Hybridia

Hybridia

At a time of widespread binary and polarized thinking, Hybridia is a podcast for more nuanced conversations between those who find themselves at the intersections of multiple cultures and identities.

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 18: “Jumping Off the Waterfall” w/ Sachiko Ragosta

    Our guest today is Sachiko Ragosta, a writer, musician and judoka. We discuss their background in writing and martial arts, and they present us with core Judo principles that they also apply to their writing practice, such as “maximum efficiency minimal effort,” i.e. not trying to force a plot, or the idea of practicing for “mutual welfare and benefit,” and how that can apply to ethics in writing. We also discuss collaboration and surrendering oneself to the outcome, whether in music or writing, and how writing a story about Judo finally got Sachi back onto the mats after a long hiatus. Support Hybridia We self-produce these episodes out of love. Send us a tip to help with our costs! Guest Bio Sachiko Ragosta (they/them) is a Bay Area-based sexual and reproductive health researcher, fiction writer, musician, and judoka. They hold an MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where they were a Truman Capote Fellow. Their essays and fiction can be found in Ms., It Came from the Closet: Queer Reflections on Horror, and Apex Magazine. Find them online at sachikor.com or @v3rsachiko. Show Notes Judo background and principles: Judo (柔道) “the gentle way,” founded by Jigoro KanoSeiryoku-zenyo (精力善用) maximum efficiency/minimum effortJita kyoei (自他共栄) practicing for mutual welfare and benefit References: A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, a book of essays by George Saunders, from where Sachi references a quote about anticipating the reaction of the reader in fictionInterview with Sachi in Apex MagazineEvil Does Not Exist, a film by Ryusuke HamaguchiSaki references an old clip of Kyuzo Mifune doing judoChain-Gang All-Stars, a novel by Nana Kwame Adjei-BrenyahTannery Bay, a collaborative novel by Steven Dunn and Katie Jean ShinkleThe Art of Learning, a book by Josh Waitzkin Credits Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ.

  2. Sep 28

    Episode 17: “The Factory” w/ Jon McCurley

    Our guest today is Jon McCurley, who works in performance, film, sculpture, and comedy. We discuss his art projects “Monsters of the World” and “Taste Test,” which explore the connections between the Cadbury chocolate company and European imperialism, as well as its link to his personal history since his parents met while working for the company. We also talk about the psychological toll of incorporating personal trauma into an art practice and how to find joy and meaning in our creative acts in order to avoid burn out. Support Hybridia We self-produce these episodes out of love. Send us a tip to help with our costs! Guest Bio Jon McCurley (b.1982, Toronto / Tkaronto) works in performance, film, sculpture, and comedy. Jon is of Vietnamese and Irish descent. He was half of the art group Life of a Craphead (2006 – 2020), and was co-founder of the performance and music venue Double Double Land (2008-2017). Life of a Craphead performance projects include King Edward VII Equestrian Statue Floating Down the Don River (2017), where a life-size replica of a well-known colonial statue was dumped into a Toronto river on a weekly basis for a month and Doored (2012 – 2017), a monthly live broadcast performance art show that featured over 150 performers over the span of 5 years. In 2018 Life of a Craphead was nominated for the Sobey Art Award. Jon’s forthcoming solo show, Skull Island, will be at Teck Gallery, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, in Fall 2021. His work is also part of the 2021 Seoul Mediacity Biennale, South Korea. Show Notes Jon’s Projects & Collaborations: Life of a CrapheadMonsters of the WorldMonsters of the World TourTaste TestOwls Club Music Hour Galleries & Art Venues Mentioned: Eastside ProjectsSeoul Media City Bienniale  Credits Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ.

  3. Sep 14

    Episode 16: “Punk Mermaids in the Grotto” w/ Monika Uchiyama

    We’re back for our 3rd season (!) and we’re kicking it off with Monika Uchiyama, an artist, interpreter, and translator based in Tokyo and NYC. Monika is a fascinating person and we’re so grateful we got to speak with her when she was in New York to work as an interpreter for Japan Cuts 2026. We discuss the craft of interpreting and how it differs from text translation, the necessity of presence and assertiveness required for live interpretation, and the feeling of flow state that comes with that. We get into her history as well, discussing her move back to Japan from California as a high-schooler; the hyper-visibility she felt being mixed race in Japan; and how she coped with everything by getting into music and the punk scene– doing some of her first translations for music-related projects. We also discuss one of her films, a new use, in which she documents the production process of her Japanese family’s multigenerational business. If you happen to be in the LA area and want to catch Monika as an interpreter, she will be there this November for a Sho Miyake retrospective at the Japan Foundation. Support Hybridia We self-produce these episodes out of love. Send us a tip to help with our costs! Guest Bio Monika Uchiyama (b. Tokyo, Japan) is an artist, interpreter, and translator based in Tokyo and NYC. Show Notes Monika’s film work: a new use (2018), single-channel video, 24min.Interview on Vdrome about the film More about Monika: Interpreting Japanese Cinema: Monika Uchiyama by Blake Simons for Desperately Seeking SubtitlesTranslating ‘Farewell to the Highland Station’: An interview with Monika Uchiyama by Mako Fukata for Ultra Dogme Documentation of Monika interpreting: KAJI MEIKO Q&A Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41 (2026)Sho Miyake on Two Seasons, Two Strangers | New Directors/New Films 2026 Other references: Film about survivors of sexual and physical abuse: In Their Traces 『魂のきせき』(2025) Directed by Shigeru Kobayashi, with Morinaga Miyako, Saori Ninomiya, Kazue Takahashi.The Shrouds (2024) Directed by David CronenbergTetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto Credits Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ.

  4. Jan 26 ·  Bonus

    Recap: Season 2 w/ Kirby & Saki (& Kiwi)

    Saki and Kirby reflect on how it was to record and release the second season of Hybridia. They discuss becoming more comfortable in their roles as hosts and also how they're continuing to engage with their cultural heritages. Kirby's new dog, Kiwi, makes a special guest appearance. They also mull on ideas for next season, like exploring Hybridia through food culture, or even experimental sound. Credits: Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ.

  5. 12/22/2025

    Episode 15: “The Place of Permission” w/ traci kato-kiriyama

    Our guest today is traci kato-kiriyama, and we were fortunate enough to speak with such a self-professed hybrid as we close out our second season. tkk is a transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer/performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, and community organizer based in the Los Angeles Area. We came across them when listening to a panel linking Japanese Incarceration to ICE raids today, but their work spans playwriting, performing, and writing. We specifically discuss their show “TALES OF CLAMOR,” which interweaves personal autobiographical moments with the testimonies of Japanese Americans about their incarceration, and their book “Navigating With(out) Instruments,” a true hybrid work comprised of poetry, micro-essays and notes to self. Guest Bio traci kato-kiriyama (they+she), author of Navigating With(out) Instruments--based on unceded Tongva land in the south bay of Los Angeles-- is an award-winning multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary artist, recognized for their work as a writer/performer, theatre deviser, cultural producer, and community organizer. As a storyteller and Artivist, tkk is grounded in collaborative process, collective self-determination, and art+community as intrinsically tied and a critical means toward connection and healing. She is a performer & principal writer for PULLproject Ensemble, two-time NET recipient; NEFA 2021-22 finalist for their show TALES OF CLAMOR. Full bio here. Show Notes tkk’s work: Tales of Clamor – a theater work developed by PULLproject, traci’s collaboration with PULLproject aerial artist/actor Kennedy Kabasares Navigating With(out) Instruments – traci’s second book. traci’s reading at Beyond Baroque tkk’s activism and other projects: Nikkei Progressives Tuesday Night Project Japanese American Incarceration references & resources: Densho – an organization that documents the testimonies of Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated during World War II “The Alien Enemies Act of 1798: Understanding 1941 and 2025” – panel at the USC Ito Center that traci appeared on. Loyalty Questionnaire Tule Lake National Council for Japanese American Redress Full transcripts of testimonies are available at the National Archives This article contains links to various sources where video footage exists Japanese American National Museum The Literature of Japanese American Incarceration, Edited by Frank Abe and Floyd Cheung ZAJA, a New York City-based informal group of Japanese, Japanese Americans and anyone interested in Japanese/JA culture. “One Fighting Irishman” by Sharon Yamato, a 30-minute documentary narrated by actor George Takei focusing on the little-known story of civil rights attorney Wayne M. Collins who filed lawsuits on behalf of more than 5,500 detainees who renounced their U.S. citizenship while incarcerated at the embattled Tule Lake Segregation Center, considered the worst of the ten WWII detention centers. Other references: Beverly Hills 902010 (90’s TV show) “Why We Can’t Wait” campaign for African-American reparations “Model minority” was coined by sociologist William Petersen in his article, “Success Story, Japanese American Style,” in New York Times Magazine (1966). Summary here. Asian American Arts Alliance, a New York City-based organization supporting Asian American artists and cultural organizations Credits Edited by Amanda Dee and mastered by Cedric Wilson.Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ. Sound Credits Bells Windchime.wav by Benboncan -- https://freesound.org/s/56929/ -- License: Attribution 4.0New York Jazz Loop by FoolBoyMedia -- https://freesound.org/s/347848/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0Rhodes 4.wav by HenKonen -- https://freesound.org/s/682259/ -- License: Creative Commons 0Harp Arpeggio - fairy tunes.wav by gertraut_hecher -- https://freesound.org/s/559838/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

  6. 12/03/2025

    Episode 14: “The Flying Boat” w/ Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai

    Our guest today is Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai. They were born in Thailand and are now based in St Paul, MN, but they’re a true citizen of the world, having lived and studied in many places in between. We discuss their path to performance art, from their upbringing in England to their study at the Sorbonne in Paris, and their eventual move to the U.S., landing first in Chicago, but really coming into their own in Tucson, AZ, after a year of living expansively in the desert. After a career in more traditional forms of art like sculpture, Prima now works in multimedia and performance, and we discuss some of their more recent works, especially their performative lecture Chloropsis Aurifrons Pridii and their sound piece 174 / Neung Jed Si – A Short History of Thailand. Both works mix the historical with the personal and we discuss documentary, embodied history, and what really is the definition of a place one calls “home.” Guest Bio: Born in 1989, Bangkok, Thailand. Currently lives and works in St Paul, MN. Prima earned a Visual Arts Degree (Diplome National des Arts Plastiques) from the Ecole des Beaux Arts de Nantes Metropole, a License in Film Studies (Licence en Cinema et Audiovisuelle) at the Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris 3. They completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, in 2013 and obtained a Master of Fine Arts at the California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA in 2017. Show Notes Note: The audio excerpt included in this episode included part of the composition Seine / San Saep / Voice of Water (2025) by Louis Fontenot. Vocalists: Ilse Griffin, Michael Llyod and Molly O’Connor Prima’s work mentioned in the show: The Invisible Archive: Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai by Lara SalmonChloropsis Aurifrons Pridi174 / Neung Jed Si – A Short History of Thailand People: Pridi Banomyong – Thai revolutionary and former Prime Minister, Prima’s great-grand uncleChris Marker – filmmakerFrançois Niney – philosopher, film critic, documentarian  Media: Sibylline Screen – Kirby’s curatorial cave projectRoute One/USA – a film Prima mentions as inspiration to move to the USRings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald Khruangbin – band from Texas Saki mentionsLucky Luke & Woody – two cartoon cowboys Prima mentionsBrokeback MountainPridi by Pridi – A collection of Pridi’s writingThe Sea of Fertility tetralogy by Yukio MishimaRocky & Hudson: The Gay Cowboys Credits: Edited by Amanda Dee and mastered by Cedric Wilson.Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ. Sound Credits: River boat with outboard engine (at changing speeds) by nomadas – https://freesound.org/people/nomadas/sounds/690160/ – License: Creative Commons 0Flock of seagulls.wav by juskiddink – https://freesound.org/people/juskiddink/sounds/98479/ – License: Attribution 4.0S29-19 Bell buoy.wav by craigsmith – https://freesound.org/people/craigsmith/sounds/675693/ – License: Creative Commons 0Amb/Sfx_Ext_Day_People Argue & Talking_Boat Engine_Sea_Portuguese_Kapossoca Pier_Luanda to Mussulo Island_Angola (11.08.2024) by SolySombraRecordings – https://freesound.org/people/SolySombraRecordings/sounds/756767/ – License: Creative Commons 0JRPG Guitar Desert loop by Destructo20 – https://freesound.org/people/Destructo20/sounds/659223/ – License: Creative Commons 0sound-alien7.wav by zippi1 – https://freesound.org/people/zippi1/sounds/18870/ – License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0D302 Boat Engine Cuts.wav by billcutbill – https://freesound.org/people/billcutbill/sounds/669393/ – License: Attribution 4.0Desert Night Air With Bird Call by kangaroovindaloo – https://freesound.org/people/kangaroovindaloo/sounds/147264/ – License: Attribution 4.0

  7. 11/17/2025

    Episode 13: “Where the Mountain Flows into the Sea” w/ paparouna

    Our guest today is paparouna. They are a queer non-binary disabled storyweaver, worldbuilder, writer, translator, and educator, born and raised in Athens, Greece and currently living in Colorado, USA. They are a soon-to-be graduate of Antioch University’s MFA in Creative Writing, with a dual concentration in translation and fiction. They’re the current lead editor of translation for antioch’s journal, lunch ticket, and their own writing and translations have been published in a variety of journals, including Asymptote, Denver Quarterly, and World Literature Today. In this episode we discuss paparouna’s later-in-life foray into literary translation, their concentration on queer Greek literature and what it means to translate queerly, the fluidity of language, the origin of their chosen name, and the ecotone as a metaphor for how hybrids exist as not one or the other, but as endemic entities. Guest Bio: Born and raised in Athens, Greece, ⁠paparouna⁠ [pavlos stavropoulos] currently resides in occupied Arapahoe and Cheyenne territory in so-called Colorado, USA. They are a social and environmental justice educator, work in website management, write queer speculative prose, translate mostly queer Greek literature into English, and daydream about life as a marine mammal. An MFA Candidate in Translation and Fiction at Antioch—Los Angeles, paparouna was accepted into the 2018 Princeton Hellenic Translation Workshop, the 2018-2020 Lighthouse Book Project, the 2025 Bread Loaf Translators Conference, and the 2025 British Center for Literary Translation Summer School. They have been a guest fiction editor for beestung, were the web editor for The Thought Erotic, and are the Lead Translation Editor for Lunch Ticket. Their writing has been published in Progenitor, Asymptote, Exchanges, New Poetry in Translation (now World Poetry Review), Denver Quarterly, Timber, The Thought Erotic, Lunch Ticket, World Literature Today, and Κουίρ 2024: Βίωμα, τέχνη, θεωρία [Queer 2024: Lived experience, art, theory]. Show notes: Work by paparouna: We reference their essay ⁠“The Queer Beauty of Unfaithful Translations”⁠ Their work is also included in ⁠Κουίρ 2024: Βίωμα, τέχνη, θεωρία⁠ (Queer 2024: Lived experience, art, theory) Translation work by paparouna: paparouna is the Translation Editor at ⁠Lunch Ticket⁠, Antioch University’s literary magazine The Whale, by ⁠Ursula Foskolou⁠, whose website includes some excerpts paparouna has also translated ⁠Giota Tempridou⁠’s work Other references: ⁠Lawrence Venuti⁠ ⁠Judith Butler⁠ ⁠Antonio de Nebrija ⁠ ⁠Pippi Longstocking⁠ ⁠Borderlands/La Frontera: The New Mestiza by Gloria Anzaldúa⁠ Credits: Edited by⁠ Amanda Dee⁠ and mastered by ⁠Cedric Wilson⁠. Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ. Sound Credits: Hiking03_Mt Lemmon AZ_Day_Slight Wind_Trekking Poles_Birds_051020 by Triad330670 – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/Triad330670/sounds/736942/⁠ – License: Attribution 4.0 Nature sounds, bells, goats, cow, birds - Kardzhali, Bulgaria by vonfleisch – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/vonfleisch/sounds/272458/⁠ – License: Creative Commons 0 coldwater_stream_01.wav by tim.kahn – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/tim.kahn/sounds/92818/⁠ – License: Attribution 4.0 Ocean Crete .wav by norwayjohn – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/norwayjohn/sounds/404684/⁠ – License: Creative Commons 0 Leaves Rustling by JandreLombaard – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/JandreLombaard/sounds/707877/⁠ – License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 Eating a cracker (Mouth closed) by Rudmer_Rotteveel – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/Rudmer_Rotteveel/sounds/364924/⁠ – License: Creative Commons 0 WATRSplsh_Water Splash, Big, Dive Into Water, Person or Animal_Nicholas Judy_TDC by designerschoice – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/designerschoice/sounds/811439/⁠ – License: Creative Commons 0 humpback whale song by MBARI_MARS – ⁠https://freesound.org/people/MBARI_MARS/sounds/448984/⁠ – License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0

  8. 11/03/2025

    Episode 12: “The Floating Island” w/ Tiffany Smith

    Our guest today is Tiffany Smith. Tiffany is an interdisciplinary artist from the Caribbean diaspora working in photography, video, installation, and assemblage. In this episode we talk about Tiffany’s upbringing in the Bahamas and Miami, her long and winding journey to photography, how to advocate for yourself, how to escape the hustle and find a place that is right for you, and the complex dynamics of Black Caribbean identity in the U.S. Guest Bio: Tiffany Smith (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist from the Caribbean diaspora working in photography, video, installation, assemblage, and design to define spaces and experiences that examine the roles of visitor and native and parse the definition of home. Using plant matter, design elements, pattern, and costume as cultural signifiers, Smith creates environments that are informed by the histories of representation, diasporic identity, and liminality.  Smith’s work examines individual narratives pulled from an array of multi-cultural influences and derived from her upbringing in Miami, Nassau, and Jamaica. Searching for new perspectives on dominant historical narratives, she studies how communities of people of color are formed and defined; in particular, how they are identified and represented, and how they persist.  Smith earned her B.F.A. in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design and her M.FA. in Photo/Video from School of Visual Arts. Her work lives in various private and public collections, and has been exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions at The Bronx Museum of Arts, NY; The Wassaic Project, NY; Recess Assembly, Brooklyn, NY; and Montserrat College of Art, Beverly, MA. She has also exhibited at the New Orleans Museum of Art, the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, MassArt, and the National Gallery of Jamaica. Smith is a former NYSCA/NYFA Interdisciplinary Artist Fellow, a Bronx A.I.M. Fellow, an EnFoco Photography Fellowship Awardee, a Cameron Visiting Artist at Middlebury College, and a resident artist at TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image in Philadelphia. She currently resides in New Orleans, LA. Show Notes: Tiffany’s Work: Earthseed solo exhibition at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, Bronx, NYFor Tropical Girls… exhibition at The Wassaic Project, Wassaic, NYAlbum photos for collaboration with LolliseA Woman, Phenomenally Other References: Paradice Palase artist networkJulia Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami”Moonlight film (2016)Tiffany’s professor Keren MoscovichUnderground System bandLollise’s “Iron Woman” music videoMickalene Thomas’ photos of Cardi B Credits: Cover photo of Tiffany by Fela Raymond.Edited by Amanda Dee and mastered by Cedric Wilson.Theme music by The Necklace, a project by Taylor Shields and Morgan Võ. Sound Credits: Medium-heavy spaceship fly-by by Anoesj – https://freesound.org/people/Anoesj/sounds/345794/ – License: Attribution 4.0Jorge R Alien Hover by jorgereq – https://freesound.org/people/jorgereq/sounds/592722/ – License: Creative Commons 0Dreamy Ambient Atmosphere for Relaxation by Matio888 – https://freesound.org/people/Matio888/sounds/797771/ – License: Attribution 4.0peep2.WAV by phantastonia – https://freesound.org/people/phantastonia/sounds/337439/ – License: Creative Commons 0Dreamy bells.wav by danyourmaster – https://freesound.org/people/danyourmaster/sounds/433654/ – License: Creative Commons 0

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

At a time of widespread binary and polarized thinking, Hybridia is a podcast for more nuanced conversations between those who find themselves at the intersections of multiple cultures and identities.

Information

  • Creator
    Hybridia
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Hybridia
  • Show Website
    Hybridia

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