It's the end of 2019 and we feel fine. Listen to Gessy Alvarez read the last story she wrote in 2019. We'll be launching our monthly reading series in the Red Room at KGB Bar, NYC in 2020. Join us for our first reading event on January 14. For details go to DiggingPress.com/reading-series. Happy New Year, all! Opening and Closing Music Credit: Dusk Cathedral by Lee Rosevere RELEASED: April 2nd, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Ambient, Hip-Hop Beats, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:17:44 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…Dusk_Cathedral Interlude: RELEASED: March 20th, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Minimal Electronic, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:41:43 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…5_Where_Was_I-

Storyteller Series continues with a witty tale - Gummy Candies Maybe the Fourth State of Matter, But That’s Only After They’ve Been Admitted to the Union by David S. Atkinson. David S. Atkinson is the author of books such as "Roses are Red, Violets are Stealing Loose Change from my Pockets While I Sleep," "Apocalypse All the Time," and the Nebraska book award-winning "Not Quite so Stories." He is a Prose Assistant Editor for "Digging Through The Fat" and his writing appears in "Spelk," "Jellyfish Review," "Thrice Fiction," "Literary Orphans," and more. His writing website is http://davidsatkinsonwriting.com/. Opening and Closing Music Credit: Dusk Cathedral by Lee Rosevere RELEASED: April 2nd, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Ambient, Hip-Hop Beats, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:17:44 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…Dusk_Cathedral Interlude: RELEASED: March 20th, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Minimal Electronic, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:41:43 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…5_Where_Was_I-

Storyteller Series continues with a captivating piece - How We Are Alone by Christopher Bowen. Christopher Bowen is the author of the chapbook, We Were Giants; the novella, When I Return to You, I Will Be Unfed; and the non-fiction, Debt. He blogs from Burning River and has traveled throughout the U.S. You can learn more about Christopher's work at buriningriver.info. Opening and Closing Music Credit: Dusk Cathedral by Lee Rosevere RELEASED: April 2nd, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Ambient, Hip-Hop Beats, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:17:44 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…Dusk_Cathedral Interlude: RELEASED: March 20th, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Minimal Electronic, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:41:43 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_6/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_6_-_15_Where_Was_I-

Storyteller Series kicks off with a wondrous tale - Judge by Zuzanna Fiminska. Zuzanna Fimińska is a writer filling the world with great conversations and many points of view. Her work was published in Mslexia, Other Stories, Coil Magazine, Cecile's Writers, Cadaverine and others. She's the creator Project Neighbours, a series of interviews with people from around the world about diversity and creating a world fit for purpose: www.projectneighbours.com/interviews. Opening and Closing Music Credit: Dusk Cathedral by Lee Rosevere RELEASED: April 2nd, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Ambient, Hip-Hop Beats, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:17:44 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rose…Dusk_Cathedral Interlude: RELEASED: March 20th, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Minimal Electronic, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:41:43 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Music_For_Podcasts_6/Lee_Rosevere_-_Music_For_Podcasts_6_-_15_Where_Was_I-

We're back from a long hiatus. Gessy talks about what has kept her away for so long, Portland, AWP Conference, and answers the question everyone was asking her...What does 'Cultural Omnivore' mean? Opening and Closing Music Credit: Dusk Cathedral by Lee Rosevere RELEASED: April 2nd, 2019 GENRES: Electronic, Ambient, Hip-Hop Beats, Instrumental LENGTH: 00:17:44 LABEL: Happy Puppy Records http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/Blue_Dot_RMX/Dusk_Cathedral

I invited Paul Beckman for a drink and a chat at my favorite spot, Great Jones Cafe in NYC. We talked about his new stories and where he grew up. Paul reads his stories: "Bad Man" and "Honey, Darling." Music Credits: Opening and Closing - The Grind by Justin Mahar Improvisata Persica 'Santur'. Composed and Performed by by Frank Zintl. Don Perez Freire (Tango). Composer: Agustin Barrios Mangore. Performer: Edson Lopes. All music courtesy of MusOpen.org.

I had the pleasure of spending an evening with writer Bud Smith and artist Rae Buleri. We talk about their book Dust Bunny City, Bud's new book Double Bird, writing and art life, and all the fuzzy stuff in between. Music Credit: The Grind by Justin Mahar courtesy of MusOpen.org

In this final episode of season one, Gessy has some fun reading a condensed version of her short story "Swinging from a Chandelier." She even attempts to carry a tune or two.

Gessy continues to obsess over formidable artists. This week she's living for Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector and artist Louise Bourgeois. Listen to an excerpt of Lispector's short story, The Dinner, from her New Directions' collection, Complete Stories. Learn about Louise Bourgeois' exhibit, An Unfolding Portrait, at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. As always, Flowers! Also featured: an excerpt from David Salle's article in The New York Review of books: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/12/07/louise-bourgeois-outing-inside/ Music Credit: The Grind by Justin Mahar courtesy of MusOpen.org

Part two of our interview with poet Roberto Carlos Garcia about his collection, Melancolía. We chat about life in the suburbs, higher powers, Get Fresh Books, and the state of poetic education. This is part two of two. Music: The Grind by Justin Mahar courtesy of MusOpen.org