In this episode, writers June Carryl & Tira Palmquist discuss the two viruses that have been plaguing the world together since 2020, COVID-19 and racialized violence. Moderated by L. Trey Wilson.

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This month:

• Actor, playwright, & director, June Carryl, reads her essay, OUR BAD ROMANCE, inspired by former president Donald Trump and his toxic relationship with the United States.
• Playwright Tira Palmquist reads three monologues from three plays.
• June & Tira discuss how to combat complacency and inspire action in regards to climate change, Trump, & racialized violence.
• Tira & June muse on the palpable & powerful differences between reading and hearing the other writer’s work.
• Both writers answer, “How was your thought process before writing the first word on paper? What happens before you actually put pen to paper or fingers to the keyboard?”
• June admires the powerful imagery behind Tira’s piece on climate change.
• June comments on the predictability of the January 6th insurrection.
• Tira explains how her writing is impacted when there are other people whose voices need to be heard more than hers.
• Both writers discuss how to combat apathy with radical empathy.
• Tira talks about how she writes & edits in her real life, even when she isn’t typing a single word.
• June expresses how she feels about her piece now that Trump is no longer president.
• Tira & June highlight the cognitive dissonance in patriotism.

Pieces read

• OUR BAD ROMANCE by June Carryl
• • A short essay that June wrote during the uncertainty and unease leading up to the 2020 election. Her piece explores America’s 4 year long “bad romance” with the 45th president of the United States from the “honeymoon phase” to the near bitter end.

• Three short monologues:
• • From the play THE BODY’S MIDNIGHT
  • from THE WAY NORTH, a play about a former sheriff-turned-adventure-guide
  • from, TWO DEGREES, a play that Lower Depth Theatre’s founding member, Jason Delane, was featured in at the Denver Center.