Everyone is born an artist, but what keeps that alive? Artist and teacher Patricia Miranda joins Armand to explore creativity as a daily act, the physical intimacy of egg tempera painting, gold leaf, and why children need unstructured boredom to let their inner lives flourish.
Cold weather does far more than chill the body. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace how dropping temperatures raise blood pressure, suppress serotonin, trigger overeating, and historically fueled human violence and territoriality, while also arguing that cold is the unlikely cradle of creativity, intimacy, and art.
Legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins talks with Armand and Dr. Kent Robertshaw, MD, Psychiatrist, about growing up on Sugar Hill, marching alongside his activist grandmother, the role of artists in social change, and the deep grief of losing his wife of 40 years, Lucille. Music and loss intertwine throughout.
Why do couples lose their spark, and can separation actually rekindle it? Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti trace the rise and fall of phenylethylamine in romantic love, argue that emotional distance restores chemistry, and connect childhood neurological gaps to adult attraction patterns and the need for containment.
Passion thrives on uncertainty, and too much closeness can kill it. Esther Perel, MA, LMFT, psychotherapist and author of “Mating in Captivity,” joins Armand to explore why desire needs distance, how fantasy differs from perversion, and what surrender, dominance, and the body’s hormonal rhythms reveal about erotic life.
Monogamy is a theory without a practice, argues Armand DiMele alongside biologist Roberta Mariotti. They unpack genetic, sexual, and social monogamy, explore why no species is truly monogamous, and discuss polyamory and the emotional baggage no relationship structure can dissolve.
Magic as a human need, not just a trick. Armand DiMele and co-host Roberta Maria Atti welcome conjurer and actor Eric Walton, who performs an original narrative poem about Houdini before discussing how illusion works by engaging all five senses to suggest a sixth, and why audiences hunger to be astonished.
Why do we party hard, eat grapes, burn dolls, and bang pots at midnight? Armand traces New Year customs from ancient Babylon and Rome through modern celebrations in Korea, Colombia, Taiwan, and beyond, weaving in listener calls about Puerto Rican, Black American, and other personal traditions.
Why do Mediterranean immigrants gain weight in America but not at home? Armand and co-host Roberta Maria Atti open with a theory about American wheat before ranging into the psychology of celebration, how to handle holidays alone without turning sadness into anger, and practical remedies for holiday overindulgence.
What does it actually mean to be loyal, and to whom do we owe it? Armand DiMele works through loyalty in its many forms, from romantic fidelity and family bonds to political allegiance, arguing that real loyalty is a felt sense of devotion, not a pledge or an oath.
