The Journal of Cultural Conversation

The Clientele: Interview with Alasdair MacLean

Do you have a favorite band or set of songs that you play over and over – in a row, on the same day – because you like them so much? I was introduced to The Clientele a few years ago – and after listening to almost everyone of their albums, I instantly became that [...]

June 15, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo: Interview with Director Lisa F. Jackson

For some stories, the written word can not always tell the whole tale. In such cases, pictures often speak much louder than words alone. But just like books, every film tells a story. Directed by Lisa F. Jackson, The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo addresses the innumerable casualties of women and children who have [...]

June 12, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Interview With Marlene Byrne: Author of the Project Play Children’s Book Series

When you think about children’s games, what comes to mind? Nintendo Wii or Game Boy? World of Warcraft or Battleship? But what about backyard games like ‘kick the can’ or ‘ghosts in the graveyard’? Shouldn’t these be included too? For Marlene Byrne, a children’s author and mother of two from Chicago’s Edgebrook neighborhood, the answer [...]

June 11, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Dayna Malow Interview: Winner of the 2008 Chicago Music Award for Best Country Artist

In the spirit of including all types of authors and artists who have changed the world of words, I’m excited to launch the inaugural edition of Interviews with Awesome Musicians, featuring award winning singer and songwriter Dayna Malow. With a long career as a musician, Dayna has produced three fantastic albums: “Anywhere But Here, “Tangled [...]

June 8, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Becoming Alice: Alice Rene Interview

Last year, I received a newsletter announcing the release of Alice Rene’s new memoir Becoming Alice. From the description alone, I ordered it immediately and have since recommended it to numerous friends and colleagues. In my opinion, Becoming Alice is one of the most influential and powerful memoirs I have ever read. In Becoming Alice, [...]

June 6, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Something Different For Women: Interview with Jennifer Macaluso-Gilmore

Three years ago, I realized I was, well, not living my best life. Also known as bad relationship + feeling no life purpose + eating a lot of cupcakes. And then, one of my best friends introduced me to Jennifer Macaluso-Gilmore and her organization, Something Different For Women, LLC. Since January 2003, Jennifer has taught [...]

June 1, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Interview with Tod Goldberg

It’s like what Bruce Springsteen says in ‘No Surrender’: “We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school.” – Tod Goldberg Well known for his novels Fake Liar Cheat (Pocket Books/MTV), Living Dead Girl (Soho Press) and the short story collection Simplify (OV Books), Tod Goldberg’s works have received notable [...]

May 30, 2009 CONTINUE READING →

Interview with Shel Israel: Author of Twitterville

When I asked Shel Israel about his own writing practice, he said “My blog is sort of my writing gymnasium.” I love that. Evident in his work, experience and even his insightful analogy, there’s no doubt that Israel was – and continues to be – ahead of the game. A noted writer and expert speaker [...]

May 29, 2009 CONTINUE READING →