The Ampersand

The ANDertones: Dan Carlin on punk, narrative storytelling and exploring the past

In an era marked by impatience and shortened attention spans — Hang on ... I forgot where I was going with that. — Anyway, today's guest is Dan Carlin, whose podcast, Hardcore History, is one of our medium's gold standards for narrative storytelling. On today's episode, we dig into Dan's past, discover the music that defined his counter-cultural posture and learn how deep, detailed descriptions of our past are their own kind of punk rock.
 
Learn more about Dan at dancarlin.com or listen to his seminal podcast Hardcore History.
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Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

The Ampersand, Season Four Trailer

ANDers, look at the horizon. Coming fast are an epic lineup of guests making up our fourth season of The Ampersand. Featuring Dan Carlin, Monica Labonte, Marcia Douglas, Sarah Looper, Cleo Washington, Nick Houy, Ed Chuong, Megan Stephenson and Joanna Lambert. Debuting on Radio 1190 AM Boulder, 92.9 FM Denver and coming soon to your favorite podcast platform. Tune in and discover the alchemy of ANDing.

OverANDing: Does ANDing encourage us to max out?

What we love about ANDing is synthesizing our interests, personalities, cultures and experiences into a swirling, gorgeous human that is you. But does that variety implicitly encourage overdoing it? We've heard from many ANDing-curious listeners that they worry an emphasis on ANDing encourages busyness and maxing out the calendar with an ever-growing list of to-dos.
So, does it?
Erika and Producer Tim sat down to talk through that very question, recorded as a winter special just in time for these very busy holidays.
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Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

When stories reflect the people we become: Jennifer Ho

If storytelling is an art, today's guest is a maestro. Jennifer Ho is a professor of ethnic studies and director of the Center for Humanities and the Arts at the University of Colorado Boulder. On today's episode, our finale for season three, Jennifer's ability to convey meaning through compelling narratives is on full display. She discusses growing up in California, navigating cultural differences in the U.S. South, finding joy in hardship, countering racism and the manner art can bring about true reconciliation.
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Learn more about Jennifer's research.
Learn more about the Center for Humanities and the Arts.
Follow Jennifer on Threads.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Of Muppets, ground-truthing and jazz: An interview with Eric Small

Beyond a wild ride of an interview, Eric Small gifted us a new favorite word that describes his hydrological research on water, energy and carbon budgets of the Earth's surface—ground-truthing. On today's episode, Eric explosively (i.e., like a Muppet) walks us through the practice of matching on-the-ground maps with satellite data. Beyond the sheer hilarity of his and Erika's conversation, what makes this such a fun interview is his unwavering belief that easy answers are hard to come by and they only get more complex the closer you choose to look.
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Learn more about Eric's research.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Building bookshelves of connections—Charles Eagan

Empathy is trending again—we are reminded in venues as wide as SNL sketches and self-improvement podcasts that growing our capacities to step into another’s point of view and feel their perspective brings boons to our interpersonal, professional and emotional lives. The practical work of looking for opportunities to empathize often goes unsaid or appears trickier to realize. Today’s guest, though, is a veritable maestro in building connection points with those fortunate enough to meet him. Charles Eagan in an award-winning academic advisor in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences at CU Boulder. On today’s episode, he discusses some of the strategies he employs to create points of connection, even with the most withdrawn students, so that they feel seen, valued and willing to engage with their college experiences again.
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Learn more about Charles.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.
 

Bringing change and finding community along the way: Eswari Duggarala

Activists have expressed that the work of changing oppressive structures requires tirelessness and strength. When we consider how this looks lived out, striking photos and stories of campus protests, marches and sit-ins focused on a given issue come to mind, but how do communities come together to advocate for change? Today's guest, Eswari Duggarala (she, they), is the co-founder of Students Against Campus Sexual Assault at the University of Colorado Boulder, and they recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in ethnic studies. Eswari discusses how they sought to make Boulder's campus a safer, more just and equitable place for all students, and, in doing so, how they discovered a profound community of friends who lift each other to continue the work of change.
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Learn more about the organization Eswari helped found, Students Against Campus Sexual Assault and follow SACSA on Instagram.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

When words become you: Julie Carr

After reading a poem out loud, we hope you've had the experience of inexplicably welling with emotion. Be it joy, grief, adoration for beauty or those emotions harder to describe, we've found these literary experiences can dramatically alter our points of view. But why? What in tightly written pieces of prose causes us to shiver with goosebumps, weep or smile ear-to-ear? Julie Carr is an award-winning poet and activist who has authored seventeen books of poetry, prose and translation, and on today's episode she delves into the way poetry and written words can transform their readers. Julie also explores the manner dance has influenced her writing, continues to show up in her art and influenced her most recent collection titled Underscore. 
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Buy Julie's newest collection, Underscore.
Learn more about Counterpath.
Read more about Julie and her work.
 
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.
 

The Ampersand NYC: Coming Oct. 22 to Peoplehood in Chelsea

The Ampersand is bringing ANDing to the Big Apple! Join Erika and Producer Tim for an evening of networking and nostalgia at the first roadtrip version of Arts & Sciences CU After Work. We're busy in our ANDer's Workshop whittling experiences and games to complement our keynote discussion (with mystery guests) about the essence of ANDing.
Save your spot!
Details:
Oct. 22, 20246:00 – 8:30 p.m.Peoplehood's Flagship109 W. 17th St.New York NY, 10011
Cost is $35 per person. A portion of the registration fee supports A&S student scholarships.
Light dinner, wine, beer and beverages will be served.*Space is limited.
Thank you to our host, Elizabeth Cutler, for opening up the space in Peoplehood for the event! 

Love what was. Live into what will be: Francois Baptiste

Nostalgia can be tricky business. Love of the past can lead to a slowing stasis of the people we are/were or our refusal to let relationships evolve. But remembering places and experiences can fill us with warmth or teach us to live into our respective nexts. Today's guest beautifully threads that balance. Francois Baptiste is co-founder of the company 3DEEP Productions, and he has built a successful career in the music promotion industry. At the same time, he is keenly aware of his past experiences' effect on that path. Today's episode is filled with glorious recollections of Boulder in the early 1990s—the budding Hip Hop scene, shows at The Fox and after-parties with the University of Colorado as the nexus—but Francois notes the lessons he learned that spurred him to stretch beyond these city limits and stay at the forefront of innovation and creativity.
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Learn more about Francois' company, 3DEEP Productions.
Original music composed by Nelson Walker.
Recorded at Interplay Recording and Multimedia.
Written and produced by Erika Randall and Tim Grassley.
The Ampersand is a production of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.