Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

About Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

In conversations with long time faculty member John Pierson, alumni of the John Burroughs School in St. Louis share memories of the school and talk about their lives, their professions, and the paths that brought them from the students they were to the people they are today.

Publisher

John Pierson

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jan 2024

Latest episode

6 Jan 2025

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Jan 2025

   Ep. 12 Stories From Season One

   Happy New Year! Season One comes to a close with a sampler of stories from some of this season's guests. Some of these stories are about good times, and some are about some rough times. But they are all about Burroughs moments that these alums will never forget. Exactly where and when John will travel to talk with more Burroughs alumni is yet to be determined, but there's one thing for sure: Here From There will be back! Be sure to follow the podcast so that you don't miss it when that second season drops. More conversations, more stories, more moments will be coming your way... In the meantime, here are stories from Joe Leonard (episode 11), Leslie Stevens (episode 4), Bryan Hill (episode 2), Laura Hess (episode 8), Elizabeth Little (episodes 6 & 9), and Johnny O'Neal (episode 5). Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

2. 

   2 Dec 2024

   Ep. 11 Joe Leonard '98

   Burroughs alumnus Joe Leonard '98 shares how his experience in JBS theater and learning from Charlie Derleth and Howard Jones set him up for success in his TV editing career, including credits on Glee and American Horror Story.

3. 

   4 Nov 2024

   Ep. 10 Stephanie Sanditz '95

   Stephanie Sanditz graduated from Burroughs in 1995 and then attended NYU's Tisch School of the Arts to study acting. After making a hilarious television debut alongside Amy Sedaris and Stephen Colbert in the now cult classic show Strangers With Candy, Stephanie made her way up the well established ladder rungs of a NYC working actor: soap opera work, episodes of Law and Order, and plenty of experimental theater. Now living in Los Angeles, Stephanie has become a successful screenwriter. She talks with John about her writing process, Burroughs in the 90s, and her creative journey so far. To see more about Stephanie's work, check out her IMDB page. Or follow her on https://www.inInstagram. She speaks a bit about one of her latest writing projects, Perfect Addiction. Check it out on Amazon Prime here. And for some old school laughs (and to see Stephen Colbert before he was Stephen Colbert) check out Stephanie's episode from the first season of Strangers With Candy. It's not for everyone's taste, but if you're a listener, you probably know what makes John laugh. Do the same things make you laugh? Well, then take a 30 minute break and treat yourself: Strangers With Candy S1 E10. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

4. 

   2 Sept 2024

   Ep. 9 Summer Reading Episode: Elizabeth Little's PRETTY AS A PICTURE

   Happy Labor Day. It's the day that reminds us that summer has come to a close, and even though Summer Reading was due for current Burroughs students a week and a half ago, today is the due date for Here From There listeners. At the end of John's conversation with novelist Elizabeth Little in Episode 6, (go check it out, if you haven't already!) John assigned her latest novel, Pretty as a Picture, for summer reading. If you don't have it yet, it's not too late! Head to your local bookstore or library, or go to EB's website: https://www.elizabeth-little.com and pick up a copy. It's a quick and fun read. If you haven't read it, you can still enjoy this episode, but, you know...why not just read it? And then enjoy a little bit of John and EB's conversation about the book, the craft of writing, and crock pots. Yes, that's right: crock pots. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

5. 

   1 Aug 2024

   Ep. 8 Laura Hess '95

   Laura Hess graduated from Burroughs in 1995 and set a course to become an actor in New York, but when it did't work out, she began a journey that eventually found her working as an experience design strategist in Los Angeles. The story Laura has to tell about that journey gets right to the heart of what Here From There is all about: there is never one set path that leads to the future, and learning to embrace failure and grow from it is perhaps the most important lesson of them all. To learn more about the world of experiential art, entertaiment, and commerce in which Laura works, check out her website and her substack. During the episode, John and Laura talk about a particular image of the playwright Samuel Beckett. You can see that image here. They also discuss a particular piece of writing in which Laura references the late Charlie Derleth, a Burroughs teacher who was a huge influence. You can read that piece here. Coming up next month: the first ever Here From There Summer Reading Episode. At the end of John's conversation with novelist Elizabeth Little in Episode 6, (go check it out, if you haven't already!) John assigned her latest novel, Pretty as a Picture, for summer reading. The summer is coming to a close, so it's time to finish an assignment you're really going to enjoy. Get a copy here or at your favorite bookstore or library and give it a read. Then check out next month's episode when John and EB talk about that book and her writing process.

6. 

   1 Jul 2024

   Ep. 7 Chris Bremner '02

   June in Hollywood kicked off with the hugely succesfful theatrical release of Bad Boys: Ride or Die and now July at Here From There gets started with John's conversation with one of its writers, Chris Bremner from the JBS class of 2002. Current students take note: this is a must-listen for anyone interested in writing for film, and Chris makes the offer to be a resource for anyone who might want to talk with him. To connect with him, reach out to John at herefromthere@jburroughs.org. Because Bad Boys: Ride or Die had not yet been released when John and Chris sat down in LA, they talk about the previous installment in the Bad Boys series, 2020's Bad Boys for Life, just how complicated it is to create a big budget popcorn movie. It might be worth treating yourself to an "in-house field trip." Bad Boys for Life is streaming on Hulu and available to rent on number of platforms, and it's a great summer movie. Pop yourself some corn and put this chat with Chris into a great context. Among many subjects, this conversation touches on how quickly Chris's plan to become an actor fell apart, the significance of walking the streets of New York City, how he really learned how to write in Michael Dee's ninth grade English class, the genius of Pirates of the Carribean, and just how completely unimportant his transcripts turned out to be. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

7. 

   3 Jun 2024

   Ep. 6 Elizabeth Little '99

   Elizabeth Little '99 is a novelist and non-fiction author living in Los Angeles. John and EB (as she was known at Burroughs) cover all sorts of topics, like: writing, reading, gardening, the CIA, and just how frightening and disorienting groups of middle school girls can be...even for adults. Burroughs wasn't always the easiest place for EB, but this conversation gets right to the heart of what Here From There is all about: when you have made it to here, you have all kinds of new perspective on what it was like to be there. Becoming an author was never EB's plan. In fact, the idea of writing for a living never even occurred to her. And yet now she is the Los Angeles Times–bestselling author of Dear Daughter, Pretty as a Picture, and two works of nonfiction, Biting the Wax Tadpole: Confessions of a Language Fanatic and Trip of the Tongue: Cross-Country Travels in Search of America's Languages. She also wrote one of John's favorite graduation speeches of all time! John is so convinced that you will enjoy Pretty as a Picture, EB's latest novel, that he is going to give the podcast's second homework assignment! (If you haven't done the first one, go back to Episodes 1 and 3 and finish the homework assignment on Bhi Bhiman's podcast and album, Peace of Mind). This second one is in keeping with a Burroughs English Department tradition: summer reading! Step 1: Head to your local bookstore, or go to EB's website: https://www.elizabeth-little.com Treat yourself to a copy of Pretty as a Picture. If you are a fan of movies, well-paced mysteries, or strong and witty female protagonists, you will love this novel. Step 2: Sit by the pool, find a place in the shade of a tree, or curl up in a chair and read it! Step 3: Check out the bonus episode to be dropped at the end of the summer in which John and EB talk about the book and her writing process. The bonus episode "Summer Reading: Elizabeth Little's Pretty as a Picture" will be coming soon! Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

8. 

   6 May 2024

   Ep. 5 Johnny O'Neal '98

   Board game designer and entrepeneur Johnny O'Neal '98 talks with John about how film school was not the start of his career in the film industry, but instead marked the beginning of a journey that took him through the toy industry, business school, the joys of community theater, and the profound importance of family. All of which has led to becoming a board game designer and the president and co-founder of Brotherwise Games. And Johnny has a story to tell that John ranks as one of his top ten Burroughs stories ever! Johnny is going to deliver a great teaser for that story, and the fully told tale (it's such a great one...) will be a part of a collection of several Burroughs stories John heard during this first season. That will be dropping as a bonus episode later this summer. Thinking that you want a new way for you to have some fun with friends and family? Thinking that just maybe you could use a little less screen time? Well, then try a new game and support a JBS alum in the process! Follow this link to check out Johhny's business at Brotherwise Games. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

9. 

   1 Apr 2024

   Ep. 4 Leslie Stevens '95

   Singer/Songwriter and session vocalist Leslie Stevens '95 sits down with John mere hours after finishing an exhausting and exciting shoot of a video for the song "Blue Roses" from her just-released self titled album. The conversation ranges from Leslie first learning she could sing at her Baltimore elementary school, through learning the importance of irreverance at Burroughs, to harmonizing with Jackson Brown while singing backup vocals for John Fogerty. Leslie brought along her guitar and performs a live acoustic version of "Blue Roses" at the end of the episode. Check out the video for "Blue Roses" here. Fellow Burroughs alums Stephanie Sanditz '95, Jon Hamm '89, and Susan Scafati '95 all worked on the project with her. You'll also here some studio samples of Leslie's music. Go find them wherever you buy your music. "Los Angeles" and "It's Okay to Trip" are from the album Roomful of Smoke with her backing band The Badgers. "On the Levee" is from her first solo album The Donkey and The Rose.  And "Taken" and "Wahine F" are from her newest solo album Leslie Stevens.(All used by permission.) To connect with more of Leslie's music, merch, and show dates, head to her website https://www.lesliestevensmusic.com. Buy some vinyl! Buy a cd! Come on, people: treat yourself to a tshirt! Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

10. 

    14 Mar 2024

    Ep. 3 Homework Episode: Bhi Bhiman's PEACE OF MIND

    It's Here From There's first homework assignment! Step 1. If you haven't already done so, listen to John's conversation with Bhi in Episode 1. Step 2. Listen to Bhi's music. (Yeah, come on go to Bhi's website and buy some!) Step 3. Find Bhi's podcast PEACE OF MIND on your favorite podcast platform. And now that you've finished the homework... Step 4. Check out this bonus bit of conversation between Bhi and John, which includes portions of "Brother, Can You Spare Some Peace of Mind" and "Beyond the Border"(used with permission)  from Bhi's album (used with permission)  Peace of Mind. Step 5. Enjoy! And while you're at it, follow these links to a couple of videos. They are both great tunes by Bhi, and when he's joined by Rhiannon Giddens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i4QDkMJpeM) and Keegan-Michael Key, the results are definitely worth checking out. Thanks for connecting with Bhi. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

11. 

    4 Mar 2024

    Ep. 2 Bryan Edward Hill '95

    For the second episode of the Los Angeles Season, John talks with filmmaker, screenwriter, and comic book author Bryan Edward Hill from the Burroughs class of 1995. For any current Burroughs students interested in writing for the screen, Bryan has plenty of words of wisdom to share! Among his many credits, Bryan has written for the television shows Ash Vs. Evil Dead and Titans. He has also authored comics for Marvel, DC (https://www.dc.com/talent/bryan-hill), and Top Cow. You can follow Bryan on social media here. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

12. 

    22 Feb 2024

    Ep. 1 Bhi Bhiman '00

    Singer-songwriter and music producer Bhi Bhiman sits down with John for the very first Here From There chat. The conversation covers a lot of ground, from how Bhi's favorite Burroughs teachers were "all a little wild" to how Bhi felt when asked by childhood idol Chris Cornell to join him on tour. Bhi's journey from a rough ending at Burroughs to performing years later at Carnegie Hall alongside Booker T. Jones, Elvis Costello, and Chris Rock is just the sort of story to kick off the first season. To hear some of Bhi's music, check out his website: bhiman.com. During this episode, you will hear snippets from a few of his songs: "Moving to Brussels" off of RHYTHM AND REASON, "Ballerina" off of BHIMAN, and Bhi's cover of AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" from his EP Substitute Preacher (all used by permission). If you like what you hear, why not follow the links and buy a cd or two? At the very least, you should get a copy of Bhi's album PEACE OF MINDand then listen to his podcast of the same name. Why? Because the Peace of Mind podcast will be the subject of Here From There's very first HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT! That's right: John is going to keep on being a teacher. And a teacher gives homework. A segment of his conversation with Bhi was all about the Peace of Mind podcast in which Bhi uses each episode to focus on one song from the album. He not only does a deep dive into his musical process, but he also interviews activists, experts, and other artists about the social and political issues that rest at the heart each song. Because their talk about the podcast really requires having listened to the podcast for context (and because John really wants you to explore Bhi's work!), here's the assignment: Listen to the album. (And come on, why not buy it?) Listen to the podcast. Check out the bonus "Homework" episode, which will drop in a few months. (So there is, you know, plenty of time to finish your homework!) Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

13. 

    31 Jan 2024

    Season One Preview

    To kick off Here From There, John Pierson travelled to Los Angeles to sit down with some of the many alums who live in the area. Give a listen to this short preview to find out who will be featured in Season 1. (And to all of you grads in LA who John didn't talk to, don't worry: he'll be back!) Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard.

14. 

    31 Jan 2024

    Introducing Here From There

    Since 1923, graduates of John Burroughs School have left the St. Louis campus and found their way to fascinating lives and livelihoods all over the world. Longtime Burroughs teacher John Pierson loves a good story. And when he sits down with alums of the school, there are always good stories to be had. Some are about their days at 755 South Price Road. Some are about their careers. And some are about their personal journeys. For current Burroughs students and families, these stories might just offer a roadmap for the future along with an important reminder: there are many paths that can lead to the life and career ahead of you, and your future will very likely be not all what you're planning on, but it also might just wind up be so much more than you can know. For Burroughs alumni, these same stories will be a great way for some of you to reconnect with old classmates. And many of you will find all new connections as you're introduced to people you've never met, but with whom you share a bond that can transcend generations. And for anyone else who wants to listen? Fascinating people are still fascinating people, no matter your connection with them! Check out an episode that features someone working in a field that interests you and learn something new about a unique journey through life. Unique journeys. Unique stories. Unique people. All with something in common. They have all made it to somewhere in life that is very much their own, but they all started out at the same small school in St. Louis. Listen in as they tell us how they got here from there. Here From There is hosted by John Pierson. Theme music for the podcast is by The Bottlesnakes and Aves, and is used courtesy of Artlist (license # 9U88am). Artwork is by Ethan Orchard, John Burroughs School Class of 2017. See his work online at ethanorchard.art (https://ethanorchard.art) or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

9 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 41 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

53

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

71

Contact Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.