A Long Way From the Block 

My name is Anthony Thomas and I’m the executive producer for the podcast, “A long way from the block.” This show gives me the opportunity to share with listeners one of my greatest interests, which is people and the great stories of their lives. Growing up in San Diego I came across all types of folks who had some type of influence over me. As I became older and stretched to see outside of my city limits either through conversation, books, music or traveling, I gained a different perspective on the importance of culture, art, wisdom and what it means to be “educated.” 

I have always appreciated the breadth of experience of the elders in my community, so I knew that would be one area of focus for my show. I have also had the good fortune to come across amazing artists from various walks of life such as painters, poets, writers, chefs and more. You might hear a few more stories about jazz musicians, athletes, coaches and martial artists as those areas are near and dear to me, but all the stories I have been lucky enough to hear, generally made me hungry for more. What I hope to achieve through this podcast is to preserve the valuable information of those who paved the way for me. Since many of their stories aren’t known outside their families or close friends I’ve been honored that they have been willing to share with me so I can give this incredible gift to the listeners. 

The show focuses on their foundations, what was their childhood and family life like? What were the lines they knew not to cross? What were the unexpected lessons that they took with them? Through a conversational dialogue, listeners hear where they came from, who their early influences were and the tools and skills they developed along the way. I hope people enjoy these stories as much as I have.