Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

Ep. 12 Stories From Season One

Happy New Year! Season One comes to a close with a sampler of stories from some of this season's guests. Some of these stories are about good times, and some are about some rough times. But they are all about Burroughs moments that these alums will never forget. Exactly where and when John will travel to talk with more Burroughs alumni is yet to be determined, but there's one thing for sure: Here From There will be back! Be sure to follow the podcast so that you don't miss it when that second season drops. More conversations, more stories, more moments will be coming your way... In the meantime, here are stories from Joe Leonard (episode 11), Leslie Stevens (episode 4), Bryan Hill (episode 2), Laura Hess (episode 8), Elizabeth Little (episodes 6 & 9), and Johnny O'Neal (episode 5). Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art [https://ethanorchard.art/] or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

Ep. 11 Joe Leonard '98

John's final conversation of "The LA Season" is with his friend and former JBS advisee Joe Leonard from the Burroughs class of 1998. Joe works primarily as a television editor with credits including Glee, American Horror Story, Star, Gaslit, and The Man in the High Castle. His latest project is the show Dark Matter, starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly and currently streaming on Apple TV+. From his time at Burroughs, Joe talks about how learning "how to see" from Charlie Derleth and Howard Jones, discovering how much he loved "being in a space that holds an energy" during his work in JBS theater, and convincing Dan Barton to start a class in video editing. All of which set him up for success at NYU where he lived through 9/11 on the first day of his senior year, an experience that led to writing and directing his feature film How I Got Lost. You can learn a bit more about Joe's work here: Joe's IMDB page. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1898947/] And take a look at the trailer for his feature film here: How I Got Lost [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJxcl1SDQqk]. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art [https://ethanorchard.art/] or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

Ep. 10 Stephanie Sanditz '95

Stephanie Sanditz graduated from Burroughs in 1995 and then attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to study acting. After making a hilarious television debut alongside Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert in the now cult classic show Strangers With Candy, Stephanie made her way up the well established ladder rungs of a NYC working actor: soap opera work, episodes of Law and Order, and plenty of experimental theater. Now living in Los Angeles, Stephanie has become a successful screenwriter. She talks with John about her writing process, Burroughs in the 90s, and her creative journey so far. To see more about Stephanie's work, check out her IMDB page. [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1102885/?ref_=tt_ov_wr_1] Or follow her on https://www.inInstagram [https://www.inInstagram]. [https://www.instagram.com/stephaniesanditz/] She speaks a bit about one of her latest writing projects, Perfect Addiction. Check it out on Amazon Prime here. [https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Addiction-Kiana-Madeira/dp/B0BX2TK92F] And for some old school laughs (and to see Stephen Colbert before he was Stephen Colbert) check out Stephanie's episode from the first season of Strangers With Candy. It's not for everyone's taste, but if you're a listener, you probably know what makes John laugh. Do the same things make you laugh? Well, then take a 30 minute break and treat yourself: Strangers With Candy S1 E10. [https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8gtrqs] Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art [https://ethanorchard.art/] or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

Ep. 9 Summer Reading Episode: Elizabeth Little's PRETTY AS A PICTURE

Happy Labor Day. It's the day that reminds us that summer has come to a close, and even though Summer Reading was due for current Burroughs students a week and a half ago, today is the due date for Here From There listeners. At the end of John's conversation with novelist Elizabeth Little in Episode 6, (go check it out, if you haven't already!) John assigned her latest novel, Pretty as a Picture, for summer reading. If you don't have it yet, it's not too late! Head to your local bookstore or library, or go to EB's website: https://www.elizabeth-little.com [https://www.elizabeth-little.com/] and pick up a copy. It's a quick and fun read. If you haven't read it, you can still enjoy this episode, but, you know...why not just read it? And then enjoy a little bit of John and EB's conversation about the book, the craft of writing, and crock pots. Yes, that's right: crock pots. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art [https://ethanorchard.art/] or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

Ep. 8 Laura Hess '95

Laura Hess graduated from Burroughs in 1995 and set a course to become an actor in New York, but when it did't work out, she began a journey that eventually found her working as an experience design strategist in Los Angeles. The story Laura has to tell about that journey gets right to the heart of what Here From There is all about: there is never one set path that leads to the future, and learning to embrace failure and grow from it is perhaps the most important lesson of them all. To learn more about the world of experiential art, entertaiment, and commerce in which Laura works, check out her website [https://laurahess.substack.com/p/the-adjacent-possible-is-the-sound-of-possibility-made-real-review-11fadeb85638] and her substack. [https://laurahess.substack.com/] During the episode, John and Laura talk about a particular image of the playwright Samuel Beckett. You can see that image here [https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw07091/Samuel-Beckett?LinkID=mp00332&role=sit&rNo=6]. They also discuss a particular piece of writing in which Laura references the late Charlie Derleth, a Burroughs teacher who was a huge influence. You can read that piece here. [https://laurahess.substack.com/p/the-adjacent-possible-is-the-sound-of-possibility-made-real-review-11fadeb85638] Coming up next month: the first ever Here From There Summer Reading Episode. At the end of John's conversation with novelist Elizabeth Little in Episode 6, (go check it out, if you haven't already!) John assigned her latest novel, Pretty as a Picture, for summer reading. The summer is coming to a close, so it's time to finish an assignment you're really going to enjoy. Get a copy here [https://www.elizabeth-little.com] or at your favorite bookstore or library and give it a read. Then check out next month's episode when John and EB talk about that book and her writing process.