Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 238 we get even better acquainted with Sarah. She returns to the show to talk about being a pianist, performer, inventor and mum. We cover the process of composing an album made with a recreated and adapted piano and her new theatre about the experience of being a mother. It's a conversation of two parts, recorded in two different locations and two different times. Part of the original is lost and so it's partly a conversation about a lost conversation. Sarah plugs: Her website: http://sarahnicolls.com/ Talk To Me: http://sarahnicolls.com/in-our-hands/ NEW ALBUM Digital Download from 12th February: http://sarahnicolls.com/album/ Moments of Weightlessness: http://sarahnicolls.com/moments/ I plug: Donating to GBA: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL Stand Up Tragedy Presents on 18th Feb: http://www.facebook.com/events/1129825877029165/ We mention: Paul Simon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Simon Grovesnor Hotel: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=

In GBA 237 we get better acquainted with Muffy. We met in a pub in Brighton to have an in depth conversation about fandom, fan fic and slash fic. We cover how Muffy came to fandom, community, shame, enthusiasm,. ethics and politics, art and artistry, gender and sexuality, working through trauma, how texts, fanfic and fans relate to each other, representation and so much more. Muffy plugs: Slash Night 12th Feb: http://www.marlboroughtheatre.org.uk/event/slash-night-4/ I plug: Donating to GBA: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL How To Be Fat: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sut-presents-how-to-be-fat Stand Up Tragedy Presents on 18th Feb: https://www.facebook.com/events/1129825877029165/ We mention: Tragic Spring: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/sets/tragic-spring Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ Mathilda Gregory: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-221-mathilda-gregory Tragic Bodies: https://soundcloud.com/s

In GBA 236 struggling against the background sound and a few other things I do my best to we get better acquainted with Darcie. In an increasingly noisy pub we talk about studying journalism, creativity, careers, feminism, fashion, the social media landscape and more. This episode was recorded a year ago and I am sure we have both changed and developed our thoughts since then! Darcie plugs: Hiring her: http://www.twitter.com/DarcieTF I plug: Donating to GBA: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL Stand Up Tragedy Presents on 18th Feb: http://www.facebook.com/events/1129825877029165/ We mention: Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ Ewa: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-140-ewa Intersectional Feminism: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/10572435/Intersectional-feminism.-What-the-hell-is-it-And-why-you-should-care.html TERF: http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Trans-exclusionary_radical_feminism bell hooks: https://en.wikipedi

In GBA 235 we get better acquainted with Iszi Lawrence. She talks about making The Z List Dead List (a podcast about obscure people from history), how glandular fever, not fitting in and Eddie Izzard contributed to her becoming a comedian, the similarities between Jujitsu and gigging and lots more. Iszi plugs: The Z List Dead List: http://www.zlistdeadlist.com/ Her Website: http://iszi.com/ I plug: Donating to GBA: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL Stand Up Tragedy Presents on 18th Feb: https://www.facebook.com/events/1129825877029165/ We mention: Helen Zaltzman: http://helenzaltzman.com/ Roman Mars: http://romanmars.com/ Candid Cafe: http://www.candidarts.com/sections/galleryandcafepages/candid_cafe.htm Sundays Supplement: http://sundayssupplement.blogspot.co.uk/ Jon Ronson: http://www.jonronson.com/ Jon Ronson On...: http://www.jonronson.com/this.html Jujitsu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_jiu-jitsu Dan Carlin: http://www.dancarlin.com/ Ja

In this Getting Better Acquainted Extra recorded on New Years Eve and edited on New Years day(!) I round up of how 2015 actually panned out for me in what has become an annual post New Year retrospective, mixed in with some true stories that I told told at Spark London and some clips from the podcast I make for The Restart Project. Contact me on twitter where I'm @goosefat101 on by email on goosefat101@gmail.com or GBApodcast@gmail.com I plug: Spark True Stories: http://stories.co.uk/ The Restart Project podcast: https://therestartproject.org/category/podcast/ - Sex Worker Stories Episodes: https://www.acast.com/sparklondon/special-sex-worker-stories https://www.acast.com/sparklondon/more-sexworkerstories-truestoriestoldlive - Multicultural Minds Episodes: https://www.acast.com/sparklondon/multiculturalminds-truestorieslive https://www.acast.com/sparklondon/imfine-shannon-sparktruestories Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ Stand Up Tragedy Presents... : 18th Feb @ Dogstar: https://ww

In GBA 234 we get better acquainted with Christmas (again). It's the 2015 Christmas Special! This episode is a series of different Christmas presents, although not all of them are filled with comfort and joy. It starts with a carol. Then I share with you a short story that I wrote a few years ago called "Bringing Things Up". It's kind of a detective story, kind of a ghost story, and it is certainly the bleakest part of this episode as well as being the biggest part of the episode. I've adapted it as an audio piece and spent some time creating sound design that aims to immerse you in the narrative. Next we have a recording from a long time ago when audio was recorded onto cassette tapes. It's my dad reading The Fir Tree by Tove Jansson which gives us some warm and fuzzies to offset my story. The episode ends with a Christmas song I wrote a few years back called "Time to be Nice" Here it is in video form: http://youtu.be/UiPXNO7WJAQ This is my other Christmas song in video form: Ghosts of... http://youtu.

In GBA 233 we get better acquainted with Ali. He talks about writing sports listicles, having to choose between football and drama, how sport and theatre are not that different, his Northern and Jewish heritage and identity and so much more. Shared interests lead to us discussing interviewing and podcasting, the issues and tensions around digital and print media and the various approaches to the craft of true storytelling. Ali doesn't plug anything. I plug: Donating to GBA: http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cm%E2%80%A6_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL We mention: The Nerdist: http://nerdist.com/podcasts/nerdist-podcast-channel/ Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/alimason Marc Maron: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Maron WTF: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast President Obama WTF Episode: http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_613_-_president_barack_obama Richard Herring: http://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/richard_herring_lst_podcast/ Desert Island Discs: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr Press Associatio

In GBA 232 we get better acquainted with Jannath. She talks about studying spatial abilities in infants and children, tickling babies to better understand their cognitive markers, studying and researching psychology, working as a casual library assistant, brain development and diagnosis and so much more. Jannath doesn't plug anything. I plug: Donating to GBA: http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cm…_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL We mention: Birkbeck: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/ Contact Disorder: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000919.htm Asperger's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome Hyperacusis: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/hyperacusis/Pages/Introduction.aspx Jessie Ware: http://jessieware.com/ Brixton Academy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brixton_Academy The Guardian Enfield Experiment: http://www.theguardian.com/cities/series/the-enfield-experiment My CiF: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/01/tough-choice-cut-job-enfield-children-centres-austerity Riots: Help more peopl

In GBA 231 we get better acquainted with Paul. He talks about moving from fine art to photography and from fashion photography to portraiture, navigating the renting, fatherhood and freelance, growing up in Blackpool and Long Island, going on a roadtrip across Mongolia and lots more. Paul plugs: His website: http://www.pauljcochrane.co.uk I plug: Donating to GBA: www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cm…_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL We mention: Ged: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-31-ged Richard: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-richard-episodes Infinity Wall: https://vimeo.com/blog/post/to-infinity-wall-and-beyond Matrix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix Heath Robinson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Heath_Robinson Pleasure Beach: https://www.blackpoolpleasurebeach.com/ Long Island: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Island Aer Lingus: https://www.aerlingus.com/ Blue Velvet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Velvet_(film) Little Shop of Horrors: https://en.wikipedia.or

In GBA 230 we get better acquainted with Sally. She talks about connecting with people, maths, computers and horses, teaching teenagers, IT training, being independent, self knowledge, stepping out of your comfort zone and so much more. Sally plugs: Spark London: http://stories.co.uk/ Skeptics in the Pub: http://www.skeptic.org.uk/events/skeptics-in-the-pub And stepping out of your comfort zone I plug: Stand Up Tragedy Presents: http://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ Spark Hackney Open Mic: Gifts https://www.facebook.com/events/689270927876614/ Donating to GBA: http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cm…_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL We mention: CERN: http://home.cern/ Good Thinking Society: http://goodthinkingsociety.org/ Simon Singh: http://simonsingh.net/ David Nutt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt Bradford Photography Museum: http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/ Matt Parker: http://standupmaths.com/ Full Frontal Nerdity: http://festivalofthespokennerd.com/dvd/ Festival of the Spoken Word: h

In GBA 229 we get better acquainted with Nick Van Der Kolk from Love + Radio. He talks about how and why he produces this unique podcast, his approach to the subjects that the show covers (both the people and the issues) and what he has learnt about podcasting in his time making podcasts. He also gives me an on air tutorial in recording technique. Nick plugs: Love + Radio: http://loveandradio.org/ Radiotopia: http://www.radiotopia.fm Radiotopia Fall Campaign 2015: https://www.commitchange.com/ma/cambridge/prx-inc/campaigns/radiotopia-fall-campaign-2015 I plug: Stand Up Tragedy Presents: http://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ Donating to GBA: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4RCU5NHZURXUL In Pod We Trust: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06nhpxl We mention: Helen Zaltzman: http://helenzaltzman.com/ The Allusionist: http://www.theallusionist.org/ Serial: http://serialpodcast.org/ This American Life: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/ In the Dark: http://ww

In GBA 228 we get even better acquainted with Mathy. She talks about her book Quit or Embrace Your Job Crisis, being a Third Culture Kid, navigating change, race, grief, stereotypes, depression, faith and creativity. We met up at the William Morris Gallery​ a few months back to ago. A lot has changed for both of us since she we had our last conversation way back in GBA 50. This is the first GBA conversation that I had with Mathy: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-50-mathy Mathy plugs: Quit or Embrace Your Job Crisis: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quit-Embrace-your-job-crisis/dp/1508592136/ Good Morning Mathy: https://www.youtube.com/user/whathejobisthis I plug: Spark London: Muticultural Minds: https://www.facebook.com/events/1735829253307581/ Stand Up Tragedy Presents: https://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ We mention: Spark London: http://sparklondon.com/ The Parachute Opened: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-extra-the-parachute-opened Janelle Monáe: http

This getting better acquainted extra features various performances I've done on stage during 2015. Stand Up Tragedy Presents: https://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ Spark London: http://sparklondon.com/ Multicultural Minds: https://www.facebook.com/events/1735829253307581/ Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ Arts Emergency: http://www.arts-emergency.org/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk GBA 106 Jack and George: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-106-jack-and-george Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 227 we get better acquainted with Charlie. Over coffee and cake he talks about commissioning documentaries for The Guardian, being arrested for protesting tax avoidance, what he looks for in documentaries, activism, being a vegan, working at Sheffield Doc Fest, Jewishness, solidarity and more. Charlie plugs: Guardian Documentaries: http://www.theguardian.com/news/series/the-guardian-documentary and giving him feedback on the Guardian Docs: Charlie.Philips@guardian.com I plug: Stand Up Tragedy presents.... http://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ #ManSurvey: http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk We mention: Sonjas episode: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-164-sonja Spark London: http://www.stories.co.uk Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/ Auto Trader: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/ Alan Rusbridger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Rusbridger Owen Jones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owen_Jones_(writer) Polly Toynbee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polly_Toynbee J

In GBA 226 we get better acquainted with Cheryl. She tells the story of when as a result of misunderstandings and other circumstantial issues she was taken from her home by the police and put into a mental institution against her will. This experience changed her understanding of the human rights afforded to people with mental health issues and her knowledge of what mental health services can be like. This traumatic experience inspired her to become an anti-psychiatry activist. We have a conversation around her story about our different perspectives on mental health but mostly the episode focuses on the details of her experience which are terrifying, vivid and often horribly darkly funny. For more perspectives and experiences of mental health listen to this collection of Getting Better Acquainted episodes: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/mental-health-issues Cheryl plugs: Speak Out Against Psychiatry: http://speakoutagainstpsychiatry.org/ Asylum Magazine: http://www.asylumonline.ne

In GBA 225 we get better acquainted with Frog. He talks about Daniel Barker's Birthday, glass aquariums, a love for natural history and the history of science, high and low culture and literature, the twitter-verse, the story of the family Tench and how he came to be writing a book about whaling. And he did all this whilst at the same time cooking a delicious meal for two. Frog plugs: China_Miéville: Iron Council: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Iron-Council-New-Crobuzon-3/dp/0330534203 China_Miéville: Perdido Street Station: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perdido-Street-Station-New-Crobuzon/dp/0330534238 Twitter: @gimzify: https://twitter.com/gimzify @FrogCroakley: https://twitter.com/frogcroakley The Sea Hates A Coward (Tomes of the Dead) by Nathan/Nate Crowley: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Hates-Coward-Tomes-Dead-ebook/dp/B013I681P8 I plug: Stand Up Tragedy: Tragic Autumn: http://www.facebook.com/events/1453089018350037/ Stand Up Tragedy presents.... http://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ #ManSurvey:

In GBA 224 we get better acquainted with AJ. She talks about writing and performing poetry, finding her poetry voice as a result of transitioning, responding to banter culture, transphobia and transmisogyny, kink, sex and sexuality. This was a snatched conversation during the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 where we were both did solo shows. Our shows had a lot of cross over and that's reflected in the conversation. AJ plugs: A Lady of a Certain Rage: http://www.lulu.com/shop/aj-mckenna/a-lady-of-a-certain-rage/paperback/product-21075072.html The Gunshots that Kill Us Are Silenced: https://ajmckenna.bandcamp.com/album/the-gunshots-which-kill-us-are-silenced Public Address III: http://www.applesandsnakes.org/page/108/PUBLIC+ADDRESS+THE+SOAPBOX+TOUR/1597 @AnathemaJane: https://twitter.com/anathemajane I plug: Stand Up Tragedy presents.... https://www.facebook.com/events/461679520679231/ Stand Up Tragedy: Tragic Autumn: http://www.facebook.com/events/1453089018350037/ #ManSurvey: http://www.mansplainingmasculin

In GBA 222 we get better acquainted with Renee. She talks about storytelling, identity, culture, feminism and feeling like a grafted tree. The conversation maps out her story, the different countries she has lived, the different heritages that have formed who she is. Renee plugs: Her twitter: https://twitter.com/BOHOSOJO Her blog: http://bohosojo.com/ I plug: My twitter: https://twitter.com/goosefat101 Spark Encore: Infectious: https://www.facebook.com/events/420281474843128/ Spark Hackney: Borders: https://www.facebook.com/events/1658041704462196/ Stand Up Tragedy: Tragic Autumn: https://www.facebook.com/events/1453089018350037/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: https://www.facebook.com/events/1453089018350037/ http://www.mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ We mention: Spark London: http://sparklondon.com/ SOAS: https://www.soas.ac.uk/ Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Women-Who-Run-With-Wolves/dp/1846041090 Putin: https://en.wikipedia.org/wi

In GBA 222 we get better acquainted with James. He talks about coding, the power dynamics around public shaming, the tech industry, online culture, masculinity and privilege. Clearly I was very much inside the process of writing the #ManSurvey show and interpreting the #ManSurvey when we recorded this episode! James plugs: The software he makes. His book Javascript Testing Recipes: http://jstesting.jcoglan.com/ All of which can be found at: http://jcoglan.com/ I plug: What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ We mention: Geek/Science Showoff: http://www.scienceshowoff.org/ Moomins: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moomin Steve Cross: https://twitter.com/steve_x Myspace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace What if Hemingway Wrote Javascript?: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hemingway-Wrote-JavaScript-Angus-Croll/dp/1593275854 Twitter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter Facebook:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook Samaritans App: http://publicsectorblogs.org.uk/201

In GBA 221 we get better acquainted with Mathilda. She talks about #HowToBeFat, writing werewolf erotica, comedy, writing, performance, parenthood, slash fiction and more. We recorded the conversation in Edinburgh during the Fringe where both of us were doing solo shows that (in different ways) talk about taboo subjects, shame, identity, stigma, privilege and social pressure. We compare notes on doing shows that people might describe as brave. Mathilda plugs: Her Website: https://mathildia.wordpress.com Slah Night: https://www.facebook.com/events/1114214225259785/ September 17th, Brighton @Mathildia: https://twitter.com/mathildia I plug: Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ What About the Men? Mansplaining Masculinity: http://mansplainingmasculinity.co.uk/ We mention: Rosie Wilby: https://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-live-10-rosie-wilby Mathilda at SUT: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/tragic-horror-act-2 Tragic Bodies: https://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/tragic-sp