Toast to the Arts

Keep up with the latest Big Blend Radio episodes of A Toast to the Arts, our signature show celebrating the arts, artists and creative communities, including our monthly series American Jukebox, Music Talks and Books Forward.

All Posts

Author James W. Ziskin: The Prank, a Pug Named Leon & Cyanide

Pets, Plots & Poisons

Oct 15, 2026

Author James W. Ziskin: The Prank, a Pug Named Leon & Cyanide

Award-winning author James W. Ziskin joins Big Blend Radio's "Pets, Plots & Poisons" to talk Ellie Stone, a Trotsky-named pug, a prank gone wrong, and BJ's cyanide tip.

Filmmaker Susanne Rostock – Harry Belafonte's Legacy

Business and Personal Growth

Oct 13, 2026

Filmmaker Susanne Rostock – Harry Belafonte's Legacy

Susanne Rostock on her documentary "Following Harry," mentorship, and standing up with love and conviction

100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Southeast USA

+11

Oct 6, 2026

100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Rachel Dangermond on Preserving a Chitlin' Circuit Landmark Along Amtrak's Mardi Gras Train Route

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Global & Diverse Voices

Art & Entertainment

Oct 4, 2026

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Global & Diverse Voices

How the World Shapes America's Sound

Comedian Ben Miller – Volcano: A Science Comedy Special

National Parks Arts Foundation

Oct 2, 2026

Comedian Ben Miller – Volcano: A Science Comedy Special

A Comedian Walks Into a Volcano: NPAF's First Stand-Up Artist in Residence Returns

Author Leslie Adame – Chloe Vega and the Magic of Finding Your Hero

Art & Entertainment

Oct 1, 2026

Author Leslie Adame – Chloe Vega and the Magic of Finding Your Hero

Fantasy author Leslie Adame on writing immigration, identity, and found family for young readers

Joey Stuckey: Alive Day, a New Console, and a Record on the Way

Music Talks

Sep 27, 2026

Joey Stuckey: Alive Day, a New Console, and a Record on the Way

Music Talks celebrates a milestone year for Joey Stuckey — a studio reborn, a story worth retelling, and an album still to come

Author Tara Badstubner: Every Room Remembers Novel

Art & Entertainment

Sep 20, 2026

Author Tara Badstubner: Every Room Remembers Novel

Debut novelist Tara Badstubner on the widow, the ghost, and the animal signs at the heart of her novel, writing grief and an imperfect marriage, a reading from the book, and advice for first-time novelists.

Cassatt Reconsidered: Mary G. Morton on the Artist Behind the Label

Women Making History

Sep 19, 2026

Cassatt Reconsidered: Mary G. Morton on the Artist Behind the Label

A conversation with Mary G. Morton, curator and head of French paintings at the National Gallery of Art, in the centennial year of Mary Cassatt's death

Author Jule Selbo: Dee Rommel, Dashing Dogs & Friendly Frogs

Pets, Plots & Poisons

Sep 17, 2026

Author Jule Selbo: Dee Rommel, Dashing Dogs & Friendly Frogs

Screenwriter-turned-mystery-novelist Jule Selbo joins Big Blend Radio's "Pets, Plots & Poisons: Podcast for a one-legged PI, a scene-stealing Pomeranian, and a poison dart frog.

The Hanged Man: Jane Brookwood on Tarot, Cats & Cozy Mystery

Art & Entertainment

Sep 9, 2026

The Hanged Man: Jane Brookwood on Tarot, Cats & Cozy Mystery

Author Jane Brookwood on tarot symbolism, her cat-familiar muse Rosie, and building the cozy mystery world of Pineridge Hollow

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Celebrating Classical Music

Art & Entertainment

Sep 6, 2026

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Celebrating Classical Music

Enjoy conversation and classical favorites from Florence Price, Michael Kamen, Morten Lauridsen, Bobby McFerrin, Philip Glass, Gustav Holst, and Mason Williams

Author Michael J. Seidlinger – Brokeula: A Broke Vampire's Fight Against Capitalism

Art & Entertainment

Sep 1, 2026

Author Michael J. Seidlinger – Brokeula: A Broke Vampire's Fight Against Capitalism

Author interview on satire, vampires, and late-stage capitalism on Big Blend Radio's Toast to the Arts Podcast

Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver - Saved by the Beauty of the World

Nature & Environment

Aug 24, 2026

Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver - Saved by the Beauty of the World

A conversation with director and producer Sasha Waters on the life, poetry, and legacy of Mary Oliver

New Fall Exhibits at DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Southwest USA

Aug 23, 2026

New Fall Exhibits at DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Art Ted DeGrazia's Midnight Sketches & Saint Francis of Assisi

Music For Our Parks: Joey Stuckey & Lisa D. Smith on National Park Week

Parks & Travel

Aug 23, 2026

Music For Our Parks: Joey Stuckey & Lisa D. Smith on National Park Week

A National Park Week conversation on the music inspired by our public lands — and the real fights underway to protect them.

Pets, Plots & Poisons

Aug 20, 2026

Pets, Plots & Poisons: The Launch Episode with Matt Cost & BJ Magnani

Poison Gardens, Plot Formulas & the Books Behind the Hosts

An Artful October in Silver City, New Mexico

Southwest USA

Aug 15, 2026

An Artful October in Silver City, New Mexico

The Southwest Regional Museum of Art & Art Center

Toast to the Arts

Author James W. Ziskin: The Prank, a Pug Named Leon & Cyanide

Filmmaker Susanne Rostock – Harry Belafonte's Legacy

100 Men Hall: Music, History & Community in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Global & Diverse Voices

Comedian Ben Miller – Volcano: A Science Comedy Special

Author Leslie Adame – Chloe Vega and the Magic of Finding Your Hero

Joey Stuckey: Alive Day, a New Console, and a Record on the Way

Author Tara Badstubner: Every Room Remembers Novel

Cassatt Reconsidered: Mary G. Morton on the Artist Behind the Label

Author Jule Selbo: Dee Rommel, Dashing Dogs & Friendly Frogs

The Hanged Man: Jane Brookwood on Tarot, Cats & Cozy Mystery

American Jukebox with Johnny Schaefer: Celebrating Classical Music

Author Michael J. Seidlinger – Brokeula: A Broke Vampire's Fight Against Capitalism

Sasha Waters on Mary Oliver - Saved by the Beauty of the World

New Fall Exhibits at DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Music For Our Parks: Joey Stuckey & Lisa D. Smith on National Park Week

Pets, Plots & Poisons: The Launch Episode with Matt Cost & BJ Magnani

An Artful October in Silver City, New Mexico

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