Front Porch AF

Kelli and Sue (notably not drinking in this episode because (a) it's morning and (b) there are firearms involved) first cover neighborhood updates and post-ice storm tree-removal scams, then follow aging hippie, bleeding heart liberal Sue’s journey into handgun ownership with an in-depth interview with Aqil Qadir of the Citizens Safety Academy about living the armed lifestyle responsibly, permit options, safe storage, and practic...

Kelli and Sue introduce their new video studio set-up, share neighborhood updates—like the Snack Friday Cookbook, the Love is Deaf Valentine’s event, and snowy storm adventures (among them, burying a cow with Kelli’s mini-excavator)—and read listener mail.

Then they welcome special guest Stacie Huckeba, renowned photographer (Dolly Parton, Michelle Obama, Public Enemy, Todd Snider, to name a few) and filmmaker turned TikTok influen...

Megan Palmer, nurse and musician, joins Kelli and Sue to talk about her journey into nursing, palliative care, and the nursing crisis, and how she uses healing music, songwriting, and therapeutic touch to support patients and colleagues. The episode mixes neighborhood banter with thoughtful conversation about compassion, creativity on the job, and practical steps to care and connect. 

The YouTube/FrontPorchAF pod has a bonus extra ...

We open our 2nd season with a live show from our home-away-from-home Dee's Lounge — with special guest Elizabeth Cook, music outlaw and all-around badass woman.

We celebrate the new season with not only our regular audio podcast, but also a Elizabeth-Cook.com for more, especially about her upcoming film The Easy Kind and a new album, too!

Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and join us on our audio front porch for a terrific conversatio...

Kelli and Sue host a festive holiday edition of Front Porch AF with family, friends, and remote guests sharing favorite traditions — from tractor Christmas displays and eggnog recipes to St. Nicholas boots and gumbo. Plus a Bonus Video of the gang singing “Blue Christmas” — Front Porch AF style.

Of course, there are Neighborhood Notes, listener mail, a Snack Friday Cookbook, and, challenging “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” for...

Hosts Kelli and Sue welcome Lauren Egan of The Bulwark to discuss the high-stakes Tennessee District 7 special election between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps, the effects of gerrymandering, and why national Democrats are pouring in resources.

The conversation covers campaign strategy, cultural messaging, the role of social media and rising Democratic figures, the impact of the Epstein files, and Lauren’s reportin...

Given the topic of immigration and immigrants in today's America, this episode's guest is most enlightening. Kelli and Sue sit down with Diana Perez from Conexión Américas to learn how the nonprofit supports Nashville's Latino community through English classes, education assistance, food distribution, workforce programs, and more.

The episode highlights personal stories of success, current challenges facing immigrant families, comm...

"Big change has to start somewhere, and it starts just by doing it." In this episode of Front Porch AF, hosts Kelli and Sue chat over drinks and laughter before welcoming Joseph Clark from Nashville’s Oasis Center to discuss support networks for LGBTQ+ youth.

They cover Oasis’s Just Us program, mental health services, the Stonewall Scholars internship, ways to volunteer or donate, and how adults can advocate for young people. For m...

“Right now we just can’t forget that on a long enough timeline, fascism always loses.”  —My Cluck Hut co-founder Trevor Silva

Fighting against fascism and for love and acceptance — that’s My Cluck Hut, a company started during the 2020 pandemic on a mission to change the world, one bar of soap at a time. Founders Dr. (by marriage) Trevor Silva and Dr. (for real) Jennifer Berry join Kelli and Sue to talk about their mission-driven c...

After scintillating talk of snapping metal huggies, haunted drive-through car washes, and Taylor Swift’s new album (Sue is clueless), we talk about how to change the system from within with Amanda Litman, co-founder of Run For Something, a nonprofit organization which recruits and supports young, diverse progressives running for down-ballot office.

Since its launch in 2017, Run for Something has helped elect more than 1500 leaders ...

Our little town of Madison, Tennessee gets the big-city treatment with a new coffee table book!

On this episode, Kelli and Sue sit down with author — and neighbor — Laura Amaral to talk about the new book MADISON: Portraits of Our Neighbors, created with award-winning photographer (and yes, neighbor) Stacie Huckeba. This luscious book captures nearly a hundred Madisonians ...

"With Instagram and internet research, there is no excuse now for going to a bad tattoo artist." —SHANNON WAGES, Tattoo Artist   We start off with how Sue got her first tattoo at age 77 (from a great tattoo artist, Chuy, at his Tatuajes Raza studio), and why the rainbow peace sign is so meaningful to her. And fun fact: Kelli's first tattoo was administered by a dude named Buzzard in a Mississippi double-wide.   Then t...

Q: What is the one thing you want our listeners to know?

A: If you've been impacted by sexual assault, it was NOT. YOUR. FAULT.    —Greta McClain, founder of Silent No Longer

This episode focuses on gender-based sexual violence. Our guest is Greta McClain, founder of Silent No Longer, an organization which empowers survivors of sexual violence to transform their stories into powerful forces for education and inspiration.

Greta serv...

Kelli and Sue welcome veteran Wes Minto to the front porch to discuss his Army experience, deployment to Iraq, and concerns about the use of military forces in U.S. cities, especially in the light of a soldier’s training to “toe the line.” Wes also offers practical advice on supporting veterans and how the public can engage with service members during tense moments.

Along with travel tales from Down Under (Kelli went to Australia) ...

“The best thing about getting older is ... I got nothin’ to lose!”

—Dr. Bob, on the Front Porch of Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge in Madison, TN

To set the stage for our foray into the topic of aging, we checked in with neighbors and friends about what they considered to be the worst and best parts of getting older. From the worst of chin hairs, sore joints, and the loss of loved ones, to the best of gaining wisdom, getting more com...

After recapping a week of barbeque and burgers, juke joint dancing, beer parkas, and how Kelli is Rube-Goldberg-ing her own swimming pool, we spoke with our special guest, Francie Hunt, Executive Director of Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood (TAPP).

Francie made headlines in 2022, when she walked 538 miles across Tennessee, from Memphis to Johnson City, on Walk for Our Lives, what she calls her “pilgrimage for abortion rig...

After a glorious month of Pride festivities and shenanigans (see below), we capped it all off with a conversation with Kathy Halbrooks, PFLAG National Board Member and former Co-Chair, now Community Liaison, of PFLAG Nashville.

PFLAG ​is the nation's largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and those who love them. Founded in 1973 by the parents of a gay man who was beaten at a prote...

<Porch Talk Video HERE.> Our current Pride Special episode features an interview with Olivia Hill, Tennessee's first transgender elected official. Part of our outreach on socials included boosting a video of a short extra interview with Olivia to a wider Facebook audience than we usually get to.

And it worked! The first day we got hundreds of new views--and then we got comments. All of which were, shall we say, discouraging a...