Best Bryan West Art Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 169: Ross Benes on Why 1999 Was the Year Low Culture Conquered America 29:44

5d ago29:44

29:44

In this week’s episode, Richard talks to Ross Benes, author of 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times (University Press of Kansas). Bookstack is a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Host: Richard Aldous Producer: Bhaasita Athani Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube to keep up wit…

1
Chelsea Nassib - Founder, Tappan 38:41

9d ago38:41

38:41

Today’s guest saw something in the art world that many sensed—but few dared to challenge. Chelsea Nassib, founder of Tappan, is my guest today, and after graduating with a degree in painting, Chelsea stepped beyond the traditional gallery system to create Tappan—a platform designed to connect emerging artists with collectors around the world. What …

1
Arianne Edmonds, "We Now Belong to Ourselves: J. L. Edmonds, the Black Press, and Black Citizenship in America" (Oxford UP, 2025) 49:46

9d ago49:46

49:46

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Black press provided a blueprint to help Black Americans transition from slavery and find opportunities to advance and define African American citizenship. Among the vanguard of the Black press was Jefferson Lewis Edmonds, founder and editor of The Liberator newspaper. His Los Angeles-based newspaper champi…

1
Michael Vorenberg, "Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War" (Random House, 2023) 1:37:56

10d ago1:37:56

1:37:56

More than a century and a half after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, historians are still searching for exactly when the U.S. Civil War ended. Was it ten weeks afterward, in Galveston, where a federal commander proclaimed Juneteenth the end of slavery? Or perhaps in August of 1866, when President Andrew Johnson simply declared “the i…

1
Charlotte Bentley, "New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819–1859" (U of Chicago Press, 2022) 49:39

14d ago49:39

49:39

Jazz is the music that many people associate with New Orleans. But before there was jazz in New Orleans there was opera. It was the only city in the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century with a resident opera company that produced the latest European works. In New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819–1859 (U…

1
Episode 168: Karen Elliott House on Mohammed Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia 30:31

18d ago30:31

30:31

This week Richard talks to Karen Elliott House, author of the new book, The Man Who Would Be King: Mohammed Bin Salman and the Transformation of Saudi Arabia (Harper). Bookstack is a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Host: Richard Aldous Producer: Bhaasita Athani Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube to keep up with ou…

1
Ahmad Greene-Hayes, "Underworld Work: Black Atlantic Religion Making in Jim Crow New Orleans" (U of Chicago Press, 2025) 1:05:38

21d ago1:05:38

1:05:38

A rethinking of African American religious history that focuses on the development and evolution of Africana spiritual traditions in Jim Crow New Orleans. When Zora Neale Hurston traveled to New Orleans, she encountered a religious underworld, a beautiful anarchy of spiritual life. In Underworld Work, Ahmad Greene-Hayes follows Hurston on a journey…

1
Jeremy Black, "The Civil War" (Saint Augustine's Press, 2025) 30:13

25d ago30:13

30:13

The American Civil War may have been more consequential to American history (and its global supremacy) than its Revolutionary War and participation in all other world wars. The influence of this war is not just reduced to the victory of the north and its economic infrastructure, but the fact of Union success ushered in the notion of 'what it means …

1
Micaela Erlanger - Celebrity Fashion Stylist 44:31

30d ago44:31

44:31

Today’s guest has shaped some of the most unforgettable silhouettes to grace the red carpet—from Lupita Nyong’o to Meryl Streep. But behind the Hollywood glamour is a mind wired for history, preservation, and obsession. Micaela Erlanger is not just a celebrity stylist—she’s a fashion historian and a true collector at heart. Her eye goes beyond surf…

1
Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth, "Finding the Singing Spruce: Musical Instrument Makers and Appalachia's Mountain Forests" (West Virginia UP, 2023) 1:12:24

30d ago1:12:24

1:12:24

2023 Weatherford Award Finalist, Nonfiction How can the craft of musical instrument making help reconnect people to place and reenchant work in Appalachia? How does the sonic search for musical tone change relationships with trees and forests? Following three craftspeople in the mountain forests of Appalachia through their processes of making instr…

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Julia Brock, "Closed Seasons: The Transformation of Hunting in the Modern South" (UNC Press, 2025) 55:23

1M ago55:23

55:23

In a unique and personal exploration of the game and fish laws in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi from the Progressive Era to the 1930s, Julia Brock offers an innovative history of hunting in the New South. The implementation of conservation laws made significant strides in protecting endangered wildlife species, but it also disrupted traditional…

1
John Bardes, "The Carceral City: Slavery and the Making of Mass Incarceration in New Orleans, 1803-1930" (UNC Press, 2024) 48:57

1M ago48:57

48:57

The Carceral City: Slavery and the Making of Mass Incarceration in New Orleans, 1803-1930 (UNC Press, 2024) reveals that Americans often assume that slave societies had little use for prisons and police because slaveholders only ever inflicted violence directly or through overseers. Mustering tens of thousands of previously overlooked arrest and pr…

1
Episode 167: Joan C. Williams on How the Left Lost the Working Class 37:36

1M ago37:36

37:36

In today’s episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Joan C. Williams, award-winning scholar of social inequality and author of Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Win Them Back (St. Martin's Press). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Host: Richard Aldous Producer (for the last tim…

1
Bryan D. Jones, The Southern Fault Line: How Race, Class, and Region Shaped One Family's History" (Oxford UP, 2025) 58:29

1M ago58:29

58:29

The Southern Fault Line: How Race, Class, and Region Shaped One Family's History (Oxford University Press, 2025) explores the under-appreciated division in the South between the oligarchic rule of plantation owners and industrialists on the one hand, and the more democratic mindset of the mountain-dwelling small farmers on the other. These two mind…

1
Steven Rodel - Creative Director, Guy Goodfellow 54:12

1M ago54:12

54:12

Today on Collectors Gene Radio, I’m joined by Steven Rodel—the Creative Director at Guy Goodfellow, a studio shaped by the namesake's singular vision over 25 years. Steven works closely with Guy and that legacy, helping bring to life interiors that thread eras together with grace, intuition, and a rare kind of spatial intelligence. The studio’s wor…

1
Episode 166: Bryan Burrough on How Texas Gunfighters Made the West Wild 27:15

2M ago27:15

27:15

In today’s episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Bryan Burrough, acclaimed journalist, podcaster, and author of The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild (Penguin Random House). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion.Host: Richard AldousProducer: Laura Silverman Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), Linke…

1
Kathryn L. Beasley, "The Proof Is in the Dough: Rural Southern Women, Extension, and Making Money" (University of Georgia Press, 2025) 1:15:22

2M ago1:15:22

1:15:22

The Proof Is in the Dough: Rural Southern Women, Extension, and Making Money (University of Georgia Press, 2025) examines how rural white and African American women in Alabama and Florida used the Cooperative Extension Service's home demonstration programming between 1914 and 1929 as a means to earn extra income. Kathryn L. Beasley explores an area…

1
When you got to cut loose. Footloose. [w/ Jenny Glover] 41:51

2M ago41:51

41:51

Jenny reveals (in the second sexiest accent in the world) a campaign for the AGO called “Art Rate Monitor.” Plus, hear how her almost career in law, and growing up in South Africa, inform her work today ABOUT OUR GUEST: After spending 20 years working in South Africa Jenny moved to Toronto and is currently a Chief Creative Officer at independent cr…

1
The Wickedest Pirate City Sinks Beneath the Waves - The Tsunami of Port Royale 19:21

2M ago19:21

19:21

The Pirate Republic takes a look at the history of pirates and the interviews with experts and members of the sub-culture of pirates in the real world. Join Bryan, the writer of Pirates of the Wild West as he embarks on a journey into the past and present of the world of piracy. Season 2, Episode 10 arrives in Port Royale in 1692. The very heart of…

1
Episode 165: Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher on U.S. Industrial Policy 36:13

2M ago36:13

36:13

In today’s episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher — board members of the Coalition for a Prosperous America and co-authors of Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries (Cambridge University Press). Bookstack is now a production of American…

1
Victoria Bynum, "Deep Roots, Broken Branches: A History and Memoir" (UP of Mississippi, 2025) 57:56

2M ago57:56

57:56

Historian Victoria Bynum turns now to her own history in this multigenerational American saga spanning from 1840 to 1979. Through meticulous historical research, personal letters, diaries, and the unpublished memoir of Mary Daniel Huckenpoehler, the author’s maternal grandmother, Bynum examines five generations within the broader context of the nat…

1
When you can’t unsee it [w/ Geoff Baillie & Zachary Bautista] 59:55

2M ago59:55

59:55

Zach and Geoff get saucy and share the stories behind iconic campaigns like Heinz “Draw Ketchup” and “Can’t Unsee it” with Deadpool. ABOUT OUR GUESTS: Geoff Baillie is a Group Creative Director at Rethink, where he started as an intern in 2018. He’s led work for brands like IKEA, Molson Coors and Heinz—including campaigns like Draw Ketchup, Heinz K…

1
Frank X Walker, "Load in Nine Times: Poems" (Liveright, 2024) 1:24:30

3M ago1:24:30

1:24:30

For decades Frank X Walker has reclaimed essential American lives through his pathbreaking historical poetry. In this stirring new collection, he reimagines the experiences of Black Civil War soldiers—including his own ancestors—who enlisted in the Union army in exchange for emancipation. Moving chronologically from antebellum Kentucky through Reco…

1
Vincent Brasesco - Vice President & Watch Specialist @ Sotheby's 1:07:17

3M ago1:07:17

1:07:17

Today on Collectors Gene Radio, I welcome Vincent Brasesco, a true connoisseur whose passion for mechanical artistry has taken him from curious teenage collector to Vice President and Watch Specialist at Sotheby’s. Vincent’s journey has traversed the vibrant subcultures of Wall Street wristwear, the pioneering spirit of Analog Shift, the retail sop…

1
Episode 164: Edward Luce on the Life of Zbig, America's Great Power Prophet 40:59

3M ago40:59

40:59

In today’s episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Edward Luce, U.S. National Editor at the Financial Times and author Zbig: The Life of Zbigniew Brzezinski, America’s Great Power Prophet (Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion.Host: Richard AldousProducer: Laura Silve…

1
Carrie Helms Tippen, "Unpalatable: Stories of Pain and Pleasure in Southern Cookbooks" (UP of Mississippi, 2025) 1:17:09

3M ago1:17:09

1:17:09

The cookbook genre is highly conventional with an orientation toward celebration and success. From glossy photographs to heartwarming stories and adjective-rich ingredient lists, the cookbook tradition primes readers for pleasure. Yet the overarching narrative of the region is often one of pain, loss, privation, exploitation, poverty, and suffering…

1
Jennifer Lynn Gross, "Sisterhood of the Lost Cause: Confederate Widows in the New South" (LSU Press, 2025) 59:34

3M ago59:34

59:34

Historians have thoroughly documented the vast devastation of the Civil War. In the attention they have paid to aspects of that destruction, however, one of the most obvious ramifications appears routinely overlooked—Confederate widowhood. Dr. Jennifer Lynn Gross’s Sisterhood of the Lost Cause: Confederate Widows in the New South (LSU Press, 2025) …

1
When designers get tattoos [w/ Léo Breton-Allaire & Ugo Varin Lachapelle] 58:20

3M ago58:20

58:20

Ugo and Léo reveal how they turned their youthful skateboard years into a (two time winning) design studio of the year. Hear about the Montreal design scene, the FORUM festival they launched, and getting inked. ABOUT OUR GUESTS: Léo Breton-Allaire and Ugo Varin Lachapelle are Partners & Creative Directors at Caserne. Léo is partner and creative dir…

1
Bryan Calvero - Founder, Period Correct 1:03:41

3M ago1:03:41

1:03:41

Today’s guest is someone whose eye for design, reverence for history, and devotion to craft have quietly shaped a corner of automotive culture that feels both soulful and sharply considered. My guest today is Bryan Calvero, the founder of Period Correct, a brand that merges motorsport heritage with modern design sensibility—speaking as much to car …

1
Nina Takesh - Designer & China Collector 49:47

3M ago49:47

49:47

Today I’m joined by the inimitable Nina Takesh—a creative force whose work spans luxury baby boutiques, house flipping, bespoke interiors, digital media, and now, her own beautifully crafted furniture collection. With a global upbringing rooted in Iranian heritage and Parisian refinement, Nina’s aesthetic is shaped by architecture, elegance, and th…

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The Real Pirate Who Inspired Jack Sparrow | Jack Ward a.k.a. ‘Birdie’ 13:34

3M ago13:34

13:34

The Pirate Republic takes a look at the history of pirates and the interviews with experts and members of the sub-culture of pirates in the real world. Join Bryan, the writer of Pirates of the Wild West as he embarks on a journey into the past and present of the world of piracy. Season 2, Episode 9 arrives in the port of Tunis, in North Africa then…

1
Episode 163: Matthew C. Klein on Why Trade Wars are Class Wars 33:00

3M ago33:00

33:00

In today’s episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Matthew C. Klein, economist, writer behind The Overshoot on Substack, and co-author. with Michael Pettis, of Trade Wars Are Class Wars: How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace (Yale University Press). Bookstack is now a production of Amer…

1
When you follow your gut, bring a passport [w/ Brynna Aylward] 58:47

3M ago58:47

58:47

Pack your bags, Brynna is taking us on a career journey that spans Chicago - Mexico - Miami - Toronto. Plus, hear the story behind campaigns like “Prescribed to Death.” ABOUT OUR GUEST Brynna Aylward is an award-winning creative leader who is making her mark as the first Chief Creative Officer of adam&eveDDB US. With a reputation for fostering coll…

1
No Common Ground: Confederate Monuments and the Ongoing Fight for Racial Justice 55:43

3M ago55:43

55:43

When it comes to Confederate monuments, there is no common ground. Polarizing debates over their meaning have intensified into legislative maneuvering to preserve the statues, legal battles to remove them, and rowdy crowds taking matters into their own hands. These conflicts have raged for well over a century—but they've never been as intense as th…

1
Frederick Knight, "Black Elders: The Meaning of Age in American Slavery and Freedom" (U Pennsylvania Press, 2024) 1:14:03

3M ago1:14:03

1:14:03

Would there have been a Frederick Douglass if it were not for Betsy Bailey, the grandmother who raised him? Would Harriet Jacobs have written her renowned autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, if her grandmother, a free black woman named Molly Horniblow, had not enabled Jacobs’ escape from slavery? In Black Elders: The Meaning of Ag…

1
Mary Randolph Carter (Carter) - Author & Creative Director, Ralph Lauren 1:00:32

4M ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Today, I’m thrilled to sit down once again with the legendary Mary Randolph Carter—better known simply as Carter. She’s a long time Creative Director at Ralph Lauren, an author of ten on all things collecting books, and a lifelong champion of the beauty in imperfection. In our last conversation, we explored her passion for what she lovingly calls “…

1
Episode 162: Jonathan Rauch on Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy 34:03

4M ago34:03

34:03

In this episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Jonathan Rauch, journalist and author of Cross Purposes: Christianity's Broken Bargain with Democracy (Yale University Press). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube to keep up with our latest articles, …

1
Barry Bordelon & Jordan Slocum - The Brownstone Boys 58:20

4M ago58:20

58:20

Today I’m joined by the dynamic duo behind The Brownstone Boys—Barry Bordelon and Jordan Slocum. Known for their thoughtful restorations and their deep respect for architectural heritage, Barry and Jordan have built a design practice rooted in restoration, storytelling, and heart. What began with the renovation of their own Brooklyn brownstone spar…

1
Lesley J. Gordon, "Dread Danger: Cowardice and Combat in the American Civil War" (Cambridge UP, 2024) 41:47

4M ago41:47

41:47

Those who fought in the Civil War were expected to overcome their fear of injury or death as they charged into a hail of bullets. Soldiers could expect erupting artillery shells or Minié balls to maim or tear their bodies apart. The 11th New York Fire Zouaves and the 2nd Texas Infantry were no different. They charged into battle with high, perhaps…

1
Episode 161: Nicole Karlis Explores Your Brain on Altruism 29:10

4M ago29:10

29:10

In this episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Nicole Karlis, award-winning journalist and author of Your Brain on Altruism: The Power of Connection and Community During Times of Crisis (University of California Press). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and…

1
When the beat drops [w/Kelly McCluskey & Ali Willa Milner] 43:16

4M ago43:16

43:16

Kelly & Ali sing the praises of the Canadian music industry. Hear how audio and advertising intersect. Cue up emerging artists on your playlist. Be inspired to shop for a fancy new sparkle vest. It’s an episode in perfect harmony. ABOUT OUR GUESTS: Kelly McCluskey Exec Producer/Partner, Grayson Music At the helm of the commercial production team, K…

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Megan Hunt, "Southern by the Grace of God: Religion, Race, and Civil Rights in Hollywood's American South" (U Georgia Press, 2024) 49:29

4M ago49:29

49:29

On this episode of the New Books Network, Dr. Megan Hunt joins us to talk about her recent book, Southern By the Grace of God, which was published in 2024 by the University of Georgia Press. Lke the media coverage of the civil rights era itself, Hollywood dramas have reinforced regional stereotypes of race, class, and gender to cleanse and redeem t…

1
Melissa Morris - Founder & Creative Director, Metier 1:00:07

4M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

Today, I have the immense pleasure of sitting down with Melissa Morris, founder and creative director of Metier – a brand that has elevated the art of travel through exquisitely crafted bags and accessories, each designed with a philosophy rooted in longevity, functionality, and timeless elegance. Since launching Métier in 2017, Melissa has built a…

1
Michael Vorenberg, "Lincoln's Peace: The Struggle to End the American Civil War" (Knopf, 2025) 1:12:13

5M ago1:12:13

1:12:13

One historian’s journey to find the end of the Civil War—and, along the way, to expand our understanding of the nature of war itself and how societies struggle to draw the line between war and peace. We set out on the James River, March 25, 1865, aboard the paddle steamboat River Queen. President Lincoln is on his way to General Grant’s headquarter…

1
Episode 160: Nir Arielli on 10,000 Years of Dead Sea History 29:50

5M ago29:50

29:50

In this episode of Bookstack, host Richard Aldous sits down with Nir Arielli, international historian and author, to discuss his new book, The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History (Yale University Press). Bookstack is now a production of American Purpose at Persuasion. Follow Persuasion on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and YouTube to keep up with our latest ar…

1
When business and creative get remixed [w/ Sabaa Quao & Driscoll Reid] 1:22:44

5M ago1:22:44

1:22:44

Sabaa and Driscoll share their origin stories (Sabaa’s includes the ‘95 Raptors launch and Driscoll’s leans Eat Pray Love) and why they make the ultimate duo today. Hear about campaigns for McDonald’s, Amazon, and maybe flying cars. ABOUT OUR GUESTS: Driscoll Reid is Chief Creative Officer at Cossette. He joined Cossette after previous stints at Wi…

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Marci Hirshleifer - Global Personal Shopping Director/Women's Buyer, Hirshleifers 30:26

5M ago30:26

30:26

When it comes to collecting, few people do it with the same passion, precision, and pure joy as Marci Hirshleifer. As a key force behind the legendary luxury retailer Hirshleifers, she’s not just curating for the store—she’s curating for herself. From an ever-expanding rainbow of Chanel flap bags to vintage and modern Hermès Kellys & Birkin’s that …

1
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, "Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration and Struggles for Abolition Democracy in Louisiana" (UNC Press, 2023) 1:05:57

5M ago1:05:57

1:05:57

Every year between 1998 to 2020 except one, Louisiana had the highest per capita rate of incarceration in the nation and thus the world. Prison Capital: Mass Incarceration and Struggles for Abolition Democracy in Louisiana (University of North Carolina Press, 2023) is the first detailed account of Louisiana's unprecedented turn to mass incarceratio…

1
Antonio Sersale - Owner, Le Sirenuse 33:03

5M ago33:03

33:03

Today’s guest is Antonio Sersale, the owner and custodian of one of the world’s most beloved and sought-after hotels—Le Sirenuse in Positano. Since his family transformed it from a private holiday home into a legendary destination, Antonio has carried on their legacy, curating not just a hotel but an experience, a feeling, and a sense of place unli…

1
"Steadfast Democrats" Five Years Later: A Conversation with Chryl N. Laird 1:04:26

5M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

Today I’m speaking with Chryl Laird, Associate Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland College Park. We are discussing her co-authored book with Ismail White, Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior. Published in 2020, this book remains highly relevant for understanding American political beh…

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