Coffee Contrails - radio plays & audiobooks
Brains in Love

What is Coffee Contrails?

The Coffee Contrails podcast is produced by Flatcar6 Studios, pairing emerging talent: authors, musicians, voice actors, and sound designers in storytelling. Stories are free to listen.

One goal is to make internet access inclusionary, collaborate with people from around the world regardless of the collaborator's tech savviness. By the numbers: 300k+ downloads, 10k-ish downloads per month, 80+ talented contributors, 65+ episodes, 9+seasons.

Second goal is to create gig work for voice talent, which is rapidly being displaced by generative-AI. We can only pay talent through fan donations and purchase of merch. So, your participation matters. Please support the creation of artistic jobs for people by making a donation. Many thanks to participants who volunteer their time, lending their voices to tell stories.

Brains in Love (Comedy)

Brains in Love is a comedic short story by playwright and novelist Joel Fishbane. From the eighty-three moons of Saturn to the emperors of Japan, these fierce trivia competitors, Richard and Lizzie Schiffman, always bring their A game to quiz night. "Knowledge is knowledge, But what happens when knowledge isn't knowledge?" Fact-checking worrisome thoughts are woven beautifully with COVID, conceiving babies, and the arguments that come with just needing to be right. With some more thought and sorting priorities, love triumphs in the end. This episode features the voice talents of Joel Fishbane, Musical Lemonade, and Lois Bell.

Listen now on Coffee Contrails.

To listen, you can:

RSS Subscribe on iTunes!

Download the MP3 of Brains in Love.
This file is a ~15MB MP3.

Cast & Crew

Joel Fishbane.......... Author/Narrator
Musical Lemonade.......... Richard Schiffman
Lois Bell.......... Lizzie Schiffman
Anita Dime.......... Sound
Flatcar6 Studios................ Producer

Many thanks to NASA and taxpayers like you:

Many thanks to the contributors of Freesound.org:

  • The American Zoetrope Sound Effects Collection, Sentinel Valut Archives by The Hollywood Edge
Adobe Stock Art: Illustration by Bohlam: ................Banner art
Anita Dime................Banner graphics

More Stories

So sorry for the long, long, long scrolling... geeez. Trying to sort out a new website that will be easier to group genres, find authors, and not scroll. Sorry.

Alma's Anomalies

Alma's Anomalies

Cast & CrewCast for Alma's Anomalies

The Gossip Queens

The Gossip Queens

Listen to the cast interview.

Cast & CrewCast for Gossip Queens

Ingrid Remembers

Ingrid Remembers

Read along at the author's website Hyopolis.

Cast & Crew Cast for Ingrid Remembers

Pecu

Pecu

Read along at Porter Gulch Review, edition 37, 2021

Cast & Crew Cast for The Conversation

The Conversation

The Conversation

Listen to the group interview with the cast members:

cast Cast for The Conversation

crew Crew for The Conversation

Grow No More

Grow No More

cast Cast for Grow No More

crew Crew for Grow No More

Life as a Hillbilly (memoir 1950s)

Life as a Hillbilly

cast Cast for Life as a Hillbilly

crew Crew for Life as a Hillbilly

The Foot of the Bed

The Foot of the Bed

Read along with us The Foot of the Bed (PDF).

2023 Interview with Steve Young
Wonderful talking with poet Steve Young about his poems of horror in this 2023 interview. He discusses Madame Apocrypha and the hauntings at the LaLaurie mansion, terrors that haunt us at the foot of the bed, and his journey as a poet.

cast Cast for Foot of the Bed

crew Crew for Foot of the Bed

Madame Apocrypha

Madame Apocrypha

cast Cast for Madame Apocrypha

crew Crew for Madame Apocrypha

El Almohadón de Plumas (Spanish) by Horacio Quiroga

El Almohadón de Plumas

Read along with us the short story (PDF) and author website.

cast Cast for Plumas

crew Crew for Plumas

Alone by David Pirinelli

Alone

Check out Pirinelli's award-winning script Hell Off Earth by downloading the script (PDF).

cast Cast for Alone

crew Crew for Alone

Cold Facts by Mark Sbani

Cold Facts

cast Cast for Cold Facts

crew Crew for Cold Facts

Secrets of the Snow by Meera Collier

Secrets of the Snow

cast Cast for Secrets of the Snow

crew Crew for Secrets of the Snow

Cocoboy's Redemption by Gino Danna

Cocoboy's Redemption

cast Cast for Cocoboy

crew Crew for Cocobot

The DARPA Bums by Tom Arns

The DARPA Bums

2022 Interview with Tom Arns

cast Cast for The DARPA Bums

crew Crew for The DARPA Bums

Facade by Felix Fife

Facade

2022 Interview with Felix Fife

cast Cast for Facade

crew Crew for Facade

The Ghost of Union Station by Mark Sbani

The Ghost of Union Station

cast Cast for The Ghost of Union Station

crew Crew for The Ghost of Union Station

Fluffy and Fido Save the Day by Tom Arns

Fluffy and Fido Save the Day

2022 Interview with Tom Arns

cast Cast for Fluffy and Fido Save the Day

crew Crew for Fluffy and Fido Save the Day

Woman of the Trees: Josephine McCracken by Laurel Maxwell

Woman of the Trees by Laurel Maxwell

2022 Interview with poet Laurel Maxwell

cast Cast for Woman of the Trees

crew Crew for Woman of the Trees

Lost and Found by Anita Dime

Lost and Found by Anita Dime

cast Cast for Lost and Found

crew Crew for Lost and Found

The Elevator Man by Helene Simkin Jara

The Elevator Man by Helene Simkin Jara

Great catching up with actor and director Andrew Michael Davids, listen to his 2023 inspiring interview covering his experience with the Actors' Theatre of Santa Cruz County, 8 Tens @ 8, directing "Eddie and Edna", and so much more.

cast Cast for Elevator Man

crew Crew for Elevator Man

Desiderata by Max Erhmann

Desiderata by Max Erhmann

cast Cast for Desiderata by Max Erhmann

crew Crew for Desiderata by Max Erhmann

Adam by Joel Fishbane

Adam by Joel Fishbane

cast Cast for Adam by Joel Fishbane

crew Crew for Adam by Joel Fishbane

Reginald the Maintenance Man by Steven Capasso

Reginald the Maintenance Man by Steven Capasso

cast Cast for Reginald the Maintenance Man

crew Crew for Reginald the Maintenance Man

What in Blazes by Pat Foran

What in Blazes by Pat Foran

To learn more about Pat, listen to Pat's 2021 interview with Coffee Contrails. Visit his website.

cast Cast for What in Blazes

crew Crew for What in Blazes

Letter from 1st Lt. Harmon L. Buckley

A soldier's letter read by Bob Heubel

Read along at Letter from 1st Lt. Harmon L. Buckley, BBC

 

The Lawn by Helene Simkin Jara

The Lawn by Helene Simkin Jara

To learn more about Helene, listen to Helene's 2021 interview with Coffee Contrails. Visit her artist page.

cast Cast for The Lawn

crew Crew for The Lawn

Alley Cat by Mark Sbani

Alley Cat by Mark Sbani

To learn more about Mark, listen to Mark's 2021 interview with Coffee Contrails. Visit his artist page.

cast Cast for Alley Cat

crew Crew for Alley Cat

Freddy Finn in the Catfish Burglar Matter by Thomas Throop

Freddy Finn by Thomas Throop

To learn more about Thomas, listen to his 2020 interview with Coffee Contrails. Follow him on Instagram.

cast Cast for Freddy Finn

crew Crew for Freddy Finn

Hank Meyermann by Meera Collier

Hank Meyermann by Meera Collier

Listen to Meera talk about her award-winning story Leo on the Train and Hank Meyermann in her 2019 interview.

cast Cast for Hank Meyermann

crew Crew for Hank Meyermann

Leo on the Train by Meera Collier

Leo on the Train by Meera Collier

cast Cast for Leo on the Train

crew Crew for Leo on the Train

Reunion by David Pirinelli

Reunion by David Pirinelli

Get the scoop about David's Cinestory (Niagara Fell) and Austin Film Festival (Hell Off Earth) successes by listening to this 2021 interview. What's next for this up and coming author?

Read David's drama teleplay Hell Off Earth

cast Cast for Reunion

crew Crew for Reunion

Sorrow by Anita Dime

Sorrow by Anita Dime

cast Cast for Sorrow

crew Crew for Sorrow

Reveal by Bob Heubel

Reveal by Bob Heubel

Learn more about Bob in his 2020 interview.

cast Cast for Reveal

crew Crew for Reveal

Night Calls by Anita Dime

Night Calls by Anita Dime

cast Cast for Night Calls

crew Crew for Night Calls

Maria by Helene Simkin Jara

Maria by Helene Simkin Jara

cast Cast for Maria

crew Crew for Maria

El Dragon Fafnir adapted by Jimena Dib

El Dragon Fafnir adapted by Jimena Dib

cast Cast for El Dragon Fafnir

crew Crew for El Dragon Fafnir

Document 13 by Cristina Romero

Document 13 by Cristina Romero

Learn more about Cristina in her 2019 interview.

cast Cast for Document 13

crew Crew for Document 13

Johnny Grant Private Eye by Rick Paladin Pratt

Johnny Grant Private Eye by Rick Paladin Pratt

cast Cast for Johnny Grant Private Eye

crew Crew for Johnny Grant Private Eye

Fatale by Mike Handley

Fatale by Mike Handley

cast Cast for Fatale

crew Crew for Fatale

Red Sky by John Tracy

Red Sky by John Tracy
cast Cast for Red Sky

crew Crew for Red Sky

Rocket Molly Syndicate by John Taylor


cast Cast for Rocket Molly Syndicate

crew Crew for Rocket Molly Syndicate

Pandora Driver by John Picha


cast Cast for Pandora Driver

crew Crew for Pandora Driver

Bloom by Anita Dime


cast Cast for Bloom

crew Crew for Bloom

Ace Rango by Jose E. Cepeda

Ace Rango by Jose E. Cepeda

cast Cast for Ace Rango

crew Crew for Ace Rango

Moon Man by Mark Sbani

Moon Man by Mark Sbani

cast Cast for Moon Man

crew Crew for Moon Man

Released

Post-production

  • The Coffee Bar by Meera Collier
  • Souls of the Sky by George Frost
  • Ke Kulanakauhale ma ke Kai, or The City by The Sea by Thomas Iannucci
  • Spruiker by Anita Dime

Pre-production

  • Past Paradox (excerpt) by John Turiano
  • The Girl with the Hungry Eyes by Fritz Leiber, 1949
  • Audition Tips for the True Professional by Joel Fishbane

Under Review

  • The Whisper in the Darkness by H.P. Lovecrafts, adapted by Anita Dime
  • El extraño case del Doctor Jekyll y Mister Hyde by R.L. Stevenson, adapted by Anita Dime

reviews

About Us

Coffee Contrails features mainly, original noir and sci-fi "radio" plays & audiobooks.

Our Mission

Coffee Contrails offers a method for emerging artists from a variety of mediums to collaborate and create new art as a group. It showcases their works, provides state-of-the art sound equipment, professional editing, and project management, enabling artists to express their unique craft. From writing, to visual art, to voice acting, Coffee Contrails provides access to the entry-level artist.

Begin with one person's story. Now add voices, music, and sound effects. The story continues to morph, a new creative thing made by many. Add visual "cover art" and share with others.

Like that old Reese's commercial: "Your peanut butter is in my chocolate. Your chocolate is in my peanut butter." Coffee Contrails pairs self-publishing authors with local artistic talent, providing access to recording equipment and the internet know-how to share with the world.

See behind the scenes photos.

Subscribe on iTunes!

Our Supporters

Arts Council Santa Cruz County

Many thanks to the entire cast and crew that volunteered their time to create these stories over the years.

Special thanks to John Picha for graphic design support and the kick in the butt to keep Coffee Contrails going.

Special thanks to BlueOnly.tv for contributing recording and audio editing expertise in the early years.

Also, couldn't have done it without the awesome sound effect libraries available for purchase at The Hollywood Edge.

Coffee Contrails received a 2014 Develop Grant from the Arts Council Santa Cruz County. This award supported the creation of a business and financial plan to explore growing the Coffee Contrails podcast, but it was decided that creating a non-profit structure would take the focus away from creating the stories. Read more >>

Copyright©2024 Flatcar6 Studios