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The Pratfalls podcast

Hosted by Levi Weinhagen, The Pratfalls Podcast features conversations with artists and creative folks of all kinds about the relationship between making cool things and being a person in the world. It features funny, insightful and weird conversations with artists and creatives of all kinds.
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Now displaying: May, 2016
May 25, 2016

“I always feel that cousins are your first best friends.”

Nausheena Hussain is immersed in civic life, serving on boards, her local charter commission and as an election judge. She founded Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment (RISE), a leadership development nonprofit, to elevate Muslim women. Nausheena continues to examine why there are so few Muslim women in positions of power and wants to understand what could potentially be holding them back.

On this episode of the podcast, Nausheena talks about starting RISE  in order to transform the way Muslim women engage and interact with their communities. She talks about not wanting to wear the label of “leader” and about the true collaboration it takes to be a working mother and wife. Nausheena also talks about unexpectedly coming into community building work, her time working in the health care industry and the corporate world and why she always wants to learn new things.

 

May 19, 2016

“If I had to choose one thing that’s my job or that pays my bills that’s being a poet.”

Kyle Tran Myhre aka Guante is an MC, two-time National Poetry Slam champion, activist, educator and writer. He and/or his work has appeared on Upworthy, MSNBC, Welcome to Night Vale, Racialicious, Feministing, MPR, Everyday Feminism, the Progressive, City Pages’ “Artists of the Year” list and URB Magazine’s “Next 1000” list, and he has performed everywhere from the United Nations to the Soundset hip hop festival to hundreds of colleges, clubs, and theaters across the country.

In this episode of the podcast, Kyle talks about having a High School nickname become his public face. He also talks about using different names in different contexts and the strengths and weaknesses of being known by different names. Kyle talks about making the bulk of his living traveling to colleges and high schools to work as a poet and teaching artist and how he can leverage being brought in as a poet and then create space for dialogue on the content of his work.

Kyle talks opens about race, gender, identity, positionality, power and activism and the role all of these things play in his work. He also talks about completing graduate school and being a thoughtful media activist.

May 12, 2016

“Alright, magic boy, we’ll give you a chance for a few more minutes.”

Jared Sherlock started practicing magic when he was 8. As an award-winning entrepreneur and a classically trained illusionist, Jared performs for theaters, corporate events and fundraisers nationwide. He’s also toured internationally in Shanghai, China and Hong Kong.

In this episode, Jared talks about how he used magic as a vehicle for entertainment and human connection. He talks about his use of improvisation in the writing process, about collaboration with other writers and performers and about his early days with the society of young magicians.

Jared also talks about the challenges of maintaining a magic practice as a touring performer and how a magician’s set is like a musicians set list. He also speaks about the artistry of magic

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