Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 90 we get better acquainted with Kevin Allison. We link up between London and New York via Skype and talk storytelling, comedy, BDSM, what to do when expecting a hurricane, where sexuality and religion meet, The State, polyamory, being recognised in the street, how making his podcast Risk! has transformed his life and more! http://risk-show.com/ https://twitter.com/RISKshow Kevin Plugs: The Story Studio: http://thestorystudio.org/ https://twitter.com/StoryStudioNYC Follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/TheKevinAllison 3 non Kevin related Risk stories I really, really, really recommend: http://risk-show.com/podcast/in-my-own-skin/ http://risk-show.com/podcast/mani-sheriar/ http://risk-show.com/podcast/danny-lobell/ Mentioned: Kevin's Kink Camp Saga: http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-part-1/ http://risk-show.com/podcast/kevin-goes-to-kink-camp-2/ http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-1/ http://risk-show.com/podcast/beyond-kink-camp-part-2/ His rec

In GBA 89 we get better acquainted with Laraby. She talks about how storytelling and class have shaped her life, of her journey from poverty in the Lower East Side of New York to relative comfort in South London. This journey has taken her from an unstable home in the ghetto, Children’s Homes, running away at 14 to find a new life, the music industry, an Ivy League University, writing, immigration, working with young offenders, completing the citizenship test and so much more! Laraby Plugs: Penny Arcade: BITCH! DYKE! FAGHAG! WHORE! at The Albany 15-23rd December 2012: http://www.thealbany.org.uk/event_detail/893/Theatre/Penny-Arcade-B!D!F!W! Laraby's Spark Story (told on the night we met): http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/tit-trauma-laraby/ Mentioned: Spark London: http://www.sparklondon.com/ The Moth: http://themoth.org/ You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fir

In GBA 88 we get better acquainted with Alex. He talks about his childhood in Bahrain and Jordan, friendship, philosophy, being a "stay at home dad" & lots more! We knew each other at university but were estranged for quite some years. We reconnect with each other and check in with where each other have got to, and address some of our similarities and differences, finally racing against time to get in our conversation before the microphone runs out of space! He is the second Alex to have appeared on the show. Alex Plugs: An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Intimate-History-Humanity-Theodore-Zeldin/dp/0749396237 Errata: An Examined Life by George Steiner: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Errata-examined-life-George-Steiner/dp/0753804697 An Unbearable Lightness of Being: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbearable-Lightness-Being-Milan-Kundera/dp/0571135390 Mentioned: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diogenes_of_Sinope You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, S

This is the Questions and Answers conversation that I had with the audience at the talk I did for In the Dark at the Invisible Picture Palace on "In Conversation" podcasting. You can hear that talk here: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-87-in-conversation Original Blurb: Independent podcaster Dave Pickering presents a discussion of the “in conversation” podcast genre, focusing on what makes these conversations different from interviews that take place in mainstream media. He’ll play highlights from some of the best examples of these podcasts and include some extracts from his own conversation based show, Getting Better Acquainted. Dave’s work was nominated for the Sony Best Internet Programme Award in 2009 and the Best Online Creator Award in the 2012 Radio Production Awards. GBA was recently featured on Helen and Olly’s Required Listening on Radio 5 Live. Dave has a day job and works in many other mediums but is a passionate audio creator who wants to involve you in the conversation.

This is the talk I did for In the Dark at the Invisible Picture Palace on "In Conversation" podcasting. Showcasing clips that give an idea of the range, style and content of the shows that are out there + a history and analysis of the genre. Original Blurb: Independent podcaster Dave Pickering presents a discussion of the “in conversation” podcast genre, focusing on what makes these conversations different from interviews that take place in mainstream media. He’ll play highlights from some of the best examples of these podcasts and include some extracts from his own conversation based show, Getting Better Acquainted. Dave’s work was nominated for the Sony Best Internet Programme Award in 2009 and the Best Online Creator Award in the 2012 Radio Production Awards. GBA was recently featured on Helen and Olly’s Required Listening on Radio 5 Live. Dave has a day job and works in many other mediums but is a passionate audio creator who wants to involve you in the conversation. This presentation will be rec

In GBA 86 we get better acquainted with Reuben in his art studio in Bristol. He talks about chasing the summer in Australia, growing up in many places, art in a time of Internet, trying to travel the world in a van & lots more! We didn't know each other very well when we started the conversation but during it we realise we had parallel teenage years in Cardiff. Since this episode was recorded he has gone off on another adventure, this time to Montreal. Reuben Plugs: http://www.rocketfuelled.com/ http://twitter.com/rocketfuelled https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rocketfuelled-Reuben-Whitehouse/181982328497941 http://dribbble.com/reuben Mentioned: Spark London: http://www.sparklondon.com/ Said FM that became Super Owl that became: http://thesupertimes.com/ Said Fm Episodes: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-7-aisha-and-abdel http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-48-emma http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-49-frank And Eric who talks about the physical/sensu

In GBA 85 we get better acquainted with Abbie. She talks health and fitness, the dying days of DJ culture, earning the nickname Satan, the social and emotion aspects of losing weight through a "booty camp", finding your way through your twenties and lots more! I met up with Abbie on a recent trip back to Cardiff. We hadn't see each other since school. Ironically I'm struggling through a hangover as we talk about the value and process of being healthy. The coffee and the beautiful sunny day helped. Abbie Plugs: Her recipe book Lean For Life: https://fitness-and-motivation.dpdcart.com/ Booty Camp Cardiff: https://www.facebook.com/bootycampcardiff 30+ Bootcamp for Lads: https://www.facebook.com/30plusbootcamp Fitness and Motivation http://fitnessandmotivation.co.uk/ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fitness-and-Motivation-Personal-Training/114202301932061 Closed group 21 day programme: Gimme the Skinny Abbie Skene's brand new 21 day online fat loss programme commences on Monday November 12th but you can

In this spur of the moment GBA Extra we get even better acquainted Jen. This summer after dinner Jen was talking about some research she was doing about sleep paralysis which sparked a childhood memory in me. We decided to turn the mic on and share the conversation with the show. We talk about strange sleep states, dreams, memories and writing. We have a false ending and then we come back with some readings and analysis of Jens sleep diary. And the episode is capped with a short story which Jen wrote about "locked in syndrome" which was performed by previous GBA guest Louise at Stand Up Tragedy earlier this year. This story isn't about dreams but it does contain many of the themes of both this episode and of Jen's writing in general. GBA's of the people who are featured or get mentioned: Jen: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-61-jen Louise: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-louise-episodes-1/ Owain: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-16-owain Vaugha

In GBA 84 we get better acquainted with my writing group. It's a 7 way conversation focused on our shared interest of writing. Half the group are making their second appearance. For the other half this is a teaser for upcoming episodes focuses on them. We sit down for tea and cake in the dining room of a Camber Sands holiday house during our first trip away together. We tell the story of how the group formed, discuss the way the group works, consider writing as a craft, a passion and a form of work, tackle writing "block", the future of the novel, whether writing can be taught and other aspects of this thing we do. The group are: Jen: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-61 http://www.jadamthwaite.co.uk/ http://twitter.com/jadamthwaite Nathalie: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-20-nathalie http://twitter.com/NathalieLeonora http://countingzeros.wordpress.com/what-is-counting-zeros/ Joss: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-27-joss http://www.stormbo

In GBA 82 we get better acquainted with Russell. He talks oceanography, improvementism, embarrassing stories, teaching science, making art, punk bands and more! Plus we share experiences of times when our mutual friend Richard who we know each other through has led us into "interesting" situations! This is Richard's GBA: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-57-richard Russell plugs: Cautionhorses: https://www.facebook.com/CAUTIONHORSESROCK http://www.myspace.com/cautionhorses http://youtu.be/PVfC4l1vRRI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH4jLCkBK08 Casa Bonita: http://casabonita.bandcamp.com/ https://twitter.com/casabonitaUK http://www.myspace.com/casabonitaband Mentioned: http://soundcloud.com/themiddleclassbastards Blanket is my Basecamp: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhZQL0_zwOs You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond. On-demand an

In GBA 81 we get better acquainted with... Dave. The tables are turned as Alex who was my guest in GBA 80 takes the reins and interviews me in his own unique style. His approach to hosting is very different from mine. We go on lots of interesting tangents produced by his crowd sourcing approach to coming up with questions. Personal, political, surreal, it's all there. This is the conversation I had with him immediately before we switched roles: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-80-alex Dave plugs: Personal: http://soundcloud.com/the-dave http://soundcloud.com/the-plural http://soundcloud.com/thereactionaries "Numbers" on RethinkDaily: http://rethinkdaily.co.uk/ Stand Up Tragedy: http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk/ Alex's music (although it isn't available) - at this point Alex plugs his DJ Mix: http://soundcloud.com/themanamp Working with George - These are his embryonic mixes : http://soundcloud.com/geojams And this is his GBA: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-6-georg

In GBA 80 we get better acquainted Alex. He is probably my best friend but we don't have an uncomplicated friendship. He talks computer games, prehistory, technology, television, friendship, song writing and more. The episode features some rarities from our musical back catalogue. More of which you can find in these places: http://soundcloud.com/themiddleclassbastards http://soundcloud.com/themanamp http://soundcloud.com/the-dave/sets http://www.myspace.com/applesforeveryone On Friday in GBA 81 the tables are turned as Alex interviews me. His style is very different from mine and the conversation is a brilliant contrast and compliment to the usual format. Alex plugs: Content: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Content-A-New-British-Sci-Fi-Drama/133914976650155 Echo: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Echo-A-Science-Fantasy/209422702425826 Mentioned: WTF conversation between Louis CK and Marc Maron: http://www.wtfpod.com/ http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_111_-_louis_ck_part_1 http://www.w

In GBA 79 we get better acquainted with Michael Fenton Stevens. He talks talks about the life as a working actor, being a familiar face, how playing vicars can impact your life, death, friendship, ageing and much, much more. We get into some the behind the scenes stuff of television and radio. We take a tour through the history of UK comedy from someone who has seen it from the inside. But we also get personal with conversation about love, family and friendship, both the beauty of these things and the sadness at their passing. You have almost definitely seen or heard Mike before. He sang the Chicken Song for Spitting Image, he's been in Eastenders, Coronation Street, Casualty, pretty much any comedy series from the last 30 years, Barclays and other adverts, loads and loads of radio, audiobooks, and a vast variety of stage work, including in recent years a strong line in Pantomime Dames. http://www.mikefs.co.uk/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Fenton_Stevens Mike doesn't plug anything but then he p

In GBA 78 we get better acquainted with Louise. A different Louise this time! She talks mostly about dance! But that doesn't mean the conversation is limited. We cover the experience of dancing, following and leading, the politics of dancing, a potted history of blues music, the relationship between types of dance, the connection between social struggle and dance, the etiquette of dance, the social value and demographics of dance, and even the science of dance! Louise plugs: Dancing! Social Dancing in general. If you want to dance there are dance nights every night of the week. Easy Dance to start: guaranteed to be dancing in 6 weeks: http://jivenation.co.uk/ If you want to learn swing dancing from the best people in the country: http://www.swingpatrol.co.uk/ Blues dancing: Google: Blues in my shoes, blues baby blues, sin city blues or check out: http://bluesrevolution.co.uk/ You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows direct

In GBA 77 we get better acquainted with... Dave. In this special edition of GBA guest host Zoe talks to the man writing this blurb about "The Coventry Years". Prompted by the way that I've hinted at and touched on this time in my life previously in the series but have never fully covered it, I decided to invite one of my closest friends along to host a conversation about it. In this frank and candid conversation I talk about what I've learnt from looking back at those years and some of the "work" I've done on myself as a result. This work is very much connected to, and prompted by, the GBA Project. "The Coventry Years" refers to the time I spent between the ages of 8 and 13 in a house in Coventry which had very thin walls. Some of the main things we cover is the impact of the domestic implosion that happened to my family in that house; how it influenced my character, my future and my burgeoning adolescent sexuality. Thanks so much to Zoe for doing such a brilliant job at witnessing and responding to all t

In GBA 76 we get better acquainted with Liam. He talks industrial tuna fishing, what Marxism means in the modern world, hope, perception, environmentalism and smoking, while sitting in my back garden on a sunny day last year. This episode is closer to a debating style than most episodes as we get into the what divides and what unites the red and the black, divisions in left-leaning activism and the roads that led us both to our current personal and political ideas about the world. It’s also one where I talk too much. So it goes! Liam Plugs: The documentaries of Adam Curtis http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/ http://adamcurtisfilms.blogspot.co.uk/ on google video: https://www.google.com/search?q=adam%20curtis&source=vgc&tbm=vid Also mentioned: Billy Collins - The Best Cigarette: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbRifIzMth0 Procrastination: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItMFWpKofSg The Dispossessed: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dispossessed-Ursula-Guin/dp/1857988825 Hugh's Fish Fight: http://www.fish

In GBA 75 we get better acquainted with Katy Darby. She talks co-creating Liars' League, life before and after publication, the importance of editors, short stories, teaching and studying creative writing, how the Internet and eBooks are changing writing and more. Katy Plugs: Her Novel: The Whore's Asylum / The Unpierced Heart http://www.penguinrights.co.uk/Penguin/276809 http://lane7.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/judging-a-book-by-its-title-interview-about-the-renaming-of-the-whores-asylum/ Liars League: Website: http://www.liarsleague.com Next Live Show: Food & Drink, Tuesday 11th September, 7.30pm @ The Phoenix: http://liarsleague.typepad.com/liars_league/2012/09/food-drink-stories-for-tuesday-11th-september.html Twitter: http://twitter.com/liarsleague Search Facebook to join the group. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/liarsleague Liars' League Leeds: http://liarsleague.typepad.com/liars_league/liars-league-leeds.html Liars' League New York: http://www.liarsleaguenyc.com/ Her Blog: http://kat

In GBA 74 we get better acquainted with Mervyn who is still technically my Step Dad. He talks about growing up in Belfast during "The Troubles", working in factories, teaching Physics in Dubai, teaching English in China, living in a tent on a roundabout and lots more. This was a complicated conversation for me, for many reasons, and it moves from personal history to social and political analysis and back. A lot of ground is covered. It is also the first podcast I've recorded while drinking Guinness. Mervyn doesn't plugs anything, but I mention a history of Genghis Kahn that I've been listening to. That history is made by the excellent podcaster Dan Carlin as part of his Hardcore History show: http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive/Show-43---Wrath-of-the-Khans-I/Mongols-Genghis-Chingis http://www.dancarlin.com/disp.php/hharchive/Show-44---Wrath-of-the-Khans-II/Mongols-Genghis-Chingis You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite show

In GBA 73 we get better acquainted with the third Lucy of the series. She talks about her 30 years in the Library service in a personal and political account of a life spent in public service. It traces changes in government policy and administrations, windows of opportunity for funding opening and closing and the integration and evolution of children's services into libraries. She paints a portrait of the way London boroughs work and the issues that arise from serving communities that juxtapose extreme poverty with extreme wealth. We also cover having children late in life and her passion (original and then reborn) for Israeli dancing. Lucy was my boss until relatively recently. Lucy plugs political action for the sake of the current and future generations. You can hear Getting Better Acquainted on Stitcher SmartRadio, Stitcher allows you to listen to your favourite shows directly from your iPhone, Android Phone, Kindle Fire and beyond. On-demand and on the go! Don’t have Stitcher? Download it for free

GBA Edinburgh Festival 2012 Season: Three weeks of episodes related to the Edinburgh Festival 2012 In GBA 72 we get better acquainted with Alison Thea-Skot. She talks about character comedy, audience participation, acting, writing, singing and why she does what she does. This is the fourth episode of the 2012 GBA Edinburgh Festival Season (http://goosefat101twitterspills.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/around-year-ago-getting-better.html) It's the last episode in the season. This is the 2012 Season as a playlist: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/the-gba-edinburgh-festival/ This was last years season: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/sets/fringe-festival-season Alison plugs her show: Thea-Skot's Miss Adventures: http://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/comedy/thea-skot-s-miss-adventures 3.40pm 4-26 August at Just the Tonic at The Caves Price: £7 http://www.alisontheaskot.com/ Also mentioned: Margaret: http://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/stand-up-tragedy-15 The Human Tuning Fork: http