This Is Your Mixtape

Michael Collins is a writer, podcaster, former academic, bodybuilder, and lapsed classical pianist who has hosted This Is Your Mixtape since October 2017. He is originally from Newfoundland, but has somehow spent the last twelve years in Toronto, Ontario.  Since Michael wasn’t up to interviewing himself, he invited his first guest, Chris (from Megaphonic podcasts It’s Just A Show and The Spouter-Inn) to ask him some questions. Michael and Chris talk about resilience, self-respect, false jadedness, long-term relationships, and climate apocalypse. Michael’s Five Songs.Beautiful Life by Ace of Base. Precious Things by Tori Amos. Risingson by Massive Attack. Good Intentions Paving Co. by Joanna Newsom. Drowning in the Sound by Amanda Palmer. Show Notes.Michael’s writings on Medium. Michael’s Twitter. A Christmas Story (This Is Your Mixtape holiday special where Michael talks about his childhood Christmas in the hospital). Dear Reader (Michael’s other podcast about books with co-host Emily).

Gary Barwin is a writer, musician and multimedia artist and the author of many books including the novels Yiddish for Pirates and Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy, as well as the poetry collection For It Is a Pleasure and a Surprise to Breathe: New and Selected Poems. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario. For one long strange summer, he shared a shoesize with Allen Ginsberg. Gary and Michael talk about being a body, a sense of the numinous, instrumental music, experimental poetry, and reading Lord of the Rings in your bathrobe while smoking a pipe of oregano. Gary’s Five Songs.Il Gardellino, Op. 10 n. 3 - Concerto for flute, strings & b.c. in D major by Antonio Vivaldi. Alabama by John Coltrane. This or That by Donkey Lopez feat. Stuart Ross. String Quartet in Four Parts by John Cage. Consteelation by Ryan Barwin. Show notes.Gary’s website and Twitter. Gary’s music on Bandcamp. Gary’s novels, Yiddish for Pirates and Nothing the Same, Everything Haunted: The Ballad of Motl the Cowboy.

Oriana Schwindt is one of those former journalists-turned-screenwriters. She lives in Los Angeles now, but is pretty sure it’s just a phase. She’s a co-host on Megaphonic’s own By-the-Bywater Tolkien podcast and is considering reviving her old podcast about grift in America, called, uh… American Grift. Oriana and Michael talk about imagination, the persistence of trauma, learning to be vulnerable, giant trees, and visiting the geographical centre of all fifty American states. Oriana’s Five Songs.Wannabe by The Spice Girls. Flying Horses by Dispatch. The Mute by Radical Face. Being Alive by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Raúl Esparza. Remember the Mountain Bed by WIlco and Billy Bragg, lyrics by Woody Guthrie. Show Notes.Oriana on Twitter. Oriana’s capstone essay about her Centerville Project. Oriana’s essays on Medium, including some from the Centerville Project. American Grift: Oriana’s on-hiatus podcast about grift in America. By-the-Bywater: A Tolkien Podcast, where Oriana is one third of the hosting team. Support This Is Your Mixtape on Patreon. (Thanks!)

Sarah Walsh is a comedian, visual artist, and creator from Newfoundland. She hosts a show called The Odd Ends, cataloging unusual ways to die. \r\nSarah and Michael talk about awkward enthusiasm, undiagnosed ADHD, stage fright, the weirdness of aging, and learning how to give less of a fuck.\r\nSarah’s Five Songs.Wannabe by The Spice Girls.\r\nFrances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle by Nirvana.\r\nMonkey’s Gone To Heaven by Pixies.\r\nCalifornia by Liz Phair.\r\nOh! You Pretty Things by David Bowie.\r\nShow Notes.The Odd Ends on Instagram and Facebook.\r\nThe Moffats’ largest Canadian hit, I’ll Be There For You [not the song from Friends].\r\nSpice Girls tooth-destroying bubblegum. \r\nCatch Mikey streaming on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights on Megaphonic’s Twitch channel!\r\nSupport This Is Your Mixtape and all of Megaphonic’s shows on Patreon. (Thanks!)\r\n

Chris Ross is a Canadian EMT who lives in and about Vancouver with his cat Boss. He enjoys painting, baking, and Canadian content regulation specified music. He joined the Vancouver-based choir Kör in September of last year, but before that the last time he made music was playing tuba in his high school’s concert band.  Chris and Michael talk about gay kids and their (our) clumsy attempts at disguise, nontoxic models of masculine sexuality, rabbits, dance music and its potential for liberation, and finding peace in a world of turmoil. Chris’s Five Songs.I Love You Always Forever by Donna Lewis. Jealous of Your Cigarette by Hawksley Workman. Dear Confessor by Immaculate Machine, Take Ü There by Jack Ü feat. Kiezsa and Missy Elliott. Ever Again by Robyn.   Show Notes.Chris on Twitter and Instagram. Chris’s choir. Wall Street Journal article about Robyn. Support This Is Your Mixtape on Patreon if you can (or just let us know that you're enjoying the show).

Lauren O’Neal and Niko Bakulich, hosts of the podcast Sunday School Dropouts, join Michael for a Valentine's Day special. They talk about their lives—and about King Brothers, Neutral Milk Hotel, St. Vincent, The Neighbourhood, and Niko's own music.

Marnie Breckenridge, operatic soprano, talks about her life—and Barbra Streisand, The Call, Annie Lennox, Richard Strauss, and Philip Glass.

Sam Branman, otherwise known as Ten Yards, is a fashion designer and occasional DJ living and working in Brooklyn. He discusses Malice Mizer, Sleater Kinney, The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, Bright Light Bright Light, and Carly Rae Jepsen.

’Tis the season for a Mixtape special! This time, hosts and friends of the Megaphonic podcast network gather together for a Holiday party! Michael asks five of them about a song they associate with this time of year. Enjoy, and have a happy holiday! See you next year!

Your host, Michael Collins, on the the song he chose to pose to for his bodybuilding competition.

40. Love Letters to Friends. [Melissa Brizuela.]

39. This Infinite Chain. [Paul Dean.]

38. The Idea of Yearning. [Ian Mathers.]

37. A Horizon of Freedom. [Suzanne Akbari.]

Suzanne Akbari is an American who has just now returned to the United States after almost a quarter of a century in Canada. She’s a professor of Medieval Studies, and for a long time she was based at the University of Toronto, but has recently relocated to the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton, NJ. Suzanne has written books on medieval history and literature, including several collaborative works—most recently, a book called How We Read: Tales, Fury, Nothing, Sound. She also co-hosts a literature podcast with Chris Piuma, called The Spouter-Inn. She has four kids and three cats. Suzanne and Michael chat about the corporeal experience of music, discovering self confidence, converting to Islam as an adult, the appeal of strength, and the capacious and joyful embodiment of Missy Elliott's music. Suzanne’s Five Songs. Where Do the Children Play? by Cat Stevens. One Way or Another by Blondie. Forbidden Colours by David Sylvian with Ryuichi Sakamoto. Work It by Missy Elliott. XXXO by M.I.A. Show Notes. How We Read: Tales, Fury, Nothing, Sound. (Free PDF!) The Spouter-Inn, Suzanne’s podcast about “great books”, hosted with former guest Chris Piuma. The Scene of the Scene: Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. Suzanne and Michael both answered “deep questions” on a recent episode of The Opposite Of Lonely. Support This Is Your Mixtape on Patreon to listen to bonus content and chat with us in a members-only lounge.

36. One Glorious Anthem. [Derek Bolt.]

Derek Bolt is an architect, bodybuilder, and gay porn star based in Washington, D.C. He’s the winner of the heavyweight class at the 2018 NPC MaxMuscle Mid-Atlantic open bodybuilding competition, and he will be competing at the 2019 NPC Nationals at the end of July. Derek and Michael talk about how taekwondo is better than Boy Scouts, the cruelty and casual homophobia of children, non-monogamous relationships, bodybuilding, and loneliness. Derek is also one of Michael's best friends, and they nerd out about common interests and explain how they met. Derek’s Five Songs. Walking on Broken Glass by Annie Lennox. Waiting on the World to Change by John Mayer. Slut Like You by P!nk. Immortals by Fall Out Boy. Monument (The Inevitable End Version) by Röyksopp ft. Robyn. Show Notes. Derek on Instagram and Twitter [NSFW]. Derek’s posing routine to "Monument”. Some of Derek’s jewelry designs. Annie Lennox’s art exhibit. Support This Is Your Mixtape on Patreon and listen to a bonus bit from this episode, join a members-only forum on Slack, and help Mikey keep making the show!

35. Hey Jupiter. [Pride Special.]

In this special episode, host Michael Collins takes you back to his preteen and early teen years, and talks about what it was like growing up a lonely closeted gay boy in rural Newfoundland, and how Tori Amos and the piano helped him make a sort of sense of it all. Regular programming will resume next week! Songs in this episode. Prelude in C minor by J.S. Bach. Precious Things by Tori Amos. Hey Jupiter by Tori Amos. Show Notes. This story and more of Michael's writing can be found at his new Medium page, <https://medium.com/@mikeycollins&gt; Support This Is Your Mixtape on Patreon and access bonus bits, a members-only Slack, and more!

34. I Want That Freedom. [Andrés N. Ordorica.]