The Growing Edge

Join Parker J Palmer and Carrie Newcomer in conversation with journalist/author/poet, Judith Valente and monk/poet/photographer Brother Paul Quenon. We explore their friendship and creative collaborations as well as what it means to be intentional about “being” in a hectic and often uncertain world.

Brother Paul Quenon and Judith Valente are co-authors of the books: How to Be: a Monk and a Journalist Reflect on Living & Dying, Purpose & Prayer, Forgiveness & Friendship; and The Art of Pausing: Meditations for the Overworked and Overwhelmed.

You can read more about both authors at www.judithvalente.com and www.monks.org/monks-pages/br-paul

In this conversation with Jerry Colonna—co-founder and CEO of Reboot, an international executive coaching and leadership development firm—we range from childhood wounds and the way they can distort our adult roles, to race in America and role leaders can play in helping to build the Beloved Community. Jerry’s new book “Reunion: Leadership and the Journey to Belonging,” explores how being a better human means the ability to brave the truth and then actively engage in debunking myths of sameness, dismantling “othering" systems, and working directly for the wellbeing of the dispossessed and disinherited.  Please join us for this timely, fascinating, and urgent conversation.

Parker and Carrie talk about the challenges of staying in dialogue during divisive times, how to claim agency and the courage to stay engaged. Many of us were raised with a household rule to never talk about religion or politics in polite company. In this episode we unpack and reframe the true meaning of the words "religion" and "politics". We explore defining politics as not a listing of current events, but as a conversation about the holding of power and religion as not being about the particulars of theology, but as the quest for meaning. By redefining these terms, we might be able to get to places where we can talk about our most deeply held values and beliefs, find common ground and a way forward together. It’s worth a try!

In this episode Parker & Carrie explore how to hold and acknowledge the presence of evil and great goodness in our world. In this honest and open hearted conversation they visit two poems that encourage reflection and insights on this topic, holding the tension of the heaviness we sometimes feel and what we can do in our daily lives to maintain perspective and hope.

This month on The Growing Edge podcast. Parker and Carrie talk with Ariel Burger, author, teacher, and artist whose work integrates spirituality, the arts and strategies for social change.  An Orthodox-trained rabbi, Ariel received his Ph.D. in Jewish Studies and Conflict Resolution under Elie Wiesel. We explore topics from Ariel's book Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel's Classroom, his work as founding director and senior scholar of The Witness Institute, the nature of hope, navigating conflict, and the intersection of spirituality and art. It’s a conversation that stimulates reflection and inspires hope.

This month on The Growing Edge Podcast we will be revisiting our Feb 2021 conversation with John Paul Lederach, Professor Emeritus of International Peace Building, and internationally respected expert in conflict transformation. John Paul describes the stages that lead to violence in a society, as well as the ways people heal and create communal networks of change. In a time when we are all deeply concerned about the tragic violence happening The Ukraine, The Growing Edge is revisiting this Powerful conversation about how hope for a more peaceful world happens in daily and personal ways as well as through community, national and global efforts.

In this episode, Carrie & Parker welcome poet Lynn Ungar. In 2020 Her poem "Pandemic" went viral and introduce her insightful, spiritual, wry and sometimes political writing to a wider audience. We consider two different poems and discuss the role of the artist in public discourse.

In this episode Parker & Carrie discuss spirituality, justice and living authentically with author and theologian, Diana Butler Bass. Diana talks about her history as a person of faith, the challenges for woman in theological settings, her writing and work with "The Cottage" as an ongoing exploration what it means to live a life of revolutionary love.

In this episode Carrie & Parker welcome Author/Poet Barbara Kingsolver. Together they discuss the natural world, mortality, the promise of ambiguity, making, the writer's life, knitting and her new book of luminous poetry How To Fly (in Ten Thousands Easy Lessons.

This month on The Growing Edge podcast we revisit our December 2018 conversation with poet Naomi Shihab Nye. Naomi has received numerous honors for her work, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle, and the Isabella Gardner Poetry Award. She is currently the Poetry Foundation’s Young People’s Poet Laureate. In this conversation we read and discuss her luminous poem, “Shoulders” and explore the gift of being present to the small moments of our lives. We loved this conversation, and still treasure the life-giving ideas and stories that came up as we talked. Warmest Greetings of the season from The Growing Edge, and a lovely gift of wisdom from Naomi Shihab Nye!