In this wide ranging conversation, Janus Adams speaks with Felipe Zurita Quintana about his journey from a conservative upbringing in Chile and deep immersion in Mormonism—including serving a mission during California’s Prop 8 campaign— to coming out as queer, leaving the church, and dedicating his life to the work of compassion.

Together, they explore how religion can both wound and heal, what it takes to reclaim one’s spiritual and moral agency, and why compassion—starting with self compassion—may be one of the most radical tools we have in today’s fractured world.

Three women click into a Zoom. OMG.

Why them? Why now? Why should anyone care?

All it takes is one question -- the first question, “How are you?” -- and everything we think we knew about each other can suddenly change. Who are we? How do we come to be who we are? What’s in a name? What’s in a story? What happens when we openly speak our truths?

Join me for this week's episode of "The Janus Adams Show" with my guests: authors Hasna Muhammad ("BREATHE IN THE SKY: Poems, Prayers and Photographs") and Gail Straub ("HOME INSIDE THE GLOBE: Embracing Our Human Family").

In this unstructured non-interview, three women click into a Zoom and the rest is a reflection of these tense times, our lives and, perhaps, something of your own: family legacy, the strength to endure amid societal upheaval, the journey of reclaiming identity, the art of holding space for complexity.

Traveling the globe through our shared stories, we explore history (up close and personal), current events, justice, injustice, sorrow, and joy. Reading to and for each other, the conversation delivers a timely blueprint for courageous connection.

GUESTS

- Hasna Muhammad, author, “BREATHE IN THE SKY: Poems, Prayers, and Photographs”

website: BirthmarkMedia.com https://www.birthmarkmedia.com/

- Gail Straub, author, “HOME INSIDE THE GLOBE: Embracing the Human Family”

website: GailStraub.com https://gailstraub.com/

THEMES

- Facing challenging times with hope and solidarity

- The meaning and reclamation of identity and legacy

- Generational wisdom, vulnerability, and mutual encouragement

- Navigating and healing divisions—personal, social, historical

- The restorative power of storytelling, poetry, and community

MOMENTS YOU'LL WANT TO EXPERIENCE FOR YOURSELF

"I am well, I am strong ... There are people around the world, especially those in the war-torn areas, who are starving and dying and bleeding, and they cannot be strong. But I have the opportunity to be strong. ... We must each have our own set of skills, our own ideals and desire to move forward."

— Hasna Muhammad [0:04:49]

"I read an article recently about prisoners of war and how they maintain hope in those dire circumstances. A key thing they found was this paradox of fully facing how bad It is and simultaneously, equally at the same time, knowing that they'll get through this. I'm wanting to do that. [But] it's not hope, because that's a complicated word."

— Gail Straub [0:08:40]

"I admit to feeling conflicted. I have a friends who are packing up to leave the country, something I completely understand. On the other hand, I'm the granddaughter of four immigrants, three of whom left relatively privileged circumstances to emigrate to America. Two came with their young children. Two met here. I would not exist had they not dared sacrifice their all and make possible my life. "

— Janus Adams [0:13:10]

Learn more at JanusAdams.com https://www.janusadams.com/

HARRIET TUBMAN'S WAY - Spring Washam by Janus Adams

In a world often divided by borders, beliefs, and differences, Gail Straub offers a transformative vision of human connection. Author of "Home Inside the Globe: Embracing Our Human Family," Straub takes us on a remarkable journey from her childhood in Delaware to empowering women across Africa, India, and the Middle East.

Gail Straub, HOME INSIDE THE GLOBE (Promo) by Janus Adams

What must we do to fortify our sons (and our daughters); to teach them not just how to survive but to thrive; to save their righteous minds, bodies and spirits? This week's show: RAISING BLACK BOYS IN TOUCH TIMES with our guests, MaryAnne Howland, author of "WARRIOR RISING: How Four Men Helped a Boy on His Journey to Manhood," and Raymond Winbush, PhD, author of "THE WARRIOR METHOD: A Parents' Guide to Rearing Healthy Black Boys."

At a time when the entire world is in turmoil and the brink of chaos seems not far off, what does it take to right the world—to right the world order to balance. Are these very goals—balance, world order—the root of the problem

Ambassadar Stuart E. Eizenstat, veteran U.S. diplomat, member of the Carter and Clinton administrations, former ambassador to the European Union, is this week's guest.. His new book is: THE ART OF DIPLOMACY: How American Negotiators Reached Historic Agreements. Ambassador Eizenstat (retired) was appointed by President Joe Biden to chair the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Council.

In this special broadcast, FarmArts Collective--an Agri/Cultural Center at Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, PA--discusses its second annual Juneteenth celebration. Guests: Tasa Faronii, Robin Grey Wolf Henderson, Adrienne Jensen, Faye Kaiser-Valdera, G. Oliver King, and FarmArts founder, Tannis Kowalchuk. Special thanks to Radio Catskill Program Director Jason Dole.

As an artist, Christina Hunt Wood is known for her paintings and printmaking; her “Human Nature” series which merges photography with clay imprints; her “Landscapes” of discarded "road soda" litter; her “Living Archive Project” which rethinks rural tradition through the lens of inclusive representation; and such video project installations as Untitled Interactions, the Manual Project? So, what made her―a Black artist―decide to photograph herself as in blackface? Christina Hunt Wood is this week’s guest on “The Janus Adams Show.”

Two elite swimmers (Ann Smith, 82, and Madeline Murphy Rabb, 76) journey to the National Senior Games. TEAM DREAM--a serious contender in the run-up to awards season, this little star of a film flares with unexpected brilliance; capturing imaginations and challenging long-standing assumptions about Black people, swimming, history, current realities, the surprising facts of life (and death), and joy—“Black joy.” Guests: athletes Rabb and Smith, filmmaker Luchina Fisher, and historian Kevin Dawson.

This documentary short, TEAM DREAM, was made possible by the Queen Collective—an initiative begun by executive producers Queen Latifah and Procter & Gamble. Their mission: to create opportunities for women filmmakers of color to tell their stories by providing access to mentorship, production support, and distribution. The film was featured at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival.