Deviate

“What we have found is that technologies are not prolonging human life. They are really just prolonging human death.” – Ann Neumann Ann Neumann (@otherspoon) is a visiting scholar at the NYU Center for Religion and Media and author of the book, The Good Death. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Ann discuss what got her involved in the topic of death and dying (5:00); end-of-life care (13:00); confronting the finality of death, and the parallels between death and travel (22:00); hospice, and dignity in death (39:00); the evolving definition of death and associated medical logistics (44:00); and how we address death as a society (56:00). For more from Ann, check out her author website. People and books mentioned: Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey Ecclesiastes (book of the Old Testament) Barbara Ehrenreich (author and political activist) Joanne Lynn (author and policy advocate) Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer, by Barbara Ehrenreich (book) Knocking on Heaven’s Door, by Katy Butler (book) “What Broke My Father’s Heart,” by Katy Butler (article) Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande (book) “Letting Go,” by Atul Gawande (article) Caitlin Doughty (author and mortician) Karen Ann Quinlan (significant figure in the history of the right to die) Nancy Cruzan (significant figure in the history of the right to die) Terri Schaivo (significant figure in the history of the right to die) Michel Foucault (philosopher) Jacob Appel (writer) Notable concepts and medical terms: Memento mori (theory of mortality) Alzheimer’s disease (neurodegenerative disease) Hospice (type/philosophy of health care) Intubation (medical procedure) Do not resuscitate (medical legal order) Persistent vegetative state (disorder of consciousness) Advance healthcare directive (legal document) #BucketListPlus1 (end-of-life care campaign) Biopolitics (intersectional academic discipline) Mensch (Yiddish word/concept) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“That’s the lovely thing about a souvenir: It’s a touchstone that reminds you of what you can do, and what you have done, and what you can be proud of. And what can make you laugh.” –Jeanmarie Theobalds To celebrate the debut of his new book Souvenir, Rolf invited various writers, performers, and world-wanderers onstage at New York’s underground Cornelia Street Cafe to tell travel stories. Storytellers included: Comedian Ari Shaffir Ari Shaffir tells a story about a t-shirt, a Czech model, and a bunch of gibbons in Thailand. Ari is a comedian, actor, podcaster, writer, and producer. He is the host of the Skeptic Tank podcast, the stand up series This Is Not Happening on Comedy Central, and the Netflix comedy special Double Negative. He also co-hosts the podcast Punch Drunk Sports with Jayson Thibault and Sam Tripoli, and is a regular guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast. Playwright Alex Dawson Alex Dawson tells a story about Alabama, and his mother’s boots. Alex is the founder of Raconteur Ventures, a company dedicated to reviving communities through cultural programming, and the host of Raconteurs & Roustabouts, a vaudevillian variety show that puts authors on stage alongside musicians and sideshow performers. He teaches creative writing and audio narrative at Rutgers University. He is the curator/host of Rutgers University’s “Inside the Writers House,” a weekly series of candid conversations with acclaimed authors. Photographer Jeanmarie Theobalds Jeanmarie Theobalds tells a story about a “magic ring” she bought in Brazil. Jeanmarie is a freelance oral historian and oral history project consultant. For many years she was an editorial portrait photographer in New York. She was awarded the William J. Fulbright to photograph and interview women potters in Bahia Brazil. Upon her return from Brazil, she pursued her interest in the art of interviewing through oral history and earned a M.A. in oral history from Columbia University. Poet Tommy Pico Tommy Pico reads an excerpt from his forthcoming book Junk, which Tin House Books will debut this May. Tommy is also the author IRL (Birds LLC, 2016) and Nature Poem (Tin House Books, 2017). He was a Queer/Art/Mentors inaugural Fellow, Lambda Literary Fellow in poetry, and NYSCA/NYFA Fellow in Poetry from the New York Foundation for the Arts, and he’s the winner of a Whiting Award and the Brooklyn Public Library’s Literature Prize. Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now lives in Brooklyn. Writer-actor Ayun Halliday Ayun Halliday tells a story about a household souvenir she has come to call “Mike.” Ayun is best known as the author and illustrator of the long-running zine The East Village Inky. She is the author of a number of books, including the travel book No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late, the food-themed Dirty Sugar Cookies: Culinary Observations, Questionable Taste, and the graphic novel Peanut. Filmmaker Pegi Vail Pegi Vail tells a story about being offered the chance to name a newborn baby in Kenya. Pegi is an anthropologist, documentary filmmaker, and professor at New York University. A former Fulbright Scholar, Vail began as a visual artist and museum educator. Receiving her Ph.D. at NYU in Sociocultural Anthropology in 2004, Vail’s dissertation focused on the “backpacker subculture,” travel narratives and the ‘gentrification’ of the Bolivian tourism industry, a topic she would return to in her award-winning feature-length 2013 documentary film, Gringo Trails. TV host Ernest White II Ernest White II tells a story about a souvenir vendor he met on a journey to Namibia. Ernst is a storyteller, explorer, and the producer/host of global reality-travel television series Fly Brother. Ernest’s writing includes fiction, literary essay, and travel narrative, and has been featured in Time Out London, USA Today, Getaway, Ebony, The Manifest-Station, Sinking City, Lakeview Journal, Matador Network, National Geographic Traveler’s Brazil and Bradt’s Tajikistan guidebooks, and at TravelChannel.com. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“Essentially, a romance is a courtship story. And if you think about it, courtship stories are part of the foundation of human storytelling” –Sarah Wendell Sarah Wendell (@SmartBitches) is an author and blogger whose work primarily focuses on the romance fiction genre. She is co-author of the book, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Sarah discuss the elements of a romance novel book cover (13:00); plot and structure of a romance novel (24:00); the history the romance genre (34:00); and the evolution of romance fiction characters and tropes (46:00). For more from Sarah, check out her website: Smart Bitches, Trashy Books Notable Links: RT Booklovers Convention “Where no Travel Writer has Gone Before“, by Rolf Potts (article) Elements of Surprise: Our Mental Limits and the Satisfactions of Plot, by Vera Tobin (book) Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (novel and film) Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn (novel) Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (novel) Turducken (novelty dish) Fabio (romance cover model) Mullet (hairstyle) #MeToo movement The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger (viral video) Asexuality Demisexuality Black Panther (film) Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle (novel and film) Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda , by Becky Albertalli (novel) Highlander (film) Romance novels, novelists, and genres mentioned: Prowl the Night, by Crystal Jordan (romance novel) The Raider, by Jude Deveraux (romance novel) Jude Deveraux the Raider Barbie & Ken Set (collectible toy) Sharon Shinn (romance novelist) Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters series Kate Duffy, editor at Kensington The Flame and the Flower, by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss (romance novel) Carina Press Romance Promise Paranormal romance (genre) Amish Vampires in Space, by Kerry Nietz (romance novel) Tamed: A Menage Dinosaur Shifter Romance, by Jenny Clemens (romance novel) Hot and Badgered, by Shelly Laurenston (romance novel) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“This is a thing that journalists do—they take a ‘two is a coincidence, three is a trend’ sort of thing and try to manufacture an idea out of it.” – James Greer James Greer is a screenwriter, music critic, author, and former rock musician. He-wrote the screenplay for Steven Soderbergh’s film Unsane, which is set for release on March 23rd. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and James discuss his early career as a music critic and Spin magazine (4:00); Generation X and James’ role in popularizing this demographic cohort (13:00); the Nirvana revolution and the band’s impact on music (25:00); the legend of with Kurt Cobain (39:00); James’ post-Spin life (54:00); and his transition into screenwriting and making movies with Steven Soderbergh (1:04:00). Notable Links: The Upside to All the Online Chatter About ‘Girls”, by Rolf Potts (article) Proceeding With Caution, by David M. Gross and Sophronia Scott (article) Greer’s 1991 Spin article about Perry Farrell and Generation X Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, by Douglas Coupland (book) Pretty in Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies, by Jonathan Bernstein (book) Generation X (demographic cohort) Grunge speak (hoax) Richard Linklater (director) Slacker (film) Janeane Garofalo (comedian) Jim Rose Circus Bro (subculture) Max Keeble’s Big Move (film) Just My Luck (film) Lindsay Lohan (actress) Jonathan Bernstein (screenwriter) Steven Soderbergh (filmmaker) Sex, Lies, and Videotape (film) Sex, Lies, and Videotape Movie Edition (film journal and screenplay) Raiders of the Lost Ark, by Steven Spielberg (remix version by Steven Soderbergh) Unsane (film) Red (digital camera company) Day-and-Date Release Strategy John Barth (author) Music-related links: Spin (magazine) Bob Guccione, Jr. (Spin publisher) Rolling Stone (magazine) Nirvana (band) Lollapalooza (music festival) Perry Farrell (musician) Slanted and Enchanted (music album by Pavement) Matador Records (indie music label) Sub Pop (indie music label) Nils Bernstein (music publicist) Post-punk (music genre) R.E.M. (band) Hüsker Dü (band) The Replacements (band) Pixies (band) Fugazi (band) Soundgarden (band) Sonic Youth (band) Billy Idol (musician) U2 (band) Eddie Vedder (band) Kurt Cobain (musician) Janis Joplin (musician) Jimi Hendrix (musician) Jim Morrison (musician) Ian Curtis (musician) Mia Zapata (musician) Kim Deal (musician) Courtney Love (musician) Henry Rollins (musician) Guided by Voices (band) Dead Moon (band) Death Hags (band) MTV Buzz Bin The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

In the spirit of March Madness, Rolf brings us special episode of Deviate from the American heartland, where he tells us a basketball story about one of those “never before seen” sports moments. Notable Links: Kipp, Kansas (town) Aurora, Kansas (town) Schilling Air Force Base Donald J. Sobol (writer) Encyclopedia Brown, by Donald J. Sobol (book series) Encyclopedia Brown’s Second Record Book of Weird and Wonderful Facts 1964 NCAA University Division Basketball Tournament Gypsum, Kansas (town) Assaria, Kansas (town) Southeast of Saline School The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“I think fear comes out of ignorance.” – Tim Cahill Tim Cahill is a journalist, author, and pioneering travel writer. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Tim discuss hooking the reader from the first line of a story (2:15); the start of Tim’s career and his early experiences in journalism (8:50); travel writing in the 1970s, and the evolution of travel writing (16:30); his relationship with risk and fear (24:00); his brush with death in the Grand Canyon (36:45); and how his connection with walking and travel has changed as he has aged (51:00). For more from Tim, check out his Rolling Stone and Outside archives, or his 2004 Q&A with Rolf. Mentioned writing by Tim Cahill In the Valley of the Shadow of Death: Guyana After the Jonestown Massacre, by Tim Cahill (article) The Shame of Escobilla, by Tim Cahill (article) My Drowning (and other Inconveniences), by Tim Cahill (article) Buried Dreams: Inside the Mind of John Wayne Gacy, by Tim Cahill (book) Pecked to Death by Ducks, by Tim Cahill (book) A Wolverine is Eating my Leg, by Tim Cahill (book) Hold the Enlightenment, by Tim Cahill (book) Jaguars Ripped my Flesh, by Tim Cahill (book) Pass the Butterworms, by Tim Cahill (book) Road Fever, by Tim Cahill (book) Other notable links Outside Magazine (publication) Gonzo Journalism (style of journalism) In medias res (narrative technique) Walt Whitman (poet and essayist) Ernest Hemingway (author) Emily Dickinson (poet) Mark Twain (author) Bill Cardoso (journalist) Queen Charlotte Islands (i.e., Haida Gwaii) Lava Falls (Grand Canyon rapids) Paleface v. Redskin (American literary dichotomy) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“I tell people that all the time. Just do it. Just dive in and figure it out. And you’re going to make mistakes and you’re going to fail. But I learned incredible things from that first experience…just from doing that first film.” – Rod Pocowatchit ”Rodrick Pocowatchit (@rawd) is a journalist, screenwriter, actor, and film director. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Rod discuss Native Americans in popular culture and movies (3:10); Native American identity (13:40); creating art within your means (23:00); Rod’s entrance into the film industry, and his distribution strategies (30:00); and pow-wow and Native American culture (42:00). “Other” short clip from Rodrick Pocowatchit on Vimeo. Feature films by Rodrick Pocowatchit: Dancing on the Moon Sleepdancer The Dead Can’t Dance Red Hand Notable Links Shaun of the Dead (film) Little Big Man (film) Chief Dan George (actor) Smoke Signals (film) Chris Eyre (film director) King Kung Fu (film) Guy Pocowatchit (actor) George A. Romero (filmmaker) Robert Rodriguez (filmmaker) Richard Linklater (filmmaker) Sundance Institute (film program) Native Program (film program) Rebel Without a Crew, by Robert Rodriguez (book) Sherman Alexie (writer) Pow wow (Native American cultural gathering) Grass Dance (style of Native American dance) Fancy Dance (style of Native American dance) Comanche language LA Skins Fest (film festival) American Indian LA Film and TV Awards Reporting in Indian Country “bingo card,” from the Native American Journalists Association. The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“When you are more focused with how other people are practicing their faith than how you are practicing it yourself, you have gone down the wrong path.” – Rany Jazayerli Rany Jazayerli (@jazayerli) is a Chicago-area dermatologist, sportswriter, and co-founder of the Baseball Prospectus website. In 1998 he developed the statistical concept of Pitcher Abuse Points (PAP), which evaluates the impact of high pitch-counts in baseball. In this episode of Deviate, Rolf talks to Rany about growing up the son of Syrian immigrant parents in Wichita (3:40); Rany’s move to Saudi Arabia at a young age, and his relationship with Islam, Syria, and America (14:30); the renowned 19th century Arab religious and military leader Abd el-Kader (19:00); perceptions and realities surrounding the Islamic faith and its place in American society (27:00); and Rany’s predictions for the upcoming baseball season (47:30). For more recent articles from Rany, check out his Ringer article archive. Notable Links A plea for tolerance, by Rany Jazayerli (ESPN article) Does This Suit Make Me Look Terrorist To You? (This American Life segment) Rany on the Royals (baseball blog) K.C. Masterpiece, by Rany Jazayerli (Grantland article) The Sweet Superstition of Rooting for the Royals, by Rolf Potts (Atlantic essay) Kansas City Star oral history of the 2014 AL Wild Card game David Schoenfield (ESPN editor) Obama’s Biggest Mistake, by Rany Jazayerli (Ringer article) Abd el-Kader and the Massacre of Damascus, by Rany Jazayerli (essay) Commander of the Faithful, by John W. Kiser (book) Emir Abd el-Kader (religious and military leader) Elkader, Iowa (town named for Abd el-Kader) Al-Assad regime (Syrian ruling family) Sunni Islam (denomination of Islam) Wahhabism (Islamic doctrine and religious movement) Nation of Islam (African-American religious movement) Dave Chappelle (American Muslim comedian) Lupe Fiasco (American Muslim rapper) Anti-Catholicism in the United States Islamophobia in the United States Mao II, by Don Delillo (novel) The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“You have to understand your own particular journey — and what you need as a writer, and who you are, and what you want out of the publishing process — because that’s what is going to help you make decisions.” – Sophfronia Scott In this episode of Deviate, Rolf speaks with Sophfronia Scott about her working-class Ohio upbringing, and the background behind her name (2:40); her beginnings at TIME Magazine and her groundbreaking article on Generation X (13:00); her mid-life career change and commitment to a career as an author (30:00); her spiritual journey (40:00); and dealing with her son’s experience as a student at Sandy Hook Elementary (49:00). Sophfronia Scott (@Sophfronia) is a writer and author who has debuted three books in the past year, including Unforgivable Love, which retells the tale of Dangerous Liasons in 1940s Harlem; This Child of Faith, a spiritual memoir that touches on the school shooting at Sandy Hook; and Love’s Long Line, a collection of essays. For more information on Sophfronia, including a full list of her publications, check out https://sophfronia.com/ Notable Links Proceeding with Caution by Sophfronia Scott and David M. Gross (TIME article) Stephen Koepp, TIME editor Generation X Reconsidered (TIME, 1997) Great Migration (African-American demographic shift) Lorain, Ohio (Sophfronia’s hometown) Thirtysomething (television series) Girls (television series) Annie Dillard (author) Toni Morrison (novelist) Robert Vivian (writer) VeggieTales (children’s TV show) Top Ten Reasons to be Episcopalian, by Robin Williams Frederick Buechner (writer and theologian) Dietrich Bonhoeffer (theologian) Peter J. Gomes (preacher and theologian) Rob Bell (author and pastor) Thomas Merton (writer and theologian) Confessions of a Guilty Bystander, by Thomas Merton (book) The Journals of Thomas Merton (book series) The Asian Journal of Thomas Merton (book) Surprised by Hope, by N.T. Wright (book) Rumi (poet) Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting How Faith Helped My Son After He Survived Sandy Hook, by Sophfronia Scott The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

“The magic of history is that the simple, received wisdom we have turns out to be just one part of the story, and we discover a lot about ourselves when we go deeper into it.” – Mark Clague In this episode of Deviate, Rolf deep-dives into the Star Spangled Banner, covering topics including the origins and historical backdrop for the writing of Star Spangled Banner (9:20); the irony of using a British melody for the United States national anthem, and the “lost stanzas” of the original poem (23:12); the song’s complicated history, including specific criticisms (35:00); and the evolution of the song in tandem with our national identity (44:00). This week’s expert, Mark Clague (@usmusicscholar), is a musicology professor at the University of Michigan. He has researched all forms of music in the United States; his recent projects focus on the United States national anthem. For more information on Mark, please check out his Star Spangled Music website, his Star Spangled Songbook, his Poets & Patriots music compilation, and his podcast. Notable Links Francis Scott Key (lawyer and poet) War of 1812 Fort McHenry Woodstock (festival) To Anacreon in Heaven (song) Broadside ballad (music type) Gentlemen’s Club (traditional British social club) Anacreontic Society (music-themed gentlemen’s club) Jimi Hendrix (musician) Alexander Hamilton (Founding Father) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (composer) Joseph Haydn (composer) When the Warrior Returns by Francis Scott Key (poem) Oh Say, Do You Hear (“Abolitionist Star Spangled Banner”) Corps of Colonial Marines America (Neil Diamond song) God Bless the USA (Lee Greenwood song) Performances and adaptations of The Star-Spangled Banner Mentioned renditions of the Star Spangled Banner Marvin Gaye rendition of Star Spangled Banner (at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game) “The All-Star Anthem,” from Grantland Jimi Hendrix rendition of Star Spangled Banner (at the Woodstock Festival) “When Jimi Hendrix Protested the National Anthem on a National Stage,” From SPIN José Feliciano rendition of Star Spangled Banner (at 1968 MLB World Series) “A Polarizing Performance by Jose Feliciano in 1968,” from the New York Times Whitney Houston rendition of Star Spangled Banner (at 1991 Super Bowl) “When Whitney Hit the High Note,” from ESPN The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber. Note: We don’t host a “comments” section, but we’re happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.