Episodes
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Somehow I got through decades without reading Huckleberry Finn. Thanks to Carl Merrick for suggesting it and hanging with me for the discussion. It is way too cold right now. Our country is changing rapidly and it's kinda scary. The Michigan comedy scene is thriving. AI is making customer service more and more terrible. And somehow, this book, originally published in 1884 about the adventures of a young boy floating down the Mississippi River is still absolutely relevant. Of course it has been controversial and banned over the years because it speaks so much truth and folks seem to hate that. Well all the more reason for you to go read or RE read it.
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It is a strange but somehow peaceful time. We are in the 'holiday season', which is 'show season' for me. We are between the election and the inauguration. We decided to read a surprisingly silly Zingerman's SOP and revisit the piece I read for my dear friend's wedding. Jamie updates me on the news from a recent cannabis conference in Vegas. Come see me January 2nd at 50 First Jokes!!
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Missing episodes?
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My lovely friend Patrick Dunn wrote his first horror comic and it was just wonderful to hang out with him and talk about it. You see, he is a journalist by trade and this is a completely different set of skills, and he had been missing all the drawing he used to love to do and has re discovered that love. Of course we had great weed and snacks. We also hit on post election coping, problems specific to men with large heads, and how lucky we are with our circle of weirdo friends. Check out his podcast where he discusses every horror movie on Netflix. It's called, conveniently, 'Every Horror Movie on Netflix'.
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Shelly live at Entheofest 2024 in Ann Arbor on September 22, talking books with new friends, fellow psychonauts and bookworms. Thanks to Claire Forster for helping me with the table. Thanks to MIchigan Psychedelic Society, Decriminalize Nature, Great Lakes Expungement Network, and everyone that works so hard to make this lovely day happen every year. Thanks to Soencer from Detroit Psychedelic Society, Joe, Dalton, Vlad, Whitney McDunn, Evan, and David for taking the time to record with me! Thanks for listening.
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Isn't it strange that we are all trying to figure out the bodies that we live in? Where do we turn when the physical 'fixes' we are trying aren't 'fixing' the issue? Thanks to integrative health practitioner Lacey Reedy for suggesting
this book and for discussing it with me. Times are strange and it can be stressful and sometimes we hold stress in our bodies. This is a great book to start learning to interpret what our bodies are telling us. -
This episode was recorded live at the Independent Comedy Club in Hamtramck as part of the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival in May 2024. I was joined by Claire Forster whose 'lapsed academia' brain helped me digest alllll the vocabulary and concepts from Amanda Montell's third book.
We had the friendliest most engaged audience and goodie bags with treats from MINT Cannabis and Linette Desano. It was a beautiful happy day during a truly crazy time in America. -
Thanks so much to Kseniya for sharing her research with us and congrats on the awards your writing received. This topic is close to the hearts of many of our listeners and we would love to hear your experiences. I was thinking of many of you while we were recording. I appreciate this amazing thoughtful research and also would love to hear your personal stories if you are willing to share. The Federal government seems to be moving forward with rescheduling cannabis! And there is a great big Richard Scarry book! Spring is here. May the 4th be with you.
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This show was recorded the day after a glorious Hash Bash weekend and I think you can hear that in my scratchy voice. We are back with fantasy author Scott Mooney to discuss the third and final book in the poisoned apple trilogy, 'The End of the Rose'. It was so good! I tore through it in a few days. Twists up until the last few pages. What will happen if the giant awakens? Where can I get a glass slipper bong? How long with Antoine be trapped in a magic mirror?! Order these books and find out.
Go check out Episode 24-Pricked and Episode 43-Screaming Beauty for a refresher on the first two.
We were joined by playwright/teacher Nathan Corliss, whose play Three Sinners was read for Episode 58.
I don't know if I say it enough, but I just feel like the luckiest person to be surrounded by creative people willing to share themselves with me.
The song we refer to(and I attempt to sing badly) is 'Deep Dark Truthful Mirror' by Elvis Costello.
Also, since we all met doing improv, we want to shout out to the new Ann Arbor Improv Theater 'hear.say' ! We're proud of you! -
Shelly is joined by Jamie Lowell and Josey Scoggin to discuss all the fun leading up to Hash Bash 2024. The Treasure Hunt is on again! Maps available now-
http://Givebutter.com/hashbashtreasurehunt
Go have a blast wandering around Ann Arbor supporting Great Lakes Expungement Network. -
Shelly gathered with a fantastic fun group of theater vets to discuss and read scenes from Brian Cox's new childrens' play 'Stone Dragon Stew'. Thank you Brian for sharing this gem with us and thanks to Laurie Atwood, Robert Papineau, Tommy Cook, and Dinah Tutein for jumping in.
Villagers of Nearhere are fed up with living under siege of the Stone Dragon, who keeps dropping rocks from the sky! Residents are forced to stay inside, wear a helmet, or suffer the consequences! Smart villager Bookseller offers up a plan: find a brave knight to defeat the Stone Dragon and restore peace to Nearhere. The only problem is nobody in the village knows any knights, so four brave villagers set out to find knights willing to fight the ferocious dragon. After the knights prove to be no help and hope seems lost, a renowned chef shows up and shares the perfect recipe for successfully dealing with the Stone Dragon. -
On a sunny winter Saturday during the Traverse City Comedy Festival, Shelly got to hang out at Verts Neighborhood Dispensary and talk comedy writing with Tanner Oliver, Sam Rager, and Melanie Hearn. What a treat!
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I hadn't talked with my friend Beth Dougherty for over 20 years when I asked her to do this with me. We grew up together in South Carolina. I was in the choir. She painted. We sang Heartbreak Hotel on the sidelines when we were supposed to be cheering on the Boiling Springs Bulldogs. I have wanted to work through this book for so many years and am loving it. She has lived in Germany for a while, so this conversation was just such a gift like we hadn't missed a day, like it was just 1998 when I sang at her wedding. And what a treat to have someone in my life for DECADES who sees Art and Creativity as a Spiritual Path like me. Thank you! I'm doing my pages! Talk in 12 weeks!
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Last show of a true rollercoaster of a year. Jamie Lowell, Chief Operating Officer of Meds Cafe, is on to give me the scoop from MJ Biz Con. Believe it or not, even with new businesses open every day, this plant is still illegal in some places and people are still serving time for cannabis crimes. Thanks to everyone out there still fighting the good fight. Shoutouts to so many, in no particular order-Michigan Weedsters, Americans for Safe Access, Sons and Daughters United, Great Lakes Expungement Network, Michael Thompson Clemency Project, Michigan Cannabis Caucus, Josie Scoggins, Latrish Matson, Amie Carter, Leah Skylar.
Also, Spotify wrapped is fun, I need help from YOU, and 50 First Jokes Ann Arbor is Tuesday, Jan 2nd! Come see us! -
Thanks to Kevin Suboski for recommending this one and for being completely honest about his thoughts on the book. Did we love it? It's complicated. Do the 'insights' hold up? It seems they do!
Let me know what you thought about this one.
Thanks to Redemption brand Mafia Funeral strain for helping Shelly through this one.
Big big love out to the cannabis activists and criminal justice reform community in Michigan who lost some very important warriors in September. We miss you Rick Thompson. -
September is here and that means that we are excited about the 3rd annual Entheofest taking place on the diag at the University of Michigan on Sunday, September 17th at 1:11 pm.
Entheofest is a free speech event celebrating sacred plants and fungi and facilitates creating a base of equity in this growing industry. There will be live music, speakers, and community.
We will once again have a table there and are so excited to see you all again. You can check out this amazing collection of books curated by the Entheofest team and enter a drawing to win them. I KNOW! SO EXCITING. They are in my house right now and it's just delicious.
Thanks to Sara for being the absolute best person to preview them with me! -
This episode was recorded live on May 20, 2023, at the Detroit Women of Comedy Festival at the Independent Comedy Club in Hamtramck. Thanks to the hilarious and mighty Melanie Hearn and her perfect dog Foxy for joining me and thanks to that wonderful mid-day audience that showed up! What a fun vibe to discuss Two-Boy Weekend. Don't let those cute book covers fool you! The Wakefield twins of Sweet Valley High are always into some risky business. Thanks to Redemption Foundation, Treetown Cannabis, Bookfield Books(bookmarks), Bloom City Club and 'This That and the Odder Thing' for gift bag treats!
If you've enjoyed at least ONE episode of this show, please check out and support these organizations.
www.greatlakesexpungmentnetwork.org
www.redemptionfoundation.org
www.lastprisonerproject.org -
I am so grateful to Dr. Dan Piccolo(dear old friend and percussionist) for recommending this book and to Ross Huff(dear old friend and trumpet player) for joining us on the read.
Two big ideas stuck with me from this book. One is that creating music is dependent on the tension between understanding the basics of a deep tradition AND constantly improvising to create something new.
Two is the intimacy in Dyer's stories about many of America's most lauded musicians. We see Thelonius Monk, Lester Young, Charles Mingus, Ben Webster, and more not as icons but in their completely messy painful humanity, often suffering at the hands of the country that celebrates their music, dealing with real mental health issues and loss.
Dan and Ross were the perfect guests and you should take my advice and go check out their music.
www.danpiccolo.com
www.rosshuff.com -
Hey there! You're having STRONG FEELINGS......and maybe, hopefully...... you are being mindful and trying to decide what to DO with these FEELINGS. Well, life coach Jackie Wallace and psychotherapist Elizabeth Reed want you to start writing that shit down to start dealing with it. Shannon Trudell is back.....yaaaay....and this very PRO THERAPY group is having a great time talking about this journal. If you can't afford therapy yet, order this journal and take the first small step to sorting out those thoughts. We are all here cheering you on!
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Special HashBash week promo! The wonderful hardworking Josey Scoggins joins me to talk about her favorite books, the great work the Redemption Foundation is doing, and the Treasure Hunt you can join to support both Sons and Daughters United and the Great Lakes Expungement Network. Come roam around Ann Arbor with us trying goodies and sending help to people that need it.
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I am so grateful that Robyn Gilleran and Sarah Grogan totally get me and laughed when I mailed them this book out of nowhere the night after they first met at a comedy show. I had a feeling these two awesome moms would have a blast together and also have exactly the right commentary on this important work of literature about child-rearing in the animal kingdom. If you are a mom that sometimes takes herself too seriously OR puts pressure on herself to be perfect OR you are heading to a baby shower soon and need a gift, grab this book. You gotta laugh.
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