The Lancast, regularly hosted these days by David Moulton and Keith Slesser, is a weekly podcast focused on the local Lancaster Community and its surroundings. Guests are brought on from the area to discuss anything from current events affecting the region to specific subjects regarding the ways that week's guest is interacting with the larger community. Local musicians, artists, business owners and celebrities have shared The Lancast's guest seat with community leaders, activists and politicians over the roughly two-year history of the show. Moulton has been the steady figure throughout the podcast's lifespan, originally co-hosting with Neil Hershey in the show's earliest incarnation as Beards Over Babies, then joined by Daniel Klotz as the show transitioned into its current format. Klotz stepped down as co-host recently, replaced by Slesser in June of this year. Each hosting team has maintained the same successful approach, however: an informal 30-minute conversation, not unlike sitting around a local coffee shop and talking about the doings in our area with a couple old friends.
When David approached me about being a guest on The Lancast, I was at once flattered and befuddled - what on Earth would they want me to talk about? As long-time readers of mine might imagine, my demons kicked in big time, screaming at me that I would be a terrible guest and probably make a fool of myself. But the honor of being invited to appear was too great to let my demons steal the experience from me, and last Wednesday evening I found myself sitting at a table at Winding Way Books, a fantastic used book shop on West Chestnut Street which donates makeshift studio space to The Lancast, with David Moulton and Becky Svendson (who has taken on guest hosting duties while Keith celebrates the birth of his first child), having a great time recording the episode which will go live Monday.
Over the course of roughly half an hour we talked about this blog and and the reasons for its creation; how it has helped me continue to hone my writing and work through my own personal challenges; and why music came to be such a big part of this blog and my life in general. David and Becky were fantastic interviewers. They asked insightful questions that gave me the ability to answer without, I hope, rambling on too wildly, and made me feel comfortable by seeming to be truly interested in what I had to say. No great problems of the world were solved or mysteries of life answered, but we had a great conversation that you just may find interesting.
If you don't already subscribe to The Lancast, you should, especially if you live in or around the Lancaster area. Those of you who are not from around here will find fascinating topics and conversations too, as well as getting a glimpse of how things are here in South-Central PA.
My great thanks again to David and Becky for having me on the show. The link will go live Monday, October 17:
In the meantime, for your listening pleasure, the song from which I borrowed this post's title, "Talk Talk" by The Music Machine:
