The Road to Erica Heilman's House.
Burn Pile December 2025 Questions: What Media have you been consuming? What are your current Fascinations?
Media: Whenever I need to listen to someone tell me a story, I always return to two podcasts: Rumble Strip and Out of the Blocks. Both shows offer glimpses into small, deep-rooted communities. Rumble Strip focuses on rural Vermont–usually just a few central counties–while Out of The Blocks takes you through Baltimore one block at a time. Both shows investigate the intricate patterns of everyday life that always have one foot in the past, the present, and the future. I think both hosts also do an excellent job of creating space for sincere expression and reflection without over-editorializing. OotB scores each episode with piano, which mixes beautifully with the city’s soundscape.
Fascinations: I am fascinated by my cats' continued curiosity towards the small things they encounter each and every day. A bug is never boring. But do they care about a sunset or a good metaphor? Only sometimes, it appears.
— Peter Hoag, University of Montana MFA Poet
