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What happens when an everyday person decides they’ve had enough of the machine? In this episode of Bubble and Squeak, we travel from the mountain lakes of Pennsylvania to the ancient chalk hills of southern England, exploring resistance, memory, and the people who put their bodies between sacred landscapes and bulldozers. Our show comes in three parts: Part One: A Sound Slice from Mauch Chunk Lake Peterson brings us into the center of the circle at the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania’s Annual Powwow in Jim Thorpe, PA. As drums pulse and the cameras are put away, the Chief of the Unami clan offers an expansive thanksgiving prayer to the four directions, Mother Earth, and every living creature. Along the way, Peterson unpacks the town's strange, tangled history—named after legendary Sac and Fox Olympian Jim Thorpe, who never set foot in the community during his lifetime. Part Two: The Librarian Who Said No In 1992, Emma Must was quietly stamping book due dates at the Winchester library. But twice a day on her train commute, she watched in tears as construction crews stripped the green topsoil off Twyford Down for Margaret Thatcher's massive motorway expansion. Refusing to concede, Emma joined the young eco-activists of the Dongas Tribe and the Friends of Twyford Down, locking herself to earthmovers, surviving the violent clearing of "Yellow Wednesday," and landing in London's Holloway Prison. She reads from her poetry collection, The Ballad of Yellow Wednesday, capturing how frontline resistance turned into the poetry of witness. Part Three: Rebel Soul We close out with the defiant, celebratory track "Rebel Soul" by Katharine Appleton. Links & Resources Mentioned Poet Emma Must: Learn more about Emma’s writing and teaching at her official website: emmamust.com. Her poetry collection, The Ballad of Yellow Wednesday, is published by Valley Press. Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania: Learn about their ongoing cultural preservation work, attend upcoming gatherings, or support their scholarship fund at lenape-nation.org. Music: "Rebel Soul" by Katharine Appleton, provided via Epidemic Sound. Connect with Peterson Toscano: Find Peterson online at peterson-toscano.com, or follow along on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.

In this episode of Bubble & Squeak, Peterson sits down with world-renowned Kenyan entomologist and evolutionary biologist Dr. Dino Martins. From field research across East Africa to immersive reflections on biodiversity, Dino shares how studying the smallest lives—insects, pollinators, and decomposers—unravels human exceptionalism, heals ecological grief, and invites us into a deeper, reciprocal kinship with the living Earth. Featuring field soundscapes and contemplative reflections on science, connection, and what it truly means to pay attention. Learn more & connect: • Learn more about Dr. Dino Martins' work and publications, including Insects of East Africa. Just do a simple Google Search for "Dino Martins." • Hosted and produced by Peterson Toscano.

What do the anthracite coal towns of Central Pennsylvania have in common with the historic slate quarry towns of North Wales? Both are places where the earth was cut open, wealth traveled elsewhere, and the people who stayed were left to explain why their home still matters. In this long-form episode of Bubble and Squeak, host Peterson Toscano travels across the Atlantic to Gwynedd, North Wales, to explore GwyrddNi—a uniquely local, community-led climate action movement. This isn't a typical environmental project focused purely on carbon footprints. It is an initiative grounded in the rugged landscape, grassroots community assemblies, and the fierce preservation of the Welsh language. Together with four local organizers, we unpack the complicated intersections of migration, economic hollowing out, and the uncomfortable question: when a place changes, who gets to decide what the future sounds like? In this episode, we explore: The Legacy of Extraction: How communities scarred by the coal and slate industries are redefining their worth. Language and Belonging: The systemic friction between the native Welsh language and English migration, and why cultural preservation is deeply tied to community resilience. Community Assemblies: How 100 hours of grassroots listening sessions across five "left-behind" communities sparked tangible, local change. Hyper-Local Solutions: From school uniform swaps to a community pickling shed (cwtsh piclo), discover how good, honest, and kind community work naturally leads to effective climate adaptation. Featured Guests: Nina Bentley: A GwyrddNi facilitator based in Blaenau Ffestiniog who explains the beauty of the slate landscape and the power of everyday community sharing. Phil McGrath: A Caernarfon resident who highlights the deep connection between the Welsh people, their language, and their role as protectors of the land. Trey McCain: A Mississippi native living in Dyffryn Nantlle, working on food resilience, community gardening, and preserving local food traditions. Gwyneth Jones: GwyrddNi’s second Communications Manager, who grounds the conversation in the slow, patient, and trust-based reality of community organizing. Learn more about GwyrddNi by visiting https://www.gwyrddni.cymru/en/

This episode of Bubble & Squeak comes in three parts: a joke Peterson almost told at an open mic in Sunbury, PA, a true story from Santiago, Chile, and a sound slice from the past. Peterson begins with one of his father’s best jokes—or at least the story of why he nearly told it in public and then thought better of it. His mother, Anita Toscano, had a crisp, dry wit. His father, Pete Toscano, told jokes that were risky, bawdy, and barroom-ready. That family comic inheritance sets the stage for the main story. In “Shell Game,” Peterson remembers a 1994 trip to Santiago, Chile. At the time, he was closeted, married to a woman, working for a Christian mission, and trying very hard to become a straight man. From his hotel window, he watches three black Mercedes limousines move through the city, one of them likely carrying former dictator Augusto Pinochet. What follows is a story about power, performance, masculinity, repression, and the strange masks people wear in order to survive. The episode closes with a brief sound slice from Peterson’s past, connecting memory, family, and voice. Featured story: “Shell Game” was first published in Unlikely Stories. You can read the journal for free at: https://unlikelystories.com/ Bubble & Squeak is written and produced by Peterson Toscano. It features uncanny sounds, funny interludes, and stories—most weird, many true. Find Peterson online: https://www.peterson-toscano.com/ You can also find him on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky.

Recorded live at the Accidental Theatre for the Imagine Belfast Festival, this special episode of Bubble & Squeak. Peterson Toscano guides the audience through a four-part journey that is playful but deeply serious beneath the surface, exploring faith, politics, identity, and the power of storytelling. In This Episode Part One: A Performance to Relax Peterson opens the show with a scene from his one-person play, Queer 101—Now I Know my Gay, B, C’s. Meet Chad, an over-enthusiastic graduate student and sub-lecturer who imagines a date with the Spanish poet, Federico Garcia Lorca. Part Two: Resilience and Rights with The Rainbow Project Peterson is joined by Alexa Moore and Simon Carmichael from The Rainbow Project, Northern Ireland’s largest LGBTQIA+ organization. They discuss: The evolution of the project from a 1994 HIV volunteer effort to a full-spectrum support and advocacy center. Current battles for dignity, including campaigning against "conversion therapy" and advocating for trans healthcare rights. The importance of co-cultural counseling and creating safe, affirmative spaces for the community. Part Three: The Poetry of Memory with Damian Gorman Acclaimed poet and playwright Damian Gorman (Head of Peacebuilding at Children in Crossfire) shares his work and reflects on the intersection of art and memory. He discusses his recent projects, WITNESS and B O Y, which tackle difficult histories with grace and profound honesty. Part Four: The "Mighty Men of God." The show takes a satirical turn with a solo sketch featuring a "Christian Men’s Support and Accountability Group." Peterson inhabits multiple characters to promote vulnerability among men. What starts as a simple exercise to share habits takes a quick turn when a surprise visitor arrives. Guest and Event Links The Rainbow Project: https://www.rainbow-project.org Damian Gorman (Children in Crossfire): https://www.childrenincrossfire.org Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas & Politics: https://imaginebelfast.com About the Guests Alexa Moore (she/her): Policy, Campaigns and Communications Manager at The Rainbow Project and co-founder of TransgenderNI. She is also a queer set dancing instructor at The MAC. Simon Carmichael (they/them): Co-Cultural Counseling Manager at The Rainbow Project with a background in psychology and workplace mental health. Damian Gorman: A renowned poet and playwright whose work has long been woven into the cultural and political life of Northern Ireland. Episode Credits Host & Producer: Peterson Toscano. Sound & Lighting: Martin Price Music from Epidemic Sound: Walk Tall by Johannes Bornlöf, Late Night Madrid (Adua Blaize Remix) by Alysha Sheldon, Dirty Feet by Andreas Dahlback, In America by Badskum, Last Laugh by White Bones, and Horseback by QTE Venue: Accidental Theatre, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast.

Part One: Queer author Ryan La Sala and the queer horror story, The Dead of Summer Part Two: A message from the evil spirit that lives inside Donald Trump Part Three: A Sound Slice from a political rally in Richmond, Virginia.  You can see a video version of this podcast over at https://www.youtube.com/@p2son Ryan LaSala is a bestselling and award-winning queer author. He writes about surreal things happening to queer people. He is the author of BEHOLDER, REVERIE, and BE DAZZLED. Their debut horror novel, THE HONEYS, is in development to become a major motion picture. He joined me in the studio to talk about his most recent book, THE DEAD OF SUMMER.  Cnidarians are a diverse phylum of over 11,000 aquatic, mostly marine, invertebrates—including jellyfish, corals, and sea anemones—characterized by radial symmetry, a simple gastrovascular cavity, and specialized stinging cells called nematocysts (cnidocytes). They possess a decentralized nerve net, lack true organs, and exist in two main body forms: sessile polyps and free-swimming medusae. Music on today's show comes from EpidemicSound.com. Bubble and Squeak is produced by me, Peterson. I mostly make this show for myself, oh, and for Harlan, who listens, smiling while he walks.

S4E3 — Personal Connections: Period Products, Climate Poetry, and a Ritual for the Next North Star In this episode, the threads of community, justice, climate imagination, and art weave through three distinct yet deeply connected stories. Today’s show comes in three parts: Part One: The Secret World of Diapers and Period Products Part Two: Anthropocene Pastoral — climate-change poetry by Catherine Pierce Part Three: Jump!Star — a leap 1,000 years into the future, live from Abner Clay Park in Richmond, VA PART ONE — Menstrual Cups & Community Action What begins with a surprise email from my sister’s childhood classmate becomes a chain reaction of connection—stretching from a tiny town along the Delaware River to Zambia, Kenya, Hartford CT, and back to my cousin Mona over breakfast. I speak with four remarkable women whose lives, work, and generosity intersect through period poverty, community organizing, youth empowerment, and a simple but world-changing tool: the menstrual cup. Featured Guests ⭐ Christine Garde Denning Founder of Could You? — a global nonprofit providing menstrual cups, malaria prevention tools, and practical pathways out of extreme poverty. Website → https://couldyou.org LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-garde-denning-2780179/ ⭐ Mary Maker (Mary Nyeriak) Actor, speaker, educator, youth advocate, refugee leader, and the force behind Could You?’s community work across Africa. Profile → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maker/ ⭐ Fran Stoffer (she/her) Chair of the Northwest CT Community Foundation Women & Girls Fund. Fran shares how her regional distribution project for free period products grew into a warehouse of boxes stacked to the ceiling. Women & Girls Fund → www.yournccf.org/womenandgirls Instagram → @nccfwomenandgirlsfund X/Twitter → @northwestctcommunityfoundationwomenandgirls ⭐ Mona Norfleet Community advocate, YMCA leader, equity organizer, and member of local anti-racist initiatives. Mona jumps in with stories of her own efforts to support women in her region. She also enjoys mixed martial arts, good bourbon, and the occasional cigar — sometimes all at the same time. PART TWO — Anthropocene Pastoral by Catherine Pierce Climate dread meets unsettling beauty in Catherine Pierce’s celebrated poem Anthropocene Pastoral. The poem first appeared in Poetry Magazine and later in her collection Danger Days. For this episode, I remastered Catherine’s reading with a new sound design. About Catherine Pierce Former Poet Laureate of Mississippi (2021–2025), author of Danger Days, with two new books coming in 2026: Foxes for Everybody (memoir, Northwestern University Press) Dear Beast (poetry, Saturnalia Books) Find her work: Website → https://catherinepiercepoet.com Studio & Craft (her poetry community) → https://studioandcraft.com PART THREE — Jump!Star in Richmond, VA I travel to Abner Clay Park in Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood for the “Axial Precession Procession,” part of Jump!Star, the ritual welcoming of Earth’s next North Star: Gamma Cephei (“Ceph”), due to rise in about 1,000 years. The park is transformed with illuminated sculptures, movement choruses, and hundreds of volunteers known as “Dark Matter.” This segment features a SoundSlice recorded live as time folds—past, present, and future converging for one luminous ritual. About George Ferrandi & Jump!Star Artist, director, collaborator, and visionary behind Jump!Star. Website → https://www.georgeferrandi.com Photos from the event are also on my Instagram → @petersontoscano Mirah (NYC) Beloved indie-pop musician Mirah contributed three original songs to Jump!Star, including the anthem that drives our Axial Precession Procession of the Future North Star Sculptures. Her music guides us through the project’s unfolding story: Hello Star, Axial Precession and Goodbye Song. LINKS & RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE Could You? — Menstrual Cups & Global Health CouldYou? → https://couldyou.org Period Poverty Program Info → https://couldyou.org/menstrual-cups/ Could You? Africa (with Mary Maker) → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-maker/ Women & Girls Fund (Northwest CT Community Foundation) Website → www.yournccf.org/womenandgirls Instagram → @nccfwomenandgirlsfund X → @northwestctcommunityfoundationwomenandgirls Poet Catherine Pierce Poems, books, events → https://catherinepiercepoet.com Studio & Craft community → https://studioandcraft.com Danger Days → Available wherever books are sold Jump!Star & George Ferrandi Jump!Star info → https://www.georgeferrandi.com Photos from the event → Instagram @petersontoscano ABOUT THE SHOW Bubble & Squeak is written and produced by me, Peterson Toscano. I mostly make this show for myself — and for people like Ted Heck and Levi Goren who keep making their dreams a reality. Find more episodes, images, and strange audio bits at: 🌐 https://www.petersontoscano.com 📸 Instagram → @petersontoscano

What do pasta, polar bears, and the Pope have in common? They all show up in this episode about climate change. Peterson Toscano refuses to preach doom or guilt—instead, you’ll hear Jewish wisdom on acting fast in a crisis, Christian takes on food justice, and a Bronx guy who’s had it with polar bears. Also: coffee is under threat, so now you’re paying attention. And we end on a diesel-fumed bus ride through Quito, Ecuador, where the future smells like electricity. Juicy Quotes “The climate crisis calls our bluff about being individuals—we are interdependent, whether we like it or not.” —Joelle Novey “We’re the first generation to live through the climate crisis—and the last generation that can do anything about it.” —Derek Weston “Polar bears? They’re the raccoons of Alaska. Coffee going extinct? Now that’s the apocalypse.” —Tony Buffuzio “Combustion cars will be remembered like typewriters—legacy tech we finally grew out of.” —Peterson Toscano Guest Links Joelle Novey – Interfaith Power & Light DC/MD/VA: http://www.ipldmv.org National Interfaith Power & Light: https://interfaithpowerandlight.org Derek Weston – Creation Justice Ministries: https://www.creationjustice.org Derek Weston’s book (The Just Kitchen): https://broadleafbooks.com/products/the-just-kitchen Food and Faith Podcast: https://www.foodandfaithpodcast.org

This episode is about sex, gender, and Jesus—and what happens when our bodies get wrapped in shame, pleasure, politics, and power. It comes in four parts: 🧕 Part One – Tina Beardsley Revd Dr. Tina Beardsley is a priest, a theologian, and a trans woman who’s been quietly transforming the Church of England from the inside out. Co-author of Trans Affirming Churches and Transfaith, Tina sees transition as a spiritual act. Learn more: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Beardsley 👑 Part Two – Panda Dulce Kyle Casey Chu, aka Panda Dulce, is a drag queen, writer, and survivor of a Proud Boys ambush at Drag Story Hour. We talk about sacred drag, queer disappointment, and how to live when the fantasy of queer community doesn’t match reality. Website: www.kylecaseychu.com ✝️ Part Three – Rev. Bev Rev. Dr. Beverly Dale—Rev. Bev to her friends—is a poet, preacher, and the founder of the Incarnation Institute for Sex & Faith. She challenges purity culture and insists that pleasure is holy. She also reads from her new book, Who Told You That You Were Naked? Website: www.beverlydale.org 💃 Part Four – Sound Slice Let me set the scene for you: I’m at a Quaker gathering in Florida. After the silent worship, the serious talks, and the ice cream debates—we push the tables aside and start square dancing. Boys in skirts. Grandmothers in wheelchairs. Men dancing with men. The Spirit moves. 🎙️ Bubble and Squeak is written and produced by me, Peterson Toscano. I mostly make this show for myself. Oh—and for John Casey, who taught me how to journal again. Thank you for listening. Until next time—stay curious. Be weird. And make room for yourself to shimmer, sparkle, and shine.

We kick off Season 4 with a deep, layered look at resurrection, queer liberation, and spiritual unbinding. Host Peterson Toscano brings together three unique stories—tied together by one enduring biblical moment: Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb. 🕊️ Part One: Peterson talks with Fr. James Martin, SJ, about his new book Come Forth: The Promise of Jesus’s Greatest Miracle. They explore how the Lazarus story still speaks to us today—through art, personal growth, and the quest for freedom. 📖 Buy the book 📱 @jamesmartinsj on Instagram | FrJamesMartin on Facebook 🎭 Part Two: Peterson shares an excerpt from his acclaimed solo performance Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House, a comedic and deeply honest reflection on his own years in conversion therapy. 📺 Watch on YouTube www.youtube.com/p2son 📚 Part Three: Scholar and writer Lucas Wilson discusses his new anthology Shame, Sex, Attraction: Survivors’ Stories of Conversion Therapy. These unflinching, sometimes humorous, often raw narratives expose the long-term effects of these practices—and the courage it takes to reclaim life afterward. 📖 Buy the book 📱 @lukeslamdunkwilson on Instagram | @wilson_fw on X 🌴 Part Four: In a haunting sound slice from María la Gorda on the western edge of Cuba, Peterson reflects on Che Guevara’s early forced labor camp there—an ideological prelude to the UMAP camps that targeted gay men, Jehovah’s Witnesses, artists, and others during the Cuban Revolution. Whether you're LGBTQ+ and faith-rooted, someone recovering from religious trauma, or simply curious about stories of survival and transformation—this episode offers depth, humor, and insight. 🕯️ "Take off the grave clothes, and let him go." It’s not just a command—it’s a calling.

Our show today comes in three parts. Part one: J Mase III, a Black/Trans/queer poet & educator, talks about collaboration, reparations, art, and a trans-Bible character. "Art is the imagination tool that allows you to see and make things possible that weren't before." Part two: Mase performing Josephine And Part Three: A Sound Slice of Orthodox Christians from Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection and Chapel of St Innocent of Irkutsk, in a Good Friday procession on East Second Street in NYC. Learn more about J Mase III at his website www.jmaseiii.com. The Bubble&Squeak theme song is Worthless by The jellyrox from the album Bang and Whimper. To find more great music and new podcasts visit www.rockcandyrecordings.com

Part one: A conversation with public Bible scholar and trouble maker, Dr. Jennifer Bird Part two: Marvin gets a job at a born-again online store Part three: A sound slice from Norway Learn more about Dr. Jennifer Bird at her website www.jennifergracebird.com. You will also find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and she is killing it on TikTok. She co-hosts the podcast Wild Olive. It is available wherever you get podcasts. The Bubble&Squeak theme song is Worthless by The jellyrox from the album Bang and Whimper. To find more great music and new podcasts visit www.rockcandyrecordings.com

Our show today comes in three parts Part one: Singer Songwriter Linda Jay Reed shares her creation process. Part two: Linda Reed sings the song Anxiety Blues Part three: a SoundSlice from an island in the Philippines Part One: Linda Jay Reed wrote her first song on guitar when she was 17 years old. She has continued the practice for decades and has gained a faithful fanbase. After hearing her song, Fallin’ Free, I fell hard for both the warmth and the weariness that she exudes through her voice. Every inch of her personal journey is etched the sound she creates. She is honest without being bitter. The music and the moods she creates draw me in. Right before she moved from New York City to California, in the midst of a mountain of moving boxes, Linda took some time out to tell me about her music. MUSIC: Part Two: MUSIC Sound Slice: Let me set the scene for you. I am on the shore of Pandan Island in the Philippines. It is a short boat ride from the city of Sablayan. This was the beginning of a 5 week trip to see some of the islands and some of my Aunt Rolla’s family. But first this stop on an island surrounded by a coral reef and teaming with sea turtles. A small shark swam near the shore, and looked so playful, I had to go snorkeling around the island again. CLOSING Bubble&Squeak is written and produced by me, Peterson Toscano. I mostly make the show for me and fellow artists like Linda Jay Reed. You can find her music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music and Amazon Music, which actually pays independent artists better than the other services. Just search for Linda Jay Reed. “The Bubble&Squeak theme song is Worthless. by The jellyrox from the album Bang and a whimper. You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, of wherever you listen to music.” You also heard maskros by BOMULL To find more great music and new podcasts visit www.rockcandyrecordings.com Feel free to say hi on to me X. @p2son the letter p the number two son @p2son Oh, and thanks for listening.

Part one: Writer Wendy Sanford reveals the origins of her memoir about friendship across race and class and her evolving relationship and collaboration with Mary Norman. Part two: Wendy Sanford reads from These Walls Between us https://www.wendysanford-thesewallsbetweenus.com/ Part three: a SoundSlice from Northern London Hear Wendy talk about the groundbreaking women's health book, "Our Bodies, Ourselves" https://soundcloud.com/peterson-thomas-toscano/female-body?si=6d70fddacd444dd19a0a20097fccb038&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Like One of the Family by Alice Childress https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100105640;jsessionid=0E3320BF5ACFAC24E87D4B10EB60ED19 The Bubble&Squeak theme song is Worthless. by The jellyrox from the album Bang and a whimper. You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, of wherever you listen to music. To find more great music and new podcasts visit www.rockcandyrecordings.com Feel free to say hi to me Twitter. @p2son Praise for The Walls Between Us: “These Walls Between Us is a powerful book with an important lesson that we all must learn in trying to understand others.” —Reverend John Reynolds, author of The Fight for Freedom: A Memoir of My Years in the Civil Rights Movement “A tender, honest, cringeworthy, and powerful read.” —Debby Irving, Author of Waking Up White, and Finding Myself in the Story of Race "I've never read a memoir that is so consistently courageous." —George Lakey, Author of Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice “Wendy Sanford is doing the work that only she can do!” —Byllye Avery, Founder, Black Women's Health Imperative.

Part one: Biophilia, an news report from the future. An odd story about a man whose love of nature gets out of hand. Inspired by The Cli-Fi Imaginarium. https://www.withmanyroots.com/cli-fi-imaginarium/ Part two: Lynn Johnson reading from her spiritual memoir Holy Adventure. http://www.meetinghouse.xyz/books-1/holy-adventure-a-spiritual-memoir Part three: A Sound Slice from Dlinza Forest Aerial Boardwalk in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa https://eshowe.com/dlinza-forest-aerial-boardwalk/ The Bubble&Squeak theme song is Worthless. by The jellyrox from the album Bang and a whimper. You can find it on iTunes, Spotify, of wherever you listen to music. To find more great music and new podcasts visit www.rockcandyrecordings.com Feel free to say hi to me Twitter. @p2son