Clever with Amy Devers
Clever with Amy Devers

Clever with Amy Devers

Amy Devers

Overview
Episodes

Details

Clever is an award-winning, independent podcast that offers a window into the humanity behind the design of the world around us.

In each episode, designer Amy Devers has candid and revealing conversations with the visionaries, culture-makers, and creative forces who shape our world and inform our society. Through a disarming mix of raw candor and honest shop-talk, Clever peels back the layers to unearth the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their creative paths.


Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recent Episodes

Clever Confidential Ep. 6: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Florence Broadhurst
FEB 11, 2025
Clever Confidential Ep. 6: The Brilliant Life and Tragic Death of Florence Broadhurst

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.


In this episode we peel back the glittering façade of one of Australia's greatest design icons, Florence Broadhurst—a woman whose legendary creative genius was rivaled only by the mystery surrounding her violent demise. This journey takes us from the sunlit streets of Sydney’s Paddington neighborhood to the dark corners of a crime scene that defies easy explanation.


Whether you’re a design enthusiast or a true crime aficionado, prepare to be captivated by a story of ambition, reinvention, and an unsolved mystery that challenges everything we think we know about a true creative legend.

See images and read the transcript!


Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY


Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and the 5 previous episodes of Clever Confidential.


Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.


Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers


If you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!



Clever Confidential credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Writing and research: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Production: Devers Endeavors

Production Assistance: Ilana Nevins

Editing and Sound Design: Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Logo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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25 MIN
Clever Confidential Ep. 2: The Supernatural Beginnings of The Bradbury Building [rebroadcast]
FEB 4, 2025
Clever Confidential Ep. 2: The Supernatural Beginnings of The Bradbury Building [rebroadcast]

In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood’s undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure’s character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… 


How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.


Many thanks to this episode’s guest experts Kim Cooper and Richard Schave of Esotouric!


Images and more about the Bradbury Building at cleverpodcast.com


Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY


Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and more episodes of Clever Confidential.


Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.


Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers


If you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!


Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Writing and research: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Guests: Kim Cooper & Richard Schave of Esotouric

Production: Devers Endeavors

Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis 

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Logo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser




Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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60 MIN
Clever Confidential Ep. 5: Eileen Gray and the Aura of E-1027 [rebroadcast]
JAN 28, 2025
Clever Confidential Ep. 5: Eileen Gray and the Aura of E-1027 [rebroadcast]

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.


In Ep. 5 we explore the haunting tale of E-1027, an architectural masterpiece born of love but marred by betrayal, obsession, and tragedy. From its creation by Eileen Gray to its desecration by Le Corbusier, and its descent into decadence during World War II, this house has borne witness to some of humanity’s darkest and most beautiful moments. Hosts Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner uncover the secrets etched into its walls and the spirits that linger within.


Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Anthony Flint, author of Modern Man: The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow and host of the Land Matters podcast.


Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!


See images and read the transcript!


Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY


Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and the 4 previous episodes of Clever Confidential.


Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.


Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers


If you enjoy Clever Confidential we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!


Credits: 

Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew Wagner

Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana Nevins

Guests: Anthony Flint

Editing and Sound Design: Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records

Logo design: Laura Jaramillo remixed by Graham Hauser

Production: Devers Endeavors



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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37 MIN
Clever Confidential Ep. 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer [rebroadcast]
JAN 21, 2025
Clever Confidential Ep. 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer [rebroadcast]

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.


In Episode 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer, host Amy Devers and writer Andrew Wagner unravel a captivating story that challenges our assumptions about the origins of the personal computer. Many credit Silicon Valley with this innovation, but should we really look elsewhere?

Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.

But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.

So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory. 


Images, links, and more about Olivetti!


Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!


Many thanks to our guest expert Barry Katz. 

Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini - Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovators


Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes! 


Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.


Please say Hi on social! Instagram, and Linkedin - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers


If you enjoy Clever Confidential please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!


Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana Nevins

Editing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark Zurawinski

Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier Records



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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38 MIN
Clever Confidential Ep. 3: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Murders at Taliesin [rebroadcast]
JAN 14, 2025
Clever Confidential Ep. 3: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Murders at Taliesin [rebroadcast]

Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.


On the afternoon of August 14th, 1915, fire ripped through Taliesin, the Spring Green, Wisconsin home of the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. When the smoke cleared seven people would be dead, murdered with an axe at the hands of Julian Carlton, a servant of Wright’s. But why? The motive remains a mystery to this day. But there are so many other questions. Why does seemingly everyone know Frank Lloyd Wright but strangely, very few seem to know this much darker side of his story? In this episode we’ll investigate all of that as well as the great state of Wisconsin, Wright’s never-ending battle with societal norms, and the interplay between critics and creative professionals.


Images, links and more about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Murders at Taliesin!


Special thanks to our sponsor, Porkbun! 

Go to https://porkbun.com/CleverBun to get a .PRO domain for only $1 for the first year with promo code DIGITALPRO at Porkbun!


Thank you to Brad Lynch of Brininstool & Lynch Architects for lending his expertise, insight and colorful commentary and to "The Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas for audio clips from the historic Frank Lloyd Wright interview.


Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEY


Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.


For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources


Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers


If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!


Clever Confidential is hosted by Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner, with editing and sound design by Camille Stennis, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan. Our theme music is “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope.





Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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29 MIN