Best Monograph Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 146: A Monograph of Todd Howard 1:00:48

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22h ago1:00:48

1:00:48

Phil Salvador hosts a discussion with Dr. Wendi Sierra, author of Todd Howard: World Building in Tamriel and Beyond, and Emily Higgs Kopin. Dr. Sierra’s, associate professor of games studies at Texas Christian University, book follows the career history of the Bethesda Game Studios executive producer and his influence on game design throughout the …

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Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues 19:04

11d ago19:04

19:04

Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues is an audio monograph by Terry Blade conceived as a 1970s Chicago juke joint brought to life through sound. The work functions as an ethnographic blues document and a composed listening experience, blending Blade's original songs with restored archival interview excerpts recorded in 1977 to place living voices …

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Culinary Herbalism featuring Baking with Cinnamon 36:03

10d ago36:03

36:03

In this episode we delve into herbal medicine from a culinary perspective by baking with the queen of baking spices.. cinnamon. It's no surprise that this spice has a pastry named for it. Cinnamon is prominent as a remedy in traditional Chinese medicine. Its warming quality stimulates circulation. We talk about the differences between ceylon and ca…

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Episode 145: The 40th Anniversary of the NES: A PRGE Panel 1:45:15

29d ago1:45:15

1:45:15

At this year’s Portland Retro Gaming Expo, VGHF director Frank Cifaldi had the pleasure of hosting a panel celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Nintendo Entertainment System launch. Frank moderated 3 guests who were at Nintendo of America during this time: Gail Tilden, Marketing; Bruce Lowery, Sales; and Lance Barr, Product Design. This event wa…

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TZL - Leadership and Optimism in Uncertain Times: Mark Zweig’s Bold Moves for AEC Growth 45:14

1M ago45:14

45:14

“ If you're going to be an entrepreneur and you're going to accomplish anything and you're going to grow your business in spite of a lot of negative things happening, you've got to be positive. So it's absolutely essential.” Mark Zweig Episode Summary: In this episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Mark Zweig for a c…

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Episode 144: Phil Salvador - A Rule-Following Hooligan 1:13:05

1M ago1:13:05

1:13:05

Let’s all learn what makes our Library Director, Phil Salvador, Phil Salvador! Producer Robin Kunimune sat down with Phil to learn all about his life as a youth, an early path to his passions, creating chaos inside the lines, the mental health struggles many face in early adulthood, finding his community, and making his way to VGHF. And, don’t forg…

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Of Many Minds: An interview with Lee Skallerup Bessette 1:19:14

2M ago1:19:14

1:19:14

An interview with Lee Skallerup Bessette about the book Of Many Minds: Neurodiversity and Mental Health Among Faculty and Staff in Higher Education, which she has co-edited with Rebecca Pope Ruark. We discuss the trap and the promise of higher education for neurodivergent folks, and the ways that contributors to the book navigate that. Read the edi…

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Episode 143: The Andrew Nelson Collection 1:02:43

2M ago1:02:43

1:02:43

Phil Salvador introduces the new Andrew Nelson papers collection with guest, you guessed it, Andrew Nelson, himself. Guest-host Alex Greenberg joins to chat with Nelson, co-founder and creative director of CyberFlix, known for its 1996 title Titanic: Adventure Out of Time. Andrew discusses his transition from magazine journalism to game development…

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Herbal Bake Club: Panna Cotta & Cookies with Herbal Guests Ashwagandha and Cardamom 29:04

2M ago29:04

29:04

This is a special episode of An Herbal Diary. I am organizing a virtual herbal bake club and this is the first companion podcast episode. Please consider joining me! I have also started a newsletter on Substack. Please subscribe for all the details, recipes and zoom link for the meeting. If you are not yet subscribed to my new Substack, please head…

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Architecture With Heart: Carley Chastain on Equity, Community, and Global Inspiration 46:46

2M ago46:46

46:46

“Vernacular is what you do when you can’t afford to get it wrong.” Carley Chastain Episode Summary: This episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, hosted by Randy Wilburn and joined by marketing co-host Luke Carothers, traces Carley Chastain's unique path through the architecture profession. Carley, an emerging architectural professional at Marlon Black…

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Episode 142: October Update 1:30:59

2M ago1:30:59

1:30:59

It’s another quarterly update! Host Robin Kunimune talks with Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador about our recent work. From Chicago travel to launching Computer Entertainer, from our new Booth-in-a-Box to 4,000 magazines archived, from NES’s 40th to building Lego; come find out just how many new collections we've added in the last few months. You can…

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Focus isn't just a mind problem - Hannah de Keizer 11:55

3M ago11:55

11:55

A guest post from Hannah de Keijzer, book coach and non-fiction editor, about recruiting your office space and physical habits to help you get into focus more quickly and work more effectively. Like me, Hannah works with a lot of writers who are squeezing writing in amongst other professional and personal responsibilities. Writing at home can make …

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Optimizing Focus 11:34

3M ago11:34

11:34

Over the years I've written a lot about focus and distraction. This track introduces the collection of posts from my blog around this theme, with some new thoughts on the value of identifying the problem *before* you try to implement solutions. I also say a bit about what you'll find in the other posts. Related Posts: 3 elements to consider Focus a…

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Episode 141: Hidden Advertising of Feminine Games 58:24

3M ago58:24

58:24

Phil Salvador interviews Dr. Stephanie Harkin, lecturer at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Design Games Program in Australia, about her research on femininity in gaming, particularly in girls' lifestyle magazines. Dr. Harkin discusses her journey from media studies to focusing on feminine games. She highlights her findi…

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Ashwagandha Monograph 59:50

3M ago59:50

59:50

This episode highlights Ashwagandha, a medicinal herb that originates from the Indian Ayurvedic tradition. I'm spending time with this nourishing plant today with an herbal monograph episode. An herbal monograph is also called materia medica. It is a collection of knowledge about one plant that helps to describe the plant as a material of medicine.…

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Benchmarking the Future: AE Firm Performance Insights with Monograph and Zweig Group 1:01:56

3M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

“Whatever is the hardest path is probably the path we should be on. The hardest path is also the least traveled.” Robert Yuen Episode Summary: In this episode of The Zweig Letter Podcast, host Randy Wilburn is joined by Robert Yuen of Monograph and Mark Zweig of Zweig Group for a candid conversation around the future of A/E firm management. Togethe…

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Episode 140: The 49 Ways of Sinistar 1:03:15

3M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Host Frank Cifaldi is joined by documentarian, historian, hacker, and all around cool guy SynaMax to talk about their documentary Resurrecting Sinistar: A Cyber-Archaeology Documentary. The 1983 top-down space shooter arcade game’s unique 49-way joystick allowed players to pilot their spaceship to prevent a giant skull, Sinistar, from forming. Syna…

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Make Your Manuscript Work: An Interview with Laura Portwood-Stacer 1:05:35

4M ago1:05:35

1:05:35

An interview with Laura Portwood-Stacer about her new book, Make Your Manuscript work. In March 2025 I wrote about the difficulty of writing a “shitty first draft” (JoVanEvery.co.uk/perfectionism-vs-impatience/) and concluded "If you *accept* that multiple rounds of revision will be required, and even have a process for moving through them, it’s ea…

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Episode 139: Phoenix: The Rise of Leonard Herman 1:11:36

4M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

We’re joined by pioneer video game historian Leonard Herman, author and publisher of several video game history books including the first comprehensive book chronicling the history of the videogame industry, Phoenix: The Fall & Rise of Home Videogames, and its subsequent series. We touch on Leonard’s early career, the challenges of self-publishing,…

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Artist Interview: Elizabeth Close 35:27

4M ago35:27

35:27

In this episode, SALA chats to artist Elizabeth Close. Elizabeth talks about the path she took to becoming a visual artist and how her love of art was influenced by her grandmother. She discusses how her work is inspired by other indigenous artists, such as Nyunmiti Burton, and non-indigenous artists like Georgina Hill, and how her practice has bec…

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SALA Forum with 2025 Feature Artist Dr Sue Kneebone, and monograph writers Nicole Clift, Elle Freak & Andrew Purvis 49:11

4M ago49:11

49:11

In this episode recorded at the Adelaide Central School of Art, Suzanne Close talks to 2025 SALA Feature Artist Sue Kneebone, and her monograph writers Nicole Clift, Elle Freak and Andrew Purvis. They discuss the different approach each writer took in writing their essays, and how each was influenced by different aspects of Sue's work and career, i…

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Episode 138: Playing Faceball 2000 With 15 of Your Closest Friends 1:17:35

4M ago1:17:35

1:17:35

Host Phil Salvador is joined by Derek Alexander, of the YouTube channel Stop Skeletons From Fighting, and Zarithya, of the YouTube channel Zarithya, to talk about the fan-restored 16-player mode for the 1991 Game Boy game Faceball 2000 as laid out in My 2 Year Journey to Solve the 30-Year Myth of Faceball 2000 | SSFF. In this bit of video game arch…

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Artist Interview: Annette Vincent 44:27

4M ago44:27

44:27

For this special SALA podcast episode, Elise from Inspiring South Australia talks to scientist and artist Annette Vincent in her studio garage. Annette talks about her background in science as a myrmecologist (someone who studies ants) and the path that led her to being an artist, and the work that inspired her 2025 SALA exhibition '15 Years On, Ar…

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How Should Architects + Structural Engineers Work Together? w/ Point B Design Group & A-1 Engineers 49:36

5M ago49:36

49:36

Why don't Architects sketch with clients anymore? And why don't Engineers invest in teaching their Architect collaborators? These two Austin firms have revolutionized collaboration by front-loading coordination, using paper to build trust, and aligning billing phases perfectly. In this episode, you will learn: → Why front-loading structural knowled…

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Episode 137: Computer Entertainer 1:37:17

5M ago1:37:17

1:37:17

Frank Cifaldi and guest-host Kate Willaert (of A Critical Hit) are joined by Marylou Badeaux to discuss the history of the vitally important Computer Entertainer, also known as The Video Game Update: a monthly newsletter which covered video game availability information and reviews in the 1980’s. Co-created with Marylou’s sister Celeste Dolan, this…

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How this Architect quit corporate life to start a new firm but without all the growing pains 9:02

5M ago9:02

9:02

In this episode, two ex-corporate architects explain how running their own business actually meant less admin than being employees at a large company. What you'll learn: → Why small firms can now punch above their weight with the right tools → How to set up professional operations in 30 days instead of months → The payment processing strategy that …

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Hospitality Design w/ Michael Hsu, FAIA + APTUS - How Should Architects + MEP Engineers Work Together? 44:22

5M ago44:22

44:22

Creating the perfect restaurant vibe requires controlling air temperature, velocity, day lighting, and acoustic quality all at once, but most architect-engineer teams can't coordinate at this level. In this conversation, you'll hear how these Austin-based firms have sustained their decade-plus partnership working on everything from P. Terry's locat…

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Burnout - A personal experience 1:37:26

5M ago1:37:26

1:37:26

I invited Studio member and client: Myriam Houssay-Holzschuch to share something about her experience of burnout. She preferred an interview to a guest blog post. I learned a lot from this conversation and I think you will too. Fixing this requires systemic changes that are out of our control. That is frustrating, or even enraging. As Emily and Ame…

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How this Architect became more selective with clients using Monograph 3:56

5M ago3:56

3:56

Architecture firms often accept any project that comes their way, but what if you could use data to choose only the clients who value your expertise? In this episode, you will learn: → How to replace fragmented spreadsheets with unified financial tracking systems → Why historical project data transforms proposal accuracy and profitability → How to …

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How Should Architects + Structural Engineers Work Together? (w/ Arch11 and KL&A Engineers) 44:38

5M ago44:38

44:38

Most architects treat engineers like a service you hand work to, but what if your breakthrough moments happen when you start conceptual conversations before making any structural decisions? What you'll learn: → Why bringing consultants to the table "as quickly and early as possible" unlocks structural innovation most firms never discover → How to r…

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Episode 136: Halfway Through 2025: A Mid-Year Update 1:22:01

5M ago1:22:01

1:22:01

It’s time for a little review of what we’ve been up to, so far, this year. With the official launch of our digital library archive, livestreams of game magazine unboxing and EPROM dumping, the newest collections of Craig Stitt and Kirk Henderson, a Trade Magazine Week special event, and teasing some special new acquisitions we have SO much to catch…

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How Should Architects + Engineers Work Together? (w/ Studio GWA + Angus Young) 55:22

5M ago55:22

55:22

Architects don’t design alone. But real collaboration between firms? That’s the hard part. In this episode, you’ll learn what it actually takes to run successful projects across architecture and engineering teams, such as: → How to build trust between teams and clients → How to structure timelines across consultants → How to handle late invoices, d…

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How Should Architects + Landscape Architects Work Together? (w/ Shape Architecture + Superbloom) 1:05:19

5M ago1:05:19

1:05:19

A&E project collaboration sounds great–until projects go over budget, scope gets muddy, and no one's sure who's doing what. In this episode, two award-winning design firms share how they actually make collaboration work: → How to staff and structure projects across two firms → How to run weekly planning and manage deadlines → How to divide scope, r…

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Episode 135: Baldur’s Gate 3’s Lawrence Schick and His Decades of Work in Game Development 1:04:15

6M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

Veteran game designer and author Lawrence Schick shares stories from his early 80's work with the ColecoVision, Atari 2600, and Intellivision. With over four decades of experience in the industry, Schick details how he helped pioneer a multi-discipline, team-based approach to game development designing games like Smurf: Rescue and Tarzan while pull…

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Episode 134: Preservation Work Inside the University of Michigan Library Computer and Video Game Archive 1:10:22

6M ago1:10:22

1:10:22

Host Phil Salvador and guest host Colleen Barrett, Rare Books Librarian at UK Libraries, chat with David Carter, Video Game Archivist and Comic Librarian at University of Michigan Library Computer and Video Game Archive, about the work he does in archiving video game material within such a large and academic institutions. We discuss what tools are …

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ElevateAEC 2025 Preview: Growth, Innovation, and Networking Opportunities in San Antonio 35:08

7M ago35:08

35:08

ElevateAEC 2025 Preview: Growth, Innovation, and Networking Opportunities in San Antonio “Proximity is a place of power. If you are a design firm leader or design firm owner and you’re trying to take your firm to the next level, sometimes it means you need to get around other people that have actually already done it.” Randy Wilburn Episode Summary…

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Episode 133: Spyro the Dragon artist Craig Stitt talks Sega and Insomniac 1:34:11

7M ago1:34:11

1:34:11

On this special video episode of the Video Game History Hour, we sat down with Craig Stitt, retired game artist and designer. Craig worked on games including Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Kid Chameleon, Ratchet & Clank, and Spyro the Dragon. He gave us a tour of his portfolio and talked about working at Sega in America, creating Spyro, dealing with burnout…

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Stress Relief from Adaptogens and How Herbs Can Do This 46:35

7M ago46:35

46:35

Plants labeled as adaptogens take the word literally. These herbs lend us a way to adapt, a way to adjust to what life throws at us. You can't go wrong taking adaptogens, but you can go wrong in how you take them. There are two paths to careful selection. Work with an herbalist who can guide you to adaptogens that fit you best or arm yourself with …

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Episode 132: Croc Remaster 1:23:53

7M ago1:23:53

1:23:53

Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador host a discussion with Jez San, Jason Smith, and Mike Arkin from Argonaut Games about the development and remastering of the 1997 game Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. We touch on what went into the original game - incorporating 3D technology and character design influences from traditional animation - as well as enhancem…

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Episode 131: Flitman Collection 1:10:35

8M ago1:10:35

1:10:35

Hosts Frank Cifaldi and Phil Salvador chat with Mark and Michelle Flitman, a father-daughter duo, about Mark’s career, his donated collection at the VGHF, and his autobiography: "It’s Not All Fun and Games." As a semi-retired video game and toy producer, Mark shares his career highlights as a publisher producer throughout the 90’s and into the earl…

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Episode 130: Spycraft 54:01

8M ago54:01

54:01

Phil Salvador hosts Polygon’s Clayton Ashley and Simone de Rochefort to discuss a documentary they produced last year called The Great Game: The Making of Spycraft | Full Polygon Documentary about the 1996 FMV CD-ROM game, Spycraft. You can listen to the Video Game History Hour every other Wednesday on Patreon (one day early at the $5 tier and abov…

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Beyond Awards: How Data and Research are Elevating AEC Firms 45:14

8M ago45:14

45:14

“I think the employee experience—and we've seen over the last five years how important the employee experience has been with how tight the labor market has been and how everybody is competing for the same people… To ensure good retention, you must survey your employees to see what they think of your firm.” Kyle Ahern About our Guests: Keith Sequeir…