A listen back to a show from 2017 on the theme of Quiet. My guests in that two-part conversation were Orenda Fink, a musician, writer, and Jungian Depth Coach, and the Benedictine monk, Brother James Dowd. In the second part of the show we’ll hear from Orenda Fink on her music and career, dream analysis, and how a health condition requiring the quiet of complete voice rest impacted her sense of self.  First, we’ll hear from Brother James Dowd on his path from New York theater to Nebraska monastery, contemplative life, and embracing silence.Brother James Dowd of the Order of the Holy Cross is the founding Prior of the Incarnation Monastery and the Community of The Benedictine Way, which was founded in 2018 in north Omaha. It is the first Benedictine monastery in the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska. At the time of our 2017 conversation, Brother James had recently joined the staff of the Diocese for a two-year position as “Monk in Residence.” His ministry focused on enriching the community’s prayer and spiritual life, and discovering and building better ways to befriend the poor in our communities. Prior to entering the monastery, Brother James lived in his home town of New York City, where for 20 years he worked as a director of more than 100 theater productions and numerous live events for television.Orenda Fink is a well known musician, performer, and songwriter. She has been writing, recording, and touring for critically acclaimed records since 1997. Fink got her start in Birmingham, Alabama, with the pop rock group Little Red Rocket. In 2000, she formed the ethereal folk duo Azure Ray with longtime friend Maria Taylor. Their music has regularly featured in film and television programs and Fink has collaborated widely on numerous other music projects. Currently residing in California’s Mojave desert, Fink is a certified Jungian Depth Coach with a specialization in shadow work and dream interpretation. Later this year I’ll be in conversation with Fink about her new memoir, “The Witch's Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us” which will be available in August. At the time of our 2017 show on the theme of Quiet, Fink reflected back on her musical origins, self-reflection brought about by emergency surgery to correct a misdiagnosed heart defect, and the implications for her sense of self in the world when she was required to take an extensive period of complete voice rest.

Laura Roccaforte, an organizational development consultant and leadership coach, talks about her many decades working globally to develop individuals and leadership teams and her passion for helping people create environments that are authentic, supportive and inclusive. We also talk about the recent death of her husband from the neurodegenerative disease ALS, what she experienced, and what comes next.Laura Roccaforte has for decades worked globally with individuals and leadership teams who want to develop and grow. Originally from Sacramento, California, Roccaforte has lived in Nebraska for over 30 years with her late husband, Rich, and holds a BA in Organizational Communication from California State University, an M.Ed from the University Nebraska Lincoln, and is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Conservation biologist and science writer Conor Gearin talks about the science and the wonders of the natural world, especially how birds may connect us with the joy of nature, and how we humans may live sustainably with the wildlife around us. Gearin also talks about uniting his passion for writing with the science of the natural world as a way for us to see more completely and more strangely.Conor Gearin is a writer from St. Louis living in Omaha. He's the Managing Producer of BirdNote, a daily radio program and podcast. Gearin’s work has appeared in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2019, The Atlantic, UnDark, The Millions, The New Territory, New Scientist, and elsewhere. He received an S.M. in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Biology at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he completed thesis research on grassland bird conservation. Gearin is a member of the Audubon Society of Omaha’s board of directors.

Poet Carolina Hotchandani talks about themes of identity, belonging, and loss in her debut poetry collection, The Book Eaters, as she explores her own lived experiences as a new mother, a daughter whose father is in cognitive decline, and a woman of mixed global heritage as well as the power of language to make and unmake us. Hotchandani also reads some of her poems.Carolina Hotchandani is the author of The Book Eaters, 2023 Perugia Press Prize Winner, which was one of the ten debut poetry books featured in Poets & Writers Magazine’s 2024 debut poets issue. Hotchandani’s poetry has appeared in The Atlantic, AGNI, Missouri Review, Prairie Schooner, and various other journals. She is a Goodrich Assistant Professor of English at the University of Nebraska Omaha, Nebraska, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Autumn Pruitt is the founder of Hardy Coffee Co. We talk about the vision Pruitt has for Hardy Coffee as a source of rhythm and ritual in people’s lives. She shares her entrepreneurial journey, the lessons and experiences encountered on the way, and how, like the business, she has grown to meet that aspiration.Autumn Pruitt and her husband moved back to Omaha and started a small bakery in 2010. Soon after subleasing a kitchen and tiny storefront from Aromas Coffeehouse they purchased that coffee shop. In 2015, they began roasting their own coffee under the brand Hardy Coffee Co. and later brought every piece and location of the business under the unified name of Hardy – Autumn Pruitt’s maiden name. Since its first shop, Hardy Coffee has opened three additional locations and grown to nearly 70 employees today, with an ethos of striving to create connection in the community.

In conversation with actor, writer, and secular chaplain, Elizabeth Morton. With Mass as her earliest performative expression, Morton talk about her twin vocations of acting and chaplaincy, and their similar characteristics, such as curiosity, deep listening, and personal surrender. Morton shares what people are seeking from her ministry and spiritual direction, and how her non-dogmatic chaplaincy supports others in their spiritual seeking.Raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Morton is an actor and writer living in New York. She's a graduate of the University of Evansville's celebrated theatre department and a member of the Actors Center. Morton is also fascinated by the spiritual dimensions of life and has pursued a vocation in ministry and spiritual direction, accompanying people on the life journey as a self-titled secular chaplain.

Writer, air force veteran, and stroke survivor, Tamsen Butler talks about her life-threatening stroke in 2015, about her life before and her life after it, and the lessons she has learned about herself, authenticity, and how she chooses to show up in the world.Born and raised in Southern California, Butler has lived in the Omaha area for two decades. An award-winning author and Air Force veteran, she’s the Senior Marketing Copywriter for a large financial services firm and a frequent contributor to Omaha Magazine. She also teaches yoga and indoor cycle classes at various gyms in the Omaha area. A major stroke in 2015 left Butler with a host of physical and cognitive deficits. As a result, she learned a hard-earned lesson about what makes a person "authentic," and shared her thoughts about authenticity on the TEDx Omaha stage in 2023.

Architect and designer Tom Trenolone talks about design, our built environments, and beauty, including the beauty Trenolone creates and finds in and around Omaha. Trenolone also talks about founding design alliance Omaha aimed at elevating design awareness and appreciation.Tom Trenolone is an architect and design advocate with the international architecture and engineering firm of HDR, where he currently serves as a Design Director and Senior Vice President, currently based in Omaha, NE. Trenolone has led teams working on architectural designs across the world, including the U2 Landmark Tower Competition in Dublin Ireland, the Hinoki-cho Performing Arts Center in Tokyo, Japan, and the USCE Center in Belgrade, Serbia. He is not only the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, but has been a juror on many awards competitions. Trenolone was named the 2019 HDR Fellow for his research proposal entitled “Saving main street U.S.A.” an investigation into the critical access hospital as urban anchor in rural communities. Trenolone’s public advocacy for design has included founding design alliance OMAha, a non-profit focused on greater design awareness in Nebraska and western Iowa.

Writer and performer Zedeka Poindexter shares her passion for community and stories, and talks about her poems, essays, and performances that draw on complexities of race, class, struggle, and joy. Poindexter shares how that creative expression now is, in the form of a choreopoem, unearthing the lived experience of healthcare disparities encountered by black women. She also reads a couple of poems for us.Zedeka Poindexter is a North Omaha-born writer and performer and is co-executive director with Gina Tranisi of Nebraska Writers Collective. Poindexter’s body of poems and essays draws on all five physical senses to connect with readers and listeners. By sharing stories of people in her community, she creates a relationship with her audience and guides them through the world as she sees and experiences it. Poindexter has earned numerous awards and accolades including the Best Performance Poet award from Omaha Entertainment & Arts; a Public Impact Grant from Amplify Arts, being awarded The Union for Contemporary Arts Inside/Outside Fellowship Prize; and being recognized as a Nebraska Arts Council: Artists In Schools Recipient.

Author and coach Mandy Kubicek talks about her book I Killed Mom and Other Lies: A Memoir of Early Loss, which recounts the lifelong effects of trauma, repressed emotions, and shame. Kubicek talks about the deaths of her mother and brother, coming to terms with these losses, and eventually finding peace and joy.Mandy Kubicek helps online entrepreneurs achieve greater success. Before that she coached dozens of high-achieving women through career transitions and led teams of product managers at high-growth tech startups. Kubicek was last on the show in 2019, since when she has authored two books, the latest titled I Killed Mom and Other Lies: A Memoir of Early Loss, which is an autobiographical account of trauma in Kubicek’s life. A lifelong learner and navel-gazer, Kubicek is a Certified Martha Beck Life Coach, has staffed the Byron Katie School for the Work, and has an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.

Sculptor Littleton Alston shares his personal and creative journey from a poor neighborhood in Washington D.C. to the creation of a portrait statue of Willa Cather unveiled in 2023 as one of Nebraska’s two contributions to the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building and the first in that collection made by an African-American.Littleton Alston creates works of art that focus on the essence of the human figure and human spirit. Awarded the commission to create a portrait statue of Willa Cather, in 2023 his statue was unveiled in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol Building as one of Nebraska’s two statues. Alston is the first African-American to be represented in that august collection. Alston’s work has been exhibited and collected across the country and he has completed dozens of public commissions. He grew up in Washington D.C. moving in 1989 to Omaha for a residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, after which he joined the faculty at Creighton University. He resides in Omaha with his family.

Attorney, author, and military veteran John Waters shares the influences of his early life before enlisting in the marines. We talk also about the themes in his debut novel, River City One, including the dislocation felt by some combat troops returning to civilian lives and that effort to discern meaning.John Waters graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. For six years he served as a scout sniper platoon commander and ground intelligence officer, completing deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Horn of Africa. After leaving the Marines, Waters began writing on war and military affairs for RealClearPolitics based in Washington, DC. His postwar novel River City One was published in November 2023 by Permuted Press and distributed by Simon and Schuster. Waters currently works as an attorney and lives with his family in Sarpy County, where he was raised.

Matthew Ray, Interim Superintendent of Omaha Public Schools, whose years with the district have encompassed teaching, administrative, and leadership roles, as well as being a student and parent of students. Ray talks about education, leadership lessons, faith, and his hopes for the future.After 27 years with the Omaha Public Schools district, Matthew Ray began serving as the interim superintendent in July 2023. He began his career as a student teacher at Ashland Park-Robbins Elementary. Ray has also worked as a district-wide substitute teacher and in various administrative roles, most recently deputy superintendent. Ray earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Nebraska Omaha, one in Criminal Justice and a second in Elementary Education. He earned a Master of Science in Educational Administration from UNO in 2000, and his Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2020. Ray and his wife are the parents of three graduates of Omaha Public Schools.

Returning guest, Father Keith Winton, talks about Christmas past and present. Why December 25th? What were the religious origins and evolution of this holiday celebration? What are some fascinating backstories to the creation of some favorite carols? Who saved Christmas and who is its Queen? All that and more in this Christmas Eve show.Before his ordination to the priesthood in 2019 and then becoming Rector at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Omaha, Father Keith was a software developer. He and his wife Lisa, who works in the non-profit sector, have three children, the youngest is a junior at Omaha’s Central High School. In his spare time Father Keith is a musician and a cook.

Carole Boye, the CEO of Community Alliance, which serves those living with mental illness and substance use disorders, talks about changes in how mental illness is treated and how it is talked about publicly, as well as her tenure over more than four decades as a leader called to a purpose worth roaring about.Carole Boye has served as president and CEO of Community Alliance for 42 years. As the first and only CEO of this nonprofit organization that now serves nearly 6,000 people annually across the metropolitan Omaha and surrounding five counties area, she has overseen provision of services for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders. She has been recognized by numerous professional and consumer groups for her leadership and advocacy in this field. Boye graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Masters in Public Administration and received her Bachelors degree in Social Work and Sociology from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska.

Designer and business founder, Elizebeth Murphy, whose curiosity and fascination with design motivated her in 1992 to found her own communications agency, Emspace Group, which became Emspace + Lovgren in 2018, shares her design spirit, zest for community life, and lessons learned over her more than three decades as a business leader.

Wendy Goldberg, executive director of Tri-Faith Initiative, talks about her professional experiences and faith journey that brought her to lead Tri-Faith Initiative, which she describes as an audacious experiment in peaceful proximity for three Christian, Muslim, and Jewish faith communities. Goldberg shares the building and modeling of positive communal relations and how they are even more important in these traumatic times of conflict.As a founding board member and now Executive Director of Tri-Faith Initiative, Wendy Goldberg has for years been committed to fostering social change, religious pluralism, and inclusivity. In addition to her role at Tri-Faith, Wendy chairs the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce's Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity, and Equity (CODE) Advisory Council. She is also an advisory board member of The Journal of Inter-religious Studies and UNO’s Tell All the Truth project and is an alumna of the LeadDiversity and Racial Equity Institute's Racial Equity Workshop. Wendy holds a Master of Arts in Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Engineer and artist Andrew Johnson talks about his engineering work and his artistic practice, blurring the lines between both, at the intersection of engineering’s crisp mathematics and physical materiality, and art, with its unbounded possibilities, creative expression, and playfulness.Johnson is an artist and engineer born and raised in Nebraska. He received an MAE degree in structural engineering from the University of Nebraska in 2006. He is a self-taught artist and works in a variety of media. Johnson has shown work throughout the metropolitan Omaha area, most notably at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and The Union for Contemporary Art. As a practicing engineer working at TD2, Johnson works on a variety of project types and market sectors throughout the US, focusing primarily on local and regional work. He enjoys close collaboration with architects and designers and has worked on several award-winning designs. Johnson has extensive experience with structural designs for art and performance spaces, including the Jackson Dinsdale Art Center at Hastings College, Hoff Family Arts and Culture Center in Council Bluffs, The Union for Contemporary Art campus, Omaha Benson Theater, and, most recently, the new addition to the Joslyn Art Museum.

Poet Todd Robinson talks about investigating life through poetry, the everyday awkwardness, yearnings, loss, and triumphs explored in his intimate books of poetic praise Note at Heart Rock and Mass for Shut-ins, revealing why one reviewer described him as a “veritable Neruda of Nebraska.” Robinson shares the experiences that have shaped his life and writing, and will read for us some of his poems.Todd Robinson is the author of two poetry collections, most recently Mass for Shut-Ins and Note at Heart Rock. He has led community writing workshops with many organizations, including UNMC, The Kaneko and Bemis art museums, the Nebraska Writers Collective, Omaha and Lincoln Warrior Writers, and the Nebraska Writers Guild. He is an Assistant Professor in the Writer’s Workshop at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and caregiver to his partner, a disabled physician.

Creighton music professor, conductor, and chorus master Dr. Barron Breland talks about an epiphany with the Atlanta Boy Choir, the choral ensembles he is engaged with, the art and craft of conducting, the joys and creative challenges of music for him and for us, and a life spent in and with music.Dr. A. Barron Breland has a diverse background in many different fields of music, including the piano and saxophone, and is in demand throughout the Midwest and beyond as a conductor, chorusmaster, clinician, and adjudicator. He is Dean of the Graduate School and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Alongside his leadership of the Creighton University Chamber Choir, Breland is the Music Director of Résonance, a semi-professional chorus whose debut album Pilgrimage was released in July 2020 on the MSR Classics label. Breland also is the Artistic Director of the River City Mixed Chorus and in his tenure with the organization the ensemble has grown to over 160 active singing members.