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    Punk Rock Pariah with Grendel & Greg

    Hosted by award-winning Disc Jockey Grendel and world-renowned speaker and musician Greg Bennick, PRP is a podcast at the intersection of politics, pop culture, and punk. www.punkrockpariah.com
    enCameron Collins135 Episodes

    Episodes (135)

    Episode 129 - Mira from Ukraine

    Episode 129 - Mira from Ukraine
     
    On Episode 129 of Punk Rock Pariah, Greg & Grendel have an hour-long conversation with “Mira” from the street punk band Bezlad from Kharkiv, Ukraine, about their journey to escape the bombing of their city by Russian forces.  Mira offers insights into the day-to-day experiences of people amidst the ongoing war.

    A call to aid from Greg:
    My dear Ukrainian friends in the band Bezlad from Kharkiv have written five songs during the war while fleeing the bombings in Ukraine. These songs have been written about the war and what it has been like for them.
    Having gotten to relative safety, they are looking to record these songs near Lviv, Ukraine. I asked if it was safe to record there, and their reply was, “Yes, the bombs only fall here every week or two.” 😳
    I feel that their songs, written in the midst of war, are some of the most essential songs hardcore/punk could possibly produce right now. The rest of us can write ABOUT war, but Bezlad has been living it. As fellow artists, I want them to be supported as they create these new recordings.
    I offered to pay for the first ten hours of their recording session ($20 per hour) and am looking for donations to cover the rest. Recording, mixing, and mastering the entire record will cost $1200 total, so we are seeking $1000 in total donations.
     
    Since the band can’t receive PayPal payments, and as a single bank wire would be easiest for them, we agreed that I will accept donations via Paypal and Venmo (donation info is in the comments below). Then I will send receipts for every donation to the band along with a bank wire for the total amount.
     
    Any donations above and beyond that $1000 will go to our friends from the Kharkiv music community who are fighting on the front lines to buy them the defensive gear they need.
     
    VENMO:
    @gregbennick 

    (PLEASE be sure to put "Ukraine" in the notes!)

    Episode 128 - Sam J. Miller

    Episode 128 - Sam J. Miller

    On Episode 128 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel sits down with award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Sam J. Miller to talk about his new short stories collection Boys, Beasts, & Men. The two explore the themes of monsters, masculinity, and growing up a gay punk in rural NY  in Sam's books, as well as activism, film, and so much more. This is an extraordinary interview.


    Sam is appearing at the University Bookstore on the Ave on Wednesday, June 22, at 6 pm. There will be a reading and a Q&A with author Ted Chiang. Learn more or register HERE

    Sam J. Miller In Conversation With Ted Chiang
    Wednesday, June 22nd @ 6 pm
    University Bookstore
    4326 University Way NE 98105

    Learn more about Sam at samjmiller.com.

    Black Lives Matter

    Black Lives Matter



    BLACK LIVES MATTER. PERIOD.

    This is an unparalleled time in modern history where the masses are standing up against the systemic racism and white supremacy upon which our country has been built.

    The question we must all ask ourselves is whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. We must be consistently listening, learning, educating ourselves, and acting upon what we have learned. In her book Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?, Beverly Daniel Tatum says, "[A] genuine commitment to interrupting racism is a long-term commitment...We all need community to give us energy, to strengthen our voices, and to offer constructive criticism when we stray off course." So we call upon all of our listeners to be that energy. 

    The best way to work towards being that energy is to start by educating ourselves. Even the most learned among us must be constantly evolving, which is part of the "lifelong commitment" that Beverly Daniel Tatum mentions above. In light of this, we wanted to share some of our favorite resources we have come across:

    1) Black Lives Matter Resources are available HERE

    2) The Black Lives Matter At Schools 2020 Teaching Curriculum Resource guide for teaching K-12 is available HERE; and

    3) The Social Justice Film Festival has put together a list of films, books, and resources that you can access HERE.

    We also wish to share a few book recommendations of our own. Below this message are six of our favorites for learning about being anti-racist and/or a better understanding about the conditions against which the Black Lives Matters Movement is currently fighting. Please try to seek out a black-owned bookstore to purchase them. We recommend L.E.M.S., located right here in Seattle, or take a look at this list put together by the African American Literature Book Club.

    In the words of Ibram X. Kendi, from his book How to Be an Antiracist, "One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an antiracist. There is no in-between safe space of “not racist.” The claim of “not racist” neutrality is a mask for racism."

    Freedom is a Constant Struggle
    by Angela Y. Davis


    "In these newly collected essays, interviews, and speeches, world-renowned activist & scholar Angela Y. Davis illuminates the connections between struggles against state violence and oppression throughout history and around the world.

    Reflecting on the importance of black feminism, intersectionality, and prison abolitionism for today's struggles, Davis discusses the legacies of previous liberation struggles, from the Black Freedom Movement to the South African anti-Apartheid movement. She highlights connections and analyzes today's struggles against state terror, from Ferguson to Palestine."

    How To Be an Antiracist

    by Ibram X. Kendi


    "In his memoir, Kendi weaves together an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law, and science--including the story of his own awakening to antiracism--bringing it all together in a cogent, accessible form. He begins by helping us rethink our most deeply held, if implicit, beliefs and our most intimate personal relationships (including beliefs about race and IQ and interracial social relations) and reexamines the policies and larger social arrangements we support. 

    How to Be an Antiracist promises to become an essential book for anyone who wants to go beyond an awareness of racism to the next step of contributing to the formation of a truly just and equitable society."

    So You Want to Talk About Race

    by Ijeoma Oluo


    "In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life."

    From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation
    by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor


    "In this stirring and insightful analysis, activist and scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor surveys the historical and contemporary ravages of racism and persistence of structural inequality such as mass incarceration and Black unemployment. In this context, she argues that this new struggle against police violence holds the potential to reignite a broader push for Black liberation."

    White By Law 10th Anniversary Edition

    by Ian Haney López


    "In the first edition of White by Law, Haney López traced the reasoning employed by the courts in their efforts to justify the whiteness of some and the non-whiteness of others, and revealed the criteria that were used, often arbitrarily, to determine whiteness, and thus citizenship: skin color, facial features, national origin, language, culture, ancestry, scientific opinion, and, most importantly, popular opinion.

    Ten years later, Haney López revisits the legal construction of race, and argues that current race law has spawned a troubling racial ideology that perpetuates inequality under a new guise: colorblind white dominance.

    In a new, original essay written specifically for the 10th anniversary edition, he explores this racial paradigm and explains how it contributes to a system of white racial privilege socially and legally defended by restrictive definitions of what counts as race and as racism, and what doesn't, in the eyes of the law. "

    Pedagogy of the Oppressed: 50th Anniversary Edition
    by Paulo Freire


    "First published in Portuguese in 1968, Pedagogy of the Oppressed was translated and published in English in 1970. The methodology of the late Paulo Freire has helped to empower countless impoverished and illiterate people throughout the world.

    Freire's work has taken on especial urgency in the United States and Western Europe, where the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in cities and urban centers is increasingly accepted as the norm."



    Episode 117 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.3 - Amelia Noor-Oshiro, MPH

    Episode 117 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.3 - Amelia Noor-Oshiro, MPH


    On Episode 117 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel and Greg present the third episode of "Break Down the Walls."

    "Break Down the Walls" is a five episode podcast mini-series about suicide prevention, focused on how we can best support loved ones and friends in need.

    On Episode #3 we speak with Amelia Noor-Oshiro, MPH, a PhD Student in Social & Behavioral Sciences in the Department of Health, Behavior & Society at Johns Hopkins University.

    The three talk about structural oppression and its role in suicidal ideation, personal responses to mental health and suicide, the struggles of people of color - specifically Muslim people - and other marginalized communities, and social justice.

    Learn more about Amelia and her work at her website, https://www.amelianooroshiro.com/

    And check out her YouTube channel, The Muslim Suicide Researcher here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOH7r4Yg_egTF15GnDtfJBA

    Content Warning: Suicide and Death

    Additional resources for listeners...

    USA:
    American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline


    Europe:
    International Association for Suicide Prevention

    Australia:
    Roses in the Ocean

    Black Dog Institute

    The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the speaker(s). Because we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. 

    Episode 116 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.2 - Corbin J. Standley

    Episode 116 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.2 - Corbin J. Standley

    On Episode 115 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel and Greg present the second episode of the new mini-series they are making called "Break Down the Walls."

    "Break Down the Walls" is a five episode podcast mini-series about suicide prevention, focused on how we can best support loved ones and friends in need.  

    On Episode #2 we speak with Corbin J. Standley, a Ph.D. student and University Distinguished Fellow in the Ecological-Community Psychology program at Michigan State University, who serves on Michigan's State Suicide Prevention Commission and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Michigan Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

    The three talk about intersectionality in suicide research, the impact that coronavirus has had upon mental health, ways to impact public policy surrounding suicide prevention, and so much more.

    Learn more about Corbin and his work at his website, http://www.corbinjstandley.com/.

    Content Warning: Suicide and Death

    Additional resources for listeners...
    Australia:
    Roses in the Ocean

    Black Dog Institute

    Europe:
    International Association for Suicide Prevention

    USA:
    American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

     

    The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the speaker(s). Because we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. 

    Episode 115 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.1 - Jessica Foard

    Episode 115 - Punk Rock Pariah Presents Break Down the Walls No.1 - Jessica Foard

    On Episode 115 of Punk Rock Pariah, we introduce a new series we are making called "Break Down the Walls."

    "Break Down the Walls" is a five episode podcast mini-series about suicide prevention, focused on how we can best support loved ones and friends in need.  

    On Episode #1 we speak with Jessica Foard, Volunteer and former Co-chair of Advocacy for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Utah Chapter about her heartfelt personal experiences and perspectives.

    Content Warning: Suicide and Death

    Additional resources for listeners...
    Australia:
    Roses in the Ocean

    Black Dog Institute

    Europe:
    International Association for Suicide Prevention

    USA:
    American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

     

     

    The views and opinions expressed in this episode are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer or company. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the speaker(s). Because we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time. 

    Episode 114 - Johnny Crowder of Cope Notes

    Episode 114 - Johnny Crowder of Cope Notes

    On Episode 114 of Punk Rock Pariah, Greg and Grendel sit down with Johnny Crowder, founder of Cope Notes and the band Prison. The three talk about Johnny's music history, starting Cope Notes (a company that provides daily text messages that combine peer support and positive psychology to help improve mental and emotional health), life during Coronavirus, and so much more. Tune in now!

    TW: Suicide and mental health

     

    Episode 112 - Live from the Epicenter of the American Coronavirus Outbreak

    Episode 112 - Live from the Epicenter of the American Coronavirus Outbreak

    On Episode 112 of Punk Rock Pariah, Greg and Grendel talk about the beginnings of a pandemic; life on the ground in Seattle, Washington; and building community, rather than responding with fear, in the face of Coronavirus. 

     

    Resources for local workers and small businesses:
    https://www.riseupbelltown.com/post/covid-19-critical-updates-resources-for-local-workers-and-small-businesses


    Resources for those unemployed by Coronavirus:
    https://www.uwkc.org/news/unemployed-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic-heres-where-to-get-help/


    Resources for artists and communities:
    https://www.nwfolklife.org/covid19resourcelist/

     

    Episode 111 - Elizabeth Warren Visits Seattle

    Episode 111 - Elizabeth Warren Visits Seattle


    On Episode 111 of Punk Rock Pariah, Grendel plays the Elizabeth Warren rally and Q&A at the Seattle Center on March 22nd. He then discusses the content of the rally, contrasts and compares it to the Bernie Sanders rally at the Tacoma Dome earlier in the week, and breaks down his thoughts on the state of the Democratic primaries.