Michael Schur has given a lot of thought to the meaning of life. He's the creator of NBC's The Good Place, a sitcom that is equal parts escapism and ethics lesson. Schur also co-created Parks and Rec and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, two TV shows with an unmistakable optimism and a certain affection for the human race.

Novelist Margaret Atwood and ecological activist Vandana Shiva have been outspoken advocates for the environment for decades. They don't sugarcoat the enormity of the climate crisis humanity faces, but they do manage to find hope.

David Cain proposes a new tradition - "The Depth Year" - where you don't start anything new, but focus instead on what you've already begun. Martin Worthy shares memories about his life-long friend, writer and musician Paul Quarrington. And you'll hear an extraordinary performance of Quarrington's story "The Conversion", recorded just five months before he died.

Season greetings from the team at Tapestry

Religion scholar Elaine Pagels describes spiritual experiences she has had that defy explanation. Steven Newcomb explains why the Catholic Church needs to revoke a series of 15th century papal bulls. And Rignam Wangkhang brings you the art of kora, a Tibetan walking practice, from Kathmandu.

Can seeing God as a feminine figure change how you understand the divine? Carol P. Christ thinks so. Later, Rabbi Rayzel Raphael says in dark times, finding light means accepting - not skirting - those feelings of despair.

Rabbi Rayzel Raphael led a workshop at the 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto, just days after a horrific shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. She said finding light means accepting - not skirting - those feelings of despair.

Author Mike Barnes talks about what it's like caring for his mother, who suffers from dementia. White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman explains why doctors have a skewed idea of caregivers - and what it might take to change that. And Rose Andrews says after her husband Gerald suffered a brain hemorrhage, doctors told her to take him off life support. Instead, she's spent the last 20 years helping him recover.

What's so human about comedy? And what's the point of having AI learn to mimic- and possibly even surpass - human efforts? Comedian and PhD Candidate in Humour Studies Christopher Molineux weighs in. And .. Fed up with dating, artist Fei Liu is making a robot boyfriend as part of a project called "Build the Love You Deserve."

Following a sexual abuse allegation, the burden is often on the women to forgive their abusers for any wrongdoing. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg and journalist Kaya Oakes say that it's time for the men to make amends before they start expecting any clemency.