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Ep. 4 Leslie Stevens '95

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

Release Date: 04/01/2024

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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......

Ep. 11 Joe Leonard '98

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

John's final conversation of "The LA Season" is with his friend and former JBS advisee Joe Leonard from the Burroughs class of 1998. Joe works primarily as a television editor with credits including Glee, American Horror Story, Star, Gaslit, and The Man in the High Castle. His latest project is the show Dark Matter, starring Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly and currently streaming on Apple TV+. From his time at Burroughs, Joe talks about how learning "how to see" from Charlie Derleth and Howard Jones, discovering how much he loved "being in a space that holds...

Ep. 10 Stephanie Sanditz '95

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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...

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

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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: and pick up a copy. It's a quick and fun read. If you...

Ep. 8 Laura Hess '95

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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...

Ep. 7 Chris Bremner '02

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

June in Hollywood kicked off with the hugely successful 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 [email protected]. Because Bad Boys: Ride or Die had not yet been released when John and Chris sat down in LA, they talk...

Ep. 6 Elizabeth Little '99

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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...

Ep. 5 Johnny O'Neal '98

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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...

Ep. 4 Leslie Stevens '95

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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...

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

Here From There: Conversations with Burroughs Alums

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 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) Step 5. Enjoy! And while...

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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 or follow him on Instagram: @ethan.orchard

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