Eyedentity Talk with Janna Lopez

Bobby Bostic embarked on a journey marked by adversity, transformation, and redemption. Bobby's teenage years were filled with turmoil, leading him down a troubled path. At 16, he committed several crimes, which resulted in arrest and a total of 17 charges. A jury found him guilty on all counts and he received a staggering 240-year prison sentence. The judge's decision, based on bias and overlooking Bobby's age, and potential for rehabilitation, left him facing an equivalent of life without parole. While incarcerated, Bobby maintained resilience and expressed his commitment to personal growth and redemption. Over the course of 27 years, Bobby discovered books and poetry writing, and pursued a path of education. His words were what ultimately freed him through decades of relentless letter-writing and self-advocacy. November 2022, Bobby Bostic was released from prison. This is his story about the power of words and their gifts which gave him his ultimate life and freedom.

Ever wonder what the BDSM/KINK community is all about? Dayne Morgan opens up about living a double life. On one side, a married man of nearly 50 years, from small town Iowa, a father, and respected teacher, and on the other, a fully-expressed life as both a Dominant and Submissive. This episode may make some uncomfortable, however the point was to get an insider's education into a life that Dayne describes had been only lived as one-percent of his truth, and 99 percent hidden, until he found his KINK community.

Carlyn Montes De Oca is a passionate animal advocate, international speaker, and multi-award winning author of Dog as My Doctor, Cat as my Nurse. Carlyn has been featured on ABC, CBS and Woman's Day Magazine. Her latest book, a #1 Amazon bestseller, Junkyard Girl: a Memoir of Ancestry, Family Secrets, and Second Chances, reveals her tale of how at 57 years-old, she suddenly discovered she was adopted, even though everyone else in her family held that secret.

Estefania Ramirez began working as a dancer at 17 and debuted at the Royal Albert Hall, London, England. She toured nationally with Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco in the U.S. and Canada performing at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, and PBS's Evening at the Pops. She has shared the stage with theatre figures such as Carol Burnett, Tim Curry and Lauren Bacall. She relocated to Spain in 1997 where she studied extensively with many of the grand maestros including studies with Mario Maya and Jose Galvan. In May of 2018, Ms. Ramirez was presented at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY debuting “Mujeres Valientes” Dance Drama choreographed by flamenco icon Belen Maya. In 2019, she was presented as the leading figure of North American flamenco dance soloists at the Women in Dance International Dance Conference. Presently, she performs more than 150 shows annually with Antonio Granjero + Entreflamenco in Santa Fe, NM where they were awarded the City of Santa Fe, NM Mayor’s Arts Award in Excellence 2017.

Matt Hart is the author of FAMILIAR (Pickpocket Books 2022) and nine other books of poems. Additionally, his poems, reviews, and essays have appeared or are forthcoming in numerous print and online journals. His awards include a Pushcart Prize, a grant from The Shifting Foundation, and fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference and the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers. He was a co-founder and the editor-in-chief of Forklift, Ohio: A Journal of Poetry, Cooking & Light Industrial Safety. Currently, he lives in Cincinnati where he teaches at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, co-edits the journal Sôrdəd and plays in the band NEVERNEW.

Gregory Shushan, PhD, is the leading authority on near-death experiences and the afterlife across cultures and throughout history and an award-wining author. His books: The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, and Conceptions of the Afterlife in Early Civilizations.Dr. Shushan is a Visiting Fellow at Winchester University, and Research Fellow at the Parapsychology Foundation. He has lectured at universities in the UK, Ireland, and Switzerland and has given numerous talks on his research in nine countries, and has appeared on the History Channel.

Jim Gaines is an incredibly important individual in the world of journalism. He's the former managing editor of Time, Life, and People magazines. He’s interviewed and written about presidents, celebrities, and notable historical events such as Watergate, and figures, including being the first to interview Mark Chapman, the person who murdered John Lennon. Gaines has written several best-selling historical books, including his recent, The Fifties: An Underground History, “a bold and original argument that upends the myth of the Fifties as a decade of conformity to celebrate the solitary, brave, and stubborn individuals who pioneered the radical gay rights, feminist, civil rights, and environmental movements.” He's one of the most reputable and notable journalists of our time.

Peter Richardson has written critically acclaimed books about Hunter S. Thompson, the Grateful Dead, Ramparts magazine, and radical author/editor Carey McWilliams. “Savage Journey” is Richardson’s recently released book, a biography about Hunter S. Thompson that critically explores Thompson’s process, and the contributions of the work itself. Richardson’s essays have appeared in The Nation, The New Republic, the Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub. He’s a book reviewer, and guest speaker at universities, museums, book festivals, and historical societies. Since 2006, Richardson has taught courses on California culture at San Francisco State University. Has a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Reach Peter Richardson at http://peterrichardson.blogspot.com.