There was a time when my daughter Mary Halley and I couldn’t talk. Not really. Now we sit across from each other, laughing, asking questions, and sharing the hard-won peace that came from years of healing and growing.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to rebuild trust, the lessons that come with being parents and grandparents, and why keeping the conversation going is the victory in family.

David Magee's Newsletter

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How do you mark change? There’s a maple tree in my community that’s been keeping time for me all my life. Every fall, it’s the first to turn. Always early. Always beautiful. Always right on schedule. I’ve come to mark my years by its color, by the rhythm of its change. This story is about what that tree, and its brilliance, has taught me.

David Magee's Newsletter

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On the eve of Halloween 2025, I talk about the things that scare me now—not the witches and monsters of childhood, but the real fears that come with being human. The fear of disconnection. Of judgment. Of forgetting how to truly see one another.

But maybe fear isn’t only something to run from. Maybe it’s a reminder of what still matters. In this episode, I explore how we can choose curiosity over cynicism, grace over judgment, and how taking off the masks we wear every day might just help us find our way back to each other.

David Magee's Newsletter

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Families aren’t simple — even the strongest ones. In this episode, I sit down with my daughter-in-law, Lo Magee, to talk about staying connected when addiction, recovery, and grief have reshaped everything — from how we communicate to how we trust again. It’s honest and a little raw — because showing up, learning, and growing together is what makes a family.

David Magee's Newsletter

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I talk about what it really means to create something honest — not the shiny, perfect kind the world seems to want, but the kind that shows what’s real. Writing my memoir A Little Crazy taught me more about myself than any success ever could — even if the book had only been for me. Sometimes, as creators, that’s what’s needed.

It reminded me that not all stories are meant to be polished. They’re meant to be true. Sometimes the idea, the execution, and the results are a little crazy — and that’s exactly how it should be.

David Magee's Newsletter

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I sit down with Alysia Lajune, who helps lead the William Magee Center at Ole Miss — the same center that carries my son’s name. Alysia's story is powerful, real, and full of hope. She opens up about her own journey through addiction and recovery, and how it led her to the work she’s doing now to help students find healing and purpose.

We talk about what recovery really looks like — the honesty, the setbacks, the grace. Alysia shares how one person’s pain can become another person’s lifeline, and how small steps toward openness and understanding can literally save lives.

David Magee's Newsletter

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As parents, we all like to think we know our children completely. We keep up with their grades, go to their games, check their posts, and tell ourselves they’re doing okay. But sometimes, we really don’t know what’s going on. I learned that the day my daughter finally said the words I didn’t even realize I needed to hear: I need help.

That moment changed how I listen. It reminded me that struggle doesn’t always look like struggle, and sometimes “I’m fine” means the opposite. In this episode, I talk about what it means to slow down, ask better questions, and make space for our kids to be honest. Because that’s when real healing and connection start.

David Magee's Newsletter

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Let’s talk about failure—the kind that makes us wince, the kind that shapes who we become. We all know what it feels like to fall short, but what if failure isn’t the end of something, but the beginning of something better?

I’ve learned that the moments we fear most often hold the greatest opportunity. When we face them instead of running from them, failure can open doors we never knew existed.

David Magee's Newsletter

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One night after my son William died, I sat on his couch. I was alone. I was cold. I was afraid. I whispered two words, “Save me,” and something shifted. What I saw, what I felt in that quiet moment, showed me where my life was headed if I didn’t change—and where it could go if I did.

That night taught me that prayer isn’t some practiced speech from a pulpit. Sometimes it’s just a whisper in the dark, a desperate pleading that’s enough to open a new path. If you’ve ever been lost in grief or fear and longed for peace, this episode is a reminder that you can find it—that even in the silence, you’re not alone.

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I talk about what it means to take charge of your own story. Too often, we move through life feeling like characters in someone else’s script—reacting instead of writing. But when we stop and decide to name our current chapter, to rewrite what came before and imagine what comes next, we begin to heal and take back control of the narrative.

I share how I’m living in my “Second Chances” chapter right now, and how even my son William’s story has been rewritten through the lives he continues to touch. You can’t erase the hard parts, but you can learn from them, revise them, and move forward. Wherever you are, pick up the pen and start writing your next steps forward to where you want to go.

David Magee's Newsletter

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