Why do we love fashion? with Charles Lu
Charles Lu is a Canadian fashion designer whose work has been seen in London, Dubai, and on the hit Netflix show Next In Fashion with Tan France. The child of Vietnamese refugees, he knew his entire life he was going to be a fashion designer. He will make you rethink your relationship to hoodies, and he is my guest today. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headonfirepod/ Twitte...
58m May 02, 2023
58m
Why do we love cheese so much? with Emilia D’Albero
96% of Americans claim to love cheese, according to one survey. The same survey said our love of cheese outranks our love of coffee, social media, national pride, and even our beloved cell phones. Americans’ favorite dish? Mac & cheese. Almost every type of cuisine on the planet features at least one type of cheese. But what do we really know about this most beloved of foods? Emilia D’Albero c...
1hr 8m Apr 18, 2023
1hr 8m
How is ChatGPT and AI changing science fiction? with Neil Clarke of Clarkesworld Magazine
Clarkesworld magazine is a publisher of short form science fiction with the distinction of providing its prospective authors a quick turnaround on submissions. This uniqueness is compounded by the fact that, unlike most other similar publications, the magazine is always open to submissions. All of that changed earlier this year when the Neil Clarke, the founder of Clarkesworld, made internation...
59m Apr 04, 2023
59m
Does DEI education...work? with Tanorria Askew
Chances are if you have a racist aunt with access to social media, you've come across the term DEI a lot lately. It's the new conservative boogeyman. It's the reason why SVB closed. The reason why drag queens read books to kids. And it's what happens when big companies get dragged on social media for being run almost exclusively by cisgender, heterosexual white men making 7-figures a year. But...
1hr 7m Mar 21, 2023
1hr 7m
When does fandom get too extreme? with Sam Aburime
The internet allows all sorts of people to come together to share their love of musicians, actors, tv shows and movies, and...anything. Everything. There are communities who share a love even specific characters from a book series, and I've even recently come across a diehard community of people who share a specific love of Uncrustables - a frozen peanut butter and jelly sandwich snack. But wh...
1hr 7m Mar 07, 2023
1hr 7m
How does your voice do that? with Tawny Platis
Voice acting brings life to everything from corporate training videos to tearjerker holiday commercials to your favorite characters in animated movies or video games. But the daily grind isn't as easy as sitting down and reading a few lines. Tawny Platis is a lifelong actress who has found recent success behind the microphone, and she guides us through what it takes to make it in the cutthroat ...
1hr 13m Feb 21, 2023
1hr 13m
Are bats as scary as they seem? with Alyson Brokaw, PhD
I think you should confront the things you fear. Not me, of course, but you definitely should. I hear it's great therapy. Me? I talk to experts about the things that I fear, and I cannot think of a creature that inspires for fear, misunderstanding, and general "icky" feelings than bats. But, maybe that's because I don't know enough about them. Alyson Brokaw (https://www.alysonbrokaw.com) is a ...
1hr 1m Feb 07, 2023
1hr 1m
Why is folklore so captivating? with Dr. Cory Hutcheson
What's the difference between myths, legends, and folklore? Or...is there a difference? The winter holiday season is chock full of magic and monsters and bits of folklore abounding in everything from the colors of the season to the foods that we eat. Folklore itself - as a topic of study and discussion - has had a bit of a moment this year. Plenty of voices have made a bit of a name for themse...
1hr 20m Dec 27, 2022
1hr 20m
"What's with all the ghosts at Christmas?" with Susan Owens
We know Christmas today as a time of Santa in a red suit flying around delivering presents. We know it as a festive holiday filled with plenty of food and gift-giving and light. However, throughout history, this time of year was a pretty dark time filled with mischievous spirits and ghost stories. On this throwback episode that originally aired in 2019 I speak with art historian Susan Owens, a...
52m Dec 13, 2022
52m
For real this time...what is quantum physics? with Caroline R.Z.
"Didn't he just put out an episode about quantum physics?" you might be asking yourself. First of all, shut up. Second of all, yes. Yes I did, BUT when you come across an expert who can correct Hank Green on quantum entanglement and help me understand basic tenets of quantum physics using a pair of socks, YOU DO ANOTHER SHOW ABOUT QUANTUM PHYSICS. Caroline R.Z. is a multitalented educator who ...
1hr 17m Nov 29, 2022
1hr 17m
"How do you have 'The Talk' with your kids?" with Kathleen Hema
Everyone is scared of "The Talk". We avoid it by using phrases like "the birds and the bees" instead of proper names for our bodies. Parents hope the schools do it but don't want the schools to do it and if the schools do it anyway they want to teach kids not to do..."it". And I get it. The intersection of sex education and children is uncomfortable, especially these days when children are bein...
1hr 4m Nov 15, 2022
1hr 4m
What is quantum physics...really? with Dr. Jed Buchwald
By now you're probably aware there's a new Ant-Man movie on the way in the Marvel Cinematic Universe called Quantumania. In the MCU and other science fiction media, the word "quantum" gets thrown around quite a bit. Why can you teleport? Quantum physics. Why can you shrink to the size of an atom? Quantum mechanics. Why can you walk through walls or travel the multiverse or bring someone back f...
49m Nov 02, 2022
49m
Grandpa Ship - a Halloween short story by Don Martin
Everyone has those stories from their childhood that are a mix of things that happened and things that didn't happen. This is one of mine. It is a story of death and grief and loss and how a child processes those things. But, it is also a story of an imaginary friend, a mostly forgotten Greek myth, and the stories families tell about themselves. Social links: Instagram: https://www.instagram...
1hr 19m Oct 28, 2022
1hr 19m
What's so great about Horror Movies? with Dr. Eva Burke
Dr. Eva Burke returns to provide an education on the value and cultural significance of horror movies.
1hr 52m Oct 18, 2022
1hr 52m
What makes a good poem? with Taylor Mali
Poetry has a weird reputation in literature. I cannot think of a time when it felt cool to like poetry. All sorts of other genres and styles of writing have had their heyday - seriously who would've thought that "dinosaur smut" would bring in such big bucks? - but poetry seems continually relegated to being that thing you had to get through back in school. Taylor Mali has been on a mission to ...
1hr 23m Oct 04, 2022
1hr 23m
What's the best bone to lick? with Yinan Wang
Yinan Wang is a geologist and children’s book writer. He is currently studying potential uses of new technology to aid the field of paleontology. He stopped by to have a conversation about the science and salesmanship behind pretty rocks.
1hr 7m Sep 20, 2022
1hr 7m
How do you advocate for disabled lives? with Ola Ojewumi
Ola Ojewumi gives us a look at disability advocacy, the lyrical dust up involving Beyonce and Lizzo, and choosing our words more thoughtfully.
1hr 2m Sep 06, 2022
1hr 2m
Who owns an author's work? with Meg Elison
A conversation about parasocial relationships, convention culture, and who owns an author's work with Meg Elison, author of the new book Number One Fan.
1hr 3m Aug 23, 2022
1hr 3m
134: ”Why is there so much shame around food?” with Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson
We love talking about food, but we have a tough time talking about eating. For some reason we are allowed to almost fetishize food, salivating over perfectly aesthetic photos of food but the moment that food touches our lips we are judged for it. And, naturally, the more layers of intersectional oppression you experience, the more you are judged for your food choices. Dr. Psyche Williams-Forso...
1hr 5m Aug 09, 2022
1hr 5m
133: How do you write a best-seller? with Ayana Gray
Writing is a special kind of solitary torture. The only thing about it anyone ever sees is the end result, the finished, published work resting on shelves. In today's booktok culture, books are consumed at lightning speed and reviewers rush to deliver the most controversial hot take they can think of for engagement. Years of a person's life are spent writing the stories that become our blockbus...
59m Jul 26, 2022
59m
132: ”What makes a good cult?” with Jennings Brown
Would you make a good cult leader? If not you, then you probably know someone who would. We're fascinated by cults. It seems like every day a new docuseries is dropped on some streaming service or podcast platform about yet another cult out there in the world taking people's time, energy, or money. Jennings Brown is an investigative journalist with a penchant for investigating cults. He's repo...
1hr 1m Jul 12, 2022
1hr 1m
131: ”Pre-K pause...What’s it like being a teacher?” with Tell Williams
Pre-K pause. If you’ve been online in any capacity in the last year, that phrase probably conjures up the face of Tell Williams. He was a pre-K teacher for 9 years before resigning to pursue a Master’s in social work. Along the way he accidentally found viral fame when a video he posted about the realities of being a teacher hit the algorithm jackpot. He’s gone on to try his hand at stand-up co...
1hr 12m Jun 30, 2022
1hr 12m
130: What does the Bible really say? with Dan McClellan
Lots of people have lots to say about the Bible. Loads of conspiracy theories exist about it. Whether it’s conspiracy theories about its creation, or lost books that didn’t make the cut, or obscure interpretations seen by a select few as prophecy about our modern world, not a day goes by that someone, somewhere isn’t holding the Bible up to the light and seeing if we missed anything. Beyond ...
1hr 8m Jun 14, 2022
1hr 8m
129: Why do you study witchcraft? with Owen Davies
Witchcraft and magical practice has been an indelible part of the human experience throughout recorded history. Wherever there are people, there are people practicing magic. It shows up in all sorts of places: tv shows, fantasy novels, and the strange shop on the corner that smells of incense and has shelves lined with crystals. But what if I told you there is an actual, formal discipline of st...
57m May 31, 2022
57m
128: How do you suffer outside? with Diana Helmuth
Early mornings and late sunsets are a hallmark of the summer season. The extra warmth and daylight is a blessing for many of us that live in areas where it is cold, dark, and wet or frozen for much of the year. It is a time of year that calls many of us to go out in search of high mountaintops or deep canyons, verdant forests, and untouched landscapes. To get back to nature. But getting back to...
1hr 14m May 17, 2022
1hr 14m
127: What do you do with a dead body? with mortician and funeral director Temple Ruff
Do you want to see a dead body? How about two? Would you like to see 1-2 dead bodies every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year for the next 20, 30, 40 years? If you said yes, you might have what it takes to do the job of my guest on today's episode of Head On Fire. The preparation and care for our dead is not just a sacred rite, or a taboo subject, but for folks like Temple Ruff it's a job. On...
1hr 11m May 03, 2022
1hr 11m
126: 6.”How much do marketers know about us?” with Hayley Grant, VP of Strategy, VaynerMedia
How much does the marketing industry know about you? You, specifically. Sure, you've heard all the horror stories - or maybe you've lived it - in which you're thinking about Pop Tarts and suddenly you see an ad on social media for Pop Tarts. That's freaky, right? But marketing existed long before the advent of modern technology and still seemed to somehow catch the pulse of what we all wanted t...
1hr 23m Apr 19, 2022
1hr 23m
125: 5. ”What is a death doula?” with Mahlakai Rose
"Grief is a feeling made of feelings," says Mahlakai Rose, a death doula and co-founder of The House of Grief. We are all thinking about death lately. How we want to die, where and with whom we want to spend our final moments, and what we'd like to happen afterwards. But given how much our lives have changed in the last few years, we're also becoming clued in to the fact that death and grief ha...
1hr 9m Apr 05, 2022
1hr 9m
124: 4. How do you live intentionally amidst all this capitalism? with Christine Platt the Afrominimalist
There’s this urge to turn yourself into a brand online. No matter how specific your interests are, no matter how tiny you think the niche is, social media compels you to believe that if you want to participate in that culture you must become a copy of those who came before you. If you come online hoping to research anything - how to be a writer, how to organize your home, how to exercise - you...
47m Mar 22, 2022
47m
123: 3. How do you take a chance on your passions? with Nikk Alcaraz of Practical Peculiarities
The last two years of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic have forced a lot of people to take stock of what is important to them. For many that has meant assessing whether they're in the right career or whether it's time to take a chance on forging a path for themselves. That's what Nikk Alcaraz - an actor, food artist, and DIY craft maker - did. He created Practical Peculiarities, a content creati...
52m Mar 08, 2022
52m
122: 2. ”What’s so guilty about our pleasures?” with Dr. Eva Burke
What’s important to you? What do you value? What makes you happy? No matter how you answered I want to know: would your answers change if you were telling your significant other? A work acquaintance? Your boss? If I were there right now with a microphone and camera asking you on the record, would any of those answers change? The answer is…probably…yes. Right? Yes, of course, we don’t tell o...
1hr 21m Feb 22, 2022
1hr 21m
121: 1. Joshua Conkel: Not everyone’s opinion matters.
An all too common problem for anyone in a creative field is other people's opinions. The folks who look over your shoulder and tell you that you should've painted something blue instead of red. The folks who take years of your life's work and turn it into bumper sticker commentary for easy engagement on social media. The alleged fans of a show that seem to take glee in tearing apart the thing t...
1hr 15m Feb 08, 2022
1hr 15m
120: Head On Fire Trailer
A promotional trailer for Head On Fire. "Seek illumination the way a man with his head on fire seeks water." That's the ethos behind Head On Fire, a new podcast featuring deep dive conversations with experts in interesting, often overlooked fields. It's a search for meaning and answers to life's biggest and smallest questions. Join me, author and host Don Martin, every other week as we discu...
58s Jan 07, 2022
58s
119: Episode 188: Inciting The Final Riot
Goodbye. Today is the very last episode of Inciting A Riot. And the last time I'll be speaking to you as Fire Lyte. Sometimes growth means putting yourself back together, and in 2022 I am going to embark on a more personal, more authentic journey. As myself. I hope you’ll come along with me. The antagonistic, pointed energy of Inciting A Riot is going away as it no longer serves me....
58m Dec 31, 2021
58m
118: Episode 187: Inciting Peter Paige‘s Riot
Queer as Folk's Peter Paige on the legacy of his career, stepping behind the camera to craft queer-centric television shows and movies like The Fosters and The Thing About Harry, casting cishet actors in queer roles, and where Hollywood goes from here. Connect with Peter Paige here (#) . If you like this show and want to support it, there are a number of ways to help. Consider liking and shar...
55m Dec 14, 2021
55m
117: Episode 186: Inciting A Forest‘s Edge Riot
The witch is a curious figure, existing in a uniquely liminal space of both fact and fiction, this world and the next. Many practitioners of magic walk a path that carefully stays in that middle ground, but a few heed the call to peek beyond the hedge, to walk amongst ancestors and spirits and gods and beings for which we don’t yet have names. It can be daunting, to leave that comfortable midd...
1hr 3m Nov 30, 2021
1hr 3m
116: Episode 185: Inciting A Squad Riot
When I wrote an article for Writer's Digest about witches in stories (#) , I said that the best stories aren't about the magic but about the power. In science fiction and fantasy writing, I've found that a superpower or access to magic or a special tool that grants an ability - whatever it is - isn't nearly as interesting as the power that it grants the user. The ability for magic to level a ...
1hr 2m Nov 16, 2021
1hr 2m
115: Episode 184: Inciting A Day of the Dead Riot
The Day of the Dead, El Día de los Muertos, is a celebration originating in Mexico. It's been gaining visibility and popularity in the United States and beyond thanks in part to films like Book of Life and Coco. However, a lot of misconceptions surround this cultural event, such as it being a "second Halloween". Too often elements of the celebration are taken piecemeal by those from outside the...
54m Nov 02, 2021
54m
114: Episode 183: Inciting A Hallowed Riot (2021)
Every year around Halloween, I gather together a collection of stories, poems, and songs from around the magical world to help bring a bit of magic to your Samhain season. This year's Hallowed Riot features the following works: The Lockkeepers's Door - original short story by Vinna Harper Dawn of Maw - an excerpt from Taylor Narváez Claman (#) Love Letter to Hades part 2 - a poem by Lauren T...
1hr 12m Oct 29, 2021
1hr 12m
113: Episode 182: Inciting A Femme While Gaming Riot
Being a femme presenting person in an online space is to constantly walk a minefield of harassment, intimidation, and abuse. To have your authority questioned and your opinion overlooked in favor of a man's. Things aren't better behind the screens either. Earlier this year a lawsuit against one of the world's biggest game makers, Activision Blizzard, brought to light a long-standing "frat boy" ...
1hr 39m Oct 19, 2021
1hr 39m
112: Episode 181: Inciting A Bad Witch Burning Riot
Recently I was asked to define some important rules to remember when writing about witchcraft, especially in fiction. My response was to keep in mind that it's never about the magic but about the power that magic provides. For many of us who are drawn to the witchy characters in fiction and folklore, we're often drawn to the witch's ability to level the playing field in an otherwise unfair soci...
1hr 10m Oct 05, 2021
1hr 10m
111: Episode 180: Inciting A Witch vs Witch Riot - with Thorn Mooney
Being an author shares a lot of similarities with being a witch. Much of the work we do is alone, toiling away at improving skills or deepening our knowledge about obscure topics. Should we work in groups it's typically in very small circles of trusted peers. The other way that witches and authors are alike is that the general public has a lot of very wrong opinions about what it's like to be...
2hr 23m Sep 21, 2021
2hr 23m
110: Episode 179: Inciting A Texas Abortion Ban Riot
In recent days a new law went into effect in the state of Texas prohibiting access to an abortion after 6 weeks. 6 weeks after what, though? Conception? Your period? Something else? And why so restrictive? And why are so many organizations setting up websites to gather tips about patients, providers, and those that aid them? This conversation requires an expert to guide us through the nuance, a...
47m Sep 10, 2021
47m
109: Episode 178: Inciting A Shadow Work Riot
Shadow Work is a trend that seems to have come out of nowhere in the last two years. One cannot explore much of witchy social media these days without seeing recommendations to “do your shadow work”, which seems to mean anything from “go to therapy” to “meditate more” to “write your feelings in a journal”. As with many trends, plenty of people are trying to commodify it with spiritual advisors ...
1hr 25m Sep 07, 2021
1hr 25m
108: Episode 177: Inciting A Scientifical Riot
Have you ever seen those food videos on YouTube where a chef or a food scientist tries out a series of “food hacks” found in those viral videos by places like 5-minute crafts or Blossom? The “hacks” as they’re commonly called showcase a new, easier way of cooking in well-edited videos lasting only a few seconds per recipe. Ostensibly, this is to help folks who don’t have a lot of cookware on h...
1hr 43m Aug 24, 2021
1hr 43m
107: Episode 176: Inciting An IPCC Riot
The International Panel on Climate Change - otherwise known as the IPCC (#) - just released their Sixth Assessment Report (#)  and it is pretty much all the various news outlets, politicians, and talking heads can discuss. But, it's a big report. The full report is thousands of pages long with hundreds of authors and well over 10,000 source citations. When all the headlines seem to say is somet...
51m Aug 13, 2021
51m
106: Episode 175: Inciting A Heathen Riot
Paganism isn't immune to any number of societal ills. While the same issues that plague the culture at large exist in all parts of our community in some way, it is groups associated with Norse Paganism - and all its related and parallel names, Asatru, Heathenry, Germanic Reconstructionism, and more - that most often come under scrutiny. White supremacy. Transphobia. Homophobia. Xenophobia. When...
1hr 33m Aug 10, 2021
1hr 33m
105: Episode 174: Inciting A Fire Magic Riot
The element of fire has a long history in myth and magic. Fire transforms whatever it consumes, turning it into something new. Yes, of course, wood into charcoal, but it also cooks our food and warms our home. Metaphysically, it is the energetic spark that burns away the parts of us that do not serve our growth and makes way for what should be. Of course, it's a personal favorite of mine. Jose...
1hr 2m Jul 27, 2021
1hr 2m
104: Episode 173: Inciting A Brujería Riot
The magical tradition of brujería  is shrouded behind a veil made of assumption, colonization, and entitlement. We assume quite a lot about it. One common assumption is that it’s simply the word for witchcraft in Spanish and therefore anyone practicing any kind of magic is, indeed, practicing brujería. Learning about this tradition is difficult and confusing for a newcomer. If you don’t alre...
59m Jul 13, 2021
59m
103: Episode 172: Inciting A Pilgrim Riot
Almost everyone at some point looks around at their lives and asks why. We wonder why our family believes in the politics we do or eats the foods we eat. We also wonder about where our beliefs come from. Oftentimes those questions and the subsequent journey after lead people to interact with the magical community. But, what if you are already here? What if you were raised in a magical household...
1hr 39m Jun 29, 2021
1hr 39m