Musician and artist Sherri DuPree has spent years as a core creative force behind the band Eisley. Alongside her musical work, she maintains a distinct visual practice, producing illustrations, custom designs, and commission pieces that balance distinct character with personal expression. On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, Kyler talks with Sherri about growing up in an art-focused family, making time to illustrate while touring, and the day-to-day realities of making things while raising children. They also discuss the specific challenges of tattoo design work, the value of keeping an analog creative process, and the persistence required to keep making art independently.

Thanks for listening!

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Episode Links:

• Sherri on Instagram
• Listen to Eisley

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SLD Podcast Info:

• Visit SaltLakeDirt.com for more interviews.
• Intro and outro music courtesy of Hot House West.
• Vienna Waltz composed by Nathan Royal, performed by HHW.

Jihoon Park is a writer from San Jose, California, a PhD candidate at UC Santa Cruz, and a graduate of George Mason University's MFA program. In his debut novel, Stickman, Park explores contemporary alienation, modern masculinity, and the Asian American experience through Juni, a demoralized rideshare driver whose obsession with a childhood classmate who became a notorious school shooter pushes him to the edge of reality. Blending deadpan humor, psychological grit, and surreal elements, the novel examines the dark, uneasy boundaries between internal isolation and extreme violence. In this episode of Salt Lake Dirt, host Kyler Bingham talks with Park about the winding genesis of Stickman, transitioning the core motif from a literal surreal stick figure to a thematic element in visual art, and his academic background teaching Japan's I-novel tradition. They also examine the psychological underpinnings of the protagonist's self-destructive cognitive loops, how immigrant identity shapes myth and fantasy, and the discomfort that arises when literature forces readers to confront ugly human truths.

Thanks for listening!

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Episode Links:

• Purchase Stickman
• Jihoon's website
• IG: @jihoon.writer

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SLD Podcast Info:

• Visit SaltLakeDirt.com for more interviews.

• Intro and outro music courtesy of Hot House West.

• Vienna Waltz composed by Nathan Royal, performed by HHW.

Musician and author Roddy Bottum recently joined the show to discuss his critically acclaimed memoir, The Royal We. Rather than following standard celebrity formulas, Bottum crafted the book using his daily morning writing exercises to focus on sophisticated prose and sharp wordplay. He shared insights into his creative process, which notably omits specific dates and years to keep the narrative focused on emotional truth and personal growth rather than rigid timelines. During the conversation, Bottum also opened up about navigating complex themes such as his early experiences in San Francisco, letting go of shame surrounding his sexuality and past struggles with addiction, and the intense vulnerability of recording the audiobook. Fans of his work can look forward to more writing in the future, as he is currently at work on a new novel alongside upcoming tour dates with Imperial Teen and Faith No More.

Thanks for listening!

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Episode Links:

• Purchase The Royal We
• Imperial Teen
• Faith No More

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SLD Podcast Info:

• Visit SaltLakeDirt.com for more interviews.

• Intro and outro music courtesy of Hot House West.

• Vienna Waltz composed by Nathan Royal, performed by HHW.