There’s not a chance that a person who’s been to Columbus hasn’t come across a building designed by the firm Moody Nolan.
The Schottenstein Center, Ohio Union, a few Columbus Metropolitan Library branches and even the new terminal at the John Glenn Airport have all been designed by the Moody Nolan firm.
The business was started by Curtis Moody and now his son, Jonathan Moody, has carried on his father's legacy as CEO since 2020.
Independent bookseller Linda Kass is known for bringing top literary talent to town to discuss issues of the day.
An author in her own right, Linda’s latest novel is set in Columbus in the pivotal year of 1969, at a fictional high school where students are navigating real-world events that reverberate today.
Good storytelling is important, because it shows the world that we are more similar than we are different. Not a single group of people is monolith and everyone contains multitudes.
Filmmaker Damon Mosley tells stories through his love of music, his community and his sneakers.
We're talking to these unique individuals on this week's Fascinating Ohio.
Guests:
- Jonathan Moody, CEO, Moody Nolan
- Linda Kass, author, World News from Waverley High/founder and owner, Gramercy Books
- Damon Mosley, writer, producer and filmmaker
Transcript
This transcript is generated with AI. To ensure its accuracy, review the audio file.
Amy Juravich: Welcome to All Sides with Amy Juravich. This is Fascinating Ohio, a show from All Sides and WOSU, where we introduce you to people from the Buckeye State with an interesting story to tell. There's not a chance that a person who's been to Columbus hasn't come across a building designed by the firm Moody Nolan. Ohio State's Cavelli Center, the Ohio Union, several Columbus Metropolitan Library branches, Upper Arlington High School, and even the new terminal at John Glenn International Airport. Have all been designed by the Moody Nolan firm. Curtis Moody, an Ohio State alum and Columbus native, has created a legacy in Columbus that will last for generations. His son, Jonathan Moody became CEO of the firm in 2020 before Kurt's passing in 2024. And we're talking today about architecture and shaping the face of Columbus and the Moodey legacy with Jonathan Moode, CEO of Moody-Nolan. Thanks so much for joining us today, Jonathan.
Jonathan Moody: Thanks for having me.
Juravich: So what was it like growing up surrounded by architects and designers? Did you like it?
Moody: I thought it was normal, like I didn't think of it being any different than anything else. It was just like hindsight, I would say now I look back and I see our vacations differently. Like you know
Juravich: You went to look at buildings.
Moody: And you have to think like 20, 30 years ago, it was more of like, hey, while we're in a city and I think it's cool to be in the city. And it was like, Hey, stop, stop. We need to go take a picture of a building. And I'm kind of, okay. I thought that's what everybody did was they went to cities and they took pictures of buildings and then.
Juravich: Some people do, maybe you more than others though, okay. So your father built what became the largest African American owned and operated architecture firm in the United States. But what made you specifically decide to become an architect? I mean, did he want you to? Like tell me about your career path here.
Moody: Um, for me, the career path was really actually kind of a surprise surprise, not because it wasn't expected, but more surprise, meaning I wasn't sure this is what I wanted or just because I was around it. Like I, like I thought it was cool. Like I think this is cool, but I don't know if this is just because, you know, I, you remember weekends going in and playing with models and doing that kind of stuff. I'm like, I thought this is school and this is interesting, but it really, it wasn't fully that I understood what I was getting into until college. And, and surprisingly architecture was not what I thought it would be. Um, like, meaning I, you know, like everybody, it's a very technical profession and you know.
Juravich: We were like, there's a lot more math here than I thought.
Moody: Yeah, actually, not at all. No, not that, okay. No, it's really more about people. It's more about kind of vision. Oh, I see what you mean. There's more creativity. And that was a like, hey, this is a really great fit.
Juravich: Oh, OK, so you you liked the the people part of the architecture.
Moody: Yeah, well, I like problem solving and creativity. And I think those are two things that come hand in hand with it.
Juravich: Okay. So did you know, did you like know in when you're a senior of high school, you were like, yeah, yeah. I'm going to go to college. I'll major in architecture design.
Moody: Yeah, it's definitely that thing and there's a story that my dad used to like to tell because you know I think like our church growing up during like every February like Black History Month They would do a past-present future thing and it was like, oh, I'm gonna be an architect and run the firm And that was my like past present future thing. He said that about you. I said it during church
Juravich: Oh, you said it about yourself. Yeah. Okay. So he didn't speak it into the future. You spoke it into your own future.
Moody: I did, but it was just kind of like a, I think so. And then senior year, you gotta pick a major. So it was like, all right, I'm gonna pick this one.
Juravich: You worked for a few different firms, but eventually you started working in Moody Nolan in 2011 and you took over a CEO in 2020. But back in 2011, what made you decide to join your father's firm rather than staying on your own path?
Moody: Um, so, so I would say one of the things I do appreciate in retrospect is that, um, I was working for another firm. I was, you know, after grad school, I was in Los Angeles and I was living and working and basically I, my dad called and said, was I thinking about it? And I was I, I had the, I didn't have to, but it was like, did I want to? And it was, like, based on just a number of factors, it was like, I think it's time to come home. And then believe it or not, I became one of these people we about a lot these days, where I was... I'd never really lived or worked professionally as an adult in Columbus. Like I grew up here, but was away. I did not know the difference in cost of living between like a Los Angeles and an Ohio. So it was like, wait, I can get a whole house.
Juravich: For the cost of a studio apartment where you were, yeah.
Moody: Yeah, like our first house, you know, the quote-unquote starter home, everything from my studio apartment fit in the loft space.
Juravich: Yeah, Columbus is definitely more affordable. I mean, people would argue now that Columbus is also not affordable. It just depends on depends on what you're comparing us to, right?
Moody: Yeah, yeah, but yeah, so I'm one of the I don't know what the people who kind of migrated back. Yes
Juravich: Yes. Yeah, you returned home. Yeah. Okay, so now you're so okay. Your father built the strong legacy for his community, right? For Columbus, Ohio State, his alma mater, for the African American community in the US, you know, how does it feel right now to be carrying on that Is it is it heavy or is it exciting?
Moody: It's always a mix of both. I think there's a reality that there's always an excitement and a joy. I mean, that's kind of why I got into it and why it's continued to, I'll say, accelerate, is as each project is exciting, each community meeting, all those things, when you see the look on people's face of you sell them something visionary, and they're like, oh my gosh. That's great. It could be exciting. But there's also the reality of, I mean you said, The word you used was heavy, but there's. There's just a reality of whether it's right or wrong, there's things carrying with you that like, hey, there's other communities that kind of latch on to and they see our success as their success and also be like, well, if we don't live up to expectations, then what does that say too? So there is the feeling like, you represent more and that the projects mean more, but it's also still fun.
Juravich: Well good, I'm glad it's still fun. Now you've expanded a lot, like Moody Nolan has 12 branches of firms in cities all across the U.S., more than 300 employees. What is it like leading such a large and diverse team?
Moody: So what my dad used to say that I still echo every day is different and I think that's a part of the excitement And I think a part. You know what what we do that is special is It's not just we do this one type of building in this one place. It's just each day It's kind of like a well, hey, it could be it could an airport in this city or it could a library in another city, or it could be a rec center or an arena or something else, but it's, and the people are all different. And I think that's kind of where the overlap of such unique people, such unique projects that every time it's kind of a reinvention it's exciting. And yeah, I really do enjoy that part of it.
Juravich: And you're based here, but do you visit all the other offices from time to time?
Moody: Yeah, yeah, so it varies, it ebbs and flows, and usually it kind of becomes.
Juravich: It's probably project-based, not time, yeah.
Moody: Sometimes, usually there's a good mix of like, hey, there's the right opportunity of a good meeting for this project in this city that makes sense. But I think that's also how we're growing and evolving as a firm is I think, the idea that a moody had to be in every meeting or represent the firm is now like, well, we have a lot of diverse teams and a lot good expertise around the country. And sometimes it makes sense for me to go. And sometimes they actually don't wanna see me. So they want like, well, who's the actual project manager? Not whose name is on the door. Got it.
Juravich: This is Fascinating Ohio From All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. We're talking about architecture and shaping Columbus with Jonathan Moody, CEO of Moody Nolan. Your mission says that, well, it includes responsive architecture and responsible citizenship, prioritizing diversity, equity, and civic impact. So tell me about that equity component because designing and building a building is expensive. How do you promote equity in a business that just relies on so much money?
Moody: Yeah, well, see, I guess I see it a little different because we do, I think we have a mix of projects from all different perspectives, but there's a lot of public work. And I guess, and you're right though, I think that is one of the things that always surprises people. And usually like early on, there's many a conversation where the best thing we can do is be as honest as we can be. Like when someone's like, hey, I this will cost thousands. And it's like- Maybe try, add a zero. Yeah, it's probably more hundreds of thousands or likely millions. And But I see that as like an investment. And I do think, I have a bias, but buildings are just one of the most obvious investments of something that's important. Like if someone is really saying that they're gonna spend literally millions of dollars to make a physical place to do something, the something must be really important. And so that's where, you know, we kind of carry the responsibility of saying, well, hey, these days more and more people are, you know so something like a library Um, where. Really, when you dig into it, it's not necessarily books, books are a part of it. But you mentioned the word equity, but there's a question of access to resources and public investment to say, hey, more people should have better access to resource. So when we think about design and how we approach it, it's a, how can we make this so that all people benefit or equity is not equal or that the target audience or the group that this is supposed to reach. That we design it in such a way that they feel welcome. Because I think that's really where it becomes hard is too often buildings feel exclusive. And that's the like, well, if you're investing these resources, are there things that we can do about how we approach design that people who may have not felt welcome, that they welcome into this space, that they said it feels for me.
Juravich: Yeah. So you want to make the library fancy and beautiful, but you want it to still feel like a place that people can walk into, grab a book, sit in a chair and feel comfortable reading.
Moody: Yes. And that's a who. Who are those people? Yeah. Like that's part of the challenge.
Juravich: Um, do you have a favorite building in Columbus that either you or your father designed? And I know it's like asking someone to pick their favorite child. And I know you don't want to say what your favorite is, but you could pick a favorite for a different reason, you know, like, or just, you, know, one that when you drive past it, you're like, yeah, that, you I like that.
Moody: Yeah, well, they're you're right, like picking your favorite kid. I think there's like favorites within typologies or there's, you know, maybe like a for for now things that we're working on. But like so like in Columbus, you know, you just drive down High Street and when you see like, you know the union and know that we were a part of it, it's like that's a really.
Juravich: Ohio State, you helped your firm build Ohio State's union, yeah.
Moody: Yeah, or, you know, like, I do think like every time there's an Ohio State basketball game, it's kind of like a there's there's a moment of pride because you're
Juravich: Cause you're sitting there in the seat and you're like, I helped build this. Look, all these people are enjoying this building, right? And they're not even thinking about the building because you built it in a way where it was inviting, right. Yeah. Yeah.
Moody: Yeah, and I do get to work on a lot of libraries and there's quite a few around Columbus that we're proud of.
Juravich: Yeah, I looked at the pictures on your site of everything you've built and I got a little overwhelmed. You've built a lot. Maybe, okay, so you don't want to pick your favorite building in Columbus, except maybe, you know, where the basketball team plays. But do you have a favorite building in another city? You know, they're not listening, right?
Moody: No, there's all cities. But I think maybe a story recently that we're just incredibly proud of because it was such a journey to get there, but on the Obama presidential campus.
Juravich: Oh, yeah, see, that was my next question. Yeah, tell me what you built for the Obama presidential center.
Moody: Yeah, so it started years ago. But I think a conversation around that's a place that can feel very sacred at times for good reason. But there's a component that they wanted to be integrally part of the experience, which was communal, and which was related to athletics, specifically basketball, but they said, and events, and they said they wanted a place that felt people could gather. So when we said, hey, could we, as a different architect, and the way we approach things just doing so many community-related projects and sports-related, could we help bring that together? So on the south end of the park is a, it's called Home Court, officially branded by Obama Foundation. But it's not a complicated building. It's basically, it's two cross courts with one long court that's an NBA-sized court, but the ability to say you can host public events, you can have gatherings, like I think they had WNBA practices during All-Star weekend, I think a number of athletes have got, But... But it's a place that says everybody's welcome and that everybody can participate in this and that what does it mean for sports to be a part of your life? I think that was, I'll just say, I've been to a lot of ribbon cuttings. I've never been to one like that with Stevie Wonder and three and a half hours. And by the way, they never actually cut a ribbon.
Juravich: They forgot the ribbon part, yeah. What do you think your father would say about that, about you, your firm, his firm, helping build home court at the Obama Presidential Center?
Moody: I mean, I do know he'd be proud, right? I would even go as far to say that, you know, saying for him that that probably would have been his favorite project is, you know, a kid growing up in Columbus, you know architecture wasn't supposed to be an option. He played basketball at Ohio State and that basketball led into architecture. I think that would have been kind of the culmination of like why he would have built the firm.
Juravich: Wow, okay. Well, you know, buildings, they last longer than other design objects. You know, a library is going to last a lifetime as opposed to like a chair, right? Which, you get the chair, you get sick of it, you move on. How does your team predict what designs will stand the test of time? Like, how do you predict the future to know that people in the future are going to your building.
Moody: Yeah, well, that's that's part of the problem. And there's an honesty around we don't know. But and the honesty and maybe bit of humility of what we approach or how we think about it is not saying it has to be this way or this is the only way it will work. But I think about from the sense of imagining a future of what we want it to be and like, how do we and I this is the you know, if there's a pitch to get anybody to say, what is exciting about architecture? The idea that... You know if a building lasts 50 years and even if you design for the midpoint So say you have to be thinking 25 years ahead and you are imagining What do we want that future to be? How could that be the best it could possibly be and then how do we go and create it? And I think that's the the visionary exciting part is we're not we're never designing for now We're always thinking and problem-solving for what what is the future we want to create?
Juravich: And I know, just to end on, I know you're working in a lot of other cities, but tell me about Columbus. I mean, you left here, you came back, you've seen Columbus is really growing, changing its shape, becoming, having its own identity. I mean it is growing into a much bigger city, fastest growing city in the Midwest. What do you see for Columbus, you know, building that building that will still look good 50 years from now? What do see for the future of Columbus? Yeah.
Moody: I would say we're it feels like we're in our late teenage phase I would say we are not necessarily like a grown up city yet but we are getting more grown up we're having you know like maybe it's that like I'm starting to grow a mustache and facial hair and it's a little stringy and a little not quite filled in
Juravich: I'm with your analogy. All right. Yeah. Yeah, but
Moody: But I think that's the exciting part is that we don't have to, it doesn't have to be like every other city. And I think how we are different and unique and how do we lean into our unique strengths, I think as a growing city, as a midsize city that is centrally located to so many different things with, you know, great resources, great talent, but kind of more of an open slate of We don't have to say, how do we, you know, we've built this building five times and here's another one. It's a like, hey, let's build it unique and different specifically for Columbus. And you know a lot of the projects we're doing, like you mentioned the terminal. I think that's a part of the thought process, not how do get a terminal like everybody else, but it's like, how is our terminal unique to Columbus and different than every other terminal, but still growing and.
Juravich: I'm excited for the terminal, yes. Okay, we have been talking about architecture and shaping Columbus with Jonathan Moody, CEO of Moody Nolan. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Moody: Yeah, thanks so much for having me.
Juravich: Coming up, we're going to talk with the owner of Gramercy Books, Linda Kass, and she has a new novel out. That is when Fascinating Ohio from All Sides continues on 89 7 NPR News.
You're listening to All Sides. I'm your host, Amy Juravich. This is Fascinating Ohio, a show from All Sides in WOSU, where we introduce you to people from the Buckeye state with an interesting story to tell. Gramercy books owner, Linda Kass, is known for bringing top literary talent to town, highlighting works that address issues of the day. An author in her own right, Linda's latest novel is set in Columbus in the pivotal year of 1969, chronicling struggles that reverberate today. She created a fictional high school where students are reacting to real world problems, an unpopular war, racial tensions, environmental concerns. The book is titled "World News from Waverly High," and it comes out this week. Welcome back to All Sides, Linda.
Linda Kass: Thanks for having me, Amy.
Juravich: Congratulations on the book. Thank you. Yeah, so you dedicated the book to Eastmore High School, classes of 1970 and 71. And you note that the high school you created is made up. But how did your own high school memories and those of your classmates help you craft the story? Right.
Kass: I had to go dive back into those memories, but, you know, I really just used, I read a lot of stories about, that contain teenagers, to remind me back in those days. And I thought about being a teenager, and it was really very interesting to inhabit that life, that age. Now as an older, wiser person with a different perspective. But I didn't create people I knew. I created, really populated a high school with all new characters.
Juravich: Yeah. Okay. And it can be hard to remember. I mean, but for those who do, um, or, you know, it's difficult for young readers to imagine the turbulent time of the 1960s and 70s. It was the Vietnam War, a man walking on the moon, racial unrest, assassinations, Woodstock, the first Earth Day. There was so much going on, right? And we kind of feel like we're in that time right now. Always so much is going on. But what made you want to
Kass: I thought about living that, because I lived that. I did attend Columbus City Schools. I attended Eastmore, 1969 to 1971. And I really felt that what was there, which was an integrated high school, one with all kinds of students, we were thrown together. And it was really a great, great place. And yet, the world was pressing in on us at that time. So I just thought that the having those two things going on would make an interesting story worth mining.
Juravich: Yeah, and the main character, her name is Lena Rosen. And she is a student journalist working on the school's newspaper, which is called The Beacon. And you use that as a way to frame the story, to have her involved in breaking news, interacting with a cross-section of students. But are there similarities between you and Lena? Did you work for your newspaper in high school? I didn't.
Kass: Work for my newspaper, I actually worked for the yearbook. However, there, I think any writer typically has part of them in any and all the characters, even characters who are not like them. So it would be natural to see me and Lena because there are some things that she has that are similar to me. But there's other characters that have some other things that are similar to me. So, yeah, I mean, I had that experience, but I'm not Lena. Okay.
Juravich: Well, and music from the era is a huge part of this from protest songs, calls for peace. And so you use song titles as the chapter headings. So the first chapter is Everyday People, named for the sly and the family stone song. I wanted to play a little bit of that. So your characters talk a lot about music. They're trying to make sense of the world that seems upside down. Talk to me about music being powerful in the moments in the book.
Kass: You know, music, that time period had probably some of the most vital music ever created. And what was interesting about that particular song, Everyday People, which was the title of my second chapter, that really is the everyday people, that is who populates this high school. They are from all socioeconomic backgrounds, they are white, they are black, they are Christian, they're Jewish, they were everyone. And great things happen when they. All get together. And so it really represents kind of the content of that high school. And Sly and the Family Stone particularly were such an innovative rock band because they were the first major rock and pop band to have a fully integrated band. By race and by gender and, you know, most people. Yeah, I hadn't really thought about that. You're right, okay. Yeah.
Juravich: Other chapter titles include Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, Bob Dylan's Blowing in the Wind. I wanted to play one more song that's integral to the story and that's Give Piece a Chance. So I'm going to play it for a little bit and then you can talk about its place in your story.
Speaker 8: Congratulations, congratulate, regulate, integrate, meditate, candidate, congratulate. All we are saying is give peace a chance. All we're saying is, give peace chance.
Juravich: I mean, that's really a theme for today's Divided Times 2, I would think. How does it fit into your story, your book?
Kass: Well, there's a pretty powerful scene that takes place in November of 1969 and it is Pete Seeger across from the White House and he is, there are half a million people who are demonstrating peacefully across and it's the second moratorium against the Vietnam war. And he is playing. That song, it's John Lennon's song, he didn't even like the song that much, but he's playing that song and that chant is going on. Give peace a chance, you know, all we're saying is give peace a change. So that was a very vibrant scene. There are many others in the book, I think the idea of the music then, the lyrics, which were protest, they were poetry, they were pleas. They were all, that was all part of the music of the times, and so, bringing that into a story like this really grounds it and makes it more authentic.
Juravich: You're listening to Fascinating Ohio From All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. We're talking with Gramercy Books owner, Linda Kass, and author of the new novel, "World News from Waverly High." So your book also kind of reads like a love letter to Columbus. Optimism of youth, journalism in its heyday. What kind of research was involved to get details in there? Like what, yeah, tell me about the research and everything.
Kass: Well, some of the research was in my head. I lived it, but I did a lot of research to familiarize myself a lot about the political situation and the war that was going on then, because we all have our different childhood memories. And it's interesting, I talked to a number of my peers who I went to high school with, and they remember certain things, I remember certain thing. And it was very interesting to go back and do the research around the Vietnam. Vietnam War and what was going on at that time, because I don't know if I necessarily was as precocious and as aware as my main character was in my book at that times. Yeah.
Juravich: Yeah, you were just living your life as a high school student. Yes, yes.
Kass: High school student. Yes, so you're navigating hallways but you're also having the world press in on you and trying to deal with that.
Juravich: So Columbus readers of your book will catch, well, I guess Columbus readers have a certain age, will catch some references that you make to Lazarus, Woody Hayes, the 1969 National Championship for the Buckeyes, certain restaurants, there's more things in there. I mean, was it fun to get to add those little Columbus-y things in?
Kass: Oh, absolutely. You know, I remember there was this one scene that I had at TAT in Whitehall. And I could not find out if they actually had jukeboxes at that time. But I needed it. You needed to know, yeah. Well, I needed to have a juke box. It is fiction. So I did put a jupe box at those booths. Yeah.
Juravich: That's, yeah, well that's the blessing of fiction. You can say they had jukeboxes, right? But they didn't, I don't.
Kass: I don't know if I did, I couldn't find out. I had all kinds of great background information about all kinds places, but that was one little teeny thing I just couldn't found out for sure.
Juravich: I could see this book being reassuring for young people to read today, that in your time when you were young, you lived through a hard time, and to learn about how people responded then. I mean, do you see any connections parallels to now? I think that.
Kass: This book is hopeful for that very reason, because it was a very chaotic time, a turbulent time. Really, we were living through kind of an earthquake of what was going on, and yet we came out of it. And so the hopefulness is that we today live in a turbulent and the hope is that we get out of this and move on. So, you know, yet. The time then is quite different than today. The technology certainly is completely different. The culture is different. It was fun to live for a while and have it for a while, a life without social media, for example.
Juravich: Yeah. I mean, yeah. Is it hard to write a book about a time period without accidentally including things like that they wouldn't know about the future? Did you find yourself, did your editor say, um, they wouldn t know that?
Kass: I get very precise about, when I do my research, what was there then, and so that I don't... So you immersed yourself in 1969, yes. Oh, I sure did, I did, I really did, and I made sure that the television shows that I mentioned were the television show then, and the music was the music then, and I was pretty precise about that. I think my journalism background is what got me to that point. Right, right.
Juravich: Your website says you're available. You want to join local book clubs or zoom in to readings of the book? Can they just send you an email? I mean talk to me about book clubs that you like to work with. Yeah
Kass: Well, you know, I've this is my fourth novel. So I've and and my my second novel came out during Covid. So I did a lot of virtual events and a lot of book clubs, you know, and book clubs that aren't even from here. But zoom me in to where they are. So I love that because I love talking to smaller groups where I can talk to a dozen people instead of a room full of 200 like I did Tuesday night.
Juravich: I wanted to switch gears for a moment and just ask you, I mean, what is it like being a bookstore owner? Because that seems, I mean that job is like the perfect, you know, movie or TV show job where you're like, what's your job? Oh, I own a small bookstore in a small town, you know.
Kass: Tell me about like what it what is that like? Oh, well, it's I it's we're in our tenth year now and You know, yeah people think oh, it. It's kind of this this Wonderful thing and an individual sit there and read books all day. Yeah, it' not like that Oh, what so what's it like? What is it like owning Gramercy books? It's it's well, It's It's wonderful because the community is so Absolutely supportive of it and and that was really the biggest surprise and opening the book the bookstore I had no idea that kind of love was coming from the community and that desire to have a bookstore, a third place like that. So you know, I have a phenomenal staff of booksellers there and they make up Gramercy Books and they are Gramerci Books. It's just we all wear our hats, we all are very busy and working all the time to make this a real community. Space for for for central Ohio.
Juravich: Yeah, people in Columbus, they love their libraries. They love their bookstores. I mean, do you feel that love? Do you feel like, do have regulars? Do you have people? Yes. Oh, yeah. Oh, Yeah.
Kass: Oh, yeah. Oh, absolutely. And, you know, my booksellers, because I'm not at the counter, I actually curate all of our event programming. And we do probably average one a week for bringing authors in. Oh, I didn't know it was that much. OK, wow. So, yeah, so that's the hat I wear on a hands on basis. So I'm not at the counter kind of, you know, with the customer every day. And those booksells that are, they know our customers by their first name. They'll call them up. And say, you know, there's a book here I think you're gonna really like. And that's the kind of relationship they have.
Juravich: Well, are there any upcoming events at Gramercy Books in Bexley that you want to highlight while you have the mic?
Kass: Well, one that I probably don't need to highlight very well, we just announced Tuesday that Jeff Kinney is coming here. That's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and we're going to hold that over at Bexley High School's Chatenstein Theater, because we needed to have a very, very large space. It's going to be quite an interesting ... Did it sell out already? Well, we ... I haven't looked at the numbers, but I'm sure that it will sell out within days. You know, so get your tickets now.
Juravich: All right, well, I'm going to have to, I mean, I'll leave the air, I will stop interviewing you. Is there any other one coming up that you want to talk about? I mean you have one a week, that's a lot, so where people can find them, events page at your website.
Kass: Yes, we have our events page on the website. We have a poetry event coming up. Wonderful poet who's kind of Ohio State emeritus of the creative writing program, Kathy Fagan. She's gonna be launching her, I think, ninth collection and she's gonna interviewed or in conversation with Maggie Smith. So that's gonna to be a fun event on September 24th. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah, so we have all kinds of events and half of them are in the store and half them we have to find another venue because our 60 seats would not be enough.
Juravich: Okay, so your store holds 60 people, but whenever you're going to have a bigger event than that, you go. I mean, I know you just said you're going to Bexley High School. You've done the Drexel Theater. You do lots of places.
Kass: Yes, I do.
Juravich: Well, we have been talking with Linda Kass, who is the owner of Gramercy Books and the author of a new book of fiction. It's called "World News from Waverly High." Thank you so much for your time today, Linda. Thanks for having me, Amy. And coming up, we're going to talk about giving back through art and through storytelling. That's when Fascinating Ohio From All Sides continues on 89.7 NPR News.
You're listening to All Sides. I'm your host, Amy Juravich. This is Fascinating Ohio, a show from All Sides and WOSU where we introduce you to people from the Buckeye State with an interesting story to tell. Some people are writers, some people are filmmakers. Some people can't be pinned down to just one medium. For those people, it's the stories that matter. Good storytelling is important. It shows the world that we are more similar than we are different. Not a single group of people is a monolith and everyone contains multitudes. Damon Mosley tells stories through his love of music, his community, and his sneakers. And we're talking today about giving back through art and through storytelling with Damon Mosely, writer, producer, and filmmaker. Welcome to the show, Damon.
Damon Mosley: Thank you for having me, I really appreciate it.
Juravich: So you're a writer, you're producer, you are a filmmaker. I just said, you contain multitudes. You've worked on many projects over the years. So I wanted to start with a brief overview of your work. What inspires you the most? How do you decide what you're working on?
Mosley: Honestly, I always have to kind of tie what I'm doing back to where I come from. I think just being grounded in that sense of identity is that's kind of where the core of my stories come from because I think the key to good storytelling are strong characters, relatable themes, and I think that that gives me a firm grasp on wherever direction I wanna go is just kind of grounding it in, whether it be my hometown, my neighborhood, my culture. Those are always good drawing points to start from.
Juravich: Okay, so tell our listeners where you come from because obviously I read your bio, but they don't they don't know so you come from Columbus's east side
Mosley: I'm from Columbus' East Side. We call it, well, I guess they call it now the King Lincoln District or Bronzeville as it was called back in the day.
Juravich: Which name do you call it?
Mosley: I'm okay with King Lincoln. You call it home, that's what you call it. Yes, exactly.
Juravich: Um, so tell me about, you know, you're growing up times there. What I'm, you, what was it like?
Mosley: You know, the inner city has so many negative stereotypes, and I know that sounds kind of cliche, but it really does, where it's this violent place where bad things happen all the time. But for me, I remember a close-knit community. We bought each other food on holidays. We shoveled each other's sidewalks during storms and whatnot. So I just remember that sense of togetherness, and that was something that I would love to bring back today because some of that is missing.
Juravich: Okay. Well, let's talk about some of the projects you've worked on over the years. One of your first books was, I've Got to Have Those Shoes, and one of your more recent books that you published was called Soulmates, and this is soul as in the soul of a shoe, of course. So tell me about your love of sneakers. Is that, is that a lifelong passion?
Mosley: It is, you know, I have to have a confession. You know, when the first Air Jordans came out back in the day, I got a paper route so I could afford the shoes. They were like sixty five dollars at the time, which is nothing, you know, today, but back then that was my mom was like, absolutely not. So I got to paper route, but I didn't make enough from that paper route to be able to get those shoes. So I've got a second paper route in the neighborhood. So I think that's another way I got to know everybody was from trying to. Delivering papers to make enough money to try to buy these sneakers.
Juravich: And you wore out the sneakers, I'm sure, doing these paper-outs, right? Oh, absolutely, absolutely. So tell me about your love of, like how these books about your love of sneakers ties into your love of like literacy and writing. Like, you know, why write a book about sneakers?
Mosley: Honestly, it's a subject that a lot of kids like, especially kids from the inner city. It seems to be, again, very cliché and on the nose, but I think the key to literacy and reading is to find subject matters that kids find intriguing, something they'll be naturally drawn to. If you try to talk too far above or too far below their interest, then they just won't want to read. They won't pick up the joy of it. So I think just coming in at a level with a subject matter that they are already interested in. Then you just take it from there and they they'll read more to get more repetitions and they'll just get better at it.
Juravich: Yeah, and do you still have your love of sneakers or did it stay in your childhood? Well...
Mosley: If you ask my wife, I'm sure she'll tell you with the sneaker room that we have. It's taken over our guest room, so I would say I still have it. Okay.
Juravich: Okay, got it. You self-published Soulmates and eventually you got it into Target. You know, that's a major retailer. What was that process like? How did you pull that off?
Mosley: You know, I actually, I had kind of a cheat code in that I went on LinkedIn, and I just started to kind of put little promotions, you know, talking about how much I enjoy the story because, you know I actually wrote that book. I was recovering from hip surgery. So I had the doctor prescribed like a thousand steps per day where I had to just, you now get off the couch and just push myself to, to rehab the joint. So it was during the winter time and I couldn't do it outside and I didn't want to do it around the house. So. I would go to Target and just like walk around the aisles. So I kind of wrote the story in my head while I was walking the aisle of Target. So it seemed like a natural fit.
Juravich: Wow. Okay. And Target responded. Yeah, so I'm sorry.
Mosley: Yeah, so I'm sorry, I went into LinkedIn and I just, I started to just post little, you know, cartoons and little images, kind of like talking about, you know how much the character liked Target and how much I liked it. And someone from the corporate office contacted me and put me in contact with the book buyer and the rest was history.
Juravich: All right, yeah. The next thing I wanted to talk about, you have so much work. We'll see what we can get through here. But the next one I wanted to talk was Smile for We. So this is a book aimed at tearing down negative stereotypes of black men. First of all, what's the significance of the title? What does Smile for we mean?
Mosley: Well, I wanted to make it inclusive, like you said, and instead of saying smile for me, because again, I think on an individual level, it's kind of easy to break down stereotypes. It's harder when you want to break down stereotypes of an entire group. So I didn't want it to just, you know, I figure like I can present myself pretty well and change how people may have preconceived notions of me, but I wanted to do it for the entire group of black men.
Juravich: Okay, and so tell people of what this book is it's a book of photographs of men smiling, right? Yes
Mosley: Yes, it's headshots because you know again the stereotype for black men is that we're dangerous. We're boogeymen. We' re angry We're tough, you know all these things we have to kind of put on to to live down to the stereotypes that people have about us So I'm like, no, we can smile. We are human We have feelings so I think but you know you can say that but that gets to be kind of preachy But to have a photo book full of headshots of black men smiling That's a visceral reaction and without even reading anything you can just see and react to that
Juravich: Are they men from Columbus or did you travel around?
Mosley: It was men from Columbus. Some of them I knew, some of them, I didn't know. I met one gentleman in my eye doctor's lobby. We were just, you know, talking about the project. Did you tell him he had a nice smile? I did, I did. You know, and I was like, cause we were just talking and I'm was like you know what, I'm gonna go for it. You know I didn't know this man, but I'm like I think he might be a good person to shoot and he was receptive. We exchanged information and I just went to his house and shot him on his porch.
Juravich: Okay, yeah. So what was reaction like to the book? Did it do what you wanted it to do, I guess is what I'm saying.
Mosley: Absolutely, there was positive reception, both from like the neighborhood and from people, but there was also, I was invited to speak across the country at different colleges, museums, bookstores, so I didn't anticipate the success of it growing to that level. I just kind of wanted to do something during COVID because I wrote this back when things were shut down and we had the social distance and I wasn't seeing my friends as often as I used to. So I was like, you know what, this is a good way to keep in contact. And also spread a positive message at the same time.
Juravich: Oh, that's interesting that you were talking about smiles when a lot of people have their smiles covered up with a mask. This is Fascinating Ohio from All Sides on 89.7 NPR News and we're talking about giving back through art and storytelling and sneakers with Damon Mosley, writer, producer and filmmaker. We've been talking about the books you've written, but now I want to focus a pivot to your films. Love the Band was a promotional video you made to raise support for the East High marching band. Um, you raised $50,000 for the band. Tell me more about this project. Cause I, this is a few years ago. I remember watching this film. I mean, it was, it was so great and the band just looks so happy. I mean tell me, tell me how this came about.
Mosley: Well, there was actually, again, it's funny how everything keeps coming back to negative stereotypes. You know, my neighborhood is being rapidly gentrified, which, you know, that's fine. Change is gonna happen, and there's nothing that you can kind of do about that, but there's a way that change can be good for everyone instead of just, you now, one group. Well, the band has this tradition of marching from the school down to their home field for every football game, and that dates back to. Gosh, since I was a kid, and my mom used to be a cheerleader, and I used to a kid watching the parade go down the street. And the new residents, they didn't understand what this was, so they were kinda complaining about the noise. Well, things got really nasty on some of these community message boards, and yeah, it got really bad. So, you know. I thought about, okay, what skills have I picked up in my journeys around the world and back to the neighborhood? And one thing I learned was some diplomacy. I knew I couldn't fight this issue with fire because it would, again, I would feed into the negative stereotype of just being an angry black man, railing against the newcomers of the neighborhood. So I said, this is an opportunity to kind of show the newcomer what this neighborhood means, what the history, why it's so important that we do this. And I said you know what, instead of fighting fire with fire, let's extend an invitation. And have them take part in this parade and they can see what it is and honestly to their credit the vast majority of the new residents they loved it they pitched into the campaign and it was just a way to celebrate the kids because they could have easily gotten discouraged and not wanted to March anymore, because, you know,
Juravich: You taught the neighborhood that it was more than noise.
Mosley: Absolutely, you know and it's frustrating to kind of have to do that because you know, it's a this is a city school It's kind of landlocked. It's not like a lot of space. So it's like, okay If you don't want kids practicing, you, know something and belonging to a group like a band and doing something positive What would you rather do? Like where do you want them to do? Where do you, want them, to go? But the response was really really positive for that and I'm very proud that you know The kids and the school and the community were able to welcome the new residents in Unite East Columbus.
Juravich: And you were able to get them new instruments, is that the goal?
Mosley: Yes, there was, I mean, as you can imagine, marching band instruments are very expensive, so we couldn't replace every single one, but we were able to put a dent in some of that.
Juravich: I read that you call yourself the secret love child of Columbia University and the corner store. Talk to me about this self-given title.
Mosley: Well, it's again people have a perception of when you say you've gone to an Ivy League school like every time when someone asks me where I went to school when I say the name they're going to either have some assumption that I'm some proper you know erudite you know stiff person but really you know I'm not ashamed of that nor am I ashamed of where I come from so I'd like to say I'm a hybrid of both so I embrace both with equal amounts of love.
Juravich: Um, I wanted to talk about your upcoming project called 20th Street. Um, tell us about it. Um, you have a trailer out, right? Or like a short, a short teaser, yes. Okay. So I saw the teaser, but for people who haven't seen the teaser it's called 20th Street. Tell me about what it is and where 20th Street is where you grew up. Right? Yes, it is.
Mosley: Yes, it is. Coincidentally, I now live on the same street that I grew up on. I'm from Columbus, as you know, and I went to high school in Virginia, college in New York City. I've traveled the world, I've worked in and pitched ideas in LA. And somehow I ended up back on the same street, not the same neighborhood, the same exact street. So I was like, okay, there's gotta be a story here somewhere. So my current movie is about a guy who He moves away from home, comes back, and... The neighborhood is changing and he's struggling to kind of find his identity amongst all those changes. Like, what does it mean? How does it affect him? How can he, he's not the same person anymore. The neighborhood's not same anymore. So he's like, how can I benefit this place that I call home? But some things are familiar and some things aren't. And, you know, which is made, I guess, exacerbated by the demolition of buildings and some of his treasured landmarks that he saw when he was growing up.
Juravich: Okay. And is it going to be like a full length film? Like, what's your plan for it?
Mosley: I want it to be a feature-length film, but I'm also given today's climate in Hollywood where it's really, it's chaos right now. I have it positioned to be a TV series if need be. Like, I don't know which door will open first, so I have a feature script that's prepared. I have pilot script from episode outlines that is prepared. So, honestly, whatever opportunity comes up, I'm ready for.
Juravich: Now, I watched the teaser, so explain it a little bit, because it kind of looks like a video game. Yeah. I mean, yeah, right?
Mosley: Well, I wanted to get some eye candy there. So it's like a daydream sequence of the main character who, like I said, he moves away from his neighborhood, but he's in the coffee shop and he's daydreaming about what it would be like if he were a superhero that could save the neighborhood from evil invaders. Gentrification is like this big, large, scary thing. So you feel kind of helpless that you can't stop it. So this is like a dream sequence where he's a match, like a Walter Mitty. You know, the secret life. Oh, I see. Okay. Oh I love that. Okay, that's like the whole movie.
Juravich: So the whole movie is not going to look like that, but so the teaser I saw, that's a daydream sequence. Okay. Okay, I mean, I loved it. It was so fun. Yeah. So where are you in the process? You said you have these two pitches. Yeah,
Mosley: I'm just raising money right now, and there's two things that you need, I feel, to be successful with pitching new products and original content, and that's money and momentum. So I need some traction, and I need to raise funds as well to show the powers that be, be that sales agents, be it distributors, that this thing has legs, that it's viable. So my whole process now is to raise money, build awareness, gain some traction and just to generate some interest that way.
Juravich: Do you feel like you have more money right now or more momentum? Which one, which one you had? I think right now we're. Which one you had?
Mosley: I think right now we're just over $5,000 raised and I'd say just a little under a month. So that's not bad given that I haven't really got a chance to completely finish the rollout. So I would like to get a little bit more traction.
Juravich: Okay. We've been talking about giving back through art and storytelling, through smiles, through sneakers. We have been talking with Damon Mosley, writer, producer and filmmaker. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Mosley: Thank you.
Juravich: And before we end the show, I wanna say a quick thank you to our student producer from Denison University, Ellen Hanson. Ellen has been with us for the summer, plus a few bonus weeks, and she's done a fantastic job for All Sides. Ellen, thank you for all your hard work and dedication to the show. We're gonna miss you. Enjoy your next adventure. And this is All Sides, and this has been Fascinating Ohio from All Sides on 89.7 NPR News. I'm Amy Juravich.