Our guest this episode is Giovanni Boivin, the proprietor of The BookLoft, a 50-year-old independent bookstore in Great Barrington Massachusetts in the US. A “Storyteller turned Storyseller”, Gio (as he is known to staff and customers) turned a grade school love of story to a career that has manifested in creative writing and then relating the stories behind a tourist destination as a tour guide, at an historic house in the Berkshire region of Western Massachusetts he calls home. Since 2022 Gio has been the owner of The Bookloft, where he started as a clerk and wore many hats for years before becoming its steward and proprietor.

The Bookloft serves locals and visitors as an alternative to the big box retailers who have rendered many indie bookstores extinct. But fear not if Western Mass is not on your itinerary anytime soon. Gio presides over a healthy online business as well, that will locate and ship titles domestically for your reading pleasure and gifting needs. https://www.thebookloft.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this episode is Malu Halasa, a prolific and passionate observer of the Middle East through the lens of art and culture. Our conversation explores how she provides readers with a unique window into the changing mores of the region, having written and edited over 8 anthologies, and several novels and short stories of her own.

Born in Oklahoma, to Jordanian and Filipino parents, raised in Ohio, a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, Malu now lives in London, where she is currently a Literary Editor at The Markaz Review.

As a journalist, Malu’s contributions include music journalism for Rolling Stone, and writing for Huffington Post, and The Guardian.

Anthologies she has edited include:

· “Syria Speaks: Art and Culture from the Frontline”,

· “Culture in Defiance: Continuing Traditions of Satire, Art and the Struggle for Freedom in Syria”,

· “Transit Tehran: Young Iran and Its Inspirations”

· “The Secret Life of Syrian Lingerie: Intimacy and Design”,

· “Woman Life Freedom: Voices and Art from the Women’s Protests in Iran”,

· And a new book coming out in January called “Sumud: A New Palestinian Reader”

Her debut novel “Mother of all Pigs” is an epic Jordanian family saga chronicling the comedy and pathos of the patriarchy in decline.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could be more theatrical than stories told in a courtroom? Especially those told to represent individuals who cannot afford adequate defense when accused of a crime?

In this episode we chat with Matt Cleaver, Staff Attorney with Brooklyn Defender Services, a passionate public defender and a human rights activist. Trained in theater, experienced in arts administration and theater management, Matt pivoted to a career in law, to make a difference in lives of those disadvantaged in society. He brings a unique perspective to his role, representing and advocating for clients whose stories are often silenced by the nature of legal system. In our chat Matt shares anecdotes of using story to engage prosecutorial adversaries as collaborators, the need for specificity to amplify the stories of his clients, and the significance of language we use that can subtly impact the outcome of any defense.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.