Tag: podcast

creativity

In the pause: Redirecting the Breaking Bread Podcast into a satirical comedy set in Trumpville

Christa Avampato

When I started the Breaking Bread Podcast, I had the idea to invite people over to my home, cook their favorite meal, and talk about the issues that are important to them. While that mission seems simple, it’s operationally more difficult than I anticipated. Booking guests is a time intensive job and it costs a good chunk of money. Also, audio editing is a bear and I don’t enjoy it. I like writing and live storytelling, and I want to do a podcast that’s an extension of those two things that also lets me be creative in new and different ways.

I spent a fair amount of time over my holiday break thinking about what to do with the Breaking Bread Podcast. I also spent a fair amount of time reading and talking to people about the election and Trump and what a complete sh*t-show we’re facing come January 20th. And a few things started to come together for me: truth reaches more people when it’s dressed as satire and comedy, world-building is a fun, creative activity (some of my favorite stories are The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and Welcome to Night Vale), and Trump is insane so I’m going to use his own words as material.

Here’s my premise: Mina Montgomery accidentally falls through a hidden portal at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 1st Street NE on the afternoon of November 8, 2016 and finds herself in a strange parallel universe known as Trumpville. Built by Trump himself, it is an idealized version of the world as he would design it and it’s populated by people faithful to his point-of-view. Or so it appears. Every day, there is a press conference delivered by Trump to the citizens of Trumpville that tells them how it’s all going “above ground”. To her horror, Mina learns that Trump won the presidential election on the day she fell through the portal. She thinks she’s alone in this mad, a*s-backwards world, but she’s not. What she needs to do is find her people, and together they will find a way out. Trapped in Trumpville for the forseeable future, she opens a bakery in Trumpville called Breaking Bread in an attempt to bring people together. In the episodes of the Breaking Bread Podcast, Mina processes her thoughts as a living diary of sorts in order to maintain some semblance of sanity while she figures out how to get everyone out of Trumpville and back to civilization.

Similar to a Trump presidency, I have no idea how this new podcast idea will play out. Who knows what he’ll do next? He’s leaving us in suspense, remember? My game plan is to speak out again, and again, and again because I care about this country and the people who live here, and to find and support people who need a friend during this wild ride. I remember the Bush years and they were brutal. My greatest hope for this podcast idea is that it will be a port in the storm where together we can ride out the mayhem while we try to right the ship.

creativity

Wonder: Breaking Bread with Chopped Champion and Executive Chef Demetrio Zavala

Christa Avampato

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a competitor on the Food Network show Chopped? Wonder no more. Today is my first installment of the “Behind the Scenes” segments for the Breaking Bread Podcast and I’m talking to Chef Demetrio Zavala, Executive Chef at DC’s Lincoln, Declaration, and Teddy and the Bull Bar. He became a Chopped Champion in October 2016. Chef Demetrio tells me what it’s like to be on Chopped. We talked about his love for his work, his business, his team, and most of all, his guests. I visited him at Lincoln to give you a full sense of the fun and festive atmosphere that he creates in all of his restaurants. Let’s listen in…

creativity

Wonder: Check out my Lit to Lens podcast interview about my YA novel, Where the Light Enters

Christa Avampato

So excited to share this podcast episode that I did with the Lit to Lens podcast team about my book, Where the Light Enters.

“Podcast Season 1, Episode 4 – SPECIAL EDITION: Interview with author Christa Avampato”

Hello there LTLiens,

This post is a bit late, but exciting nonetheless. In case you aren’t up to date, about a month ago we interviewed the author Christa Avampato about her debut novel Where the Light Enters.

The novel is about a young teenage girl, who goes by the name Emerson Page, living in New York city on a mission to find out who killed her mother. The young adult genre novel covers everything from magical libraries, the power of manipulating light, to the struggles of growing up without a mother.

In the interview Christa covers everything from how she became such an avid writer, who inspires her, to what it’s like trying to get your first novel published and pushed out to the real world.

Take a moment to listen to Christa tell her exciting story.

Listen here, or subscribe to us on iTunes.

L2L

*We will provide updates to this post once more good news is heard…fingers crossed!

Source: Podcast Season 1, Episode 4 – SPECIAL EDITION: Interview with author Christa Avampato

creativity

Wonder: A sweet Halloween treat – The Breaking Bread Podcast launch!

Christa Avampato

I am so excited to let you know that The Breaking Bread Podcast launches today. Check out my interview with the Capital Area Food Bank and learn about all of the incredible work they do to support 444 food-based organizations in the D.C. area who in turn help hundreds of thousands of our neighbors every year who face food insecurity on a daily basis. It’s an inspiring story about food as a social justice issue, the fight to end hunger, and our ability to help our city grow stronger and healthier together.

You can find The Breaking Bread Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, and TuneIn.

 

creativity

Wonder: Recording an episode about YA literature with the Lit to Lens podcast

Christa Avampato

I’m so excited to head to Georgetown today to record an episode about YA literature with the Lit to Lens podcast team. I’ll be talking about my book, Where the Light Enters, my creative process for writing fiction, and why I think YA literature is such an important genre for all readers and writers. When the episode goes live, I’ll be sure to let you know!

creativity

Wonder: I’ll be talking about YA books on the Lit to Lens podcast

Christa Avampato

I’m really excited to let you know I’ll be talking about young adult books and about my book, Where the Light Enters, on the Lit to Lens podcast. We’re recording at the end of this month and then it will publish shortly after that. I’m thrilled to talk about this wonderful genre and the impact it has on our young people’s lives.

creativity

Wonder: Breaking Bread Podcast records its first traveling segment

Christa Avampato
screen-shot-2016-09-29-at-9-38-57-pm
Captured from the Food & Friends website

Today I’m heading over to Food & Friends, one of my favorite D.C. charities, to talk about the work they do, the role of collaboration in alleviating hunger, food equity, and nutrition as a key driver of improved health. This is the first traveling segment of the Breaking Bread Podcast and I’m so excited to highlight an organization that gives so much to our neighbors who need our care and support. Stay tuned!

creativity

Wonder: The Breaking Bread Podcast get social

Christa Avampato

My new podcast has its social media pages set up. I’d love to have you follow along. As always, if you have ideas for guests who are either based in or visiting DC for a special project, please let me know.

Website: https://breakingbreadpodcast.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakingbreadpodcastdc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BreakingBreadDC
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakingbreadpodcast/

 

 

creativity

Wonder: Writers, be kind to yourselves

Christa Avampato

“Thomas Mann was a prodigy of production. He wrote a page a day. He was one of the most prolific literary writers who ever lived.” ~ Annie Dillard, The Writing Life

I started reading Annie Dillard’s book The Writing Life by accident. I was reminded of it on Krista Tippett’s podcast On Being. She was interviewing Elizabeth Gilbert, who referred to the book as one of her forms of inspiration and guidance. I went to Amazon and hit “Buy with 1-click” by accident. It was a very happy accident because it gave me exactly the message I needed, the one I need just about 6 times a day: Christa, it’s all going to get done.

Emerson Page, the protagonist in my book, has taken a long time to tell me her story. We’re at about a year and a half into our adventure. She hides. She changes her mind. She only tells me her history in drips and drabs, because she is just learning all of it herself. Writing happens in a flood only once in a very great while. Even if you’re insanely talented or extremely lucky (or a combination of the two), writing is a lot like life. A page is a day, to be written and lived only one at a time. And that’s if you’re doing this full-time.

So now I’m closing in on making all my edits. I’m 80% of the way there. I’ll finish those out in the next couple of weeks. Then I’ll give it a read through in one sitting to correct grammar, spelling, and replace a word here or there. Then it’s on to writing query letters to contacts I’ve made over this nearly two-year journey and we’ll see what happens to me and Emerson. Maybe one agent out of 1,000 will send me back less than a form rejection note. Maybe a small press will show some interest. Maybe it’ll be deafening silence. As a writer, you’ve got to hope and work for the best and completely detach yourself from any idea of recognition or return.

I wrote Emerson’s story because I wanted to know it. I sat with her, and the many other characters surrounding her, for so many hours that I’ve lost count. She is never far from my mind, wherever I am, whoever I’m with, whatever I’m doing. She pops up, whispers something I can barely hear, and I follow her to listen, watch, learn, and get it all down. One word, one page, one day at a time.

communication, community

Wonder: Breaking Bread – the title of my new podcast

Christa Avampato

Sharing a meal with someone—it’s one of the oldest traditions in the world. And that’s why it’s so important to me to have a home where I can host people for dinner and why I want to include sharing a meal in my podcast to get passionate conversations flowing.

My friend, Carolyn, sent me an article from PsyBlog entitled The Right Food Can Promote Trust And Closeness Between People about the value of eating the same food with another person. It brings us closer. It helps us to listen and attempt to understand one another, especially when dealing with issues that mean a lot to us. Meals are an act of communion and community. Meals together matter, and I’m excited to begin orchestrating them on my new podcast that will be appropriately named Breaking Bread.

Would you like to be a guest on the show? Know someone who would be a good guest? Let’s gather around the table and see (and hear) what happens.