4.16.14: The Art Of Conversation

Today on Word of Mouth, we're talking about the art of talking. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but it's often necessary. So how do we avoid those awkward pauses, non sequiturs, and uncomfortable topics? Sometimes we don't, and our first guests implore us that it's OK. They're breaking the rules of conversation and expanding our potential talking points from the weather to spirit animals (spoiler, Virginia's is apparently the attic raccoon). Listen to the show and then continue the conversation on Facebook and Twitter!

Listen to the full show and click Read more for individual segments

What to Talk About

• Chris Colin and Rob Baedeker, are co-authors of What to Talk About, and they are here to spice up our conversational skills.

99 Percent Invisible: DeafSpace

• Gallaudet University in Washington, DC, is dedicated to educating the deaf and hard of hearing. Since 2005, they’ve re-thought principles of architecture with one question at the forefront: how do deaf people communicate in space? Roman Mars of the 99 Percent Invisible podcast brings us the story.

Christian Payne: Documentally

• Joining me now is a man who spends a lot of time documenting his life and the lives of others with Documentally: Christian Payne.

How to Delete Your Myspace

• Just as AOL made way for Gmail, Myspace made way for Facebook. But what happens to the old profiles we leave behind? Producer Taylor Quimby has more.

Poetry Out Loud: Frentzen Pakpahan

• Because April is National Poetry Month, we decided to bring a taste of the event directly to you. The next poem in our series comes from FrentzenPakpahan.