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What are you thankful for?
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes Devan Sandiford to the show and what follows is an extremely deep and thoughtful conversation around the way we move through life as individuals and collectively as a community. It truly feels like a conversation between old friends and we can't wait for Devan to come back on the show.
Enjoy!
Devan is a published writer and four-time New York City Moth StorySLAM champion. His stories have been featured in the Washington Post, The Moth Podcast, Seattle NPR affiliate KNKX, Speak Up Storytelling, and several other outlets. His story—The Loudest Whisper—was chosen by The Moth to be the companion to a story told by Rev. Al Sharpton’s for Black History Month 2020, and was downloaded over 1 million times and in 49 different countries as of February 2021. He is currently working on his debut book - a painfully honest memoir removing the curtain of race to reveal hard truths about how he lost his humanity and convinced himself it was no big deal until he became a dad. After finding his own voice, he founded Unreeling Storytelling—a Brooklyn-based organization providing a platform for people of color, women, and others who have been pushed to the margins of our culture.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Ooooh boy do we have a good one for you this week!
Though Thanksgiving is on Thursday we definitely have an episode you're going to want to dig into!
In this episode Joe welcomes famous actor (and good friend) Paul T. Taylor on the podcast! Joe and Paul get into a deep discussion on the art of acting. They dig into Paul's career, the lessons he's learned along the way, and how performing the role of cult classic horror icon 'Pinhead' has impacted his life.
Enjoy!
Paul T. Taylor, the grandson of a trumpet-playing vaudeville comedian, is a classically trained actor of stage, film and television. He is as comfortable in intense, macabre drama as he is in broad musical comedy.
Paul played the role of “Pinhead” in HELLRAISER: JUDGMENT, one of the most recent installments of the long-running, cult horror film franchise, which celebrated its’ 30th Anniversary in 2017. For this lifelong fan of all things spooky and ooky, with Halloween being his number one holiday of all time, the role was a dream come true.
He has appeared on Broadway in The Last Empress, Off-Broadway in Aunt Chooch’s Birthday, at The Kennedy Center in Shear Madness, and in dozens of Off-Off Broadway/ regional theater productions. His numerous film and television projects include SIN CITY (getting his arm broken by Mickey Roarke), SUPER (spanking a baby Rainn Wilson), SOUL MEN (with Bernie Mac and Samuel L. Jackson), WONDERFUL WORLD (with Matthew Broderick), Prison Break, and Friday Night Lights.
Check out Paul T. Taylor on IMDB!
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes author and actor Dana L. Davis to the podcast!
Joe and Dana discuss life, representation in the media, and the art of storytelling. They also get into an in-depth conversation about her latest book "Somebody That I Used To Know".
Enjoy!
Dana L. Davis is a novelist and Hollywood actress with previous series regular roles as: Carmen Phillips on TNT’s Franklin and Bash and modern day mimic Monica Dawson on NBC’s cult series Heroes.
She currently stars on the animated series Star Vs. the Forces of Evil, Craig of the Creek, and She-Ra. Dana has guest-starred in over 20 prestigious primetime series, including 911, Scorpion, Code Black, Grey’s Anatomy, and CSI. She made her film debut in Coach Carter with Samuel Jackson.
In addition to her work on screen, Dana has become a motivational speaker for teens. Her stirring assemblies empower and encourage youth, helping them to redefine what it means to win and lose.
About Somebody That I Used To Know
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
What does art mean to you? Are you too hung up on 'what other people will think' to allow yourself to just be?
In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan about these very topics. Shaun originally came on the podcast to discuss his latest book 'Creature' and then the conversation wove into something far deeper and expansive than either Shaun or Joe intended.
Enjoy!
Shaun Tan grew up in Perth and works as an artist, writer and film-maker in Melbourne. He is best known for illustrated books that deal with social and historical subjects through dream-like imagery, widely translated throughout the world and enjoyed by readers of all ages. Shaun is the recipient of an Academy Award for the short animated film The Lost Thing, the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award in Sweden and the Kate Greenaway Medal in the UK.
From the creator of The Arrival, a collection of essays illuminating his thoughts and advice for writers and artists, young and old.
Shaun Tan is one of the world’s most highly acclaimed narrative artists—his stories and images are loved by countless young and not-so-young readers around the world. Drawing upon 25 years as a picture book and comics creator, painter, and film-maker, Creature explores the central obsession of this visionary artist, from casual doodles to studied oil-paintings.
Beyond sketches for acclaimed works such as The Arrival, The Lost Thing, and Tales From Outer Suburbia, this volume collects together for the first time unseen and stand-alone illustrations, each resonant with unwritten tales of their own. Detailed commentary by the artist offers an entertaining insight into the endless allure of imaginary, non-human beings and what they might tell us about our so-called “normal” human selves.
Artists, writers, students, dreamers, and anyone interested in the deeper undercurrents of creativity, myth, and visual metaphor will find inspiration in these pages.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
In this super spooky episode of the podcast we welcome back actor Rebekah Kennedy to discuss her latest role, Masha, in the film 'Two Witches'. It's definitely a super spooky film and worth your time this Halloween season.
Enjoy!
Rebekah Kennedy, born in Texas, began acting on the stage. Rebekah spent all of her time doing theatre and it wasn't until after she received her B.A. in Musical Theatre from Palm Beach Atlantic University, did she truly discover the screen.
When 2010 hit, it quickly showed it would be a promising year. Soon came an amazing opportunity when Rebekah booked a lead role as 15-year-old Hanna in the feature, "House Hunting" with Marc Singer and Art LaFleur and then went on to play 14-year-old Caroline Boutine in the feature, "Creature," starring Mehcad Brooks and Serinda Swan. Then came another wonderful opportunity when she booked a supporting role in the feature, "Season of the Witch" with Nicolas Cage.
In 2011, Rebekah made her television debut on the TNT show, "Memphis Beat." She also had a guest star role in the long running TV show "Criminal Minds" on CBS in 2016, the lead guest star Esther Labott in The Book of Esther on "Law & Order SVU" on NBC in 2018, and as the crazy drug addict Melly Wyatt in "Station 19" on ABC.
Rebekah first hit the big screen when she played the young Peasant Turk Girl in "Season of the Witch" with Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman, which landed in theaters January 7, 2011, "Creature" which opened on September 9, 2011, and then as one of the leads in the horror film "Bastard" with After Dark Films and Fox Home Entertainment which opened October 16, 2015, and "A Dark Foe" with Graham Greene and Selma Blair.
Rebekah is also heavily involved with reaching out to the homeless and has done work with the Covenant House in Los Angeles and goBE.
With its super-saturated color palette, tenebrous art design and electrifying soundtrack, Two Witches presents two truly terrifying conjoined tales of witchery, paranoia and terror that hark back to the gory thrills of classic Euro horrors such as Suspiria, Shock and The Beyond.
Expectant young mother Sarah is convinced she has been given the evil eye from a mysterious blank-eyed old hag while she is dining with her bullish and insensitive partner Simon. When the couple go to visit his new-agey friends Dustin and Melissa, dark forces are unleashed after an ill-advised attempt at consulting a Ouija board to allay her fears. Meanwhile, tensions grow between grad school student Rachel and her new roommate Masha after a violent incident involving a man that the strange and impulsive young woman has brought home.
First-time feature director Pierre Tsigaridis, who also shot, edited and contributed to the film’s soundtrack, singles himself out as one to watch in a deft and unnerving depiction of unspeakable evil that truly delivers.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Woooo! I really really hope you enjoy long-form deep dive discussions on obscure corners of the Animorphs universe because that's what's in store for today's episode!
Seriously though, author Alison Ames is on the podcast to discuss her killer book "It Looks Like Us" which is, OMG, just the most perfect book if you grew up reading Animorph books, and is a great book as we etch ever closer to Halloween!
Alison was an absolute delight and she will absolutely be back on the podcast in the near future.
Enjoy!
Alison Ames is an author who writes horror young adult novels. her book to break a covenant was nominated for the colorado book award. her most recent book is it looks like us
One week ago, Riley Kowalski joined a team of four other teens for an internship on climate change research in the Antarctic, sponsored by one of the world's largest tech companies. It was just the opportunity she had been searching for―an escape from the ridicule she'd received after a panic attack at school, a fresh start.
But their small team isn't alone in the remote, frozen reaches of the polar south.
In the eerie haze of evening sunlight, Riley sees something out of the corner of her eye―something that's watching them. She writes it off as the effects of her anxiety, but when their expedition leader begins to change―her limbs elongating, her body contorting―and grow violent, Riley knows the danger she feels is real. Something is stalking them, infecting them, and slowly infiltrating the team.
There is more to this research trip than any of them bargained for, and if they aren't careful, none of them will make it out alive.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
It's National Coming Out Day! October 11 is considered National Coming Out Day in the United States. The day was first observed on October 11, 1988, on the anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights as a reminder that one of the most basic tools is the power of coming out.
How fitting it is, that on today's episode Joe talks to Lauren Flans, co-host of the ever popular podcast entitled "Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole". This podcast provides a space for those within the LGBTQ+ community an opportunity to share their coming out story with the world!
Joe was fortunate enough to be a guest on the podcast earlier this year and on this episode Joe and Lauren get into a deep conversation about what Coming Out Day means to them, how we can evolve as a society, and get key insights into Lauren's upbringing!
Enjoy!
Lauren is gay! Nicole is bi! Coming Out with Lauren & Nicole is a weekly podcast where pals Lauren Flans and Nicole Pacent have queer folks from all walks of life tell the tales of how they came out to friends, family, and the world at large. Because who doesn't love a coming out story?!
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Booooooo!
It's October which means we are right in the midst of Spooky Season! To kick-off October we've got author and former guest Ally Malinenko returning to the podcast to promote her latest book "This Appearing House"!
Joe and Ally get into a discussion about navigating trauma, how haunted houses have been utilized in stories over the years, and how to provide kids the resources needed to navigate this world!
It's definitely a great way to kick-off October, enjoy!
I live in Brooklyn which is good except when it’s not which is horrid. I’ve been writing for awhile, and have some stuff published and some stuff not.
I don’t like when people refer to pets as their children and I can’t resist a handful of Cheez-Its when offered. I have a burning desire to go to Antarctica, specifically to the South Pole so I can see where Robert Falcon Scott died.
I like to read books. I write novels and poems and stories in a secret writing closet before dawn each day. Oh and I got cancer at 37. That was a bummer. Spoiler! I’m still alive.
I’m represented by the amazing Rena Rossner of the Deborah Harris Agency.
For as long as anyone could remember there wasn’t a house at the dead end of Juniper Drive . . . until one day there was.
When Jac first sees the House, she’s counting down to the five-year anniversary of her cancer diagnosis, when she hopefully will be declared NED, or “no evidence of disease.” But with a house appearing, and her hands shaking, and a fall off her bike, Jac is starting to wonder if these are symptoms—or if something stranger is happening.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
It's time to hop in the way back machine and revisit a classic character from your childhood!
Well, a classic character from Joe's childhood at least.
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes actor Johnny Green to the podcast. Johnny was the "skateboard kid" in the first Back to the Future movie but is perhaps most famous as the antagonistic bully Derrick Cryder on the tv show 'McGee and Me' which, if you happened to grow up in a very conservative religious household might just be the sitcom you're MOST familiar with!
Joe and Johnny get into a conversation about acting, life lessons young actors can take to heart, and speculate on where Derrick Cryder might be in 2022 if someone were to do a Cobra Kai-style reboot of the show.
Enjoy!
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
How do you want to be remembered?
In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to author and illustrator Katie Yamasaki about her latest book 'Shapes, Lines, and Light' a book which honors her grandfather famed architect Minoru Yamasaki.
Joe and Katie get into a discussion about art, representation in media, and how to leave a legacy. It's a fantastic conversation you will thoroughly enjoy!
Katie Yamasaki is a muralist and children’s book artist. She has traveled widely, painting over 80 murals with diverse communities around the world that explore local issues of identity and social justice. Her children’s book work focuses on similar themes of social justice and stories from underrepresented communities.
About Shapes, Lines, and Light
Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as “serenity, surprise, and delight.” Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and work: his childhood in Seattle’s Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska’s notorious salmon canneries, his success in architectural school, and the transformative structures he imagined and built. A Japanese American man who faced brutal anti-Asian racism in post–World War II America and an outsider to the architectural establishment, he nonetheless left his mark on the world, from the American Midwest to New York City, Asia, and the Middle East.
This striking picture book renders one artist’s work through the eyes of another, and tells a story of a man whose vision, hard work, and humanity led him to the pinnacle of his field.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes SYLVIE to the podcast! Yes, that's right - the wonderful children's author and illustrator Sylvie Kantorovitz comes on the podcast to discuss her self-titled memoir.
Sylvie and Joe get into a discussion about art and artists, they detail what first drew Sylvie to art as a young child growing up in France, and how ultimately 'Sylvie' came to be published.
Enjoy!
Sylvie was born in Casablanca in 1960 and grew up in France. She always loved to read and draw, often at the expense of homework. As an author-illustrator, she feels fortunate to be able to do both for work and for fun. In 1980, Sylvie went to New York City for a year and studied at the Art Students League. Back in France, she studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. It is during these years that she discovered — or re-discovered — the magic of children’s books. Sylvie moved to the US in her 20s, and now live in the beautiful Hudson Valley with her partner, Barbara Lehman. Barbara is also an author-illustrator of children’s books. Sylvie has illustrated about twenty five books, six of which she has also authored.
An affecting portrait of a unique childhood, Sylvie connects the ordinary moments of growing up to a life rich in hope and purpose.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Because you've got to have FAITH!
In this episode of the podcast we do not cover WHAM or anything else George Michael-related. However, we DO talk about the incredible book recently released by noteworthy author, Christopher B. Owen.
Faith is described as 'a romance beyond belief', it tells the story of Aaron (an atheist) falling in love with Faith (a Christian) and how their friends + family try to keep them apart, a true modern day Romeo & Juliet.
On this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes Chris and the two of them discuss 'Faith' which leads into a conversation around if we could truly see this type of relationship in the current political climate that we live in. The two also discuss Chris' writer origins and what other projects Chris is working on.
We couldn't be more delighted to have Chris on the podcast and we look forward to having him back on to discuss his next project.
Enjoy!
Christopher B. Owen grew up in Texas where he developed a love for writing at an early age. He studied English Literature and Journalism in college, earning a B.A. in English from the University of Texas Arlington. After college, he worked a long and fruitful career in the aviation field, during which he was able to travel the world and experience many unique places and events that would later inform his writing.
After retirement, Chris began writing full time, and over the course of the past decade he has seen over forty of his short stories traditionally published in print and online, and is now proud to announce the release of his first two novels, Euro Spree and Faith.
Chris now lives in Colorado, surrounded by the gorgeous peaks of the Rocky Mountains, which he finds quite an inspiring and tranquil writing locale. He is at work on several new writing projects, and otherwise enjoys hiking the countryside, skiing, playing guitar, gourmet cooking and cocktail hour.
While working on a routine music video shoot, Aaron Webner falls head over heels for the star of the show, Faith Carlyle. Just one problem, Faith is a devout Christian and the daughter of prominent televangelist Aubrey Carlyle. Quite surprisingly, Aaron and Faith hit it off, despite their seemingly contrasting beliefs. Initially, they keep their relationship on the sly, both from
Faith’s sanctimonious family and friends, but also from Aaron’s secular world as well. As the tale progresses, however, matters come to a head when Aaron’s atheism is revealed to Faith’s parents.
Make sure to check out the NEW Dtalkspodcast.com website!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
ORDER UP!!!
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes famed Vegan Chef Josie Clemens to the podcast! Joe & Josie discuss her time on Hell's Kitchen, her latest show Peeled (the only 100% Vegan Cooking Competition show!) and discuss how we can all take steps to reduce our environmental impact.
Chef Josie was an utter delight to have on the podcast and I cannot wait to have her back on (and I cannot wait to try some of her food!)
Enjoy!
Josie Clemens was one of the 18 contestants competing on Hell's Kitchen: Young Guns, and she stands out for being a vegan chef. Josie is 24 years old from Macomb, Michigan.he is one of the youngest contestants and was a private chef before joining Hell's Kitchen. Josie advocates for vegan cuisine and has a strong stance against using any animal products while cooking. She recently was featured in the UK version of Vegan Life and VegOut magazines. During the season premiere of Hell's Kitchen, the LA-based private chef also revealed she had an everlasting crush on Gordon Ramsey since she was 10 years old. According to her Instagram, it was one of her life goals to have him roast her. It turns out, dreams really do come true.
Created by long-time vegan advocate and Vkind Founder Star Simmons, PEELED was conceived to satiate demand for cooking shows that feature the innovative plant-based alternatives that have transformed culinary arts in recent years. Simmons’ vision for the show sparked the interest of Chef Josie Clemens, whose experience being the first vegan chef to compete in the hit series “Hell’s Kitchen” influenced her decision to join forces with Simmons as co-creator of PEELED.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Are you feeling frustrated because you spilled your coffee and are now late for work? Is this a big problem or a little problem? These types of questions are what today's guest Ben Feller addresses in his first ever book "Big Problems, Little Problems".
On this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes Ben to the show to discuss his book, how this philosophy can help both parents and their kids, and what Ben's time covering the White House was like.
Enjoy!
If you want to read the AP News story Ben referenced in the episode be sure to click below!
https://www.bet.com/article/
Ben Feller is an award-winning writer who covered two presidents and now helps people and organizations tell their own stories. He is also a writing coach, moderator, media adviser and public speaker on parenting, politics and the power of communications.
A first-time children’s book author, Ben’s most important title – Sam Feller’s dad – is the one that drove him to write Big Problems, Little Problems, a father-son tale about conquering life’s frustrations together.
The book is built on Ben’s love of parenting, his career in problem-solving and his pride in watching Sam grow up as a compassionate, joyful boy.
In his first career as a journalist, which spanned 20 years, Ben distinguished himself as one of the finest reporters in the nation. He ultimately served as the Chief White House Correspondent for The Associated Press, a role in which he led presidential coverage for the largest news organization in the world.
Ben spent more than six years covering President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush, traveling aboard Air Force One across the United States and to more than 25 other countries. He often asked the first question at press conferences and was honored as a “master of deadline reporting.”
About 'Big Problems, Little Problems'
Big Problems, Little Problems is the story of how a dad teaches his son to solve the daily challenges of life – and, in turn, the surprising ways in which a child can teach a grown-up to remember what is important, too.
We invite you into this charming picture book about a single dad (a rarity in the picture book world) and his little boy, who turns out to be very wise. From their secret handshake to their mutual problem-solving, this father and son have winning ways.
Written with lessons that apply to any family with young children, the book is distinctively told from a father’s perspective, and built on how a son and dad listen to and learn from each other. This is a tale of how to conquer frustration no matter what the problem.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
What is the responsibility of artists? What does the role of art play in all humankind? How does a conversation between two people who only met one time get so deep in 60 minutes? All this and more in the latest episode of The DTALKS Podcast!
In this episode of the podcast Joe welcomes actor (and friend) Franklin Killian to the podcast. Joe and Franklin discuss the overall responsibility of the artist in our lives and dissect Franklin's own career as well (including how he's connected to the current Netlfix show Cobra Kai!)
Enjoy!
Watch Franklin's show Homeschooled here!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
We're back!
Thank you for being patient with us as we took a well-deserved summer vacation these past several weeks. However, we know there is always work to be done to make a more inclusive world and are right back at it again!
We're thrilled to welcome Dave Wilk to the podcast for our first episode back!
Dave is one of the co-founder's of Four Day Weekend and he and Joe talk about how a 6 week run back in the 90's has turned into a corporate training entity. They discuss the transferable skills improv comedy can give any corporate leader and above all, how we can all make the world a better place!
Enjoy!
Voted Best Comedy and named “Best
Entertainment Experience in Texas”, Four Day
Weekend is a D/FW comedy institution.
Fort Worth’s Mayor awarded them the Key to the City
for being “Fort Worth’s Greatest Ambassador”,
they've been awarded Small Business of the Year by
the Chamber of Commerce, performed for two U.S.
presidents and delivered a keynote address to the
United States Congress.
Four Day Weekend, a critically-acclaimed comedy troupe, is the longest-running show in the Southwest. The group performs a one-hour and forty-five minute improv comedy show around audience suggestions and participation.
David Wilk is proud to be a Founding Member of the Four Day Weekend Comedy Theaters. In addition to having performed more than 6,500 live shows, Dave also travels nationally and internationally emceeing and keynote speaking for corporate clients. His client list reads like a “who’s who” of the fortune 500. He’s been in more commercials than he can remember. If you wear it, eat it, watch it, or talk into it, he’s hawked it to you. Thanks for buying it.
Comedy has led Dave on many amazing adventures including the following highlights. Presenting 4day’s “Yes, And” Keynote for the United States Congress where he met President Obama, working with President Bush and at his request headlining an Armed Forces Entertainment tour performing in Kosovo, Belgium, The Netherlands, England and Germany, receiving the Key to the City of Fort Worth for being “Fort Worth’s Greatest Ambassadors”, being awarded The Small Business of the Year by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce and becoming an Entrepreneur in Residence at Texas Christian University’s prestigious Neeley School of Business.
Dave and his 4day colleagues chronicled this amazing ride in their National Best Selling book “Happy Accidents”, The Transformative Power of ‘Yes, And’ at Work and in Life.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Do you smell that delicious smell?
It's a delicious batch of cookies that The Reverend Shawn Amos is cooking up in his new book 'Cookies & Milk'!
Amos is on the show this week to discuss his book, a fictionalized re-telling of his childhood growing up as the son of Wally 'Famous' Amos and opening up the infamous cookie shop back in the 70's.
We get into a discussion about the book, all of his latest music releases, and how folks can start to 'reclaim their legacy'.
Enjoy!
Most people know me as blues musician, The Reverend Shawn Amos. I’ve been lucky to meet and work with a lot of very talented people who all taught me how to live a creative life.
I’m the only child of William Morris agent-turned-cookie entrepreneur Wally “Famous” Amos, and singer Shirley “Shirl-ee May” Ellis. I spent my childhood in shadowy nightclubs, on the funky streets of 70s Hollywood, and in my own broken home, watching folks hustle, intently listening to them spin tales. I went to NYU Film School, only to be wooed back west in my senior year to accept a screenwriting gig with A & M Films.
Throughout my twenties, I made music that grappled with my race and identity. I tried on personas, searched for my voice, explored different kinds of music which led me to the blues.
While I was grounded from touring during the Coronavirus Pandemic, I had a lot of time to think—and write. This was the beginning of Cookies & Milk. It’s a book for my son (also named Ellis), my dad, and me. It’s also a book for anyone wanting to discover who they are.
About Cookies & Milk
Eleven-year-old Ellis Johnson has the summertime blues. He dreamed of spending the summer of 1976 hanging out with friends, listening to music, and playing his harmonica. Instead, he'll be sleeping on a lumpy pullout in Dad's sad little post-divorce bungalow and helping bring Dad's latest far-fetched, sure-to-fail idea to life: opening the world's first chocolate chip cookie store. They have six weeks to perfect their recipe, get a ramshackle A-frame on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard into tip-top shape, and bring in customers.
But of course, nothing is as easy as Dad makes it sound, even with Grandma along for the ride. Like she says, they have to GIT—get it together—and make things work. Along the way, Ellis discovers a family mystery he is determined to solve, the power of community, and new faith in himself.
Partially based on Shawn Amos's own experiences growing up the son of Wally “Famous” Amos in a mostly white area, and packed with humor, heart, and fun illustrations, this debut novel sings with the joy of self-discovery, unconditional love, and belonging.
Listen to The Reverend Shawn Amos' Discography
Read The Cookies & Milk Huffington Post Pieces from 2011
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
NARF!
In this episode of the podcast Joe has the distinct pleasure of talking to legendary voice actor Rob Paulsen!
Rob discusses his early forays into voice acting, the Animaniacs revival, and how he perservered after being diagnosed with throat cancer.
Check it out and listen for Joe's updated 'Pinky & the Brain' lyrics right at the top of the episode.
Enjoy!
About Rob Paulsen
Rob Paulsen is an American voice actor and singer, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner, and Dr. Otto Scratchansniff from Animaniacs, and Pinky from Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs. In total, Paulsen has been the voice of over 250 different animated characters and performed in over 1000 commercials. He continues to play parts in dozens of cartoons as well as characters in animated feature movies.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
When was the last time you started a new skill in high school and then decided 'yeah, I can go pro.'!?
Or when was the last time you were told 'if you win you're in, if you lose, you're traded'!?
Or how about marching down to the front office to get your missing pay check only to find out your head coach has been withholding pay due to 'poor performance'!?
And let's not even mention the dancing!
If you're intrigued, you're not alone. On this episode of the podcast Joe invites longtime friend and former professional hockey player Al Rooney on the podcast to discuss all things sports. The setting may be minor league but these are definitely MAJOR stories.
Enjoy!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to illustrator & artist Eric Wilkerson.
Joe and Eric get into a discussion about art, representation in media, and how Eric used his daughter as inspiration for his first picture book 'I Color Myself Different' written by Colin Kaepernick.
Enjoy!
Eric Wilkerson is a Chesley Award-winning illustrator and concept artist whose client list includes Wizards of the Coast, Weta Workshop, Marvel, Dark Horse Comics, Scholastic, and Disney Publishing, to name a few. He has created art for film, TV, advertising, publishing, comics, and video games. A graduate of The School of Visual Arts, he teaches Illustration and Concept Art at CG Spectrum while also focusing on painting people of color having out of this world adventures.
About 'I Color Myself Different'
When Colin Kaepernick was five years old, he was given a simple school assignment: draw a picture of yourself and your family. What young Colin does next with his brown crayon changes his whole world and worldview, providing a valuable lesson on embracing and celebrating his Black identity through the power of radical self-love and knowing your inherent worth.
I Color Myself Differentis a joyful ode to Black and Brown lives based on real events in young Colin's life that is perfect for every reader's bookshelf. It's a story of self-discovery, staying true to one's self, and advocating for change... even when you're very little!
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
In this episode of the podcast Joe talks to the absolutely fabulous Daphne Maxwell Reid!
Ms. Reid comes on the show to discuss her fashion line, her photography books, and of course her storied acting career.
It's a fantastic conversation I know you're going to enjoy!
Everyone remembers Daphne Maxwell Reid as an iconic TV mom of the 1990s, from her three seasons as Aunt Vivian on “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.” And Daphne couldn’t be more excited when the cast of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” reunited 30 years later for an unscripted reunion special that aired on HBO Max last November.
These days Reid is a Renaissance woman, respected artist and designer, and education activist. Working from her home in Virginia, and still happily married to pioneering television actor/producer/writer/
Breaking new barriers is nothing new to Reid, who decades ago became the first African-American homecoming queen at Northwestern University and shortly thereafter one of the first African-American women to appear on the cover of Glamour magazine. But many fans of her modeling and acting career probably don’t know that Reid is a lifelong shutterbug, a hobby passed down by her father that has now become a focal point of her career. With five books and 5 annual calendars already published, Reid specializes in fine art photography that features doors and doorways from around the world, including Cuba, Venice, France, China, Germany, and Belgium. Now she’s added to her publishing resume with her first cookbook, “Grace + Soul & Motherwit,” which offers her favorite recipes spiced with personal memories and reflections from her life and travels.
Reid has also been a seamstress for much of her life, creating many of her own outfits and costumes as a young actress and model, and has now developed those skills into an exclusive, custom clothing line called Daphne Style, making Chinese silk brocade jackets that are wearable works of art. She also keeps busy as a spokesperson for Virginia State University, a historically black college/university (HBCU), doing outreach, public relations, and speaking engagements that allow her to preach the importance of education and career prep for students of color.
A thoughtful, inspiring, and fascinating professional with over five decades of experience, Daphne Maxwell Reid continues to demonstrate that mastering a new skill is always possible for an artist with a generous spirit and self-determination.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Plaaaaaaaay baaaaaaall!
Baseball season has started here in America and what better way to kick-off the season than by enjoying this episode of the podcast!
Author John Rosengren stops by the show to discuss his latest book: "Classic Baseball: Timeless Tales, Immortal Moments." Joe and John cover just a few of the stories covered in John's latest classic. Come listen to this episode, pick up the book, and get ready for an upcoming summer filled with Baseball!
Enjoy!
I once interviewed a woman shot in the head by hijackers and left for dead on the tarmac.
I raced my bike against Greg LeMond in South Africa (and beat him). I played a tennis match against the world’s top-ranked wheelchair tennis player (and lost). I channeled a 330-pound, Samoan, retired NFL nose tackle who is gay (Esera Tuaolo, for his memoir). I played softball on snowshoes in the summertime (wood chips spread across the infield). I rapped a base hit off former Twins pitcher Rick Aguilera.
I listened to a nurse tell me the story of prying a shotgun shell out of Ernest Hemingway’s hand when he was intent upon killing himself. I profiled a woman who is a Roman Catholic priest. I attended a powwow with LGBTQ Native Americans. I interviewed a mortician in the room where she embalmed my father. I interviewed a 15-year-old boy in his hospital room after he tried to stop a school shooter.
All in a few days' work, stretching back to 1981, when I began freelancing as a senior in high school, same time I got clean and sober. My work has won a couple dozen awards and been nominated for a National Magazine Award and a Pulitzer Prize (but didn't win either of those).
Along the way, I have lived in Boise, Boston, Florence, London, Paris, and St. Paul. Today I'm at home in my native Minneapolis with my wife Maria, our two children, and a golden retriever named Maya.
A collection of iconic, unbelievable, and intimate stories from baseball history that celebrate the enduring impact of the national pastime.
Baseball—rooted as it is in tradition and nostalgia—lends itself to the retelling of its timeless tales. So it is with the stories in Classic Baseball, a collection of articles written by award-winning journalist John Rosengren and originally published by Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, Sports on Earth, VICE Sports, and other magazines. These are stories about the game’s legends—Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, Josh Gibson, Bob Feller, Frank Robinson, Sandy Koufax, Kirby Puckett—and its lesser-knowns with extraordinary stories of their own. They cover some of the game's most famous moments, like Hank Aaron hitting No. 715, and some you've never heard of, like the time the Ku Klux Klan played a game against an all-Black team.
Whether it be the story of John Roseboro forgiving Juan Marichal for clubbing him in the head with a bat, Elston Howard breaking down the Yankees' systemic racism to integrate America's team, or the national pastime played on snowshoes during July in a remote Wisconsin town, these are stories meant to be read and read again for their poignancy, their humor, and their celebration of baseball.
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
In this current cultural climate, with so many different ways to divide ourselves into separate camps how can we possibly find a way forward, together?
In this episode of the podcast I welcome back author, theologian, and good friend Brian McLaren to the podcast.
Brian and I discuss his latest book "Do I Stay Christian?" (May 24, 2022) and how he has provided a guide for navigating these interesting times whether or not you're religious, and whether or not you stay Christian. It's a fascinating conversation you won't want to miss!
About Brian McLaren
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. A former college English teacher and pastor, he is a passionate advocate for “a new kind of Christianity” – just, generous, and working with people of all faiths for the common good. He is a faculty member of The Living School and podcaster with Learning How to See, which are part of the Center for Action and Contemplation. He is also an Auburn Senior Fellow and is a co-host of Southern Lights. His newest book is Faith After Doubt (January 2021), and his next release, Do I Stay Christian? (May 2022) can be preordered now. His recent projects include an illustrated children’s book (for all ages) called Cory and the Seventh Story and The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey.
Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people―including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders―are asking in private. Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity.
There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking―or if it's a question that someone you love is asking―this is the book you've been waiting for.
To quickly and easily leave a rating/review for this podcast please go to:
https://ratethispodcast.com/dtalkspodcast
Thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
Get ready for a DYNAMITE of an episode. It's truly smooth like butter! Get ready to scream BOOMBAYAH! Because this episode of The DTALKS Podcast is all about K-Pop! A revolution of K-Pop to be precise!
On this episode of the podcast we welcome author Stephan Lee on the show to talk about his two books: K-Pop Confidential (which released back in 2020) and K-Pop Revolution (which is releasing now!) We discuss his decision to write the book, the importance of AAPI representation in media, and what his protagonist Candace Park, gets up to in this latest installment.
Enjoy!
Stephan Lee is a journalist, author, and multi-fandom K-pop stan. He currently works as Senior Editor at Bustle after a five-year stretch covering books and movies at Entertainment Weekly. At EW, he traveled to Seoul for three weeks to write a feature about Korean entertainment’s world domination, interviewing K-pop idols, filmmakers, and drama writers. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing at The New School.
In the sequel to K-Pop Confidential, Candace is a Rookie idol. Her life is suddenly filled with the fans, cameras, and glamor of stardom: She and her boyfriend, YoungBae, are a K-Pop power couple; she’s a walking icon at Brandt Foreign School; and her new girl group, known simply as THE GIRLS, is poised to break records across the industry. With her status as the industry’s K-Pop Warrior, she has all the clout at her disposal to make waves. Right?
Her label, S.A.Y., promises to help make the sweeping changes for the industry to become a more humane and compassionate place for artists. But what will happen when the road to a record-breaking debut isn’t as smooth as they’d planned? When a rival girl group emerges to steal the spotlight, carrying the message of change better than Candace ever could, she’ll have to decide what it’ll cost her and her bandmates to stand up for their beliefs. And as the world turns against her, with online bullies scrutinizing her every word, there’s only so much that one person can take.
From the top of the world to the brink of disaster, Candace is going to have to figure out why the world is out to get her. And she’s not going to be able to do it alone.
How far does one girl need to be pushed to start a K-Pop Revolution?
To quickly and easily leave a rating/review for this podcast please go to:
https://ratethispodcast.com/dtalkspodcast
Thanks to Snuffy for this episode of the podcast!
Snuffy is a clothing brand about empowering you to show your weird - unapologetically, with bravery and confidence. 10% of profit goes to LGBTQ+ organizations led by Trans* people of color. Shop online now at snuffy.co
Also, thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!
It's a timely conversation here at the end of Women's History Month about the lessons we can teach our daughters. We also get into a discussion around AAPI Heritage Month in May (when this book releases) as well representation in general.
You may even shed a tear or two. I cannot thank Korey & Mike enough for coming on the show and I look forward to their return in the future.
Enjoy!
Korey is a sansei, or third-generation Japanese American, born and raised in Los Angeles. She played basketball for a Japanese American league, graduated from the University of California, Riverside, and studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Korey has worked in the animation and fashion industries for companies such as Disney and the Gap. I Am Able to Shine is her first picture book and first collaboration with her husband, artist Mike Wu, the creator of Disney’s Ellie series.
Mike Wu was accepted into the Character Animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA. He graduated in 1996 with a BFA in Character Animation and was recruited by Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios where he worked for the next six years on such films as Hercules, Tarzan, Atlantis, and Mulan. Shortly thereafter, Mike followed his childhood dream of working for the studio that created Luxo Jr.. He moved to the Bay Area and started at Pixar Animation Studios where he animated on the Oscar-winning The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Toy Story 3, Coco and Soul among other films.
An affirmative, empowering story about embracing your identity and finding your voice, inspired in part by debut author Korey Watari’s experiences growing up Asian American, and illustrated by her husband, Mike Wu, Pixar artist and creator of the Ellie series.
I am beautiful.
I belong here.
What I do matters.
I am able to shine.
Each night Keiko whispers to her crane, “I wish to change the world.” She is kind, and she has big dreams. But at times she feels invisible; she knows some people misjudge her. Keiko is also loved, so she perseveres and stands strong. Over time, her confidence grows, she shares more of herself, and she helps lift up others―and eventually lead them. She understands that no matter what, she can shine.
To quickly and easily leave a rating/review for this podcast please go to:
https://ratethispodcast.com/dtalkspodcast
Thanks to Snuffy for this episode of the podcast!
Snuffy is a clothing brand about empowering you to show your weird - unapologetically, with bravery and confidence. 10% of profit goes to LGBTQ+ organizations led by Trans* people of color. Shop online now at snuffy.co
Also, thanks to Empire Toys for this episode of the podcast!
The DTALKS Podcast has also been ranked #9 in the "Top 40 Detox Podcast You Must Follow in 2020" according to Feedspot.com for our work in the Cultural Detox space. Thank you so much to the Feedspot team!