WV Uncommonplace : Uncommon Conversations

Caroll Titus is a visionary leader revolutionizing the landscape of technology-enhanced education through her unique approach that blends storytelling with technical learning. As the CEO of her educational firm and a dedicated mother, Titus skillfully combines innovation with practicality, creating a balanced approach to modern education. She believes that integrating technology such as AI, mixed reality, and platforms like Minecra...

Sarah Marshall is a multifaceted individual whose diverse background spans cultural heritage and professional fields, including roles in the military, firefighting, martial arts, and engineering. Rooted in her Native American heritage from the Ojibwe clan in northern Minnesota, she honors her ancestry by dedicating her life to service and personal growth. Her perspective emphasizes the importance of representing a cause greater tha...

Roselyn Lizetter Higgins-Sparrow, hailing from Columbus, Ohio, and shaped by her formative years in Lynchburg, Virginia, offers a unique perspective on family dynamics and upbringing. Raised in a church-oriented home by her parents, Bevo and Darling Darlene Higgins Graham, Roselyn experienced a disciplined environment that was both nurturing and challenging. While she values the structure and strong values instilled by her upbringi...

On this episode of WV UnCommon Place, JR Sparrow sits down with acclaimed author Bárbara Mujica to discuss her powerful historical novel, Miss del Río.

The book brings to life the legendary Dolores del Río—one of the first major Latina stars in Hollywood—tracing her journey from revolutionary-era Mexico to the glitz and challenges of early Hollywood fame. Through the unique perspective of a ficti...

Host: JR Guest: Isabella Reddy, author of That You Remember

JR sits down with acclaimed author Isabella Reddy to discuss her novel That You Remember, a work of historical fiction loosely based on the Buffalo Creek Disaster — a devastating flood that struck Logan County, West Virginia on February 26, 1972, killing 125 people, mostly women and children, after a coal slurry dam owned by the Pittston Coal Company catastrophically ...

In this episode, host JR welcomes Heather Ann Ferri — trauma expert, author, former professional dancer, and multidisciplinary healer — for a wide-ranging conversation on childhood trauma, generational healing, and what it truly takes to reclaim your life.

Topics Covered:

• Generational trauma & family patterns — How unresolved trauma passes through bloodlines and what it looks like to recognize and break thos...

Featuring Dr. Peter Kowey, Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University

Episode Summary: Host JR Sparrow shares his personal journey through a recent open-heart surgery — from a routine echocardiogram that revealed a dangerously low ejection fraction (26%), to an emergency transfer to the Cleveland Clinic — and uses his experience as the backdrop for a deep conversation with renowned cardiologist and cardiac elec...

Host JR Sparrow sits down with intellectual property attorney Kirk Sigmon to break down Sony's controversial new DRM policy requiring players to check in online every 30 days to maintain access to their digital games. What starts as a deep dive into the legal fine print turns into a wide-ranging conversation about game ownership, consumer rights, the evolution of console ecosystems, and the future of the gaming industry.

Guest: Kirk...

In this episode of WV Uncommonplace Interviews and Sessions, host JR Sparrow sits down with Lane Igoudin, an author, speaker, and advocate, to discuss his powerful memoir, A Family, Maybe: A Journey Through Foster Adoptions to Fatherhood. Lane shares his experiences with adoption, mindful parenting, and how his personal journey intersects with LGBTQ and Jewish histories.

In this episode, you'll hear about:

• Adoption from...

Embarking on a health journey can be both enlightening and daunting, particularly when it involves managing a heart condition. Jr Sparrow, a public figure known for his detailed and aesthetic approach to recording his show, offers a candid reflection on his own health challenges. He acknowledges that neglecting his emotional and mental health contributed to his heart issues, compounded by diabetes. This realization has led him to t...

n this deeply reflective and empowering episode, J.R. returns from a major Las Vegas gaming event with more than just a controller story — he brings insight into the mental roadblocks that affect performance at the highest levels. After falling short of expectations at his first in-person gaming tournament, J.R. unpacks the emotional and psychological hurdles that crept in, from lack of sleep to equip...

Episode Summary:
In this episode of WV Uncommonplace, we’re joined by Susan Hensley, a former HR executive who transformed her life during the challenges of the pandemic through the practice of art journaling. Susan shares her personal journey from feeling overwhelmed and stuck to rediscovering joy and clarity through creativity. As the author of Art for Your Sanity, Susan now helps others tap into their inner ar...

Topic: Education Reform, Healthcare Advocacy, and Running for Georgia Superintendent of Schools

In this 43-minute episode, host JR Sparrow sits down with Dr. Nelva Lee, a healthcare administrator, entrepreneur, and candidate for Georgia Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Lee shares her inspiring journey from Panama to the United States, her work in healthcare advocacy, and her vision for transforming Georgia's education system through l...

M.E. Torrey - Author of "Fox Creek," a historical novel exploring slavery in the antebellum South

In this powerful 51-minute conversation, author M.E. Torrey discusses her critically acclaimed novel "Fox Creek," which confronts the whitewashed narratives of plantation history. Torrey shares her journey from writing children's books to tackling one of America's most difficult historical periods, and why honest conversations about rac...

Clarence Edward "Big House" Gaines Sr. (May 21, 1923 – April 18, 2005) was an American college men's basketball coach with a 47-year coaching career at Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Among his numerous honors for his achievements, he is one of the few African Americans to be inducted as a coach into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Before graduating and becoming ...