The Unruly Muse – Details, episodes & analysis

Song 1: “Disappear” (Daniel P. Modaff with Good Enough on the CD Dakota Plains)

Poem 1: “For the Dark Girl” by Susan Aizenberg. Published in her first full-length collection, Muse. Susan lives in Iowa City, IA. Her most recent book is A Walk With Frank O’Hara (U of New Mexico Press, 2024.)

Fiction: “Shock Without Awe,” a short story by Lynn C. Miller. Her most recent book is The Lost Archive: Stories. www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the Cat Break: excerpt from “Moment of Time” (Dave Merrill)            

Poem 2: “The Messiah Horse” by Mark Sanders. Mark lives in Nacogdoches, TX and teaches at Stephen F. Austin University. https://sandersme1.wixsite.com/mark-sanders/ 

Song 2: “Hold On” (John V. Modaff, cello by David R. Merrill)

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller 
Theme & Incidental Music by John V. Modaff, BMI 
Recorded in Albuquerque NM and Morehead KY
Produced at The Creek Studio 

NEXT UP on Episode 52: Love?

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: “Twenty Wishes” (John V. Modaff, w/ lead guitar and mandolin by Dan Modaff)

Poem 1: “You Weary Listening To Their First World Complaints” by Mikki Aronoff. Published in Gooseberry Pie. Mikki is featured this year in Best Microfiction 2025 and Best Small Fictions 2025.

Fiction excerpt: Scene from the novel The Unmasking by Lynn C. Miller, published by UNM Press, 2020. www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the Cat Break: “Bittersweet” (JVM.)

Poem 2: “Fat Boy Poems” by Kelly Yenser, whose most recent collection is Walking Uphill at Noon. Kelly publishes fiction and poetry.

Song 2: “Jesus & Satan Take a Nap,” (John V. Modaff.)

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller

Theme & Incidental Music by John V. Modaff, BMI

Recorded in Albuquerque NM and Morehead KY.

Produced at The Creek Studio

NEXT UP on Episode 51:  Stop the World, I Want to Get Off.

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: “I’m Not Your Maybe” (Daniel P. Modaff, performed with GOOD ENOUGH from the album Saturday’s Child)

Poem 1: “Conditional Love Story” by Barbara Rockman, author of the poetry collections To Cleave and Sting and Nest. Barbara is a poet and teacher whose homebase is Santa Fe.

Fiction: Excerpt from “The Surrogate,” a novel in process by Lynn C. Miller, whose latest book is The Lost Archive: stories, https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6155.htm

Feed the Cat Break: “Counting Down the Raindrops” (Andrew Preston and A.P. Harbor)

Poem 2: “The Impossibility of Stasis," by Hilda Raz whose New and Collected Poems, Letter from a Place I’ve Never Been, came out from University of Nebraska Press.

Song 2: “I Doubt It” (John V. Modaff)

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller

Theme and Incidental Music by John V. Modaff, BMI

Recorded in Albuquerque NM and Morehead KY

Produced at The Creek Studio

NEXT UP on Episode 42: “Unruly Thoughts”

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: Glimpses by Daniel P. Modaff, Jennifer Butler Modaff & Mark E. Collins, performed by GOOD ENOUGH from their new album, Saturday’s Child (2024).

Poem 1: “Remember the Boneyard,” by Julie Williams from a collection in progress. Author of Escaping Tornado Season and Drama Queens in the House.

Fiction: “Near Death,” a short story by Lynn C. Miller. www.lynncmiller.com

FEED THE CAT BREAK: “Just Before the Curtain Opens,” by John V. Modaff.

Poem 2: “Living Room Scene,” by Scott Wiggerman, based on Eric Fischl’s ‘Krefeld Project, Living Room Scene 1.’ https://scottwiggerman.myportfolio.com/

Song 2: TV Jesus, written and performed by John V. Modaff with Jonathan Modaff on drums.

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller 
Show theme and Incidental music by John V. Modaff, BMI 
The Unruly Muse is Recorded in Albuquerque, NM and Morehead, KY. 
NEXT UP: Episode 41, “The Age of Doubt”  

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: “Long Road” (Mark E. Collins & Daniel P. Modaff, BMI)

Poem 1: “Breath” by Sarah Kotchian, from her new collection Light of Wings, UNM Press (2024): https://www.unmpress.com/9780826365972/light-of-wings/

Fiction: excerpt from “Curiosities” a short story by Lynn C. Miller, from The Lost Archive by (2023) https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6155.htm   www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the Cat Break: cut from“Walk a Mile In My Blues” (Dan, Ken, & John Modaff joined by Dave Merrill on the harmonica.) From the new album, Saturday's Child.

Poem 2: “Dreaming Orion” by David Meischen, from his collection Anyone’s Son, 3: A Taos Press. David’s new book is Nopalito, UNM Press, 2024.   

Song 2: “Sweet Songs” (John V. Modaff, with Good Enough)        

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller 
Theme and Incidental Music by John V. Modaff, BMI 

Recorded in Albuquerque NM and Morehead KY. 

Produced at The Creek Studio 

NEXT UP:  Episode 40 “Behind the Curtain” 

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: You Told, composed and performed by John V. Modaff.

Poem 1: “The Wicked Stepmother Tells Her Story,” published in bosque journal and later in We Were Meant to Carry Water as “Frail Cradle.” https://tinacarlsonpoetry.com/

Fiction: “Cautionary Tale” by Lynn C. Miller, author of, most recently, The Lost Archive: Stories (2023), from a novel in progress.  www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the Cat Break: “The Rear View” by JVM.

Poem 2: “I Could Taste It” by Marjorie Saiser, whose book, The Track the Whales Make won the High Plains Award. Saiser's Losing the Ring in the River (University of New Mexico Press) won the Willa Award for Poetry in 2014. www.poetmarge.com

Song 2: No Fly Zone composed and sung by JVM

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller 
Show theme and incidental music by John V. Modaff, BMI
The Unruly Muse is Recorded in Albuquerque, NM and Morehead, KY 
Produced at The Creek Studio 

NEXT UP: Episode 39, “What is Healing?” 

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: "Old Truck" composed by David R. Merrill, performed by D.R. Merrill & John Modaff

Poem 1: “Data Affirmative” by Scott Wiggerman, Albuquerque poet, artist, and editor https://scottwiggerman.myportfolio.com/

Fiction: excerpt from The Unmasking, a novel by Lynn C. Miller (www.lynncmiller.com)

Published by University of New Mexico Press: https://www.unmpress.com/9780826361714/the-unmasking/

Feed the Cat break: “Plow” composed and performed by David R. Merrill

Poem 2: “Outbreak” by Jack Cooper, author of Silly Lily’s Rhyming Adventures In Nature (2023) and Across My Silence (2007) World Audience, Inc. https://sillylilysadventures.com/

Song 2: “The Message Radiation Sends” composed and performed by John V. Modaff

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller

Show theme and incidental music by John V. Modaff

The Unruly Muse is Recorded in Albuquerque, NM and Morehead, KY

Produced at The Creek Studio

NEXT UP: Episode 38, “Revenge and Regret”

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

Song 1: “Family at the Door,” (by John V. Modaff with Good Enough)

Poem 1: “Midnight, with Dogs” by Mark Sanders. Mark lives in Nacogdoches, TX and teaches at Stephen F. Austin University. https://sandersme1.wixsite.com/mark-sanders/

Fiction: Excerpt from “Words Shimmer,” from The Lost Archive by Lynn C. Miller (2023) https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6155.htm  www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the cat break: "On the Porch" (Chris Geyerman and John Modaff)

Poem 2: “Sundays in Wichita,” by Kelly Yenser. Author most recently of Walking Uphill at Noon,  poems, UNM Press, 2022. https://www.unmpress.com/9780826363732/walking-uphill-at-noon/

Song 2: “All Right Here,” Dan Modaff & Mark Collins, performed by Good Enough.

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller

Theme and Incidental Music by John V. Modaff, BMI

Recorded in Albuquerque NM and Morehead KY.

Produced at The Creek Studio

NEXT UP: Episode 37, “Machines” 

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

SONG 1: "Backwagon Man" (composed, sung, and played by John Modaff with mandolin and sundry string by Dan Modaff)

POEM 1: “Another Story” by Hilda Raz, a retelling of the myth of  Leda and the Swan. Collected in Letters from a Place I’ve Never Been: Collected and New Poems. University of Nebraska Press, 2021. https://hildaraz.com/

FICTION: excerpt from “Duluth” by Lynn C. Miller, from The Lost Archive by Lynn C. Miller (2023) https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6155.htm www.lynncmiller.com

Feed the Cat Break: "Continental Drift" (by JVM)

POEM 2: “Taking Leave” by Scott Wiggerman, a golden shovel poem inspired by haiku. Scott is also a visual artist. https://scottwiggerman.myportfolio.com/

SONG 2: Centrum Amsterdam Purples (composed and sung by “T-Bone” Kelly) from his CD: No Expectations (2004)

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller

Show theme and Incidental music by John V. Modaff

Recorded in Albuquerque, NM and Morehead, KY

Produced at The Creek Studio

NEXT UP: The Unruly Muse #36 “The Family”

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John

SONG 1: Keep The Door Open (composed and performed by John V. Modaff, BMI)

POEM 1: “A Wild Hope” by Julie Williams (2014), author of Escaping Tornado Season and Drama Queens in the House. A poetry collection is in process.

FICTION: excerpt from “Afterthought” by Lynn C. Miller from The Lost Archive by Lynn C. Miller (2023) https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/6155.htm  www.lynncmiller.com

FEED THE CAT BREAK:  Forgetness  by John V. Modaff

POEM 2: “In the Palm of My Hand, Rivers” by Tina Carlson. A guide to tongue tie surgery (2023) is available from UNM Press.

SONG 2: Forgive Me Blues (JVM w/ Kentucky Colonel Steven Middleton on harmonica)   

Episode artwork by Lynda Miller 
Show theme and Incidental music by John V. Modaff 
The Unruly Muse is Recorded in Albuquerque, NM and Morehead, KY. 

NEXT UP: Episode 35, “Strange Bedfellows”

Thank You to our listeners all over the world. Please tell your friends about the podcast. 

Lynn & John