AADL Talks To | Ann Arbor District Library

Ann Arbor District Library
  • 5.0 (1)
  • History

In these episodes we take a journey into the heart of Ann Arbor. Listen in on thought-provoking interviews with guests ranging from authors like Ruth Ozeki to musicians The Chenille Sisters to local public figures like Jerry DeGrieck. No topic is off-limits as we unravel the threads of culture, art, history, and more. AADL Talks To shares the stories and expertise from all around our community, offering listeners a unique perspective on diverse topics.

  1. Jan 22

    AADL Talks To: Frank Uhle, Film Projectionist, Author, and Cultural Historian

    Frank Uhle came to the University of Michigan as an art student, joined the campus film society Cinema II, and has worked for several decades as a University of Michigan and Michigan Theater film projectionist. He also hosts a radio program at the local U-M independent radio station WCBN, and enjoys researching regional music history. In 2023, Frank penned the book Cinema Ann Arbor, which takes a look back at the history of Ann Arbor’s vibrant campus cinema culture from the 1960s through the turn of the 21st century. I talked with Frank about Ann Arbor’s love affair with cinema, from its early history to its cutting-edge film festivals; the maverick professors and students who built the vibrant campus film societies; and the cultural changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor and in the film industry over the past several decades. Frank's book Cinema Ann Arbor is available in our catalog to check out or download. You can also read Frank's essay about legendary Ann Arbor record producer Ollie McLaughlin, written for AADL's Ann Arbor 200 project in celebration of the city's bicentennial.

    52 min

  2. 12/18/2025

    AADL Talks To: Mark Hodesh, Fleetwood Diner and Downtown Home and Garden Founder

    In May 2023, AADL talked to Mark Hodesh. Mark told us about growing up in Ann Arbor, his many jobs in town including Red’s Rite Spot, Fleetwood Diner, and Downtown Home and Garden. Mark reflected on his life in Ann Arbor, and shared stories from his many years owning the Hertler Brothers building, including a set of gold teeth, and the cats Ann Arborites have known and loved.

    33 min

  3. 10/10/2025

    Frank Uhle Talks to Dallas Kenny about Campus Cinema and the Matrix Theatre

    Dallas Kenny currently runs a global education consulting business. But back in the 1970s, he was committed to Ann Arbor's cinema culture. Kenny helped found the non-profit New World Media Project, the umbrella organization for the New World Film Cooperative, which showed film on and around the University of Michigan campus. It oversaw Venus Productions, its printing and promotional arm, and the Matrix Theatre at 605 E. William Street, where New York Pizza Depot is located today. Frank Uhle, author of Cinema Ann Arbor: How Campus Rebels Forged a Singular Film Culture, talks with Kenny about his unique role in Ann Arbor's cinema culture, from his collaboration with other campus groups to promote community programming, to the rise and fall of the Matrix Theatre. Check out the Dallas Kenny Collection of historical film posters, schedules, and other documents. Read Frank's book here or check it out from our collection.

    59 min

  4. 10/07/2025

    AADL Talks To: Phil Hallman, Film Historian, University of Michigan Librarian and Archivist

    Phil Hallman's lengthy relationship with Ann Arbor film culture began with trips to Ann Arbor during high school in nearby Plymouth and includes his involvement with the Ann Arbor Film Cooperative and city-wide film festivals through the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, Phil has been curator for the Mavericks and Makers collections housed at the U-M Library’s Special Collections Research Center; the Donald Hall Collection screenplay collection in the University of Michigan's Film, Television, and Media department, and has served as Film Studies Librarian and subject specialist liaison for the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. Phil talks with us about his long love affair with film, the heyday of Ann Arbor's famous campus cinema culture, and some gems from the collections he curates.

    1h 11m

  5. 08/11/2025

    AADL Talks To: Bill Lynn, Former Member of the Mojo Boogie Band, Retired Musician and Auctioneer

    Bill Lynn is a musician who lived in Ann Arbor during the late 1960s and 1970s, where he was part of the popular Mojo Boogie Band. Bill recalls living in Ann Arbor during the heyday of the counterculture movement. He reminisces about friends, band members, anti-war protests, draft dodging techniques, the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, favorite local venues, the changing national music scene, and tells stories about friendships and colleagues, including John Sinclair, the Tate Brothers, JC Crawford, and musician Andrew Williams. Additional stories can be found in the Bill Lynn Collection.

    44 min

  6. 07/01/2025

    AADL Talks To: Scott Morgan, Singer and Musician

    Scott Morgan is the former frontman and founding member of The Rationals, a popular Ann Arbor-based rock band that saw success in the mid-1960s and early 1970s with "Guitar Army," "I Need You," and their cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect." The Rationals played regional and national venues with groups like The Yardbirds, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. After the group disbanded in the early 1970s, Scott founded and performed with other bands, including Guardian Angel, Scots Pirates, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, the Hydromatics, and The Hellacopters. Scott talks with us about growing up in Ann Arbor during the 1960s and the region’s heady music scene during this period; his friendships and collaborations with area musicians such as Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, Bob Seger, and Fred “Sonic” Smith. He also recalls some favorite Ann Arbor venues and how the local music scene has changed. The Scott Morgan Collection comprises photographs, documents (including posters, postcards, and flyers) from the past 60 years, music from Scott's record collection, and a scrapbook from a fan of The Rationals. We also have news clippings and The Rationals: "Ann Arbor's Beatles," a 1991 interview with Scott Morgan and Bill Figg, by Frank Uhle.

    52 min

  7. 06/26/2025

    AADL Talks To: Jim King, Musician and Owner of King's Keyboard House

    Jim King is the owner of King's Keyboard House, which was established in 1961 by his father, Richard. Jim grew up surrounded by music, which led to him performing at iconic venues including Bimbo's On The Hill and The Second Chance with his bands. He shares stories of maintaining a longstanding local business and the legendary performers they've supplied.

    27 min

  8. 06/15/2025

    AADL Talks To: Gregory Sipp, Retired Ann Arbor Public School Teacher and Mosaic Artist

    Gregory Sipp is a retired Ann Arbor Public School teacher with a 35-year career teaching at both the elementary and middle school levels, first at Bryant Elementary, then Allen Elementary, and finally Tappan Junior High (now Tappan Middle School). In his 50s, Greg discovered a passion for mosaic art and dedicated himself to studying the medium and creating portraits, which he still does today. In this episode, Greg chronicles his early years as a teacher in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, highlighting encounters with mentors and colleagues, and the impact of school desegregation. He also takes us on his journey as an artist, discussing several of his mosaic works, the influence of jazz music on his creative process, and a memorable encounter with trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard.

    1h 9m
See All (86)

About

In these episodes we take a journey into the heart of Ann Arbor. Listen in on thought-provoking interviews with guests ranging from authors like Ruth Ozeki to musicians The Chenille Sisters to local public figures like Jerry DeGrieck. No topic is off-limits as we unravel the threads of culture, art, history, and more. AADL Talks To shares the stories and expertise from all around our community, offering listeners a unique perspective on diverse topics.

Information