An Evening with Paula Martin & Brad Williams
January 26, 2023
Paula Martin was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and spent her formative years in Little Rock. After extensive traveling, she received her MFA in creative writing from the University of New Orleans before going on to create and produce Arkansas’ internationally-syndicated “Tales from the South” radio show. Her poetry, short stories and creative nonfiction have won multiple national and international awards and been published in anthologies, collections, literary magazines and journals.
Brad Williams was born and raised in the Arkansas Delta, only 18 miles from Johnny Cash’s home and 39 miles from Elvis Presley’s Graceland. The gumbo-laden farmland formed his appreciation for all types of music including the Sun Studio era, Bluegrass, Gospel and the Blues. Brad has combined all of his influences into a 25-year career in music. Brad’s tunes have been heard in motion pictures (Valley Inn), on television (Sundance’s – Rectify, Tyler Perry’s series – If Loving You Is Wrong, TLC’s Trading Spaces), and on various other advertising spots including Arkansas State Parks and Tourism.
With musical guest The Salty Dogs
Started as a lark retro-country act, the quartet immediately found chemistry, along with a lot of joy, as they dug into their craft. Their sound has expanded over a decade and a half, from uber-twang and purist classic country to equal parts 1954 Nashville, 1961 Bakersfield, and 1972 Everywhere.
An Evening with Ben Grimes
February 23, 2023
Ben is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas. He received a BFA in Regional Theatre from The Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Webster University and has appeared in stage productions in regional theaters across the country. Ben is passionate about developing new voices and work in theatre and was a founding member of Moment to Moment Productions in Little Rock, Arkansas and also served as the co-artistic director of Drove Theater Company in New York City.
With musical guest The Salty Dogs
Started as a lark retro-country act, the quartet immediately found chemistry, along with a lot of joy, as they dug into their craft. Their sound has expanded over a decade and a half, from uber-twang and purist classic country to equal parts 1954 Nashville, 1961 Bakersfield, and 1972 Everywhere.
An Evening with Margie Raimondo
April 27, 2023
Chef Margie Raimondo’s roots in her culinary career were planted at a young age. Both parents’ families immigrated from Italy to an urban community in south Los Angeles, where most of the source of their food were the rabbits and chickens they raised and the vegetables they grew in the yard of their urban house.
Urbana Farmstead Market is more than a market for farm produce. It offers specialty foods from Italy and other artisan producers, extra virgin olive oils, and freshly baked bread. Visiting Urbana Farmstead is reminiscent of Chef Margie’s childhood days, filled with artisanal ingredients, seasonal farmer’s market produce and authentic Italian hospitality.
With musical guest The Salty Dogs
Started as a lark retro-country act, the quartet immediately found chemistry, along with a lot of joy, as they dug into their craft. Their sound has expanded over a decade and a half, from uber-twang and purist classic country to equal parts 1954 Nashville, 1961 Bakersfield, and 1972 Everywhere.
An Evening with Monica Potts
May 25, 2023
Monica Potts is a senior politics reporter for the website FiveThirtyEight. Her previous work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The New Republic, among other publications, and on NPR. She was a 2015–16 New America Fellow and is a former senior writer with The American Prospect. She lives in Clinton, Arkansas. monicapotts.com
With musical guest The Salty Dogs
Started as a lark retro-country act, the quartet immediately found chemistry, along with a lot of joy, as they dug into their craft. Their sound has expanded over a decade and a half, from uber-twang and purist classic country to equal parts 1954 Nashville, 1961 Bakersfield, and 1972 Everywhere.
