LISTEN TO EPISODE 113!

Dear Listener,

I have a lovely treat for you—what podcasters call a feed drop.

The last time you heard from me was episode 111: the Confessional episode. In that episode I recorded a conversation with my good friend writer, photographer and podcaster, Mike Sakasagawa. I mentioned then that we would be running an episode of Mike’s podcast, Keep the Channel Open on Commonplace, and wahoo, it’s finally happening!

Episode 113 of Commonplace is also Episode 143 of Keep the Channel Open, and is a totally fabulous conversation between writer Nana Kwame Adje–Brenyah and Mike Sakasagawa. I love this conversation in which Mike and Nana talk about Nana’s debut novel Chain Gang All Stars, satire, and the seductive nature of success.

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a writer based in the Bronx, NY. In his debut novel, Chain-Gang All-Stars, Nana presents us with a dystopian future America where convicted prisoners fight each other to the death in a televised bloodsport.

I know you’ll enjoy this conversation and hope you’ll follow Mike and Keep the Channel Open on social media and check out Mike’s other 142 terrific episodes of Keep the Channel Open and his other podcast LikeWise Fiction.

Some news from us at Commonplace: Valentine Conaty and Langa Chinyoka have both moved on to other adventures and both are missed and irreplaceable. And, I have decided, for right now, not to hire a new part-time producer or social media person. I’m too scattered, between parenting, writing, teaching, slowly setting up the Commonplace School and trying to do these things at a human and humane pace to be able to properly hire a full team. And, honestly, I’m not exactly sure which direction the podcast is moving in.

For sure, it’s not going away! I have a veritable bottleneck of already-recorded INCREDIBLE episodes:

• I’ve got one more episode hosted by Valentine Conaty, this one with Moheb Soliman.

• I’ve got a conversation facilitated by Isaac Ginsberg Miller with Charif Shanahan and Safia Enhillo.

• My conversation with choreographer Hope Mohr, recorded in April!

• My conversation with writer Laurel Snyder!

• A reading I recorded with me, Cate Marvin, RA Villaneuva, and Lynn Xu!

• A reading and conversation with Fred Moten and Ronaldo Wilson!

Not to mention three more episodes of my Poetics of Wrongness lectures. For the next one, about the ethics of representing real people in art–I’m doing several things I’ve never done before on Commonplace and I’m super excited about sharing it with you!

And, I’ve got so many other conversations planned and scheduled.

Nope, not going anywhere! Just going slowly. Also, with the help of poet Leigh Sugar, Commonplace is working to catch up on the important work of offering transcriptions for all our back episodes.

I’ve just announced the launch of “Reading with Rachel” a 12-month, one-book-a-month online reading and making group. The group starts in September. There are two engagement levels—one for folks who just want to read and listen. The other for folks who want to read, listen and also make things in response to a shared text. You can sign up for one session (if a particular book strikes your interest), you can buy a 6-pack, or you can join me for all 12–a full year of being together. There are all sorts of early bird discounts and pricing levels and as always, one of the core tenets of the Commonplace School for Embodied Poetics is that no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Sign up right here to join me!

Thank you, as always, for listening and keeping up the conversations with us.

Rachel