Evan Stern

Evan Stern is the host and creator of Vanishing Postcards. Follow him on Twitter here, and follow Vanishing Postcards on Instagram here.

What sparked the idea for Vanishing Postcards?
It wasn’t an idea so much as an evolution. A few years ago, the thought of podcasting was not something that would have ever crossed my mind. But somewhere over the last decade, beginning with The Moth, This American Life, and other programs like Cocaine & Rhinestones, I absolutely fell in love with audio storytelling- to the point where I felt moved to pick up a microphone and see what I could do. I took a three day workshop in production at NYU, bought some equipment at B&H, taught myself how to use editing software, and in January of 2020 hopped a flight to my home state of Texas to gather some oral histories. My reasons for going there were simple- First of all, Texas is warmer than New York. More crucially, if there’s one thing I know, Texans tell great stories and love to talk. I came up with the title Vanishing Postcards early in production as I realized that each episode provided a snapshot of a place, and the common thread is that the places I visit are representative of traditions and histories that are in danger of disappearing.

How did Covid change the show?
When I first started, I could show up at a bar unannounced and just start talking to people- which is exactly what you’ll hear in my first episodes. I rarely told anyone I was coming in advance. Understandably following COVID, I couldn’t approach people that way, and many of the kinds of places I initially visited fell off the table. It forced me to do much more in the way of outreach and pre-reporting, and I had to get a little more creative in the places and subjects I chose to cover. That said, I feel the storytelling actually deepened because of this, and have a wonderfully diverse season as a result.

I'm always surprised how professional this show feels, yet at the same time, homemade and from your heart. How do you strike that balance?
I know what I like in a podcast, and quality is important to me- both in terms of sound, and focused storytelling. At the same time, I don’t like it when authenticity is sacrificed in favor of sanitization. The first person I interviewed for this show was Angel, the bartender at Austin’s ancient Dry Creek Cafe. She was a tough cookie, and incredibly hesitant to talk at first. But when she found out I was okay with cussing, she let out a belly laugh, cut loose and let the f-bombs fly. I, and I think most people, appreciate that level of rawness.

Who is the most memorable person you interviewed?
Too many to name. Many like San Antonio restaurateur Diana Barrios Trevino have become friends, and cowboy poet Hoot Gibson was such a character I had to give him his own bonus episode. That said, the 99 year old Normandy veteran Johnnie Plsek was unforgettable. I met him by pure chance at Sefcik Hall, a historic Czech venue where he proudly told me one night he’d recently “danced with 32 different women.” He wasn’t able to celebrate his hundredth birthday at the hall as planned due to COVID, but his neighbors staged a distanced drive by parade for him, and understand he hopes to mark his 101st at the hall this May since they’re now back open!

How did the people you interviewed receive you? Was anyone hesitant to be interviewed?
I found that most people were sincerely eager, honored and appreciative of the chance to share their stories and talk about their work or places that surrounded them. There were few no’s, but the hardest one I got was from Arkey Blue, the country singer/owner of honky-tonk Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar in Bandera, TX. That probably made the segment more fun as his refusal became a part of the story, and his fans, bartenders and regulars all lapped up the chance to talk about him. As I understand, those who know Arkey and the bar have gotten a real kick out of the portrait that emerged, and received a nice message from his wife on facebook following publication.

Is this a travel podcast, a people podcast or what?
It’s a people podcast that is the result of my travels. I have no problem if folks choose to define it as a travel podcast as I have worked hard to provide my listeners an immersive experience, and want audiences to feel as if they’re on the road with me. At the same time, much of this show is intended as a response to Instagram tourism. I fear that too many travel programs, bloggers and influencers miss the heart of the destinations they visit. In many cases, it’s more about “look at me and how cute I am in this place,” instead of the place itself.

What do you hope Vanishing Postcards does for people?
Obviously, I hope Vanishing Postcards will touch and entertain anyone who listens. Beyond that, I hope it causes people to realize that culture and art is everywhere, and in many cases is born in places that get the least attention. Detroit gave us Motown, Clarksdale Mississippi gave us the blues, and the border has given us conjunto music and some of the richest folklore you’ll find in this nation. Additionally, while I do not think that anything we’ve experienced in the last five years should be normalized, in this most polarized of ages, culture is one of the rare areas that provides opportunity for agreement, and the sharing of stories engenders empathy.

Thanks, Evan!

Left: Evan with Buddy Jay Reynolds, owner of The Dry Creek Cafe; Right: Johnnie Plsek