Five Things

It’s not often that a poem goes viral. But it happened in 2016, with “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith. I won’t read it for you now, but it’s short and you can find it online with a quick search. It speaks to anyone who’s …

Checking in with Emily McCay, who was a guest on this podcast in July of 2017. She was known around Louisville as "The Diaper Fairy," because of her …

Today’s guest has two personalities, in a way -- in daily life, he’s Samuel Penn, 26 years old, grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky, then moved to New …

Our guest is Mindy Thomas, host of "Wow in the World," a podcast for kids about science from NPR, and "Absolutely Mindy" from Sirius XM. Her actual …

Idris Goodwin is a playwright and the (new) Artistic Director of StageOne Family Theatre in Louisville. Listen to find out what a breakbeat poet is, how a cookbook is like a play script, and his complicated relationship …

I first “met” writer Susan Piver when I read her book, “The Hard Questions: 100 Questions to Ask Before You Say ‘I Do’” which I recommend as an excellent guidebook for talking with your significant other before taking …

Izio Rosenman is 83 years old, he was born in Poland, he spent his childhood in the Buchenwald concentration camp, and he has lived in Paris since …

Hey, it's Tara, here with a quick update. I know this feed has been quiet for the past little while, and I'm here to let you know that the next season of Five Things is coming up really soon! I've been working this …

This week’s guest is Angela Davis, a schoolteacher whose primary teaching tool is knitting needles. And this conversation between us arose from her …

This week, we’ll hear from a woman whose job is to get kids psyched up about reading. And through that job, she met her hero.

Writer Leesa Cross-Smith is based in Louisville, and she’s just published her first novel, "Whiskey and Ribbons." Find out why she considered it a radical act to tell the story in the way she did, what’s her secret …

The host of "Note to Self," a podcast about the human side of technology, tells us about the simple, small things that keep her grounded (and on …

Mark Schultz is the author of "Evocation to Visible Appearance," among other plays, and he's also a priest in the Episcopal Church. He was in …

This episode's guest is Chef Anoosh Shariat, owner of two Louisville restaurants, Anoosh Bistro and Noosh Nosh. He grew up in Iran, learned classical “fine dining” techniques, and was a local pioneer in fusion cooking.

My guest this week on Five Things is Claude Stephens, who works as an educator at Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest, just south of Louisville. But as he says, there are many other ways he moves through the world.

Vin Scelsa is a familiar name to anybody who grew up listening to FM radio in the New York/New Jersey area. He spent nearly 50 years playing music on …

Amanda Stahl works at Mattingly Edge, a Louisville organization that works with people with disabilities, with the goal of helping them live independently. Amanda has a masters degree in social work, and works at …

Musician Dan Zanes calls what he does "family music" or "all-ages music," not "children's music," because he really is playing for everybody. In talking with him, I learned about how he really sees his music and the way …

This week’s guest is a big thinker, with his head in a million different places. He’s got a very public job that puts him in touch with a lot of people -- and the ensemble he leads had the number 1 classical album in …

This week's guest is Angie Fenton, a name that’s familiar to many Louisville TV viewers -- she’s frequently seen on WHAS 11, as a contributor to their morning news show. She seems to be everywhere -- emcee-ing a gala …

This week’s guest is a performer who specializes in hiding what he’s actually doing onstage -- and directing your attention elsewhere.

My guest this week is an author based in Corydon, Indiana, not far from Louisville. Frank Bill has just released his third book, a novel titled The Savage. It’s a post-apocalyptic tale of survival, set in and around …

Hannah Drake is a poet, a spoken-word artist, and a cultural producer with Ideas xLab, which works at the intersection of health and art. She’s …

This week, my guest is someone who spends some of his time in creative work, but it’s not something he ever imagined he’d do. James Prichard is a member of Shakespeare Behind Bars, a theatre troupe based at the Luther …

This week's guest on Five Things is Ophira Eisenberg, stand-up comedian, writer, and host of the NPR comedy game show Ask Me Another. She's also got a new comedy special just out, called "Inside Joke," which she taped …

Kayla Rae Whitaker is the author of "The Animators," a novel published earlier this year by Random House. She's a Kentucky native who recently moved to Louisville after several years in New York City. Among other …

This week's show was recorded live at the Writers' Block Festival in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 2017. Kentucky's Poet Laureate, Frederick Smock, was my guest -- we talked about how children are natural poets, how …

This week, we're sharing a rebroadcast of one of our most popular episodes: a conversation with Joe Phelps, pastor at Highland Baptist Church in …

My guest this week has been in situations that I can only imagine -- four deployments with the US Army will put you in harm’s way on a regular basis. …

This week's guest on Five Things is writer and community leader Amy Bammel Wilding. She's the creator and lead facilitator at Red Tent Louisville, which she describes as a gathering place "dedicated to witnessing and …

The first Victor LaValle book I ever read was his 2012 novel, "The Devil In Silver." It's a masterful blend of horror and social commentary -- …

This week's guest on Five Things is an accountant who's finally figured out how to use her skills to support the things she believes in. Let me …

Reshma Shetty and I met nearly 20 years ago in Lexington, Kentucky, when she had just moved to town for graduate school in music and I was working at …

NPR reporter Sam Sanders was one of the breakout stars of the 2016 election season. He's now the host of his own podcast (and radio show), called It's Been A Minute, in which he talks with newsmakers, artists, and other …

Will Russell founded Lebowski Fest, a yearly celebration of the Coen Brothers’ movie that then spread nationwide. He owned two stores, Why …

This week’s guest is world-renowned opera singer Christine Brewer, a Wagnerian soprano who’s performed on just about every stage and with every …

My guest this week, Louisville-based musician Ben Sollee, has been recording and touring since 2008, so he's done a LOT of interviews over the years. …

Each week on Five Things, we meet a guest who has selected five physical objects that have been resonant or important in his or her life, and we learn about that person from those things. Usually we sit in a quiet …

A situation almost guaranteed to produce dread: when your friend says, "Hey, I'm performing the one-woman play that I wrote about my life, you should …

On this week’s episode of Five Things, our guest is writer Patrick Wensink, a novelist whose first-ever children’s book is coming out next week. "Go Go Gorillas” was inspired by Wensink's visits to the zoo with his …

On this week’s episode of Five Things, my guest is Matt Jones, the host of Kentucky Sports Radio and the co-founder of the New Kentucky Project. He’s best known for being a professional fan of Kentucky basketball, but …

This week's guest is a writer who first came to my attention when she performed at The Moth StorySLAM in Louisville (producing that monthly event is …

This week's guest is Kentucky author Silas House, who made his name as a novelist (Clay's Quilt, Eli the Good) and is also known for his essays and …

Emily McCay is known around Louisville as the Diaper Fairy, a fanciful name for the cloth diaper delivery service she runs. She also owns the Diaper …

Our guest this week on Five Things is Diane Downs, a musician and a teacher who leads one of the most unusual performing ensembles you’ll ever hear. …

This week's guest is a familiar face and voice to Louisville-area TV viewers, as she anchors the evening news on WHAS, the local ABC affiliate. I’ve known about her for years, but when she really came to my attention …

Our guest is writer Shannon Stocker, who chose a risky experimental treatment in another country in a last-ditch effort to cure a painful disorder. …

Matt Wallace is the producing artistic director at Kentucky Shakespeare, which puts on the summer Shakespeare festival in Central Park along with outreach and education throughout the state. He also works with …

Our guest is Louisville musician Dennis Ledford. He’s been part of the Louisville music scene since the 1960s, and if you graduated from high school …

My guest this week on Five Things is Joe Phelps, the pastor at Highland Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky. His church is known for being a progressive place, and we talked about the forces that have led him to the …

Our guest is Anne Miller, who has a Ph.D in neuropsychology and is also the co-owner of Suspend Louisville, a studio that teaches circus arts like …

On this week’s edition of Five Things, my guest is Marybeth Legler, a kindergarten teacher and nutritionist who lives in Louisville. She grew up in northern Indiana, near Fort Wayne, and when she came into the studio to …

On this week’s edition of Five Things, my guest is Louisville writer Anne Bogel. Her blog, Modern Mrs. Darcy (which I've read for years), covers a variety of topics: work, family, style, and her primary passion, books. …

On this week’s edition of Five Things, my guest is Matt Burns, the reigning world champion of competitive air guitar. When he’s not melting faces onstage, he’s a waiter in Staten Island, New York. He’s been in …

This week’s guest on Five Things is writer Larry Muhammad, a former longtime reporter for the Louisville Courier-Journal who now spends his time writing, directing and producing plays. He brought a stack of papers into …

This week’s guest on Five Things is Aldy Milliken, director of the KMAC Museum, formerly known as the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. Milliken came …

This week’s guest on Louisville Public Media’s Five Things podcast is writer Dave Henry. He was one of the screenwriters for the film “Pleased to Meet Me,” which filmed in Louisville and premiered in 2013. He’s also the …

This week’s edition of Five Things features guest Andy Beshear, a familiar name to many Kentuckians: he’s been the state attorney general since January 2016, and he’s the son of former Kentucky governor Steve Beshear.

It's our first LIVE show! Tracy Clayton, writer at BuzzFeed and co-host of the fabulous podcast Another Round, is also a proud Louisville native -- …

This week's guest is musician Amy Helm. She’s a singer-songwriter based in Woodstock, New York, and she released her first solo album, “Didn’t It …

This week’s guest on Five Things knows about the limitations of time more than many of us: he’s a ballet dancer, a profession with an early expiration date. Fortunately for him — and for us here in Louisville — Robert …

This week’s guest on Five Things is Theo Edmonds, who moves effortlessly between rural and urban, just as he moves between creative and corporate. He’s an artist by training, with a law degree and extensive experience …

Activist and writer (and self-described "quirky older woman") Judi Jennings is our guest this week. She's the former Executive Director of the …

This week’s guest has been a hip-hop musician and a clothing store owner, he’s worked as a private security guard and he’s been a prison chaplain. These days, he’s probably best known here in Louisville for his artwork: …

Musician, artist and writer Jim White is our guest this week. Maybe you heard his song "Wordmule" during a pivotal scene on "Breaking Bad." Maybe you …

Kathleen Driskell is a poet and Associate Program Director of the MFA in Creative Writing Program at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. She's the author of five books of poetry, one of which is about the graves in …

We kick off our second season with Rep. John Yarmuth, who has been the congressman from Kentucky's third district for 10 years. He's a former …

A short update on our new season, which begins January 5!

Karina Barillas is the executive director of La Casita Center in Louisville, Kentucky, where she works with women and families, most of whom are Latin@ immigrants like herself. She first came to Louisville from …

Our guest this week is singer-songwriter Darrell Scott, who's written country hits for the likes of the Dixie Chicks and Garth Brooks. These days, when he's not traveling around performing his own songs, he's at his …

This week's guest is Tori Murden McClure, currently the President of Spalding University in Louisville, KY. She is the first woman to row solo across …

This week's guest is former New York City Ballet principal dancer Wendy Whelan.

A conversation with Kevin Smokler, San Francisco-based writer and author of the new book "Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to '80's Teen Movies."

It's the debut episode of "Five Things!" This week's guest is Jecorey "1200" Arthur, a schoolteacher, a rapper, and a connector between different …

How do the objects we love define us? What can we learn from the things we treasure? And how can we discover a life story through those objects? These are some of the questions Tara Anderson will explore on Five Things, …