THISISGRAEME

🎙️ CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST

THIS•IS•GRAEME title over a white textured background with a black ink infinity/enso mark; subtitle reads ‘EP #002 — Smith Family Book Launch – Part 2.
Two new books on the table—The Art of Elegance and Education Is Over—as the Smith–Merwyn whānau riffs on refinement, disruption, and learning in the age of AI.

🎧 NEW: EP #002 – Elegance & Extinction: Becoming in an Age of Upheaval

A roundtable on refinement vs. disruption. Two new books. One family conversation about how to carry grace while the old systems burn. Listen now 👇🏻

🎙 This Is Not a Podcast – It’s the Story Forge (Part 2)

In Episode 002, the Smith–Merwyn whānau brings two brand-new releases to the table:

We explore elegance vs. extinction, AI as a personal tutor, “exocortex” study workflows, and how families might design their own education for the next generation.

Watch / Listen on Youtube or Spotify

Books mentioned:

Quick take:

Elegance teaches how to walk. Disruption teaches where to walk. Episode 002 asks how we do both—together

🎧 EP #001 – Smith Family Book Launch

A roundtable with the Smith-Merwyn clan. Six authors. Six worlds. One bookshelf. Listen now 👇🏻

🎙 This Is Not a Podcast – It’s the Story Forge
In this debut episode, the Smith-Merwyn family gathers to share the stories behind our books—ranging from thrillers and fantasy to etiquette fiction and Norse myth. We discuss the writing and self-publishing journeys behind Nature vs. Nurture, The Art of Elegance, The Wish Fairy, Te Kererū: The Weight of Small Wings, and Jack Tann – The Phantom Directive. Along the way, we reflect on creativity, persistence, and how generative AI became part of our process—as editor, ally, and muse. This isn’t just a podcast; it’s the forging of a shared family mythology, one story at a time.

🎧 Older Podcasts with Friends

Before launching The THISISGRAEME PODCAST, I joined a range of fascinating conversations with friends, thinkers, and fellow creators. These episodes explore power, culture, craftsmanship, creativity, masculinity, education, and more—often through the lens of lived experience, humour, and deep dives. Whether it’s dissecting meme theory with Dr Becky or navigating New Zealand identity with Chance Lunceford, each podcast below captures a unique moment of dialogue and perspective.

The Good and Evil of Power – With Nathan and friends from Barbarian Rhetoric

In this episode, I return to the Barbarian Rhetoric podcast to join Nathan and a formidable crew—Joseph Shoemaker, Joseph (Padre) Smith, Heavy Metal CJ and Jimee Gee—for a deep dive into the nature of power.

We explore its many forms—financial, political, primal—and ask the timeless questions: What is power, really? Does it corrupt, clarify, or simply reveal? And can we ever truly wield it without being changed by it?

It’s a long, rich, and raw conversation about strength, sovereignty, and the forces that shape men from the inside out.

The Uncommon World of Graeme Smith – With Chance Lunceford on the UnCommon Podcast

Chance and I have been good friends for a couple of years now on Twitter and other platforms. It was great to get together with him the other day and have live conversation about interesting things.
Chance, AKA @TheUncommonist on Twitter recently murdered his old podcast and it was a privilege and a pleasure to be his first guest on the newly resurrected show in this next evolution.

Chance is an engaging podcast host and always asks the best questions. In our wide-ranging conversations we cover aspects of New Zealand including Māori culture, values and worldview, creation and creativity as well as the importance of family.

The Path of Perfection – With Brother Fury from the HOOAFURY Podcast

Fury and I have known each other for a little while now and once upon a time even made a song together, but recently we had our first opportunity to spend some time talking face to face.

We discuss what it means to be well-rounded (and if that’s even possible) and delve into obsessions, frustrations and perfection as well as why it’s good to take a deep dive down the rabbit hole from time to time, how to create a life of deep work, and touch on photography, music, COVID, New Zealand, books, Japan, making your own booze and more.

Kiwi Adventure – With Nathan from Barbarian Rhetoric, Damon Whitten and Mark

Three Kiwis and an American walk into a bar… uh… a podcast. Join Nathan, Damon, Mark and me for an excellent conversation about New Zealand.

The discussion includes our various adventures such as surviving the massive Christchurch earthquake and cultural comparisons between the US and NZ. Find out why and how Americans are different to New Zealanders.

Mathematics and Muscles – with Nathan from Barbarian Rhetoric and Damon Whitten

Nathan from Barbarian Rhetoric sits down with Damon Whitten and me to discuss how people learn in different ways and at different speeds. We dive down a few different rabbit holes including the idea of “agency” and why you need to develop it before getting on to Damon’s new book about how to get strong, fast.

Damon is a powerlifter with a PhD in maths education… that means he’s one of the few academics you can probably trust.

On Spotify

Is It All Speculative? – with Nathan from Barbarian Rhetoric and Neovictorian

Nathan from Barbarian Rhetoric negotiates multiple timezones to bring together author, Neovictorian and me to discuss Neo’s books Sanity and Reality and a variety of topics from scientology to writing sex scenes in literature, surgical assassination and Te Kereru by fellow author SG Smith. This was a fun an engaging conversation with two men I admire.

On Spotify

Discussing Memerology with Professor Dr Becky

What is a meme? How do you meme? What is memerology? I sit down with rising star and memerologist, Professor Dr Becky to discuss. If you have questions about memerology you need to talk to the expert and there’s no one more expertly qualified than Professor Dr Becky. Yes, a memerologist really is a thing.

On Anchor