When my daughter and I wrote and illustrated The Rise and Fall of Sandcastle Town, we had no idea the impact it would have on adults, especially adults caring for loved ones with dementia.

In this episode of CK Unmuted, my friend Linda Murphy interviews me about the inspiration for the story and how it’s being received at reading events around Philadelphia. One of the most striking takeaways for me, is the extraordinary benefit of using art and creative expression (painting, sculpting, storytelling) to process trauma and heal the human spirit.

Enjoy the interview. We hope it inspires you to pick up a pen or a paintbrush and let your spirit breathe and dance in whatever way is healing. Thank you, Linda, for talking to me about our book!

~ CK

Resources:

1. The Rise and Fall of Sandcastle Town, by Cynthia and Alyssa Kreilick. To purchase a signed copy, email Cynthia at [email protected]. $15/copy.
2. Blooming Peace Studio, Whitemarsh, PA: bloomingpeace.com
3. Alzheimer’s Association (Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter): https://www.alz.org/delval
4. Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group: Why Do It Alone? (Center on the Hill, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, PA): https://www.chestnuthillpres.org/wp-content/uploads/spring26_web.pdf

I worked in the field of early childhood education for 25 years. The last 10 were spent promoting bilingual early literacy. In 2017, my daughter and I converted one of our bilingual children’s books to a VR (virtual reality) app to teach English and Spanish to preschoolers. The kids loved it. Got rather addicted, in fact. Then we did research and found that exposing little kids to virtual reality can mess with their developing brains. So we reeled it in, uneasy about the impact we might be having on young children.

Recently, I got to wondering about how teachers are using AI at the university level. When COVID hit and students were unable to hang with human friends, social media and AI stepped in. Educators and parents are seeing the adverse affects of too much social media and AI. Will these technologies be reeled in? Unlikely. We must face the fact that AI, VR, AR, MR, XR are here to stay. We ignore their potential - and pitfalls - at our peril.

In this episode of CK Unmuted, University of Pittsburgh English Professor Annette Vee talks with me about AI integration in higher ed. Many educators feel overwhelmed as students turn to AI for shortcuts, raising questions about academic integrity. Yet, there’s a growing wave of faculty embracing AI’s potential to enhance research and teaching.

Striking the right balance is crucial. We discuss the moral dilemmas students face when using AI and how to equip them with the necessary skills to navigate this evolving landscape.

Thank you, Annette Vee, for sharing your insight as a university professor in this brave, new world.

~ CK

Resources:

1. Annette Vee’s “Computation and Writing” Substack newsletter: annettevee.substack.com
2. How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education, Sal Khan, TED: https://youtu.be/hJP5GqnTrNo?si=Xnkk9SAabHBLdnJ_
3. AI Enablement at Pitt Digital: https://www.digital.pitt.edu/news/pantherbytes-blog/spotlight-joe-yun-leading-ai-enablement-pitt-digital

Books:

1. Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy, by Tressie McMillan Cottom
2. The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, by Jonathan Haidt.

Understanding the origins of a conflict can be instrumental in resolving it. This is the case in human relations, as well as global ones. In this episode of CK Unmuted, Iran scholar Negar Razavi reviews the crucial history of the Iran conflict, major players and instigators and possibilities for resolution. Women, she contends, will be - should be - instrumental in negotiating an end to hostilities and to creating a more stable, peaceful path forward.

Many opinions and “experts” on this topic. I’ve listed several resources and rabbit holes below. Separating fact from fiction is a tricky business these days. I’ve tried my best to offer listeners places to go to discern the truth.

Thank you, Negar, for your take on this subject and for all your efforts to shed light on resolving it.

~ CK

Resources:

1. Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies:
https://cipgs.princeton.edu/

2. Negar Razavi’s website: https://negarsrazavi.com/

3. Rethinking Iran Project at the John Hopkins School for Advanced International
Studies (SAIS): http://rethinkingiran.com

4. Democracy Now: http://democracynow.org

5. International Crisis Group: http://crisisgroup.org

1. Woman Life Freedom Movement: https://www.womanlifefreedom.today/
2. Atoms for Peace speech by Dwight D. Eisenhower, December, 1953: https://www.iaea.org/about/history/atoms-for-peace-speech
3. Gen Z and the Red Pill: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2024/11/19/gen-z-takes-red-pill
4. Video clip of American Journalist Shane Harris asking CLAUDE (Anthropic’s AI chatbot) how the chatbot feels about being used by the U.S. military to target positions in Iran: https://www.facebook.com/debalie/videos/american-journalist-shane-harris-asked-chatbot-claude-how-he-feels-about-the-us-/2729151134138020/

I don’t know much about football, but the 4th quarter, apparently, is the time you pull out all the stops, execute your most daring plays, and leap over the top into that glorious End Zone.

At 66, recently retired, I’m feeling a distinct urge to push past the defense and go for it, the big, ME things I’ve always wanted to do: podcast; write poetry; swim with manta rays off the coast of Mexico; go wild ice skating in Maine; visit Vietnam.

My guest on this episode of CK Unmuted is a cheerleader and teammate in living boldly in the 4th Quarter. Listen to my conversation with Emily Scheivert and write a playbook that will exhilarate and delight you.

Thank you, Emily Scheivert, for your inspiration and wisdom.

~ CK

Resources:

1. Emily’s e-commerce T-Shirt shop: https://girltriptravelclub.com/
2. Blooming Peace Studio: http://bloomingpeace.com

My husband and I bought our little 3-bedroom, 1-bath rancher, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, for $141,000. That was 1999. 25 years later, it’s worth about 400K. In ORELAND! Great for us, but sucks for people wanting to buy and settle in this nice, little, suburban town.

In this episode of CK Unmuted, Montco County Planning Manager Anne Leavitt-Gruberger, talks about the housing shortage in Pennsylvania and what’s being done to address it.* Recorded in 2023~ CK

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When I was in high school, back in the ‘70’s, my mother gave me an indenture paper she found in an old trunk in her bedroom. She suggested I take it to my American History teacher, who undoubtedly would have interest in local slave history. He was intrigued by the document and asked to keep it and do some research for a few days. He returned it, carefully sealed in an archival plastic sleeve.

Growing up, we had a maid named Sally, who slept at our house during the week to clean, cook and take care of my brother and me. She was my other mom - my black mom - and she stands on a pedestal in my heart.

I have a keen interest in Black History as a result of these formative childhood experiences. Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery is one of the best museums in Philadelphia. One of the best things about it, is executive director and tour guide, Gwen Ragsdale. She is a powerhouse of information, a riveting speaker and a passionate advocate of social justice for the African American community.

Put this museum on your list. It’s an unforgettable experience. Thank you, Gwen, for illuminating this dark chapter of our story.

~ CK

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Emily and her husband Ant have been working for years to have a child, or children, come live in their home in Norristown. They’ve been through the trainings, background checks and home inspections. They’ve been so close.

Through it all, Emily says they’ve grown in grace and maturity, as individuals and as a couple. I am in awe of her tenacity and her desire to nurture; to share, as she says, the tenderness and the hardness of life… with a child.

Listen to our interview and share Emily’s resources if you or someone you know is interested in fostering or adopting. Thank you, Emily, for sharing the ups and downs of your journey!

~ CK

Resources:

* Adopt PA Kids: adoptpakids.org

* The Kindness Project: mykindnessproject.org

* Fostering Hope: fosteringhopepa.com

* The Feathered Nest Blog: thefeatherednestblog.com

* Emily’s Instagram handle: e_a_ward

* Google “adoption meetups near me”

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Dr. Geri Lynn Utter walks her talk. She grew up in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. Her parents had mental health and drug abuse issues. She is now a licensed psychologist, working with children and adults with severe mental illness and drug addiction.

In my interview with Geri Lynn, I got a sense of her pragmatism, her power and her wisdom. I hope the mayor of Philadelphia and City Council members listen to her and employ her skills. I hope teachers and parents listening to this interview consult the resources she recommends (see below). She’s the real deal. Thank you, Geri Lynn, for sharing your experience on CK Unmuted.

~ CK

Following are books by Geri Lynn and the link to her documentary:

Books:

Aftershock: How Past Events Shake Up Your Life Today

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Aftershock/Geri-Lynn-Utter/9780757324901

Mainlining Philly: Survival, Hope and Resisting Drug Addiction

https://www.amazon.com/Mainlining-Philly-Survival-Resisting-Addiction-ebook/dp/B085HDVZ5S

Link to Documentary:

Utter Nonsense (available on Apple TV and Prime Video)

https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/utter-nonsense/umc.cmc.4ci7r9t351wp6b9vm83nxny05

* To pitch an interview idea, contact Cynthia Kreilick at [email protected].

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“Americans are touch-starved and emotion-phobic” says Transformative Touch Practitioner Noël Wight. I think she’s right. Having worked most of my professional life with immigrant communities who touch, kiss, hug and caress a lot, I’m often a little chilled by my fellow Americans’ reluctance to touch and express emotion.

Listen to my interview with Noël when you have a quiet, unhurried moment. My own experience with somatic therapy has been life changing.

~ CK

Resources:

* Noël’s website: thesomatictherapycenter.com

* Books:

* The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

* The Body Never Lies: The Lingering Effects of Hurtful Parenting by Alice Miller

* Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory by Deb Dana

I was a quiet fan of astrology and tarot for years, accompanying my mother on covert forays when church wasn’t working. I had my birth chart read the other day by Philadelphia astrologer Nicole Goicuria. My 1-hour session was so inspirational, I plan to make these readings a regular part of my mental and spiritual health regimen.

In addition to revealing the probable roots of my own recent agita, Nicole’s astral observations helped me put the global “shituation” into context. Stellar!

Thank you, Nicole, for giving me guidance and inspiration at this precarious time in my life and on planet Earth.

~ CK

Resources:

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