The Thing with Feathers: birds and hope with Courtney Ellis

Amanda Sparkman is a professor of biology at Westmont College, an author of books for children and young adults (and adults like me who love young adult literature!), and a passionate student of the natural world. Her delight in the creatures she studies is beautifully evident in our conversation.

Join us for this lovely podcast as we cover the adaptability of Acorn Woodpeckers, the beauty of marrying science and literature, and the hope we find when we look to God’s good creation. Plus: why California Towhees are just so darned special.

You can find Amanda’s beautiful books on her website, Amazon, or wherever books are sold. (The Wild Neighbors series is also available in Spanish, and the young adult novels are free to listen to on Spotify.) Her scientific research is available here, and really delightful, too.

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I first got to know Paul Willis as a kind grandfather who occasionally attended my church. He and his wife Sharon lived up in central California, but when they were down here visiting their children and grandchildren, they’d sit right in the front pew, always with a warm, kind word for me after the service.

Then I discovered over time that Paul had a list of credentials longer than my arm. As so many wise, brilliant, truly kind people do, he never led with this. He wanted to hear about me. About our church. About what I’d been reading.

The loveliest people tend to make you feel like you are the most interesting thing in the room.

But little by little, I learned that Paul was a professor emeritus in English at Westmont College. That he’d been a poet-in-residence through the national park system. That he’d served as the Poet Laureate for the city of Santa Barbara. And I started to pick up his books and poetry. Oh, what poetry.

Paul has been formed by his time in the Cascades and the Sierras, national parks and national forests, and by a deep love and knowledge of literature. And an even deeper love for the Lord.

Our conversation is a gift, and it’s one I’m so excited to share with you today. Check out more of Paul’s work at his website, and his most recent anthology of collected writings around Advent and Christmas here.

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I first met Seth Wieck in person at the 2024 Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin University. We had a thirty second encounter where he held a door for me in his red raincoat (Michigan in April can be a little fickle when it comes to the weather) and we exchanged a greeting. That was it.

The Festival is one of those places where the sheer volume of interesting people can be overwhelming. The halls are filled with New York Times bestselling authors, literary agents who can change your life, poets and illustrators and journalists. It can be rich and rewarding but it can also be grasping and schmoozy.

I’d followed Seth on social media for a bit and loved both his read alouds—poetry delivered by memory in a Texas panhandle accent, usually while driving—and his recommendations. He’s the one who first put Chera Hammons, the fabulous poet we had on the show a few weeks back, on my radar.

In those few seconds I realized, oh, Seth is exactly who he is online in person, too. One of the good ones. A person who loves language because language is fascinating and transcendent and gritty and strange. Someone who has been married for twenty years and working on his poetry for even longer. A well-read writer eager to encourage other writers, happy to share the literary joy.

When I heard he had a new book (his first, I believe) coming out, I could not wait to get my hands on it. These are poems he’s been working on for over two decades. I tore through it on its release day, leaving the dishes to soak in the kitchen and I don’t regret a moment of it.

My friends, Call Out Coyote is a gift. It’s a treasure. It will take you through the arid landscapes of Texas, down to each parent’s greatest fear, and up to the heights of what it means to buy into a community for decades. There are coyotes and hawks, rattlesnakes and sparrows. There is death and light and love and longing.

I’m so excited to share today’s conversation with you. Check out Call Out wherever books are sold. (I’m a fan of ordering directly from Wiseblood Books, as they do fabulous work and you might stumble upon another new favorite while you’re there.)

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Stéphanie Rousselle, founder of Gospel Spice Ministries, came on the show today to talk about her brand new book, Awaken Delight: Satisfying Your Soul’s Longing for God, out just a few weeks ago with InterVarsity Press.

Our wide-ranging conversation covered her childhood, growing up as an atheist in France, to her conversion to Christianity as a young adult, to discovering the deep delights offered to us in Christ.

Plus: a deep dive into the two French words for hope and why understanding a bit about them can help us engage with the hope God offers us.

Rousselle is a passionate believer in chocolate, sleep, and the goodness of God. She’s also a little bit in love with Northern Cardinals. Listen along to find out why.

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Becky McCoy knows a thing or two about being weary. Her story winds through years of striving, widowhood, long Covid, depression, and single parenting. In the midst of seasons of real suffering, she longed to connect more deeply with God. Yet so many books on spiritual practices told her to do more or try harder or just make time.

What if there was a better way?

McCoy turned to the ancient rhythms of the church to find grace and connection in seasons of her own upheaval. If you, like me, resonate with longing for a faith that is about being with rather than doing for, you will love her new book, In the Company of the Weary.

Becky and I talked about everything from the hope we’ve encountered in understanding the gentleness of Jesus, birdwatching during the pandemic, puffins (PUFFINS!), and the grace of paying attention.

Plus, some rad spiritual practices I’d never really explored before. (Visio divina? Rule of life? Tell me more!)

McCoy is a kind, wise guide and I can’t wait to share this conversation with you today.

What about you—do you have a favorite spiritual practice? I’d love to hear about it!

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Chera Hammons has quite the story. From the ashes of an abusive marriage and subsequent divorce, she has found solace, hope, and perspective from the natural world. Her newest collection of poetry, Birds of America: poems, is gritty, gripping, and filled with grace. I couldn’t put it down.

Join me for this special conversation with Hammons as she reads her poems, tells her stories, and delves into the glimmers of hope that shine through even the darkest nights of the soul.

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Have you ever wondered how birding in America truly began? You may have a few names in mind—people like Audubon or Wilson or Lewis and Clark. But have you ever heard of Mark Catesby?

Patrick Dean joins us on the show today to chat about his new book Nature’s Messenger: Mark Catesby and His Adventures in a New World. This book was such a delightful discovery of the life of a naturalist pioneer in America in the early 1700s.

From Catesby’s beginnings as English gentility to his landing in North Carolina in 1722 to his exploration of the natural world in what would come to be known as the American South, Dean’s book is a thorough, fascinating, and engaging read. It even has pirates!

PLUS: we chat about why Dean believes the Ivory-billed Woodpecker might still be out there.

I loved the book and this conversation, and I know you will, too!

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Amar D. Peterman is a theology student, a fellow Wisconsinite (go Badgers!), and a big believer in the power of loving our neighbors as ourselves.

His wonderful new book, Becoming Neighbors: The Common Good Made Local, is new with Eerdmans. Within it he describes what it means to come to the table, build community, and live as neighbors.

I so appreciated Amar’s wisdom in this conversation. As a pastor and a parent, I think a lot about finding ways to build community within my own neighborhood and helping my congregation and my kids learn to do the same.

From potlucks to block parties, pausing for conversation to accepting hospitality, Amar’s book is both theological and practical.

Find more of Amar’s writing on his website or SubStack. And if you’re interested in a free copy of his book, check out my giveaway over on my Instagram.

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Elizabeth Berget is the author of the beautiful new book Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God. If you are a mom, work with moms, are married to a mom, or have a mom (is that everyone? I think it’s everyone), this book will be a wonderful encouragement to you.

From pregnancy to birth to adoption, from trauma to delight, from compassion to strength, Berget walks us through the ways mothers show, work out, and experience God’s deep love through the work of carrying, caring for, and raising children.

Friends, there are so many books written about Christian motherhood that are reductionistic, anemic, or even just silly. This one is deep. It’s rich. It’s theologically meaty. Elizabeth Berget is a student of Scripture and a fantastic writer. I truly can’t recommend it enough.

Plus—this cover! Be still, my heart!

Check out Elizabeth’s other work at her SubStack or Instagram.

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Caleb Cray Haynes and I first connected when we realized Ben Lowe, Executive Director at the Christian conservation ministry La Rocha blurbed both of our books, which came out around the same time.

I read Caleb’s new book, Earthbound Christian, and loved it. He read my newest, Weathering Change, and said the same.

Then I invited him on my podcast and he invited me on his and then we realized—this is an amazing opportunity for a crossover event!

So today I am delighted to bring you a joint episode of “The Thing With Feathers” and Caleb’s show, “The eco-Christian Podcast.” Join us as we figure out how to be both interviewer and interviewee, discussing the overlap between our books and what it means to live faithfully within our limits.

And do checkout The eco-Christian podcast. It’s a delight!

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