This week, host Kat Kezon is joined by Rian N. Jenkins for a very carbonated conversation. Born into storytelling, Rian shares her lifelong transformation from confiscated notebooks to seven published books of her stories and poetry. Rian discusses coming into her love of reading as a teacher committed to bringing Black literature into the classroom while providing mentorship that really matters outside the classroom.

This week host Kat Kezon is joined by Sandra Rivas, the founder of Peaceful Gatherings Nature School. Peaceful Gatherings Nature School, located in the St. Andrews neighborhood, is an Agile Learning Community where learning is inclusive, land-based, and liberated. Sandra shares how she identified a gap in liberated learning spaces for kiddos in Columbia, created the space with the help of her neighbors, and continues to facilitate this unique space. You won’t want to miss it!

This week, host Kat Kezon has the pleasure of sitting down with reader, writer, consultant, community architect, and host of the Columbia Silent Book Club, Miss Jemia Williams. Jemia shares how catching up with a friend over silent reading turned into an opportunity to host the city's chapter of the national Silent Book Club. A woman of many talents, many interests, and many lives, Jemia also shares how she found her people in a new city, how she continues to prioritize hobbies in motherhood, and how her time in Columbia, SC has transformed her into her truest self. Jemia also pays beautiful tribute to her dear friend, the late Columbia author and treasure, DéLana R. A. Dameron. *Ding ding ding* Carbonated Conversation and Silent Book Club are in session.

This week, host Kat Kezon sits down with Jordan Sirois, host of the Watching Movies Podcast. Jordan talks about how movies have remained a steady interest and hobby, and has since produced a movie podcast with family and friends. Jordan advocates for visiting your local movie theatre and creating your own analog movie collection at home. Tune in to hear about how Jordan's show has led him to an amazing relationship with South Carolina's only nonprofit arthouse cinema, The Nickelodeon Theatre.

This week, Kat sits down with Britt and Kara of the Magnolia Drifters womxn's rugby club, a 501(c)3 and womxn's social club promoting positive rugby culture and community service. The teammates discuss falling in love with the sport, especially thanks to their amazing teammates.

This episode is truly a love letter to the Soda City. Kat has the pleasure of sitting down with multi-talented paper craft, fabrication, and graphic artist Dogon Krigga whose Afrofuturist, Afrosurrealist art can be found all around the city of Columbia. Dogon shares on their artistic roots in the city and the current day art scene. We talk synesthesia, loving our neighbors, the importance of art spaces, their teenage rap sheet, tarot, mutual aid, Hoodoo, and so much more. Dogon also gives us an update on our friends at Columbia Community Fridges.

It's Black Maternal Health Week! And host Kat Kezon has the pleasure of sitting down with Rebekah Cadet, the founder of The Black Mom Village, who opens up about her personal experiences in motherhood that set her on the course to find and build her village. Rebekah has created a space for Black moms in Columbia, SC that centers lived experience, advocacy, de in the face of disparities in healthcare access, maternal outcomes, and support systems.

This week, your host Kat sits down with trans, Southern author Evelyn Berry for another Carbonated Conversation. Evelyn discusses the books that built her, the practices that sustain her, and the Southern treats that delight her. We talk Queerness and the United States South, Queerness IN the United States South. Evelyn even performs two poems from her latest published collection "T4T'. Tune in to hear about the many ways her poetry has been transformed, transposed, and transfixed into other artistic mediums.