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The Eclectic Esoteric

“A Podcast by Jia H. Jung, featuring interviews with experts of uncommon topics, trades, crafts, and professions.”

October 19, 2012 New Ep. 4 – Nancy Wolfe

Nancy Wolfe, 27-year-old producer of upcoming feature-length documentary “Fit To Print” about the U.S. newspaper industry, has been a lover of film and journalism from a young age, writing from the age of 8 and producing her first short film at 16. She attended the The New School in New York City, where she produced her first small documentary about YouTube culture in a changing user-generated era. Once graduated, Nancy worked on various films in production and post-production, including “Loveless” in 2011. She also pursued a career in journalism on both the editorial and publishing side. She began working on “Fit To Print” in 2010 and believes it is the true marriage of her interests and career goals. “Fit to Print” is a documentary film that takes the viewer on a behind-the-scenes journey through the current upheaval in the U.S. newspaper industry and the decline in funding for investigative reporting. The film includes interviews from reporters, staff members, and media experts within several major U.S. newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, among others. Also interviewed were modern philosophers, including Noam Chomsky. More information about the film and release updates in late fall can be found on Facebook  and Twitter, with a trailer on Vimeo.

August 27, 2012 Ep. 3 – Christopher Holgar Dineson

Christopher Holgar Dineson trained under legendary hairdresser Garren after completing his degree in Art History, Anthropology, and Film at the University of California, Berkeley. A master credited with over one thousand magazine covers, Garren quickly molded Christopher into a dynamic stylist who has shaped tresses and choreographed looks for actresses such as Scarlett Johansson, Drew Barrymore, Kim Kardashian, and Blake Lively, and supermodels including Gisele Bundchen, Karlie Kloss, Candice Swanepoel, Bar Rafaeli, and Alessandra Ambrosio. He has also styled for Garren in advertising campaigns by companies including Shinsegae department stores of Seoul, CoverGirl, Dior, Valentino, and Dolce & Gabbana shot by Steven Meisel, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Klein, David Sims, and Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. After years in the center of the whirling haute hair universe, Christopher sits with us prior to his move to California and reflects upon his New York City career. He also shares a few insiders’ secrets about celebrity hair, styling techniques, $700 haircuts, mishaps, his favorite look for men and women, and the difference between expertise and hype. [Christopher's services include haircuts, styling, updos, and Brazilian Blowouts, with specialties in house calls, corporate styling, extensions, hair pieces, full wig fitting and styling, and bridal and special event styling. Pricing and booking are available at HairByHolgar@gmail.com.]

July 31, 2012 Ep. 2 – Croft Vaughn

Croft Vaughn, springboard diving coach of Team New York Aquatics (TNYA), was a competitive high-school diver in Indiana, where he medaled at State competitions.  He trained under 2008 Olympic coach John Wingfield at Ball State University Dive Camps.  Later, he represented NYU Diving with Todd Kolean, and Olympic silver medalist Scott Donie as his coaches. He taught diving at NYU for 3 years before he was recruited to launch the diving program with TNYA, a Manhattan based swimming, diving, and water polo team in the United States Masters Swimming Metropolitan network.  In its first year of operations, TNYA Diving brought 4 divers to the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) competitions, where they brought home 7 gold medals and 2 silvers.  Now in their second year, they brought 9 competitors to IGLA in Iceland, where they dominated the competitions. Croft is also a playwright, a storyteller, and an avid Country-Western dancer in New York City (he is the 2011 and 2012 advanced line dance champion for the IAGLCWDC). Amidst the 30th Olympic Games in London, he gives us an insider’s view into the physics, psychology, and fun behind this beautiful and exacting sport.

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July 18, 2012 Ep. 1 – Shawn Shafner

Shawn Shafner is an actor, educator, and creator of The People’s Own Organic Power Project, or The POOP Project. The organization’s mission is to heal the cultural shame that makes potty talk taboo, and promote critical conversation about sustainable sanitation. A self-described “puru,” Shafner strives to change the minds and hearts of people, or consumers, to spark a (literally) bottom up awareness and change in our misconceptions and policies in dealing with (or merely flushing away) human waste. In a great attempt to break down the social barriers, Shafner and a crew of four others will perform his production, “Eat $h*t,” on July 22nd at the 59E59 theatre in New York City, then head off to the prestigious Edinburgh Festival Fringe across the pond in Scotland with a little help from Fractured Atlas and money from their okwn pockets. Even under extreme 11th hour pressure, Mr. Shafner kindly takes the time to enlighten us all on the history of the toilet, the shame in shame, the sanitation system of New York City, the World Toilet Summit, the true scatological hallucinations of Protestant reformer Martin Luther, the constipation of Hitler, and the process of writing, directing, producing, acting, and singing in his own play. He even sings us a beautiful song.

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