“But I find I get pretty tired when I try.” -Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper

What exhausts you? And how do you recharge? Every one of us has parts of our lives that drain our batteries more than the rest. Obligations are part of the package. In these days when our communities are growing more and more distant, when the reliance on neighbors and friends, perhaps even family down the street, is rarer all the time, we are still expected to carry on apace. Perhaps technology makes things easier, but it is surely no substitute for generational knowledge, for the kind hand of a close friend, for neighbors helping neighbors.

Julia Felsenthal spoke to us about her show, Thalassomania, which recently closed at JDJ in Tribeca. The title refers to one who is obsessed with the ocean, an appropriate moniker for the body of work Felsenthal, who lives half-time on Cape Cod, has created. It also questions where the border between healthy and unhealthy lies as well as what being near water can do for us. To hear more, listen to the complete interview.

Tom Duncan joined us to discuss his exhibition, It Isn’t Even Past, which runs through August 18 at Andrew Eldin Gallery. The title, chosen by Ducan’s dealer, speaks to his childhood memories, which are the majority of the body of his work. One piece, a sculpture titled The Execution of Private Slovik, tells the true story of a soldier who repeatedly turned himself in for desertion during the Battle of the Bulge. To hear more about this, Duncan’s other memories and more, listen to the complete interview.

Read the summary of this week's interviews and resources.