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This week we have a conversation with poet Karla Kelsey who was recently the featured poet for the UGA Diann Blakely Visiting Poet Series. Karla was a delight to talk with and we hope you will enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

Karla Kelsey’s books of poetry books include On Certainty (Omnidawn, 2023), Blood Feather (Tupelo Press, 2020), A Conjoined Book (Omnidawn, 2014), Iteration Nets (Ahsahta, 2010), and Knowledge, Forms, the Aviary (Ahsahta, 2006) selected by Carolyn Forché for the Sawtooth Poetry Prize. Her book of experimental essays, Of Sphere, was selected by Carla Harryman for the 2016 Essay Press Prize. She is the editor of Lost Writings: Two Novels by Mina Loy, (Yale University Press in 2024). Her poet’s novel, Transcendental Factory: For Mina Loy was recently released from Winter Editions. She is the Charles B. Degenstein Professor of English and Creative Writing at Susquehanna University.

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Learn about Vtubing, Resin art and more with local artist Mothrea Immortalis.

Bio: "this bug knows some stuff or something like that"

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Ixian is a one man tour de force of Post Cyber Grinding Noisey Sludge Techno Industrial Blackened doom based out of Athens, GA. His live shows consist of many machines, and masked mystique. There is an unreasonable amount of music for the amount of time the project has been active that can be found at https://ixian.bandcamp.com.

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Novelist and entrepreneur Alissa Huelsman-Bell discusses her journey from Star Trek-inspired storyteller to owner of Thunderfoot Studio, a new film production facility at Wire Park in Watkinsville. Her creative path spans writing 20 published books across multiple genres to building a space where both established and emerging filmmakers can create high-quality content.

Bio:

Calm like an F-bomb*, Alissa Huelsman-Bell writes books about fierce women rockers who have a hard time keeping their clothes on, gender-swapped Norse gods who don't understand modern idioms, middle-aged hemophobic Bloodwitches, and the occasional murderer. Her aliases include Kendall Grey (ASGARD AWAKENING, HARD ROCK HARLOTS, and JUST BREATHE series) K.G. Green (ASK THE BLOOD series), Kendall Day (FALLING FOR MR. SLATER), Seven Slade (COMING OUT), and she is 1/5 of Thor Cox (GRAFFITI CITY series).

Alissa owns Thunderfoot Studio, a small but mighty virtual production studio in Watkinsville, Georgia. She lives near Athens, Georgia with her dashing geek husband, a one-eyed dachshund that thinks she's a cat, and an incorrigible yet adorable mutt whose ice-blue eyes will steal your heart and hold it for ransom. She is currently writing an independent television show that she plans to shoot at Thunderfoot.

* Detonation manual not included.

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Step into the vibrant world of independent cinema as the Athens Film Festival makes its triumphant return for a second year! Founder Chuck Griffin and PR coordinator Blaire Mars take us behind the scenes of this rapidly growing celebration of film that's quickly becoming a cultural cornerstone in the Classic City.

For more information on the festival go to athensfilm.com

Bio:

Chuck Griffin - I'm a Grady Alumni (2009), and studied Telecommunication Arts (now known as "Entertainment and Media Studies"), and got my degree with a concentration in screenwriting. I worked as a script reader for various companies. Despite my main career in software development, I carried my love and appreciation of film into my later years by founding and creating ScriptMother, a screenwriting platform for writers to workshop their script and collaborate with one another. And of course starting the Athens Film Festival in 2024.

Blaire Mars - I’m a Public Relations professional with experience spanning the mental health field, ancient history, and sports reporting - each rooted in my love for storytelling, community building, and authentic connection. Currently, I serve as Screenwriting Coordinator for the UGA Industry’s Writer’s Room, where I manage workshops, writer showcases, and creative collaboration. I’m also the writer and director of the short film Lonely is the Muse, set to release this winter, and the PR Coordinator for the Athens Film Festival, where I help amplify local voices and give creatives an audience. I see film festivals as the peak celebration of storytelling and the Athens Film Festival sets the standard to meet.

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Our guest today is Tara Heaton — a published author, keynote speaker, and master storyteller whose unforgettable memoir invites readers into a world few can imagine. In Life Minutes: Igniting Joy from the Fire of Heartache, Tara shares her journey as a mother navigating trauma, weaving together raw emotion, surprising humor, and heartfelt insight. Her ability to turn deeply personal experiences into universal truths leaves a lasting imprint on the
hearts and minds of readers.
Long before publishing this captivating story, Tara was on a mission-driven quest to help her daughter survive a rare seizure disorder. That journey ignited a lifelong obsession with the brain— particularly how it processes memory, emotion, behavior, and change. Drawing from years of study in neuroscience and her background as a business owner and corporate vice president, Tara founded En Pointe Communication and developed her signature platform, Talk to the Brain™.
Through workshops, keynotes, coaching, and writing, Talk to the Brain™ helps teams and individuals communicate for connection and influence. Tara teaches neuroscience-based strategies that elevate storytelling, deepen trust, and inspire action — all rooted in how the overstimulated brain best receives information in today’s noisy world. She believes that our greatest success and deepest fulfillment come from our ability to build strong, trusted relationships.
You can find Life Minutes wherever books are sold. Learn more at enpointeglobal.com, connect on Instagram @taraheatonauthor, watch her TEDx Talk Is Our Pleasure Killing Our Joy?, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

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Have you ever walked out of a movie theater feeling betrayed by what filmmakers did to your favorite book? Or discovered an incredible novel only after falling in love with its screen adaptation? Our fascinating conversation with Athens librarians Niké and Britton explores the delicate art of transforming written words into visual stories.

Britton is also one of the host for the podcast "Here Come the Sequels"; Check it out on all major podcast platforms.

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Meet Caleb Zane Hewitt, the creative force behind Triangle Agency, a groundbreaking tabletop role-playing game that's redefining how we think about narrative control and power dynamics at the gaming table. In this wide-ranging conversation, Caleb shares how his unexpected journey from theater kid to professional game master to acclaimed game designer has shaped his unique creative perspective.

Caleb Zane Huett is a game designer and author of several books including TRIANGLE AGENCY, TOP ELF, BUSTER, and the IRONSWORD ACADEMY series. He is also the creative director for Haunted Table, publisher of Triangle Agency and other tabletop role-playing games.