’s history can help us navigate the present and the future. In this conversation, Aaron talks about his responsibilities as the president of Eklutna and how the Museum fits into the larger conversation surrounding Alaska Native equity. Chatter Marks is a podcast of the Anchorage Museum, and is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts. Just search "Chatter Marks."

In this Special Conversation, Cody talks with author Jered Mayer about depression. Jered was clinically diagnosed with bipolar depression around 25. More recently, he has made a point of talking openly about living with depression in order to destigmatize it and normalize the importance of mental health.

Acacia Johnson is a photographer focused on human relationships to the environment. She spent most of her twenties traveling around Scandinavia and the polar regions, working on ships. Today, she has over 50 expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica. In Part 2 of this conversation, Acacia talks about creating a record of stories, of people and place. About how, through photography, she has the opportunity to start important conversations about polar regions—about the people who live there, climate change and, ultimately, the lessons we can learn from it. Chatter Marks is now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts. Just search "Chatter Marks."

In this Special Conversation, Cody talks with Kathleen Parker about managing addiction during the pandemic. Many in-person meetings have transitioned to virtual meetings, and that has resulted in new challenges and opportunities. Kathleen has been sober for nine years.

In this special conversation, Cody talks with Dan Cannon, the Tongass Forest Program Manager at the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. Dan explains how exempting the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule will affect the forest, its inhabitants and the economy in Southeast Alaska. The Roadless Rule is a federal safeguard that restricts logging and road building on roughly 58 million acres of national Forest Service lands. The Tongass accounts for about 17 million acres of that land.