What does it mean to be lonely, and what can we do about it?

On this episode of Top of Mind, psychiatrist Dr. Frank Clark explains why loneliness is a public health issue and why it doesn’t always look the way we expect. Charlotte Donlon, author of The Great Belonging, explores loneliness as a longing for belonging, while game designer Matt Fantastic shares how his board-game shop is creating a “third space” where strangers can connect. Together, they ask whether loneliness is something to solve, something to listen to, or both.

GUESTS

Dr. Frank Clark, psychiatrist at Prisma-Health Upstate, clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville (https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/authors/frank-clark-md).

Matt Fantastic, co-owner of Elm City Games in New Haven, Connecticut (https://www.elmcitygames.com/).

Charlotte Donlon, spiritual director and author of The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other (https://charlottedonlon.com/the-great-belonging-book).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(2:30) Loneliness as Epidemic

(8:17) Defining Loneliness

(10:40) Health Risks Explained

(16:54) Meaning Purpose Prescription

(20:34) Finding Third Spaces

(25:41) Matt Fantastic Origins

(26:21) Opening Elm City Games

(28:55) Third Space Magic

(34:43) Loneliness as Signal

(36:30) Meet Charlotte Donlon

(37:30) Belonging Defines Loneliness

(40:03) Art as Belonging

(43:57) Spiritual Loneliness

(47:24) Living with Loneliness

(49:35) Talking About It

(51:11) Conclusion

What does it take to create a new American tradition?

For years, Jay Winuk and David Paine have been fighting to transform September 11th into a National Day of Service. Now, just when their effort seems stuck, help arrives from an unexpected place.

But getting Washington on board is only the beginning. How do you turn an idea into something millions of Americans will actually do year after year? And as more Americans grow up with no firsthand memory of 9/11, can service preserve something important about the way the country responded in its aftermath?

In Part 2, host Julie Rose follows the surprising final chapters of an effort to change what 9/11 means on the American calendar and explores what it takes to keep the memory of that day alive for generations who weren't there to experience it.

GUESTS

Jay Winuk, co-founder of 9/11 Day

David Paine, co-founder of 9/11 Day

Cindy McGinty, 9/11 widow who played a pivotal role in the effort

Fred Dombo, attorney and lobbyist

Andrea Sorkin, 9/11 Day event leader

Learn more and find opportunities to serve at https://www.911day.org/

Other resources for volunteer and service opportunities:

https://www.americorps.gov/serve/volunteer/911-day

https://createthegood.aarp.org/

https://www.justserve.org/

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Part Two Setup

(2:30) 2008 Political Opening

(3:25) Serve America Act Push

(6:02) Cindy McGinty Story

(15:52) Bill Signed into Law

(16:33) Ad Break

(17:09) Making Service Catch On

(19:07) Signature Meal Packing Events

(21:26) Scaling for 25th Anniversary

(23:45) Teaching the Next Generation

(25:33) How to Get Involved

(26:19) Closing Credits

Every September 11th, millions of Americans honor the victims of 9/11 by volunteering and doing good in their communities. But how did the anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil become a National Day of Service?

In Part 1 of “The Untold Story of How America Remembers 9/11,” host Julie Rose traces the idea back to the aftermath of the attacks, when Americans responded to tragedy with an extraordinary outpouring of service and unity.

After losing his brother Glenn—a volunteer firefighter and EMT who rushed to the World Trade Center to help—Jay Winuk joined his longtime colleague David Paine with an ambitious idea: What if Americans could recapture that spirit of unity every September 11th through service?

They had no staff, no budget and no roadmap for navigating Washington. And turning their idea into a national tradition would prove much harder than they imagined.

GUESTS

Jay Winuk, co-founder of 9/11 Day

David Paine, co-founder of 9/11 Day

Terry Sears, nonprofit leader and former executive director of Tuesday’s Children

Fred Dombo, attorney and lobbyist who helped lead the effort in Washington

Learn more and find opportunities to serve at https://www.911day.org/

Other resources for volunteer and service opportunities:

https://www.americorps.gov/serve/volunteer/911-day

https://createthegood.aarp.org/

https://www.justserve.org/

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(2:04) Glenn Winuk Story

(4:04) Grief and Unity

(9:18) David Paine Idea

(12:39) Nonprofit Aftermath

(16:06) No Holiday Just Action

(17:13) Enter Fred Dombo

(19:52) Roadblocks on Capitol Hill

(22:46) Breakthrough Resolution

(24:44) Not Done Yet

(25:35) Part Two Tease

Artificial intelligence can write poems, compose music, create works of art, and even help produce podcasts. But if AI can create almost anything, what makes human creativity special?

In this episode, we explore one of today's biggest questions with philosopher Lindsay Brainard, illustrator Jon Cockley, musician Kate Brunotts, and pioneering AI artist Claire Silver. Together, they wrestle with whether AI is replacing creativity, expanding it, or simply changing what it means to create.

GUESTS

Kate Brunotts, freelance music producer (https://www.breakingsound.com/kate-brunotts)

John Cockley, co-founder of the illustration agency, Handsome Frank (https://www.handsomefrank.com/)

Lindsay Brainard, professor of philosophy at the University of Alabama, Birmingham (https://www.lindsaybrainard.com/home)

Claire Silver, AI collaborative artist (https://www.clairesilver.com/selected-work)

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:17) Kids Love DALL-E

(2:51) AI Everywhere Now

(4:14) Musicians and AI

(7:16) Ownership and Credit

(9:40) Illustrators Push Back

(17:28) Cheese Sonnet Test

(25:19) Protecting Creativity and Connection

(28:05) Offloading Drudgery to AI

(29:38) AI as Creative Enabler

(30:19) Claire Silver AI Collaborator

(34:08) Promptcraft and Taste

(39:14) Authorship Influence and Rights

(43:19) Ghost in the Machine Finale

Family estrangement is more common than most people realize and far more complicated than people often assume.

In this episode, we explore why parents and adult children become estranged, what makes reconciliation so difficult, and why some families can reconnect after years—or even decades—apart.

You'll hear the remarkable story of author Charlotte Gill, who reunited with her father after 20 years apart, alongside insights from psychologist Dr. Joshua Coleman, author of “Rules of Estrangement,” and researcher Sheri McGregor, who has spent years studying the experience of estranged parents.

GUESTS

Charlotte Gill, author of “Almost Brown: A Memoir” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/705633/almost-brown-by-charlotte-gill/).

Sheri McGregor, author of “Done with the Crying: Help and Healing for Mothers of Estranged Adult Children” (https://a.co/d/93JwJ4C).

Joshua Coleman, clinical psychologist and author of “The Rules of Estrangement: Why Adult Children Cut Ties and How to Heal the Conflict” (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:07) Charlotte’s Break

(2:58) Why Families Split

(9:37) Reunion in Bogota

(16:28) No Apology Needed

(17:58) Life with Dad Today

(21:26) Parents Left Behind

(29:10) Choosing Joy Again

(31:58) Reconciliation Is Possible

(33:29) Culture Fuels Estrangement

(38:24) Coleman’s Family Story

(42:24) Letter of Amends

(45:19) Boundaries and Common Mistakes

(49:18) What Reconciliation Looks Like

(53:32) Conclusion

Can you joke about anything, or are some topics simply off limits?

In this episode, we explore what makes something funny, why people disagree so deeply about what's offensive, and whether comedy has ethical limits. Through conversations with a stand-up comedian and two philosophers, we examine race, satire, intent, workplace humor, and the surprising ways laughter can strengthen or strain our relationships.

GUESTS

Isak Allen, stand-up comedian (https://www.drybarcomedy.com/isaka).

Luvell Anderson, Professor of Philosophy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; scholar of the ethics of racial humor (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/josp.12384).

Mike Cundall, Professor of Philosophy, North Carolina A&T State University; founder of Mirth Management Consulting and author of “The Humor Hack” (https://www.mirthmanagement.co/).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:09) Meet Comic Isak Allen

(2:01) Race Jokes and Family History

(5:59) Why Humor Matters

(7:02) Comedy as Catharsis

(8:39) Avoiding Hacky Stereotypes

(9:18) Anything Off Limits

(11:09) “Blaccent” and Obama Bit

(16:37) Philosophers on Laughter

(20:41) Race Satire and Colbert

(25:03) Racially Insensitive Humor

(31:31) Offense and Power

(36:34) Workplace Humor Debate

(49:09) Humor as Kindness

Why do some difficult conversations leave us feeling understood while others leave us frustrated and further apart?

In this episode, we explore a surprisingly powerful tool that can make even the hardest conversations easier: storytelling.

You'll hear about groundbreaking research from BYU showing how personal stories can increase empathy between autistic and neurotypical individuals. You'll learn why vulnerability helps people connect across differences, how stories create understanding where facts and arguments often fail, and why some of the world's leading dialogue facilitators begin difficult conversations by asking people to share a personal story.

GUESTS

Garrett Cardon, cognitive neuroscientist, audiologist, and Professor in the Department of Communication Disorders at Brigham Young University (https://education.byu.edu/directory/view/garrett-cardon).

Kennedy Kleinman, storytelling researcher, workshop facilitator, and master’s student in English at Brigham Young University (https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studentpub_uht/480/).

John Sarrouf, Co-Executive Director of Essential Partners (https://whatisessential.org/).

Story Slam participants – Zanza, Julie, Benjamin, Emma, and Natalie

Top of Mind episode featuring the Abortion Talks - https://www.byuradio.org/top-of-mind-how-to-talk-about-abortion

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:44) The Double Empathy Problem

(4:30) Storytelling Experiment Setup

(9:52) Five Stories on Stage

(15:52) Results Brain Sync and Takeaways

(25:55) Transformative Story Framework

(29:18) Workshop Steps

(32:18) Storytelling Beyond Campus

(35:09) Stories in Deep Divides

(46:54) Asking for Stories

(53:11) Conclusion

Every year, millions of Americans receive a jury summons, but how many of us truly understand the responsibility that comes with deciding another person's fate?

In this episode, we explore one of the foundations of American democracy: trial by jury. We’ll hear from a juror who struggled with the weight of a guilty verdict, a man who was wrongfully convicted and sent to death row, and a former felon who argues that America's jury system excludes crucial voices.

GUESTS

Kristin Campbell, Senior Fellow, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) (https://www.pacefunders.org/).

Herman Lindsey, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence and a former death row prisoner (https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/).

James Binnall, attorney, professor at California State University Long Beach, and author of “Twenty Million Angry Men: The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System” (https://www.ucpress.edu/books/twenty-million-angry-men/paper).

Valerie Hans, Professor of Law at Cornell University and one of the nation's leading jury researchers (https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty-research/faculty-directory/valerie-hans/).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:05) Kristin Campbell Jury Shock

(3:55) Who Counts as a Peer

(5:42) Deliberating the Gun Charge

(7:32) Verdict Weight and Aftermath

(10:35) Defendant Perspective Herman Lindsey

(16:57) How Juries Get Skewed

(20:27) Felons Banned from Juries

(25:32) Binnall Research on Inclusion

(34:43) Host Jury Story and Fixes

(49:47) Rebuilding Trust in Juries

Why does it feel like everyone is asking for a tip now? From coffee shops and takeout counters to self-checkout screens, tipping culture in America has changed fast, and many of us feel confused, pressured, or even guilty about it.

In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore the hidden psychology of tipping, the history behind it, and what our tipping habits reveal about power, status, fairness, and human connection. Hear from customers who feel overwhelmed by “tip creep,” workers who rely on gratuities to survive, restaurant owners struggling to pay staff fairly, and one of the nation’s leading experts on tipping behavior.

GUESTS

Matt Johnson, Top of Mind listener from Texas

Jaime Wilson, behind-the-counter worker, food blogger and self-employed baker (https://www.jaime-wilson.com/about).

Mike Fadem, owner and founder of Ops and Leo, pizzerias in Brooklyn, New York and drummer for The Jealous Girlfriends (https://www.opsbk.com/).

Michael Lynn, professor of consumer behavior and services marketing at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration (http://www.tippingresearch.com/).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(1:04) Why Tipping Feels Weird

(6:24) Workers’ Side of the Counter

(10:44) Tipping’s Dark History

(17:04) Going Tip Free

(19:44) Why Tip Free Failed

(22:22) Pandemic Tip Shifts

(25:51) Pooling Tips

(28:03) Tip Creep Meets Tipflation

(34:26) Digital Screens Pressure Us

(39:36) Discrimination/Inequity

(43:35) Why Ending Tipping Fails

(46:44) A Better System

(48:00) What Tipping Says About Us

(52:17) Conclusion

Who owns culture, and who gets to tell its stories?

We explore the complex and often uncomfortable debate around cultural ownership, appropriation, and representation. You’ll hear how a hidden figure in a centuries-old painting forced museums to rethink history, why some argue artifacts should be returned to their communities, and how others worry that limiting who can tell cultural stories may actually close doors to understanding. We also explore stories of repatriation and healing, alongside questions about cultural appreciation vs. appropriation.

GUESTS

Marenka Thompson-Odlum, PhD, Research Curator, Pitt Rivers Museum at the University of Oxford (https://www.prm.ox.ac.uk/labelling-matters).

Tiffany Jenkins, journalist and author of “Keeping Their Marbles: How the Treasures of the Past Ended Up in Museums and Why They Should Stay There” (https://tiffanyjenkinsinfo.com/).

Ann E. Meilus Esq., President of the Barre Museum Association

Manny Iron Hawk, member of the Lakota Nation; Spokesperson for HAWK (Heartbeat at Wounded Knee) 1890 Survivor Descendants society

Renee Iron Hawk, member of the Lakota Nation; Secretary for HAWK 1890 Survivor Descendants society (https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/we-re-going-to-make-a-way-wounded-knee-survivors-and-relatives-travel-to-new-england-to-ask-for-their-artifacts-back).

Mia Moody-Ramirez, PhD Chair of Journalism, Public Relations & New Media, Baylor University College of Arts & Sciences (https://www.miamoody.org/).

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(0:57) Glasgow Portrait Revealed

(2:58) Scotland and Slavery Links

(4:48) Reframing Museum Labels

(7:02) Inside Pitt Rivers Museum

(9:57) Three Curator Questions

(13:51) Shrunken Heads Removed

(16:28) Who Owns the Past

(21:17) Case Study Elgin Marbles

(28:33) Wounded Knee Repatriation

(39:02) Appreciation vs Appropriation

(47:49) Navigating Gray Areas