I have to be honest with you -- when Rick Broussard told me he made a movie, I thought he was being modest. Like, oh, a little short film, fun project. And then I started looking into it and I'm like... you made a MOVIE. A 70-minute feature film. That took ten years. With zero budget. And it just premiered.

That is not a little project. That is a whole thing.

Rick and I go way back -- he was the editor of New Hampshire Magazine for nearly 30 years, and our worlds have crossed more times than I can count through the Best of New Hampshire community. But sitting down with him at the Beacon and actually hearing his full story? I genuinely did not know half of it. And I think you're going to feel the same way.

Rick didn't just edit New Hampshire Magazine -- he helped build it from scratch when it was still called New Hampshire Editions, a regional publication with different covers for different parts of the state. Nobody thought a single statewide magazine could work. He proved them wrong, and spent 30 years doing it.

When he finally retired, his title became Editor Emeritus. And his new title? Grandfather of Eight -- his words, said with total pride in the first two minutes of our conversation.

Okay. I have to talk about this story because I have heard it before, and I ask Rick to tell it every single time.

At the early Best of New Hampshire parties -- the ones Rick helped run, back when they were wacky and fun and had dueling Elvises -- Taylor Swift's mom walked up and asked if her daughter could perform. Rick checked with his boss Sharon McCarthy, then turned back and said: "Can she play?" Mom said yes. Rick said go ahead.

In his own words: "She sang three songs. I only listened long enough to make sure she wasn't terrible."

His art director had her camera there and got a few photos. Years later, when Taylor was on the cover of Rolling Stone, Rick tracked down a signed copy of one of those photos. It now lives in Sharon McCarthy's office at Girls Inc., inspiring a new generation.

He was 14 at the time. And nobody had any idea.

This is the part that completely floored me.

Rick and his co-director John Hession hatched the idea for Granite Orpheus at Concord's Market Days about a decade ago. The plan was simple: show up with cameras, spend a long weekend filming, and make a short movie. Whatever they got, they'd turn into something.

What they got was momentum. People showed up to help. Downtown Concord developers took them to rooftops and basements. A whole crew appeared out of nowhere. What was supposed to be a short film became a 70-minute feature -- a modern retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set against the backdrop of Market Days in Concord.

And then life happened. John's parents went through their final days. Rick's wife's mother did the same. Files got corrupted. COVID hit. Ten years passed.

What finally got them across the finish line? Fiber optic cable reaching Dorchester, New Hampshire, so they could edit together over Zoom. Sometimes it really is that simple.

Granite Orpheus premiered in January 2026 to 107 paid tickets. Rick said it best: "These were not people that had been in the movie. They paid money to come see it and they liked it. That's the whole goal."

He's entering it in the Mill City Film Festival right here in Manchester this spring. Go support it.

I didn't know Rick was the house cook until this episode and honestly -- same, Rick. Same.

He has a garlic cheese grits recipe that people specifically ask him to bring to things. His trick: after they're made, slice them, dip them in egg batter, and fry them. His words: "A whole new breakfast experience." I am making this.

We also got into the NH food scene and Rick had a take I really loved -- he called it a renaissance. Bold, brave restaurateurs taking things into their own hands. We talked about Dead Proof Pizza in Derry (the Drama Queen: spicy vodka sauce, ricotta, hot honey, cup-and-char pepperoni -- I went and tried his chicken tenders and they are genuinely the best I've ever had), and 603 BBQ in Concord, where Darryl and I showed up at noon on a Thursday and there was already a line outside.

Rick hadn't heard of either of them before our conversation. By the end he was curious. That's the whole point of this show.

I asked Rick what outsiders never understand about this state. His answer stopped me.

"The best places in New Hampshire are not the tourist spots. They are the towns. Every town has a theater, a cool restaurant, probably a diner, and a few characters. If you really want to enjoy New Hampshire, go to some little no-name town that isn't right on the lake and check out the historic society."

He said you have to become part of the history before you can really be part of New Hampshire. After 30 years of driving around and talking to people, I think he's earned the right to say that.

This episode is one of my favorites. Rick is funny, warm, and genuinely one of the most interesting people I've sat down with. And the Taylor Swift story alone is worth the listen.

You're getting this early because you're a subscriber -- the episode goes public Tuesday, April 7th. Hit play, share it with someone who loves New Hampshire, and subscribe so you never miss an early drop.

-- Carol

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ABOUT CAROL ERICKSON

Carol Erickson has owned Red Arrow Diner since 1987 -- four locations across New Hampshire, open 24/7. She started Beyond the Plate to tell the real stories behind the people who make New England's food and hospitality scene what it is. Not just what's on the menu. What's behind it.

Red Arrow Diner: redarrowdiner.com  | @redarrow24diner