A Book, A Series, & A Podcast

This week I found three things that I wanted to talk about in more detail than just a tiny newsletter post. So I’m expanding my thoughts for you to get a better idea of why I think these things are worth your time.

First a powerful book. Full of Myself, Black Womanhood and the Journey to Self-Possession by Austin Channing Brown. The opening essay about playing hand clapping games at recess was joy filled and sets the stage for an honest look at the way a Black woman experiences the world. I know how women are treated in the work place and how we deal with life in general. But here were specific stories of how a Black woman has an extra level of discrimination to deal with. As I learned more of Austin’s experience I gained some good things I can apply to my life as well. Standing up for myself and using my power for good were among the best take aways I found. I wonder what you will find.

I have a thing for documentaries. I love the well told story of an underdog, or a field of study, or an experience. Diving into things I’d never know about otherwise is both entertaining and grows my knowledge of people in the world. Voices of Fire ticks all the boxes for me. This is the story of Bishop Ezekiel Williams building a nontraditional gospel choir. His vision is to have a choir that is so marvelous the message will get through to every heart. It helps that his nephew is Pharrell Williams. From the audition process to the debut concert the six episodes follow the entire process. And if you want even more, the choir was at the Grace for the World Concert at the Vatican. Yes, singing for the Pope and the world. It’s marvelous. And it was fun to watch that performance once I’d “met” some of the choir members and knew their stories. I highly recommend this series.

I do not listen to podcasts. I listen to NPR in my car. I heard Rachel Martin interviewing Harrison Ford on her podcast Wild Card. And I wanted more. Here’s the what I found: Life's too short for small talk. Rachel gets right to the questions that matter most. Once a week, famous guests pull questions from a deck of cards and open up about the kind of stuff we all think about but rarely say out loud. This was a breath of fresh air and got me thinking too. I have listened to a few episodes now. I can recommend these episodes with links: Nick Offerman, Brene Brown and Father James Martin, along with Harrison Ford of course. I wonder if you’ll find this insightful. If you are a podcast listener what podcasts do you like? I’m all ears these days, give me your recommendations and why.