We can’t escape judgment. Each day we make decisions, some tiny like which is the best route to the store, or big like should we get a divorce? The Unrulies discover that judgment provokes judgment. Judging others causes them to judge us, and a cascade of judgment can soon ensue among families, friends, co-workers, and even strangers (why is that strangely dressed man coming toward me?) Social media has ratcheted up split-second reactions. So, take some time, consider and pause before you harsh someone’s vibe (lest you poke the wasp’s nest of retaliation). And, occasionally, allow enough distance to see humor in the rush to judgment. Insert deep breath here.
Song 1: The God Machine (Dave Merrill and John V. Modaff)
Poem 1: “To the Mother of the Sixteen-Year-Old Boy Shot Dead by the Police After She’d Called Them” by Susan Aizenberg. From Quiet City, BkMk Press 2015. Her most recent book is A Walk With Frank O’Hara (U of New Mexico Press, 2024).
Fiction: Excerpt from The Surrogate by Lynn C. Miller, in press with U of Wisconsin Press, 2026. www.lynncmiller.com
Feed the Cat Break: "Harpsong," by John V. Modaff
Poem 2: “Butterflies Just Out of Reach” by David Meischen from Anyone’s Son: 3 A Taos Press, 2020. His short story collection is the recent Nopalito, U of New Mexico Press.
Song 2: "Someplace Safe" (John Modaff with Dave Merrill)
Episode artwork by Lynda Miller
Show theme and incidental music by John V. Modaff
The Unruly Muse is Recorded in Albuquerque, NM & Morehead, KY
Produced at The Creek Studio
NEXT UP: Episode 47, “Myths and Legends”