What We Will Abide

I've been wrestling with my anger about the havoc Covid-19 has wrought in our country and the ineptitude that has typified how we've dealt with it. But, I still feel I don't know enough to have an opinion at all. So, in this episode, I turn to Michael Taylor, a Respiratory Therapist who works in the York, PA area. We talk about his career and, in the main, how his expertise is utilized in the current pandemic. I don’t posit Mike Taylor here as the definitive voice on the subject, and neither does he, though I surely present his perspective as a means of telling a certain kind of story in a certain kind of way. In short, I still think something needs to be done about how we as individuals and as a culture have responded (or not responded) to Covid-19. Music for this episode by Sherbanski.Interact with What We Will Abide on Facebook and Twitter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Once an aspiring Medieval historian, Jessica Edonick now serves as Dean of Students at the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in downtown Lancaster, PA. She defines and redefines the position almost all the time, giving liberally of herself to students in need in a selfless, exhaustive way. As a member of the PCAD faculty, I work with her closely and refer students to her regularly. In a professional setting she is always kind, gracious and caring. In this more personal conversation, those traits prove to be the bedrock of her personality and identity. Music by Jordan Capizzi of The Nielsen Family Band Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Osmyn Oree is an admissions counselor at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (PCA&D) and is a gradate of the college. He is also a photographer and an activist. We talk about the evolution of his work, his political consciousness, and a bit about his inner life amidst this turbulent time.Osmyn Oree PhotographyFacebookInstagramOriginal music by Nick Peterson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Of Lenny Bruce, Eric Bogosian said, "Saint Lenny, he died for our sins."Over 60 years ago, comedian Lenny Bruce cracked wise about racism, corrupt power and American culture. His critique still reverberates, which means not enough has changed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Step 1: Unite. People of all skin colors, political agendas, genders and sexualities. All together as one. Step 2: Get the police to join in. Otherwise, it's utter bloodshed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My daughter records a message to herself at age 30 while getting trucks to honk at us; birthday present requests, and the glory of meatballs.Music by Eliot White and Eyal Marcovici. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At some point along the way, Leo DiSanto and I recognized we were dependent on alcohol and took steps to release ourselves from the hold it had on us. What we learned was that things got worse before they got better, Drinking quiets the hobgoblins of self-hatred, but only for a short while, and then they come back with a vengeance. It's at that point that the real work begins.DiSanto is a local Lancaster musician who performed regularly around town until the Covid-19 outbreak. He now streams his performances live from a studio in his home, and is riding out the pandemic by sharing both his music and the music of others, and finding new ways to connect with human beings.https://leodisanto.comhttps://www.facebook.com/thisisleodisanto Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dawn Cox at Prana Functional Manual Therapy (PranaPT.com) came to the PT profession later in her life, and brings to bear her experience connecting with human beings in various sectors of her life in her work now. At Prana, physical therapists treat the whole human being, and don't just reduce people to their injury or their diagnoses.In the era of COVD-19, Prana is still helping people navigate and lessen their pain with Telehealth visits.Music by Eliot White, recorded specifically for his ongoing Quarantine Song/Poem/Art Share project on Facebook. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bob Fenster is a social studies teacher and a musician. I met him a bunch of years ago at aconference on the Arab Spring in Philly. He's a New Jersey boy, born and bred, but I still retain enough (professional) respect for him that I felt like asking him a few questions about how he addresses controversial and contentious political issues in the classroom. Bob is the kind of teacher I aspire to be: self-reflective, both compassionate and vigilant, and clear-eyed. Over the years he's helped me with a number of queries about Model United Nations and curriculum. We talked back in November of 2019, and now we're both confined to our homes, teaching remotely when we can, eyeing the future with a skeptical but oddly optimistic eye.If you like the music you heard in this episode, check out more of it here, https://bobfenster.bandcamp.com/. And tune into to his nightly live shows on FB. He takes (reasonable) requests. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a crossover episode. These days I co-own 9 Panel Comics a comic book store with my friend Jon Darby. We buy and sell old and new comic books. We also produce a comic-related podcast. For this episode, I interview Lee Francis IV is the author of Ghost River, a graphic novel about the Conestoga, a native people who lived in what is now Central Pennsylvania, and the founder of Native Realities and Red Planet Books and Comics in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lee opened Red Planet Comics to provide an outlet and marketplace for the work of native creatives, including books, comics and more.Red Planet ComicsRiverbend ComcsInstagramFacebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Part 1 focused mainly on mental health and constructive coping mechanisms to deal with anxiety and depression, in this episode we consider what so-called “American” values are —as opposed to Canadian values— and spend a good chunk of time critiquing the U.S. health care system.There's also more of Sarah’s music, as it features songs from her newly released album The Family Curse.Find all of Sarah's music here.You can also find her on Instagram @sarah.jickling and on Facebook @sarahsgoodbadluck. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I don’t know Sarah Jickling, but we talked for an hour about anxiety, depression, alter egos, pole-dancing, and just how goddamn big Canada is. I met her on Instagram, via the quirk of a misplaced hashtag. Not long ago, I loathed and readily excoriated social media and its tentacles, as they worm and wiggle their slimy way into our lives. As it turns out, social media isn't the problem -- the problem was, in fact, the tentacles of anxiety and depression that ruled me. But in a year filled with upheaval, one of the bits that got excavated was the truth about my mental health.Now that I’m aware of it, I’m seeing things very differently. I’m embracing things I once resisted, namely, social media and the internet, and I find I actually enjoy connecting with other human beings. Sarah Jickling is one of those people; she's a musician and mental health advocate from Vancouver, British Columbia and she was kind enough to set aside some time to talk openly and honestly with me about mental health, sexuality, the healing wonders of pole-dancing and, of course, the absurd civilization we’re stuck in.Sarah's new album, The Family Curse, is out now.See her music videos here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is a live album of sorts; Liz Fulmer and her band playing at Tellus360 on August 18, 2019, for the Come As You Are words and music event. This is just the music. SONG LIST1) Come As You Are (Nirvana) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Piano; Allan Dutton: Guitar.2) Today (Smashing Pumpkins) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Piano; Allan Dutton: Guitar; Brendan Stengle: Bass Guitar3) Doll Parts (Hole) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Piano, Percussion; Hadassah Wilson: Vocals; Allan Dutton: Guitar4) Nuts (Bitter Delores) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Guitar5) A New England (Billy Bragg) Liz Fulmer: Guitar, Vocals; Leo DiSanto: Guitar, Vocals6) Please Please Please (The Smiths) Leo DiSanto: Guitar, Vocals; Liz Fulmer: Percussion7) Where Is My Mind? (The Pixies) Hadassah Wilson: Vocals; Liz Fulmer: Piano; Allan Dutton: Guitar; Brendan Stengle: Bass Guitar8) Pictures of You (The Cure) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Piano; Allan Dutton: Guitar; Brendan Stengle: Bass Guitar9) Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana) Liz Fulmer: Vocals, Piano; Allan Dutton: Guitar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode #56: Come As You Are: Words and Music, Jamie Beth Cohen and Liz Fulmer shared their thoughts on the live concert they gave at Tellus360. Here, What We Will Abide offers bonus material from the concert. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jamie Beth Cohen's Wasted Pretty is a YA novel set in 1992, a year in which grunge, indie pop, and new wave all seemed to get along. In a special live event at Lancaster's own Tellus 360 this past August, Cohen teamed up with local musician Liz Fulmer to present "Come As You Are," a concert during which Cohen read from her novel and Fulmer (and friends) played music from the period. In this episode, Cohen and Fulmer talk about their collaborative effort, what music can mean for teenagers, and why songs written by men can have very different impact when they're sung by women.Jamie Beth CohenLiz Fulmer Music Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"If you want to see humanity at its most vulnerable, a refugee camp will give you that image."Mustafa Nuur immigrated to the US after a 10-year stay in a refugee camp in Kenya. He is originally from Mogadishu, Somalia and has lived in Lancaster PA since 2017.In chapter IV of What We Will Abide's series on Immigration, Mustafa tells his own story, including the origins of his entrepreneurial drive, his first job in America and how he hit upon an idea to have refugees and immigrations tell their own stories through the universal language of food.He now runs Experience Bridge, a business which helps bring refugees and non-refugees together by sharing food and culture, and Xulbo, a Somali food stand (which also features food from various other nations and cultures) on the roof garden at Tellus 360 in Lancaster.Mustafa has been featured in Lancaster Online, the UN Refugees website and TedX Lancaster.Music by Hannah Bingman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A certain 7-year-old explains his choice to sit out the Pledge of Allegiance at school.Music by Here Inside. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"It's all about the wrestling," Rabbi Jack Paskoff tells me, as we rattle up 95 North on our way home from Washington DC. He drives like a New Yorker: aggressive and confident with an air of 'I got this.' It's sort of the same way he serves his community–out front and fearless while also remaining honest and deeply contemplative. He's "my" rabbi because he's got a huge heart, an indefatigable work ethic, and a genuine interest in what others have to say. In these past few years of his life and career, he's also found that opening his eyes to ways of thinking that were once anathema has now pretty much become the norm. He's "staying on the mat" as the wrestling lingo has it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Though they were happy running Lancaster's favorite bottle shop and pizza joint, The Fridge, Zach Miller and Erin Schram decided to leave the United States after the election of 2016. Following a 2+ year sojourn in New Zealand, they have returned, seeking more time with family and the perfect taco. It might just be the Kiwi, a fish-and-chips inspired creation, or it might be the JJ - a Korean-style delight. Think you've got the chops to invent the world's greatest taco? Head down to Tacos Del Soul and let them know! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's easy to lose sight of privilege; if you're an American citizen, it's something you probably don't think about, ever. But Andrea Alarcon has thought about what it means to be a citizen every day of her life since she learned she couldn't get a driver's license at age 16. The obstacles only compounded from there.This interview was conduced in 2017, and we muse about what might be on the immigration front in two years. Now, two ignominious years later, we know all too well.Original music by Hannah Bingman-Forshey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.