What the Folk

Jul 21 2023 47 ep. 83 mins 17
What the Folk Podcast artwork

These are revelationary times, there are folks out there doing the real work, and these two affable weirdos want to talk to all of them. Join writer/librarian Sarah Baranauskas and singer/songwriter Joy Damiani* as they sit down for uncensored conversations with artists, organizers, educators and a glimmering array of visionaries. If you’re seeking deeper understanding, insight, and maybe even a medicinal dose of hope with your apocalypse, accompanied by a soundtrack of indie music, this might be What the Folk you’re looking for. *formerly known as Emily Yates

  Society & Culture
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Episode 45: Apocalypse, Still

Jul 21 2023 32 mins  
We've missed you, What the Folk fam! On this episode, instead of having a guest, we decided to take the chance to catch up with each other on life, the universe, and everything. We discuss dealing with personal disappointment and tragedy, and keeping a healthy perspective in the face of the ongoing climate apocalypse. And of course, new music! This one features a fun and timely tun

Episode 44: Peace is Not the Absence of War with Michael McPhearson

Mar 18 2023 107 mins  
On this episode of What the Folk, our guest is Michael McPhearson, the executive director of online news publication the South Seattle Emerald, the former executive director of Veterans for Peace, and a longtime activist for racial and social justice within and outside of the US. This interview covers empathy as a radical act, the challenges of fostering solidarity across differenc

Episode 43: Resisting the War Machine with Stephanie Atkinson

Mar 04 2023 119 mins  
On this episode, our guest is Stephanie Atkinson, an Army veteran and war resister who now works with nonprofits Veterans for Peace and Courage to Resist to bring the truth about military recruitment to heavily-recruited high school students. Besides sharing her inspiring personal story, we discuss everything from military “feminism” to our favorite dystopian fashion (spoiler a

Episode 42: Where the Folk Have We Been?! with Sarah and Joy

Feb 17 2023 75 mins  
We've missed you, What the Folk fam! We took a hiatus to get our respective and collective shit together, and now here we are, back and weirder than ever. In this, our 42nd episode, we cover – well, Life, the Universe, and Everything. Since it led us to discuss relationships, political corruption, the patriarchy, and cats – just to name a few hot topics – Joy's theory is that

Episode 41: OMG Joy Wrote a Book! with Samantha Hart

May 20 2022 60 mins  
Hello, What the Folk fam, we’ve missed you! We’ve had a lot of reasons we’ve been away but one majorly exciting reason is that JOY WROTE A BOOK! What’s also exciting is that friend of the pod Samantha Hart is joining us again for this episode to help illuminate the 14-year writing journey behind If You Ain’t Cheatin’ You Ain’t Trying – as well as Sarah’s English m

Episode 40: Recognizing our Shared Humanity with Michael Iasilli

Mar 19 2022 90 mins  
Russian history scholar and political scientist Michael Iasilli joins us to discuss, what else, the war in Ukraine. Besides giving us a fascinating tour through Russian and Ukrainian history, Iasilli also has a lot to say about avoiding xenophobia against Russians during this time. Naturally, your hosts and Michael got along swimmingly because we all agree that we have much more in

Episode 39: Cheesecake or Death with Lauren Flynn

Mar 03 2022 83 mins  
The fabulous Lauren Flynn returns to the pod! We talk about the inspiration for her awesome new band, Buried Blonde, trust and intuition in the creative process, why artists are essential workers and grappling with death at the Cheesecake Factory. Afterwards, Joy and Sarah discuss the lessons they have learned during the pandemic, Colonel Bruce Hampton, and how to have a non-monoga

Episode 38: Decriminalizing Nature with Nicole Foerster

Feb 16 2022 80 mins  
We’re baaaack! Again! Thank you, dear listeners, for being understanding about our (sometimes variable) apocalypse release schedule. We are rewarding your patience with a fantastic episode featuring Nicole Foerster, an advocate for psilocybin mushrooms as a treatment for cluster headaches, a mental health professional, and a proponent for the full decriminalization of entheogenic

Episode 37: Curiosity Cures Conflict with Corey Nathan

Dec 30 2021 107 mins  
How do we enter into dialogue across differences, especially in a world where we are actively discouraged to do so by the powers that be? That question is not only at the heart of Corey Nathan’s work on his podcast Talkin’ Politics & Religion Without Killin’ Each Other, but also a principle we put into practice during this episode. Corey and your folking hosts come from diffe

Episode 36: Oh Holy F--k! A What the Folk Holiday Duo Spectacular

Dec 16 2021 60 mins  
Happy holidays What the Folk Fam! Our gift to you – not sure you asked for it, but you shall receive – is a whole hour of Sarah and Joy’s stoney shenanigans! Joy has a new single and accompanying video, “It’s All Right to Not Be Okay,” dropping on December 21st. We dive into the therapeutic and combat-sport inspirations for the song and vid, as well as the challenges of