January 2004
Just Talk
Ask Todd Mundt about life in the fast lane. His radio program, The Todd Mundt Show, began in April 1998 as a local broadcast on Michigan Radio. Six months later it went national, debuting on NPR in October of 1998. To the dismay of listeners everywhere, Todd’s last show was broadcast on July 25th, 2003. While he continues his crack-of-dawn duties as Director of New Media Strategies at Louisville Public Media, Todd shares his observations on creativity as he has seen it during interviews with diverse and talented people. With host Jan Nichols, Todd revisits his favorite interviews, finding the unexpected connection between Graham Kerr’s Galloping Gourmet persona and the quiet insurrection of Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux operating system.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
February 2004
Punch Line Thinking
What’s the connection between comedy and creativity? What’s the process behind a punch line? What makes being wacky in just the right way something you can use to stand out, move up and make your mark? Comedian Chili Challis answers these questions in conversation with host Jan Nichols.
If you have obsessive work habits, a perfectionist personality or a stress level that lives on red alert, this program is for you. Get introduced to punch line thinking, the cure for minds too long constrained by square cubicles and best-selling business books. We examine the craft of comedy, beginning with keen powers of observation that pave the way for situational set ups focused on the human condition. Experience the intentional fearlessness of a punch line that dares to take you someplace unexpected, get a good long look at the comedy-creativity connection and embrace the serious business of laughing out loud.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
March 2004
Six Degrees of Separation and the Networks Behind Power Networking
You schmooze, therefore you network. But what's behind the power handshake and the unending parade of meet and greet? Dr. Mark Newman talks about the mostly mysterious web of networks that underlie and link everything on the planet, including people, markets, organizations, epidemics and computers.
In conversation with host Jan Nichols, Dr. Newman sets aside the complex mathematical models that are his usual mode of inquiry. He discusses the complexity of networked systems, using tangible terms and real-world examples that the rest of us can understand. Starting with the small world theory that has achieved urban myth status, placing Kevin Bacon no more than six degrees away from each of us, Dr. Newman talks about the new science that is seeking to understand how social networks can transform a single sneeze into an influenza outbreak.
It’s a fascinating look at the complex systems that link our planet and our lives to one another. From word-of-mouth to weather patterns, you'll see networks in a new light, with the potential to spread information, shape behavior and structure personal relationships.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
April 2004
The Creative Force in the Fact-Based Business of Journalism
Imagine a hard-boiled reporter at home with the underbelly of our society, prowling the streets while wearing a trench coat that seldom sees the inside of a dry cleaners. Reality? Not really. Mary Morgan, an editor with the Ann Arbor News, joins host Jan Nichols for a conversation about the creative aspects of a fact-based business. Mary shares her observations on creativity, and its role in delivering the news, from coming up with questions to writing the final story readers will find compelling. Mary also discusses how companies seeking coverage use creativity to make their stories more appealing to the media.
Enjoy an inside look at the business of news and the creative force behind the facts in news coverage.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
May 2004
The Power of Make Believe to Make it Real
There's power in pretending, but what are we really doing when we make believe? We attend the theatre in search of ourselves, seeking a moment in time where the suspension of belief can be the bridge to a new beginning. There's something to be learned from our eagerness to experience the existence of other lives, even those lived briefly on a lighted stage.
Guy Sanville, Artistic Director of the Purple Rose Theatre examines how this internal exploration, shared in the company of others, can be the beginning of a newly defined reality. He reveals how the practical application of pretending is a means to clarify intention, focus attention and achieve that which we desire, but had not dared to act upon.
In conversation with host Jan Nichols, Mr. Sanville talks about the reality of running an organization whose purpose is to re-invent reality with every performance. From the discipline of craft to the creative process that inspires, we explore the dynamic tension between the world of make-believe and the world we make for ourselves.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
June 2004
Secrets of a Legendary Leader
Before the force was with you, the legend of King Arthur was occupying space in our cultural consciousness. If you’re interested in heroic leadership, audacious alternatives to cultural norms and the ability to bring about change, check out King Arthur. He presented a new style of leadership that turned the world upside down. Dr. Elizabeth Sklar, Professor of English at Wayne State University, and author of King Arthur in Popular Culture, joins host Jan Nichols to discuss this enduring figure.
If present day space operas like Star Wars or the film of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings have captured your imagination, you’ll enjoy this exploration of the source myth that informs so much of our classical and popular culture. Please join us for a fascinating look at the ethical conflicts, political tensions and enduring relevance of King Arthur’s legend as it continues in contemporary culture.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
September 2004
The Creative Connection between Fine Food and Good Business
Executive chef and owner of the successful restaurant The Common Grill, Craig Common is also the author of the popular Common Grill Cookbook. Chef Craig joins host Jan Nichols to discuss the connection between creativity and hospitality.
Craig Common has built his success on this philosophy -- keep it simple, fresh and fun. That’s easy to say and a lot tougher to do, especially when theory meets the reality of people, pots, pans, and plenty of heat. A successful restaurant is in the business of serving great food, but a truly great restaurant creates a memorable dining experience. That positive experience is built upon a complex set of variables; from menu planning, to great relationships with food purveyors, plus a highly motivated staff that makes sure the food is always served up hot and delicious.
In conversation, Chef Craig examines the difficult to define nature of customer experience and the value of intangibles to create a positive perception.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
October 2004
The Business Behind the Writing of Hi-Tech Thrillers
Tom Grace, successful author of four hi-tech thrillers appears in conversation with host Jan Nichols to discuss the creative act of writing and the business of becoming a successful author.
A Michigan architect turned author, Grace’s first four best-selling novels focus on the adventures of former Navy SEAL Nolan Kilkenny. Even if you’re not tuned in to things hi-tech, you’ll appreciate Grace’s ability to use technical knowledge – from industrial espionage, high-energy physics, bio-pharmaceutical research and the commercial satellite business – to construct compelling narrative that keeps you up long past a reasonable bedtime. Tom Grace speaks eloquently on the craft of writing, the creative mind and the business of building an audience.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
November 2004
Off the Cuff and in Your Face: The Funny Business of Improvisation
Dan Izzo, a former attorney, now lives outside the law and on the cutting edge of comedy. As the director of Ann Arbor’s Improv Inferno, he joins host Jan Nichols to talk about the creative leap from the law to life as a successful entrepreneur, accomplished actor and director.
A magna cum laude graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Izzo was invited to take classes with Player’s Workshop of the Second City by one of the instructors who saw Dan perform on his law firm’s Christmas party video. Discovering that his greatest gift was the ability to encounter reality and make it entertaining, Dan became the impresario of improv, acting and directing with Annoyance Theater, Players Workshop and the Improv Olympic. He has also taught improvisation at Columbia College Chicago, coached countless improv groups and directed the successful improvised horror movie spoof, Terrorslide and the comedy Cubicle Rats.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006
December 2004
Going Public with Donovan Reynolds: The Creative Programs and Partners that make Public Television Possible
Donovan Reynolds, Director & General Manager of Michigan Public Media, appears with host Jan Nichols to discuss the dynamic tension of creating local programming; programming that does two things equally well -- attracts an audience and appeals to sponsors.
A man with a mission (well, many actually) Reynolds is ready to run with the three state Emmy Awards that WFUM, Ann Arbor’s public television station, recently received. Pairing that recognition with the station’s change to digital broadcasting he’s ready to shape the future of public television with smart programs that are produced right here at home.
Reynolds offers an inside look at the world behind the camera, revealing his plans for a station with local programming that speaks to people everywhere.
top | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006