Erratics Transistor (https://transistor.fm) https://feeds.transistor.fm/erratics A podcast about a small liberal arts college that closed and the unusual people who went there. Hosted by Zak Breckenridge. © 2026 Zak Breckenridge 5dc316ca-68a3-5a9c-a7a4-e16c0b9674c7 yes en Sat, 25 Jul 2026 20:01:45 -0700 Sat, 25 Jul 2026 20:02:03 -0700 https://img.transistorcdn.com/LjOSDZ9nHwXv2wdhuU4DAZylBkWNzlaJKtwo-iIoCyo/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9jMGVm/MmIwZjhhYWRmZjcw/Yzk1OGU2ZGI3YmI5/NTM2MC5wbmc.jpg Erratics episodic Zak Breckenridge A podcast about a small liberal arts college that closed and the unusual people who went there. Hosted by Zak Breckenridge. A podcast about a small liberal arts college that closed and the unusual people who went there. higher education, history Zak Breckenridge No No Molly McCully Brown on the Value of a Flexible Mind 7 7 Molly McCully Brown on the Value of a Flexible Mind full 9bda89ff-f0f0-4acb-9539-50dfb4cd89df https://share.transistor.fm/s/afa94c2f My guest is Molly McCully Brown. Molly is the author of the essay collection Places I’ve Taken My Body (Persea Books, 2020) and the poetry collection The Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded (Persea Books, 2017). With Susannah Nevison, she is also the co-author of the poetry collection In the Field Between Us (Persea Books, 2020). Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Best American Essays, Tin House, The Yale Review, The New York Times and elsewhere. She is Editor-in-Chief of Image Journal. You can learn more about Molly and her work at www.mollymccullybrown.com. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

You can check out Zak's essay "Landscapes of Displacement and the Politics of Dead Pets" on Edge Effects now.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in April 2026.

]]> My guest is Molly McCully Brown. Molly is the author of the essay collection Places I’ve Taken My Body (Persea Books, 2020) and the poetry collection The Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded (Persea Books, 2017). With Susannah Nevison, she is also the co-author of the poetry collection In the Field Between Us (Persea Books, 2020). Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Best American Essays, Tin House, The Yale Review, The New York Times and elsewhere. She is Editor-in-Chief of Image Journal. You can learn more about Molly and her work at www.mollymccullybrown.com. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

You can check out Zak's essay "Landscapes of Displacement and the Politics of Dead Pets" on Edge Effects now.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in April 2026.

]]> Sun, 17 May 2026 09:00:00 -0700 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 5052 My guest is Molly McCully Brown. Molly is the author of the essay collection Places I’ve Taken My Body (Persea Books, 2020) and the poetry collection The Virginia State Colony for Epileptics and Feebleminded (Persea Books, 2017). With Susannah Nevison, she is also the co-author of the poetry collection In the Field Between Us (Persea Books, 2020). Her work has appeared in The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, Best American Essays, Tin House, The Yale Review, The New York Times and elsewhere. She is Editor-in-Chief of Image Journal. You can learn more about Molly and her work at www.mollymccullybrown.com. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

You can check out Zak's essay "Landscapes of Displacement and the Politics of Dead Pets" on Edge Effects now.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in April 2026.

]]> higher education, history No Adam Miller on Preserving Craft Traditions 6 6 Adam Miller on Preserving Craft Traditions full 89f959b2-0be6-41c1-9e10-8f55e0f86e4c https://share.transistor.fm/s/8ac91699 My guest  is Adam Miller. Adam is an independent carpenter and consultant specializing in timber and log framing. He serves as editor of Timber Framing, the technical journal of the Timber Framers Guild, and has traveled widely to share his experience and expertise with other woodworkers. He has taught at the Heartwood School, the Timber Framers Guild Community Workshop, and Bard College, among other organizations, and is a co-founder of Kominka North America, a firm dedicated to the adaptive reuse abroad of endangered Japanese timber structures. Learn more about his work at adammillercarpentry.com.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in January 2026.

]]> My guest  is Adam Miller. Adam is an independent carpenter and consultant specializing in timber and log framing. He serves as editor of Timber Framing, the technical journal of the Timber Framers Guild, and has traveled widely to share his experience and expertise with other woodworkers. He has taught at the Heartwood School, the Timber Framers Guild Community Workshop, and Bard College, among other organizations, and is a co-founder of Kominka North America, a firm dedicated to the adaptive reuse abroad of endangered Japanese timber structures. Learn more about his work at adammillercarpentry.com.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in January 2026.

]]> Mon, 23 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0800 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 3839 My guest  is Adam Miller. Adam is an independent carpenter and consultant specializing in timber and log framing. He serves as editor of Timber Framing, the technical journal of the Timber Framers Guild, and has traveled widely to share his experience and expertise with other woodworkers. He has taught at the Heartwood School, the Timber Framers Guild Community Workshop, and Bard College, among other organizations, and is a co-founder of Kominka North America, a firm dedicated to the adaptive reuse abroad of endangered Japanese timber structures. Learn more about his work at adammillercarpentry.com.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in January 2026.

]]> higher education, history No Party Nails on Visceral Art 5 5 Party Nails on Visceral Art full 6763435e-7f75-49f0-988d-871285920c8e https://share.transistor.fm/s/2dcea66c My guest today is the artist, producer, and engineer Elana Carroll, aka Party Nails. Her 2025 album Pillow Talk reached number 1 on Submodern Radio. She has toured widely with her blend of alt-pop, rock, and americana and operates a recording studio, Top Coat Music, in Los Angeles. Party Nails' most recent release is The Party Nails Winter EP, which is available on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp. You can learn more about Elana’s music and other projects on her website partypartynails.com, or on social media @partypartynails. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in December 2025.

]]> My guest today is the artist, producer, and engineer Elana Carroll, aka Party Nails. Her 2025 album Pillow Talk reached number 1 on Submodern Radio. She has toured widely with her blend of alt-pop, rock, and americana and operates a recording studio, Top Coat Music, in Los Angeles. Party Nails' most recent release is The Party Nails Winter EP, which is available on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp. You can learn more about Elana’s music and other projects on her website partypartynails.com, or on social media @partypartynails. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in December 2025.

]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0800 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 4617 My guest today is the artist, producer, and engineer Elana Carroll, aka Party Nails. Her 2025 album Pillow Talk reached number 1 on Submodern Radio. She has toured widely with her blend of alt-pop, rock, and americana and operates a recording studio, Top Coat Music, in Los Angeles. Party Nails' most recent release is The Party Nails Winter EP, which is available on all streaming platforms and Bandcamp. You can learn more about Elana’s music and other projects on her website partypartynails.com, or on social media @partypartynails. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in December 2025.

]]> higher education, history No Jeff Dietrich on the Infrastructures of Community 4 4 Jeff Dietrich on the Infrastructures of Community full 9d681a3a-09d1-4693-8425-01aa9acd6204 https://share.transistor.fm/s/2816dab6 My guest is Jeff Dietrich. Jeff is a former community engagement professional and artist-in-residence. He is now a photographer and a novice frame-maker, woodworker, photography instructor, writer, election worker, cyclist, adventurer, and general-purpose dabbler. You can find his photos and writings at jeff-dietrich.com, and on his Instagram page @JeffDietrich. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in October 2025.

]]> My guest is Jeff Dietrich. Jeff is a former community engagement professional and artist-in-residence. He is now a photographer and a novice frame-maker, woodworker, photography instructor, writer, election worker, cyclist, adventurer, and general-purpose dabbler. You can find his photos and writings at jeff-dietrich.com, and on his Instagram page @JeffDietrich. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in October 2025.

]]> Mon, 15 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0800 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 4462 My guest is Jeff Dietrich. Jeff is a former community engagement professional and artist-in-residence. He is now a photographer and a novice frame-maker, woodworker, photography instructor, writer, election worker, cyclist, adventurer, and general-purpose dabbler. You can find his photos and writings at jeff-dietrich.com, and on his Instagram page @JeffDietrich. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in October 2025.

]]> higher education, history No Chris Coggins on Cosmology, Ecology, and Collective Inquiry 3 3 Chris Coggins on Cosmology, Ecology, and Collective Inquiry full 33ff539c-3794-4bd3-8a82-193de797b0a4 https://share.transistor.fm/s/f3e89370 My guest is Chris Coggins. Chris has been professor of Geography and Asian Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock for 27 years, and now teaches at the new Simon’s Rock at Bard College. He is the author of The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China (2003) and many articles and chapters on geography, environment, and China. He is the editor of, most recently, Sacred Forests of Asia: Spiritual Ecology and the Politics of Nature Conservation (2022) with Bixia Chen. He has a new article in American Historical Review, coauthored with Ian Miller, on Fengshui forests in China, and he has an essay on Betty’s Oak and the forests around Simon’s Rock in a forthcoming collection edited by Jennifer Browdy. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in September 2025.

]]> My guest is Chris Coggins. Chris has been professor of Geography and Asian Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock for 27 years, and now teaches at the new Simon’s Rock at Bard College. He is the author of The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China (2003) and many articles and chapters on geography, environment, and China. He is the editor of, most recently, Sacred Forests of Asia: Spiritual Ecology and the Politics of Nature Conservation (2022) with Bixia Chen. He has a new article in American Historical Review, coauthored with Ian Miller, on Fengshui forests in China, and he has an essay on Betty’s Oak and the forests around Simon’s Rock in a forthcoming collection edited by Jennifer Browdy. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in September 2025.

]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2025 09:00:00 -0800 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 4935 My guest is Chris Coggins. Chris has been professor of Geography and Asian Studies at Bard College at Simon’s Rock for 27 years, and now teaches at the new Simon’s Rock at Bard College. He is the author of The Tiger and the Pangolin: Nature, Culture, and Conservation in China (2003) and many articles and chapters on geography, environment, and China. He is the editor of, most recently, Sacred Forests of Asia: Spiritual Ecology and the Politics of Nature Conservation (2022) with Bixia Chen. He has a new article in American Historical Review, coauthored with Ian Miller, on Fengshui forests in China, and he has an essay on Betty’s Oak and the forests around Simon’s Rock in a forthcoming collection edited by Jennifer Browdy. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in September 2025.

]]> higher education, history No Katie Bradshaw on Refusing to Become a Professional 2 2 Katie Bradshaw on Refusing to Become a Professional full 1dcd095f-dfc4-425e-97ba-91ef3283597f https://share.transistor.fm/s/2d541fe5 My guest is Katie Bradshaw. Katie is a doctoral candidate in English literature at the University of Southern California. She is a critic and essayist, and she wants to stay a student and an amateur, and to never become a professional. She has a forthcoming essay in Cambridge Quarterly about writers who draw.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in July 2025.

]]> My guest is Katie Bradshaw. Katie is a doctoral candidate in English literature at the University of Southern California. She is a critic and essayist, and she wants to stay a student and an amateur, and to never become a professional. She has a forthcoming essay in Cambridge Quarterly about writers who draw.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in July 2025.

]]> Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:32:45 -0700 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 4211 My guest is Katie Bradshaw. Katie is a doctoral candidate in English literature at the University of Southern California. She is a critic and essayist, and she wants to stay a student and an amateur, and to never become a professional. She has a forthcoming essay in Cambridge Quarterly about writers who draw.

Recorded at the University of Southern California Digital Creative Lab in July 2025.

]]> higher education, history No Lukas Walczak on the Fight Against Fascism 1 1 Lukas Walczak on the Fight Against Fascism full 4793a4bf-2f16-4e70-9200-af717e173b74 https://share.transistor.fm/s/b807bccb My guest is Lukas Walczak. He is a former community organizer, and at the time of our conversation was the senior advisor to Congressman Robert Garcia in California’s 42nd district. He is now the campaign manager for Perry Meade in California’s 40th congressional district.

Recorded in March 2025 in Long Beach, CA.

]]> My guest is Lukas Walczak. He is a former community organizer, and at the time of our conversation was the senior advisor to Congressman Robert Garcia in California’s 42nd district. He is now the campaign manager for Perry Meade in California’s 40th congressional district.

Recorded in March 2025 in Long Beach, CA.

]]> Thu, 02 Oct 2025 19:25:33 -0700 Zak Breckenridge Zak Breckenridge 5318 My guest is Lukas Walczak. He is a former community organizer, and at the time of our conversation was the senior advisor to Congressman Robert Garcia in California’s 42nd district. He is now the campaign manager for Perry Meade in California’s 40th congressional district.

Recorded in March 2025 in Long Beach, CA.

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