Our show for Epiphany Literary Journal's EMPIRE Issue was Bushwick Book Club's first collaboration with a periodical.  Each songwriter selected a different work from the issue to respond to –– poetry, short stories, visual art and essays.  In addition to the live recordings of the songs from the show, we have an introduction from Epiphany guest editor, Sameer Panya and readings from Epiphany writers Celia Bland, Ilya Lebovich and Leah Umansky.  You'll hear songs written and performed by Charlie Nieland, Beth Bliss, Susan Hwang, Teresa Toro, Patricia Santos, Lianne Smith, John S. Hall and Ray Brown, plus Sung Uni Lee's soundscape performance.  You'll also hear Intros from contributing Epiphany writers sharing their most recent earworms and intros from BBC songwriters sharing their latest reads.  We hope you enjoy this convergence of writers, musicians, artistic disciplines and creative communities.

Episode 12:  EPIPHANY - The Empire Issue

BBC Podcast Ep 12 - EPIPHANY - The Empire Issue

In Episode 13, Chris Lafave, curator and greeter at the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis, interviews BBC founder Susan Hwang, BBC co-producer Charlie Nieland and BBC Malmö founder Thomas Teller about their upcoming artist residency at KVML for Banned Books Week, 9/25-10/1 with fellow BBC songwriters spiritchild and Patricia Santos.  They talk songwriting, Vonnegut, artistic freedom, creative process and was that John McEnroe?

BBC Podcast Ep 13 - Banned Book Week at The Vonnegut Library & Museum

Ray talks about songwriting and his experience getting ready for the show April 8th inspired by Negin Farsad's HOW TO MAKE WHITE PEOPLE LAUGH.  I can't believe I didn't get a better photo than this all day.

BBC Pre Podcast

Ray Brown for Bushwick Book Club

Thomas Wolfe - BBC Pre Pod

Swan Drsti - BBC Pre Pod

John S. Hall - BBC Pre Pod

Jim Andralis -  Pre Pod

Jia Jung -  BBC Pre Pod

Jessie Kilguss - BBC Pre Pod

Casey Holford - BBC Pre Pod

This is Episode 01 of the Bushwick Book Club Podcast. This installment includes excerpts of live performances by songwriters and artists recorded at the BBC event for Vonnegut's "Man Without A Country" on January 17, 2017 at Barbès in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  These excerpts are nestled within the making and consumption of 13 Man-Without-A-Country-themed cocktails (one for each chapter, plus a bonus cocktail).  There are interviews with the songwriters and artists, plus a lot of talk featuring  BBC creator and host Susan Hwang, producer Charlie Nieland and BBC mixologists, Deborah Magocsi and Jason Boyd in their Park Slope kitchen.

BBC Podcast Ep 01 - Kurt Vonnegut's "Man Without A Country"

Episode 02 of the Bushwick Book Club Podcast celebrates the BBC event inspired by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's novel AMERICANAH for One Book One NY at City Winery NYC on May 12, 2017.  Join BBC founder, Susan Hwang in her kitchen with songwriters, John S. Hall, Charlie Nieland, Jessie Kilguss, Krystal Hawes and Jennifer Devore for AMERICANAH-inspired cocktails and the cookie you don't get for reducing racism.  The songwriters discuss their participation in the first One Book One NY initiative and the impact of AMERICANAH in their music and lives.  Enjoy songs from those at the kitchen table, plus performances from Karen Kuhl, Jim Flynn, Juliet Garrett, Janelle Lawrence, Annie McCain Engman, Terry Radigan, Swan Drsti and Iyvon Edebiri.  Kat Flannery's AMERICANAH-inspired painting is featured, but of course you can't see it.

BBC Podcast Ep 02 - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's "Americanah"

Listening to people talk about Steve Martin is not as funny as listening to Steve Martin.  We're not even going to pretend.  We highly recommend listening to Steve Martin right now.  Soon, you'll be ready to geek out with songwriters John S. Hall, Storm Garner, Terry Radigan, Charlie Nieland, Susan Hwang, Krystal Hawes, Nessa Grasing and comedian Tabitha Vidaurri along with resident literary chef, Jonathan Dressler.  The songs are from their June 6th show at Barbès in Brooklyn.  The conversation is from BBC host and founder, Susan Hwang's kitchen in Bushwick where she served Joyless Parent Pancakes without the No Punchline Punch. It's all inspired by Steve Martin's BORN STANDING UP and CRUEL SHOES.  Thank you, Steve Martin.  And thank you, Steve Martin's dad.

BBC Podcast Ep 03 - Steve Martins's "Born Standing Up" & "Cruel Shoes"

Nobody really wants to listen to songwriters talk about comedy, but if you love Amy Schumer and have already re-watched every youtube clip and episode of her award winning show, you can extend your Schumer binge with these songs inspired by her book THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATTOO recorded live from the BBC show at Barbès in Brooklyn.  Meanwhile, the conversation gets confessional w/ songwriters Jim Andralis, Ellia Bisker, Susan Hwang, Larry Krone, Charlie Nieland and Don Rauf around Susan’s kitchen table in Bushwick while they enjoy Schumer-flavored ice cream.  Maybe butter is a truth serum.

BBC Podcast Ep 04 - Amy Schumer's "The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo"

This episode of THE BUSHWICK BOOK CLUB features songs in response to Tèa Obreht's award-winning debut novel THE TIGER'S WIFE.  The author herself attended the show at venerable Brooklyn cultural institution and watering hole, Barbès.  Hear an excerpt of her reading from the novel, plus all the new songs (fresh out of the songhole!) from Brooklyn songwriters Jessie Kilguss, Ellia Bisker, Erel Pilo, Don Rauf, Charlie Nieland and BBC founder, Susan Hwang.

BBC Podcast Ep 05 - Téa Obreht's "The Tiger's Wife"

Susan Hwang and Charlie Nieland of Lusterlit talk with comic book artist and author Dame Darcy about art, life and several realms of reality -- everything from Atlantis to the 80's.  Hear the new songs from the latest Lusterlit single inspired by Dame Darcy's MEAT CAKE.  And Lusterlit gets a tarot reading from Dame Darcy's new Queen Alice Tarot deck!

BBC Podcast Ep 06 - Lusterlit talks to Dame Darcy re: Meat Cake single, Mermaids, Atlantis and more

It's the Whitman Sampler podcast of the very first, three-city-three-country tour of songs for a book ever-- the book being the very tasty YA psycho-thriller, LITTLE LIAR by author/songwriter Julia Gray.  You'll hear bites from a few songs at each show - Barbès in Brooklyn, NY / The Windmill Brixton in London / Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden.  You'll also hear extra thoughts on writing and words from author Julia Gray in addition to songwriters, Charlie Nieland, Juliet Garrett, Thomas Teller, Loljud, Susan Hwang, Patricia Santos, Renee Lobue, Alastair Harper, Tom Mayne (David Cronenberg's Wife), spiritchild and poet, Kristian Carlsson.  Look out for our podcasts for each individual show that include all songs from each night, coming soon!

BBC Podcast Ep 07 - LITTLE LIAR by Julia Gray - Three Cities

Author Pam Grossman talks about her new book, WAKING THE WITCH with  Bushwick Book Club songwriters Susan Hwang, Charlie Nieland and Gary Burton right on the heels of the latest BBC show of new songs, rituals and spells inspired by Grossman’s “love letter” to the Witch.  They talk magic, politics and art with special attention to the witch archetype and how it’s even more meaningful to personal power and global change now than ever.

BBC Podcast Ep 08 - WAKING THE WITCH by Pam Grossman

The first Quarantine edition of Bushwick Book Club featured 16 musicians, filmmakers, dancers and one chef who came together with author, Tanya Marquardt, to present new songs, dance, film and a fermented food offering in response to Marquardt's STRAY: Memoir of a Runaway. Performances were live-streamed not only from Brooklyn, but BBC Chapters in New Orleans and London.  Excerpts from the live-stream show alternate with clips from songwriters and artists on their experience of this new format and other observations of life and art in Quarantine.  If you listen to the end, you get to participate in the concluding ritual lead by the author, Tanya Marquardt, making this not only a podcast, but a tool for excising ancient karmic Quarantine sludge.  Enjoy!  

Performers featured: Susan Hwang (host, Lusterlit, co-producer), Charlie Nieland (Lusterlit, co-producer), Sung Uni Lee, Ellia Bisker, Ray Brown, Teresa Toro, John S. Hall, Troy Ogilvie (w/Sean Gannet and Omar Zubair), Olivier Conan, Michael Lentz, Henry Tenney w/ Lulu, Tanya Marquardt, Stephanie Larriere, Scott MX Turner. Amanda Thorpe, Gary Burton, Swan Drsti with Spencer Bladyka.  Lisa Barnstone's film is absent from the podcast, but please view it in the video of the whole show saved to our Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BushwickBookClub/).  Tanya's performance of "Just Relax" was used with permission from Theatre Conspiracy Stray.  (https://conspiracy.ca/stray)

BBC Podcast Ep 09 - STRAY by Tanya Marquardt

Join hosts Susan Hwang and Charlie Nieland as they talk with frequent BBC contributor, singer songwriter and legend, Ray Brown.  The conversation covers music and books, songwriting during quarantine, kratom, Bob Dylan, John S. Hall’s love life, Walt Whitman and crack house motels.  Ray’s songs written and performed for Bushwick Book Club over the past five years are played throughout.


Watch the Zoom video conversation of this interview at Youtube.com/bushwickbookclub.  We appreciate donations to paypal.me/bushwickbookclub  You’ll want to visit https://raybrownworld.com/ because now you can’t get enough of him.  You’re welcome.

BBC Podcast Episode 10 - Deep Dive Interview - Ray Brown

This episode features author Ann Lewinson and songwriters from all over the country with new songs and performances inspired by Lewinson’s thought-provoking, art-provoking debut novella A STILL LIFE WITH MEREDITH.  Get ready for songs like the accordion, flute, beatboxing ostinato from Jet Black Pearl in Portland, the new synth pop slow jam by Gary Burton in Brooklyn and a looping cello and vocal ballad from Mia Pixley in Oakland, CA.  There’s also an original sketch written by Teresa Toro depicting a Zoom Tinder date between Marie Bonaparte’s clitoris (played by Teresa Toro) and Jesus’ foreskin (played by Don Rauf). The variety and creativity in the show only mirrors the imagination and depth of the book.  Thank you Ann Lewinson for such rich artistic fodder.  Performances from: Gary Burton, Ellia Bisker,  Nick Balaban, Joy Askew, Teresa Toro, Sung Uni Lee, Charlie Nieland and Susan Hwang.  From outside of New York— Timothy Dark (Las Vegas), Don Rauf (Seattle), Nan Turner (Kansas City), Jet Black Pearl (Portland), Amanda Thorpe (London), Chris Rael (Maryland), Mia Pixley (Oakland, CA).  Thank you Nick Balaban for the intro music, and Charlie Nieland for the outro score!

BBC Podcast Ep 11 - STILL LIFE WITH MEREDITH by Ann Lewinson

Bushwick Book Club is a monthly performance series presenting new music, dance, visual art and sometimes snacks and puppetry inspired by a chosen book.  The podcast extends the book-inspired times into more book-inspired times that you can play in your car or enjoy as an alternative to overhearing your fellow commuter's conversation about wireless plans.

The Bushwick Book Club podcast

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