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David Safran

@davidsafran.bsky.social
21 followers 36 following 24 posts

Songwriter, musician, and occasional contributor to various publications. Plain facts for old and young.

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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
My mom co-wrote the stage adaptation of "Free To Be...You And Me," a cultural behemoth that Gloria Steinem helped shape. Growing up in the Free To Be community was indispensable. It's hard to imagine Gloria Steinem resting as the US lurches backwards. It's on all of us now to make sure she doesn't.
Photograph of two women, one is Gloria Steinem (L) and the other is educator-writer Regina Safran (R). Both are joyfully smiling and wearing black clothes with accessories. (Concha belt on Gloria; necklace on Regina.)
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Just a few of my many favs on @chirpradio.org, the greatest independent radio station possibly of all time!
Screenshot of a few songs from my CHIRP collection, which features three titles/artists and album covers and/or CHIRP logo. These favorites are: Fine Seasoned Woman by Toronzo Cannon from the album The Chicago Way; I Love Men by Eartha Kitt fom the album I Love Men; No More Wine (Eyn Kol Vayn) by David Safran from the album A Few Lines Later. All three were added 6/7/26 and Mssrs Cannon and Safran are both highlighted as local artists.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
You need to log in to watch, and should, because Lil Davey's dance moves are a modern (ca early 90s) miracle youtu.be/XN8l-YVyn5o?... @davidsafran.bsky.social
youtu.be
David Safran feat. Animal Fears - Attempted (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by David Safran
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
While this is true I am still taking today off work like it's a national holiday😎🥳🦁
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
"What is old is new again." My deepest thanks to James VanOsdol and @93xrtchicago.bsky.social for the surprising "Woman, Astride" spin and incredibly kind words on last night's show.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Walking the streets and alleys of Ravenswood (and Detroit?) with a guitar and weighted gloves.
youtube.com
David Safran - "Muttering Continues" (Official Video)
YouTube video by David Safran
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
The music video for "Regional Hit" directed by the incredible Isidro Hurtado has been on YouTube for a couple weeks but its official release is today via @redeyeworldwide.com. Watch it now on various streaming platforms paying indie musicians in fractions of a cent.
music.apple.com
Regional Hit by David Safran on Apple Music
Music Video · 2026 · Duration 3:14
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The first music video off the new album is on YouTube now and other platforms July 10th. The video was directed by the brilliant filmmaker Isidro Hurtado and features some of Chicago's best slo-mo shadowboxing in a suit.
youtube.com
David Safran - Regional Hit (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by David Safran
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
☀️Happy Solstice!☀️
Blue skies, white clouds, green leafy trees surrounding an alley, white lady (me) wearing a black top and sunglasses looking up.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Many thanks for spinning "No More Wine" today before some classic Buzzcocks. If anything, that tune is a different kind of operator's manual.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
It has been soooooo cool to hear this song on @chirpradio.org! I swear I only requested it twice!
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
The other ones are also good I guess.
Screen shot of recent CHIRP Radio spins of David Safran songs, including "Regional Hit," "Muttering Continues," "The Lasting Bit (Three Good Notes," and "No More Wine (Eyn Kol Vayn)." Next to each song is a different CHIRP Radio logo.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
When I was eight-years-old, I pitched @cnn.com a TV show. Somehow an unsolicited idea from a third-grader—with no connection to the network whatsoever—found its way to Ted Turner who shared it with CNN VP, Ed Turner. This tender reply is probably the kindest rejection I've ever received.
Photo of typed one-page letter written by executive vice president of CNN Ed Turner on official CNN letterhead.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Apparently Bluesky is sharing concert pics taken by fans. Here's my contribution: a happy Lou Reed at the Supper Club in NYC. June 26, 1997.
Photo of Lou Reed in black shirt sitting with an acoustic guitar and smiling. Second musician Mike Rathke is next to Lou Reed. Foreground features the back of heads of three concertgoers.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Thank you @gdwessel.bsky.social for playing No More Wine/Eyn Kol Vayn by @davidsafran.bsky.social on your show last night!! A thrill to hear on @chirpradio.org, along with The B-52s, Depeche Mode, and many other beauties. That was me with the request. Next time I'll remember to leave my info! :)
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Look at me simultaneously managing acquisitions and my expectations re: the future of romance! www.instagram.com/p/DXb--k8lo0V/
instagram.com
Newberry Library on Instagram: "All this week, #nationallibraryweek, we’ll be sharing the ways our staff find their joy in our collection. Next up, it’s Emma Morris, the Newberry's Acquisitions Manag...
89 likes, 5 comments - newberrylibrary on April 22, 2026: "All this week, #nationallibraryweek, we’ll be sharing the ways our staff find their joy in our collection. Next up, it’s Emma Morris, the Ne...
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
My new single "The Lasting Bit" is featured in Apple Music's "New in Rock" curated playlist. I know, I know. This is an epic selection. Still, it's the closest I've been to Lenny Kaye. So, I'll happily take it.
music.apple.com
New in Rock on Apple Music
Playlist · 300 Songs
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Endless thanks for the spin and the dance. Whatever happens with the upcoming record, absolutely nothing can beat the incomparable Tony Breed dancing to my new single at @chirpradio.org.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
🌻Creators can apply for a table at the Indigenous Zine Fest here. The deadline to apply is May 1 🌻 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
My first album in a very long time, "A Few Lines Later," will be released Friday May 8th through Birdwatcher Records/Redeye Distribution on all digital and streaming services. Pre-save (whatever that means) here: lnk.to/AFewLinesLater
White man with short dark hair, black suit, and weighted gloves stands behind a white and green wall with both hands up in a slightly defiant pose. Name of artist (David Safran) appears in upper right corner and an album title (A Few Lines Later) appears in the lower middle of image underlined with two white lines and one yellow line.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 09/11/2025
Thank you and hell yes to local independent bookstores for supporting our communities and neighbors! From Squeezebox Books, @skunkcabbagebooks.bsky.social, & @pilsencommbooks.bsky.social
An image of several resources, including information on calling the Family Support Hotline (855-435-7693), on knowing our rights, on whistle protocol, a pink sticker with figures on it that says Always Carry a Book, and two whistles.
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dan sinker @dansinker.com · 31/10/2025
Today in Evanston: helicopters overhead constantly, ICE jumping out across the entire town, people getting snatched outside of schools, a guns-drawn confrontation at an intersection after hitting a car, schools on soft lockdown, and they’re STILL roaming around in full tactical gear.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
🥰😷Great opportunity to contribute to Chicago Mask Bloc! This fundraiser supports mutual aid via mask and test distribution in the Chicago area 😷🥰 givebutter.com/masks4chi
givebutter.com
Chicago Mask Bloc - KF94 and Rapid Tests Fundraiser
By Chicago Mask Bloc
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
The hit Netflix series Wayward appears to be partly inspired by CEDU, a notorious chain of powerful, tightly controlled "therapeutic" residential programs. I sat down with @thr.com to talk about real-life connections and turning my favorite Kid in the Hall into a ranting man in the cabin.
hollywoodreporter.com
A Closer Look at the Real-Life Inspiration in Netflix’s ‘Wayward’
The hit series draws from many different aspects of the troubled teen industry, but multiple narratives out of one long-shuttered institution are rather striking.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
10 years after @curtainlecture.bsky.social and I received a sponsorship and residency to co-write a horror-schlocker musical, Chicago's incredible High Concept Labs now has a profile of our still unproduced yet rollicking cult gem.
highconceptlabs.org
David Safran & Emma Morris — HIGH CONCEPT LABS
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 30/08/2025
This and other books are available from @openpoetrybooks.bsky.social. All proceeds from the following titles go to The Sameer Project: open-books-a-poem-emporium.myshopify.com/collections/...
Image of the cover of "Heaven Looks Like Us: Palestinian Poetry" edited by George Abraham and Noor Hindi. The cover art is "Untitled," from "The Cleaning Collages" series by Jumana Manna. Shades of blue, white and gold are prominent.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 06/08/2025
and they say it's hard to make new friends in your 30s and 40s.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
A couple months ago, @curtainlecture.bsky.social noticed and befriended a baby female peregrine falcon at the Newberry Library. Since a falcon apparently isn't a good pet friend in our apartment, today on Emma's birthday, she came to us in pillow form.
Woman with dark hair sits behind on a bouquet of flowers holding a pillow featuring an image of a young peregrine falcon.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
This is a combination CD, public library, and Sly and the Family Stone appreciation post!
Image of the album cover for Fresh by Sly and the Family Stone, which features a gorgeous, joyful portrait of Sly Stone appearing to be in mid-air and wearing a fantastic outfit. There are two stickers on the plastic case protecting the CD: "POP/ROCK - SLY - CD" and "PUBLIC LIBRARY."   I've placed five sunglass emojis over the specific public library branch name. The background features blue rectangle and gold star mosaic tiles.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Look I hate to brag but being among the first Lizzy befrienders at the library may very well be my finest professional accomplishment. www.instagram.com/p/DLTBVlgvyY_/
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
I want to live in a world where Tanner '88 was real, he won the election, and his cabinet picks were confirmed.
Image of two stills from political mockumentary Tanner '88 featuring 1) Gloria Steinem, "Tanner Sec'y Health & Human Service," in a bright orange sweater against a cozy backdrop and 2) Studs Terkel, "Tanner Secretary of Labor," in a dark sport coat and red shirt in front of a bookshelf. Both stills include conspicuously late 80s TV sets.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
The Lost Kids was released 5 years ago today, colliding with a world in lockdown and protests. I'm credited anonymously and have complicated feelings about the final version but, overall, I'm grateful to have been part of a team helping turn a hushed-up national curio into a blockbuster topic.
usgaudio.com
THE LOST KIDS | USG Audio
THE SEARCH FOR A MISSING TEEN EXPOSES THE DARK BUSINESS OF THERAPEUTIC SCHOOLS.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 11/05/2025
🌻Planting Seeds: An Indigenous Zine Fest at the Newberry Library on June 7!🌻 www.newberry.org/calendar/nat...
newberry.org
Planting Seeds: An Indigenous Zine Fest
Join ZINEmercado and the Newberry Library for a Zine Fest showcasing Indigenous artists.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
Newish to BlueSky, I'm only now finding my tune "Regional Hit" on this old (and great) @chirpradio.org set list from DJ @gdwessel.bsky.social. CHIRP is my favorite Chicago station. It's always a thrill to get a spin, even if it occurred last year and I missed it completely.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Image of the book cover "There Is Nothing So Whole As a Broken Heart: Mending The World as Jewish Anarchists" edited by Cindy Milstein. The cover has white, red and black text, a black and dove grey background, and an image of a pomegranate. In the photo, there are plants in the background and a hand holding the book.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 10/04/2025
Overjoyed to find these @marc-fischer.bsky.social zines at my local WasteShed's free zine library!
Two zines ("Library Excavations #7: VHS R.I.P" and "Against Competition") held in front of a bookcase, artwork, anatomy figure, various furniture, closed blinds.
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Emma Morris @curtainlecture.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
oh hey what’s up to all libraries & librarians & library workers & all the glamour therein & ALSO (maybe especially) to the unglamorous behind-the-scenes work(ers) that keep(s) the library glamour* machines running. #LibraryWorkersDay
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
I was reminded that 1 year ago today I made my @theguardian.com debut revealing my job screening online condolence notes. I didn't expect a significant readership about such strange, difficult work. To my surprise, the piece was briefly a top story, shared widely, and got around 100k views in days.
theguardian.com
Death and typos: my six strange years screening online obituary comments
My job was overwhelming and rich in errors. And it drove home one message: we’re always on the clock
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Going through my mom's "Free To Be" archives, I found this @chicago.suntimes.com review from almost exactly 35 years ago when her play first launched in Chicago. If ever we were in a moment to return to—and update—this cultural behemoth fighting against gender stereotypes, it's right now.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
The greatest show I've attended was David Johansen and the Harry Smiths at the Old Town School of Folk Music in 2001. You haven't experienced the height of American music until you've watched David Johansen drop St. John's wort under his tongue and launch into an acoustic version of "Pills."
B&W portrait of David Johansen with an impish smile on his album cover.
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David Safran @davidsafran.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
A quote from Michael Gold's 1924 biography of John Brown in the 1850s seems like a good first Bluesky post.
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