Episode 391
with Josh Gondelman, Clyde W. Ford, Alex Borsuk & Kaytlyn Gerbin, and The Lowest Pair
Host Luke Burbank recounts how a garter snake got “The Last Laugh” when it refused to leave his dining room; comedian Josh Gondelman attempts to be a nice guy in the competitive world of comedy; author Clyde W. Ford reflects on his father’s career as the first black software engineer in the nation; endurance athletes Alex Borsuk and Kaytlyn Gerbin discuss how they broke a record by conquering Mount Rainier’s Infinity Loop; and Americana duo The Lowest Pair perform “Rosie” from their album “The Sacred Heart Sessions.”
Josh Gondelman
Comedian & Writer
Josh Gondelman makes it cool to be nice. A writer and producer for “Desus and Mero” on Showtime and previously a writer for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Gondelman charms audiences onstage with his good-natured storytelling and sharp wit. He’s performed stand up frequently on late night, and his most recent album, Dancing on a Weeknight, was released in April 2019. His new book, Nice Try: Stories of Best Intentions and Mixed Results, is Gondelman at his purest – essays where he hilariously tries new things, hopes for the best, and deals with the comedic fallout with his trademark good guy warmth. Website • Twitter
Clyde W. Ford
Author
Clyde W. Ford is an author, psychotherapist, and mythologist who won the Zora Neale Hurston/Richard Wright Award in African American Literature in 2006. His most recent book, Think Black: A Memoir, tells the story of his father John Stanley Ford, the first black software engineer at IBM, revealing how racism insidiously affected his father's view of himself and their relationship. He lives in Bellingham, Washington where he writes aboard his 30-foot trawler, cruising the waters of the Inside Passage. Website • Twitter
Alex Borsuk & Kaytlyn Gerbin
Endurance Athletes
Kaytlyn Gerbin and Alex Borsuk are dual pillars of bad-ass outdoor endurance. In August 2019, the two crushed the Mount Rainier Infinity Loop, a jaw-dropping, leg-shaking act of mountain climbing and running that took them just over four days to complete. The first all-female team to conquer the loop, these relocated Midwesterners balance their pursuit of mountain adventures with full-time careers (Alex as a nutritionist in Portland, and Kaytlyn as a scientist in Seattle). On their own and with their powers combined, Gerbin and Borsuk’s grit and fortitude are infinitely cool.
Alex Website • Katlyn Website
The Lowest Pair
Americana Duo
The Lowest Pair is a perfect example that good things come in pairs. Dual banjoists Kendl Winter and Palmer T. Lee met on the banks of the Mississippi and have been touring the US ever since in their own version of The Never Ending Tour, racking up over 500 shows across the country from Bellingham, Washington to Bangor, Maine. The American folk duo combines Palmer’s Midwestern charm with Winter’s playfulness on their songs, including four albums of original work and one cover album. Listen • Twitter
