Jonah Asks

Jonah Asks

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Jonah Asks episodes

  • Episode 26: With Karsten (Life on Earth, Environmental Justice, Clean Energy and Sustaining Activism)

    Welcome back to Jonah Asks. Meet Karsten. Dedicated to environmental justice, Karsten is a passionate and thoughtful human who thinks about the durability of new energy policy. Karsten is a husband, a father of two and an occasional piano man. 

    Topics we discuss:
    *piano
    *Environment
    *Growing up in the central valley of California
    *Geography
    *Masculinity
    *Justice Movements
    *Sustaining Activism
    *Climate Crisis
    *Biden Administration Climate Goals
    *Parenting

    Organizations to Support:
    Donate to the Indigenous Environmental Network www.ienearth.org
    Donate to the Sunrise Movement www.sunrisemovement.org
    Donate to Fair Fight www.fairfight.com
    Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative eji.org

    Redeem your aluminum cans and use that money to donate.
    Okay, enough preaching. 

    To support the podcast directly, share it with others, subscribe to it or donate at Buy Me a Coffee. 
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    I appreciate all of you for listening!
    Jonah





    1 hr 21 min
  • Episode 33: With Pat (On Political Awakening, Family Dynamics, Cab Driving, Near-Death Experiences and Fatherhood)

    Welcome Back to Jonah Asks. 

    Meet Pat. 
    In this episode we discuss:

    *Growing up in Queens, NY in 50s
    *Irish-American family
    *Political movements
    *The 1960s
    *Woodstock and music
    *NYC cab driving
    *Jimi Hendrix
    *Vietnam and conscientious objections
    *Fatherhood
    *Near-death accidents
    *Woodworking as an outlet
    *Retirement

    Thanks for listening. 

    If you'd like to support this podcast, please share it with others, subscribe to it if that's something you do with podcasts. You can also support the purpose of this podcast by donating to a non-profit organization of your choice.

    Fair Fight, Equal Justice Initiative, Donors Choose and Kiva are a few you might look into. 

    Charity Navigator helps you understand where your money goes. 

    Or you can support Jonah Asks by donating directly to the production of this podcast:
    www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks


    1 hr 29 min
  • Episode 25: With Counselor Vin (A Lifetime of Supporting Others)
    Welcome back to Jonah Asks. This episode holds extra meaning for me and I hope it will for you as well. My high school guidance counselor was Mr. D'Antona. He was a beloved figure at Arlington High School, where he worked for over 40 years and was a positive influence on so many teenagers lives. I was one of those teens. During a tumultuous personal time in 10th grade, Vin's office was a refuge for me. His open-door policy allowed me to catch my breath over the course of a few months when life felt overwhelming and high school was a place I wanted to escape. This interview is wonderful because Vin (now Vincenzo) is as open-hearted and unguarded as any 80 year-old I've ever met. He's lived a full and satisfying life and he has survived life's unending obstacles while remaining optimistic. Thanks to my Mom staying in touch with Vin over the years, I was able to set up the interview over Zoom.

    Topics we discuss:
    *Growing up in Somerville and Everett (Massachusetts) in the 40s and 50s.
    *family dynamics
    *psychology
    *teaching
    *becoming a high school counselor
    *The 60s
    *social movements
    *impact of War on mental health
    *Vietnam
    *Italian family
    *Polish family
    *depression
    *bullying
    *mental health
    *community
    *grieving
    *therapy
    *empathy
    *weight
    *hiking
    *retirement
    *COVID
    *connections

    If you enjoyed this, please share the episode, subscribe to the podcast, and reach out to people you know who may be going through turbulent times.

    If you'd like to support the podcast directly:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Thanks for listening. This is temporary,
    Jonah



    27 min
  • Episode 24: Jonah Answers Questions About the American League East
    Welcome back to Jonah Asks. If you don't find baseball interesting, this isn't for you. This episode is dedicated to Major League Baseball's American League East. Over these 20 minutes, I'll dive into each of the five AL East teams and talk about each team's most pressing concerns as we head into Opening Day next week.
    Jonah Asks will be back with another interview next week.
    Timestamps:
    Baltimore Orioles 02:00
    Boston Red Sox 03:40
    New York Yankees 08:20
    Tampa Bay Rays 11:30
    Toronto (Dunedin) Blue Jays 15:19
    To support the podcast, please share and subscribe
    .
    If you'd like to donate a coffee, that's always nice, too.
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks
    Thanks for listening.
    20 min
  • Episode 23: With Jonny B. Mitchell (On Searching, Creativity, Self-Acceptance and Equality)

    Welcome back to Jonah Asks. Meet Jonny. Meet Jonny. A fantasy writer, a cat lover, a Gay Black Jewish man, and a kind soul.

    In this episode Jonny takes us through his journey, both physically and psychologically, from childhood through the present...for him age 36. Jonny has lived in many cities, had many jobs, and collected oceans of experience as a human. He's a searcher.

    Topics we discuss:
    *identity
    *coming out as a gay man
    *Southern Virginia
    *military families
    *family dynamics
    *traveling 
    *HIV
    *writing (fantasy/thriller)
    *politics
    *race and democracy
    *economic equality
    *minimum wage
    *cats
    *baths

    This was a wonderful talk. I hope you enjoy Jonny's stories and wisdom. 

    If you'd like to buy his book, click here:
    https://www.amazon.com/Collection-Chronicle-Soul-Seed-Novels/dp/B0892792P9

    If you'd like to support the podcast, click here:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Thanks for listening and stay safe,
    Jonah

    1 hr 26 min
  • Episode 22: With Professor Jenn (From Teenage Rebellion to Philosophy PhD, Motherhood and Beyond)

    Welcome Back to Jonah Asks
    Meet Jenn. A thoughtful human who teaches Philosophy, has raised two children, and rejected social media from the beginning. In this conversation, you'll hear quite a journey. Jenn describes growing up in Sacramento in the 70s, getting into punk music, heading to Santa Cruz then Wales for a year, among other places early on in her life. 
    Over time, Jenn got a PhD in Philosophy and became a mother and a professor. 

    Themes we discuss:
    *adolescence 
    *punk music and politics
    *college at UC-Santa Cruz
    *philosophy
    *parenting
    *home-ownership
    *cities
    *labor rights
    *social media
    *trust
    *Jewish identity: culturally Jewish not religious


    To support the podcast, 
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Thanks for listening!
    Jonah

    1 hr 14 min
  • Episode 21: Jonah Answers (On Race and Community, On Parenting Highs and Lows, On Aging and the Body)
    Welcome back to Jonah Asks. In this episode, I answer questions from my guests.
    1. Parenting: What is the hardest part? What is your favorite part?
    musical break: (cover of Talking Heads' "This Must Be the Place")
    2. Race: What is it like to be in an interracial marriage? To have a multi-racial child?
    3. Aging: Do you fear getting old?
    Thanks to Alex and Justin, Bridgette, and Jeremy for asking these great questions. It was interesting to dive into them in stream-of-consciousness monologues. I hope you enjoy these ruminations.
    If you'd like to support the podcast, please share, subscribe and rate it.
    Another great way to support Jonah Asks -- Buy Me a Coffee
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks
    Thanks for listening.
    This is Temporary,
    Jonah
    43 min
  • Episode 20: With Eli (On Navigating the World Through Sound, Identity and Creativity, and Defining Life For Yourself)

    Meet Eli. A composer of sounds. A newly graduated student, who briefly taught in my Zoom classroom. A thoughtful human.

    To hear Eli's debut album: 
    https://moonglyph.bandcamp.com/album/fishland

    Topics we discuss:
    *growing up around music
    *childhood experiences (NYC, FL, Bay Area)
    *growing up with mom who teaches philosophy
    *identity and artistic persona
    *David Bowie
    *John Coltrane
    *improvised music
    *jazz
    *sustaining creative practices
    *validation: internal vs external
    *navigating social media

    To support the podcast:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Another way to support: share, subscribe, and/or rate Jonah Asks. 

    Thanks for listening. 
    Go check Eli's music out!

    1 hr 39 min
  • Episode 19: With Dave B (On Growing up in Florida, Medical Work, Vaccines and Fatherhood)

    Welcome back to Jonah Asks.

    Meet Dave. He's my neighbor and his little girl Kenzie is pals with Rebelle Harmony. Dave is a funny fellow who's worked in various jobs in the medical field. These days, Dave works in nursing administration and online teaching. His work is mainly focused around health policies and regulations. He is the swiss-army knife of nursing administration.

    To support the podcast:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Topics discussed:
    *Growing up in the Florida panhandle 
    *Growing up in the 80s
    *Becoming an EMT
    *Nursing
    *Compartmentalizing
    *Work-Life balance
    *Fatherhood
    *Driving
    *Vaccine
    *Pandemic life

    Thanks for listening and stay safe.
    This is Temporary!
    Jonah

    57 min
  • Audio Essays: On Time, Creativity, Fatherhood and Patience
    One Muddy Morning: Audio Essays on Time, Creativity, Fatherhood and Patience

    These seven short essays were written in the last two years. Rather than compile them in an audiobook and attempt to promote/sell that, I'm publishing them here. If you enjoy them, please consider clicking the link below.

    To support my writing and Jonah Asks, please visit:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    By donating a few dollars, it helps support my addiction to recording and sharing thoughts.

    1. One Muddy Morning (0:00 -- 7:50)
    date: January 4, 2019

    2. Tantrums (8:00 -- 13:55)
    date: November 7, 2019

    3. How Are You Feeling: A Trip Through Health, Psychology, Adolescence, Fatherhood, Relationships and Emotion (14:00 -- 31:30)
    date: March 9, 2020

    4. On Creativity, Stillness, Time and Patterns: a Response to Alan Lightman (31:40 --- 41:10)
    date: April 14, 2020

    5. Time Passing With Child (41:25 -- 46:20)
    date: December 3, 2020

    6. He Was Not a Typewriter (46:30 -- 51:30)
    date: February 12, 2020

    7: Six Feet Under, Sixteen Years Later (51:40 -- 59:50)
    date: February 16, 2021

    To support my writing and Jonah Asks, please visit:
    https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jonahasks

    Thanks for Listening.

    This is Temporary!
    Jonah
    1 hr

About Jonah Asks

From the publisher's feed

Jonah Asks is about connecting human beings. The episodes are interview-conversations with friends, artists, writers, teachers, musicians and other interesting and articulate…