This Book Made Me

• Books for Resisting Despair and Apathy

  If you're finding yourself shellshocked and paralyzed by the times that we're living through, you're not alone! It's a great time to remember how art, and especially literature, can remind us that there are many possible futures, and reconnect us to our agency.  In this short episode, you'll hear a "book playlist" of speculative fiction that I turn to when I'm feeling despair about the world. On the list: R.F. Kuang's Babel, Kelly Barnhill's When Women Were Dragons, Chris Adrian's The Children's Hospital, and N.K. Jemisin's duology The City We Became/The World We Make.  And an extra bonus: DJ Diego Dela Rosa is back with a curated mixtape "This Playlist Made Me Resist." You can find it on Spotify.  Let us know what books keep you going in these times! Drop us your greatest hits at our Instagram page , or contact us directly at [email protected]. 

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• Piranesi: Believe in Humanity and Possibility and Kindness

  A small book can pack a big punch, and Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke, is a terrific example of this phenomenon. It just might make you see the world as a kinder, more magical place. My guest, Liz Andres, lays it all out for us in this episode.  Liz Andres is a museum professional and scholar based in Los Angeles. She holds degrees in Art History, Classical Archaeology, and Museum Studies from U.C. Berkeley and the University of Leicester and is currently pursuing a PhD in Mythological Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her research focuses on hybrid and liminal creatures in ancient Greek art and mythology, museum taxidermy, and representations of death, myth, and nature in the visual arts. She is a resident mythologist with Morbid Anatomy, and frequent Death Cafe host. Follow her on Instagram or at Lilibet Sugarbones.   As always, you can find more about the podcast and host at our Instagram page , or contact us directly at [email protected]

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• The Alchemist: To Dream and To Love

  Does conventional reality feel much smaller than the size of your dreams? My guest this month is here to convince you that the prize-winning and international bestseller The Alchemist, by Portuguese writer Paulo Coelho, has what you're looking for. And he's VERY convincing!  Marq Mervin (he/him) is The Renaissance Man: award-winning creator, educator, TEDx speaker, coach for creative polymaths, and lover of cartoons and video games. Marq’s career journey is committed to accessible Art & Design education for under-resourced youth. Additionally, he is the host of the Keep Sailing podcast and author of One Day, I Hope That...: a collection of prose and poetry. When he's not traveling for game tournaments or speaking engagements, he's catching up on his favorite anime, taking on voice acting challenges, and performing at open mic nights. Catch Marq at any of the following spots online:  23Thirty Coaching & Consulting | Marq Mervin Website | Instagram | LinkedIn   Don't forget this month's Mixtape from in-house DJ Diego Dela Rosa! You can find This Mixtape Made Me: Dream on Spotify.    As always, you can find more about the podcast and host at our Instagram, or contact us directly at [email protected]

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• Inciting Joy: More Capacity, More Access, More Poetry

  What is joy, and how do we access it in a moment that feels so overwhelming? For two years, my guest and I have been studying the practices of a complex-but-easeful joy, using Ross Gay's book of essays "Inciting Joy" as an inspiration and a template. In this episode, we talk about what continues to shape our practice of experiencing joy in this moment.  We invite you to join us, and practice joy in community! We have two opportunities:  ✨ A joy-centered book club where we’ll read Ross Gay’s Inciting Joy together - building community, sharing reflections, and nourishing what uplifts us. Register and learn more about the book club here: https://shorturl.at/ENKPk ✨ A 5-week community of practice that will cultivate and steward joy, especially in uncertain times. Register and learn more about the community of practice here: https://shorturl.at/Ip5oD  And you can always download our free resource, the Joy Design Practices and Principles, as a starting place for your own work. Here's more about my guest, colleague, and co-facilitator: Lee Wilmoth (they/them) is a human-centered learning designer, strategist, and facilitator with over 10 years of experience. They hold an MA Ed. in Adult Learning and Development from Portland State University and are a LUMA Institute certified Human-Centered Design Practitioner and Instructor. Through their consultancy, Learn & Work, Lee partners with organizations experiencing change to create useful, usable, and desirable solutions. Whether it's a discovery and strategy project or a leadership development program, Lee always embeds equity and inclusion approaches and leverages their expertise in human-centered design, adult learning and development, and facilitation. Lee also has over 30 years of body-based training, dance technique, and performance experience, and has dedicated themself to ongoing studies related to joy, nervous system awareness, and the art and science of scent. They currently live in Portland, Oregon.  DJ Diego Dela Rosa is on vacation this week, but Lee and I did our best to make a playlist for joy, based in Ross Gay's work. You can find it on Spotify, as This Mixtape Made Me: Incite Joy. 

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• Written on the Body: Words as Art Object

  It was a thrill to talk with Jen Capra, whose hilarious, GenX social media content gives us a backstage look at the wonders of Sesame Street. She's written for the program for years! In this episode, we celebrate Pride Month by talking about our shared love of Jeanette Winterson and her beautiful 1992 novel Written on the Body. It's a love letter from an ungendered narrator to the beloved, as well as a love letter to language.  Jen Capra is an Emmy nominated Sesame Street writer, aspiring author, and content creator-slash-professional starving artist. You can find her at Jencapra.com, as well as @genxistentialcrisis on TikTok.  Funding for Public Television and Radio is on the chopping block If you'd like to support the phenomenal work Sesame Street does for learners of all generations, you can find their fundraiser here.  Don't forget this month's Mixtape from in-house DJ Diego Dela Rosa! Curated to celebrate Pride Month, you can find This Mixtape Made Me: Riot on Spotify.  Finally, we dedicate this episode to Jen's faithful life and writing companion, Rosie, who passed away in January. You can find a picture of the best of all doggos at our Instagram page. We welcome feedback and suggestions at [email protected]

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