On The Block Radio

Lidia Yuknavitch writes about sex, violence and art. And she does so in a way that will undo you. She breaks language down to the level of the quantum to expose entangled flashes of violence and transformation. You will never be the same after reading her work. She's built a devoted fan base throughout the Pacific Northwest as an author and teacher. And the rest of the world is catching on. Finally. Her book The Chronology of Water changed the way memoir was written and sent shockwaves through the literary world. Her newest novel The Small Backs of Children begins with a photographer snapping a shot of a girl narrowly-escaping a bomb that kills her entire family. And then the book gets really intense.

Adam Klugman is the son of the late actor Jack Klugman. But he is so much more than that. He is the former host of "Mad as Hell in America" and the founder of "Mad as Hell Doctors" that travelled the country in 2008 to promote single payer healthcare. I used to sit in awe and listen to his radio show, especially his now legendary opening monologues. Adam is a passionate, engaging and empathetic presence. I couldn't think of a better guest to kick off the show. Here we discuss living in his father's shadow, the perils of a life of activism, transformative spirituality and a Cards Against Humanity game gone horribly wrong.