Xistance Podcast

They say to understand history it’s important to walk a mile in another’s shoes. Historian & teacher, Andrew Mychalcus may take this to extremes. He has lived in a Viking ship, ridden astride a horse during the Civil War as a soldier, and fought in the Battle of Hastings on the actual battle site. His reenactments have appeared in film and on the seas, but it might not be as glamorous as it sounds.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, more than one in five students report being the victim of bullying, but the number of children and adults who face mental intimidation, physical threat, or social manipulation may be even larger than that. What’s worse, is that numerous studies show that the impact of bullying can be both profound and long-lasting.  Joining us to talk about prevention, support, and what we can do is Chase Masterson, founder of the Pop Culture Hero Coalition, an organization which seeks to use stories from comics, TV, and film to teach real-life heroism over bullying.     

Host Andrew Hiller talks to John Boyega about his role in the Star Wars universe, the cultural landmark it represents, and how it shaped his childhood. 

In fiction, heroes come in all shapes and sizes from the very young to the aged, from ghosts to aliens, and from every race, creed, religion, and gender, but on the silver screen and TV, there has been one type of hero that has been in short supply--The Black hero. Joining us to talk about heroes, role models, TV, and his Xistance is actor Cress Williams, star of the new CW series Black Lightning.

A preview of our upcoming episode featuring Cress Williams, the star of the new CW series Black Lightning. Williams chats with Xistance about life, television, heroes, and role models. 

At the cross-section of fandom and folk music, there is something called filk. One of the masters of filk is Pegasus Award winner, T.J. Burnside-Clapp.

Women’s marches are hardly a new thing. In some ways, the War on Women has been ongoing since the very birth of America. Ellouise Schoettler, came to adulthood at a time where women had very limited options… Nurse, teacher, librarian, secretary… but with the inspiration of a book and a group of craftswomen, this textile artist became one of the lead voices for women in the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment. In her time, she argued before Congress and in the White House. Now, she speaks to Xistance about her work, struggles, growth, and how the times may not have changed.

Corporate and personal story trainer Stephanie Garibaldi teaches the art of first-person storytelling for the University of Maryland, Story District, DC high schools, as well as in professional settings ranging from Fortune 500 companies to Non-Profit advocacy groups. She shares some of her best tips . . . not to mention a story or two with Xistance Host Andrew Hiller.

This episode we hear host Andrew Hiller discuss the process of telling his own life story. 

A sword swallower and an escape artist must be a master of sleight of hand. It requires consummate skill, practice, and occasionally trickery to delight an audience standing sometimes mere inches away. Johnny Fox has performed in Vegas, New York, and all around the country. His latest and greatest escape act, cancer, required the stagecraft not only of a magician, but a community.

Host Andrew Hiller talks with one of the world's foremost Sherlock Holmes experts, the Red Circle's own Peter Blau. 

Host Andrew Hiller talks again with Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer about his work in Cuba and how he received special permission to teach the Cuban Jews how to be Jewish again. Rabbi Schnitzer began rebuilding and reteaching tradition, language, song, and structure from the ground up.  

On this episode, host Andrew Hiller speaks with Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer about telling our own family stories. 

Today, we visit a creator of gods, demigods, heroes, villains and demons…. And if your Spidey Sense isn’t tingling it may be clobbering time. Xistance chats with Stan Lee.

A song overheard on the elevator, a flash of color on a skirt, a whiff of spice… who knows what calls forth a memory. How we preserve, recall, or wander through our past? A new pilot program at the National Gallery of Art seeks to spur memories through masterpieces, discussion, and music.

Host Andrew Hiller interviews Henry Sienkiewicz and Denise Keustermans, authors of Voor Elise, a written account of their family history. Voor Elise tells a story of child labor, emigration, alcohol abuse, adultery, and the making of a family. Their first person nonfiction narrative spans from the 19th century through WWII.

Music binds us and connects our communities, our families, and our lives. Host Andrew Hiller met with New York Pops Executive Director, Anne Swanson to talk about the power of music and the legacy it creates. 

Host Andrew Hiller interviews Nobel Prize Winner, Adam Riess about his work that earned a 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics. 

Host Andrew Hiller interviews Bucktown Village Store owner, Susan Meredith and William Jarmon, chair of Dorchester County's Museum and Attractions Committee, about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. 

Host Andrew Hiller interviews special effects designer, Chic Silber who has worked on many Broadway productions, from Wicked to West Side Story.