Movies don’t just entertain us—they train our imaginations. In this episode, New York Times film critic Alyssa Wilkinson helps us think about Hollywood, media, AI, and the stories shaping our shared reality. It’s a thoughtful conversation about truth, criticism, and how to choose better narratives in a fractured age.

In this episode

• Hollywood is an American “dream machine”
• Movies shape both personal identity and national self-understanding
• What happens when shared cultural stories fragment
• The bright side of film: friendship, representation, and moral imagination
• Joan Didion on truth, spin, nostalgia, and storytelling
• Why criticism matters and how it can model civil disagreement
• How advertising, lifestyle branding, and media shape our picture of the good life
• Why AI-generated video poses a serious challenge to truth
• Practical habits for becoming a more discerning viewer
• Alyssa’s thoughts on the 2026 Oscar nominees and a few films worth seeking out

Books mentioned

• We Tell Ourselves Stories by Alyssa Wilkinson
• Salty by Alyssa Wilkinson
• How to Survive the Apocalypse by Alyssa Wilkinson and Doug Joustra
• An Experiment in Criticism by C. S. Lewis

Films mentioned

• The Truman Show (1998)
• The General (1926)
• Ratatouille (2007)
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Sinners (2025)
• The Testament of Ann Lee (2025)
• Train Dreams (2025)
• Hidden Figures (2016)
• The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003)
• My Girl (1991)
• Tron (1982)

In this episode, New York Times bestselling children’s author Sally Lloyd-Jones discusses storytelling, faith, and rediscovering childlike wonder. Drawing from her books, including The Jesus Storybook Bible and Jesus, Our True Friend, Sally helps us explore themes of friendship, trust in God’s presence, and the freedom that comes from approaching faith like a child, allowing space for awe, imagination, and grace. 

NOTES:  

• The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear 
• Sally Lloyd-Jones website 
• Sally Lloyd-Jones and Jon Guerra Tour 
• The Jesus Storybook Bible 
• Jesus Our True Friend 
• Goldfish on Vacation 
• Baby Wren and the Great Gift 
• Tim Keller 
• Henry James: “Try to be one of those on whom nothing is lost.”  
• Hedonic adaptation 
• Yale Happiness Class 
• John 16:33 (NIV) – “…I have overcome the world.” 
• C.S. Lewis – Four Types of Love 
• Proverbs 18:24 (NIV) – “…there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” 
• John 15:13 (NIV) – “…to lay down one’s life for one’s friend.”  
• Thomas Keating: “…chief thing that separates us from God…” 
• Frederick Buechner: “If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.” 
• Dallas Willard quote 

SUMMARY: 

Physician and medical ethicist Dr. Lydia Dugdale (Columbia University) argues hope isn’t a careless wish—it’s a practiced habit oriented toward a future good that’s hard but possible. We talk about hope as a communal discipline, the dangers on both sides—despair and false hope—how doctors actually handle prognoses, why imagination relates to hope, and whether “AI grief avatars” help or harm. Along the way: Aquinas, Augustine, and Howard E. Butt Jr. advising us to stay “steady in the saddle.” 

NOTES: 

• Hope You’re Well! No, But Really. - Echoes Magazine 
• Lydia S. Dugdale, MD | Division of General Medicine 
• The Lost Art of Dying – HarperCollins 
• Between Presumption and Despair: Augustine's Hope for the Commonwealth | American Political Science Review | Cambridge Core 
• SUMMA THEOLOGIAE: Hope, considered in itself (Secunda Secundae Partis, Q. 17) 

“I love being old.” That comment from a woman in her late 80s stuck with Mark D. Roberts. Today he helps people think about how to flourish in the “third third” of life. In this episode of The Echoes Podcast, we cover why relationships at 20–50 shape our health at 80, what the U.S. Surgeon General calls the loneliness epidemic, how churches can foster intergenerational community, when moving in your 60s+ helps—or hurts—your social fabric, and why “it’s all about you” is a terrible retirement story. Practical, hopeful, and unapologetically positive about how to age well. 

NOTES: 

•  “Third Third of Life” work from the De Pree Center Third Third Flourishing - De Pree Center 
• Can We Trust the Gospels? by Mark D. Roberts  
• Ephesians Commentary by Mark D. Roberts 
• Making It Work podcast (co-hosted by Roberts) 
• Harvard Second Generation Study 
• Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation U.S. Surgeon General Advisory on the “15 cigarettes a day” stat 
• Laity Lodge (Texas) 
• Christina Rossetti’s Up-Hill | The Poetry Foundation 
• Psalm 103 
• On Thinking Institutionally (On Politics) by Hugh Heclo 
• Echoes Magazine (free subscription) 
• H. E. Butt Foundation (mission/vision) 

 A frank talk about fathers—what we inherit, what we can repair, and how faith communities help (or don’t). Patton Dodd, author of The Father You Get, shares the story behind his new memoir and the “father hunger” that shaped him. We discuss money and manhood and honest family conversations. The Father You Get released in 2025 and is available in print, audio, and at your local bookstore. 

NOTES: 

Host/producer team: Camille Hall-Ortega, Rob Stennett, Marcus Goodyear; editing: Rob Stennett, Kim Stone; music: Jonny Rodgers; executive producers: David Rogers & Patton Dodd. 

LINKS: 

Book (print): https://www.amazon.com/Father-You-Get-Believe-Become/dp/1506486983 

Book (Bookshop): https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-father-you-get-and-the-ones-you-make-believe-in-and-become-patton-dodd/52778e09f432a4a2 

Audiobook (Audible): https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Father-You-Get-Audiobook/B0F49977Q7 

Anna Machin – fatherhood research: https://annamachin.com/books/ 

Echoes Podcast – “The Cure for Loneliness” (Kinghorn): https://echoesmagazine.org/stories/the-echoes-podcast-s1e8/ 

Echoes feature – “Loneliness Is Killing Us”: https://echoesmagazine.org/stories/loneliness-is-killing-us/ 

U.S. Surgeon General Advisory (PDF): https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf 

Fr. Thomas McKenzie sermons archive: https://thisherechurch.com/ 

Laity Lodge Men’s Retreat: https://www.laitylodge.org/retreats/mens-retreat-2025/ 

Subscribe to Echoes magazine (free): https://echoesmagazine.org/ 

H. E. Butt Foundation (about/programs): https://hebfdn.org/ 

The music of Jonny Rodgers: CINDERTALK 

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15%3A11-32&version=NIV 

This summer, devastating floods struck Central Texas, leaving families, camps, and entire communities grieving and in shock. In response, the Echoes team hosted two live webinars to support parents, educators, and caregivers facing an urgent question: How do we help our kids cope with something like this?

In this season one finale, we share highlights from those gatherings—including two heartfelt conversations with trauma expert Dr. Jamie Aten. A seasoned psychologist and co-creator of Spiritual First Aid, Jamie has spent over 20 years responding to the world’s hardest disasters and has lived through personal trauma himself.

He’s joined in the second conversation by Kent Annan, host of the Better Samaritan Podcast, for an honest and hopeful dialogue about grief, parenting, and self-compassion. Together, they offer practical tools and spiritual insight for those walking children—and themselves—through fear, confusion, and loss.

Whether you're a parent, pastor, educator, or community leader, this conversation offers grace-filled wisdom for showing up with love, clarity, and resilience when it’s needed most.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Spiritual First Aid, co-created by Dr. Jamie Aten
• Philippians 4 and the Lord’s Prayer
• The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones
• Letter-writing reflection exercise: “Who helped you through this crisis?”
• 1 Corinthians 16:13 – “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith…”
• The Better Samaritan Podcast from Christianity Today
• Additional mental health resources related to the podcast episode
• Full recordings of the webinars included in the podcast excerpt

Subscribe to Echoes Magazine at hebfdn.org/echoes/subscribe to receive a beautiful, free print magazine each quarter.

We live in a difficult time. People have their opinions about how to solve problems, but distrust runs deep. People make promises—especially our politicians—but they can’t always deliver on those promises. In our season one finale, bestselling author and columnist David Brooks joins The Echoes Podcast to explore what’s really missing—and how we might find it again. Brooks helps us see that what’s broken in our world is not simply political, but spiritual and relational. He shares stories of moral formation and vulnerability, and together we practice the simple but powerful act of asking good questions. Along the way, we reflect on the limits of AI, the enduring power of art, and why overinvesting in friendship might just be the hope we need.

David Brooks is the author of The Road to Character, The Second Mountain, and How to Know a Person. A columnist for The New York Times and The Atlantic, he’s known for exploring the intersection of politics, culture, and morality.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Road to Character and How to Know a Person by David Brooks

• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

• The Gift by Lewis Hyde (referenced contextually)

• Ronald Reagan’s address at the Laymen’s Leadership Institute in 1974 (excerpted clip begins at 6:50).

• “Remembering Jim Lehrer” on PBS

Subscribe to Echoes Magazine at hebfdn.org/echoes/subscribe/ to receive a beautiful, free print magazine each quarter.

What does it mean to create something beautiful—not despite our limitations, but because of them? We talk with bestselling author and artist Austin Kleon about creativity as resistance, the tension between process and product, and the courage to show our work. From crushed oyster shells to pink conchas, from ancient nun rhythms to the modern grind, this episode reminds us that creativity is not about abundance—it’s about attention. And it might just save our souls. 

Our guest this week, Austin Kleon, is the New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist, Show Your Work, and Keep Going. Known for his accessible insights into the creative process, he writes a widely followed weekly newsletter and shares his own journey of making art with words and pictures. 

Notes  

• Steal Like an Artist, Keep Going, and Show Your Work by Austin Kleon 
• The Gift by Lewis Hyde 
• Makoto Fujimura at Laity Lodge 
• Pink concha painting by Eva M. Marengo Sanchez 
• Get a beautiful quarterly print magazine for free at echoesmagazine.org 

Do “kids these days” have you scratching your head? You’re not alone. In this episode, Dr. Crystal Kirgiss joins Camille Hall-Ortega and Marcus Goodyear to explore the ancient roots of adolescence, the unchanging traits of teenagers across time, and why understanding young adults has more to do with showing up than keeping up with trends. Whether you're a parent, a mentor, or just someone who wants to support the next generation, this conversation offers wisdom, encouragement, and a reminder that you’re not the first person to face these challenges.  

Even if you don't have kids, simply being a good neighbor can include noticing and caring for teens in your community. You don’t need to be cool—you just need to be there.  

Notes  

• Dr. Crystal Kirgiss – Director of Discipleship Content at Young Life, author, speaker, and expert on the history of adolescence.  
• Hosted by Camille Hall-Ortega and Marcus Goodyear.  
• The Relate Study by Young Life  
• Young Life Discipleship Resources 
• Eugene Peterson’s book on raising teenagers  
• Crystal’s article in the Echoes Magazine (Issue 1, 2025)  

Sister Pearl Ceasar has a remarkable journey from classroom teacher to nonpartisan community organizer. Guided by her deep faith and commitment to justice, Sister Pearl spent decades building coalitions for change in San Antonio and across Texas. She explains how personal relationships, listening, and persistence can transform neighborhoods—and entire cities. Co-hosts Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega join Sister Pearl to reflect on faith, leadership, and the power of binding communities together for the common good.

🔗 Subscribe to Echoes Magazine for free: EchoesMagazine.org 

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. 

Episode Notes: 

• "If you’re walking and no one is following, you’re not leading—you’re just out for a walk."
• "Real change happens when neighbors listen to each other—and move forward together."
• "Organizing isn’t about politics; it’s about love made visible in community."
• "Faith isn’t abstract. It’s building drainage systems, raising wages, and ensuring everyone has a fair shot."
• "Justice is slow work, but the only thing slower is doing nothing at all."
• COPS/Metro Alliance
• Project Quest
• Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF)
• Learn more about community organizing in Texas at the West/Southwest IAF.

Production Team:

Written and produced by Marcus Goodyear, Camille Hall-Ortega, and Rob Stennett 

Hosted by Marcus Goodyear and Camille Hall-Ortega

Edited by Rob Stennett and Kim Stone 

Executive Producers: Patton Dodd and David Rogers 

Graphic Design Manager: Hilary Commer 

Junior Designer: Lindsay Bruce 

Content Creator: Alyson Amestoy 

Staff Writer: Beth Avila 

Funded by the H. E. Butt Foundation 

Special thanks to our guest Sister Pearl Ceasar.