Podcasts Savannah Podcast

Retired educator Joseph Killorin, who taught at Armstrong State University for four decades, remembers his friendship with the great Savannah writer Conrad Aiken. He reflects on the tragic childhood events that shaped Aiken’s life and the “terrific” times that they both enjoyed in the writer’s waning years.

Imam Maajid Faheem Ali, the spiritual leader of Masjid Jihad, Savannah’s oldest mosque, talks about Islam and the ignorance surrounding it. He speaks eloquently about the possibility of greater understanding through education, however incremental.

Visual artist Michael Mahaffey talks about his stencil and spray paint creations. Often referencing strong women from television and movies, they take a dark, humorous and subversive hit at modern life. His work has strong overtones of LGBT culture.

Chaz Ortiz of Chazito’s Latin Cuisine talks about his food truck. His delicious empanadas, Cuban sandwiches and mojo pork are devoured at special events. He is a culinary pioneer who navigated difficult rules in Savannah to lead the way for others.

Archaeologist Victor Thompson of the University of Georgia talks about the Native American practice of communal feasting and what it has to say about changes in the landscape of Ossabaw Island. Island cowboy Roger Parker talks about his six decade career as a wildlife manager on Ossabaw Island.

Armstrong biology major Yair Munoz talks about his journey from Mexico to graduation at Armstrong State University. Brought to this country as a nine-year-old, the child immigrant overcame many obstacles to become an inspiration to his peers among undocumented students. His case challenges the US policy of “Deferred Action.”

Jamie Durrence of Daniel Reed Hospitality talks about his sleek and modern farm-to-table restaurants, Local 11Ten, the Public Kitchen and Bar and Soho South Café. He talks about his background in the fashion industry and the importance of patience, tourism and details in restaurant management.

Savannah writer Beverly Willett talks about the inspirations behind her work, including her nationally-published articles about parenting and marriage. Her daughters and Buddhist meditation retreats inform her work. She also co-chairs the Coalition for Divorce Reform and talks about the constitutionality of no fault divorce.

Archaeologist David Hurst Thomas of the American Museum of Natural History talks about Fallen Tree, a burial ground site of the extinct Guale people on St. Catherine’s Island. He also talks about his archaeological principles and career accomplishments.

Xulu Jones of the band Xuluprophet talks about his eclectic style, his distinctive voice and his rise from homelessness and addiction. He describes his musical influences and performs four songs. He shares some of his views on food security and religion.

Scott West of Savannah Master Calendar talks about his distinctive hats, his cute dogs, his powerful marketing business and his outspoken activism. One of Savannah’s most visible gay businessmen, he recently took to social media to decry the city’s crime wave. He talks about his family, living with HIV and Savannah’s LGBT community.

Ramsey Khalidi of Southern Pine Co. talks about his “urban recycling” business. He’s the “everything is recyclable” and “build a community” historic preservationist in Savannah. He talks about the evolution of his business, his professional background, his many collaborations and the small business incubator that Southern Pine Co. has become.

Savannah education researcher and practitioner Alethea Raynor talks about school reform. An advocate with the Anneburg Institute for School Reform, she talks about discipline disparities, community partnerships and two initiatives she co-founded in Savannah, the Risers Academy and the African-American Male Achievement group.

Author and playwright Miriam Center presents a tour of the addresses that she’s called home in Savannah. Daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, women’s spiritual guide, former real estate agent, former politician and divorcee of a longtime Savannah alderman, her homes reveal a lot more than how the neighborhoods have changed.

Courtney McNeil, Curator of Fine Arts and Exhibitions at Telfair Musems, talks about the exhibit “Monet and American Impressionism.” The exhibit presents four works by Claude Monet, six Impressionist works from the museums’ permanent collection and scores of traveling pieces that all highlight the art of Impressionists in the United States.

Erik Brooks, author of “Tigers in the Tempest: Savannah State University and the Struggle for Civil Rights,” talks about the school’s 225 year history. He connects campus activities with larger events in the equality movement. And he isn’t afraid to delve into internal struggles on campus.

Artist, historian and writer Deborah Willis of New York University talks about the intersection of history, culture and identity in black images. Telfair Museums presented this lecture in connection with the exhibit “Mickalene Thomas at Giverny.” It was the 2015 Jacob and Gwendolyn Lawrence Lecture.

Jazz guitarist, band leader, arranger and composer Jackson Evans talks about his influences, mentors, collaborators and artistic progressions. And there’s a surprise. He sings, too! This professionally recorded performance takes you inside his creativity.

Innovative opera composer Michael Ching talks about his new work based on a Savannah story, “Alice Ryley.” The Savannah Voice Festival Commissioned the piece. It tells the tale of an Irish immigrant in Colonial Georgia. Ching also talks about his other notable works and the inspirations that drove them.

Karen Jenkins of the Savannah Tree Foundation and Shem Kendrick of Coastal Arbor Care talk about tree maintenance from a homeowner’s perspective. They discuss the problems and solutions in neighborhoods where emergency trees threaten property and lives.