Today I talk with journalist and author, Jasper Craven about his book, God Forgives, Brothers Don't: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood. Jasper explores how military culture has come to define American values. From the Graham Platner's sordid past to cage matches at the White House we talk about our culture of violence and how the lasting traumas of war seep into our daily lives. Jasper charts how this culture evolved through Vietnam, the antiwar movement, and the forever wars, with the military simultaneously burrowing deeper into civilian education through ROTC programs and organizations like the Boy Scouts. Jasper posits that the toxic strain of manhood now roiling American public life was not an accident but an institution, carefully built and persistently defended across generations.

God Forgives, Brothers Don't: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/God-Forgives-Brothers-Dont/Jasper-Craven/9781668087190

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

As a novelist, I firmly believe that the defining characteristic of a remarkable character lies in their capacity for transformation, whether it be for the better or the worse, as a direct consequence of their choices. In his book, “You’ve Changed,” author and journalist Benoit Denizet-Lewis delves into the very essence of self-transformation. Through a series of case studies, Benoit explores our remarkable ability to authentically alter our beliefs, values, temperaments, political affiliations, or even gender identities. From a bully who embraced Buddhism to a gay rights activist who became a pastor Benoit delves into the factors that define genuine change and the transformative journeys these individuals embarked upon to achieve it. While some transformations may take decades, others may occur abruptly, but ultimately, we all possess the inherent power to rewrite our own narratives.

You've Changed: https://www.benoitdenizetlewis.com/

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Do you love hearing me rant about late-stage capitalism and the struggles of the American working class? Well, grab your hammer and sickle, comrade, I have an episode for you! Today, I talk with journalist Ann Larson about her experience of working as a checkout clerk at a supermarket in Utah. Ann's book "Cleanup on Aisle Five“ dives deep into supermarkets and how they operate, from the low-wage workers stocking the shelves to the communities these stores serve and the larger capitalist forces and corporate interests at play that control how we shop for food. Ann argues that supermarkets serve as a point of connection with our neighbors, and we explore how that is being threatened by automation. We also discuss how workers can organize in a time when their labor is being valued less and less. All the power to all the people!!

Cleanup on Aisle Five: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cleanup-on-Aisle-Five/Ann-Larson/9781668094501

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

In an effort to get some of our older episodes up on YouTube we've decided to revisit the episode on Grudges with my friend, journalist and radio host, Danny O'neil. Danny has a newsletter called Grudgery.com where he explores famous grudges, as well as some of his own. This episode was intended to be light fun fare but ended up being a little more therapeutic than expected. We dig in deep on our grudges: the how, the what, the why of them. Which grudges are forgivable, and which ones irredeemable? What do our grudges say about us as people?

YouTube: https://youtu.be/EOuhuwgVAf8
Grudgery: https://www.grudgery.com

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

I've spent a fair bit of time talking about early 80's hardcore on the West Coast. In past episodes, we've covered Seattle, San Diego, and Los Angeles, but today we head east. Nancy Barile's memoir "I'm Not Holding Your Coat" is about her experience in the 80's punk scenes of Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, DC, and Boston. As a disaffected Catholic schoolgirl, Nancy became a central figure in the northeast corridor as a DIY concert promoter and band manager. She survived punk riots and urban decay, ran the streets with outcasts, and ultimately found her calling as a teacher. Today, we hear stories about what it was like coming up in an area that output some of the hardest rocking punk bands in the 80's.

I'm Not Holding Your Coat: https://www.amazon.com/Holding-Your-Coat-Bruises-All/dp/1935950207

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Friday, May 16th, 1980, author and nature enthusiast, Stacy Carlson, attended a school camping trip just 35 miles from Mount St. Helens. She was just 5 years old and had no idea that she was camping at the base of an active volcano. Sunday morning, they woke up and got ready to head out for a hike when suddenly the world turned upside down. Stacy and I talk about her harrowing experience as their school camping trip turned into an action film as they pushed through walls of volcanic ash and lightning to get back home to Seattle. Next Monday will be the 46th anniversary of that fateful day. Hard to imagine something like that happening again, but between sliding Cascadia plates and the Yellowstone Supervolcano, it might be a smart idea to get your go bag ready.

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Andrea Suarez, founder of "We Heart Seattle", claims that Seattle doesn't have a homeless problem, it has a serious fentanyl problem. Why is this an important distinction? For Andrea, it comes down to where we, and our elected officials, decide to focus our resources. Will more affordable housing slow the rampant theft, sex trafficking, and overdoses that plague Seattle? Does low-barrier housing really give addicts a chance to get clean, or do these tiny homes just become taxpayer-funded crime centers? Andrea has some tough-love opinions that come from years in the trenches cleaning up Seattle's public spaces and helping addicts on their road to recovery. She has a lot of passion for this city and some insights that are hard to hear.

We Heart Seattle - https://weheartseattle.org/

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison

Recently, several people recommended to me a limited series podcast called Adults in the Room, which deals with a series of sexual abuse allegations at Garfield High School in Seattle in late 90s. The story, told largely by show's creator, Isolde Rafferty, the managing editor at KUOW and a former reporter at the New York Times, follows a young Isolde as she and a friend, students at Garfield High, decide to report a beloved teacher for sexual abuse. At the time, their accusations faced huge opposition from fellow students, parents, and even local media. 27 years later, Isolde revisited the case and was shocked by how many people knew about the teacher's behavior but refused to act. It's a frustrating story that we've heard many times before, including at my own High School Alma Mater, Bainbridge High School. This week we ask some tough questions about why administrators, parents, and other educators--the adults in the room--systematically protect the predator, rather than the victim. The answers are unsettling.

Adults in the Room: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/focus-adults-in-the-room/id1733735613

linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/freshfacepods.evison