Thursday, October 23, 2025

649. Leah Payne

649. This week we chat with Leah Payne about her book, God Gave Rock and Roll To You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music. We focus especially on the role of the family of Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Mickey Gilley in the history of Rock and Roll. Her book chronicles the confluence of evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic networks through the lens of Contemporary Christian Music, or CCM.

Thursday, October 16, 2025

648. Mike and Mark Mangham. Twin Blends.

648. This week, we talk with Mike and Mark Mangum about their creative venture, Twin Blends. They research local Shreveport and Bossier history The brothers join us to discuss the project’s origins, how they combine their individual styles into a unified final piece, and what it takes to manage a shared brand. Learn more about the Mangums’ work and the inspiration behind Twin Blends.

Friday, October 10, 2025

647. Brad Dison. "The Trap."

647. We talk to Brad Dison about his book, The Trap, about the death of Bonnie and Clyde. "For far too long, Sheriff Henderson Jordan's role in ending the crime spree of Bonnie and Clyde has been overlooked or ignored. On the rare occasion that he is portrayed in films or documentaries, he is depicted as an insignificant character. Since 1934, we have accepted the notion that Frank Hamer located the outlaws and led the ambush against them. Henderson Jordan was the sheriff in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, when he learned that Bonnie and Clyde were hiding somewhere within the jurisdiction that he had sworn to protect. It was he who tracked the gang to their hideouts, who set the trap to capture them, and who led the ambush posse that ended their crime spree in a hail of gunfire.

Friday, October 3, 2025

646. Thomas Smith

646. We talk to Dr. Thomas Smith about his series of Red String novels, set in 19th century Mississippi River and Central Louisiana. His first novel in the series is Just a Piece of Red String: Antebellum Voodoo and Vengeance. In antebellum Natchez, Mississippi, and the bustling city of New Orleans, cousins Sawyer Dundee and Solomon Witcher come into manhood, each charting a dramatically different course. While Sawyer remains in Natchez to run the family business, the charismatic Solomon seeks his fortune, chasing legendary buried treasure and trying his luck at cards in New Orleans.