Failing Boldly

Conversation with writer Lyz Lenz

My guest this week is Lyz Lenz, author of the book, “God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss, and Renewal in Middle America.”

Liz is a journalist who writes for the Cedar Rapids Gazette. In “God Land,” she reports on the state of the church in the Midwest, while also integrating her own experiences of faith, marriage and divorce. She writes with bracing candor and honesty, but does so in a way that bespeaks her commitment to a life of faith. We talk about all of this in this conversation.

To learn more about Lyz and her writings you can go to her web site.

Conversation with author Lisa Sharon Harper (rebroadcast)

The episode this week is a rebroadcast of my conversation with Lisa Sharon Harper.

Lisa is a prolific speaker, writer and activist and is the founder and president of FreedomRoad.us, a consulting group dedicated to shrinking the narrative gap in our nation by convening forums and experiences that bring commonalities toward a just world. She's the author of several books, including The Very Good Gospel, recognized as the "2016 Book of the Year" by Englewood Review of Books, explores God’s intent for the wholeness of all relationships in light of today’s headlines.

This was a very open and honest conversation and Lisa shares her thoughts on numerous topics including the nature of shalom, her growing up in the conservative evangelical world, the 2016 election. I think I can safely say that when you’re done listening, you won’t ask yourself, what does Lisa really think?

Conversation with author Tim Hillegonds

My guest this week is Tim Hillegonds, author of a new memoir, “The Distance Between.”

Tim’s memoir is an open and bracingly honest look at his life as a young man who battled various demons, including addiction, volatile relationships, and jail time. Tim leaves no stone unturned in exploring why he did what he did and he does so in gripping prose. We talk about the book and where he is today.

To learn more about Tim and his writings you can go to his website and follow him on Twitter (@TimHillegonds) and Instagram (tim_hillegonds).

Conversation with Epic Fail Game co-creator Susanna Kass

My guest this week is Susanna Kass, one of the co-creators of the children’s game, The Epic Fail Game.

Susanna lives in Sydney, Australia, and is, in her own words a "reforming helicopter-parent with a few decades of professional experience in cultural psychology and design.” The game is a set of 30 activity cards and a mindset theory book designed to change the way the whole family thinks about failing.

Susanna talks about how the game came about, their experience of putting the game on Kickstarter, and what it means to help your children fail well.

To learn more about The Epic Fail Game, you can go to their web site and look for them on Instagram and Facebook at theepicfailgame.

Conversation with Chicago Eco-House founder Quilen Blackwell

My guest this week is the founder of the Chicago Eco House, Quilen Blackwell.

I read an article about Quilen in the Chicago Tribune in early November and was moved by his dedication to using sustainability to alleviate poverty, his commitment to the south and west sides of Chicago, and his passion for integrating his faith into all of his work.

To learn more about Chicago Eco House, you can go to their web site or go to the Chicago Eco House Facebook page.

Conversation with Fr. James Martin (rebroadcast)

This is a rebroadcast of a conversation I had with Fr. James Martin in 2017.

Fr. Martin is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, and bestselling author of such books as  Jesus: A Pilgrimage and The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything. He has appeared on many major radio and television networks, ranging from NPR’s Fresh Air to Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. Before entering the Jesuits in 1988, Father Martin graduated from the Wharton School of Business and worked for General Electric for six years. In 2017, Pope Francis appointed him to be a Consultor for the Vatican's Secretariat for Communication.

In this episode, we talk about his latest book calling for the Catholic church to be more welcoming of LGBTQ Catholics, how he responds to those who criticize his writings, and what spiritual practices keep him grounded. I hope you enjoy it.

Conversation with Barbara Brown Taylor

My guest this week is the renowned writer on faith and religion, Barbara Brown Taylor.

I’ve read and been influenced by many of Barbara’s books so was excited when she agreed to be on this podcast. We focused our conversation on two of her books, her latest, Holy Envy: Finding God in the Faith of Others and the book she wrote in 2006, Leaving Church: A Memoir of Faith. She shared insights into her teaching and writing career, failure and resilience, and also answered the question, if you could give a TED talk about anything other than religion and faith, what would it be? I hope you enjoy it.

To learn more about her books and research, you can go to her web site barbarabrowntaylor.com or her Facebook page.

Conversation with Tod Bolsinger, author of "Canoeing the Mountains"

My guest this week is Tod Bolsinger, author of the book, “Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Unchartered Territory.”

"Canoeing" has done the rare thing of becoming a popular book in both conservative and progressive church circles. By combining research in systems theory and adaptive leadership and using the compelling metaphor of the Lewis and Clark expedition, Bolsinger’s book has provided a very helpful guide for church leaders trying to navigate rapid change in the 21^st century. We talk about all these things in this engaging conversation.

To learn more about Tod's books and research, you can go here. You can also follow him on twitter, @todbol.

Conversation with Diana Graber

My guest this week is Diana Graber, author of the book, “Raising Humans in a Digital World.”

Many of us have a love-hate relationship with technology and this is especially true for parents as they try to maneuver their way through a field that seems to change every day. Diana and I had a very helpful conversation about what all of us can do to use the tool of technology wisely, both as parents and as consumers. I hope you enjoy it.

To learn more about Diana's books or read her columns, you can go to one of her web sites, dianagraber.com or cyberwise.org. You can also follow her on twitter, @dianagraber.

Conversation with advice columnist Amy Dickinson

My guest this week is Amy Dickinson, perhaps best known as the writer of the popular advice column “Ask Amy,” which is carried in over 150 newspapers and read by an estimated 22 million readers daily.

In addition to her work as a writer, you may have also heard Amy on the NPR Quiz Show “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.” All of these experiences made for a fascinating conversation as Amy talks about juggling life as an advice columnist and her own experiences with parenthood and marriage. We also talk about her life of faith as Amy is a member of a United Methodist Church in her hometown in Freeville, New York. I’ve enjoyed all my Failing Boldly conversations but this was certainly one of my favorites.

To learn more about her books or read her columns, you can go to her web site, amydickinson.com and also follow her on twitter, @askingamy.