Salt Lake Dirt

Vanessa Matic recently joined the podcast to discuss her new poetry collection, American Dreams in Havoc Heaven. Published by Hat and Beard Press, the book strips away the glossy cliches of the traditional American dream, trading white picket fences for an open, gritty landscape of youth, intimacy, and structural decay. Matic, who is also the founder of the grassroots Agape Lodge Poetry Society in Los Angeles, shared how her roots in independent cinema, cut-up literary traditions, and a naturally surreal life path heavily shape the sharp visual textures of her writing. The episode goes into her artistic journey, featuring a live reading of her poem "Dreamonic." Matic balances the violent, heavy realities of the world with a fierce dedication to preserving spaces of human connection and vulnerability for fellow creators.Thanks for listening!Kyler---Episode Links:Purchase American Dreams in Havoc HeavenAgape Lodge Poetry Society on Instagram

I had the chance to speak with director and co-writer Catherine Hardwicke about her new film, Street Smart, which she penned alongside Nic Sheff (author of Tweak, the basis for the film Beautiful Boy). The film serves as an "Oliver Twist" style look at young creatives supporting each other through hard times in Venice Beach. Catherine shared the fascinating story of casting newcomer Isiah Hilt as Drex, a role they had written that mirrored Isiah's actual life as a Venice local. The production embraced a stark realism by shooting on the winter boardwalk, navigating the real-world grit of the location.Our conversation also highlighted the film’s unique cast, which features a blend of fresh faces and recognizable names like Paris Jackson, Skeet Ulrich, and Sally Struthers—who won Catherine over with a hilariously enthusiastic costume audition. With a strong musical pulse that includes original tracks from both Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects and Isiah himself, Street Smart brought its vibrant energy straight to a sold-out premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival. It was wonderful discussing Catherine’s enduring passion for authentic storytelling, and you can keep up with the project's journey by following their Instagram at @streetsmart.movie. Thanks for listening!Kyler---Episode Links:IG: @streetsmart.movieStreet Smart trailer

In the latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt, Kyler welcomes back author Michael McKinley alongside his co-author and writing partner, Nancy Merritt Bell, to celebrate their novel The Glamour of Evil winning the prestigious Indie Gold Grand Prize. This thrilling Vatican espionage novel follows Maddie Lynch, a New York TV producer who unexpectedly gets drafted into a high-stakes world of global raw intelligence, missing Vatican millions, and historical secrets dating back to World War II. The duo dives into the fascinating inspiration behind the book—sparked by a quote from Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal about the Vatican having the best spy agency in the world—and shares details about the book's anticipated upcoming paperback, ebook, and audiobook release. Beyond the secrets of the Vatican, Michael and Nancy open up about their unique, tag-team collaborative process. They share how Nancy’s dyslexia and background in dramaturgy act as a storytelling superpower, helping her visualize the "shapes" of a narrative to inject action, depth, and pacing into Michael's dialogue and prose. The couple also discusses an incredible new venture through their publishing company, BookGo: a brand-new, intensive annual writing workshop hosted at the University of Oxford, designed to give aspiring writers masterclasses and one-on-one mentorship in one of the world's most historic literary cities.Thanks for listening!---Episode Links:Purchase The Glamour of EvilBookGo.pubThe Oxford Writers Workshop - Aug. 14-20th, 2026

Filmmaker Ryan Dougall Talks Late-Night Comedy PilotIn our latest episode, I sat down with filmmaker Ryan Dougall to discuss his 44-minute comedy pilot, It's Getting Late with Owen Reed, screening at Dances With Films on June 27th. Described as "The Office meets The Larry Sanders Show" for the streaming era, this independent workplace comedy follows a dysfunctional crew behind a low-budget talk show. Driven by a fantastic ensemble cast the project pulls directly from Ryan's years in unscripted television to deliver big laughs and wonderfully eccentric, authentic characters.Check out the full interview to hear about Ryan's childhood bootleg VHS inspiration, and grab tickets to catch the screening at the TCL Chinese Theatre.Thanks for listening!Kyler---Episode Links:IG: @itsgettinglateofficialTikTok: @itsgettinglate.officialDWF Screening: Series Block 8 - Saturday June 27, 1:45pm

On today’s episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I am thrilled to welcome author, coach, and actor Jamie Rose to discuss her new book, Facing Madame X: The Tools for Women. Mixing memoir with practical tools, Jamie explores how to address everyday emotional pressures, cultivate life force, and step into forward momentum. We discuss the profound beauty of learning to embrace uncertainty and some of the practical exercises she uses to guide people forward. We talk about her original journal exercise called "Musing," which helps individuals figure out their next creative steps through action rather than overthinking. Jamie also opens up about her journey navigating a shifting relationship with her late mother, the realities of modern validation culture, and what it looks like to find compassion by understanding our family members' "Shadow Selves". You can pick up Facing Madame X: The Tools for Women wherever you find books, and follow Jamie on Instagram @jamierosehere. To explore her monthly coaching groups, seminars, and more of her work, be sure to visit Jamie Rose Coaching. Thanks for listening!Kyler---Episode Links:PURCHASE Facing Madame XJamieRoseCoaching.comIG: @jamierosehereSalt Lake Dirt

In this latest episode of Salt Lake Dirt, I was so happy to welcome filmmaker Michelle Bossy back to the show. Michelle is someone who stays incredibly busy—she’s actually directed 20+ short films and two features at this point—so it’s always a treat to catch up with her and see what she’s been working on. This time around, we took a deep dive into two of her latest short films, "We Regret to Inform You" and "Exception(al)," both of which have been making some serious noise on the festival circuit. We started things off talking about "We Regret to Inform You," which was written by and stars Michelle’s long-time friend, Zina Wilde. It’s a 13-minute film that manages to be both funny and deeply moving, using a bit of magical realism to explore the universal pain of a bad breakup. Xena’s script likens heartbreak to a terminal heart condition, where a bumbling health insurance operator, played wonderfully by Kai Lennox, calls to tell her it’s her last day of life. It’s a beautiful, textured piece of storytelling that really packs an emotional punch in a short amount of time. Then we went on to talk about "Exception(al)," which was written by and stars another massive talent, Molly Powers. This one was filmed right on the campus of Brooklyn College during the summer. Molly drew from her own personal experiences in film school to dramatize the feeling of being an outsider, often as the only woman or Asian American person in the room. It explores complex themes of representation and microaggressions in academia without ever feeling pitying. Michelle even shared a great behind-the-scenes story about having to scale a campus fence after the crew got locked in on the final day of shooting! Beyond the films, Michelle also gave us a look at her extensive work in theater. She’s currently involved with a play about Bill Cosby written by Janine Nabers that’s heading to Los Angeles this fall, and she’s been touring the world with a production called "A Poem and a Mistake." If you want to keep up with what she’s doing, you can find her on Instagram at @michellebossydirects or check out her feature film "Nobody’s Home" on Apple.