In this first episode Steve Zelt introduces himself and tells a little bit about his ambitions and motives for the podcast. The podcast name, A Small Good Thing, is taken from a short story by Raymond Carver. This show was recorded on Father’s Day last June (2018), which supplies the impetus for the main subject. Steve looks again at the parable of the prodigal son and finds there is a “shadow side” to the story: if the father in the story is a loving and good father, then why do both of his sons despise and resent him so? Along with his own commentary, Steve also refers to Jordan Peterson and Pope Francis. The end of the show returns to Carver and Steve reads Gravy, a poem of Carver’s that is inscribed on his burial marker in Port Angeles, Washington.

LINKS:
•Music: VYVCH. "Molly," http://freemusicarchive.org/music/VYVCH/Crazy_Fog/04_-_Molly ; "Still On," http://freemusicarchive.org/music/VYVCH/Crazy_Fog/09_-_Still_On
•Website Homepage Art: Sokyana Srey, https://www.instagram.com/articusb/
•Raymond Carver, A Small Good Thing: http://creativewriting.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/files/2012/01/46_2006_carver.pdf
•Richard Russo on Andre Dubus: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/learning-to-love-the-stories-of-andre-dubus
•T Bone Burnett, “Kill Switch,” from the Album Criminal Under My Own Hat
•Parable of the Prodigal Son, The Gospel of Luke, Chp. 15:11-32, New Living Translation
•Jordan Peterson: (https://www.wsj.com/articles/jordan-peterson-and-conservatisms-rebirth-1529101961?ns=prod/accounts-wsj
•Pope Francis: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-francis-we-are-gods-children-not-his-slaves-63839
•A Small Good Thing website & contact: https://www.asmallgoodthing.org/