Our country has – improbably, given where we were starting from – taken a dramatic turn for the worse over the last week. We spend the first half of this episode talking through what's been happening – and then we spend the second half talking over some things that we've been learning in this time about how to start effecting change – both systemic and personal. It's a long one ... buckle in!

We're nearing the end of our fundraiser, and we still need 23 more supporters to reach our final goal. Please make a small-dollar contribution at shannoncurtis.net if you haven't already! 

Because of the fundraiser, this is a short-ish episode. We touch on Memorial Day weekend, in which our nation did not acquit itself well at all. We are doing a bad job at pandemic. We need to do much better.

There seems to have been a disconcerting shift in tone regarding the coronavirus over the last week or so – maybe you've noticed it where you live? It seems like a whole lot of people all of a sudden have decided they're sick of this pandemic situation, and are moving swiftly to put it in their rearview. Which ... that's not really how this works, in reality? But, also, dealing with people who have decided to adopt this mindset is very much a reality – indeed, a personal reality, for a lot of us. We talk through some feelings and strategies around that.

We're in yearly fundraiser mode, and already doing an hour-long Facebook Live broadcast each day, and so we had every intention for this to be a short episode. But then we got talking about media literacy. So it's actually a regular-length episode. Bonus!

We've just started our sustainability fundraiser, so this is a short one! We talk about a couple things that are on our minds this week. And, of course, the fundraiser.

Please support our fundraiser at shannoncurtis.net! It will help us keep afloat in this wild time. Thanks for your support. It means the world.

Exciting news ... we have a new single! Our first of 2020. IT'S ALL STARTING. 😳 It's coming out this Friday ... but you get to hear it first! We hope you love it. Please message us and let us know.

Also, we talk through the week. Anyone else's parents getting dangerously bored with quarantine?

This is a very exciting episode ... because it's the inaugural episode of Misfit Stars Listener Radio! 🎉

The concept is simple. We asked the people in our Misfit Stars Facebook group what songs have been a comfort for them in this strange new time ... and we play them for you, along with running commentary. It's like we're sitting around listening to records together, with the playlist chosen by you all. It's wonderful. Everyone did a great job recommending songs, and it's an uplifting listen. We hope you love it.

Here's a link to the playlist on Spotify, in case you want to listen to some of the songs again on your own: https://misfitstars.com/listener-radio-22-apr-20-playlist

With the advent of this pandemic, the Post-9/11 Era is definitively over. So ... what's going to characterize the next era? It's a time to dream big dreams. We asked our people what their dreams were for this time, and there were some recurring themes. We talk them through in this episode!

We've each had occasion in our lives to learn some tools that have been serving us unexpectedly well in this time of global pandemic. Chief among them is the concept of sorting situations out into two columns: those we do have the power to control, and those we don't. We spend this episode talking about the real-world ways in which this has been showing up for each of us lately.

We're still working on finding a balance between self-care and being there for other people. It continues to be a work in progress. Also, shopping is fraught.

Please let us know in the private Facebook group how you're doing. We'd love to check in. ❤️