This week I’m joined by the dynamic and multitalented writer, world traveler, and media sensation Nicole Banister, who many know as Nikki Banz. She joined me from her home in Cape Town, South Africa, and we had a far-ranging talk about postcards and long-time penpals and many, many, other topics.

You can find Nicole at these places (and watch for her documentary — I have a sense when she has ideas she makes them come true)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmebanz/
NIKKI BANZ LIVE: https://www.instagram.com/theycallmebanz/channel/Nas Academy – How To Adapt To New Cultures: https://nasacademy.com/nicoleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/banisternicole/
Medium: https://medium.com/@nicolebanisterofficial
My Basketball Team (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/mybasketballteam/My Basketball Team (website): https://www.mybasketballteam.co/

We also did a video recording of the show I’ll post on YouTube in a couple days. Here we are.

In this episode I’m joined by Teresa Edmunds. We talk about music. About postcard playlists and mixtapes. And how we can use music as a universal language as we write postcards.

Here are some music and media we referred to in the show:

Postcards and Letters playlist on Spotify by Teresa Edmunds

Send Me a Postcard (a convertible and an unknown destination)

A Playlist to fit a postcard’s illustration

The Postcrossing blog post that started it all

The Natural History of Song” study by Harvard

This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin

This is Just Some Songs podcast episode on This American Life (the mixtape episode)

The music in the show, titled Casa de Frio by Jon Presstone, is licensed from Storyblocks

Toilet paper stamp

Ana Clara Padovani (IG: postalesycartas) joined me from Argentina for a chat from about postcards, pen pals, books, music…and football. This show is a classic case of “postcards connect people.” Listen to find out how we connected.

You can find Ana on IG and on her website.

Also, you heard that Ana recommended some songs to me. Here they are:

Soda Stereo, En la ciudad de la furia , Lo que sangra, and En el séptimo día.

Charly García – Demoliendo hoteles y Tu amor, a duet with Pedro Aznar.

Babasónicos – Los calientes y  Deléctrico

Los Piojos – Agua, Tan solo, El balneario de los doctores crotos.

Divididos – Nene de antes, Qué ves, Ala delta, Dame un limón.

Tango

Osvaldo Pugliese

Folklore: Mercedes Sosa, Zamba para olvidar .

I’m joined by Dr. Justin Kreuter, who’s known around Mayo Clinic as the Bow Tie Bandit of Blood. His day job includes:

• Program director for the transfusion medicine fellowship
• Medical director of the blood donor center
• Associate medical director of the histocompatibility laboratory
• Laboratory director at Federal Medical Center — Rochester
• Alumnus of the Harvard Macy Institute’s program for educators in health professions

He’s also and avid postcard and letter writer. Artist. Musician. And podcaster. In this wide-ranging chat, we cover a lot of ground, all with a focus on how postcards connect people.

You can find Justin at these places:

Instagram: @kreutermd

YouTube

Bow Tie Bandit of Blood Podcast

Twitter

And here’s a link to an article about the need for blood donations and how your donations save lives. 

In which I talk about postcards (and many other things) for 36 minutes, 26 seconds, and 121 milliseconds. Plus there’s some music as an intro and outro. This is the last in the series for National Postcard Week 2021.

In which I talk about Johnny Astro, growing up on the same street where Ray Bradbury grew up, and why I collect space postcards.

In which I talk about polymer physics, design of experiments, rheology, digital calipers, coefficient of friction, bending deflection, stiffness…and why in the hell so many postcards get marred in the mail. 

How many stamps do you put on a postcard? 

I’ve tested scores of pens and pencils to write postcards. Here’s where I tell you about it. 

Links to pens and pencils I use to write postcards:

Blue Sharpie

Tombow

Staedtler

Sarasa Zebra

Retro 51

Baronfig

Sakura

Blackwing

Camel

It’s National Postcard Week this week. I talk about it.