← Live Wire with Luke Burbank
Live Wire with Luke Burbank
Laura Chinn, Mohanad Elshieky, and Jenny Conlee (REBROADCAST)
00:51:50
This episode features writer and director Laura Chinn, standup comedian Mohanad Elshieky, and music Jenny Conlee of The Decemberists.
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- [00:03]
A
Hey there. Welcome to Livewire. I'm your host, Luke Burbank. This week on the show, we are going to be talking to writer and director Laura Chin, who's got this amazing new memoir out. It's called Acne and it talks about her life growing up in Florida as part of the Church of Scientology, her battle with very oily skin, which really defined her life during her young years, and also some serious illnesses that were faced by immediate family members of hers. And yet the book is very funny. I want to stress that. Then, speaking of things that are funny, we've got stand up comedy from one of our favorites, Mohanad El Shecki. He'll tell us about the most embarrassing Uber ride ever, featuring him as the passenger. And then rounding things out, we will hear some lovely music from Jenny Conley, founding member of the Decemberists. She's got a new solo album out. We have a lovely show prepared just for you, dear radio listener, so stick around. It all gets started right after this.
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B
Hello, this is Jack Wilson, the host of the History of Literature podcast. For the past 10 years, I've been talking to novelists, biographers and scholars about the greatest books in the history of the world and the men and women who wrote them. Like our recent episodes on Dante in Love, a starter pack of 10 Indian classics, the pop culture that influenced Sylvia Plath, and a talk with scientist and novelist Alan Lightman about the wonders of nature. Join us at the History of Literature podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
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C
This show is supported by Odoo. When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out odoo-o o.com that's odoo. This show is supported by Blueland. You've probably heard that most of us are eating a credit card's worth of plastics every week, but you probably don't know that you're cleaning with microplastics every day. It's time to make the switch to Blueland. Blueland is on a mission to make it easy for everyone to make sustainable choices. From cleaning sprays and toilet bowl cleaner to dishwasher and laundry detergent tablets. Blueland's formulas are 100% microplastic free, made with certified clean ingredients, and free from chlorine, bleach, and harsh chemicals. All Blueland cleaning products are safe to use around your family, your pets, your plants. Plus, Blueland was named an EPA's Safer Choice Partner of the year. So they're good for the planet as well. Blueland is trusted in over 1 million homes by people who love not having to choose between the safe option and and what actually gets their home clean. Blueland has a special offer for listeners right now. Get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.com prx make the switch to Blueland now by going to blueland.Com prx for 15% off. That's blueland.com prx to get 15% off.
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A
This episode of Livewire was originally recorded in June of 2023. We hope you like it. Now let's get to the show from prx.
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D
It's Live Wire.
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E
This week, writer and director Laura Chin.
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D
I mean, I've never met anyone who was, like, extremely funny and had, like, a great life and like, great parents and like a great dad. I've never seen that.
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E
And comedian Mahadsheki.
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F
And then he was like, are you into NFTs and crypto? And I was like, honestly, I would have rather if you said something racist. Like, why?
- [04:03]
E
With music from Jenny Conley and our fabulous house band, I'm your announcer, Elena Passarello. And now the host of Livewire, Luke Burbank.
- [04:15]
A
Thank you so much, Elena Passarello. Thanks to everyone for tuning in from all across America for this week's episode of Livewire, which is gonna be a good one. We've got a listener question that we posed earlier in the week. We asked our listeners, what's something that took up a ton of brain space for you as a teen but you no longer think about? This is kind of tied to Laura Chin's memoir called Acne. She was someone who dealt with that, and it was pretty much all her brain could think about. As somebody who also had had that same problem in high school, I can very much identify with that. So we're gonna hear the listener answers to that question coming up in just a bit. First, though, it's time for the best news we heard all week. This is our little reminder that there is good news happening out there in the world. Elena, what's the best news you heard all week?
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E
You are gonna love this. First of all, did you know, Luke Burbank, that not every state has its official state fruit declared?
- [05:15]
A
No. But I see an opportunity for us to maybe lead the charge in one of these states where we're on the radio, right?
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E
Well, we're definitely out of luck here in Oregon, where the state fruit is decidedly the pear. But there was actually an article about this in a magazine for kids called Scholastic. And a fourth grade class in Madison, Mississippi, was learning about, I think, the state of Kansas, which last year dedicated its first state fair fruit the sand plum, which that charge was led by some elementary school kids. And the students of Mandale Upper elementary in Madison, Mississippi, were like, well, if they got to play a part in naming their state fruit, we want to have everything to do with the Mississippi State fruit. And their fourth grade teacher, Ms. Lisa Parenteau, was out with them at recess after they discussed the article. And she heard her fourth graders going, I want watermelon, I want apples, I want grapes.
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A
They're like arguing about, or let's just say discussing which fruit should be the Mississippi state fruit.
- [06:15]
E
Yeah. And she just saw her teacher nose started twitching, and she saw an opportunity to make an incredible lesson in physics. Listen to what they did. They contacted the Mississippi State Extension, which is some kind of agricultural entity, and learned about fruit production in the sovereign state of Mississippi. And they learned that maybe watermelon isn't the best choice, but blueberries are the most grown fruit in the state. They learned that blueberries are great because they can be grown industrially or at home in people's private gardens, which they thought was a wonderful kind of egalitarian choice. And then they had to learn how to get this under the noses of the House of Representatives. They called their House Rep, who showed up and did a class visit on how a bill becomes law. And then they wrote House Bill 1207. She suggested they send handwritten letters persuading lawmakers to pass this bill. So then they got persuasive writing in there. The new official state fruit of Mississippi is the blueberry, thanks to these adorable kids. And they all put on blue shirts and grabbed blue balloons and they went to the state capitol and in the governor's office. They all stood around the Governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, while he signed the bill into a law and he posted a photo of it on his social media and said, this is all thanks to the initiative of these fourth grade students. They led the way and rallied the legislature to their cause.
- [07:46]
A
That is such a cool story about these young people learning that they actually can have an impact on the world that they're living in. The story that I thought was the best news I heard all week, it actually happened a while ago, but I just sort of found out about it. It actually involves this boat race that I've been very interested in since I watched a Netflix documentary about it. It's called the Golden Globe Race. They started it in 1968, and it was a race around the world. It was sponsored by this newspaper. And the rules were you couldn't stop anywhere, you couldn't get towed by anyone, and you had to sail solo. And a bunch of people left out on this race. Some people lost their minds. One guy did two laps. The winter guy just was like, I'm doing another one. He got too cool with being out there. So the race went away, but they revived it in 2018, and they've been having it again. And so in this latest incarnation of the race, there were 16 people who competed, including a South African woman named Kirsten Neuschafer. She has had this incredible life. She's only 41, but she's lived in all these amazing places. She's ridden her bike up and down these continents. She's just one of these people who is just fearless. So she's out there, she's sailing along, things are going well. What she has brought along for entertainment are a bunch of books in different languages because she's already a polymath, right? She speaks multiple languages, but she's trying to learn some other, maybe less well known languages. She's got novels in these various languages. And one of the books that she's reading while she's out there is by a Finnish guy named Tapio Lentinen who had actually sailed in the race years ago, and he wrote a book about sailing in this race. And she's out there in the middle of nowhere in the Indian Ocean. She's reading the book written by this Finnish guy, and she hears over her radio that this guy, his boat has sunk in the Indian Ocean. The guy whose book she's reading and that, he is in a lifeboat, and she is the closest person to him. So she takes her cell phone out of this locked compartment where it was supposed to be, turns it on, gets the GPS going, sails all through the night, and finds this dude in his lifeboat in the Indian Ocean.
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E
Omg.
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A
Right? And then he gets on board, they drink rum and celebrate. Eventually, this cargo ship is coming by, so they put the Finnish guy on the cargo ship, she locks her phone back up and keeps racing. Elena, would you believe she won the race?
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D
What?
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A
She totally assumed she lost. After making a detour to save a Finnish guy, she pulls into the same town in France that I won't try to pronounce because My French is spotty at best. She pulls into the same town that she had left from some eight months earlier. And all of her friends from all over the world are along the like Doc and the banks of the water because she's won, and she had no idea she won the race around the world. So shout out to Kirsten Neufshauer for an incredible, incredible accomplishment. And that is the best news that I heard all week. All right, let's get on over to our first guests. She's been making TV for over a decade as an actor, writer, and director, including the show the Mick and also Children's Hospital. And she created and starred in the critically acclaimed and beloved show called Florida Girls, which was on pop tv. Her debut memoir, acne, tackles family, happiness, love, loss, Scientology, very oily skin. Buzzfeed calls it an engaging and touching journey, which it really, really is. This is Laura Chin, recorded at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland.
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D
Hi.
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A
Hello, Laura. We're so happy to have you on the show.
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D
I'm so happy to be here.
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C
Hi.
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A
This book is really incredible to me. Like, you know, there's the celebrity memoir that comes out, and, you know, it's fine, but it's just kind of a recitation of events in their life. And then there's what you've done with this book, Acne, which is just take us on a journey. Just every chapter surprised me. It was so funny and so heartfelt. I really enjoyed it.
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D
It's because I'm not a celebrity.
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A
Is that the problem? Yeah.
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D
I had to interact with.
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A
You've been interviewing too many celebrities.
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D
Thank you so much. Thank you. It was a. A journey to write. A lot of sharing, maybe over sharing, maybe tmi, maybe mild panic attacks after turning it in, maybe mild panic attacks still knowing that it's out in the world.
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A
One of the things that you talk about early in the book is the fact that you're mixed race.
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D
Yeah.
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A
Your father is black, your mother is white, but you don't maybe physically appear the way some people might expect that to look. How old were you when you figured that out, and what was that like for you?
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D
Well, my parents didn't tell me I was half black. And I know that seems like something that you could maybe figure out on your own, but if you're. If you're. I was born into a household where every single person had a different skin color, so I never questioned it, and no one ever talked to me about it, so I assumed it didn't mean anything, which, like, it shouldn't. But then yeah. As I got older, my parents moved me from Los Angeles, where you could maybe get away with having that belief system, to Florida, where. Yeah. Yeah. Where that belief system doesn't fly. So I quickly. When I was nine years old, I went to public school and quickly learned that skin color is a really big deal, and came home and asked my mom about it, and she was like, we should have talked to you about this a long time ago. Yeah. So I think back then, it was less about figuring out my racial identity and figuring out what racial identity meant, you know, and, like, trying to catch up with that.
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A
Your mom spins you a fantasy about what Florida is going to be like, and you're moving out there, I think, to Clearwater. Right. Which is a big center of Scientology. A lot of people may not know that that was something your family was involved in when you were young, and then when you got to Florida, it did not align with the stories that you were being told about what Florida was gonna be like.
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D
Yeah. They sold us on, like, that it was a beach town and that we would be making sandcastles all the time. You know, like, it was very much sold as, like, this magical place. And then we showed up at a house that was condemned. Like, there were condemned stickers on the windows, and there was, like, there was no kitchen in the house. Like, there was, like, a room where a kitchen used to be that smelled like food had been cooked in it, but there was no sign of, like, a stove or fridge. So it was tricky. I definitely felt like I had been conned, but. And it was hot.
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E
Like, so hot.
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D
Yeah. It's. It's traumatizing. I think people need to have more empathy for Florida, honestly.
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G
Right.
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A
I agree with you.
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D
I do. I think when you're that hot.
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G
It'S.
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D
Hard to be normal and make, like, rational decisions. And I don't hear that talked about enough.
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A
Right.
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D
Like, there's a lot of, like, Florida man. Florida woman, you know, like, there's a lot of, like, finger pointing at Florida, but there's not enough empathy for what we're going through.
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A
Yes. Temperature wise, I spent a summer in Miami, and it was the craziest summer of my life. Just based on humidity. Yeah. It bends reality around it, and you're.
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D
Suddenly like, maybe I could do meth in my car.
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A
Yeah.
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E
With an alligator.
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D
With an alligator, yeah. Yeah.
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A
On that note, we should probably take a quick break. Here on Livewire, we're talking to the writer Laura Chin about her book Acne. We're going to be back with more with Laura in a moment here on LiveW. Welcome back to LiveWire from PRX. I'm Luke Burbank here with Elena Passarello. We're at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, Oregon this week and we are talking with the writer Elora Chin about her book Acne. Now, one of the things that I noticed in this book was that you had a lot of moments in your growing up life and even in your adulthood where something kind of embarrassing was happening and you sort of converted that into humor, like you were trying to laugh along with everyone to sort of stay one step ahead. And you're also a very funny person. This book is funny. Your TV stuff is funny. Do you think there's any truth to the idea that, like, trauma and tragedy makes somebody funny builds into comedy, or is it just bad things happen to everyone and some people unrelatedly happen to be funny and you're one of them?
- [16:55]
D
I mean, I think it's a coping mechanism for sure. I think it's, you know, it's a protection. You don't have to ever get too serious with anybody. Cause you can joke around with them, you know, like it's like a mental illness that people enjoy is kind of. Yeah. I mean, I've never met anyone who was like, extremely funny and had like a great life and like great parents and like a great dad. I've never seen that. But I also think there are people who go through like extensive trauma and aren't hilarious.
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E
Right.
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D
So, yeah, I don't think it's a rule.
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A
The title of this book is Acne, and it deals a lot with your skin. When you were again a teenager and into your adulthood, when did you first notice something different was going on for you than the typical teenager? Hormonal stuff?
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D
Oh. It always felt like I was the only one who had. And I know that's not true. It's just narcissism, I guess. But it always seemed like everyone else around me had an occasional pimple and I was a face full of acne. But I think maybe year five or something, maybe my second round of Accutane, I was like, what the hell's going on?
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A
Oh, wow.
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D
But yeah, I think it was that it was trying things and having it not go away. And then the older I got, then you start to, you know, everyone else starts to really grow out of it and you're like kind of growing more into it somehow.
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A
I had not great skin when I was in high school and it was the centerpiece of my whole life. You know, just thinking about it all the time. And one of the things you do in this book, I think that's so interesting is you really describe how central to your life it can be, particularly when you're a teenager and you're insecure for people who have had the luck to not know what it's like. Can you kind of describe what it was like. What it was like for you to have this going on?
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D
I don't want to talk to those people. I don't like talking to people who have never had acne. It does. It takes over your whole everything, every conversa. Everyone who's. You know, if you're looking at somebody, you're thinking they're staring at your skin everywhere you go, everything you wear. You know, there's all these, like, insane rules about, like, you can't wear red if you have, you know, like, you become obsessive about this thing. And even, you know, in your mind, it's so much, you know, it's so awful for other people. Like, you think other people are having a bad day because you have acne, which is, you know, insane. And when I see somebody else with a breakout on their face, I think nothing of it. I don't think anything. I think people are gorgeous and all skin is gorgeous, and I'm like, it's nothing. But when it's me, I'm like, I'm a monster. So, yeah, I mean, it's tough.
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A
You write in the book that you had a face for tv, but the skin for radio, to which I would say, how dare you? Or a chin.
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D
I upset a lot of radio DJs with that.
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A
Now, another part of this book, a pretty substantial part, is your relationship with your brother and your brother's illness. He was your older brother, and when he was pretty young, like maybe late teens, he was diagnosed with a tumor that ultimately robbed him of his sight and his sound and eventually his life. The book really kind of walks the line between. I mean, I guess, maybe again, using humor as a coping mechanism. And you write about this point where you're sort of admitting your brother to hospice. Yeah, but he's always wanted to go to this place called Freedom Village, which was like, a place where people could live with assistance, but live on their own. And he asks your mom if you're at Freedom Village, and she has a really hard. Because he doesn't have sight or sound at this point. So your mom has a really hard decision to make.
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D
Yeah, well, yeah, because he couldn't hear or see, and he was bound to a wheelchair at that point, he lost the ability to walk. And he really. Yeah, he had this dream of living in an assisted facility. And he was 21 at the time, and he really wanted to move out and get a place of his own. And, you know, the doctors told us he has, like, a couple of months left, you know, so they were like, it's time to move him into hosp. And when we were at hospice, he being in a new place, he kind of sensed he was somewhere new. And he asked my mom, am I at Freedom Village? Like, did I finally get my own apartment? And she looked at me, and we were like, oh, God. And we are basically like, we can either try to explain to him with sign language and a very small amount of his brain that's functioning that he's dying and going into hospice. It might have taken us months to tell him this, or we could just say, yeah, you're in Freedom Village, and you're in your own apartment. You know? And so my mom and I looked at each other, and my mom was just like, yeah, you're in Freedom Village, buddy.
- [21:37]
A
You know?
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D
And he was so happy that he got his own apartment. And it was like this. It was this, like, incredible moment of, like, him feeling like he had gotten away from home and he was free. And then my mom and I being like, is there, like, a place in hell for us now? Like, what is this? What are the morals here?
- [21:54]
A
Yeah, it's called Containment Village. It's for people that lied to them.
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D
But ultimately was, like, so wonderful. Cause he spent the last, like, you know, remaining weeks of his life, like, thinking that he had gotten out and was independent. And it became more and more clear to him that he was dying. You know, like, he sort of. He went out and was able to process his death as well, but it was, like, much better than telling him he was in hospice. But, yeah, kind of dark.
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A
Was it hard for you to revisit this stuff in your life? Because it is. It's really intense. And then you're kind of excavating it to write this book.
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D
Yeah, I mean, I definitely cried a lot while writing it. It definitely was, like, you know, cathartic. But also stuff that I talk about in therapy all the time. You know, like, my therapist got, like, a break. They're like, thank God she's writing a book.
- [22:46]
A
I love that idea of misdirection from a therapist, like throwing a ball for a dog. Yeah, maybe you should get a book deal.
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D
Maybe you should write this down so I can stop hearing about it. Yeah, it was really healing. But it wasn't. I didn't write about anything that was so tender that I was like, I can't. You know, Like, I. You know, there's far darker stuff that I'm saving for my next book.
- [23:12]
A
Really? I sure hope not for you, because there's some very serious moments in this book.
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D
I know a lot.
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A
Which is also. I want to stress a very funny book. Like, it's not. Please don't get the wrong idea.
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D
Don't be scared.
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E
What I love about it is that it's reminds me of things from my own life where when you describe the situation, it sounds really dark. But when you think about the things that happened inside of it, there's absurdity, there's levity, there's joy, there's a lot of tenderness. And so the dark stuff has so many layers to it, which I think that takes a lot of work to be able to really hit all those levels, because people immediately, when they read about the situation, they go, oh, this is sad.
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A
Yeah.
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E
Right?
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D
Yeah.
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E
Did you have, like, a. Like, a strategy for. I know you write comedy and you know how to tell stories on television.
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D
I think I just think things are funny that are sad, you know? Like, I think it's just. I think I just genuinely find a lot of humor in things that I laugh a lot more at, like, movies that have, like, deep emotional through lines, you know, than I do. I'm a sociopath. I'm realizing it right now in real life.
- [24:18]
A
Endearment.
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D
Just the Yuck Festival. But, like, if I care more, if I'm emotionally invested in something, like, I'll laugh a lot more. And I feel like there's, like, a really thin line between, like, hysterical laughing and hysterical crying. And I experience that for such a large part of my life. You know, if I'm in the audience somewhere and something's taking itself too seriously, like, I get church giggles, and I have to excuse myself. Church giggles? Yeah, I get really intense, like, hot sweats, and I'm like, oh, no. If I'm watching a play and the person's, like, on their deathbed and everyone's really serious on stage, I'm like, oh, no, I'm gonna laug, and I can't help it. And I have to leave. I have to leave the audience.
- [24:58]
A
Is that why you had to leave Scientology? Because of the church giggles?
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D
Too much church giggles. Yeah. So that's been my relationship with humor, I think, is that I find sad things to be quite funny. And, yeah, some people agree, and other people are like, what's wrong with you? Yeah.
- [25:12]
A
One of the things that I also found really interesting about this book is that you are both very suspicious of like woo woo stuff in terms of new age health remedies. But you've had, along with your skin, you had had some back problems and you've had some health challenges which you also write have been helped for you through stuff that has you actively rolling your eyes. Like one you call your ghost. Doctor.
- [25:36]
D
Yep, yep.
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A
How do you hold these two things at the same time? Not believing in it, but feeling like.
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G
It healed you well.
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D
Cause I go into everything very skeptical and then I'm usually wrong. Like I go into everything being like, oh God, crystals, here we go. You know, and then the woman puts crystals all over me and I'm like, oh my God, I've never felt better in my life.
- [25:56]
A
Dr. Tell you your skin was inflamed because your brain was inflamed.
- [26:01]
D
She was like, you're furious. Yeah.
- [26:03]
G
She was like.
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A
And that worked?
- [26:04]
D
Yeah.
- [26:04]
A
You punched a pillow.
- [26:05]
D
It worked. I mean, I punched many pillows. Like pillows are terrified of me. Terrified. Like this woman was like, your skin is red because your mind is red and your emotions are red and you're hot and you're angry and you need to get anger out and you're mad at your parents and you're mad at the world and da, da, da. And at the time I was like, I'm not mad at all actually. I'll make several jokes and I'll be fine. And then I sort of slowly through going to her and sort of realizing how incredibly furious I was. It helped my skin a ton, releasing that kind of like pent up rage, you know, and. Yeah, and the more you sort of see these sort of magical things start to work, the more you're, you know, the skepticism goes away.
- [26:46]
A
I think. I don't want to sound pat, but I do think that there's a big piece of this book that's about self acceptance, about you trying to accept yourself, you know, however you are and whatever you've been through, do you feel like you've learned how to do that for yourself and can any of us really, truly accept ourselves? I want to end on kind of a light question.
- [27:07]
D
It's a fantastic question. I think I get better and better and better at it. I think writing a book about something that I carried so much shame for was extremely helpful, you know, like towards that. And I think seeing how if I'm vulnerable, other people are vulnerable with me and I connect with humans more, not Less. And I'm actually safer, not less safe. You know, the more vulnerable you are, the more you show your flaws, the more you're open. And all of those things are incredibly validating. You know, you're like, oh, I'm not a monster. I'm not a freak. You know, like, other people feel these things and we're not alone. And those that helps with self love. That helps with self acceptance. But then, oh, my God, there are days where I'm just like, I can't believe I'm allowed to breathe air. And, you know, it fluctuates, but it's definitely, if it was a graph, it's definitely gone up since childhood and maybe there's like an ending, but I think it's probably in a monastery, you know, Like, I don't think it's like through, you know, the entertainment industry.
- [28:06]
G
I don't think it's like you reach.
- [28:08]
D
The top of the entertainment industry and you have your Academy Award and you're like, now I like myself. No, I don't like myself.
- [28:13]
A
Even though you're having great success, you directed a movie with Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson.
- [28:17]
D
Yeah.
- [28:18]
A
That's coming out soon, right? It's previewing. I mean, that's amazing.
- [28:21]
D
Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I wrote a script, finished a script during the pandemic, and then we got those actors involved and we got a studio involved. And yeah, we shot the movie last summer and we're editing it right now.
- [28:38]
A
Well, yeah, it sounds like it's gonna be amazing. Those are a couple of top notch folks. Laura Chin, the book is Acne. Thanks for coming on Livewire.
- [28:45]
D
Thank you so much.
- [28:53]
A
That was Laura Chin right here on Livewire. Her new book, Acne is available now. Hey, special thanks this week to Susan Stratton of Portland, Oregon. Susan is part of the Livewire member community and is generously supporting us with a donation each month, which we are very thankful for because it's genuinely how we can keep doing this show. So, Susan, thank you very much for keeping Livewire going. Livewire is brought to you by Powell's Books, a Portland institution since 1971. Powell's offers a selection of new and used books in stores and online@powells.com you're listening to Livewire. Of course, Each week we ask our listeners a question in honor of the theme of Laura's book. We asked our listeners what is something that took up a ton of brain space for you as a teen that you no longer think about? About? Elena has been collecting up those responses what are you seeing?
- [30:07]
E
Oh, I love this one from Linsel. Linsel spent a lot of time thinking about quicksand survival techniques.
- [30:15]
A
Thank you. I assumed it was either going to be quicksand or hot lava that was going to take me. Right. And then that whole scene in the Princess Bride when they're in the fire swamp. You know, I thought the Princess Bride was possibly a documentary when I was, like, seven.
- [30:30]
E
So do we need to talk about the never ending Story? Because.
- [30:34]
A
Yes.
- [30:35]
E
I think that's where my trauma lives.
- [30:36]
A
Ooh, Trey, you get stuck in there or the horse does or something.
- [30:40]
E
Yeah. Or text the horse with Atreyu, man. Yeah.
- [30:43]
A
What is another thing that used to take up a lot of brain space for one of our listeners?
- [30:47]
E
How about this one from Tess? Tess Sundays, for the six months I was learning to drive, I obsessed over backing around a corner. But who actually does that? It's true.
- [30:59]
A
I can't think of. Yeah, I'm 47. I can't think of a time when I've actually done that. The other problem now, for me, I don't know what's going on in your vehicle, Alaina, but I've got one of those little cameras that now helps me see what's going on behind the car. But occasionally I'll be in a different car or driving, like, my dad's truck, and it doesn't have the camera. All of my abilities to operate a motor vehicle are atrophying because of the technology that's helping me in my car.
- [31:26]
E
Amen. I used to parallel park like a dream. After 10 years in Pittsburgh, I mean, I could parallel park. It was like, challenge accepted. I'm like, oh, I better look on the television so it'll tell me what to do.
- [31:38]
G
All right.
- [31:38]
A
One more thing that one of our listeners spent far too much time in their youth worrying about.
- [31:43]
E
Well, this one, I think, is for the younger crew members, is Marin spent a lot of time thinking about promposals. Do you know this term?
- [31:51]
A
I do know about this term.
- [31:53]
E
I got asked to the prom across a crowded cafeteria, and somebody just, like, pointed at me and then pointed at the prom banner and then made, like, the shrug emoji sign. But, you know, and that's how I got asked to the prom.
- [32:06]
A
I actually got asked to the prom by somebody who approached me and said, I know you're gonna say no, but would you go to the prom with me? And then I was like, well, I have to say yes just to prove them wrong. And so I did, and we had.
- [32:16]
E
A lovely time so reverse psychology.
- [32:18]
A
It worked. It worked. So, all right, thanks to everyone who sent in a response to our listener question. In the meantime, our next guest is one of our all time favorite comedians. He was born in Libya. He spent some years in Portland, which is where we first met him before he moved to New York City to work on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. He's currently the co host of the political comedy podcast Reply. Guys, take a listen to Mohanad El Shecki right here on Livewire.
- [32:53]
F
Last time I was in Portland, I called this Uber to come pick me up, and this guy shows up in a Tesla. And I was like, you know, amazing. A fellow intellectual, you know? And I get in front of his car, and he looks at me and he's like, is this carry on and suitcase yours? And I was like, the ones I'm holding. I was like, yeah, I'm gonna roll the dice here and say, yeah, they're mine. And then he was like, I don't have space for this. And I was like, what? And he was like, I don't have space for this. You should have let me know beforehand. And I was like, you know what? My bad. I should have let you know that I would have those with me. I just thought that you could tell from context clues, like the fact that you're picking me up from the airport. Like, are you new here on this planet? Like, what's going on? Do you think I work here? I don't. I just arrived, and then I got into his car, and, you know, he saw my name on his phone, and he was like, hey, man, how do you say this? So I know how to address you. And I was like, no need to address me. Like, whatever you think it is, just keep it here. I'm sure it's correct, you know? And he insisted. And I was like, it's Muhannad. And he was like, what? I was like, it's Muhannad. And he was like, that's interesting. And I was like, keep it going. I want to hear it. And then he said it. Just here in the States, it's usually pronounced Mohammed. And I was like, honestly, a great point, you know? Like, it's not how names work, but I really appreciate the perspective. This is great. And then, like, I remember halfway through the ride, he just looks at me out of nowhere, and he's like, hey, man, I'm gonna ask you something. And I know this is gonna be like a maybe, like, a white dude thing to ask. And I was like, yeah, you don't need to tell me like, my eyes gave me the heads up. And then he was like, are you into NFTs and crypto? And I was like, honestly, I would have rather if you said something racist. Like, I was like, this is the worst thing anyone has said to me. Why would you like, no. And the place he was driving me to. So he was driving me to a prison here in Portland because I used to teach a workshop there. But he didn't know that was the reason I was going there. So he asked me if I had any plans for the day. And I was like, my man, I don't have any plans today or the next 10 to five years, hopefully. I just decided this morning I was just so tired of running, and I think it's time for me to save consequences. Serve some justice for the families. And then he stopped talking to me. So I think it worked. And I love that he thought I was walking into a prison with a carry on. Just be like, oh, hello, you gotta get room service here. What's the vibe, huh? Not the worst car ride I've ever had, you know, like. But like. Cause maybe like 10 years ago or so, I was driving my car back home. And I'm originally from Libya, not to brag. And back then you drive your car and there were like, checkpoints everywhere. And most of these checkpoints were controlled by these, like, religious and, like, militias and stuff like that. And when I say, like, religious militias, I mean groups like isis. I'm not sure if you guys remember them. They used to be big on, like, YouTube and stuff. Haven't posted in a while. And I think about them sometimes, you know, I'm like, did they make it through the pandemic? You know, which I'm sure they did. You know, like, those guys always wore masks, so. So I'm sure ISIS is doing fine, but. So last time I was traveling, I was going through the tsa. And sometimes when you go through the tsa, you see something in your bag that they don't recognize, so they have to take it out and look at it. And the thing that they saw in my carry on was this notebook, you know, and if you're listening to this on the radio, imagine a notebook, and the agents were, like, mesmerized by it. We've never seen anything like this before. And one of them opened it, and he was looking inside, and I was like, what are you doing? And he was like, oh, I just want to see what's inside. And I was like, like, inside the notebook, probably words, you know, like, are you not Familiar with words. They're like speech that you hear with your eyes. Yeah. And then we had some back and forth, and then he finally, you know, gave it to me. And the only reason I didn't want him to look inside is because I write my jokes here and I don't write them fully. I just, like, write one line to remind me what a joke is. And on the way at the airport, this is a new notebook. So I wrote this line that I was like, I should tell this line. It would be so funny. So this notebook was new, it was empty, and all it had was, I'm sure ISIS is doing just fine. And I don't know how to explain that to Homeland Security. You know, I can't be like, no, you guys don't get it. I just think it's funny. Also, after the pandemic on the lockdown, I felt like my small talk skills have became bad, so I decided to, you know, work on them. And I was like, there is no better place than the next time I take an Uber or a Lyft or something. So I did that in New York City, and I get into this over last month, and two minutes in, the guy starts playing music, and every song he played was something I either recently listened to or something I really liked. So, you know, I had to let him know, you know, so after each song he played, I would say, what a great song, man. Or I'd say, oh, wow, look at that, he's doing it again. You know, just a fun guy in the back. We've all done it. And I didn't do that for long. I'd say, like 20 minutes. And he did not reply to me once the whole time. And I was like, I'm on a mission, you know, I'll get to him eventually. But then the music stopped. And what started playing next was my stand up comedy just, like blaring on the speakers. And I was so terrified. And I was like, hey, man, do you know who this is? And he was like, what? And I was like, the guy doing stand up on the speakers, like, do you know who that is? And he was like, no. And I was like, it's me. And he was like, okay, cool. And I was like, my man, are you kidnapping me and gaslighting me? I don't like. I don't like this. What are you doing here? What does that mean? And I was so terrified, I was like, something bad is gonna happen, you know? And then I got to my destination and he was like, okay, man, good night. And I Was like, my man, I don't know if this is a prank or something. I don't know what's going on here, but I don't like it. And he was like, I don't know what you're saying right now. And I was like, I'm never going to forget this. And then I opened the door and I started leaving. I took my bag out. I pulled my phone out of the charger, which then realized was an ox cord. So just to clarify, it's been my phone connected to the speakers this whole time, and now there's a guy in New York City who thinks I'm a psychopath. I. Because what happened was I got into this man's car, the stranger's car, and I played my own music for 20 minutes. And then after each song that I played, I said, what a great song, man. Oh, look at that. He's doing it again. A psycho dj. And then did not stop there. No. And then I played my own stand up. And then I said, hey, do you recognize the voice? Yes. The guy in the back. It's me right here. The voices are matching. It is definitely me, I can assure you 100%. Do you, like. Are there cameras around or something? Is this gonna be on YouTube? Yeah, it's me. I do small talk. Working from you? No. Okay. I haven't talked to people since. Anyway, thank you so much, everyone. I hope you have a good night. Thank you.
- [42:49]
A
Mohamed Elsechecki, everyone. That was Mohanad El Sheki right here on Livewire. You can find Mohanad on any Instagram he's. For more information on his shows and podcasts, I'm Luke Burbank, right here with Elena Passarello. We have to take a quick break, but don't go anywhere. When we come back, we're going to hear some music from Jenny Conley from the Decemberists. You don't want to miss it, so stay with us. Welcome back to Livewire from prx. I'm Luke Burbank here with Elena Passarello. You ready to do a little station location identification examination? Okay, this is where I quiz Elena about somewhere in the country where Livewire's on the radio. She's got to figure out where I'm talking about. In this city, it is apparently illegal to throw an item across the street. This is not giving you any useful information, but it's just an amazing, dazzling detail.
- [43:56]
E
I know it's a place with streets, so that. Okay, narrow something down.
- [44:01]
A
It is the fifth least populous state capitol in the US So it's a state capitol, but it's a place that doesn't have a tremendous number of residents.
- [44:11]
E
Juneau, Alaska.
- [44:12]
A
Ooh. You're in the sort of, sort of right quadrant of the country. Like, it's better than if you said Florida. Okay, how about this? This city was once home to several notable people, including L. Ron Hubbard, actors Gary Cooper and Dirk Benedict, and the musician Charley Pride. They all lived in this place.
- [44:36]
E
Is it Helena, Montana?
- [44:37]
A
Oh, my gosh. Did I get it? I was gonna say that.
- [44:39]
E
Or South Dakota.
- [44:40]
A
I am genuinely shocked. Helena, Montana, where we are on the radio on KYPH Radio, part of the Yellowstone Public Radio Network. So shout out to folks out there. You're listening to LIVEWIRE from prx. Okay, before we get to our musical guest this week, a little preview of next week's show. We are going to be joined by the writer Edgar Gomez, who will unpack his darkly comedic memoir. It was titled Alligator Tears, talks about growing up poor and queer in Florida and also how getting fake teeth for him actually helped his American and dream will become kind of more attainable. We're also gonna talk with writer River Selby about their memoir. It's called Hot A Life on Fire. It traces their journey to becoming a hotshot wildland firefighter after years of struggling with addiction. And then for our musical guest, we're gonna bring you something a little bit different, but it's gonna be amazing, trust me. We were fortunate enough to capture a performance from the pianist Hunter Nowak, who does this series of outdoor classical music concerts. They're called In a Landscape. And Hunter brings this grand piano, which is named Maude, by the way, out into these beautiful natural settings like national or state parks or working ranches. And then he lets the sound of the environment, sort of, and even the audience, by the way, infuse itself into the performance. It's really incredible. Make sure you tune in next week for livewire. It's going to be a special one. Livewire is supported by Literary Arts, which presents the Portland Book Festival featuring author panels, a book Fair and more, November 8th in downtown Portland. Learn more at pdxbookfest.org this is Livewire from PRX. Our musical guest this week is a multi instrumentalist probably best known for her 23 year tenure as a founding member of the Decemberists. Her latest solo album, Pieces for Accordion and Piano, is incredible and it is available now. This is Jenny Conley, recorded at the Patricia Reaser center for the Arts in Beaverton, Oregon. Thank you so much for coming on the show, man.
- [46:57]
G
I'm excited.
- [46:58]
A
Well, it's awesome to have you here. I'm curious, though, about this instrument that you're currently wearing. When did you start playing accordion?
- [47:05]
G
I think around 2000, maybe 99. I wanted to have a portable instrument because we were on the road. My first band, Coloba, we would tour a lot and go to these festivals, and there was these jam sessions, and I was like, I don't get to play. So I ended up buying an accordion. Ever since, I've been addicted.
- [47:26]
A
Was that before the Decemberists came around?
- [47:29]
C
Yes.
- [47:29]
A
So you were playing the accordion. You didn't have to, like, have a meeting with the other Decemberists and goes, I'm gonna explore my accordion phase.
- [47:37]
G
I wasn't that good at it, but when I met Colin from the Decemberists, he was like, I heard you play accordion. I'm like, yeah, I do. I could just play the piano side. I'm a pianist.
- [47:49]
C
Right.
- [47:49]
G
So this was a mystery to me. But Colin was really interested in the sound. So we made the first. The first record that's only accordion because, like, let's make this acoustic record. And so now I do all the things, but I still really love to play.
- [48:04]
A
Is it really hard to learn? I mean, it seems like your brain is doing two wildly different things.
- [48:09]
C
It's true.
- [48:09]
G
I feel like you're playing three instruments, like you're playing piano. You're playing, like, a chord organ over here, and then you're playing a bagpipe, you know, pushing in and out here.
- [48:18]
A
So, yes, it looks like it's a workout, too, depending on the song. Yeah.
- [48:21]
G
And I feel like it's harder than the piano, but I do like the load in better than all my keyboards. I have to take on tour.
- [48:28]
A
So I think Fred Armisen, who played in bands for a long time before he was the Fred Armisen we know, said being in a band is just being like an unpaid moving company.
- [48:37]
G
Yeah, it's. It's mostly about schlepping.
- [48:40]
A
Yeah.
- [48:40]
G
Yeah. And waiting around.
- [48:43]
A
Well, what song are we gonna hear off your new album?
- [48:45]
G
Well, I'm gonna play a song called Hawk. I did a residency at the Sou', Wester, which is a cool trailer park in Long Beach, Washington, and I proposed to do seven pieces on the accordion in the seven Greek modes, which are different types of scales with kind of different sounds than we're used to. So I did each song looking at the scenario that I was seeing at the coast there. And this first one's called Hawk. So I want you to try to imagine a hawk up in a tree scoping out the scenario, seeing its prey and then going hunting. So. And it's in the Dorian mode.
- [49:20]
A
And I could have told you that.
- [49:22]
F
You could.
- [49:22]
A
Well, here's probably.
- [49:23]
G
It has a spooky sound. I just want you to hear the sound of it.
- [49:31]
C
It's like sad, happy.
- [49:33]
G
It's all the feeling.
- [49:34]
A
That's how I feel all the time. Sad, happy. Yes. Well, this is Jenny Conley here on Livewire. Thank you. That was Jenny Conley right here on Livewire. Her latest album, Pieces for Accordion and Piano is available now. And that is gonna do it for this episode of Livewire. A huge thanks to our guest, Laura Chin, Mohanad El Shecki and Jenny Conley.
- [52:57]
E
Lara Haddon is our executive producer. Heather D. Michel is our executive director, and our producer and editor is Melanie Savchenko. Eben Hofer is our technical director. Hazik Bin Ahmad Farid is our assistant editor, and Deja Polikanda is our production fellow.
- [53:12]
A
Valentine Keck is our operations manager, and Ashley park is our marketing manager. Tiffany Nguyen is our intern.
- [53:18]
E
Our house band is it is Ethan Fox, Tucker, Sam Tucker, Eyal Alves, and A. Walker Spring who also composes our music. This episode was mixed by Molly Pettit and Trey Hester.
- [53:27]
A
Additional funding provided by the James F. And Marian L. Miller Foundation. Livewire was created by Robin Tenenbaum and Kate Sokoloff. This week we'd like to thank member Susan Stratton of Portland, Oregon. For more information about our show or how you can listen to our podcast, head ON over to livewireradio.org I'm Luke Burbank. For Elena Passarello and the whole Livewire team. Thanks for listening and we'll see you next week. Dear Livewire, when we first met, I was really shy. I had no idea we'd spend so much time together or that you'd be one to fill my heart with, with joy and make me want to be a better person. Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here. I was busy reading a review from one of our many, many rapturously smitten listeners. Oh, wait. Actually, no. Sorry. This is from Elena. Anyway, the point is, it would be really helpful if you wanted to leave us a review. Feel free to say really nice things about us and we'll even read them now and then on the show so you might hear your review of Livewire read on the program itself. Reviews help other people hear about the show, and then we can keep doing this for a long, long time because we love having this job. Thank you so much if you've left a review. And if you're about to leave a review, you can go ahead and do it right. Where you get the podcast.
- [55:07]
E
From prx.