203 episodes

Why is there something rather than nothing? This podcast is a philosophical and psychological exploration into the act of creation (poets, musicians, writers, painters, thinkers, all of us) by: Ken Volante

Something (rather than nothing‪)‬ Ken Volante

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 26 Ratings

Why is there something rather than nothing? This podcast is a philosophical and psychological exploration into the act of creation (poets, musicians, writers, painters, thinkers, all of us) by: Ken Volante

    Episode 203 - R.W.W. Greene

    Episode 203 - R.W.W. Greene

    R.W.W. Greene is a New Hampshire USA writer with an MA in Fine Arts, which he exorcises in dive bars and coffee shops. He is a frequent panelist at the Boskone Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention in Boston, and his work has been in Stupefying Stories, Daily Science Fiction, New Myths, and Jersey Devil Press, among others. Greene is a past board member of the New Hampshire Writers' Project. He keeps bees, collects typewriters, and lives with writer/artist spouse Brenda and two cats.  He has published three books: The Light Years, Twenty-Five to Life, and Mercury Rising, all with Angry Robot Books.

    RWW Website [https://www.rwwgreene.com/]

    • 49 min
    Episode 202 - Sick Town Roller Derby

    Episode 202 - Sick Town Roller Derby

    ROLLER DERBY EPISODE! SRTN 202 drops you onto Oregon State University parquet with the skaters of Sick Town Roller Derby (Albany and Corvallis, Oregon)

    Immerse yourself in the sounds and story of fighting for survival, being yourself, getting out your angst, sounding your barbaric yalp and having fun!

    Sick Town Derby Dames is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Corvallis, Oregon. We are a skater-owned and operated flat-track roller derby league based in Linn and Benton counties.

    We respectfully skate on the ancestral land of the Kalapuya represented today by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and are committed to supporting the surrounding community through active participation in local events, volunteering for benevolent causes, and hosting charities at our sporting events.

    Sick Town Website [https://www.sicktownrollerderby.com/about]

    • 38 min
    Episode 201 - Karyn Ann

    Episode 201 - Karyn Ann

    Described as a "combination of Patty Griffin grit and Amy Winehouse grace" by American Songwriter, Portland-based Soul/Americana singer-songwriter Karyn Ann has been charming audiences across the US with her powerful vocals and emotive lyricism. Her debut album Into the Depths (2015) and subsequent follow-up Be Loud (2018) garnered critical acclaim and radio play, leading this once geologist now turned-road musician to gain a steady following along the West Coast and beyond.

    She's shared stages with Haley Johnson, Liam St. John, and Fox and Bones, as well as Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls (at the 2017 Women's Redrock Music Festival), and has performed at the legendary Bitter End in NYC . Her work is featured in the award-winning full-length film Undeserved (2016), and most recently in the indie-short Second Story (2022), which went on to win the "Gold Award for Best Acting Duo" by the Independent Shorts Awards, and 'Best Romantic Short" by the IndieX Film Fest.

    In 2020 she was selected for the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist showcase, and placed runner-up in the Red Lodge Songwriters Contest and TOP 100 in the Great American Songwriting Contest singer-songwriter category. Her 2021 self-produced EP - "I Am Not Yours" was featured on Hare's Paw Literary Journal [https://www.harespawlitjournal.com/issue-3], and received positive reviews. Karyn's newest work is an EP titled "Consequence of Fear."

    Karyn's website  [https://www.karynann.com/]

    SRTN website [https://www.somethingratherthannothing.com/]

    • 46 min
    Episode 200 - Talkin' Baseball with Ellen Adair ⚾

    Episode 200 - Talkin' Baseball with Ellen Adair ⚾

    Ellen Adair is a regular analyst on MLB Network's "Off Base," and has also appeared on "MLB Now," "Hot Stove" and "MLB Central."

    Ellen is a multi-talented artist, actor, writer and baseball brain.

    Ellen was the guest on SRTN 128 [https://zencastr.com/z/ZQh1wqZ3] 

    Ellen is the co-host of the podcast "Take Me In to the Ballgame," on the Underdog Sports Network.

    Thanks Ellen for chatting baseball on EPISODE 200 of Something (rather than nothing)!

    Props to the Red Sox and the Phillies.

    • 1 hr 6 min
    Episode 199 - Blair Bathory

    Episode 199 - Blair Bathory

    Blair Bathory has been creating works of horror for many years. She began her career as maestro of the macabre when she was just 19-years-old. Beginning with a 3-minute short film entitled 'First Date: A Modern Love Story', Blair wrote, directed, and produced the short film. Instantly gaining a large following after premiering the film online, she decided to follow her success with another film.

    Immediately following, Blair wrote another short horror film, but this time at longer length and more ambitious. Planning to create a full foam-latex creature suit she set out to raise the money for production through crowdfunding. After successfully garnering three-times what she asked for; Kitty, Kitty was shot and completed in 2014. It was invited to many film festivals around the world and eventually released online in 2016.

    In the process of creating her own horror stories, Blair quickly realized the lack of platforms that short form filmmakers had to showcase their work. Furthermore, she felt the need for a centralized location for the massive amounts of short horror films in existence. With her love for anthology shows like 'The Twilight Zone', 'Tales from the Crypt', and 'Goosebumps' she saw an opportunity to combine the two mediums. From her years of working within the genre and meeting so many talented filmmakers, Blair had an arsenal of films to choose from.

    In May of 2015, Blair Bathory rose from the grave and lit the candles inside FEAR HAUS. Once a week The Lady of the Haus introduces her Victims to one new short horror film. Showcasing independent directors from all over the world, an audience quickly grew. Since its conception, Blair has been invited to host a night of horror films at The Rome International Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Frightfest and many others around the world. Also, in 2017 Blair took the position of Festival Director at The Spooky Empire Film Festival - running that for the next three years.

    Spooky Empire, one of the nations largest genre conventions, was a massive success and gave Blair yet another opportunity to see the best of the best in independent horror cinema first. FEAR HAUS helmed by Blair has done brand activations now at DreamHack, the world's largest streaming convention, and a tour with across the East Coast sponsored by several liquor companies.

    Currently, she is the new host for the widely successful podcast Something Scary, which boasts over 3 million fans.

    Blair's personal social media platforms are highly popular and she reaches over 250,000 fans.

    YouTube  [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPEch-Yl9U1hymFxWdKH4bw]

    TikTok  [https://www.tiktok.com/@blairbathory?lang=en]

    Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/blairbathory/?hl=en]

    • 1 hr
    Episode 198 - Craig Randall

    Episode 198 - Craig Randall

    Craig Randall is a poet, author, and teacher who lives in beautiful Corvallis, OR with his wife, children, two cats and dog. A passionate advocate for mental-health, his body of work is a byproduct of his own battles with anxiety and depression and has served as a vehicle for empathy, healing, and connection. His works include two novels, The Doom that Came to Astoria, and The Dreams in the Pearl House (the first two books in The Northwest Trilogy) and two collections of poetry, To Chase the Sun, and Among the Wildflowers. A third novel and two more collections of poetry are coming soon.

    Craig Randall Website [https://www.craigrandallwriting.com/]

    • 1 hr 8 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
26 Ratings

26 Ratings

Em Gaddis ,

A must-listen

Ken hosts the show with wit, humor, and kindness. He is clearly so passionate about the arts, his guests, and the community he builds with listeners and contributors alike. He is well spoken, engaging, and brings a variety of voices to the forefront. He asks insightful questions, and leads with curiosity. This is by far one of my favorite shows, and really is a must listen if you like art, conversation, and/or really cool people.

jennyjo8675309 ,

Exemplar ART/Philosophy/Healing/Activism/Thinking podcast

…by creative host, Ken Volante. SRTN dives deep with each conversation- K.V. brings thought-provoking questions to a variety of creators and thinkers from all over the planet, and in turn allows for both a safe space and a platform by which guests can follow the path they choose for the episode to take. SRTN clearly has a plethora of interests and curiosities which lead to a delicious variety of voices being heard—- from poets to burlesque dancers, painters to metal bands, opera singers to bodywork healers, and everything in between. Specifically remarkable is the show’s conspicuous support of Indigenous artists and thinkers, as well as their continued acknowledgement of and action toward justice for Native American peoples.

missyObean ,

Great interviewer, Great guests!

Ken does such a great job with thoughtful questions and follow up conversation. He curates his guests to have a nice variety of creatives who practice different disciplines and come at them from different angles. This is a thoughtful, informative, entertaining podcast!

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