When I invited Antonia Matthew for an interview on our show, she agreed but insisted that there were other local writers who were more deserving of the attention. Over the next couple of weeks,I received several messages from her with suggestions of writers we should interview. I was grateful and we’ll follow up on that, but I also thinkitsays something about our guest today.
Tonia is originally from England, and she was a young child during World War II. She’s lived in Bloomington since 1968. She’s been involved in many artistic groups and organizations in Bloomington, including: Five Women Poets, Writers’ Guild at Bloomington, Aquarius Books for a Feminist Future, The VenueFine Arts and Gifts Ekphrasis Readings, Women Writing for (a) Change and Puck Players Puppet Theatre. She wrote an audio play called Homefront, based on her experiences as a young child growing up in England during World War II, which Richard Fish helped to produce and distribute to WFHB and other stations, including stations in England, where it was produced with British actors.
Tonia talks with Kayte Young about her writing life and her role in Bloomington’s art scene.
You can hear her reading some of her work on WFIU’s Poet’s Weave and WFHB’s Speaking of Stories.
Weird Academia
Fans of the Weird Studies podcast co-hosted by IU professor Phil Ford rejoice! Phil and co-host J.F. Martel will descend on the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on January 29th, and they are bringing a host of intellectuals, creators, and thinkers along with them. Weird Academia, started out as a night of conversation about the unexplained, the occult, and the mystic arts is now a festival of sorts. Alongside the evening of discussion about all things strange, there will be a screening of the colossally weird film Altered States, followed by a live recording of an episode of Weird Studies that will take place on January 28th at the IU Cinema. To kick it all off will be an exhibition of photographer Shannon Taggart’s otherworldly photography called Séance at the IU McCalla School Gallery on Tuesday, January 27th.
The People’s Yarn
Mary Ramsey didn’t know a thing about yarn or knitting when she moved to Bloomington, about 15 years ago. She also didn’t know very many people, so a coworker at her temp job invited her to a knit group, and she had a great time. She learned to knit, then she learned to dye yarn, and she started selling it online and at conventions. As much as she liked the yarn, the people have always been her favorite part. So when she opened Rebel Purl, a yarn shop on Bloomington’s west side, she made sure that community events were a central part of the business.
Rebel Purl carries yarn from local makers, as well as all the knitting supplies you might need. They also have resources on keeping economies local, resisting tyranny, and building community. The shop is as much a gathering space as it is a store. Its tagline is “Rebellions are built on yarn.”
If you decide to visit, it’s at 303 S Hickory Drive, in Bloomington. It’s two doors down from Ale’s Ice Cream shop. Do check their hours before you go – Mary has a full-time job apart from the shop, so she and her business partner, Evie Phelps, are mainly there in the afternoon and evenings.
Credits
This episode was produced and edited by Kayte Young. We get production help from Danny William, Holly Wilkerson, Karl Templeton, Leo Paes, Jillian Blackburn and Jonah Ballard.
Our theme music was composed and performed by Alan Davis. Additional music from Universal Production Music and Bikini Kill. The executive producer is Eric Bolstridge.