She holds an MFA in non-fiction from Bennington College, with post-graduate work in medical narrative at Duke University. She holds workshops in Jungian theory at the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and hosts the podcast Jung in the World.

You will hear:

• How other people see us is how we see ourselves (letting the algorithm define us) and how we can consciously choose who we want to be and claim our authentic selves
• Our consciousness is for sale and social media is the supply chain - How parasocial relationships affect and influence us
• How social media has exacerbated the FOMO (fear of missing out) because we can see everything everyone is doing and wondering why we weren’t invited
• Modern society is in the grips of what Freud termed a cultural “death drive”
• And more!

Links:  

Patricia’s website: https://patricia-martin.com/

Patricia’s book: https://rb.gy/fojfup

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

This is actually good news, if you’re up for Democrats winning elections. I know many liberals insist that Trump won because he’s a racist, sexist bigoted fool rather than in spite of those obvious character flaws. However, if all 2024 Trump voters wanted him to Make American Antebellum Again, he’d enjoy much higher approval. I don’t need to like former Trump voters to accept them in a winning coalition. It’s like Buffy teaming up with Spike in that epic Season 2 finale of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Spike’s motivations were self-centered and hardly noble, but ultimately, he still helped her save the world.

This week, my guest is political strategist and friend of the podcast Cliston Brown.

You will hear:

• Online shaming might feel good, but is it the most effective persuasion technique?
• Why Democrats too often fall for “silver bullet” thinking
• Why John Fetterman’s curious Senate career likely ends after one term
• Why “the math is the math” when it comes to winning elections
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe.  On average, Brown has projected the final composition of the U.S. House of Representatives within 7.5 seats and the U.S. Senate within 1.222 seats. In the most recent election, he correctly predicted every U.S. Senate race.

Brown began his career as a journalist in the Chicago area in 1994, covering government and politics, intellectual property law, international business issues, education, and law enforcement. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2001, where he served for two years as director of communications for U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Indiana), then transitioned back into the private sector as a communications professional and political analyst in the insurance industry, holding positions in Washington, Chicago and San Francisco.

Follow Brown on Twitter: @clistonbrown

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

John Davidson, the Scottish Tourette’s syndrome activist and the inspiration for the film I Swear, shouted the “n-word” — the full Tarantino — at presenters Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. That was unsettling but even worse was the BAFTA response.

The usual suspects also emerged to argue that Jordan and Lindo having the “n-word” shouted at them is no big deal because they appeared in Sinners, where the word is used. It’s as if people who support Donald Trump don’t understand how consent works.

Someone on Threads even posted in my feed that white people learned the n-word from “our” music. It’s a pathetic argument. Besides, if we’re talking about “my” music, I don’t think the “n-word” comes up much in Candide or Jesus Christ Superstar.

Guest Info: 

Lynne Streeter Childress is a playwright, actor, teaching artist, singer, director, and the founder and artistic director of Building Better People Productions! Her show, “We Got It!: A Show About Empathy”, is among several of BBPP’s shows that are currently travelling to schools in Maryland and surrounding areas. This is her 25th year in professional theater, with much of that experience in theater for young audiences.  This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage and Adventure Theater, and teaching for institutions like the Folger Shakespeare Library. Through all those experiences, Lynne has seen firsthand how theater can communicate the most important things in the clearest and most interesting of ways, especially to young people. 

Links: 

Lynne’s Website: https://lynnestreeterchildress.com/

Building Better People Productions: https://bbpproductions.com/

Fine Beats and Cheeses Podcast: https://finebeatsandcheeses.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• John discusses how quickly Trump has turned the tides with white, middle class, property-owning Americans into people who now openly doubt whether or not law enforcement would do anything to protect them with the current state of our country
• We are seeing the smearing of the names of the white victims of police/ICE brutality, which we have never really seen like we do regularly with POC and immigrant victims
• Why people need to watch out for “moderate Democrats” who are more likely to accept conservatism, which in itself is about maintaining inequality, as long as it works for them
• Why we should expect evil people to be evil and plan accordingly
• And more!

About John Stoehr

I’m not a political scientist, but I have taught political science. I’m not a partisan, but for the moment the Democrats care about what I care about. I’m a journalist, writer and citizen. I’m a fellow at Yale’s Ezra Stiles College; a contributing writer for the Washington Monthly; a contributing editor for Religion Dispatches; and senior editor at Raw Story. My byline has been in news outlets big and small, but mostly small. Follow me @editorialboard.bsky.social and at editorialboard.com.

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Combining comedy and confrontation, Teal shares her experiences as a wheelchair user in a world where strangers at Whole Foods either don’t notice you exist or ask oddly intimate questions about your sex life.

Teal has performed multiple roles on stage and screen. One of her first major roles was in 2004’s Warm Springs with Kenneth Branagh and Cynthia Nixon. She played Venom in the web series The Guild and herself in her own hilarious series My Gimpy Life. 

You will hear:

• Teal talks about her life changing post-car crash, which left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair in a world that was not designed for her
• The importance of accessibility and representation in the arts - disabled people deserve to play any kind of role, not just a disabled character - and being able to be included in everything the rest of the cast can do, like using the same dressing rooms
• Teal and Jessica’s partnership
• And more!

Links:

Seattle Public Theater: https://www.seattlepublictheater.org/sittingdown

Teal’s Website: https://www.tealsherer.com/

Jessica’s Website: https://www.jessicawallenfels.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Maya lives and works in New York City. She’s just finished a new book, The Language of Theft: How The Wealthy Fund Narratives That Rob America of Our Common Sense, in which she offers a blueprint of strategies Democrats can use to counter destructive, donor-funded right-wing narratives.

Guest Info: 

Maya Contreras is a political strategist, a narrative interpreter, and an advocate for anti-racist policy. As a lifelong advocate, Contreras’s focus has been on Voting Rights because all paths to policy begin with access to the ballot box. On the road to equity, dominant political narratives that stem from domestic policy inhibit civic participation. 

Contreras has given Voting Rights lectures at the Brennan Center for Justice, Clark University, and NYU. She was invited to testify in support of the New York State Voting Rights Act at the New York Senate on March 3, 2020. Maya has held anti-racist narrative and messaging clinics for leading members of the media, and U.S. Democratic Senators’ social media teams.

Maya’s own civic participation is a critical component of her work. Contreras was appointed by City Councilwoman Carlina Rivera to the Neighborhood Advisory Board, Community 3 Manhattan of which she now serves as Chairman.

Contreras co-founded All Women’s Progress Policy Center to create an intersectional policy institute dedicated to improving the lives of womxn and marginalized groups through research and education.

Maya has a MA in Arts & Public Policy from NYU and a BA in Comparative Religion from FSU.

Links:

Maya’s Website: https://www.mayacontreras.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Lynne has 31 years experience in professional theater, and she’s spent most of her career serving young audiences. This includes performing at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, and Adventure Theatre and teaching for such institutions as the Folger Shakespeare Library, Everyman Theatre, and Baltimore School for the Arts.

Lynne also co-hosts the podcast Fine Beats and Cheeses with her twin sister (and friend of this newsletter), Leslie Gray Streeter. Last year, Lynne and Liz invited me on to discuss all things Law & Order.

You’ll hear:

• How Lynne got started in theatre
• Expressing the Black experience while being told (falsely and offensively) that you or your experiences aren’t “black enough” and how important representation is on stage and screen to expand the view on a “typical” experience
• The importance of showing and teaching empathy on stage and starting these teachings early
• And more!

Links:  

Lynne’s Website: https://lynnestreeterchildress.com/

Building Better People Productions: https://bbpproductions.com/

Fine Beats and Cheeses Podcast: https://finebeatsandcheeses.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

The pandemic silenced Book-It for a while, just like many other theatre organizations, but Book-It is back in a new form that I was happy to discuss with Jane. You can watch or listen to the podcast interview here or at my YouTube channel. While you’re over there, please subscribe!

(Jane was also in the first episode of Twin Peaks, and she shares with me some advice she received from David Lynch.)

You will hear:

• How March 2020 changed everything at Book-It Repertory Theatre
• How Jane’s discovery of her own dyslexia in adulthood lead to Book-It’s unique style of adapting literature to live theatre
• How being told she wasn’t the best dancer was actually a tremendous gift
• The future of Book-It productions
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Jane Jones is the founder and founding co-artistic director of Book-It Repertory Theatre, with Myra Platt. In her 30 years of staging literature, she has performed, adapted, and directed works by such literary giants as Charles Dickens, Eudora Welty, Edith Wharton, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Pam Houston, Raymond Carver, Frank O’Connor, Jim Lynch, Ernest Hemingway, Colette, Amy Bloom, John Irving, John Steinbeck, Daphne du Maurier, and Jane Austen. A veteran actress of 35 years, she has played leading roles in many of America’s most prominent regional theatres. She co-directed with Tom Hulce at Seattle Repertory Theatre, Peter Parnell’s adaptation of John Irving’s The Cider House Rules, Parts I and II, which enjoyed successful runs in Seattle, at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles (Ovation Award, best director) and in New York (Drama Desk Nomination, best director)...

Links:  

Book-It Website: book-it.org

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Joining me on the podcast for a special tribute to MST3K is Erik Barnes, a writer, comedian, and aspiring swashbuckler. Erik is currently a script writer for the comedy news video essay show Some More News, which you should check out on YouTube.

The first Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode aired on November 24, 1988, which was Thanksgiving Day. It wasn’t intentional, but a holiday tradition began, especially once there were enough episodes to run as a marathon. It was perfect counter programming to sports and parades.

You will hear:

• How we got into MST3K back in the day
• How the show gained a following and became a Thanksgiving tradition
• MST3K helped aspiring comedians learn comedic timing and became a sort of improv practice
• Even though the movies are terrible, it is important to remember how hard it is to get a movie made at all and that all movies have inherent value
• And more!

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How the discussion around Charlie Kirk’s murder is overriding other shootings and why his supposed “good faith attempts” to cross the aisle is not what was happening at all
• Kirk was often spoken of as someone who helped the left by debating (poorly) and allowing for (better) discussions to arise, all while ignoring the fact that he helped organized an insurrection, including transporting a rioter who violently hit law enforcement in the face with a fire extinguisher
• The mainstream (right) media talks about how we should just get past corrosive politics without acknowledging that Charlie Kirk was a major contributor to those corrosive politics through blatant racism, smear campaigns, ad hominim attacks, etc.
• When people like Ezra Klein talk about “coming together” in a bipartisan way, they mean white people need to come together and subjugate everyone else around them to their way of doing things and understanding that non-white, non-cis/het people are not going to advance
• The consequences of elections and how politicians, especially Democrats, need to focus on doing the job they were elected to do and actually making a difference rather than looking to win the next election
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

Noah Berlatsky has worked as a writer for twenty years, focusing on a wide array of topics for audiences including academics, popular audiences, high school students, and children. 

Noah’s book, Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948 was published in early 2015 by Rutgers University Press.

His reviews and essays have appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, NBC Think Online, Pacific Standard, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Guardian, Media Matters, Salon, the Awl, Slate, the Chicago Reader, The Escapist, Esquire, Reason, the Dissolve, the Baffler, and many other publications. 

Links:  

Everything is Horrible: https://www.everythingishorrible.net/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Pillars of the Gothic genre
• The trouble with werewolves
• Fear, vulnerability, and losing your head in the shower
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Laramie Dean was born and raised on a ranch in northeastern Montana. He is the author of Black Forest, a novel from Inkshares, as well as several plays from Theatrefolk, including Frankenstein Among the Dead, Dracula, The Gorgon Sisters, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Finding Jo March. Currently, Laramie enjoys his dream job as the Theatre Director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana.

Links:  

Laramie Dean’s website: https://www.bylaramiedean.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Nicole’s writing process and inspirations
• Some of Nicole’s favorite books and movies
• Who she would cast in a movie of her book
• Her next book, The Art of the Meet Cute released October 10, 2025 - Make sure you grab your copy!
• And more!

Guest Info: 

In 2004 NC Barton received a BFA in mixed media studio art. With a degree in the arts and no solid plan, she’s had the opportunity to hold many different jobs; video store manager, barista, photographer’s assistant, toy store clerk, and yoga instructor at a retreat in Puerto Rico, all of which have served her well as hands-on research and inspiration for her novels. 

Links:  

Nicole’s Website: https://ncbartonwrites.com/

Nicole’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ncbartonwrites/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

We discuss some key choices the Biden administration made back in 2021 regarding the covid vaccine, as well as the nation’s seeming desire to forget Covid ever happened and how that impacts public health. Ellis has some interesting observations about the know-nothing conspiracy theories that helped put chief know-nothing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in charge of the Department of Health and Human Services.

You will hear:

• Jessica’s experience with long Covid and how people’s dismissal of the virus, vaccine, and effectiveness of protocols affects her personally and others who have to deal with the effects of long Covid
• How the Biden administration’s “assurance” that once you took the vaccine everything would go back to normal killed a lot of people’s faith in anything they had to say
• The problem with both sides of the aisle trying to politicize the message around Covid rather than following the actual science led people to trust nothing, especially the science
• The danger surrounding RFK’s know-nothing approach to the nation’s health and dangerous anti-vax rhetoric 
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Jessica Ellis is a commercial and narrative production designer, art director and multi-disciplinary artist.

Jessica’s background as a painter motivates how she approaches set design and world building. Every set is an extension of painting composition, color, construction, movement, and balance. Her narrative and commercial work has been featured on popular network television, most major streaming platforms, and theaters. Her clients include brands like Adidas, Budweiser, Bosh, Doordash, Google, Madison Square Garden, Nike, The New York Rangers and The New York Knicks.

Links: 

Jessica’s Website: https://www.jessicaellisstudio.com/

Jessica’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/baddestmamajama.bsky.social

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Thomas has a more libertarian-influenced perspective that doesn’t exactly align with mine. (Full disclosure, he was critical of covid lockdowns.) But he also doesn’t share the far-right insistence that Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates created covid in a secret lab as part of their diabolical plot to subjugate humanity.

Most of my readers probably agree with me on covid more than they would Kane, but I think you’ll still enjoy our discussion.

You will hear:

• Dispelling the idea that just because Thomas was critical of the covid lockdown that he didn’t think the virus was real
• His belief that the steps taken to address the virus were an overreaction and extreme to the point of tyranny, rather than a more targeted approach to protect the most vulnerable communities instead of a blanket shutdown
• The downsides of pitting politics against science and experts where people grew more wary of expertise based on their own beliefs, rather than anything evidence-based
• Thomas' thoughts on vaccines and vaccine mandates
• The almost amnesiac response of the public five years after the pandemic where it feels like it never happened
• The nuance needed to look at the situation as a whole, rather than either side’s extreme views 
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

In 2019, military veteran Thomas Beckett Kane found himself at the center of an impending shift in human affairs. After the Covid-19 virus arrived on American shores, L.A. experienced some of the most extreme responses imaginable. With basic freedoms ripped away, fear stoked within the population, and society plunged into chaos, he witnessed the fragility of social order and individual freedom first-hand. 

When not writing books about the decline of Western civilization, Kane enjoys working out, reading, and listening to Oasis.

Links:  

Thomas’ Website: https://thomasbeckettkane.wpcomstaging.com/

Thomas’ Book: The Reckoning: A Definitive History of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Abs

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

I recently spoke with friend of the podcast Cliston Brown about his take on the situation and what he thinks about the party’s long-term prospects.

You will hear:

• Why the “Never Trump” movement didn’t have as much impact on Democratic voter registration as expected and other reasons for lower voter registrations in every state
• Changes within the party’s policies and agendas that were complete turnarounds to things happening prior to 2017 and specifically since the pandemic
• The difference in how the parties look at current issues and their focus (intellectual vs. realistic) and where the average voter is personally concerned and how the party demographics have changed so significantly in the past decade
• Potential destruction of the Democratic Party
• The problem with trying to stand on moral issues that you will never be able to fix because you can’t get elected
• The airline analogy
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe. Additionally, he was a regularly scheduled weekly guest (“Listen to Cliston”) on The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show on Radio Monterey, and also has appeared on “Inside Story” on Al Jazeera English; A News (Istanbul, Turkey) with Andy Boyns, Zaviar Ahmed and Mark Mourad Hammami; India Ahead with Neha Khanna; “Left, Right, Center” with David Webb on the Sirius XM Patriot Channel; “The DeMaio Report” with Carl DeMaio on KOGO-600 AM San Diego; the CY Interview with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein; and “Millennial Talk” with Chelsea Krost. 

Brown began his career as a journalist in the Chicago area in 1994, covering government and politics, intellectual property law, international business issues, education, and law enforcement. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2001, where he served for two years as director of communications, then transitioned back into the private sector as a communications professional and political analyst.

Follow Brown on Twitter: @clistonbrown

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Catching up since Emily’s last visit to the podcast
• Can we ever have a woman candidate for president?
• Why the Harris campaign seemed to be doomed from the start
• Why people vote against their own class interests
• Weaponized hypocrisy by Republicans
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Emily Taylor is a professor at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She's the author of the newsletter, Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina, and she’s covered the fall-out from South Carolina’s post-Roe abortion ban.

Links:  

Emily’s Substack: https://substack.com/@emilytaylor

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Lee had me on his own podcast a few months ago to chat Superman, which you can check out below.

You will hear:

• How the current run of superhero movies are moving beyond the origin story
• James Gunn using unusual source material for Superman
• The world of comics is getting it’s time in the spotlight and introducing a lot of new people to the genre
• Speculation on the new Fantastic Four movie coming out
• And more!

Links:  

Neighborhood Comics Superman Episode: https://convo.neighborhoodcomics.com/p/re-discovering-superman-in-2025-with?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Lisa and I go way back. We met in New York when I worked at SPY and she worked at another magazine in the same office. She was a student at Barnard College at the time, and I lived not far away in Morningside Heights so we often hung out at Tom’s Diner and the Hungarian Pastry Shop. I’ve been quite impressed with her success over the years. She’s worked at the Associated Press and was Head of Special Projects for TODAY Digital. She’s now Editorial Director at PEN America.

In 2005, Lisa interviewed Yoko Ono at her home in the Dakota apartment building (famous for its appearance in Rosemary’s Baby but unfortunately also for John Lennon’s tragic shooting death outside in 1980).

It was a delight to catch up with Lisa and discuss her book, which you can purchase at the usual online locations but I highly recommend visiting your local bookstore for this one. Portland, Oregon, artist Yas Imamura is a perfect match for Lisa’s moving prose.

You will hear:

• The inspiration for Lisa’s books
• Why Yoko Ono?
• Yoko’s influence and contributions that were completely separate from The Beatles and John Lennon
• How women, particularly foreign or POC, are often blamed for “taking the man away” from whatever - and how damaging that narrative is
• The process of picture book creation and how it differs from other forms, like comic books, where you don’t necessarily know or interact with the illustrator on the project
• Banned books and influential authors like Judy Blume and the difference in book banning from the moral majority to actual laws
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Lisa Tolin is an experienced editorial director, journalist, and content strategist who is passionate about storytelling in all its forms. Currently the editorial director of the literary and free expression nonprofit PEN America, Lisa has led teams covering arts and entertainment, lifestyles, health and breaking news for major news organizations. At NBC, she was Head of Special Projects for TODAY Digital, focusing on content strategy 

Lisa was inspired by her family to pursue a longtime dream of writing fiction and nonfiction for children. Her debut picture book, How to Be a Rock Star, was illustrated by Daniel Duncan, and published in 2022 with G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Her second picture book, Can You Imagine? The Life and Art of Yoko Ono comes out in 2025 and is illustrated by Yas Imamura and will be published with the Atheneum imprint of Simon & Schuster. 

Links:  

Lisa’s Website: https://www.lisatolin.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

I had the pleasure of working with Jasmine on the Curiouser and Curiouser production at Cafe Nordo, and they were a wonderful steward during those early days back on stage after Covid hit.

You will hear:

• How the story came to be and how the character of Sam is similar to Jasmine’s own experience (kind of)
• Why it is totally ok to burst into song on stage (If you can’t say it, sing it!)
• The importance of representation in the arts (if you see it, you can be it)
• How the casting process worked for Here and Their
• Info on the ins and outs of financing a show
• How the team was selected
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Jasmine Joshua is a Seattle writer, producer, actor, and director. They are the Artistic Director of the award-winning Reboot Theatre Company whose mission is to test new interpretations of established works through nontraditional casting and design. Jasmine founded Reboot in 2014 while pregnant with twins and produced the nation's first ever all-female (at the time) production of 1776. Since its founding, Reboot has grown from a one-person operation to a nonprofit with a working board and has produced five productions, all nominated for Gregory Awards and winning several!

Links:
Website: https://www.jasminejoshua.com/aboutme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/executive_enby/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasmine.joshua/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

*Note: This episode was recorded before the Tony Award show aired in June 2025

You will hear:

• Thoughts on nominations for this year’s awards
• Addressing biases within the theatre world when it comes to gendered awards
• Is it “Drag” or just playing a woman?
• Best plays to catch
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

Raven Snook is a writer, editor, performer, mom and all-around diva (in the positive sense of the word) who’s currently the Editor of Creative Content for TDF and a contributing theater critic for Time Out New York.

Raven's work has also appeared in New York Magazine, Yahoo Parenting, the New York Post, The Village Voice, Bon Appétit, Better Homes & Gardens and Parents.com, among others.

Links:  

www.ravensnook.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• How much changed when Mirella came to America
• Cultural complexities and identity
• The pressure to conform to as many conventions as possible
• Promoting cultural awareness for adoptees
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Mirella Stoyanova is a writer, speaker, and therapist. Much of her early adulthood was spent healing from trauma. She became a therapist in her late twenties to use what she learned through her own healing in the service of others. She wrote a book after she realized that no amount of self-work could protect her from the inherent vulnerability of life. 

Links:  

Mirella’s Website: https://www.mirellastoyanova.com/

Mirella’s Therapy Website: https://www.mirellawarren.com/

Business Insider Article: https://www.businessinsider.com/my-family-cant-pronounce-my-name-correctly-2025-2

Mirella’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirellastoyanova/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• The election landscape is tilted toward Republicans (especially in the Senate)
• Communications challenges held by the Democratic party
• The effect COVID had on how voters see politics and the world
• Democrats need to stop focusing on trying to win over Trump’s base and focus on fighting fascism because there’s really nothing to lose at this point
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Noah Berlatsky has worked as a writer for twenty years, focusing on a wide array of topics for audiences including academics, popular audiences, high school students, and children. 

Noah’s book, Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948 was published in early 2015 by Rutgers University Press.

His reviews and essays have appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, NBC Think Online, Pacific Standard, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Guardian, Media Matters, Salon, the Awl, Slate, the Chicago Reader, The Escapist, Esquire, Reason, the Dissolve, the Baffler, and many other publications. 

Links:  

Everything is Horrible: https://www.everythingishorrible.net/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How doing what we have always done WILL bring us what we have always gotten - How can the Democratic party shake things up?
• Why the party seems to be losing support within its own ranks, especially with younger voters
• How under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t recommend running a primary against a sitting president, unless that president is 82 years old and isn’t always “with it,” and maybe do it more than three months before the election
• How can we make changes within the party to get away from the career, dinosaur politician…or does the entire party need to go up in flames and start fresh?
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe. Additionally, he was a regularly scheduled weekly guest (“Listen to Cliston”) on The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show on Radio Monterey, and also has appeared on “Inside Story” on Al Jazeera English; A News (Istanbul, Turkey) with Andy Boyns, Zaviar Ahmed and Mark Mourad Hammami; India Ahead with Neha Khanna; “Left, Right, Center” with David Webb on the Sirius XM Patriot Channel; “The DeMaio Report” with Carl DeMaio on KOGO-600 AM San Diego; the CY Interview with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein; and “Millennial Talk” with Chelsea Krost. He has been mentioned in the Boston Herald, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, in Reason magazine’s “Hit and Run” blog and on Vox.com, among others, and he has spoken before numerous business and trade groups on U.S. elections.

Follow Brown on Twitter: @clistonbrown

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why is was less surprising for Cuomo to stage a political comeback than where he chose to make that comeback, as he spent most of his career taking resources away from New York City by leveraging it’s politicians and attempting to take power away from its mayor
• The cowardice within the Democratic party where party leaders who once called for his resignation are now backing away with a “let the people decide” attitude, rather than addressing the horrific actions people have taken
• Why it is so important for Lindsey and others like her to stand up against people who abuse their power, especially in today’s political climate
• Ranked choice voting — how it works and the 5 Good Apples
• And more!

You can find Lindsey at Instagram (@lindseyboylanny) and Bluesky (@lindseyboylan.bsky.social). Her video testimony against Andrew Cuomo is devastating but important to watch, especially if you are a New York City voter. 

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Is Superman the ultimate story of immigration fraud?
• How much of Superman’s origin story (literal alien from a dying world vs. being raised to be a good person by good people) makes a difference to who he becomes as a hero?
• Luthor the “benevolent billionaire” to the masses vs. Luthor who despises Superman for some reason (depending on storyline) and how that relates to our own storyline with a supposed billionaire in office and the damage being done to the American people, as well as around the world
• Is Pa Kent actually conservative or is the very ideal of protecting the weak a liberal value?
• How much of Superman’s acceptance by most is because he is white passing? Would that be different if he had a different skin color or appeared more “other” than the typical Kansas teenager?
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Michael Mora is your friendly neighborhood Puerto Rican Political Freelance Writer for @wonkette. When he’s not busy writing, he’s busy reading. Pop Culture observer, Amateur Movie reviewer & Comics fan. U.S. Marine veteran

Links:  

Michael’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/m3writer.bsky.social

Michael’s Substack: https://substack.com/@m3writer

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Sam’s new boss is businesswoman Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), and for the next three years, this faceless corporation where nobody knows anyone’s name would provide a new source of humor that was both topical but also eerily prescient. Sam even faces off against Donald Trump-inspired foil Robin Colcord (Roger Rees) who he defeats and helps send to prison. (We can only dare to dream.)

I had the chance to chat with Ryan Daly, host of the wonderful Cheers Cast — the podcast where everyone knows your name. We had a fun conversation about the Cheers “corporate era” and how it still has a lot to say about corporate America.

You will hear:

• Our childhood adoration of this beloved TV sitcom
• How the 6th season and corporate takeover of Cheers was almost a new series and how it differed from the previous seasons
• The pre-Me Too sentiments on how Rebecca Howe was treated as a woman in the workplace and how Sam’s conflicts changed from matters of intelligence to matters of money
• The corporation as the show villain
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Ryan Daly is the host of CHEERS CAST, and occasionally FIRE AND WATER RECORDS, GIVE ME THOSE STAR WARS, and BATMAN KNIGHTCAST. Former podcasts that he hosted include THE SECRET ORIGINS PODCAST, POWER OF FISHNETS, and MIDNIGHT: THE PODCASTING HOUR. He always ends up hating the subject of his podcasts.

Links:  

Cheers Cast podcast: https://fireandwaterpodcast.com/show/cheers-cast/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Why Joy felt compelled to tell Ms. Hamer’s story
• Why more people don’t know about Fannie Lou’s part in the Civil Rights movement
• The very real dangers of being a politically active person during this time
• Why it is important to stand up and fight against the propaganda and status quo rather than ignoring it or “being the bigger person”
• And more!

Guest Info:

Joy Elaine Davenport is a multimedia director, editor, and composer who specializes in building layered, emotional narratives from a variety of original and archival sources. She comes to documentary from a background of education and social advocacy, believing that nonfiction film should be actively engaged with restoring historically excluded voices, perspectives, and histories.

Her directorial debut, "Fannie Lou Hamer's America," premiered nationally on PBS in February 2022 and continues to screen around the world. It won the International Documentary Association's award for Best TV Documentary or Mini-Series in December 2022. Davenport also edited the short film "I Snuck Off the Slave Ship," directed by Lonnie Holley & Cyrus Moussavi, which debuted at Sundance Film Festival in January 2019.

Links:

 Joy’s Website: https://www.joyelainedavenport.com/

Joy’s Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joydavenport.bsky.social

Full Movie: Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h2MzXavgEg

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode, we will discuss:

• The easy concession by Democrats during the vote confirmation on January 6th
• Problems within the Democratic party and the need for younger people who understand the current political landscape
• How was Trump even allowed to take office after violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment
• How politicians in the past did a better job of keeping their agendas in front of the people (even if in a creepy way)
• And more! 

Guest Info: 

Kaitlin Byrd has been commenting about American politics on Twitter since 2016, through published essays since 2018, and as a loudmouth her whole life. Born and raised in New York, Kaitlin is the second generation of her family to be from the city, and the first to grow up immersed in local politics, with her first door-to-door canvassing done at the ripe old age of three years old. In the wake of the Great Election Calamity of 2016, she began speaking out on social media about the past, present, and future of the United States with her unique blend of bluntness, humor and unyielding clarity.

Since then, she’s been asked to give her take on unfolding events by a range of publications and productions, including the Huffington Post, Bustle, the Boston Globe, The Cut, and Betches Media. She’s a monthly columnist for Dame Magazine and a weekly cohost of the Betches Sup podcast. She lives a very short commute away from her beloved Brooklyn, in New York.

Links:  

Kaitlin’s Website: https://www.gothamgirlblue.com/about

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Links:

https://www.matthewkmanning.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Why Tim chose to write about the Kennedys specifically and how he chose to make it different from other books on the family
• How the Kennedy family carried on in the wake of the assassinations of JFK and Bobby to keep their political and social work alive
• Details about the life and tragic death of JFK Jr.
• Where people can go if they are interested in visiting places in New York that had significance with the Kennedys
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Timothy English is a renowned pop culture historian. In addition to The Kennedys' New York, he is the author of the best-selling books Sounds Like Teen Spirit: Stolen Melodies, Ripped-off Riffs, and the Secret History of Rock 'n Roll, John Lennon: 1980 Playlist, and Popology: The Music of the Era in the Lives of Four Icons of the 1960s (JFK, RFK, MLK, and Thomas Merton).

His work has been featured in a wide range of media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, the Huffington Post, NPR's All Things Considered, and the Howard Stern Show. He is the winner of Independent Publisher's Bronze Medal for authoring one of the best books of the year. He was a weekly contributor to the Pete Mitchell Show on BBC Radio 2 for many years and currently appears each week on WFMU-FM's morning show.

Links:  

Tim’s Book The Kennedys’ New York: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D912MSJ9?ref=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_0DEWMAQ21J1Y3HV15NGJ&ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_0DEWMAQ21J1Y3HV15NGJ&social_share=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_0DEWMAQ21J1Y3HV15NGJ&language=en-US

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Rod Serling’s contributions to writing, especially for television and how it influenced more current day writers
• How Serling’s use of language and choices to change the ending to better serve the story move beyond the “twist”
• Using 25-minute “light” story episodes to pack a punch when it comes to how we look at problems happening in the real world
• How writing for television used to be versus the current streaming-service version where you have fewer episodes with less collaboration
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

Joseph Dougherty's play "Chester Bailey," premiered at A.C.T. in San Francisco where it was selected Outstanding World Premiere Play and Outstanding Production of a Play by the TBA Awards. It was subsequently produced at The Contemporary American Theater Festival at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. He earned Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations for his play "Digby" produced by Manhattan Theatre Club. He wrote the libretto for the Tony winning musical version of "My Favorite Year," presented at Lincoln Center.

An Emmy and Humanitas Prize winner for his work on the groundbreaking series "thirtysomething," Joe has written several movies for HBO including the remake of "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman," directed by Christopher Guest, and the Emmy winning Noir/Occult mashup "Cast A Deadly Spell," which was nominated for a Ray Bradbury Award by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

He has contributed as a writer and director to several television series including "Judging Amy," "Once and Again," and "Saving Grace." He was a writer, director, and executive producer on the hit series "Pretty Little Liars," co-created the Pretty Little Liars spin-off, "Ravenswood," and helped launch "Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists". His books include Comfort and Joi, Trunk Piece, Psychopomp, and The Persistence of Phosphors, which received an AfterEllen Visibility Award as Best Book of 2013.

Links:  

Rod Serling at 100: One Writer’s Acknowledgement: https://www.amazon.com/Rod-Serling-100-Writers-Acknowledgment/dp/1959748181/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=20vO9&content-id=amzn1.sym.bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&pf_rd_p=bc3ba8d1-5076-4ab7-9ba8-a5c6211e002d&pf_rd_r=142-0259041-3253825&pd_rd_wg=dpXx8&pd_rd_r=6d18607b-f6cb-4d58-adb3-8f6eab8c1b20&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Democrats have a problem connecting with everyday “normal” people and how that impacts the voters
• A realignment is happening along class lines rather than racial or ethnic lines
• Not listening to or dismissing the concerns of the people as unimportant will never get us where we need to go
• Why the Democratic party is being hurt more by the true information from far left extremists than actual Republican misinformation
• Traditional media vs. new media
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe. Additionally, he was a regularly scheduled weekly guest (“Listen to Cliston”) on The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show on Radio Monterey, and also has appeared on “Inside Story” on Al Jazeera English; A News (Istanbul, Turkey) with Andy Boyns, Zaviar Ahmed and Mark Mourad Hammami; India Ahead with Neha Khanna; “Left, Right, Center” with David Webb on the Sirius XM Patriot Channel; “The DeMaio Report” with Carl DeMaio on KOGO-600 AM San Diego; the CY Interview with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein; and “Millennial Talk” with Chelsea Krost. He has been mentioned in the Boston Herald, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, in Reason magazine’s “Hit and Run” blog and on Vox.com, among others, and he has spoken before numerous business and trade groups on U.S. elections.

Brown began his career as a journalist in the Chicago area in 1994, covering government and politics, intellectual property law, international business issues, education, and law enforcement. He moved to Washington, D.C., in 2001, where he served for two years as director of communications for U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Indiana), then transitioned back into the private sector as a communications professional and political analyst in the insurance industry, holding positions in Washington, Chicago and San Francisco.

A Midwesterner born and raised in the Northwest Indiana suburbs of Chicago, Brown currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, and graduated from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Follow Brown on Bluesky or Twitter: @clistonbrown

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How the party bases are treated by Republicans versus Democrats when it comes to speaking out against the radicals amongst them
• Why Democrats need to divorce themselves from the term “Latino” and how assuming all people with this ethnic origin are the same has backfired when it comes to getting the vote
• Strategy for changing the outreach towards Latino voters based on their own concerns, rather than assuming that all “Latino” issues (mass deportation, etc) will impact them equally
• How the Trump campaign was able to reach these voters
• And more!

Links:  

Michael’s BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/m3writer.bsky.social

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Michael’s interest in British cult (classic) television
• How the filming of shows like The Avengers hold up against other shows of its era and how they still hold up to similar shows filmed today
• How the different characters play off each other, giving each pairing the perfect chemistry
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Michael Scott Phillips is an author, graphic designer, and oil painter. Mainly, he writes space opera, though he doesn't feel bound by any particular genre and tends to write whatever idea thrills him. He also enjoys film photography, SF television shows, classic films, and developing alien languages and symbols—such as his semasiographic language, Astivian.

Michael’s debut science fiction novel, When Morpheus Overslept, is a space opera about a brilliant physicist who is trying to develop a faster-than-light drive system but instead crash-lands on a distant planet in the far future. Cornered by a terrifying alien in a ruined city, he discovers that telepathy is the key to escaping and saving an entire star system of peaceful insectoid aliens.

Michael also wrote Quite Quite Fantastic! The Avengers for Modern Viewers, the definitive book on the classic television shows, The Avengers and The New Avengers. His articles on cult television have been published in the magazine Chromakey.

Link:  

Michael’s website: https://michaelscottphillipsauthor.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How Mallory got into wine thanks to the owner of a wine and beer bar
• How she teaches wine classes based on the history and geography of wine using writing and storytelling
• The creation of the Alt Wine Fest with her partner, Martin
• The history of grapes/wine in Oregon pre- and post-prohibition and how to look at more than Pinot Noir for a great Oregon wine
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Mallory Smith and Martin Skegg started the annual Alt Wine Fest in 2019 as a way to celebrate the 80-odd grape varieties in Oregon that aren’t pinot noir. They wanted to put the spotlight on these ‘alternative’ grapes, moving it away from pinot, which dominates production and the conversation around wine in Oregon.

Since then they’ve highlighted dozens of different grapes (including some esoteric varieties you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country), and showcased the passionate, resolute—possibly crazed—winemakers who see the future in asking “What else?”

The mission now is to continue to spread the word about the flip side of Oregon and its pioneering winemakers—while hooking people up with the most exciting wines in the country.

Links:  

Alt Wine Fest: https://www.altwinefest.com/

Sunday School Wine Society: https://sundayschoolwinesociety.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• The inherent interest and sexiness brought out in mystery stories
• How the election in 2016 impacted Tess’ writing
• How much of what we see in entertainment today is an impact of the Trump era of the past decade
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Tess Rafferty: Writer for TV. Author of the Kat Kelly mystery series. Columnist for Dame and Ms. Day drinking enthusiast. Caftan aficionada. Yes, I was in that video where I called Trump supporters a bunch for racists.

Links:  

Check out Tess's Substack newsletter, Recipes for the Resistance: https://tessrafferty.substack.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Witches in fiction, from the Weird Sisters in MacBeth to Maleficent and the Evil Queen in Snow White, among others
• Agatha All Along and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the aftermath of WandaVision and The Scarlet Witch’s take over of an entire town with her ability to reshape reality and mind control
• Queer representation in the show without it being made into a major plot point or shown as code for the “bad” character minority group
• Witches (women in power) and how they are typically shown to be unable to handle the power, which is why they go off the deep end
• Why we like our witches to be terrifying
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Laramie Dean was born and raised on a ranch in northeastern Montana. He is the author of Black Forest, a novel from Inkshares, as well as several plays from Theatrefolk, including Frankenstein Among the Dead, Dracula, The Gorgon Sisters, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Finding Jo March. Currently, Laramie enjoys his dream job as the Theatre Director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana.

Links:  

Laramie Dean’s website: https://www.bylaramiedean.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Policy conversations that need to be happening, even in states like Florida where the current government officials want to wipe anything to do with climate change off the map, especially with an annual hurricane season that seems to be getting worse every year
• Why Republicans are more focused on excluding marginalized communities in lawmaking than on solving problems that affect all Americans
• How gerrymandering impacts the voices of the people at the ballot box, including silencing those who don’t serve the purpose of the current party in power
• Is Florida actually a red state or is it a purple state that has been demoralized?
• And more!

Guest Info: 

A Florida native, born and raised in Miami Gardens (Carol City), Shevrin Jones has called West Park home for nearly two decades. After teaching A.P. Chemistry in Broward County Public Schools, he served as Executive Director of South Florida Reading Corps. He also founded South Florida Youth Summit, the largest gathering of young people in South Florida, and LEAD Nation, one of South Florida’s top organizations for leadership training. As a teacher, leader, and legislator, Shev has always fought to expand opportunities for our kids.

Before his election to the State Senate, Shev served in the Florida House from 2013-2018. From advocating and securing funding for youth mentoring to championing legislation that increases transparency between the public and law enforcement, he consistently fought for real change. Shev has a track record of working collaboratively to get the job done for our community, even as a member of the minority party.

Links:  

Shevrin Jones website: https://shevrinjones.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How CNN moved the news cycle focus away from Republican Mark Robinson’s declaration of being a “Black Nazi” to smear Representative Tlaib as anti-semetic after expressing concern for anti-Palestenian bias shown by Michigan’s Attorney General, Dana Nessel, after charges were filed against students at the University of Michigan protesting ongoing war crimes against Palestinian people in Gaza
• How openly lying about antisemitism where none exists is dangerous to all, particularly to progressive Jewish people
• Why the right tends to focus on college campus protests as a way to infiltrate educational institutions in order to squash progressive efforts to fight fascism and anti-democratic policies (such as anti-abortion laws or raising the voting age, etc.)
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Noah Berlatsky has worked as a writer for twenty years, focusing on a wide array of topics for audiences including academics, popular audiences, high school students, and children. 

Noah’s book, Wonder Woman: Bondage and Feminism in the Marston/Peter Comics, 1941-1948 was published in early 2015 by Rutgers University Press.

His reviews and essays have appeared on NPR's All Things Considered, NBC Think Online, Pacific Standard, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Guardian, Media Matters, Salon, the Awl, Slate, the Chicago Reader, The Escapist, Esquire, Reason, the Dissolve, the Baffler, and many other publications. 

Links:  

Everything is Horrible: https://www.everythingishorrible.net/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

I had the opportunity to speak with Rep. Romman about the upcoming election and the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. 

You will hear:

• Ruwa’s unusual story of how she got into office
• How she came to be in Georgia with grandparents who were forced out of their homes in Palestine
• The difference between attempting to interact with the Biden White House regarding the conflict in Palestine/Gaza/Israel versus the access to the Harris Campaign
• How focusing on local campaigns can lead to bigger things as leaders move up
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Ruwa is passionate about politics, civic engagement,  interfaith dialogue and community service. As an organizer, policy analyst, and public speaker, she works to empower communities and everyday people to become more civically engaged!

Last year she leveraged her platform to inform thousands of Georgians how to get involved in the 2020 elections, and worked as a field organizer for Asian American Advocacy Fund. Ruwa also helped establish the Georgia Volunteer Hub to train the influx of Georgia and national volunteers while connecting them to local Georgia organizations. Ruwa has volunteered in every election cycle since 2014 to help flip Georgia blue. In the past, she also worked as a Field Organizer for the Georgia Muslim Voter Project, as well as served as Communications Director for CAIR Georgia.

Ruwa was born in Jordan and is the granddaughter of Palestinian refugees. Her family moved to Georgia when she was 7 years old. Ruwa graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Oglethorpe University in 2015 and a Masters in Public Policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University in 2019. Ruwa currently works as a senior consultant for a professional services management company assisting government agencies and other stakeholders by advising, implementing, and developing improved strategies to deal with major public policy issues at the local, state, and federal level.

Through her diverse set of experiences, Ruwa will be ready on day one to tackle the tough challenges facing our state and to provide the leadership that District 97 deserves.

Links:  

Rep. Romman's website: https://www.ruwa4georgia.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Democrats in tough races this year are asking the incumbent president and presumptive nominee Joe Biden to step aside. This is unprecedented, so political analyst Cliston Brown joins me to unpack why the Biden re-election campaign has become the Hindenburg after the explosion. Can the president turn this around and why is he struggling against a convicted felon and adjudicated rapist? Does it really just come down to Biden's age and the price of eggs?

You’ll hear:

• The correlation between presidential candidate votes and votes for Congressional races
• How “strong and wrong” can tend to win out over “weak and right”
• Why the “average” voter might still vote for Trump over Biden, even with all of his faults and poor performance previously
• The problem when Democrats spend more time talking to each other than trying to explain to non-Democrats why their options are better
• The importance of having a strong “bench” of party leadership in the wings, rather than the one and only option
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Cliston Brown is a political analyst and communications executive. He writes on U.S. politics at ClistonBrown.com, having previously written for the New York Observer and the California Globe. Additionally, he was a regularly scheduled weekly guest (“Listen to Cliston”) on The Hal Ginsberg Morning Show on Radio Monterey, and also has appeared on “Inside Story” on Al Jazeera English; A News (Istanbul, Turkey) with Andy Boyns, Zaviar Ahmed and Mark Mourad Hammami; India Ahead with Neha Khanna; “Left, Right, Center” with David Webb on the Sirius XM Patriot Channel; “The DeMaio Report” with Carl DeMaio on KOGO-600 AM San Diego; the CY Interview with Chris Yandek and Jay Bildstein; and “Millennial Talk” with Chelsea Krost. He has been mentioned in the Boston Herald, Newsweek, The New Republic, The Huffington Post, in Reason magazine’s “Hit and Run” blog and on Vox.com, among others, and he has spoken before numerous business and trade groups on U.S. elections.

Brown has had particular success in pinpointing key Congressional races and projecting the number of seats won by each of the major political parties every two years starting in 2006.

On average, Brown has projected the final composition of the U.S. House of Representatives within 7.5 seats and the U.S. Senate within 1.222 seats. In the most recent election, he correctly predicted every U.S. Senate race.

In the 2012 election, Brown correctly called 49 of the 50 stat

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• How Noveltease Theatre uses burlesque to drive storytelling forward, harkening back to how burlesque started in the U.S. back in the 1880s
• How the theatre chooses what works to interpret and how to make it more gay, looking into how to create a queer reading or understanding of the story
• Stevi’s background in academics and literature and how it affects her interpretation of stories
• Her experience with the COVID shut down in 2020 and how the company handled the months/years to follow
• The challenges of rebuilding an audience after the shutdown
• The value of participating in a collective experience rather than watching entertainment at home in your robe
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Sailor St. Claire (Stevi Costa) (she/her) is the Artistic Director of Noveltease Theatre whose mission is to create community through storytelling by reviving the historical artform of literary burlesque. Sailor has been putting her knowledge of the literary canon to more-than-scholarly uses as a performer, producer, and emcee since 2009. She is entrusted to steer the ship as the host of Emerald City Burlesque Revue and at Burlesque and Cabaret Behind the Pink Door, and has worked her wordsmithery on the grand stages of the Vogue Theatre at the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and the Orleans Casino Showroom at the Burlesque Hall of Fame’s Movers, Shakers, & Innovators Showcase.

She is proud to have been a part of the production team for Sinner Saint Burlesque from 2013-2018, co-adapting and co-directing the troupe’s much lauded burlesque of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and was also part of the team of nerdy feminist superheroes that brought Bechdel Test Burlesque to the University of Oregon in 2016 at the invitation of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. The Showgirl Scholar holds a PhD in English from the University of Washington, and once did a pin-up shoot atop her actual dissertation.

Although she loves 19th century American realism and naturalism with a fervor that confuses most, her favorite book is and will always be Katherine Dunn’s Geek Love.

Links, info you’d like to share with audience:  

Novelties Theatre: https://novelteasetheatre.org/

Sailor’s Bio: https://novelteasetheatre.org/sailor-st-claire

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Why we hear that crime is up/down or that there is an invasion at the border, but also why our economy is the best it has ever been
• How opinions are often filtered through “polls” and pundits, leaning on supposed data versus people saying what they personally believe
• Why communications staffers should be watching Fox News
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Gabe Garbowit is the former Digital Media Specialist for Senator Tina Smith and found his way to the Hill sort of by accident — but has been invested in carving out his own space in the Senate’s digital landscape since his arrival in 2018. Garbowit left Congress and took a sharp turn away from politics. He worked briefly as a meat cutter at a Washington barbecue joint and then moved back to Minnesota.

He’s more than 1,000 miles away from the Capitol now, but the challenges he experienced working on the Hill are still top of mind. Garbowit decided to do something he hopes will improve conditions for former compatriots still working in the Senate and those yet to join. In 2023, he launched SenateUnionTracker.com, which, true to its domain name, tracks the union support or opposition of all 100 senators.

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this part, you will hear:

• How things have come to become so radicalized within the U.S. Supreme Court
• How Dick Durbin has not been checking the Court with the tools at his committee’s disposal
• Why is the leadership for the Democratic party so lax in handling seemingly obvious corruption?
• The difference between how Republicans and Democrats use their resources to get what they want
• The downside of taking the high road or being the adult in the room when things go sideways
• What would the polls look like if Biden were running against someone other than Trump?
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Gabe Garbowit is the former Digital Media Specialist for Senator Tina Smith and found his way to the Hill sort of by accident — but has been invested in carving out his own space in the Senate’s digital landscape since his arrival in 2018. Garbowit left Congress and took a sharp turn away from politics. He worked briefly as a meat cutter at a Washington barbecue joint and then moved back to Minnesota.

He’s more than 1,000 miles away from the Capitol now, but the challenges he experienced working on the Hill are still top of mind. Garbowit decided to do something he hopes will improve conditions for former compatriots still working in the Senate and those yet to join. In 2023, he launched SenateUnionTracker.com, which, true to its domain name, tracks the union support or opposition of all 100 senators.

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Raven’s analysis of this season’s Broadway shows and who could win different categories
• Disappointment over shows and performers who were not nominated
• Comparison between the storyline of Cabaret with our current MAGA climate
• The uncertainty of how the pandemic would affect the theatre world with everything shutting down
• Downturn of financial availability for shows post-pandemic and the accessibility to the average American who might want to see shows
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Raven Snook is a writer, editor, performer, mom and all-around diva (in the positive sense of the word) who’s currently the Editor of Creative Content for TDF and a contributing theater critic for Time Out New York.

Raven's work has also appeared in New York Magazine, Yahoo Parenting, the New York Post, The Village Voice, Bon Appétit, Better Homes & Gardens and Parents.com, among others.

Links:  

www.ravensnook.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Moving forward in the face of rejection
• Finding space in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre as a POC
• Looking at colonialism and racial undertones in this particular episode of Doctor Who and how it isn’t something from the distant past, but something struggled with in modern day and in futuristic settings like in Sci-Fi/Fantasy media
• The backstory of Modupe’s novel and where her ideas came from, from microaggressions that non-POC people may not even realize to depicting a society that is dominated by POC people
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Modupe H. Ayinde was born in London’s East End and studied English Literature at university. She’s worked as a video games reviewer, magazine sub editor, and television researcher, and now tinkers with spreadsheets for a large media organization. She is a runner, a screen time enthusiast, and a lapsed student of martial arts, including Wing Chun and karate. Her debut novel, A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST, the first in an epic fantasy trilogy, will be published by Orbit Books in Spring 2025. Her short fiction can be found in FIYAH Literary Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fantasy Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Omenana, and elsewhere, and she was the 2021 winner of the Future Worlds Prize. She lives in North London with three generations of her family and their Studio Ghibli obsession. Modupe is a member of SFWA and the African Speculative Fiction Society.

Links: 

https://www.mhayinde.com/ 

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Dennie's legal and political commentary has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and more. She's shared her views about race, gender, and the law on BBC and MSNBC. She's taught at Western Washington University and NYU School of Law. She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School and her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where she concentrated in Politics and earned a certificate in African-American Studies.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• What originalism is and how it’s affecting our country
• Why we cannot just “pass an amendment” to the Constitution (it’s not that easy!)
• Issues with the Supreme Court being largely unchecked and the structural reforms necessary to keep the Court from staying stagnant and divided
• Why Court expansion is needed
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Madiba K. Dennie is an attorney, columnist, and professor whose work focuses on fostering an equitable multiracial democracy. Her debut book, The Originalism Trap: How Extremists Stole the Constitution and How We the People Can Take It Back, is now available for preorder. Dennie is the Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes. In her previous role as a counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, she provided legal and policy analysis regarding a range of democracy issues including the census, the courts, and attempts to disempower communities of color. Her legal and political commentary has been featured in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and more. Dennie has been interviewed on-air about race, gender, and the law on outlets including the BBC and MSNBC. She has taught at Western Washington University and NYU School of Law. She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School and her undergraduate degree from Princeton University, where she concentrated in Politics and earned a certificate in African-American Studies. Her hot takes are not legal advice.

Links:  

Madiba Dennie’s website: https://madibadennie.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

“Beautiful” is out on May 17. You can order it here (https://www.magersandquinn.com/product/BEAUTIFUL/26331176) and of course on Amazon.

In this episode, you will hear:

• How Andrew chose Julian Eltinge to write about in this book
• A brief history of female impersonation/drag in America
• The lead in to Vaudeville and Variety shows
• Sexual/gender coding in male roles and how they have been viewed throughout the years
• How the waning popularity of Vaudeville drove Eltinge’s career
• And more!

Guest Info:

Historian and psychotherapist Andrew L. Erdman revels in uncovering misunderstood aspects of cultural history and how they relate to misunderstood parts of ourselves. Thanks to a grandfather who remembered the glory days of Dreamland and Luna Park, Andrew often visited Coney Island, the spiritual home of American cheap amusements.

A doctoral program in theatre studies led him to a deepened interest in the history of popular culture. He stumbled across the remarkable female impersonator Julian Eltinge while researching his prior book about vaudeville’s Eva Tanguay, a hugely popular, irreverent comedienne who prefigured Bette Midler and Madonna despite being virtually unable to sing, dance, or act.

His books including Beautiful: The Story of Julian Eltinge, America’s Greatest Female Impersonator, and Queen of Vaudeville: The Story of Eva Tanguay connect the broad sweep of history to our very real, inner lives. 

A theatre kid who aspired to be a rockstar, Erdman grew up to write for scholarly journals, magazines, television shows, and the stage. He also got trained in social work and psychoanalysis.

​Andrew would like to express his deep gratitude to Sigmund Freud, Theodore Dreiser, Carol Burnett, and the coterie of theatre nerds at his all-boys sports camp who sometimes played girls' and women’s parts, always to the roaring approval of many a fellow in the audience.

Links:

https://www.andrewerdman.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You Will Hear:

• Too many men (and women) want women to “stay in their place”
• The problem with James Carville and the rest of the fossils
• Feminism and “wokeness”
• West Wing Syndrome
• The problem of electability of women and POC and how their voices (votes) are dismissed
• Voting Democrat is the right thing to do when you want the best outcome for all
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

TL Duryea is an American Artist, Activist and the Founder of Sheroes, celebrating the achievements of notable women.

 Starting with a series of quick oil portraits of women in the public eye, Duryea created a line of products to embolden women to take up more space by wearing their support of these inspiring women.  The project has received the support of notable American Women like Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Rosa DeLauro, Ayanna Pressley, Jahana Hayes and more. It has appeared on CNN, Showtime, and the Washington Post and was featured in the book ‘The Revolution is Female’. 

Links:  

Subscribe to The Play Typer Guy newsletter (www.playtyperguy.com/subscribe)

Connect with Tina: https://www.tlduryea.com

Tina’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tduryea

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear: 

• The beginnings of Hot Feminism
• How Trump’s presidency brought out the hidden racism in our country and realizing that it wasn’t allocated to just one area/region
• Concerning things about Christian Nationalism being heavily endorsed and participated in by political candidates
• Life in the South, especially after the fall of Roe Vs. Wade
• How the abortion laws in the South affect Black women and students who may have poor sex education or are under control of their parents (no birth control),  and OB doctors who can be criminally prosecuted
• Why “just move away from that state” isn’t feasible and is offensive
• And more!!

Guest Info: 

Emily Taylor is an Associate Professor of English & Director of Women's & Gender Studies Program at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. She's the author of the newsletter, Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina, and she’s covered the fall-out from South Carolina’s post-Roe abortion ban.

Links:  

Hot Feminism: Letters from South Carolina: https://emilytaylor.substack.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How the new maps approved in Wisconsin will be more fair and representative of the voters in this very purple state
• How aside from Trump, the “Trumpy” candidates in other elections are not doing well
• How the 2024 election will set up the future of how we live in this country - taking racism and sexism into account
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Whether lobbying, advocating, writing, or organizing, Jamie Lynn Crofts’ work centers around one goal: creating a just, more equitable society. Her main focus is protecting our democracy -- and that also means fighting for the civil and human rights of the people who make up our wonderfully diverse country. Jamie’s background in law, policy, and civil and constitutional rights give her expertise in a number of legal and policy areas -- and her writing and communications experience allows her to break down complex ideas in an accessible way. She also has years of experience leading and participating in coalitions, planning and teaching training sessions, and working on both electoral and issue-based campaigns.

Links:  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamielynncrofts

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Platforms and communication styles of Reagan vs Trump
• Reagan’s charisma with the people and unifying the Republican party while Trump’s crass nature and rhetoric divided the party
• Tax cuts that lead to the decline of the middle class in favor of the wealthy
• People voting against their own interest thinking they are getting someone who will fight for them and them consistently not
• The myth of Reagan’s America and how we are still living in it four decades later
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Ed Oswald is the former attorney-advisor, US Treasury, Office of Tax and Legislative Counsel under the Clinton Administration.

Connect with Ed:

Ed’s X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/Eoswald_munitax

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Talk about 1960s vampire soap opera Dark Shadows and how we came to love this show
• The attempts at remaking the series that always seem to fall flat
• The implied sexuality and queer coding within the show
• The power of the mix of dark humor + scary in the series
• What was unique about Dark Shadows compared to other shows that tried to do a similar theme, but couldn’t capture the magic
• The danger of planning so far in advance that one character could tank the whole plan because you’ve written yourself into a corner
• And more!

Guest Info: 

By day, Danny Horn is a Director of Product Management at the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization behind Wikipedia. By night and weekend, he promotes truth and justice through the unlikely medium of a blog about superhero movies. Danny’s previous blog was Dark Shadows Every Day, an epic journey through every episode of the 1960s vampire soap opera. It was funny and weird and insightful, and even if you don’t know Dark Shadows, you should go check it out. He also founded the Muppet fan site Tough Pigs, and co-founded Muppet Wiki, the gorgeous and insanely detailed compendium of all knowledge about the Muppets and Jim Henson. Danny also appeared on a bunch of episodes of Tough Pigs’ Movin’ Right Along: The Muppet Movie Podcast.

Links:  

Dark Shadows Every Day (blog): https://darkshadowseveryday.com/

Superheroes Every Day (blog): https://superheroeseveryday.com/

Tough Pigs: https://toughpigs.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• The likelihood of Trump’s cases actually going to trial
• What things could look like if Trump is re-elected
• Republican “normies” vs. MAGA Trump supporters
• Challenges journalists face in reporting on the current political climate
• The problematic issues with Nikki Haley’s campaign
• And more!

Guest Info:

Liz Dye is a columnist at Above the Law, contributor at Wonkette and Public Notice, and co-host of the podcast Opening Arguments. 

Links:  

Law and Chaos Podcast: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How the media drives how we view political races and a candidate's chances
• How racial identity is both hindering and promoting Nikki Haley’s candidacy and her opinions on racial relations in this country
• Haley’s “attacks” on Trump while still towing the MAGA line
• Anti-Black sentiments that are still strong today and how that would look going forward into a Haley presidency
• How running for office has become more of a PR machine for future gains than looking to hold that office
• Haley running on a platform of ageism against both Trump and Biden, while being out of touch and past her own prime
• Gen Z stepping into the political realm post-January 6th
• And more!

Guest Info: 

After completing his MBA, Kaivan Shroff was announced as COO & Chief Strategy Officer of the Institute For Education. He currently serves the organization as a Senior Advisor. During the 2016 presidential race, Shroff worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign as a digital organizer. He continues to organize for Democratic causes both online and as a commentator. Shroff also served on the Advisory Board of The Jed Foundation, a leading national mental health non-profit, and has been a member of the Forbes NY Business Council. In 2022, Shroff graduated with a JD from Harvard Law School and an MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School. 

Links:  

Kaivan’s Website: https://kaivanshroff.com/

Twitter: @kaivanshroff 

Instagram: @kaivanshroff 

TikTok: @kaivanshroff

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Nolan’s experience working with both the community and police to keep the BLM march to the truest meaning of a peaceful protest
• His experience starting as a Senator’s intern right before the January 6th insurrection and his role in the subsequent impeachment proceedings
• The importance of introducing/maintaining/enhancing blue presence in a red state to keep the gap between the two from growing ever wider based more on what people hear through the media versus lived experiences within the communities (building bridges rather than backing people into corners)
• The importance of representation of the people by those who aren’t “career politicians” and getting some younger blood into our government
• Possible solutions for communications between groups moving forward
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Nolan Bylenga is a Democrat running for Oregeon’s 3rd Congressional District. Nolan is an alumnus of Pendleton High School where he ran track & field, placing as high as 2nd place at State in the 800m for Pendleton and is the current school record holder in the 4x400 meter relay. He is currently a Graduate Student at Portland State University pursuing his master's in political science. During his undergrad, he was a Senator as part of the Associated Students of Portland State University.

Nolan previously ran for State Representative in 2020 to build bridges between different types of people, help give our citizens access to healthcare and education, and create opportunity for those without so that everyone has a fair shot at life. During the 2020 election cycle, he and his team of Brianna Spencer and John Landreth organized several events in search of Justice.

Nolan is currently a board member of the Pendleton Community Action Coalition and is still on a mission to prosper the various communities around him. 

Links:  

Nolan’s Website: https://bylenga.com/

Nolan’s Campaign Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bylenga2024

Nolan’s Campaign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bylenga2024/

Nolan’s Campaign TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bylenga2024

Nolan’s Campaign Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/Bylenga2024

Nolan’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NolanBylenga

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• The journey to her one woman show, collecting thousands of stories and voices along the way
• Why she chose to start her podcast on January 6th to start to turn the conversation about that day in our history to something more positive
• What “otherness” is and how it keeps us divided
• The podcast will showcase the real voices of the people, along with their stories and reenactments
• Bringing to light problems with our current political system and what they do for the disenfranchised people of America
• And more!!

Guest Info: 

ELIZA JANE SCHNEIDER is a noted voice actor and dialect coach, whose clients include celebrities and Oscar® winners. Her expert ear and years of study as a musician and singer, allow her to master almost any accent with ease.

She voiced eight regular series characters and hundreds of additional voices for the hit animated series South Park. Her extensive list of credits includes voices for films, television and video games, including Finding Nemo, King of the Hill, Batman, The Cleveland Show, Assassin’s Creed, LEGO Dimensions, Skylanders, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, to name just a few.

Eliza has studied, recorded, and taught dialects at UCLA, AFTRA, and the SAG Conservatory at AFI Hollywood. She is also the creator of the Internet Dialect Database, for which she has traveled the globe to capture samples of authentic dialects.

Links:  

Eliza’s Website: https://elizajaneschneidervo.com/

Eliza’s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/elizajaneschneider

Competitive Edge Voice Training: https://competitiveedgevoice.com/

Podcast Launch Event Info & Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/freedom-of-speech-tickets-741151212227?aff=ebdshpsearchautocomplete

Podcast Website: https://fosplay.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• How Broadway Barbara came to be Leah’s most popular sketch comedy character
• Clips from Broadway Barbara’s shows
• Leah’s love for singing and dancing are funneled into this comedy show
• How she puts together a show
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Leah Sprecher earned a B.A. in theatre from UCLA and has since performed at some of the nations most prestigious theaters, like the Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Opera House, and REPRISE!  National tours include Radio City Christmas Spectacular, 42nd Street, and Happy Days. More recently, Leah wrote and performed as a member of the renowned Groundlings Sunday Company. Her original one woman show, Old at Heart debuted on the Groundlings’ stage. She is also a founding member of the Transcendence Theatre Company, which earned her a Broadway World "Person to Watch" nomination and the opportunity to open for both Rita Moreno and Ben Vereen in concert. Her TV credits include guest stints on IFC’s Maron, ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Blackish. 

Links:  

Leah’s Website: https://groundlings.com/people/leah-sprecher

Barbara Dixon’s Website: https://www.broadwaybarbara.com/

Barbara Dixon’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNEQHkBQ1ITJMk4u0MYdURA

Barbara Dixon’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/broadwaybarbaraofficial/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Noticing both macro and micro aggressions toward her partner and children
• Experimenting with racial profiling through security while traveling and what made them more or less likely to be pulled aside for extra screenings
• Recognizing that racism is much more prevalent than the white experience tells us - it’s just certain people, places, or points in time, rather than current, everyday things
• Misconceptions about why interracial couples are together
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Alana is a writer, travel enthusiast and mom. She is passionate about being a global citizen and learning about other cultures. She lives to encourage wanderlust and to motivate living a full life. She believes travel creates tolerance, understanding and empathy. Together, one adventure at a time, we can work to make this world a better place for everyone.

 Alana has degrees, certificates, and an accounting designation. None of which are applicable to this novel.  She is a policy strategist by day, and enjoys working on files that will help make a difference to the citizens she serves. This has ranged from helping youth determine future employment demands, implementing regulations on organic foods, and now, modernizing the policing and public safety continuum to address issues such as systemic racism.

 Alana grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan with her two younger sisters and older brother. They are her best friends and some of her favorite travel companions.

She now has the pleasure of calling Victoria, British Columbia her home. Her and her husband, Roland, have three children, and will never stop exploring.

Links:  

Alana’s Website: https://www.alanabestauthor.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Challenges with processing the death of your icons
• Favorite moments of Angelique Collins in Dark Shadows
• Favorite moments and characters in the series
• A couple of our favorite scenes from the series
• Laramie and I geek out over spooky movies with Halloween coming soon
• And more!!

Guest Info: 

Laramie Dean was born and raised on a ranch in northeastern Montana. He is the author of Black Forest, a novel from Inkshares, as well as several plays from Theatrefolk, including Frankenstein Among the Dead, Dracula, The Gorgon Sisters, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Finding Jo March. Currently, Laramie enjoys his dream job as the Theatre Director at Hellgate High School in Missoula, Montana.

Links:  

Laramie’s Author Website: https://www.bylaramiedean.com/

Laramie’s Dark Shadows Website: https://shadowsonthewallzine.blogspot.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will also hear:

• Discrepancies in the original story told by police as opposed to what was actually captured on video, many of which blame the victim for not being in a crosswalk or staying on the curb
• Why there is seemingly more outcry over the second video of the police joking about the death than the death itself
• Patterns of behavior within police departments showing blatant disrespect for the public in general and mocking deaths and other serious crimes against people they are sworn to protect
• Erica’s book, Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery, which talks about her personal journey with alcoholism, relapse, and recovery, and also reports on the treatment industry as a whole
• What it was like releasing a book during the pandemic
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Erica C. Barnett is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years’ experience covering local news and politics and the author of the memoir Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery (Viking, 2020).

Her work has been published in local and national publications, including Seattle magazine, Huffington Post, Sightline, Grist, and many others, as well as at her own website, The C Is for Crank.

Erica started the website The C Is for Crank in 2015 and has run the site as a full-time, financially sustainable operation since 2016 with the help of hundreds of subscribers who support to her work covering the city of Seattle and holding public officials accountable through investigative reporting and analysis.

Links:  

Erica’s Website: https://ericacbarnett.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

We talk theater, Shakespeare, and more! 

You will hear:

• The importance of engaging with the audience in these types of entertainment
• The unique style of taking a classic story and modernizing it for the audience, or at least having a character who could step into that role
• Opal’s ability to play, not necessarily the “lead” but more so the important character who kicks things into gear (“the button”)
• The difference between the Seattle and Portland scenes when it comes to the arts and what works best for each
• Leaning in to the bawdier or more subversive aspects of the classics that go beyond just your high school level understanding
• And so much more!

Guest Info: 

Opal Peachey is a founding company member of the immersive dinner theater, Nordo and has originated roles in 12 productions. Opal graces the stage of the Triple Door each January as the ghost of Frederic Chopin in Bohemia (writer, composer) an annual audience favorite. Other companies she has worked with as a performer and producer include ACT Theater, Book-It Repertory Theater, Annex Theater, and The Re-Bar.

Bohemia made its European debut at the Ballhaus Theater in 2022, with Opal performing Chopin to sold-out houses.

Ms. Peachey holds a B.F.A. from Cornish College of the Arts, with an emphasis in original works, playwriting and directing. She worked as a stage manager for several years after graduation, booked out years in advance, before meeting the artistic directors of Nordo and making the leap to onstage performance and producing her own work.

Having a theatrical home means wearing many administrative hats. Since 2016, Opal has led the marketing team at Nordo. She has held the positions of publicist and marketing manager, creating successful launches for three seasons of theatrical productions, while managing graphic designers and photographers to execute stylish campaigns for print and social media. Her passion is for the customer experience – as a copywriter, concept developer and creative team leader. 

In addition to live theater, Peachey is also an accomplished voiceover actor. Her most recent project is “The Curve of Time Podcast”, a serial family friendly adventure story - Opal plays the matriarch and ship captain, Katherine Wells.

Links:  

Opal’s Website: https://www.opalpeachey.com/ 

Opal’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opalpeachey/

Opal’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpalPeachey

The Fairy’s Bottom: A Shakespeare Burlesque:

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

We will discuss:

• Why this case is not a Free Speech infringement
• How RICO cases can work based on the conspiracy, even if the individual parts of that conspiracy aren’t themselves illegal
• Jamie discusses her concerns and (correct) predictions that Trump would attempt to stay in office whether he won or not using the guise of “voter fraud” before the election results were even announced
• Is the former president even mentally capable of accepting defeat or understanding what he’s doing isn’t the way things are done?
• How the precedent of prosecuting political leaders who have broken the law should defer people from trying this again in the future
• Why the Georgia cases at the state level are so important to keep Trump, should he be elected again, from pardoning himself on all convictions
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Whether lobbying, advocating, writing, or organizing, Jamie Lynn Crofts’ work centers around one goal: making our society better and more equitable. Her background in law, policy, and civil and constitutional rights give her expertise in a number of diverse areas. Her writing and communications experience allow her to break down complex ideas in an accessible way. She also has years of experience leading and participating in coalitions, planning and teaching training sessions, and working on both electoral and issue-based campaigns.

Links:  

Jamie’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamielynncrofts

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Laura’s joy at the experience of attending the movie
• Reasons for some of the backlash surrounding the movie
• Resonating with the idea that once something is out of the box, it can’t be shoved back in, and her own personal awakening
• How gender roles are seen in both Barbie’s world and in the real world and how it shows that people can really be what they want to be, not just the performative norm
• Weird Barbie’s role and how even Barbieland wasn’t as perfect as it “should” be
• Queer coding throughout the entertainment industry providing layers and depth that heteronormative films don’t have
• And more! 

Guest Info: 

Laura Bogart is the author of "Don’t You Know I Love You" (Dzanc Books). She is also a non-fiction writer who focuses on personal essays, pop culture, film and TV, feminism, body image and sizeism, and politics (among other topics). Laura is a featured contributor to The Week and DAME magazine; her work has also appeared in The Atlantic, The Guardian, SPIN, The AV Club, Vulture, and Indiewire (among other publications).

Links:  

Laura's Dame article: https://www.damemagazine.com/2023/07/28/that-time-barbie-and-i-had-an-epiphany/

Find Laura Online: @LDBogart 

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• What caused Gin to turn her play into a book
• The amount of research that went into making the play and then the book
• Theatre during and after the pandemic
• Connecting with others in shared experiences
• And more!

Guest Info:

Gin Hammond is a Harvard University/Moscow Art Theatre MFA graduate and a certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework™. She has performed nationally at theatres such as The Guthrie, Arena Stage, The Longwharf Theatre, The Pasadena Playhouse, the ART, The Berkshire Theatre Festival and The Studio Theatre in Washington D.C., where she won a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her performance of The Syringa Tree. Internationally, she has performed in Russia, Germany, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, England, and Belgium.

Ms. Hammond also received a Kathleen Cornell award, and WA state grants from Allied Arts, The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Artist Trust, 4 Culture, as well as from the NEA, and has recently been nominated for a WA State Governor’s Arts & Heritage Award. Hammond teaches voice, voice-over, public speaking, and dialect coaching, and can be heard on commercials, audiobooks, radio plays, and a variety of video games including BattleTech, DotA 2, State of Decay 1 & 2, and Halo 3 ODST.

She is also author of the soon-to-be released novel, Returning the Bones, and cofounder of the MFA: Meditations for Actors mobile app.  

Links:  

Gin Hammond’s Website: https://www.ginhammond.com

Returning the Bones (book): https://www.returningthebones.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

We talk about:

• The politicization of the Court to expand the rights of corporations and other non-marginalized people
• If something isn’t done about how the Court is currently structured, it could take 100 years to see an actual shift in the body of power
• Adding to the Supreme Court is not about just adding additional people who will do whatever Democrats want - it’s about adding people committed to upholding the rule of law and doing what is in the best interest of our people while upholding the Constitution
• And more

Links:  

Meagan’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/importantmeagan

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• When does context break the story
• How Jasmine help produce the first all female full production of 1776
• The surprising backlash they received when trying to mesh Rocky Horror Picture Show and the realm of Harry Potter
• Re-entering the theater post COVID
• And more!

More about Jasmine:
Jasmine Joshua is a Seattle writer, producer, actor, and director. They are the Artistic Director of the award-winning Reboot Theatre Company whose mission is to test new interpretations of established works through nontraditional casting and design. Jasmine founded Reboot in 2014 while pregnant with twins and produced the nation's first ever all-female (at the time) production of 1776. Since its founding, Reboot has grown from a one-person operation to a nonprofit with a working board and has produced five productions, all nominated for Gregory Awards and winning several!

Connect with Jasmine:
Website: https://www.jasminejoshua.com/aboutme

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/executive_enby/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasmine.joshua/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• Could Blazing Saddles and similar films be made today?
• The power/danger of likability in politics
• Is the Republican party separating themselves into good people and monsters?
• And more!

More about David: 

David Avallone is a freelancer from a long line of freelancers, born to a pulp fiction writer (Michael Avallone) and women’s rights activist (Frances Avallone).

Since graduating from Bard College in 1987, David has been involved mostly in independent film production (as a writer, editor, director, producer, actor, etc.), but in 2014 he branched out into comic book writing, mostly with Dynamite Comics. With them, he’s written LEGENDERRY: VAMPIRELLA, TWILIGHT ZONE: THE SHADOW, DOC SAVAGE: RING OF FIRE, BETTIE PAGE and ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK.  For American Mythology, he’s written ZORRO: SWORDS OF BLOOD, and for Kevin Eastman Studios he’s writing DRAWING BLOOD and THE RADICALLY REARRANGED RONIN RAGDOLLS.

He lives in Hollywood, California with his delightful wife Augusta aka filmmaker, costumer and burlesque icon Penny Starr, Jr. and three cats who may or may not be secretly radically rearranged. 

Connect with David:
David’s Website: https://www.davidavallonefreelance.com/Home.html

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will also hear:

• Finding the funny in serious films
• Working with with what you know
• Finding ties between comedy and real life issues
• And more!

We had so much fun, in fact, that this is Part One of our two-part discussion.

More about David:

David Avallone is a freelancer from a long line of freelancers, born to a pulp fiction writer (Michael Avallone) and women’s rights activist (Frances Avallone).

Since graduating from Bard College in 1987, David has been involved mostly in independent film production (as a writer, editor, director, producer, actor, etc.), but in 2014 he branched out into comic book writing, mostly with Dynamite Comics. With them, he’s written LEGENDERRY: VAMPIRELLA, TWILIGHT ZONE: THE SHADOW, DOC SAVAGE: RING OF FIRE, BETTIE PAGE and ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK.  For American Mythology, he’s written ZORRO: SWORDS OF BLOOD, and for Kevin Eastman Studios he’s writing DRAWING BLOOD and THE RADICALLY REARRANGED RONIN RAGDOLLS.

He lives in Hollywood, California with his delightful wife Augusta aka filmmaker, costumer and burlesque icon Penny Starr, Jr. and three cats who may or may not be secretly radically rearranged. 

Connect with David:

David’s Website: https://www.davidavallonefreelance.com/Home.html

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• How dangerous politically Ron DeSantis has become over the past few years
• The importance of accessible abortions, better sex education in schools, and available birth control options
• The recent gun law which drops the requirement for training on that weapon and having a permit
• And more!

More about Rita: 

Rita Harris is the State Representative for Florida House District 44. In addition to being a public servant, she is a mother, an advocate, an activist, and a twenty-year resident of her community. Rita started activism at Planned Parenthood when she was in high school. As a theater kid, she worked with other teens to develop skits to perform at high schools that dealt with everything from safe sex to drunk driving.

​

Her journey back into activism started in 2017. Rita’s daughter had just started college, so she was deciding what I wanted to do in my next chapter in life - she could go back to school or back to work, but Trump had just been elected, and the threat to our values and way of life was very real. As a wife to a Black man and mother to a biracial Black child, she was horrified by the blatant racism, and feared for their safety, so Rita rolled up her sleeves and got to work with the goal of electing as many Democrats as possible in 2018. She became the events chair for the Orange County Democrats and founded the Democratic Women's Club of South Orange County. Eventually, sheI was elected the Vice-Chair of the Orange County Democratic Party. 

In August of 2022, Rita was elected to office for the first time. She is grateful to serve the great people of District 44 and can't wait to go back to Tallahassee to continue to serve with dedication and hard work. As one of the few people of Jewish descent in the Florida House of Representatives Rita knows that Representation matters. As someone who has struggled with money, she knows what it's like to be unable to afford childcare or pay for medication one week at a time because of the extreme costs of prescription drugs.. 

This district includes Universal, International Drive, Seaworld, and the Orlando airport. COVID has exposed cracks in our system - the people that work at these economic engines should be able to afford to live here, have access to affordable housing, and earn fair wages with benefits and paid time off.

Connect with Rita:

Connect with Rep. Harris: https://twitter.com/RitaForFlorida/media

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon:

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• Regulations around seeking asylum in the U.S. and abroad
• The uptick in politicization of immigration in the U.S. 
• What will change perspectives on our current immigration policies
• And more!

Guest Info: 

Lily S. Axelrod is a Spanish-speaking immigration attorney whose practice focuses on family-based and humanitarian cases, including deportation defense, waivers for individuals with histories of arrest or immigration complications, and federal litigation challenging unreasonable delays and unfair interpretation of immigration law.

Before founding Axelrod Immigration Law, Ms. Axelrod worked at Siskind Susser, one of North America’s leading immigration law firms. There, she had the honor to learn from some of the country’s brightest and most dedicated attorneys, and received national recognition among her peers for teaching complex and nuanced topics. After years of cheering on many of her own clients starting small businesses, Ms. Axelrod gained the confidence and inspiration to do the same. She founded Axelrod Immigration Law in December of 2022. 

Ms. Axelrod previously worked at the intersection of immigration law and criminal defense at Masferrer & Associates in Boston, Massachusetts.   She represented clients accused of felonies and misdemeanors before local, state, and federal courts, including appeals and post-conviction relief such as motions for new trial. She also defended clients in removal proceedings before the Boston Immigration Court, focusing on finding creative strategies for clients with criminal records.

Links:  

Lily’s Website: https://www.axelrodlaw.com/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You will hear:

• How Ruby became interested in geology and exploring the world outside
• How Ruby positioned her book to be different from all of the male-oriented books in the genre
• The pandemic and how it changed people’s relationship with nature
• The history and politics behind Oregon’s contributions to the USA
• And more!

More about Ruby:  

Ruby McConnell is a writer, geologist, and adventuress whose work focuses on nature, the environment, and the relationship between landscape and the human experience. Her experiences as a researcher, activist, and explorer in the wildlands of the western United States led her to writeA Woman’s Guide to the Wild- the definitive outdoor guide for anyone who identifies as, or loves, women (or just wants to learn how to read a map).

Ruby believes that positive outdoor experiences are the key to healthy living and protecting the environment and is committed to breaking down barriers that prevent all kinds of people from being outside. Her writing has appeared in publications such as Grain Literary Journal, Oregon Humanities Magazine, and Mother Earth News and was awarded an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship in 2016. She is almost always in the woods of the Pacific Northwest, but you can find her online  @RubyGoneWild.

Links:  

Ruby’s Website: https://www.rubymcconnell.com/

Ruby’s Writing: https://www.rubymcconnell.com/writing

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll also hear:

• The truth about Sinema’s political party stance and shift after being elected as a Democratic senator in Arizona
• Sinema’s claiming credit for things she didn’t do (drought prevention legislation put forward by other senators)
• What happens when you burn all possible bridges politically
• The Tech Oversight Project and what it stands for
• And more!

More About Sacha:
Sacha Haward, Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project, is a veteran of political campaigns all over the country and has worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, House Majority PAC, and on Capitol Hill. During the 2020 presidential election, Sacha ran the paid media program for American Bridge 21st Century, which used targeted television, radio, digital, and mail to persuade former Trump voters in rural areas. Sacha received her Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy in 2016.

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

You’ll hear:

• How Chris Rock’s retelling of the event focused more on Jada Pinkett Smith and her treatment of Will Smith and left out the lead up to the slap
• The nuance in language used in the special
• The relationship black women have with their hair (and how Chris should have known better)
• Chris’ treatment of black women, both in the special and throughout his career
• And more!!

More about Leslie:
Born in hood-adjacent Baltimore City, Leslie Gray Streeter is a University of Maryland College Park graduate, a veteran journalist and someone always looking for new ways to tell stories, both her own and those in her communities. She also really likes vegan cheese, because she's now a vegan and can’t eat real cheese anymore. But she’s mostly cool with it.

Leslie has done a lot of cool media situations, mostly from some bedroom or other, since “Black Widow” came out. It’s not the tour she chose, or even the world she thought she or anyone else were living in, but this book has found people in their lowest moment and helped them feel they were a little less alone.

Connect with Leslie: 

Leslie’s Book Black Widow: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Widow-Sad-Funny-Journey-Normally/dp/0316490717

Leslie’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliegraystreeter/

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode you will hear:

• The danger of the “California Democrat”
• Are the Hollywood Elite taking over?
• Dismantling White Feminism and other forms of privilege
• Melrose Mania!!
• And more!

More about Lisa:

Lisa Timmons is a writer and content creator with over 20+ years of experience working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles. Her diverse career choices have earned her skills in TV production, indie film production, sketch comedy, improv comedy, as well as digital media production, including podcasting and social media content creation. Lisa’s passion is to communicate, entertain, and educate through the ever-expanding channels of media.

Connect with Lisa:
Lisa’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/timmonslisa
Lisa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timmonslisa
Lisa’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/timmonslisa

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode you will hear:

• How the Republican party made a resurgence in Florida
• The historical significance of how marginalized groups have been treated in the state
• Why we cannot write off these states and still continue to move forward (a raging fire left unattended will spread!)
• And more! 

More about Kaitlin:
Kaitlin Byrd is currently a monthly columnist for DAME Magazine and has written more than three dozen pieces about American events and politics for outlets such as the Huffington Post, The Cut, NBC Think, Bustle, and the Boston Globe. She appears weekly on the news and culture podcast, Betches Sup, run by the Betches Media group. Most active on Twitter, Kaitlin shares thoughts with more than 37,000 followers on national politics, culture, tactics, and policy — with a unique edge and unfiltered perspective. With a particular focus on white supremacy, Black feminism, American history, and where politics and policy intersect with all of the above, she has a singular take on what’s happening and what’s next for the country.

Connect with Kaitlin:
Kaitlin’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/gothamgirlblue

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson

In this episode you will hear:

• The history of gerrymandering and voter suppression laws in the state of North Carolina
• Information from Billy’s book, Usurpers: How voters stopped the GOP takeover of North Carolina courts
• The challenges of having partisan courts rather than impartial courts
• And more!

More info about Billy: 

Billy Corriher is a contributing writer for Facing South whose work focuses on judicial selection, voting rights, and the courts in North Carolina. He has also written about these issues for ThinkProgress, The Hill, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and the News and Observer. He has been interviewed by NPR’s "Fresh Air" and other media outlets. His book is titled, "Usurpers: How voters stopped the GOP takeover of North Carolina courts." Before attending law school, he was a reporter for the Clayton News-Daily in Georgia. Billy received his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in journalism from UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as a law degree and master's in business administration from Georgia State University.

Connect with Billy: 

Billy’s Book: https://www.amazon.com/Usurpers-Voters-Stopped-Takeover-Carolinas-ebook/dp/B09523QWMN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5FXV9V2HDKU4&keywords=usurpers%3A+north+carolina&qid=1678134163&sprefix=usurpers+north+carolina%2Caps%2C92&sr=8-1

Billy’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/billycorriher


Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897

Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Connect with Stephen:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SER1897
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@ThePlayTyperGuy
Email: ser1840@gmail.com

Join  the Player Typer Guy Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/stephenrobinson