“He sometimes wondered why people talked at all. If people didn’t talk then he wouldn’t be nervous trying to figure out things to answer them with.”
Richard Brautigan, Sombrero Fallout
In between what we feel and what we say lies a tension, a pause filled with second-guessing, overthinking, and the hope of getting it “right.” For many, conversation isn’t effortless. Rather it’s a careful navigation of expectations, timing, and vulnerability. If you’ve ever found yourself rehearsing what to say in the mirror or replaying a conversation over and over after it happens, know that you are absolutely not alone in this.
Kevin Umaña joined us to talk about Sanguine And Spiraling, his show at Yancy Richardson Gallery running until April 11. Many of the works in the show were created in the last few years in New York but draw on time spent in LA and El Salvador intermixed with how he’s feeling in terms of state of mind. To learn more about Umaña’s upbringing traveling between the LA and El Salvador, listen to the complete interview.
Gina Apostol joined us in early September 2021 from New York City, where she had just returned the week we spoke after leaving in March 2020 when her school shut down. She spent the pandemic living with her partner in Massachusetts and teaching remotely. The stress of the pandemic made her more prolific in terms of work, allowing her to finish a novel during her time in lockdown. The novel began as one story, but it changed during a time of global mourning to being a book about the loss of Apostol’s mother. To hear more, including an extensive discussion of the violent situation in the Phillippines at the time, listen to the complete interview.
A Few Words to Keep in Your Pocket.
How do your words flow?
Outings.
Interviews are available on iTunes as podcasts, and for Android, please click here. All weekly essay pieces are here in a shareable format. The full archive of interviews is here.
More Books to Read.
Ours is a community of readers. Tell us what books you’re reading now by adding your titles to our reading list here. Praxis user Mary Angela Schroth is reading War and Rememberance, by Herman Wouk.
Opportunities.
KODA’s Fall 2026 Utopia residency supports two mid-career female-identifying or non-binary artists with studio space, stipends, mentorship, and exhibitions on Governors Island. For more information, visit the website. Deadline is March 31.