“Write Here, Write Now” One-Day Conference in Salem, Oregon
https://willamettewriters.org/write-here-write-now-salem/
“The Red Panda” Audio Comes Alive — in Video!
That’s right, Coffee Club devotees, this week you can not only listen to The Red Panda – you can watch him and his gorgeous kickass partner The Flying Squirrel in action! Here are two special episodes, selected by our Audio Arts barista Ruby Fink, which have been graphically depicted a la cartoon strip style. They’re just wonderful to watch as you listen, so have at it. We thank Decoder Ring Theatre for a whole month of their wonderful “audio adventures,” as Decoder Ring’s head honcho, Gregg Taylor, likes to call them. And if you’ve enjoyed these Decoder Ring Theatre presentations, please give them a click and check out how much more is available – all totally free. Gregg has been writing and producing his audio adventures since 1999 – almost twenty years. You can learn…
“A Poet of Sorts” by Rashmi Prakash
Here is a lovely, reflective poem for you today. I. Cross, out-of-sorts at odds, always in want of a better word I’m a poet of sorts. Crucified on the cross- roads of time and purpose I stand and ponder: if the road I’m on is less traveled or more? Cars spin 360 degrees below, as I watch from my Ivory Tower 40 feet above is enough too much reality is not good for me. I’m fussy. I don’t like to get my feet dirty. Head planted firmly in the clouds I take great strides across the seven seas. Cross deserts; climb peaks. Sometimes, I’m seen millions of light years away. I straddle both worlds. Clearly, I’ve businesses of my own to attend. Philosopher at large sage, devil, demigod…
“The Potter,” A Short Story by Cheree Mann
The seventh-floor studio apartment in the Soho District of New York was $4,000 a month and had been vacant for three months. The previous renter was an artist and left everything behind. He had 220 wiring installed for his kiln, which sat proudly on high-temp blocks. The electric potter’s wheel sat wanting for attention and shelves lined the north wall that still displayed thrown bisque-fired pots patiently waiting for their glazing. The west wall held an apartment-sized refrigerator, sink and small granite countertop that presented a hot plate, coffee pot, and a mug tree, which held a single cup. Bare wooden slats squeaked under the pressure of footsteps, dusty from layers of dried clay splashed on the floor. The greatest attribute of the studio was the windows. Total glass along the east side allowed…
New Audio Adventures From Decoder Ring Theatre!
Today we offer for your listening pleasure two episodes, personally selected by our Audio Arts Barista Ruby Fink, of Decoder Ring Theatre’s “Black Jack Justice” series. Yes, Jack is a bit darker character than the Red Panda. Each of these is a self-contained episode, so enjoy. Please click the arrow below to begin listening to “Justice Delayed,” Episode 4 from “Black Jack Justice,” Season One, Feb. 18, 2006. Please click the arrow below to begin listening to “Justice is Blind,” Episode 3 from “Black Jack Justice,” Season One, Feb. 4, 2006. Be sure to “tune in” next week for something extra special from the Decoder Ring Theatre!
“The Unexpected Gift” by Jennifer Gaye Peterson
The sound of whispers and shuffling feet fell from the welcoming side of a dark burgundy curtain. Its mass was hung and stretched across the full width of an auditorium stage. Hidden behind its thickness was Samantha, sitting nervously, at a baby grand piano. She was silently rehearsing a selected piece of music in her head while at the same time trying desperately to block out the noise. It was the night of the eighth annual music recital at Benton Junior High School, and her first time to play in front of a large audience. Slowly, the heavy curtain opened with a lazy glide across the stage floor. The snapping sound from the spotlight quickly broke her concentration and instantly engulfed her. Frozen and unable to move, the sound of her pounding fear grew louder…
Ruby’s Two Favorite “Red Panda” Audio Adventures
Welcome back fellow listeners! Hi, it’s Ruby, your Audio Arts Barista, bringing you another audio adventure featuring the marvelous masked mystery man known as the Red Panda, and his trusty female partner, the Flying Squirrel!* Despite the 119 episodes the talented and prolific Gregg Taylor has written and produced, Episode 7, “Red Panda: Dead or Alive” [from Season One] will always hold a special place in my heart as the one that truly epitomizes the relationship between Kit Baxter, aka The Flying Squirrel, and the Red Panda. In every other superhero love story you can think of, the relationship between one superhero and one citizen (or two superheroes) features the tragic, at best, “I love you, but the life I’ve chosen will put you in danger, so we can’t be together.” Gregg Taylor thankfully, does…
“Jolly Old Fellow” and Other Poems by Robert Joe Stout
Hotel Doorman Passes the Time of Day, Mexico City “New, that one’s suit, bargain sale somewhere but see, the woman with him: style, not ‘a la moda,’ just herself…and him? chingada! beltless jeans, baseball cap, leftist for sure (they’re all alike), that one hiding fat with shawls, ah! look, politician—silk shirt, chin shaved so close it shines (narcos buy Rolex watches, Chargers t-shirts, whores wear open shoulder blouses, spandex pants), banker that one, necktie with a bit of swirl (see the clasp?) and here? aerobic miss (who else could wear jeans that tight?) Faces lie but clothes? Clothes don’t hide what people want to hide. “ Lennon, after the First Hamburg Tour Drank orange juice, ate eggs his foster mother fried, watched re-runs on the telly, sketched obscene cartoons. Beyond the ironed curtains, Naugahyde,…
Audio: “Black Jack Justice” and a Bonus Web Video!
This week, at your request, two episodes of “Black Jack Justice,” from the Gregg Taylor and the Decoder Ring Theatre cast, who also produce “The Red Panda.” As with the Red Panda, each of these Black Jack episodes are complete stories. We’re offering Gregg’s brilliant work all this month, and today you get a sneak peek inside the studio as the cast performs. You’ll get to see a group of real professional voiceover actors in their natural habitat – in front of microphones! Please click on the arrow below to listen to “Black Jack Justice, episode 55. Please click on the arrow below to listen to “Black Jack Justice, episode 56. BONUS VIDEO: Please click on the arrow below to watch the Decoder Ring Theatre cast perform.
Blurring Time and Realities: The Art of David Thomas
Artist’s Statement: My work is centered around a blurring of time and realities. The figures I paint touch on themes of old mythologies and older magic; the kind of half-truths and false memories that persist through generations. I set out to capture the fear and wonder I feel as I walk through our plane. I try to image other planes and realities that may connect and interact with ours in ways we might not be able to understand. My work is attempt to capture realities that may be lurking just beyond our reach. “Boundless” – 36×36″ “Wastelayer” – 36×36″ “Never Lost” – 36×36″ A work in progress *** David Thomas is currently living and working in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He paints haunting figures inside surrealistic landscapes using a unique style of fingerprinting….