From the first conversation we recorded in 2013, we knew our podcast was coming from a place of curiosity. Our first series, The How, The Why connected with authors, editors, and publishers. I approached every conversation from the perspective of a student curious about each guest, their process, and the purpose behind the work. Episodes were never about book promotions or book sales; episodes were about the individual and their experiences.
As partnerships grew, the topics of our conversations progressed into civics, philosophy, science, and social justice. While moving further from familiar areas of study, my questions were the consequence of feeling uninformed. As a result, I desired knowledge from our guests. They became mentors, providing time, passion, and expertise. I have gained more insight from these conversations than I did from four years of college.
During the pandemic, when the world was put on pause, we continued to connect with guests. Conversations would sometimes drift off topic with a personal story from the week, a comment about news from the day, or merely to connect with someone and ask, “How are you doing?” We were sharing timestamped moments of insecurity.
On November 4th, 2020, one day after the presidential election, I connected with Cheryl I. Harris (EP350), law professor at UCLA. Votes were still being counted as we discussed the history of redlining in America. Harris took a breath and reflected on the day, “I'm trying to manage my expectations in line with as much of the information as I can stand to absorb right now.” Not only did we share that uncertainty, but she connected it to the history of voter suppression allowing us to truly document that day, with context from our past, so we can learn moving forward.
While nonprofit organizations struggled to support their mission, I spoke with Jerry Van Leeuwen (EP356), Executive Director of California Center for the Arts, Escondido. He provided context about art’s power of shared experiences and the grief and mourning of the silent gallery, theaters and halls absent music and dancing. A museum without guests is a storage facility. A theater without performance is a body without a soul. Leeuwen put his personal emotion center stage, “First responders take care of business when there’s a fire or disaster and second responders are the artists and the folks that bring us back together and rebuild our lives… The thing that we lost was togetherness, we just couldn’t be together.”
In the wake of protests for equality while our climate crisis brought fires, floods, and catastrophic storms, I had the privilege of connecting with Dr. Robert Bullard (EP406), the anointed “Father of Environmental Justice.” He spoke candidly, off talking points, for 37 minutes. It was a masterclass on the history and challenges facing poor and marginalized communities and their omission from the bulwark of climate activists. Bullard spoke of his experience, “It took 40 years plus for people to understand how social inequality and racial injustice will fuel vulnerability.”
475 episodes later, our organization continues to listen, learn, and evolve—with each episode sharing a personal feeling, every conversation providing a new perspective. My hope, as a producer and as a host, is that my curiosity parallels that of our audience.
Jon-Barrett
