Tag: Jason Baldinger

Ep 111 American Aorta

Old friend Jason Baldinger is back with a new book and new conversation. Jason did a lot of reading from his new book American Aorta, and American Aorta comes with its own playlist! As always, Jason is super funny, engaging, and honest. Our conversation ranges from rust belt memories, travel, and the craft of poetry. Jason reads a poem about a famous Ben Shahn painting and many others. Catch Jason reading at the Poets Building Bridges Series on February 10, 2024.

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Ep. 106: This Still Life

We’re back from another unplanned, unannounced hiatus, and who knows, this could be the beginning of another one. Old friends Jason Baldinger and James Benger discuss their new split poetry collection This Still Life. In our discussion, we talk about what it means to work on a collection like this, James and Jason read, and during The Bottom 5, we accidentally discover while rock music is cool and so are lots of rock bands, a lot of folks who are in rock bands aren’t cool. You can buy This Still Life on James Benger’s Bandcamp Page. And you can get a bunch of other cool stuff on Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp Page. You can hear James and Jason read at Swordfish Tom’s on Sunday, September 18, 2022.

As always, we swear.

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Ep. 102: Jason Baldinger’s KTel Record

Our most frequent guest has released his KTel record of the greatest hits and unreleased poems. A History of Backroads Misplaced is a retrospective of the last decade of his work. During this episode we look back at Jason Baldinger‘s evolution as a poet, what it means to revise old work, and there are some special surprises at the end.

And sooo much swearing

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Ep. 99: The Afterlife is a Hangover

Jason Baldinger is one of the folks who has made this podcast what it is, and who better to have on for our last show in the double digits but him. However, this was perhaps the most difficult podcast I have ever recorded, because it is about his split poetry and art book co-authored by Nell Hendricks called The Afterlife is a Hangover. The book is about the death of someone who meant a lot to a lot of people Pittsburgh musician, writer, professor, and record store owner Karl Hendricks.

We miss Karl, we love Karl, and unfortunately sometimes we have to meet the grief head on as we do for this extensive conversation about poetry, death, and record stores.

We swear a lot, and well . . . f*ck cancer anyway.

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Ep 89: A Threadbare Universe

Jason Baldinger is our most frequent guest, and for good reason. He writes lots of books of poetry, reads those poems very well, and always has something interesting to say in-between. For this episode we talk about his newest collection A Threadbare Universe. We also discuss the state of our post-Trump world, and we get in depth into his writing process.

He says if you send him a message on Facebook you can get a copy of A Threadbare Universe mailed to you for $15. You should also check out Jason Baldinger’s Bandcamp Page.

As always, there’s swearing.

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Episode 78: The Better Angels of Our Nature

Every time Jason Baldinger writes a new book, it’s his best book, and so for this new podcast we have a hard time, because Jason is here to talk about two new books: The Better Angels of our Nature and Everyone’s Alone Tonight, co-written with the great Kansas City poet James Benger.

In the course of our conversation Jason and I talk about our long state of national emergency, the importance of travel for poetics, why Jack Kerouac kinda sucks even though he’s important to us both, and American mythology. Jason’s new books The Better Angels of our Nature and Everyone’s Alone Tonight can be bought from a big (but not the biggest) internet book retailer, at independent books stores, or just find Jason on Facebook. He is also going to be going on a reading tour starting with the dual book launch party on October 2nd at The White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh at 7PM. Look him up on Facebook to find the other tour dates.

As always, I swear.

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Episode 69: Party Line

In an attempt to forge new frontiers of podcastdom We’re All Gonna Die tries our hand at podcasting over the phone, and I’m sorry about the constant hum.  I ran noise reduction and the compression software multiple times, and well…it’s at least an amusing conversation between myself, Stephanie Brea, Jason Baldinger, and all the way from a U-Haul parking lot in Kansas City James Benger.

During our talk we discuss the holiday season, why labor and poetry go together, James and Jason’s great new book Little Fires Hiding, the 5th Annual Bah Humbug:Writers Wrestle with the Holiday Spirit reading, and James has to get out of his car and explain why he’s talking on the phone in a U-Haul parking lot

At this point, I try to earn the explicit tag on every single podcast.

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Episode 65: This Useless Beauty

Frequent, and frequently entertaining, guest Jason Baldinger stops by to discuss the publication of two new books This Useless Beauty and The Ugly Side of the Lake (written with John Dorsey).  During the course of our conversation we discuss American decay, the nostalgia trap, and what it’s like to grow old in an era when everything seems to be falling apart.  You can buy This Useless Beauty from Alien Buddha Press and The Other Side of the Lake from NightBallet Press, or better yet, go to The This Useless Beauty/The Ugly Side of the Lake Dual Launch Party on Thursday, August 9, 2018 at Brillobox.  There is also a launch party in Cleveland at Visible Voice Books on Friday, August 10th.

Jason might be the one guest that swears more than I do.

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Episode 59: Bah Humbug

Celebrating the holidays We’re All Gonna Die style, Jason Baldinger and Stephanie Brea stop by to talk about the Bah Humbug Reading that’s happening Sunday night (Dec, 17, 2017) at 8 at the Brillobox.  Jason is no stranger to the pod, and you’ll all get to know Stephanie better around Valentine’s Day.

In our conversation we discuss the unique pressures of living and working during the holidays.  We also speak of the merits of books that end in the word “head” and why burning is worse than drowning.  We also preview works that will be on stage Sunday night (yes folks, your faithful host will be reading too).  We hope to see you at Bah Humbug, the $5 suggested donation benefits the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank at a crucial moment during the holiday season.

Swearing as usual.

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Episode 50: Fumbles Revelations

Four time guest Jason Baldinger is here to promote his new book Fumbles Revelations on Grackle and Crow Press which is affiliated with the Lilliput Review.  Jason is also the co-coordinator of The Bridge Series, a monthly reading series at The Brillobox at 4104 Penn Ave. in Pittsburgh that brings together people from the literary and activist communities on the last Wednesday of every month.  Jason is also author of the excellent books The Lady Pittsburgh, The Studs Terkel Blues, The Whisky Rebellion (with Jerome Crooks), and The Lower Forty-Eight.  Some of these books can be found around Pittsburgh’s fine book shops, but can also be purchased if you email Jason at underwaterculprit@hotmail.com.

The Fumbles Revelations book launch party is Friday, June 30, 2017 at Nine Stories Pittsburgh at 5400 Butler St.

Of course we talk about many other things, and I cannot help but swear.

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