No Thanks But Yes

It was a delight finally to launch season 2 LIVE at Recover-Con 2022 in Dixon, IL. Gerald Lott is a rural health champion and recovery community leader. He's the executive director of Sauk Valley Voices of Recovery - the RCO that organized this 2nd annual event. We laughed a lot. Check it out. 

• Recorded 9.23.2022 in Dixon, IL.
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Honesty Liller is the CEO of the McShin Foundation, a newly published author, wife, mother, entrepeneur, and a woman thriving in recovery. We talk about everything from authentic recovery support services, to the writing process, to paddle boarding with sharks. You don't want to miss this lively conversation with my splendid friend, Honesty. Purchase her memoir 'Scattered Pink: A Diary of a Woman in Recovery' from BookShop.org. They support local, independent bookshops.

• Recorded 2.17.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Richmond, VA on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Alex Rosenberg is a Philly artist, teacher, and glass studio director at Wheaton Arts College in Millville, NJ. He appears on Blown Away's season 1 on Netflix and Blown Away: Christmas most recently. A splendid and lovely fellow, he's a person thriving in his 4th year of sustained recovery, and we had so much fun on this episode - so did his cat, Søren. Learn more about Alex & purchase his beautiful glass art at AlexanderRosenberg.net.

• Recorded 2.8.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Philadelphia, PA on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Morgan Godvin is a writer, editor, harm reductionist, drug policy advocate, and formerly incarcerated person thriving in her 7th year of recovery. We talk about her cool gig as an editor at JSTOR Daily, where she creatively shares wisdom from over two centuries of prison-based newspapers. We discuss her advocacy to reform drug policy, including her role in the oversight of Oregon's historic move to decriminalize drugs. Finally, we get into Beats Overdose, her collaboration with Atmosphere to being harm reductino to hip hop. Learn more at MorganGodvin.com.

• Recorded 2.4.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Portland, OR on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Please, enjoy this episode, featuring my friend Greg Williams. He's the managing director at Third Horizon Strategies, leading the Alliance for Addicti0n Payment Reform. He's also one hell of a film producer with The Anonymous People, Genration Found, and, most recently, Tipping the Pain Scale to his credit. This is such a rich episode with an undeniably splendid fellow. Learn more about his advocacy for addiction treatment patients at ThirdHorizonStrategies.com and IncentivizeRecovery.org. Find a Tipping the Pain Scale screening near you at TippingThePainScale.com.

• Recorded 1.19.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Danbury, CT on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation with my special guest Shauntelle Hammonds. We talk about everything from dismantling discriminatory barriers to doing laundry for self-care. She's the executive director at Peter's Place RVA. Its mission is to provide compassionate and accessible housing, resources, and trauma-informed care to LGBTQIA+ individuals seeking individualized recovery support. Learn more at PetersPlaceRVA.org.

• Recorded 1.17.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Richmond, VA on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music: 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

My new friend Kristin "Gypsy" Schloesser is a woman thriving in some seriously contagious recovery, and we had a gret conversation. Gypsy's a tour manager for Obsessed Intl. - a new platform by Five Senses Reeling. It helps you discover where your favorite LGBTQ+ talent, including drag, music, and comedy are performing, buy exclusive merchandise, watch engaging content, and more. Find out more at ObsessedWith.co.

• Recorded 1.13.2022 from Raleigh, NC & Reading, PA on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Tracey Helton, featured in the 1999 HBO documentary "Black Tar Heroin: The Dark End of the Street," author of 2016's "The Big Fix" (Seal Press), and San Francisco's "Naloxone Lady" joins me for a discussion about harm reduction, recovery, hardcore music, and the chaos of cats. She is @TraceyH415 on Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram. Check her out.

• Recorded 12.22.2021 from Raleigh, NC & San Francisco, CA on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Kaya Littleturtle is the Cultural Enrichment Coordinator for the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. He also provides community-based recovery support services in the form of talking circles and is a splendid singer-songwriter as well. Come get you some good medicine.

• Recorded 12.22.2021 from Raleigh, NC & Lumberton, NC on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)

Maia Szalavitz has written or co-written around eight books, including the seminal work 'Unbroken Brain'. Her latest release, 'Undoing Drugs', is the first history of the harm reduction movement. We talk about harm reduction & recovery, music & dancing, and lifting weights & cake! This is my longest episode so far, but I didn't want leave anything on the cutting room floor. Find out what Maia is up to next at Maiasz.com.

• Recorded 12.06.2021 from Raleigh, NC & New York, NY on Zoom
• Hosted & Produced by Donald McDonald
• Theme music 'Truth?' by Zen Groove Arkest (that's me on trumpet!)