The Short Fuse Podcast

The Short Fuse
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The Short Fuse Podcasts, hosted by Elizabeth Howard, are conversations with artists, writers, musicians and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change. "Artists are here to disturb the peace." James Baldwin The Short Fuse is produced by the Arts Fuse, the online journal of arts commentary and criticism.

  1. 3d ago

    Ruchira Gupta reflects on her friendship with Gloria Steinem

    Gloria Steinem  Gloria Steinem was a writer, political activist, and feminist organizer. She was a founder of New York and Ms. magazines, and is the author of An Unexpected Life, The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off, My Life on the Road, Moving Beyond Words, Revolution from Within, and Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, in addition to many collections and essays. She co-founded the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Ms. Foundation for Women, the Free to Be Foundation, and the Women’s Media Center in the United States. As links to other countries, she helped found Equality Now, Donor Direct Action, and Direct Impact Africa. For her writing, Steinem has received the Penney-Missouri Journalism Award, the Front Page and Clarion awards, the National Magazine Award, the Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society of Writers Award from the United Nations, and the University of Missouri School of Journalism Award for Distinguished Service in Journalism. In 1993, her concern with child abuse led her to co-produce an Emmy Award–winning TV documentary for HBO, Multiple Personalities: The Search for Deadly Memories. She and Amy Richards co-produced an Emmy nominated series of eight documentaries on violence against women around the world for VICELAND in 2016. She is the subject of Julie Taymor’s biopic, The Glorias, released in Fall 2020 and was featured in Dear Ms., released on HBO in 2025. Among many tributes and honors for her activism, in 2013 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama and in 2019, she received the Freedom Award from the National Civil Rights Museum. For her boundless commitment to feminism, and for including all voices in the name of equality, Gloria was the 2021 recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities. She lives in New York City. Gloria’s home is the heart of Gloria’s Foundation and has become renowned as a magnetic and life-changing center for feminist and activist thinkers from around the world. Ruchira Gupta is the author of I Kick and I Fly and The Freedom Seeker, and a lifelong activist ARuchira Gupta is the author of I Kick and I Fly and The Freedom Seeker, and a lifelong activist is the author of I Kick and I Fly and The Freedom Seeker, and a lifelong activist working to end sex trafficking. She is a Emmy-winning documentatian, she founded   Emmy-winning documentarian, she founded Apne Aap with survivors from her film The Selling of Innocents. Her advocacy has shaped global laws and earned her the French Ordre National du Mérite. She advises the UN, teaches human trafficking and migration at NYU, and writes social justice adventure books to inspire change. Through story and action, Ruchira empowers readers and policy makers alike to build a world where every girl is safe, free, and valued. ApneAap Apne Aap Women Worldwide is a grassroots Indian organization that empowers marginalized girls and women to resist and end sex trafficking. We organize vulnerable girls and women into small self-empowerment groups, where they work collectively to access legal, social, economic and political rights. Our organization was founded in 2002 by Ruchira Gupta along with 22 courageous women in prostitution who shared her vision of a world where no woman would be bought or sold. A charitable trust registered in India, Apne Aap Women Worldwide continues to strive to turn this vision into reality. Based in New York, Apne Aap’s international office in New York raises funds to support the organization’s grassroots work in India. Apne Aap International, which is registered as a 501(c)(3) charity in the United States, partners with organizations such as NoVo Foundation, Coalition Against Trafficking in Women and Equality Now to push for an end to sex trafficking. The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    Ruchira Gupta reflects on her friendship with Gloria Steinem

  2. Jul 7

    Frederick Douglass: Our North Star

    Kwame Daniels is a creative director, DJ, broadcaster and founder of Bounce Culture. He has spent his career using music and creativity to connect people and create opportunities. He is the founder of Solab, connecting artists and producers across Africa and the diaspora through collaboration and innovation. Kwame is the creative force behind North Star, an immersive live music performance inspired by Frederick Douglass' historic 1845 speech in Belfast, bringing history, music, and storytelling together in a powerful new way. North StarCo-commissioned by Irish Arts Center and Lyric Theatre, BelfastCreated and directed by Kwame Daniels North Star is a live music and spoken word performance inspired by the speeches of abolitionist Frederick Douglass during his historic visit to Belfast in 1845. Conceived and developed by Kwame Daniels, this collaborative, immersive standing-room show fuses artistic responses to Douglass’s experience by an eclectic range of contemporary artists—including hip-hop, jazz, gospel, electronic, and classical music and poetry—with commissioned writing from young people from Belfast and New York in a groundbreaking collaboration of music and spoken word rooted in Black cultures, and inspired by Douglass’s story, philosophy, and deep connection with Belfast. The music included in this podcast along with the poem read is taken straight from North Star. Naziha Tarannum 5th Grader: Poem entitled "NEW YORK IS HOME, HOME, AND HOME!"   Irish Arts center Founded in 1972 and located in New York City's Hell's Kitchen, Irish Arts Center is a vibrant cultural hub that welcomes artists and audiences from all backgrounds who are interested in the rich and evolving arts and culture of Ireland and the Irish American experience. The Center supports both established and emerging artists by presenting, developing, and celebrating innovative work that inspires and engages audiences. Alongside its artistic programming, Irish Arts Center is committed to community outreach through educational initiatives and accessible arts programs that serve people of all ages and diverse ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds.  The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Jessica Khan Jessica Khan is a Bronx native and a rising senior at the University of Richmond, where she has a double major in journalism and political science with a minor in leadership studies. As the current music director of one of the university's a cappella groups, Jessica continues to pursue her passion for singing while developing her skills as a journalist. She is driven by a commitment to uncovering the truth and telling stories that often go untold, using storytelling to bridge divides, spark conversation, and bring overlooked voices into the spotlight. Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    Frederick Douglass: Our North Star

  3. Jun 18

    "Can the arts create a ruckus?"

    Can the arts provoke, reflect, and sustain cultural dialogue in a period of disruption? How can the arts continue to provoke, reflect, and sustain cultural dialogue as technology pulls us through a liminal space, defined by disruption and transition?  Moderator:    Elizabeth Howard        The Short Fuse  National Center of Afro-American Artists Akiba Abaka, Interim Executive Director, National Center of Afro-American Artists; arts leader, producer, and educator advancing cultural equity. The Arts Fuse Bill Marx, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Arts Fuse; veteran arts critic across print, broadcast, and digital media. Lux Studio  Anthony J. Piermarini, AIA, CPHD, Architect, co-founding principal of Studio Luz Architects and BR-A-CE, focused on socially engaged design. Associate professor, Wentworth Institute of Technology SpeakEasy Stage Company Dawn Simmons, Artistic Director, SpeakEasy Stage Company; Elliott Norton Award–winning director, producer, writer and educator. The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Jessica Khan Jessica Khan is a Bronx native and a rising senior at the University of Richmond, where she has a double major in journalism and political science with a minor in leadership studies. As the current music director of one of the university's a cappella groups, Jessica continues to pursue her passion for singing while developing her skills as a journalist. She is driven by a commitment to uncovering the truth and telling stories that often go untold, using storytelling to bridge divides, spark conversation, and bring overlooked voices into the spotlight. Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    "Can the arts create a ruckus?"

  4. Apr 22

    Arvo Part Out of Silence

    Peter Bouteneff  Peter C. Bouteneff (DPhil, University of Oxford) is professor of theology at St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary in Crestwood, New York and a conservatory-trained musician. He is the author of numerous books and essays on subjects relating to theology and the arts, including Arvo Pärt: Out of Silence. He is founding director of the Institute of Sacred Arts. Luminous Podcast  Conversations with inspired and inspiring people: artists, scholars, thinkers, of all walks of life and approaches to the sacred.  An Inward Lestening:  Arvo Part's Fur Alina Even if I Lose Everything Avro Part Centre  Arvo Pärt is one of those composers in the world, whose creative output has significantly changed the way we understand the nature of music. In 1976, he created a unique musical language called tintinnabuli, that has reached a vast audience of various listeners and that has defined his work right up to today. There is no compositional school that follows Pärt, nor does he teach, nevertheless, a large part of the contemporary music has been influenced by his tintinnabuli compositions.   Experiential Orchestra  Invites audiences to engage with orchestral music through non-traditional presentation styles and educational, interactive, and immersive concert experiences. The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.    The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    Arvo Part Out of Silence

  5. Mar 25

    A Library on Death Row

    Episode Notes Big House Books.  Big House Books is a non-profit, volunteer organization that sends free books by request to prisoners in Mississippi correctional facilities in order to promote literacy and be a vehicle of change for prison reform. Big House Books would appreciate your paperback books - westerns, fantasy novels  and science fiction are genres often requested.  Books can be shipped through media mail.  More information on the Big House Books website.  Shower Power. Shower Power is more than a shower. They believe that through faith and serving others they can transform people and the world. They bring  hospitality to the streets by delivering hygiene services to people experiencing homelessness.  It's about taking time to show people you care and restoring their dignity by providing them with the resources they need for self care.  We love people back to life!   Lemuria Bookstore  This year celebrating their 50th anniversary, Lemuria has formed valuable relationships with authors and their readers.  Lemuria believes in the value of the physical book, whether you're a collector in search of a literary gem or you are looking for the latest bestseller. In a digital age, Lemuria is areal bookstore with floor-to-ceiling shelves, that quintessential book smell, and a little bit of Southern hospitality, you’ll feel right at home.  It is beloved in Jackson, Mississippi.  One of the many reasons to visit Jackson.The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  Hannah Brueske, manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor in chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art. Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    A Library on Death Row

  6. Mar 11

    Cinema Rodrigo: Talking Film

    Aldo Juraidini Zorrilla is a designer working across disciplines, with a focus on product, strategy, and brand. As Design Director at Studio Rodrigo, he guides multi-disciplinary teams on projects mainly for the digital world. Aldo also founded and curates Cinema Rodrigo, a film club where friends and fellow creatives come together across New York City's independent theaters once a month to watch a film, discuss it, and hang out. Studio Rodrigo A design, branding, identity and produce design consultancy designed to make life better.  Academy Awards 2026 The 98th Academy Awards ceremony is being held on Sunday, March 15, 2026. In the conversation Elizabeth and Aldo discuss three of New York City's independent cinemas that offer  films that are curated and screened in intimate spaces. Film Forum MetrographQuad Cinema The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  Hannah Brueske, manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor in chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art. Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    Cinema Rodrigo: Talking Film

  7. Feb 25

    Oarabile Ditsele: Reimagining Theater Through Gen Z

    Oarabile Ditsele  Oarabile Ditsele is a multidisciplinary creative force whose work spans writing, acting, producing, and socially driven arts Innovation.  He is a graduate of University of Cape Town, majoring in drama. Ditsele gained international attention in 2016 as a writer-performer of the award-winning theatre production, The Fall, produced by the Baxter Theatre. The play toured globally to critical acclaim, with notable runs at the Royal Court Theatre in London and St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York. Ditsele’s transition into film began in 2021 with Blood Is Black, a project he both wrote and produced. In 2022, he continued expanding his performance repertoire by starring in the internationally acclaimed In 2023, Ditsele produced, wrote, and performed in Rapela: Speaking to the Unknown, which enjoyed a sold-out run at the Jo' burg Theatre. By 2025, he appeared in Paul Slabolepszy’s Bitter Winter (directed by Lesedi Job) while simultaneously directing and producing the short-film adaptation of Speaking to the Unknown, slated for release in 2026. Beyond his creative work, Ditsele is a committed social entrepreneur who leverages the arts as a catalyst for employment and community development. He founded annual visual-arts initiatives in the Free State, creating sustainable opportunities for young artists in marginalized communities. Currently, Ditsele is expanding his impact across the continent by establishing a film distribution partnership with Uganda. His first export to the African diaspora will be Some Mothers Son, an award-winning film adapted from Mike Van Graan’s acclaimed play Some Mothers Sons. Ditsele has a growing body of internationally recognized work, a strong storytelling voice, and a deep sense of the arts of the arts is shaping our world.   Market Theatre The Market Theatre, founded in Johannesburg in 1976 by Mannie Manim and the late Barney Simon, was constructed out of Johannesburg’s Indian Fruit Market – built in 1913. The theatre went on to become internationally renowned as South Africa’s “Theatre of the Struggle”. The Market Theatre challenged the apartheid regime, armed with little more than the conviction that culture can change society. The strength and truth of that conviction was acknowledged in 1995 when the theatre received the American Jujamcyn Award. In providing a voice to the voiceless, The Market Theatre did not forego artistic excellence, but, rather, made a point of it. Its twenty-one international and over three hundred South African theatre awards bears eloquent testimony to the courage and artistic quality of its work. Barney Simon Barney Simon (13 April 1932 – 30 June 1995) was a South African writer, playwright and director.  He was the founder of the Market Theatre in Johannesburg Albie Sachs  A South African lawyer, activist, writer, and former judge appointed to the first Constitutional Court of South Africa by Nelson Mandela.  On 7 April 1988, Sachs opened the door to his car and it exploded.Sachs lost his right arm and vision in his left eye, and a passerby was killed. He was stabilized in Mozambique, then flown to London to recover. There, he received a letter promising he would be avenged. Sachs decided to seek not revenge but "soft vengeance" which would take the form of getting freedom in a new non-racial and democratic South Africa based on human rights and the rule of law.   The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  Hannah Brueske, manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor in chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art. Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.

    Oarabile Ditsele: Reimagining Theater Through Gen Z

  8. Feb 11

    I Hope You Find What You're Looking For

    The music used in the intro of this episode is a classic Eritrean song called "Milenu" by Tewolde Reda.  In I Hope You Find What You're Looking For Zewdi mentions this singer in a flashback to her first love. Bsrat Mezghebe received an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. Her writing has appeared in Guernica, The Paris Review, and the anthology Well–Read Black Girl: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves. She lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Liveright Books/WW Norton Well-Read Black Girl.  Glory Edim is the founder of The Well-Read Black Girl, a podcast and digital literacy platform that celebrates the uniqueness of Black literature and sisterhood. She edited the Well-Read Black Girl anthology, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Award and named a best book of the year by Library Journal. Her latest book On Girlhood is a collection of groundbreaking short stories that explore the thin yet imperative line between Black girlhood and womanhood. The winner of the Innovator's Award from the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes, Edim worked as a cultural practitioner for over ten years and serves on the board of Baldwin for the Arts. She resides in Washington D.C. with her son, Zikomo.  Center for Fiction Our mission is to support readers and writers of all ages and histories, and to build community through fiction.From our vibrant home in Downtown Brooklyn, we offer a wide range of programming for local and national audiences. Through our Events, Reading Groups, Library, and Bookstore, we inspire readers to explore classic and contemporary literature. In our Workshops and Writers Studio, emerging and established writers hone their craft and develop new work. Our Fellowships and Awards champion fresh talent and celebrate excellence in fiction. Through our KidsRead programs with New York City public schools, we foster a lifelong love of books for our youngest readers.   The Short Fuse Podcast  is hosted by Elizabeth Howard. She talks with artists, writers, musicians, and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change through their art, music, ideas, and performances. James Baldwin reminds us that "artists are here to disturb the peace."  Her articles related to communication and marketing have appeared in European Communications, Investor Relations, Law Firm Marketing & Profit Report, Communication World, The Strategist, and the New York Law Journal, among others.  Her books include Queen Anne’s Lace and Wild Blackberry Pie, (Thornwillow Press, 2011), A Day with Bonefish Joe (David Godine, 2015) and Ned O’Gorman:  A Glance Back (Easton Studio Press, 2016).    @elizh24 on Instagram Gerald Kent Gerald Kent is the producer and editor of the Short Fuse. Based in Cape Town, South Africa. Gerald is a talented musician and audio engineer who has been releasing his own music independently since 2021. Alongside his artistry, he’s built up experience working with multiple clients in the podcasting space, from editing through full-scale production.  Hannah Brueske, manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor in chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art. Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine The Arts Fuse  Bill Marx, is the editor in chief of The Arts Fuse. For over four decades, he has written about arts and culture for print, broadcast, and online. He has regularly reviewed theater for National Public Radio Station WBUR and The Boston Globe.He created and edited WBUR Online Arts, a cultural webzine that in 2004 won an Online Journalism Award for Specialty Journalism. In 2007 he created The Arts Fuse, an online magazine dedicated to covering arts and culture in Boston and throughout New England The Arts Fuse was established in June, 2007 as a curated, independent online arts magazine dedicated to publishing in-depth criticism, along with high quality previews, interviews, and commentaries. The publication’s over 70 freelance critics (many of them with decades of experience) cover dance, film, food, literature, music, television, theater, video games, and visual arts. There is a robust readership for arts coverage that believes that culture matters. The goal of The Arts Fuse is to treat the arts seriously, to write about them in the same way that other publications cover politics, sports, and business — with professionalism, thoughtfulness, and considerable attitude. The magazine’s motto, from Jonathan Swift, sums up our editorial stance: “Use the point of your pen … not the feather.”  The Arts Fuse has published over 10, 000 articles and receives 80,000+ visits a month. This year the magazine is celebrating its 18th birthday - a milestone for a small, independent magazine dedicated to covering the arts. Assist Arts Fuse in its mission:  keep arts and culture hale and hearty through dialogue, and not just marketing.   Serious criticism, by talking about the strengths, weaknesses, and contributions of the arts, plays an indispensable role in the cultural ecology. Smaller, newer organizations need a response. When they are ignored as they are by the mainstream media, they fail to gain an audience. And without an audience, they fold, further weakening the entire ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE to the weekly e-newsletter LIKE The Arts Fuse on Facebook, FOLLOW  on Twitter HELP  The Arts Fuse thrive by providing underwriting for the magazine. Even better — make a tax deductible donation.     Hannah Brueske, manages social media and marketing for the Short Fuse. She is a senior journalism student at Emerson College, with a special interest in feature stories, arts reporting, and documentary filmmaking. She is active in campus publications as a reporter for The Berkeley Beacon, Emerson’s only independent student newspaper, and the editor in chief of The Independent, an arts magazine that covers independent art.   Evelyn Rosenthal, copy edits the Short Fuse. She is a singer specializing in jazz and Brazilian music, a freelance editor, and the former editor in chief and head of publications at the Harvard Art Museums. She writes about music for the Arts Fuse and copy edits the magazine

    I Hope You Find What You're Looking For
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About

The Short Fuse Podcasts, hosted by Elizabeth Howard, are conversations with artists, writers, musicians and others whose art reveals our communities through their lens and stirs us to seek change. "Artists are here to disturb the peace." James Baldwin The Short Fuse is produced by the Arts Fuse, the online journal of arts commentary and criticism.

Information

  • Creator
    The Short Fuse
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    90
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Arts Fuse
  • Show Website
    The Short Fuse Podcast