personal history

Visit https://www.thermofisher.com/chemistry-podcast/ to access the extended video version of this episode and guest content and resources, which includes links to recent publications and additional content recommendations for our guest. You can also access the extended video version of this episode via our YouTube channel to hear, and see, more of the conversation!

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We open Season 4 with a unique double interview with Dr. Steven Townsend (Vanderbilt University) and Dr. Frank Leibfarth (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). These are our original two guests from Season 1 of this series! 

Steve Townsend and Frank Leibfarth are two of the best chemists of the current generation as well as being incredibly charismatic and fun humans. With that said, this episode is a bit different in that it was a fun moment of connection and entertainment where we discuss things on the fringe of chemistry, tongue in cheek. As it happens, it became much more than that, a journey into personal history, motivation and drive, stories and reflections on great chemists of the past and present, and much more. The human element behind the science takes center stage in this episode for certain. One not to miss.

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• Email helloBCTL@thermofisher.com

About Your Host

Paolo Braiuca grew up in the North-East of Italy and holds a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from nearby esteemed University of Trieste, Italy.  He developed expertise in biocatalysis during his years of post-doctoral research in Italy and the UK, where he co-founded a startup company. With this new venture, Paolo’s career shifted from R&D to business development, taking on roles in commercial, product management, and marketing. He has worked in the specialty chemicals, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical markets in Germany and the UK, where he presently resides.

He is currently the Director of Global Market Development in the Laboratory Chemicals Division  at Thermo Fisher Scientific™ which put him in the host chair of the Bringing Chemistry to Life podcast. A busy father of four, in what little free time he has, you’ll find him inventing electronic devices with the help of his loyal 3D-printer and soldering iron. And if you ask him, he’ll call himself a “maker” at heart. 

When their family Gulf Coast vacation home was blown away by Hurricane Carla in 1961, Jennifer Vacca's grandpa had a great solution: He would move one of the buildings from the family business onto the now empty lot and they'd turn it into the new vacation house. And so, the Bayhouse was born. Six decades, multiple generations, and untold numbers of hurricanes later, it's still standing. And it's played a central role in the life of Jenny's family, and in her life in particular. Hear a story about the only funeral home we know of that's in the business of life. 

Acclaimed YA author Leah Konen’s second novel for adults, The Perfect Escape, is a pacey, suspenseful, unforgettable thriller about a girls’ weekend in the Catskills turned deadly. For Greenlight’s first virtual author event of 2022, Konen joined us for a scintillating book launch and conversation with bestselling author and NYT journalist Andrea Bartz (We Were Never Here) that explored the craft of mystery, pregnancy and the writing process, and the question of writing mystery as a “plotter” or a (fly by the seat of your) “pantser”. (Recorded January 5, 2022)

Welcome to 'The Truth in This Art' podcast, hosted by Rob Lee, where we unravel the mesmerizing stories of Monique Crabb, a Baltimore-based conceptual artist with a passion for exploring personal history, identity, body, and the environment through her multidisciplinary work. Primarily known for her expertise in quilting and her innovative use of natural dyes to explore color, Monique's art delves into themes of history and identity. Her commitment to sustainability and meaningful expression is evident through her use of secondhand textiles and low-cost experimental techniques. With a BFA in Photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art and currently pursuing an MFA in Intermedia + Digital Arts at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Monique continues to create vibrant and impactful art.

In this installment:

• Delve into how Monique Crabb's artistic practice is shaped by the influences of music, TV, and her family's storytelling, infusing her work with a unique perspective.
• Discover the inspiring journey of how Monique found her passion for quilting and working with textiles, sparked by the influence of contemporary quilter Laura Ambrose.
• Explore Monique's innovative use of natural dyes, like black walnuts and onion skins, as she creates vibrant colors in her quilts, infusing her art with organic beauty.
• Uncover the deeper meaning behind Monique's work, which aims to inspire viewers to connect with their environment, prompting thoughtful contemplation on color creation's history and process.

Don't miss this incredible episode as Monique discusses her journey as an artist and her fascination with second-hand materials and low-cost experimental art. She shares how her influences, including music, TV, and her family, have shaped her artistic practice. Monique also talks about her process of working with textiles, particularly quilting, and her use of natural dyes to create vibrant colors. She emphasizes the importance of connecting with the environment through art and encourages viewers to think differently about their surroundings.

Mentioned in this episode
Monique's website
Current Space

🎧🌟 Don't forget to rate and review this episode to support the best in podcasting! 🌟🎧

This program is supported (in part) by a grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation.

If you have a story about art, culture, or community, share it with us at rob@thetruthinthisart.com for a chance to be featured on 'The Truth In This Art' podcast.

Follow The Truth In This Art on Twitter, Threads, IG, and Facebook @truthinthisart

Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard.

Episode illustration by Alley Kid Art.

About "The Truth In This Art"

"The Truth In This Art," hosted by Rob Lee, is a podcast that explores the essence of creativity and its community impact, amplifying artists' voices and their profound stories.

Connect with me:

Website | Twitter | Instagram 

Support the show:

Merch from Redbubble | Make a Donation 

In the fifth issue of Clerestory Magazine, writers respond to the theme "history," exploring the events, stories, and relationships which shape us. 

Originally from central Texas, Emily Lee lived for seven years in northern Mexico. She has a toddler daughter and is writing her first book, a memoir.

Read Clerestory Magazine. 

Follow us: 

Instagram: @clerestorymag

Twitter: @clerestorymag

Facebook: facebook.com/clerestorymag

Support our work:

Membership

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Bonfire

Even the tchotchkes on our desks have stories behind them. Especially if that desk happens to be in the art studio of Jack Massing, one half of the conceptual art duo, the Art Guys. Jack is a kind of connoisseur of found objects. And in this episode of Tiny Histories, he tells the story of one such found object that he's had for over forty years, how it helped form who he became as an artist, and how its meaning has changed for him over the course of his life.

Read this great retrospective on the Art Guys in Glasstire, which also happens to be an obituary for the other half of the duo, Michael Galbreth. 

To learn how you can advocate for indigenous people, please visit the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs, the Native American Rights Fund, or Cultural Survival. 

In the inaugural episode of the podcast, we go on a hunt for buried treasure inside of a suburban home, following clues left behind by the recently deceased. 

Dr. Kim Corson tells the tale of how she was sure that her dying father, with whom she'd had a difficult relationship, had given away a precious piece of jewelry. After he passed, she was shocked to find herself literally digging up treasure he'd left behind in his home, leading to a kind of unbelievable discovery.

Find out more about Kim on her website. And, since you've clearly got great taste in podcasts, check out the Dr. Kimcast.

Kevin Beasley thinks a lot about objects. In particular, specific objects that relate to notions of American-ness and Blackness—and ones that are often linked, subtly or not, with violence. Whether with a Cadillac Escalade, a pair of Air Jordans, or an N.F.L. helmet, Beasley finds deep connections to each item he chooses to work with, rigorously studying their multifarious contexts, meanings, and histories. Happy to let artifacts sit in his New York studio for long periods of time, the 36-year-old artist allows them to slowly gestate in his mind until he feels ready to express whatever he has deciphered out of their nature. From there, he turns them into exquisite, alchemical works of art, from tightly packed “slab” sculptures—large, flat resin blocks that embody the density of the symbolic articles that comprise them—to evocative sound installations and performances. 

Beasley’s prolonged approach isn’t mere research; it’s his way of making space to reflect, to pay more attention, and to grapple with the nuances of the complex, loaded subject matter that’s embedded in many of the things that permeate our everyday lives. For Beasley, unpacking subjects charged with underlying connotations is a necessary means for transformation. “You don’t have to fully understand what it is you’re dealing with,” he says. “It takes time. It takes a revisitation. And that’s okay, because that speaks very specifically to a process of learning and understanding.”

Beasley’s work often draws from his personal history, which has included growing up in admiration of the handiwork of his mechanic father, deejaying at house parties at Yale University, and attending annual family reunions in rural Virginia. It was at one such reunion, in 2011, when Beasley came across a cotton field and picked the plant for the first time—an eerie experience that was, as he considered his ancestors and enslaved peoples who once performed the act, all at once distressing, pleasurable, haunting, and illuminating. The following year, Beasley took his fascination with cotton further—and into the deep South. After finding and purchasing a mid-20th-century cotton gin motor on eBay, he drove from New Haven, Connecticut, to a farm in rural Alabama to collect the object. Beginning as part of an M.F.A. project at Yale, the motor would later evolve into an encased artwork, whirling and surrounded by microphones, inside a pristine, clear, soundproof box at the Whitney Museum of American Art—the potent centerpiece of the artist’s breakout exhibition “A View of a Landscape” (2018–2019). (The raw, rancorous noises the motor produced were pumped into an adjacent room that served as a listening gallery.) Later this year, Beasley will extend the project further with a monograph and double LP of the same name, which features sound contributions from artists, musicians, and writers such as Kelsey Lu, Jason Moran, and Fred Moten, whose tracks sample recordings that Beasley made of the churning machine.

On this episode, Beasley talks with Spencer about contemplating these particular objects, sound as a means for greater understanding, and the role of repetition in reshaping history.

Dave with the help of friends and fans of the podcast, peppers BL with questions on the eve of his birthday.

It’s a part of the human condition that our stuff tends to become an extension of ourselves. Just like our experiences and actions, our things feel like a part of us. When stuff gets tangled up in our self-image, it’s hard to let go. In episode #27 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, talks about how the lines between you and your stuff get blurred in the first place, and how to start seeing the boundaries clearly again.

The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of what you love. We meet Tuesdays at noon (U.S. Central Time) to answer your decluttering questions and to share organizing tools and techniques, success stories and “ah-hah!” moments, seasonal suggestions, and timeless tips.

To participate live in our weekly webcast, join our meetup group, follow us on Facebook, or subscribe to our mailing list.

In episode #16 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, describes potential life-changing effects of decluttering—small (and large) ways in which your life might be different after organizing. She also discusses the delicate balance between stuff from your past and the needs of your present life.

The Clutter Fairy Weekly is a live webcast and podcast designed to help you clear your clutter and make space in your home and your life for more of what you love. We meet Tuesdays at noon (U.S. Central Time) to answer your decluttering questions and to share organizing tools and techniques, success stories and “ah-hah!” moments, seasonal suggestions, and timeless tips.

To participate live in our weekly webcast, join our meetup group, follow us on Facebook, or subscribe to our mailing list.

Today, Cathy is joined on the phone with Karen Babine, an award-winning author and the editor of Assay: A Journal of Nonfiction Studies. Her new book, All the Wild Hungers, is a collection of narrative essays on food, family, and her mother's struggle with cancer. Karen shares insights on cooking with her niblings (nephews and nieces), breaking a cast-iron pot, potatoes, and how food always tells a story—full of political history as well as personal.

Eat Your Words is powered by Simplecast.

A native of Southern California, author David Collis is versed in the humanities, art and religion and holds a Master's Degree in Fine Art. He is an artist, photographer, carpenter, and designer of a new series of sacred symbols. He characterizes his life as a quest driven by the romance of exploration and invention. 

David's book, "Interviewing Jesus", examines the life, times and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and presents him in a bold new light; from infancy to the end of his ministry. Collis vividly portrays Jesus' spiritual odyssey and compares it to the wisdom and stories from Judaism, the Gospel of Thomas, the ancient Mediterranean religions and the New Testament. "Interviewing Jesus" is his first book.

www.davidcollis.com

For Black History Month: a MacArthur “genius” who’s unearthing an especially painful chapter of the American experience — the intersecting history of African-Americans and Native Americans, and the little-known narratives that Cherokee landowners held black slaves. Even with history this difficult, Tiya Miles shows us the possibility of stretching the canvas of the past wide enough to hold both hard truths and healing.

Krista Tippett’s unedited interview with Tiya Miles, Chair and Professor in the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She spoke with her on November 16, 2011 from the studios of APM in St. Paul, MN. Tiya Miles was in studio at Michigan Radio at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This interview is included in the show “Toward Living Memory.” Download the produced show at onbeing.org.