imaged credit | Ted Johnsson

Season 4, Episode 28: Remembering Joanna Macy

Thomas and Panu reflected on the profound impact of Joanna Macy on their understanding of environmental emotions and activism. Thomas highlighted Macy's role in transforming environmental engagement from an intellectual pursuit to a visceral, emotional experience. He shared a personal story of meeting Macy and read an excerpt from his new book describing one of her workshops he attended as a graduate student. Panu reflected on his experience of Macy's legacy, noting her influence on modern conceptions of eco-anxiety and empowerment, and her integration of Buddhism, ecology, spirituality and systems thinking. The discussion also highlighted some of the challenges adapting Macy’s methods for broader audiences and pitfalls of idealizing Macy’s “The Work that Reconnects” and its cultural background and  assumptions. The episode concluded by encouraging listeners to engage with Joanna Macy’s transformative teachings for themselves. 

Links

• Trip Gabriel (2025, July 23)  “Joanna Macy, Who Found a Way to Transcend ‘Eco-Anxiety,’ Dies at 96” New York Times

• Rebecca Solnit (2025, July 21) In Honor of Joanna Macy, 1929-2025

Transcript

[on vacation]