Getting Better Acquainted

In GBA 45 we get better acquainted with Hannah. She talks about being arrested for dressing like a zombie, unemployment in austere times, creative writing, the right to protest and whether it’s a good time to be a loud bisexual and being middle class. We also try and puzzle out whether I’m an evil person for owning an iPhone when I understand the moral problems with its production. She was a "Starbucks Zombie" - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Starbucks-Zombies/205464159493433 http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23951992-zombies-held-in-police-swoop-protesters-spend-four-hours-in-cells-on-day-of-royal-wedding.do http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/29/royal-wedding-police-criticised-protesters And was the Zombie Rights Campaign's Zombie of the Year: http://zombierightscampaign.org/blog/?p=3948 Hannah plugs: The Whippersnapper Press: Her web-publishing site for short, taut, witty and innovative writing: http://www.whippersnapperpress.com/ THEY HAVE A GIG: Thursday, 1 March 7.30PM The Miller Pub, 96 Snowfields, London, SE1 3SS £5 http://www.whippersnapperpress.com/events http://www.facebook.com/events/194993510595219/ The blog she writes for: Bad Reputation - A feminist pop culture adventure: http://www.badreputation.org.uk/ And her personal blog: http://hannahdoublebarrel.wordpress.com/ I plug: Stand Up Tragedy http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk WE HAVE A GIG: Monday 5 March 6.30 The Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London Tickets: http://leicestersquaretheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/126520120/events £10 / £8 - use code TRAGIC to make your full price a concession. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 44 we get better acquainted with Emily. She talks about the Israel/Palestine "situation", breaking her arm, travelling to Israel, being a Canadian in the UK, her relationship to her Jewishness, true storytelling, relationships and more. The reason this episode is being released on Valentines Day is that the day is one of the themes running through the conversation; we discuss long distance relationships, long term relationships, talking and writing about sex and the problem with having an anniversary on Valentines Day. Emily plugs nothing. But we do talk about her Spark London Story: http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/the-dentist-emily-lewsen/ (For more on Spark London see: http://www.sparklondon.com/) Her Stand Up Tragedy Story: http://soundcloud.com/standuptragedy/stand-up-tragedy-01 (Stand Up Tragedy is currently having website problems but it will be back at http://www.standuptragedy.co.uk until then the link will take you to the podcast) And we also talk about the Savage Love Podcast: http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLovePodcast/Page/ Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 43 we get even better acquainted with Louise. This conversation is really a response to our first one and covers a big subject that was missed out. We talk about the death of Louise's step dad and how his life and death have influenced her. We move out from there into a broader conversation about the death of people you love. Which makes it all sound very heavy, but there is plenty of light and warmth in this conversation. You can listen to Louise's first GBA here: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-19-louise Louise plugs - Telling people what you think in that moment, while you can. And also her projects: Big Wheel Theatre Company: http://www.bigwheel.org.uk/ Les Recounteurs: http://lesraconteurslondon.wordpress.com/ Soirée Pompette: http://soireepompette.blogspot.com/ Stand Up Tragedy: Currently we are having website problems but it will be back at www.standuptragedy.co.uk and malware free as soon as possible. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 42 we get better acquainted with Lucy. I met Lucy on my GBA trip to Cardiff. This was the first time we'd seen each other in 10 years. We met in Chapter Arts Centre in Canton, less than 10 minutes from where I used to live. It was a Saturday morning and the cafe was pretty noisy and busy. We talk about looking for your place in the world, our experiences of school and university, finding yourself and fitting in. And we talk dating, discussing looking for love, being single and we debate date etiquette. Lucy doesn't plug anything. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 41 we get better acquainted with Chris. He was my one of my lecturers at university. He talks about academia, journalism, media, the Iraq War and the cuts being imposed by the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition Government. It was recorded on a university campus so it was a trip down memory lane where I faced my past lessons and past prejudices. It's a conversation about ideas but also about people. Chris tells us of his journey from plumber to van driver to academic and critic. And he makes the argument for how, in a world so influenced and controlled by the media, media studies is far from being an irrelevant subject. This is the first time someone with the same name as a previous guest has been aired. It won't be the last. Hope it doesn't get too confusing! Chris plugs: His Blog: http://chr1sr0berts.wordpress.com/ Any work he does for http://www.newleftproject.org/ and http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network And of course his book when it is published. His full name is Chris Roberts so look out for this in the future. He also plugs Dan Hind's The Return of the Public: http://thereturnofthepublic.wordpress.com/ http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1844675947/ Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 40 we get even better acquainted with Lily who was in episode 39 and with Karl James who was in episode 38. Lily asks me for advice on an interesting interview project she is considering and I ask Karl James for notes on how to make what I do on GBA better. We cut between these two conversations about conversations, these two interviews about interviews, and learn a lot about the art of talking and the craft of dialogue. http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-38-karl-james http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-39-lily Notes: The Dialogue Project: http://www.thedialogueproject.com/ 2 + 2 = 5: http://understandingdifference.blogspot.com/ Itunes 2+2=5: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-2-5-the-dialogue-project/id423791414 The Story: http://thestory.org.uk/ Karl James' talk at The Story: http://vimeo.com/20141340 WTF with Marc Maron: http://www.wtfpod.com/ On the Media: http://www.onthemedia.org/podcast/ Radiolab: http://www.radiolab.org/ The episode of radiolab that Karl and Dave refer to: http://www.radiolab.org/2007/sep/24/ Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 39 we get better acquainted with Lily. She talks about coming back to words and writing, the effect of university on her life, and embracing yoga but rejecting its image amongst other things. We also compare experiences of the Edinburgh Festival. Lily doesn't really have anything to plug. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 38 we get better acquainted with Karl James. He talks about having conversations and creating dialogues, how developing skills and theories on talking has shaped and influenced his life. We compare notes about interviewing and get to a point we "co-create a dialogue." Karl plugs the power of having and listening to conversations: If you know someone who is in a great deal of pain, or has had bad experiences of sex, or a hard time in and around friendship, go and have a listen to Karl's conversations on those subjects. The Dialogue Project: http://www.thedialogueproject.com/ 2 + 2 = 5: http://understandingdifference.blogspot.com/ Itunes 2+2=5: http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/2-2-5-the-dialogue-project/id423791414 Why Not Me? http://soundcloud.com/thedialogueproject/why-not-me Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 37 we get better acquainted with my Mum in the second of three conversations. The third will appear later in the series. Amongst lots of other things she talks about doing an art foundation course as a mature student, the relationship between music and art, her relationship with academic study, oil painting, bee based graffiti, the specific qualities of visual art and the importance of looking. We also talk about how her influence/genes have had an effect on the kind of art that I make. Mum plugs her art: http://junehoy.blogspot.com/ Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 36 we get better acquainted with Christmas. It's the 2011 Christmas Special: A festive curiosity full of intimacy, doubt, shared history, music & cheer. I talk to my partner Jen, about the spirit of Christmas, why she loves the season despite or maybe even because she doesn't believe in god, we compare our different childhood Christmases, and tell our shared Christmas stories featuring panic attacks in midnight mass, the smells of Christmas, and lots more. We hear my Dad extracts from a story recorded on cassette in the mid 80's. It's a Christmas recording given to the family children. It;s a window into the past. I talk to Natti, about her Rastafarian experience and attitude towards Xmas. And I play the Christmas song I wrote a last year. The recording of the song is from New Year 2011 and took place in a room full of friends. Basically this episode tells the story of how I learned to love (albeit a highly neurotic and ambiguous love) the season despite its past crimes against my childhood. Also it CONTAINS SPOILERS so please don't play it on speakers around little children. Unless you are actively choosing this way to break the news to them. Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year! Ghosts of... http://youtu.be/XqCKfOwA9vE Time to be Nice 2011: http://youtu.be/UiPXNO7WJAQ One of the reasons I have trouble loving Christmas: http://www.mixcloud.com/sparklondon/two-cathedrals-david-pickering/ Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 35 we get better acquainted with Tony. I talk with my brother about... well brotherhood. Our shared history, tensions, love, influences on each other, our similarities and differences. It's a bit touching. We also talk about teaching, art, drama, and wasps. GBA is getting all warm and fuzzy just in time for Christmas. In fact next Wednesday will be a Christmas special! Then I'm taking a week off. Returning in the new year. Tony doesn't really plug anything. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 34 we get better acquainted with both Eric and my father. It's late at night after dinner and we’ve had a few drinks, so we also get better acquainted with me as I talk more than usual. We talk about their friendship (which is older than me), the effects and interactions of one generation on another, Eric and my Dad’s short but very interesting experiences in teaching and Eric’s big theory on how class is experienced in modern Britain. The plugging section is devoted to what Eric and Dad would like to say to younger generations, although ironically it is rather hijacked by me talking about how important it is to listen to other generations! Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 33 we get better acquainted with Eric. He talks about his extensive BBC career, film making, writing, how he met my father, the effect of national service and the physical and sensual process of typing. And a lot more. He also has a very interesting approach to the process of being recorded. Eric deconstructs the process and purpose of plugging. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In GBA 32 we get better acquainted with Joanna Yates. She talks true stories, psychology and Spark London. A great in depth conversation about the ethics, impact and art of telling true life stories. We recorded this conversation in the bar of the Cafe Canal Theatre where the monthly Spark London true story nights take place. December 5th: Spark London @ The Cafe Canal Theatre - New Beginnings: http://www.sparklondon.com/event/2011/12/05/42 December 19th: Spark London Open Mic @ Ritzy Cinema, Brixton - Christmas: http://www.sparklondon.com/event/2011/12/19/48 Joanna plugs sharing a story at Spark London: To do that see http://www.sparklondon.com/ for upcoming themes and email joanna@sparklondon.com with your story. Two stories I told at Spark, one at the Brixton Open Mic and one at The Cafe Canal Theatre can be heard in GBA1: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-1-dave Listen to Spark London weekly on it's podcast available from their website, on mixcloud or through iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/spark-london/id348365296 One of my stories and a few stories by past and future GBA guests can be found there. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!

In this GBA Extra I talk to Chris about how the March for Alternative (the demo against the cuts on the 26th March 2011) looked from the point of view of a legal observer. In GBC 31 Ged and me discussed our experiences of that March: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-31-ged Chris has a full conversation in GBA 25: http://soundcloud.com/gettingbetteracquainted/gba-25-chris UK Uncut: http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/ Fortnum 145: http://fortnum145.org/2011/11/08/have-we-opted-out-of-universal-human-rights/ Chris added this to the conversation: From the student protests last year, from March 26th and other challenges to the neoliberal austerity programme, people have been going to prison on absurd public order charges. Witnesses can make the difference between freedom and prison, and you may be a witness so here's a quick callout: if you saw any arrests during that protest or another, on the student demo just passed on November 9th, or if you see arrests during the upcoming strike next Wednesday November 30th, please contact GBC, on 07946 541 511 or via gbclegal@riseup.net. Our website is http://greenandblackcross.org If you would like to train as a legal observer, there is a training happening tomorrow (Saturday November 26th, 1 til 5.30pm) at the Bank of Ideas, the repossessed bank building in Sun Street, Hackney. Help more people get better acquainted. If you like what you hear why not write an iTunes review? Follow @GBApodcast on Twitter. Like Getting Better Acquainted on facebook. Tell your friends. Spread the word!