Cathy Byrd recorded this Fresh Talk episode when she visited The MacDowell Colony, a New Hampshire retreat for artists, writers and composers. Hundreds of visitors gathered at MacDowell on Medal Day, August 12, 2012, to honor contemporary photographer Nan Goldin. After a picnic under the sun on the great lawn, the afternoon was spent following forest trails to the cabin studios of summer Fellows. Kyla Chevrier (artist); West Moss (writer); Bettina Johae (architect); and two composers: Kate Moore and Sebastian Currier describe the MacDowell experience.

While in residence at Open Ateliers Zuidoost, in Southeast Amsterdam, Cathy Byrd meets Dutch novelist Rashid Novaire. Of Dutch and Moroccan descent, Rashid is an author whose heritage is intrinsic to his imagination. Rashid started penning stories when he was in elementary school. Hubris, his fourth novel, will be published in February 2013.Sound Editor: Eric Schwartz | Photos: courtesy Rashid Novaire| Episode Sound: radiobooks.com

In Berlin, Cathy Byrd meets German artist Agnes Meyer-Brandis in the control tower of Tempelhof, an abandoned airport at the edge of the city, to see the artist's installation "Up In the Air: Control Room Tempelhof." Agnes fuses pure science and creativity to explore the zone between fact and fiction, fantasy and technology. So far, her projects have taken Agnes to the U.S., Russia, Brazil, Switzerland, Austria, Argentina and Australia. The artist rarely works in a typical studio or gallery setting. You're more likely to find Agnes exploring the poetics of glaciers beneath ice skating rinks and raising moon geese.

Sound Editor: Eric Schwartz | Photos: copyright Agnes Meyer-Brandis | Episode Sound: Agnes Meyer-Brandis and Astronaut David Scott, NASA