Speak Easy

Councilor John Chapman joins Speak Easy to talk about what inspired him to get involved in local politics, his work uncovering the city's Black history for Manumission Tour Company and the current state of race relations in Alexandria.

Virtue Feed & Grain's bourbon expert Tom Gale talks with Times editor Missy Schrott about his passion for spirits, Virginia's storied bourbon past and what it's been like working in the restaurant industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The music director for the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra, James Ross, steps up to the mic to talk about his musical upbringing, playing music in East Germany, what actually goes into conducting an orchestra and how the ASO is adapting to the pandemic. 

For the first quarantined episode of Speak Easy, it only seemed appropriate  to sit down (remotely) with Director of the Alexandria Health Department Dr. Stephen Haering to discuss how he became head of the AHD, his work spearheading the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how he is personally coping with a socially distanced world.

Brooklyn-based artist Olalekan Jeyifous stops by the studio to talk about African megacities, the power of architecture, making art for Starbucks and his public art installation on the Alexandria's waterfront.

Local developer Teddy Kim is bringing change to a city he has called home  his whole life. Alexandria Times reporter Cody Mello-Klein sits down with Kim to discuss his memories of Alexandria in the 80s, the changing face of the city, gentrification and balancing history and possibility in redevelopment.

Alexandria Times reporter Cody Mello-Klein welcome Del Ray philanthropist, activist and all around good neighbor Pat Miller to the first episode of Speak Easy. Pat talks about how she first got into building community in Del Ray, the origins of Art on the Avenue, her work with the Alexandria Domestic Violence Shelter and how her pickup truck became a Del Ray icon.

Ahead of the launch of the Alexandria Times first podcast, Speak Easy, Times reporter Cody Mello-Klein and Times editor Missy Schrott sit down to answer your biggest question: What is Speak Easy? They also introduce themselves and reveal the podcast's first guest.