American composer of jazz, musical theater, concert, and choral music, Lisa DeSpain has not one, not two, but three operas in late-stage development—all winners of important commissions and grants. In this interview peppered with excerpts from the operas and with DeSpain breaking into song as she describes the compositions, the topic at hand is how an artist juggles different projects, collaborators, producers, and publishers at the same time. The three operas discussed in the podcast are: That Hell-bound Train, Staggerwing, and No Ladies in the Lady’s Book.