Today on Salt Lake Dirt, Kyler reconnects with author Emmalea Russo to discuss her latest novel, The Moon Papers, releasing June 30th from Arcade Publishing. Serving as a follow-up to her previous book, Vivienne, the new novel expands on characters from its predecessor but stands entirely on its own.

Great chat, incredible novel!

Thanks for listening.

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Episode Links:

• Purchase The Moon Papers
• EmmaleaRusso.com
• Emmalea's Substack

Sarah Velk joined the Salt Lake Dirt podcast to discuss her literary journey, moving from Los Angeles to New York, where she co-founded the reading series Punisher. Alongside co-founder Kennedy Wright, Velk established the series to challenge the rigid, academic tropes often associated with traditional literary events, opting instead for an energetic, inclusive atmosphere that features both established and emerging writers. The conversation also touched upon her publication in Hobart, and an early childhood encounter with David Sedaris.

Beyond her event organizing, Velk maintains an active writing profile, sharing cultural commentary and fiction through her portfolio and digital platforms. The full interview is available across major audio distribution networks.

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Episode Links:

• Substack: @svelka
• IG: @sareiously
• SarahVelk.com
• IG: @punisher.nyc

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

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Episode Links:

• Purchase American Dreams in Havoc Heaven
• Agape Lodge Poetry Society on Instagram

On today's show I welcome Mark Malkoff to discuss the behind-the-scenes reality of hosting The Tonight Show. In Love Johnny Carson, Mark's research reveals a grueling early format where Johnny Carson performed two separate monologues across an hour-and-45-minute runtime. While the media frequently labeled Carson cold, our conversation highlights a shy, private man who still maintained a down-to-earth Midwestern sensibility—driving himself without security, signing his own fan mail, and masking immense personal tragedies from his audience.

As a massive fan of Dick Cavett, I especially enjoyed discussing Cavett's time writing for Carson and how his conversational style pioneered the modern interview format. Great book, great chat!

Thanks for listening.

Kyler

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Episode Links:

• Purchase Love Johnny Carson
• Mark's Website
• The Carson Podcast

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

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Episode Links:

• IG: @streetsmart.movie
• Street Smart trailer

I had the chance to sit down with professional skateboarder and actor Isiah Hilt to discuss his starring role in director Catherine Hardwicke's new film, Street Smart, following its premiere at the Bentonville Film Festival. Isiah plays Drex, a character that heavily draws from his own life story of growing up on his own around Venice Beach. He stepped into the role naturally, relying on his years of experience as a street performer to connect with the cast and handle the transition to the screen without letting the cameras phase him.

Beyond acting, Isiah spends much of his time teaching local kids to skate, a passion we talked about during the episode. He shared his perspective on how the constant falling in skateboarding teaches kids not to have a healthy view of fear, a mindset that has shaped his own life. We also discussed his music, specifically "BETTER DAYS?"—a track from his EP LET ME VENT that plays over the film's closing credits and reflects his journey through tough times. It was great catching up with him just as the movie rolls out to audiences.

Thanks for listening!

Kyler

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Episode Links:

• IG: @isiahhilt
• Street Smart IG: @streetsmart.movie
• Isiah Hilt on Spotify
• SLD Interview with Catherine Hardwicke

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!

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Episode Links:

• Purchase The Glamour of Evil
• BookGo.pub
• The Oxford Writers Workshop - Aug. 14-20th, 2026

We are back with another episode of Salt Lake Dirt, featuring recurring guest artist and author Dmitry Samarov. In this conversation, we focus on independent publishing and the process of bringing public domain literature back to print. Dmitry shares the details of his recent artistic endeavors, including his illustrations for the new edition of Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio and his upcoming release of William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury.

Our conversation also covers the changing landscape of indie publishing, the clarity that comes with stepping away from social media, and the unexpected revival of cassette tape culture. Plus, Dmitry introduces Krystle Ratticus new pulp-style memoir, Ornery Cuss. Head over to DmitrySamarov.com to read his weekly newsletter, view his artwork, and pre-order his latest books.

Thanks for listening!

Kyler

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Episode Links:

• DmitrySamarov.com
• Books from Maudlin House
• Moby Dick cassette tape
• Purchase Ornery Cuss