Info

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.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
The Pratfalls podcast
2017
March
February
January


2016
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: 2017
Mar 21, 2017

“Literature is not the same thing as publishing. We’re in the literature business and publishing is one thing that we do.”

Chris Fischbach talks about taking over leadership of an organization, the health of print and the challenge of getting someone to actually purchase a specific book. He also excitedly talks about the work of Kao Kalia Yang and the latest work from Valeria Luiselli. 

Twenty-two years ago, Chris Fischbach got an internship at Coffee House Press in Minneapolis. In 2011 he became publisher. Chris has served as co-chair of the Minneapolis Arts Commission and as assistant director of the Twin Cities Book Festival and currently sits on the board of directors of the Friends of the Hennepin Country Library.

The mission of Coffee House Press is to publish exciting, vital, and enduring authors of our time; to delight and inspire readers; to contribute to the cultural life of our community; and to enrich our literary heritage. By building on the best traditions of publishing and the book arts, we produce books that celebrate the imagination; innovation in the craft of writing; and the many authentic voices of the American experience.

Feb 26, 2017

“My gauge of success is how do I feel on Sunday nights and Monday mornings.”

In this episode, Chief Experience Officer at Clockwork Chuck Hermes talks about how he got started doing graphic design as a night manager at Prince's legendary Paisley Park studios. He talks about building an art department and how he transitioned from visual design to digital architecture and the creation of Bit Stream Underground.

Chuck talks about building a culture at Clockwork and how the process of design, decision making and relationships are all iterative. And he shares the five values that lead everything at Clockwork.

Chuck is a 15-year veteran of the interactive industry. Trained in traditional graphic design, Chuck's interest in early online bulletin boards led to experimentation in the development of the first Graphical User Interfaces for FirstClass software back in the early 1990s. From that point on, UI development became his passion, and usable design became his mission. Chuck was a co-founder of Bitstream Underground, one of the region's first ISP/Web Development companies.

Aside from his obsession with User Experience, Chuck is a husband, dad to three young girls, an avid bicyclist, reader, and general outdoorsy type. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Music Coalition, a nonprofit committed to connecting and supporting Minnesota’s community of independent musicians.

Feb 6, 2017

"You can make better art when you listen to community voices."

Leah Cooper is Co-Artistic Director of Wonderlust Productions. She has been directing, producing, and performing in theater for thirty years. She was the director for the Veterans Play Project, a collaboration between Footprints Collective, Mixed Blood Theatre and Bedlam Theatre. Locally, she has also directed productions for Commonweal Theatre, Park Square Theatre, History Theatre, Theatre in the Round, Gremlin Theater, 20% Theatre Company, Shakespearean Youth Theatre, Starting Gate Productions, Ministry of Cultural Warfare, Prufrock Theatre, Fortune’s Fool Productions, and the Fringe Festival as well as many workshops of new scripts. Leah was most recently the Executive Director of the Minnesota Theater Alliance, was partner and co-founder of MinnesotaPlaylist.com, serves as board chair for Live Action Set, a board member of the California Institute of Contemporary Arts, and she was the Executive Director of the Minnesota Fringe Festival from 2001 to 2006.

Jan 24, 2017

“Anytime I want to feel better I just need a stage.”

On this episode, singer/songwriter Katy Vernon talks about depression, her fairly new relationship with sobriety, how she went from writing songs in her head to process life to being an actual artist and what parenting is like for someone who lost both parents before adulthood.

Born and raised in London, UK, Katy now calls Minnesota home. She has written songs for as long as she can remember and is always happiest when she’s singing, even when dealing with some pretty tough challenges. Katy’s debut solo release was ‘Before I Forget’. This was both a tribute to her parents, whom she lost as a teen, but also an embrace of her new solo direction after discovering the ukulele and the songwriting it inspired.

In a deliberate effort to use her writing to move beyond the grief and sadness of her earlier work Katy wrote the song ‘Pearl’ which she released as a single prior to this full length release. Each song on ‘Present’ is an exploration of the effort to embrace the here and now. Exploring the realities of life, the good and the bad, without being numbed or sugar coated.

Katy Vernon has also used her enthusiasm and knowledge of the local ukulele scene to organize and perform at her successful Annual Uke Fest Concert, now expanded to a two night celebration and fundraiser benefitting Arc GTC. Katy has been featured on TPT’s Almanac, WCCO’s Women Who Rock, The Current, KFAI, and more.  In addition to clubs and festivals she has performed at venues including The Guthrie, The Cowles Center with the James Sewell Ballet, and even the Fitzgerald Theater with Garrison Keillor!

 

Jan 10, 2017

“By having a plan B, it weakens your plan A.”

Kory LaQuess Pullam was born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas. He earned his BFA at Stephen F. Austin State University in 2013. Leaving the collegiate nest, Kory moved to Chicago and worked with Raven Theatre, Light Opera Works, The Gift Theatre, and Porchlight Music Theatre in their Jeff-nominated production of Pal Joey.

Since moving to the Twin Cities, he's worked with Guthrie Theater, Children's Theatre Company, Pillsbury House + Theatre, Park Square Theatre, History Theatre, Brave New Workshop, Walking Shadow Theatre Company, Theatre Pro Rata, HUGE Improv Theater, Minneapolis Musical Theatre, and Paul Bunyan Playhouse.

Kory is a founding member of Blackout Improv, the premier Black comedy troupe in the Twin Cities. Also, Kory is founding artisric director of Underdog Theatre. He makes his Ten Thousand Thing's Theatre debut as Perkich in Fiddler On The Roof this winter. Keep up with Kory on social media platforms: @laquess

 
 
 
Jan 4, 2017

"If you have an idea for a podcast, please make it."

On this episode of the podcast, Hans Buetow talks a lot about podcasting. He talks about the specifics of working in that medium and how it's different from radio work. Hans talks about the iterative nature of relationships and creative work, the messes and mistakes that are always in the wake of creative successes and shares some of his favorite shows. 

Hans Buetow is a producer for American Public Media. He's the producer and editor of the Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast. Hans has also worked on In the Dark, Reasonably Sound, Life of the Law, Live Law, A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment, The Soundtrack Series, Secret Skin and numerous other podcasts. He also helps develop new shows.

1