Advertise on podcast: Ojai: Talk of the Town

When the pandemic hit, it didn’t create all of the inequities facing local families — but it exposed them in a hurry. For many Ojai Unified School District families, COVID meant lost work, disrupted schooling, child-care problems, language barriers and, sometimes, simply not knowing where to turn. Out of that tumult came the Ojai Family Fund, a volunteer-run nonprofit created to connect students and families with resources and remove some of the financial barriers that can keep children from fully participating in school life. My guests are Alexandra Mejia-Holdsworth and Jane Weil, who talk about how the fund took shape during those bewildering early months of the pandemic, what they learned about needs within the Ojai community, and how the organization’s mission has evolved since then. Today, the Ojai Family Fund helps OUSD students with emergency needs while also subsidizing experiences and rites of passage that many of us take for granted — including outdoor and experiential-learning programs, AP tests, prom and Grad Night. Its broader mission is simple: a family’s income shouldn’t determine whether a child gets to participate. We also talk about the Fund’s big annual fundraiser, the Ojai Family Fund Turkey Trot, taking place Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 26, at 8 a.m. at Nordhoff High School. It’s a community fun run for everyone from serious runners to families working up an appetite before the turkey hits the table. Race proceeds support educational and enrichment opportunities for lower-income OUSD students. We did not talk about Lasse Viren's enduring records, Ojai diamonds or the Milwaukee Brewers' productivity. Adult registration is currently $30 before November 16 and $40 afterward; youth ages 6–18 are $15, and young children participate free. It’s a conversation about what happens when a crisis reveals needs that were there all along — and what a small community can accomplish when people decide those needs are everybody’s business. LINKS Ojai Family Fund:Learn more about the Ojai Family Fund Register for the 2026 Turkey Trot:Turkey Trot registration and race information Ojai Unified School District:Ojai Unified School District

What if growing older isn't about becoming less of who we were, but more of who we were always meant to be? At 50, Wendi Knox had reached the heights of the advertising world, creating award-winning campaigns for Honda and Acura. Then an unexpected job loss sent her into an existential tailspin. An extraordinary encounter with hundreds of red dragonflies helped change the course of her life. Now 72, the Ojai-based author, artist and speaker is on a mission to "rebrand aging." Her latest book, The Way of the Dragonfly: Flight Instructions to Transform the Way We Age, challenges the cultural assumptions that make growing older seem like a long, dispiriting exercise in diminishment. Wendi joins Bret Bradigan for a wide-ranging conversation about mortality, reinvention, the tyranny of ageism, and the peculiar freedoms that come with advancing years. They explore the difference between the inevitable losses of aging and the limitations we impose upon ourselves, the possibility of discovering new purpose late in life, and why some of our richest chapters may still be unwritten. After all, the clock is ticking. But who says we can't learn to fly? Learn more about Wendi Knox and her books: https://wendiknox.com/ The Way of the Dragonfly: https://wendiknox.com/ Wendi's Breaking Out of the Age Cage workshops: https://wendiknox.com/workshops/ Wendi's AGEIST profile: https://www.ageist.com/profile/wendi-knox-71-soaring-after-midlife/ More from Ojai: Talk of the Town: https://OjaiHub.com/ Ojai: Talk of the Town is hosted by Bret Bradigan, publisher of Ojai Quarterly and Ojai Monthly. New conversations with the artists, thinkers, entrepreneurs and fascinating personalities who make Ojai such an interesting place to live. Hit that subscribe button and/or share this link. And don't be afraid to write a review, even if it's a bad one. It all fuels the algorithm to help more people join the discussions.

What if the spaces we inhabit shape not just how we live, but who we become? Architect Jennifer Siegal, founder of the Ojai Design Posse and the pioneering Office of Mobile Design, joins Ojai: Talk of the Town for a wide-ranging conversation about the often-invisible language of design — from architecture and landscapes to interiors, graphics and the environments that influence our daily lives. A Harvard Loeb Fellow who worked at Frank Lloyd Wright's legendary Taliesin West, Jennifer brings a fascinating perspective on the great minds and restless spirits who transformed the built world. We explore Wright's brilliant, chaotic life; Le Corbusier's experiments with prefabrication; and pioneering Ojai architect Zelma Wilson, whose legacy is woven into the town's architectural identity, from City Hall to Meditation Mount. We also discuss Jennifer's groundbreaking work in sustainable, adaptable architecture and her latest undertaking: the Ojai Design Posse, a remarkable assembly of accomplished local women whose expertise spans design, finance and the creative professions. Could this concentration of talent, imagination and intention help make Ojai something greater — a living laboratory for the art of living? We did not talk about the Sepoy Mutiny, the show "Patriot," or the everyday indignities of bad design. Instead, it's a conversation about beauty, utility, history and the extraordinary power of thoughtful design to elevate everyday existence. Learn more about Jenniferand her work at http://www.designmobile.com

What if the secret to getting things done isn't how smart you are, but how well you understand the people you're dealing with? John Patterson, co-founder of Influential U with Kirkland Tibbels, joins Bret Bradigan to explore HIGH TQ: Why It Matters More Than Expertise, their new book about Transactional Intelligence — the often-overlooked skill of navigating the exchanges that shape our lives. Are you an Inventor, a Performer, a Producer or a Judge? Patterson explains how recognizing these different roles can help us make better agreements, avoid misunderstandings and accomplish more together. But this conversation travels well beyond business theory: a horrific 1991 Texas murder, Patterson's architectural studies, his fascination with YouTube château renovations, and the unlikely journey that brought him and his husband to Ojai. We did not talk about Stephen Frears' favorite films, the ballistics of knuckleballs or the lack of affordable housing in Ojai. Instead, this is a conversation about human nature, the architecture of relationships, and finding your place in the world. Learn more about John, his book and his work at https://influentialu.global/about/ or https://tqbooks.com/speaking/john-patterson/

Paul Booth has been sober for 42 years. But sobriety, he says, solved the drinking problem — not everything that lay beneath it. Paul is an Ojai writer, licensed family therapist and nationally certified Master Addiction Counselor who spent more than 35 years working in mental health and addiction. His clients included doctors, attorneys and other accomplished professionals whose lives appeared successful while addiction and private anguish threatened to undo them. His understanding of that hidden pain began in childhood. Paul’s mother struggled with alcoholism and eventually died by suicide. His stoic father delivered the news with a sentence almost impossible to forget: “Your mother is dead. Now get back to sleep.” In this candid conversation, Paul talks with Bret about the guilt he carried after his mother’s death, growing up without a sense of belonging, the survival mechanisms that later become prisons, and why emotional pain can remain buried for decades. They also explore the deceptive competence of high-functioning addicts, the difference between helping and rescuing, and what 42 years of recovery have taught Paul about loneliness, grief, self-deception and learning how to live without anesthesia. We did not talk about Netanyahu's Qatar problem, bull trout fishing in British Columbia or the defensive challenges of the Buffalo Bills. Paul’s memoir is "Ethos, Pathos, and Alcohol." Alexandre Dumas would approve. Check out his website for his writings ... https://paulboothstories.com/about-me/

What happens when the most painful chapter of your life becomes material for comedy — and then grows into a play about love? Playwright and bestselling author Robin Gerber joins Bret to discuss The Best Medicine, her funny and openhearted new solo show starring Caroline Aaron of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The play began in an unlikely place: a ten-week stand-up comedy workshop that Robin and Bret took with comedian Cary Odes. For their final assignment, each participant developed and performed eight minutes of original comedy. Robin drew hers from caring for her husband after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Those eight minutes became the germ — and emotional heart — of a play about marriage, caregiving, loss, purpose and enduring love. Robin also talks about her journey from attorney and labor organizer to bestselling author and playwright, as well as The Shot, her acclaimed play about Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham, starring Sharon Lawrence. The Best Medicine, directed by Jane E. Unger, opens October 10 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles and runs through November 15, 2026. Tickets and information: https://odysseytheatre.com/whats-on/the-best-medicine/

What does it actually mean to protect democracy at the local level? Will Knox, Kim Bryson and Allison Stillman of Democracy Ojai join us for a conversation about voting, civic participation, election confidence and the responsibilities that come with citizenship. They talk about why Democracy Ojai formed, how a nonpartisan group navigates an intensely polarized moment, what history can teach us about the long American argument over who gets a voice, and why democracy depends on more than simply showing up every few years to cast a ballot. The conversation also turns local: what civic life looks like in a small town, how to engage younger voters, what people misunderstand about elections, and what an ordinary person can realistically do to strengthen democratic participation. We did not talk about the 1794 Festival of the Supreme Being, Ohtani's recovery protocol or Billy Corgan. Ojai: Talk of the Town is hosted by Bret Bradigan. Check out the link below for more information about Democracy Ojai: https://www.facebook.com/p/Democracy-OJAI-61574098970478/

Why, in an age of TikTok, streaming video and infinite distraction, do we still gather in a room to hear one human being tell us a story? Ojai Storytelling Festival executive director Kara Martin joins Bret along with internationally acclaimed storyteller Noa Baum for a conversation about one of humanity’s oldest technologies: the well-told tale. They talk about why stories can reach places that facts and arguments sometimes cannot; the overlooked art of listening; whether shared stories still function as connective tissue in an increasingly fractured culture; and what actually happens between a storyteller and an audience when everything clicks. Noa also tells the remarkable story of how a stalled acting career unexpectedly led her toward storytelling — through an encounter with a group of special-needs children that changed the course of her life. Along the way: unreliable narrators, bad dinner-party storytellers, what children understand about stories that adults forget, and whether Kara now finds herself silently editing everyone she meets. We did not talk about Taylor Swift's covid collaboration with The National, knife-sharpening gadgets or the remarkable Abyssinian Expedition of the mid-Victorian period. The Ojai Storytelling Festival returns October 22–25, 2026, with performances at Libbey Bowl and the Ojai Art Center and a lineup that includes Baum, Kevin Kling, Geraldine Buckley, Sufian Zhemukhov, Lipbone Redding and emcee Mary Hamilton. Turns out “Once upon a time” still has some life in it. Check out the festival and buy tickets at ... https://www.ojaistoryfest.org/

On June 27, 2023, Reed Christy was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. He survived, but the crash cost him a leg and forced him into the long, difficult work of rebuilding a life he had once taken for granted. What emerged was more than resilience. It was attention. A lifelong athlete and fitness enthusiast, Reed had spent years valuing motion, discipline and performance. Recovery taught him something different: the power of attention. Of slowing down. Of being fully present for the people, moments and ordinary experiences that are easy to miss when life is moving fast. Today, Reed speaks around the country about gratitude, awareness and intentional living — not as abstractions, but as lessons earned the hard way. In this conversation, Reed talks about the accident, the physical and emotional realities of becoming an amputee, the discipline required to rebuild, and the surprising shift in perspective that followed. His story is not simply about surviving catastrophe. It is about waking up to the life that remains. And it raises a question worth asking whether or not you’ve ever faced anything remotely like what Reed has: How much of your own life are you actually noticing? A thoughtful, funny and deeply human conversation about presence, gratitude and what it means to live deliberately. We did not talk about circle hooks, Cy Young or the works of Milan Kundera. You can learn more about Reed and his purpose at https://www.reedchristy.com/

What happens when you stretch 26 strings more than 60 feet across a room, turn an entire building into an instrument — and then follow the monarch butterfly migration with it? Andrea Brook is the creator of Sonic Butterfly, the enormous immersive long-string harp that has been played in some remarkable places, from Seattle’s Space Needle to Taliesin West and beyond. Its story began during a Day of the Dead performance in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where an encounter with the monarch migration helped transform Andrea’s earlier long-string work into the butterfly-shaped instrument she performs with today. In this episode, Andrea joins Bret to talk about how Sonic Butterfly evolved, how those extraordinarily long strings actually produce sound, what it feels like to play an instrument that literally surrounds its audience, and some of the adventures involved in installing it around the world. And the butterfly story is coming full circle. On Friday, September 18, from 6:30–8:30 p.m., Andrea and Sonic Butterfly host The Return of the Western Monarch Butterfly, a FREE event at Chrysalis in Ojai, presented in collaboration with the Ventura County Resource Conservation District. The evening combines an immersive Sonic Butterfly performance with photographs by Elizabeth Weber, a short film by Ole Schell, a panel discussion and local environmental organizations — all focused on the western monarch and efforts to help bring its population back. Chrysalis is at 850 Baldwin Road in Ojai, adjacent to the Montessori School. The event is free; RSVP by emailing [email protected]. Andrea also shares the bigger idea now taking flight: a Sonic Butterfly Migration Tour following monarch migration routes and using music, spectacle and community gatherings to connect people with the landscapes the butterflies depend upon. We did not talk about how Peter the Great's scientific expeditions to Siberia influenced Thomas Jefferson's Lewis& Clark expedition, the relative greatness of the television show "Patriot," or Brazilian ju-jitsu. It’s a conversation about music, engineering, migration, ecology — and what can happen when one wonderfully strange artistic idea grows wings.

What do the Grateful Dead, punk rock, philosophy, sobriety and a great neighborhood tavern have in common? For Sean Kelly, quite a lot. The Philadelphia-born musician, restaurateur and new steward of Ojai’s historic Deer Lodge, who has also relaunched with Angie Edelsen the legendary Ranch House, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the music that shaped him, the philosophers who challenged him, the strange alchemy of live performance, and what decades in the restaurant business have taught him about people. We also explore community, reinvention, what Ojai needs more — and less — of, and the question running beneath it all: What makes for a life well lived? We did not talk about Yo La Tengo, annatto paste or Bowie knives. You can catch up to Sean and his plans for the Deer Lodge and Ranch House at DeerLodgeOjai.com.

Writer, photographer and wilderness guide Chuck Graham returns to Ojai: Talk of the Town to take us into the wild world of Channel Islands National Park — a place he has spent decades exploring by kayak and documenting up close. We talk about some genuinely encouraging conservation victories, from the remarkable recovery of the Channel Island fox and the return of bald eagles to fascinating examples of natural selection unfolding before our eyes. Chuck also shares stories from years of paddling these rugged waters and explains why this extraordinary archipelago — remote, biologically unique and surprisingly close to home — remains one of California’s most magical and underappreciated wild places.

Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger Roger Kellaway has spent more than six decades making music alongside some of the greatest names in jazz and American popular music. In this wide-ranging conversation, Roger looks back on the musicians who shaped him, what separates the truly great players from the merely accomplished, and why music education and learning to really listen still matter. Roger talks about the fateful gig when he was hired by Norman Lear and his partner to write the closing song for "All in the Family," which became "Remembering You," one of the most recognizable tunes in television. We also bring the story home to Ojai. Roger talks about meeting his wife, Jorjana Kellaway, how the two eventually found their way to the Ojai Valley, and some of the performances and musical moments at the Ojai Music Festival that have stayed with him. Roger Kellaway is no stranger to the pages of Ojai Quarterly. He was featured for his collaboration with Joe Sohm and Clint Eastwood on "Visions of America." He is also a frequent, distinctive and distinguished audience member at the Ojai Music Festival. We did not talk about Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey's friendship with Ted Williams, marlin fishing in the Sea of Cortez, or Gene Lees. It's a conversation about jazz history, improvisation, teaching, creativity, love, place — and what a lifetime devoted to music teaches you about listening. https://rogerkellaway.com/

It's our official 300th episode! In May 2020, I set out to interview interesting people. What I didn't realize was that each conversation would leave behind a clue — not just about my guests, but about what makes for a meaningful, creative, and fulfilling life. In this special solo episode, I step out from behind the microphone to reflect on the lessons I've gathered from hundreds of conversations with artists, entrepreneurs, historians, volunteers, scientists, civic leaders, and the wonderfully eccentric personalities who make Ojai unlike anywhere else. Along the way, I share stories from my own journey as a journalist, publisher, novelist, and longtime resident of the valley — touching on curiosity, failure, resilience, community, storytelling, and why it's never too late to reinvent yourself. I do not talk about Orel Hershisher's World Series shutout record, northern anchovy populations or Christopher Nolan films. Whether you've been with me since Episode 1 or you're discovering Ojai: Talk of the Town for the first time, I hope this conversation leaves you seeing Ojai — and perhaps your own life — a little differently.

What happens when an artist follows curiosity so completely that it changes not only her work — but her life? In this episode of Ojai: Talk of the Town, host Bret Bradigan sits down with acclaimed Ojai artist Marie McKenzie, whose breathtaking underwater paintings are inspired by firsthand encounters with California's disappearing kelp forests. After learning of the dramatic decline of these vital marine ecosystems, Marie did something few artists would: she learned to freedive, overcoming her fear of the ocean to immerse herself in the world she wanted to paint. The result is Ocean Garden, a luminous new collection celebrating beauty, abundance and the surprising power of protecting what we love. But this conversation goes far beyond art. Marie shares how she learned to trust her intuition over deadlines, why beauty may be a more powerful force for change than outrage, how she built a career painting one small canvas at a time, and what it means to move from simply surviving as an artist to truly thriving. Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, conservationist — or anyone searching for more meaning in your work — this episode is an inspiring reminder that your greatest breakthroughs often begin on the other side of curiosity. In this episode you'll discover: Why Marie traded fear of the ocean for the freedom of freediving.How California's disappearing kelp forests transformed her artistic vision.Why she delayed releasing an entire collection until the paintings felt "ready."The surprising relationship between beauty, creativity and conservation.How a daily painting practice became the foundation of a successful artistic career.If you've ever wondered where inspiration comes from — or how to build a life around what you love — this conversation will stay with you long after it ends. Note: we did not talk about the Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation, the Cincinnati Reds or nano-technology. Check out more about Marie at https://www.mariemckenzie.com