Description:In this episode of The Gift of Need, Jude welcomes Kevin Chandler, author and co-author of The Hospitality of Need: How Depending on One Another Helps Us Heal and Grow Together. Kevin shares his personal story of living with spinal muscular atrophy, his experiences of community care, and how vulnerability and interdependence can create deep, life-giving friendships. Together, they explore how needs—often seen as burdens—can instead become opportunities for connection, healing, and joy.

We talk about:• Kevin’s journey growing up with spinal muscular atrophy and the gift of friendship• The story behind his first book We Carry Kevan and the adventure that inspired it• The heart of The Hospitality of Need and how our needs can foster growth and healing• The balance between seeing need as a burden, an idol, or an opportunity• How friendship is strengthened not in spite of needs, but through them

Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it and share it with your friends. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit: Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Engineer: Ray Ingegneri, Third Street Productions, Tucson, AZ

Description:In this episode, Jude sits down with long-time friend and former Peace Corps volunteer Chuck Tampio to explore how serving in Malawi shaped his life and career. From witnessing crushing poverty in Sicily as a young man to building a school for women in rural Africa, Chuck shares how the needs of others became a lifelong gift of purpose, perspective, and skills he used to impact thousands back home. His journey spans nonprofit leadership, education, environmental advocacy, and even helping launch C-SPAN.

We talk about:

· The moment in Sicily that inspired Chuck’s commitment to fighting poverty

· What life was like as a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi during the 1960’s

· Building a school for women and improving agricultural practices in rural villages

· How Peace Corps service influenced Chuck’s nonprofit leadership career

· Helping launch C-SPAN and bringing democracy education to hundreds of thousands of students

· Finding joy and humor in the midst of hardship

Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Engineer:

Ray Ingegneri, Third Street Productions, Tucson, AZ

Description:In this episode, Jude welcomes Rebecca Davis, co-director and producer of the award-winning documentary Join or Die. Created with her brother Pete, the film explores the decline of civic life in America and the urgent call to rebuild community through clubs, organizations, and shared social bonds. Drawing from the groundbreaking research of Harvard professor Robert Putnam (Bowling Alone), Rebecca shares insights from years as a journalist and filmmaker about why community is not just important—it’s essential for both our personal well-being and the health of democracy.

We talk about:

· Why the title Join or Die reflects the high stakes of community life today

· The connection between social capital and the survival of democracy

· Robert Putnam’s research on civic decline in America and its roots in Italy

· How COVID magnified isolation and challenged community connections

· The role of faith communities as a major source of social capital

· Practical ways to revive civic engagement—one club, group, or gathering at a time

Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Description:In this moving continuation of their conversation on grief, Jude, her husband John, and their dear friend Linda Bale open up even more deeply about the loss of their 25-year-old son, JL. With vulnerability and grace, they explore the daily realities of life after unspeakable loss and how journaling, storytelling, and community were lifelines in their grief journey and became the 6th stage of grieving well: finding meaning. They speak honestly about JL’s accidental overdose, the shame often surrounding addiction, and how they chose to speak truth as a way of honoring his life—not hiding it.

We talk about:• Why journaling became an anchor in the early days of grief• The myth of “closure” and what healing really looks like• How sharing JL’s story helped others—and brought meaning and peace• The opioid epidemic and its devastating reach• Learning to remember with love more than pain• How need creates space for unexpected gifts

Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to Jude’s free newsletter to get future episodes and reflections sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Host: Jude DiMeglio TrangGuests: John Trang and Linda Bale

Description:In this powerful and tender episode, Jude is joined by her husband John and dear friend Linda Bale to talk about the profound reality of grief. Together, they walk through the layered experiences of losing siblings, parents, and—most heartbreakingly—their 25-year-old son, JL. With honesty and courage, they share how loss has shaped their lives, challenged their faith, and taught them to sit with sadness without shame.

We talk about:

• The difference between expected and unexpected loss

• Why grief is deeply personal—and not one-size-fits-all

• The spiritual and emotional weight of losing a child

• How anger, regret, and depression show up in grief

• What helped (and didn’t) in the first year after loss

• Daily practices for staying grounded after heartbreak

Join the Conversation:We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

In this deeply moving episode, I speak with music therapist, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist Scott Rettedal about the healing power of music—not just as art, but as connection. We talk about music’s unique ability to reach the parts of us that words cannot, and how it offers safety, self-regulation, and even joy to those facing trauma, grief, and neurological differences.

We talk about:– Why music lights up both hemispheres of the brain– How music therapy supports kids with autism, people in memory care, and those struggling with trauma– What dopamine and attachment have to do with addiction and ADHD– Using melody to access emotions and speech in preverbal children– Why simply showing up for suffering people is one of the most powerful things we can do

Scott shares stories from the front lines of music therapy with insight, vulnerability, and a quiet wisdom rooted in faith. This conversation is a reminder that healing doesn’t always come through fixing—it often begins with being present.

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:

Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Episode Summary:

In this follow-up episode, I continue my conversation with investigative journalist and author Sam Quinones about the deeper roots of addiction—and how the unraveling of community has created fertile ground for despair, mental illness, and drug dependency. We revisit themes from Dreamland and The Least of Us but widen the lens to include the impact of high-potency marijuana, the failure of many sober living homes, and the dangers of ignoring the lessons of the opioid crisis.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:– Why legalizing hyper-potent drugs are repeating the mistakes from Big Pharma & opioids– The critical role of community in addiction recovery– What “life repair” really looks like after detox– How to build local systems of care that work—from jails to transitional housing– The quiet power of discipline, music, and purpose in the face of chaos

Sam also gives us a preview of his upcoming book The Perfect Tuba—a surprising, moving meditation on finding fulfillment through hard work, collaboration, and the beauty of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

This conversation reminded me that recovery isn’t just personal—it’s communal. And that the needs we try to deny may be the very things that can save us.

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “Gift of Need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:

Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Episode Summary:

In this episode, I sit down with acclaimed investigative journalist and author Sam Quinones to talk about the human cost of addiction, the silence that once surrounded it, and why community is a vital need in the face of overwhelming societal challenges. Sam is the author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic and The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth—two books that deeply shaped public understanding of the opioid crisis.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:– The rise of synthetic drugs and the destruction of community– How isolation and legally addictive products paved the way for addiction– The transformation from poppy fields to chemical labs in the drug trade– Why public storytelling helps shift policy and reduce stigma– The quiet acts of rebuilding community in the face of devastation

Sam shares with honesty and clarity the ways in which this crisis is not just about drugs—it’s about us, our culture, and our desperate need for connection. We end with a personal reflection on my own family’s story and how Dreamland helped us feel less alone.

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “Gift of Need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

Music Credit:

Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Host: Jude DiMeglio TrangGuest: Suzanne B. Hodges

Episode Summary:

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend Suzanne Hodges—a retired attorney turned full-time artist—to talk about the deep connection between art, beauty, and our human need to create. Suzanne shares how her creative instincts were nurtured by her artistic mother and resourceful grandmother, and how her years in law gave way to a life steeped in visual storytelling through handmade paper and collage art.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

· The influence of childhood creativity and family legacy

· Why art feels both deeply personal and communally connective

· Seeing the world through a creative lens

· The role of beauty and our need for it in everyday life

· Art as a joyful response to need

Suzanne’s work is tactile, thoughtful, and full of story—and though much of it must be seen in person here in Tucson, her insights into the creative process are universally meaningful.

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Share your story in the comments or leave a review. Please follow this podcast and rate it. Subscribe to my free newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

JudeDiMeglioTrang1.substack.com

To see Suzanne’s art in Tucson:

Galleries:

Art House Centro at Old Town Artisans

Four Corners Gallery at the Arizona Desert Art

Museum /Mount Lemmon Lodge Gift Shop

Shows:

Harlow Gardens Holiday Market Place /November 8 and 9, 2025

De Grazia Little Gallery / December 28, 2025 through January 9, 2026

Music Credit:

Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music

Host: Jude DiMeglio TrangGuest: Kelcey Rockhold / Pagefire Press

Episode Summary:

In part two of their rich and reflective conversation, Jude and Kelcey dive deeper into the themes behind The Gift of Need. They explore how needs show up in creativity, conflict, love, and even justice—highlighting how human limitation can lead to beauty, innovation, and meaningful connection.

Jude shares the overarching structure of her upcoming book and the thoughtful, diverse range of topics it weaves together—from fairy tales to brain chemistry, from spiritual longing to societal breakdown. Kelcey brings her editorial insight, warmth, and personal experience to the table, reflecting on how need functions on both a micro and macro level in our emotional, relational, and physiological lives.

Whether its scientific discovery sparked by human struggle, the way love literally reshapes our brains, or how justice and pain call us into community—this episode is packed with illuminating ideas and practical wisdom.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

· A breakdown of the book’s three-part framework:

1. Recognizing & Responding to Need

2. Accepting & Acknowledging Need

3. Embracing & Sharing Need

· Why Jude included such a wide range of topics and how she organized them

· Surprising reflections on how conflict can be beneficial, an exploration of different types of love and their neurological impacts, insights on the need for justice, especially through a global lens

· A preview of future topics, including pain, grief, and spirituality

· Why “all that is gold does not glitter” may be the perfect metaphor for seeing need as a gift

Join the Conversation:

We’d love to hear how you’ve seen the “gift of need” show up in your life. Which concept from Gift of Need stood out to you the most? Share your reflections in a comment or review. Please follow this podcast and subscribe to the newsletter to get future episodes and newsletters sent right to your inbox.

JudeDiMeglioTrang1.substack.com

Music Credit: Gabe Kubanda / Damn Plans (Instrumental) © 2021 Kubanda Music