Soul Cafe Podcast

This is the final of three episodes promoting the RESISTANCE FEST—resist hate&reclaim love-a music festival on June 14 from 3pm-8pm on the lawn of Life's Journey UCC in Burlington, NC. This episode's guest is our headliner for the event JENNIFER KNAPP. We have an engaging conversation about music, Pride and more. www.jenniferknapp.com. Get tickets for the RESISTANCE FEST by going to EVENTBRITE.COM

This episode is featuring another of the great singer-songwriters that will be a part of the RESISTANCE FEST-resist hate&reclaim love. The interview is with JESS KLEIN—check her out at: www.jessklein.com. During this episode we listen to a couple of Jess Klein's songs—The Big Table and Annie's Place. Join us at the RESISTANCE FEST in Burlington, NC on June 14 from 3pm-8pm. Get tickets at eventbrite.com

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/resistance-fest-resist-hate-reclaim-love-tickets-1257161336399?aff=oddtdtcreator The above is a link to purchase tickets for the RESISTANCE FEST on June 14 from 3pm-8pm with RISSI PALMER, Jennifer Knapp, Abigail Dowd, Jess Klein, Maia Kamil and Jane Kramer. The RESISTANCE FEST is on lawn in front of Life'sJourney UCC at 2121 Edgewood ave in Burlington, NC. This episode is an interview with Rissi Palmer—check her out at: www.rissipalmermusic.com.

This is our annual episode in honor of MLK Jr. Hopefully we can keep his dream alive in the crazy days ahead. The episode uses with permission singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer's songs IF NOT NOW and LEAN IN TOWARD THE LIGHT. The episode also uses by permission in its entirety John Pavlovitz's reader supported The Beautiful Mess January 18 post—MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.'S DREAM AND DONALD TRUMP'S MAGA NIGHTMARE. This old minister continues to be moved to action by the words of Martin Luther King Jr. and the words of younger prophets like Carrie Newcomer and John Pavlovitz.

Check out the brand new AR album released today Friday September 13!!!!!!!!! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1002938013597?aff=oddtdtcreator

A really good conversation with the Folk/Americana duo ADMIRAL RADIO, Becca and Coty. We share with you 3 of Admiral Radio's songs Colorado, Love You Somehow and Slow Lane. Check Admiral Radio out at: https:admiralradiomusic.com @admiral.radio

Make sure you check out both Hannah Kaminer at: www.hannahkaminer.com and Jane Kramer at: www.janekramermusic.com

Check Out all of John Pavlovitz information and even shop for cool stuff at: www.johnpavlovitz.comAlso check out our sponsor: @beanssproutsnc or www.beanssprouts.com 

An interview with Democrat for NC Senate District 25-Donna Vanhook. We talk about social justice, making a difference locally and being involved in the process of bringing hope. Check Donna out at: donnavanhook.com And be a part of the change our world needs toward love and justice.

Readings from The Return of Light—12 Tales from around the World for the Winter Solstice by Carolyn McVicker Edwards.  Two songs are included in this episode—May I Suggest sung by Red Molly and written by Susan Werner and Light of a Clear Blue Morning sung by The Wailing Jennys and written by Dolly Parton.

This episode features an interview with Enumah (Mona) Evans the Enterprise Assistant and Family Reunification Advocate at Benevolence Farm in Alamance County, NC. Mona is a formerly incarcerated woman in the North Carolina prison system that got a second chance through the great work of the Benevolence Farm and is now on the staff. This episode will challenge you to get involved with social justice efforts in your community. www.benevolence farm.org

An interview with singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomer talking about her brand new 20th album entitled: A Great Wild Mercy releasing on October 13, 2023. Carrie as always gives us hope for the living of these days. Make sure you go to: carrienewcomer.com to order an album or other cool merchandise

DNM Don't Normalize Meanness This season is about “calling one another forward instead of calling out”. MLK Jr. Said it this way, “if you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl..whatever you do keep moving”. We may just need Another World right about now—not talking a ‘too heavenly minded to be any earthly good” kind of world…just a new way to look at things…a new way to treat one another. Libby Rodenbough's new song-Another World—listen. So. We hope you will pull up a chair at the Soul Cafe Podcast—there is room at the table for everyone. We hope the Soul Cafe Podcast ‘through interviews with musicians, activists, deep thinkers and even some commentary from a long time Community Builder, we hopefully will join in solidarity to promote a more loving and just society'.

Benevolence Farm seeks to cultivate leadership, promote sustainable livelihoods, and reap structural change with individuals impacted by the criminal legal system in North Carolina.Go to website: www.benevolencefarm.org to learn more.Go to www.beanssprouts.com to learn more about the sponsor of this episode.

Songs used:  Rude Awakening as sung by Della Mae—permission granted.                          Morning Birds as sung by Mandee Radford Langley and Cristi Johnson known as Alathea—permission granted                          www.Alathea.comSponsors:  beanssprouts.com    @beanssproutsnc*special note——a couple of small glitches in the recording—sorry our editor is on vacation. But do please find some of the humor in the glitches.

As always, we are rudely awakened by the Americana/Bluegrass band, Della Mae with Celia Woodsmith belting out Rude Awakening and the episode closes with another song by Della Mae-For the Sake of My Heart.  Both songs used by permission from Concord Music.Conversation between Frank and Jennifer around the influences of MLK Jr on vocation, intersections of faith and life, etc.

This Soul Cafe Podcast featuring permission granted music by: Della Mae and The Sea the Sea.Public domain music: Huron Carol in part accompanied on piano by Jill NewsomeSpecial substack reading  by permission authored by Carrie Newcomer.     www.carrienewcomer.substack.comBlessing by: Jan Richardson.

The Soul Cafe ‘where life is served-up freshly brewed'.  As always to get our minds and hearts to open up we might just need a Rude Awakeing (by Della Mae and permission by Della Mae and Concord Music).  Wake us up Della Mae!Are we not all struggling right now?  People on both sides of the fence yelling at each other and yelling at ourselves—yes, we are a divided people.  Now we are not calling for some kind of blind unity (Kum ba Yah) that means absolutely nothing—maybe we need to figure out some ways to get around the table—-and listen to each other—to sense each other's humanity—lots of listening.Getting around the table—starting with basic humanity.  We quote a little from the book SAVING GRACE—Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive you Nuts by Kirsten Powers.  We talk a little about famous odd couples of differing political and other persuasions—and how they found common humanity.Bell Hooks said “How do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their capacity to be transformed”.We pause to ponder having Room at the Table for everyone by listening with permission from singer-songwriter Carrrie Newcomers song—ROOM AT THE TABLE.  “but there is room at the table for everyone—-so pull up a chair”Then we focus a little on Frank's wife Jill's new buisness in retirement—BEANS AND SPROUTS—beanssprouts.com —one way of making room for everyone is justice—-selling fair trade and organic coffee where the farmers around the world are getting a fair wage and helping to transform their communites—Drink Coffee and Be the Change.  And selling local organically grown herbs and plants.  Also selling Sweet Justice products by (Deans Beans) organic and fair trade dark chocolate disc and hot cocoa mix—giving 10% of the sales to a local agency named—Benevolence Farm near Graham, NC helping formerly incarcerated women to have room at the table.Frank then switches gears slightly by pointing out that this whole struggle is not about opposing sides not standing for anything—as the Dali Lama says, “if you want others to be happy, practice compassion.  If you want to be happy, practice compassion” which leads us even among division to declare humanity for all—-so………………………..VOTE AS IFYour skin is not whiteYour parents need medical careYour spouse is an immigrantYour land is on fireYour child is transgenderYour house is floodedYour sister is a victim of gun violenceYour brother is gayYour water is unsafeBecause Privilege has no place in an Election, But Empathy Does!Winding down today….an Armenian American writer William Saroyan penned these words in his breakthrough article “The Daring Young Man on the flying Trapeze”, published in 1934.  You might say this is a rousing piece of advice that reads like a rallying cry to live life to its fullest:  “Try to learn to breathe deeply, really to taste the food when you eat, and when you sleep really sleep.  Try as much as possible to be wholly alive, with all your might, and when you laugh, laugh like hell.  And when you get angry, get good and angry.  Try to be alive.”Yes, it is almost Halloween—crazy how for some that even divides people—but I say get out there—let your bones rattle—pull out the witches—strobe lights—fog machine—-and laugh with the whole neighborhood—we are in this together—and be ready for some good ole gratitude humanity as Thanksgiving approaches.We head off into nature—as Della Mae sings—For the Sake of My Heart———just maybe the table needs to be outside—all humanity breathing the same air—watching the change of seasonsThe Soul Cafe—the table is large enough for all—-see you next time.

Season 2–Episode 1Episode NotesWelcome to the Soul Cafe Podcast—-Season 2–Episode 1–the Soul Cafe “where life is served-up freshly brewed”.Yes, it has been awhile since Season 1 ended back in May—-Geez—I have retired since then—moved from Portsmouth, NH to Graham, NC—-even working with my wife on a cool venture named Beans&Sprouts—a mobile business from our 1995 Mazda Scrum Mini-truck named Miss Betty (Betty White)—-selling 1 lb bags of organic fair trade coffee—roasted and sourced from the unbelievable Deans Beans …we have 2 Blends and Sprouts special blends and 1 Soul Cafe blend…and super organically grown local herbs and plants from J&B farms in Roxboro.www.beanssprouts.comRemind me to tell you the whole story sometime.Speaking of stories—we have with us today the superb story teller—story catcher—story listener—Mark Yaconelli—-we will be chatting about his brand new book—BETWEEN THE LISTENING AND THE TELLING—How stories can save us”markyaconelli.wordpress.comBut first we all need an awakening—wake up—-well, yes many today have somewhat polluted the term ‘woke'—but folks we all need an awakening—do we not?—-so let my friends —Americana—bluegrass—beyond label—Della Mae lead us to a RUDE AWAKENING (by permission of Della Mae)So to help wake us up a little today—we have Mark Yaconelli—-Anne Lamott says about his new book—this is an “owners Manuel for the Soul”——-Okay we are at the Soul Cafe—“where life is served-up freshly brewed”Mark Yaconelli—speaker, facilator and author of five previous books—founder of the Hearth, a non-profit—Profiles of Yaconelli's work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, NPR, ABC World News Tonight—-he and his wife have 3 adult children and they live in Ashland, Oregon.Welcome Mark!!!!Okay—I am a believer that stories can save us—-and have been for some years—-I understand this book has been in the making for like 10 years—that means to me this is important!!—-so Mark—why this book—why this book at this time in history??Okay Mark—let's just cut through it—-in the chapter entitled “Home” (instead of me—which I do sometime) can you please read from your book—page 168–starting with “our world is in crisis” through top of page 171?Pandemic—-an awakening—-or not??Chapter 6– The Hearth—-page 84—“in many faith traditions, there is an individual salvation——through page 85—“peace by picnic”.   Comments Mark??Mark—-my goal with the Soul Cafe Podcast—-pretty much with my life's—and 40 plus years of ministry—to bring people together around the table—a big ass table—to talk—to listen—-so help me—-tell me how telling/listening/catching stories can contribute to this ‘beloved community' goal?dSo we have gone deep—a little fun—I will blame you—for books like—practicing the presence of—-etc—for my going to some contemplative time out in Frontac Minnesota—at a monastery in the middle of nowhere—-silence—I mean I had been at Youth Ministry—working with teenagers for some 20 years at that point—Stephen Iverson singing chant like—Peace by still====and then that story you told in one book about Mildred—a senior adult youth worker—stories that changed medOr your dad—to crazy for his own good…Dangerous Wonder/ MessyMessy Spirituality —world may be going to hell in waste basket but what your family may need is rousing game of Capture the Flag—ping pong championship?Our journey's Up here today—-wow—thanks—brother!!!Thanks Mark for taking the time in your very busy schedule to help me flesh out what the Soul Cafe Podcast is really all ABOUT—telling and listening to stories—-around a big ass table where all——are welcome.  BYEAnd so we wrap it up today—humbled by this guy—Mark Yaconelli—that has reminded us in his new book—BETWEEN THE LISTENING AND THE TELLING—How stories can save us” that we need to be at the table—the bar—the picnic—wherever—listening—-telling—our storiesAnd we need to listen to one more story and that is of mother nature calling us to get outside and be—be with—listen—so we go with a song by The Brother Brothers—Red and Gold. (By permission of the Brother Brothers music)thanks for joining us at the Soul Cafe

Episode 9 Soul Cafe Podcast With special guest:  Marissa Renee LeeAuthor of GRIEF IS LOVE WELCOME to the Soul Cafe ‘where life is served-up freshly brewed' are you ready to wake up? As always listen in to Della Mae's song (with their permission of course) Rude Awakenings,My very special guest today is Marissa Renee Lee author of a new book entitled—GRIEF IS LOVE—Living with Loss.  Marissa is a “rabble-rouser of social healing and a frequently called-upon writer and grief advocate.  She is a former appointee in the Obama White House, former managing director of My Brother's Keeper Alliance, cofounder of the digital platform Supportal, and founder of the Pink Agenda, a national organization dedicated to raising money for breast cancer care, research, and awareness.  She is a regular contributor to Glamour, Vogue, MSNBC, and CNN.  She lives in the DC area with her husband, Matt, son Bennett, and dog, Sadie.Thanks so much Marissa for joining me today…………………So today we are going to focus mainly on Marissa's book—that I believe is dynamite—yes, it was a tough book to wade through —tough no doubt because Grief is Love—or as I messed up recently and said—Love is Grief—which is so true also.Marissa—I always like to ask the question of an author—why—why did you write this book?  You know the passion that propelled you—and still propels you to talk to crazy Podcast like the Soul Cafe? I am a Pastor in a progressive church—have been doing this Minister gig for over 40 years now—did I already say I am retiring in a week—-yes, even that loss is Grief is Love—but I say all of that because I have been acquainted with grief a lot—I have walked the valley with countless people—and yes, i too have said some of the dumbest things in the name of comfort to people who have experienced great loss.  And that brings me to something you say in your book that really popped out for me—“What I've learned most is that instead of fighting against our feelings, we need to work on letting them take up space.  I now allow myself to be overcome by all my grief emotions, and there continue to be so many of them.  It is really annoying.  I have stopped trying to intellectualize them and instead I just feel.  In giving my feelings, my grief, the space it needs, I have come to the most obvious realization:  YOU DON'T GET OVER IT.”  I would add—that there is nothing a person who is grieving needs to hear more than this—STOP TRYING TO GET OVER IT—and if you are trying to help someone —walking with them in their grief—don't tell them they will get over it one day.  Help me here Marissa—talk to us. IN  my opinion—what really engaged me into this book was the raw honesty (some call that vulnerability)—the belly laughing humor—real ness you might say—like when Marissa is talking about life at Christmas after the death of her mom—“my mother was the Queen of Christmas—-no matter how sick she was, the whole spectacle was completely over the top.  I struggled with Christmas after she died, but eventually, with the help of Matt, I found my way.  Every year, we host an over-the-top holiday party called “Tacos and Baby Jesus”.  We serve multiple kinds of tacos, do a homemade cookie swap, host a charity food drive, and give out prizes for the most outrageous costumes.  You wouldn't believe what some folks will put on just to win a semi decent bottle of wine.”  Thanks to that story now my wife wants us to do Tacos and Baby Jesus since the death of her over the top Christmas mom.  Humor has always been part of the journey for me—any other funny stories you would like to share—please…..?(i also love the one about the Pastor at your wedding) As the book is beginning to wrap up Marissa talks about legacy—“i often found myself confusing her legacy with the idea of honoring her or keeping her memory alive externally, out in the world…..her legacy is how i choose to live as a result of life and death…..legacy is based on the fact that there was someone you loved dearly and who loved you back, and that love now lives on through you.”  Marissa would you continue your thought process on legacy? So, saved the hardest reality to the end—more societal grief—10 killed in Buffalo by a young man consumed with racism—pure hate that he has no doubt learned from all of us—in the book you talk about how “you have come to recognize that we struggle hardest when we don't feel protected—this often makes grief tougher for people of color.  Black people in particular; because the safety that vulnerability requires is so much harder to access.  How can you grieve when you can't breathe?  I am exhausted as a white person that cares—but what are you feeling right now—with COVID—racism—Grief is love? Marissa …… Folks—you need to get this book—Grief is Love—as Willie Geist, host of Sunday Today with Willie Geist and New York Times bestselling author says about the book—“Authentic, all-inclusive, and utterly breathtaking, this is the book that will help you deal with your darkest days and walks with you as you venture back into the light.”Thanks you so much Marissa for taking the risk today to join me at the Soul Cafe—i hope our paths will cross again.   I have been really blessed with some great guest this season and today is the end of season 1…thanks for listening in…next season starts in September.  As I reflect back over this season and in life in general I have been saying this little mantra to myself a lotDag Hammarskjold once said:For all that has been….Thanks!For all that shall be….Yes!Get outside for the sake of your heart. For the sake of your soul…Della Mae take us outside.You can join Marisa Renee Lee on Thursday May 19th, 2022 from 7:30-8:30pm at Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH.

SOUL CAFE PODCAST Episode #8With special guest: Christine PrideChristine Pride is a writer, editor and long-time publishing veteran.  She's held editorial posts at many different trade imprints, including Doubleday, Broadway, Crown, Hyperion, and Simon& Schuster.As an editor, Christine has published a range of books, with a special emphasis on inspirational stories and memoirs including New York Times Bestsellers.  As a freelance editorial consultant, she does select editing and proposal/content development, as well as teaching and coaching, and pens a regular column—Race Matters-A Cup of Jo.  She lives in NYC and is co-author of Good Morning America Book Club choice…We Are Not Like Them.Welcome to the Soul Cafe Podcast…the Soul Cafe..”where life is served-up freshly brewed”. And the table is huge for ALL people.Are you ready for a rude awakening??  Della Mae wake us up….I will give a little intro to the book—WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM—told from —“alternating perspectives—-a novel about friendship—-ending with “WANLT explores complex questions of race and how they pervade and shape our most intimate spaces in a deeply divided world—but at its heart, it's a story of enduring friendship—-a love that defies the odds even as it faces its most difficult challenges”.So Christine—-in my curiosity I always want to know—why—why did you write this book—was their a foundational purpose?I want people if they have not already to get this book and read it—with that said—I promise not to give a spoiler—but I do want to read a couple of excerpts from the book and just get some vibe back from you.  I must confess up front though that I am not a big novel reader—I am a major non-fiction reader—but there is no way I would ever interview someone about something that I have not taken the time to read—so in this case—my wife and I read the book out loud—she read as Jen—-and I read as Riley—it was fun I promise—-and I must confess—I felt this book—and I felt the soul of this book—-and I believe it was because Christine Pride and Jo Piazza—are great writers they were able to pull even this old white guy into the story—okay even shed a tear or two.  this is the scene—Gigi—Riley's grandmother says—“I want to be buried in the family plot too—with them.  Y'all make that happen, ya hear?  And you bring Grandpa Leroy's ashes and scatter some around me so he there too.  God knows why that man wanted to be cremated.  I want to be in the ground, dust to dust, like Jesus.  Right where I was born.  Sometimes you gotta go home.  You promise you'll take me there.”  “We will. I promise.”  My heart is screaming.And in the middle of this real conversation about death and dying.And then Riley reflects a little—“it kills me how some people want so badly to believe racism is buried beneath layers and layers of history, “ancient history,” they say.  But it's not.  It's like an umpire brushing the thinnest layer of dirt off home plate: it's right there.  Only too often the trauma, the toll of it, remains unknown generation after generation.  Like how Gigi kept her own awful secret, presumably to protect us from the ugly truth, and I've kept my own secrets, haunted by a similar shame.I assume she's nodded off, but then Gigi opens her eyes and looks up at the ceiling.  “I want the world to be better, baby girl.  We gotta do better.”Any reflections here Christine?I will read another passage from the book if we have time but let's talk about something else—and that is the article you authored in the STYLIST entitled—“Why I Started to Question if I'd Event Want Another White Friend Again”.  And this article for me—kind of helped with the whole back story of your and Jo Piazza's relationship leading up to writing the book together and leading up to your friendship.  The honesty of this article is what we all need to hear.Christine writes:“There's an old Chris Rock bit where he jokes, “my black friends have a bunch of white friends and all my white friends have one Black friend.”  Like most comedy, the humor in this comes from the unrecognizable truth.  I know this first hand because it's the story of my life.  I should have business cards printed:  Christine Pride, Everyone's One Black Friend.Skipping ahead a little—“and since I've been single most of my adult life, it is these friendships I've built over 40 years, wide and deep and diverse, that constitute my family and my tribe, they are my cornerstone and salvation.  Which means, I was always on the prowl for additions to my circle—-and was promiscuous in my search:  white, Black, Latino, Asian, everyone was welcome in my friendship tent.  But then something changed.  Somewhere along the line (er, perhaps in early 2016?), I became wary of making new friendships…with white people.  Actually, the truth be told, I became wary of white people in general.  That eager, easy, color-blind approach I'd had to new connections was gone, replaced by a brittle cautiousness and skepticism.  I am not sure I even consciously realized how much this was the case, until I met Jo.”Another excerpt from book.Wow—-this seems like soul kind of stuff here and we know that the Soul Cafe is where life is served up freshly brewed—-so Christine would you continue this soul baring conversation—the world needs this kind of honest conversation—-talk Christine.So—what now?  I know this book—We Are Not Like Them—which is a Good Morning America Book Club pick—is been talked about in Book Clubs across the nation—there is even a little reading club guide at the back of the book.  What are you hearing—do you think the book is doing anything creatively in the mainstream of society??Is there a Part 2 coming?Folks—you gotta read WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM—-as Laura Dave—NY Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me says—“a powerful story about friendship, race, love, forgiveness, and justice—and the stunning ways they intersect…Empathetic, riveting, and authentic, We Are Not Like Them will stay with you long after you turn the last page.”  And Frank Newsome of the Soul Cafe Podcast says—-Amen sister.Thanks—Thanks Christine Pride for chatting with me today—please share this episode of the Soul Cafe Podcast with all your social media.Next months episode will be the Season finally..Today we go off the air with a song GOOD For Something by Chuck and Mira Costa the Indie folk-pop duo THE SEA THE SEA…thanks for the permission Chuck and Mira.

Episode 7With special guest Paula HustonPaula is a National Endowment of the Arts Fellow, author of two novels and eight nonfiction titles including her newest book—‘The Hermits of Big Sur'I want our listeners today to read your new book—The Hermits of Big Sur—I know it is a lot to ask a writer to give the elevator speech about the book—so tell me in a minute or two why you wrote this book—and why someone should pick one up?If you are Christian we are obviously in the Lenten season—40 days in the wilderness—if you do not have a Christian background if you are human (an earthling as one has called us) then you too are probably in the wilderness in one way or another right about now. As Paula says, “time spent in the wilderness can be a catalyst for transformative spiritual experience, and the Big Sur Coast is one of America's last true wildernesses.  For the monks, “the very hardness of the wilderness was reassuring to them.  Worldly people would not follow them there.  They would be free to seek God with  all that was in them.”  Paula, would you talk to us a little more about how you see this transformation playing out in general and through the Big Sur—the New Camaldoli Hermitage? One of the things I am trying to do with the Soul Cafe Podcast is to get conversations of the soul beyond just the church—to make God more accessible so to speak—of course God has no trouble with that—-so sometimes I find myself playing the Devil's Advocate—which ironically may be a term that goes back to 1587—when a role that was created for when someone was nominated in the Catholic Church for either beatification and canonization—-the Devil's Advocate (of course there was a more religious sounding title) was to draw up a list of arguments against the nominee becoming blessed or canonized.  I say all that to point out that we play the devils advocate we are on some long and good ground.So…..do you need to go to an hermitage to experience a transformative wilderness experience?  Do we need places like Big Sur to find the answer to the longing for fuga Mundi, or flight from the world?  Along with Hermits of Big Sur I have been reading books by Scott Stillman—one in particular entitlled WILDERNESS—The Gateway to the Soul.  Stillman makes a pretty compelling case that we need to get out into any wilderness we can find—“through all the noise and the madness, how could we have possibly heard what the Earth is so patiently trying to tell us?  Now something as natural as silence has become increasingly rare.  Wilderness is our only hope.  The one place we can always come back to.”So…do we need the Big Sur—-or do we need just to get out into any wilderness and be still—-or do we need both?And all that kind of leads to your comment in the book—“transformation is no small thing and also fairly rare—-at the hermitage, miraculous transformation sometimes occurs in individual monks after decades of contemplative practice and the communal bonds formed through the practice of the ‘privilege of love'.  You do not become a contemplative overnight.  In fact to become holy and full of wisdom in this way requires years of slow, painful un-selfing.”Can you talk a little about this process at the Big Sur?That should about do it for questions.Get outside and experience the wilderness as Della Mae sings ‘For the Sake of My Heart'The Soul Cafe…where life is served-up freshly brewed.

As always the Soul Cafe Podcast begins as we reflect with Della Mae's song about how we might all be in need of a Rude Awakening or just any old awakening will do.So who do you ask to be a guest on the Soul Cafe Podcast when you and your wife are celebrating your 40th Wedding Anniversary? Invite wife Jill to join you of course and invite None other than author of the intriguing book…How to be Married…Jo Piazza. Jo is also author of some great fiction…Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win…co author with Lucy Sykes of Fitness Junkie and the Knockoff….and her newest fiction co author with Christine Pride…the great work entitled..We Are Not Like Them. Throw in a couple Nonfiction books…If Nuns Ruled the world: Ten Sisters on a Mission and Celebrity, Inc.: How Famous People Make Money….and of course near to my heart as a Podcaster..her acclaimed Podcast…Under the Influence and Committed….are we lucky and honored today to have Jo Piazza…welcome Jo Piazza to the Soul Cafe.jopiazza.comNow since this is the Soul Cafe Podcast 40th Wedding Anniversary/Love editionToday we are going to focus primarily on Jo's book…How to be Married. Now How to be..came out in 2017…no doubt a few things have changed with Jo and marriage since then..more on that later. The book starts with a note from the author that tells us…”after many years spent wandering the world for both work and pleasure, I well know that you can't witness the truth of any country or culture in a single visit , or even in many. I'm a traveler and a journalist, not an anthropologist, psychologist, or historian “…..my words….she just wanted to know…how to be married. Jo also says upfront that her goal in writing How to be Married is to start a dialogue about partnership, sex, love, marriage, fidelity, monogamy, polygamy, money, power, equality, kids, men and women, and how all these things fit together in a world that's changing faster than most of us ever thought possible”…Oh my……..So Jo…What did you learn in 5 minutes or less…what still applies?Ok…now on to my favorite chapter that my wife and laughed hard for at least a day after reading…chapter 4..Maine…Were a Team? No way better I suppose to learn about How to be Married than heading up to Sunday River, Maine for The Wife Carrying Championship……..please tell is a little about what was learned that day at Sunday River."?.and of course she will be telling it from the perspective of the one being carried…..Tell it JoSo…this is the Soul Cafe…where life is served up freshly brewed….and you are talking to some guy who went to Divinity school or seminary or cemetery as some call it….I could not help but notice that in addition to degrees in economics and journalism you also have one in religious studies…..Now what was that about?So, I promised that we would come back to the obvious question…well obvious coming from someone who has been married for 40 years…and coming from someone that very often starts the day with those words from Thomas Merton..”My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me….”It has been 7 plus years since writing..How to be Married…..what still applies…and what now seems like fools talk?So…Jo this has been amazing….thanks so much for taking the risk to talk with us today….I will send you the link to this episode soon…..please post on all your social media and help out a person who after 40 is still learning and growing.Peace. (You can mute and exit)This love—this relationship we are talking encompass so much more than even marriage—as Author and Activist Valerie Kaur says:Love is more than a rush of feeling. Love is sweet labor: fierce, bloody, imperfect, and life giving—a choice we make again and again. Love is not any one emotion. love is All our emotions: Joy is the gift of love. Grief is the price of love. Anger is what we harness to protect that which we love.Revolutionary Love is the choice to labor for others, for opponents, and for ourselves—to transform the world around us, and within us.”I am a lucky man…to have shared life and love with my best friend for 40 years…been blessed with 3 of the coolest children anywhere and 2 super cool grandchildren and a dog named River…and of course to be able to interview such a person as Jo Piazza…get all of her books soon. jopiazza.comNext month on the Soul Cafe Podcast I will be having somewhat of a wilderness/Lenten theme…with a National Endowment of the Arts Fellow and author of many books….Paula Huston..focusing in on her brand new book..The Hermits of Big Sur…so be ready for some wilderness conversation.And in April…drum roll..I will be taking with Jo Piazza's co author Christine Pride about their brand new book..WE ARE NOT LIKE THEM.And that book reminds of the depth of love—we are talking even more than marital love—as Desmond Tuta said, “our maturity will be judged by how well we are able to agree to disagree and yet continue to love one another, to care for one another, and cherish one another and seek the greater good of the other”Remember…the table is huge….all are welcome at the Soul Cafe where life is served-up freshly brewed.Wrap upToday since it is a special 40th anniversary love episode I will leave you with a super love song with the permission of Drew and Ellie Holcomb…..(Drew Holcomb and NEIGHBORS)“It's in the wine we drink, dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, and the lights go out till the sun comes up; we are not alone. It's in the miles we drive, never having to say goodbye to the things we tell each other without saying a word.You are the one thing that I know.”Thanks for joining us to today at the Soul Cafe.

This episode concludes our tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and to the movement of freedom, although we know the legacy and the movement continue very much even today.  We start this Part 2 with as always an acknowledgment of the fact that we all need a Rude Awakening (Della Mae).  King's last Sunday sermon before his death was at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC on March 31, 1968 and was entitled, REMAINING AWAKE THROUGH A GREAT REVOLUTION.  That title was the lead in to my conversation with Dr. Richard Lischer the James T. And Alice Mead Cleland Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the Divinity School, Duke University.  Dr. Lischer is the author of many books—check them out at: www.richardlischer.org .  His prize winning book, The Preacher King: Martin Luther King,Jr. and the Word that Moved America was the springboard of our conversation together.  The main part of our conversation with Dr. Lischer was a discussion of sorts about King's Letter from the Birmingham Jail.  Lischer gives a great introduction as to the context of the letter and then we read passages from the letter with commentary from Dr. Lischer. 

This episode is a 2 part tribute to the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr and to the movement of freedom.  This Part 1 episode takes a look at how music is the soul of the movement.  Our guest Yara Allen, Director of Cultural Arts, Repairers of the Breach and Co-Director of Cultural Arts with the Poor People's Campaign-A National Call for Moral Revival.  Another term that has been given to what Yara does is ‘theomusicologist'.Yara answers questions like—“what in the world sent you into the streets singing”? And gives a great story about how music draws people into the movement.  The interview even includes Yara singing parts of a few of the songs in the movement like..”I'm on my way up..my mind is made up..gonna hold my head up..walking on in love”.Check out the movement at: www.poor people's campaign.org and www.breachrepairers.org 

SOUL CAFE PODCAST EPISODE 4With Special Guest: ALATHEA (Mandee Radford Langley and Cristi Johnson)This episode includes an interview with Alathea who are two acoustic, Americana-folk singer songwriters with many albums.  The interview zooms in on relationships, family, integrity and nature. As always the Podcast starts with the bluegrass, Americana band Della Mae belting out Rude Awakening—“splash your face with a gentle disgrace of a reign blowing in unexpectedly”.I (Frank the Podcaster) have had Alathea perform at countless events over the last 20 years and we tell stories about some of those.  But more importantly we talk about the thread of family and building community by being real and honest and open with each other.We also listen in to excerpts from two of their songs and talk about them:Be My Guide from the My Roots Grow Deeper AlbumHalls of Heaven from the Tremble AlbumBoth songs were used with permission of Alathea who are the songwriters and both albums were self-published and copyrighted.

WELCOME TO--------PULL UP A CHAIR AT THE SOUL CAFÉ PODCAST---THE SOUL CAFÉ WHERE LIFE IS SERVED-UP FRESHLY BREWED.SO WHAT DOES A RETIRING PASTOR OF 40 PLUS YEARS—ACTIVIST—FATHER—GRANDFATHER---HUSBAND AND JUST GENERAL SELF-PROCLAIMED SEMI-COOL DUDE DO BUT------HAVE A PODCAST RIGHT?WHY BECAUSE DEEP IN MY SOUL---I BELIEVE THAT THE TABLE IS HUGE—AND THERE IS ROOM FOR EVERYONE---AND OH---WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER---PANDEMIC—RACISM—WOMEN'S RIGHTS—GREED GONE WRONG---WE NEED EACH OTHER TO SHOW UP AT THE TABLE—AND OH YES, WE NEED A HIGHER POWER—SO COME HUNGRY AND FEED YOUR SOUL WITH SOME REVOLUTIONARY LOVE.   SO PULL UP A CHAIR AT THE SOUL CAFÉ---CAUSE SISTERS AND BROTHERS YOU ARE WELCOME HERE---NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU ARE ON LIFE'S JOURNEY---SO PULL UP A CHAIR.SO---ARE YOU READY FOR SOME ‘RUDE AWAKENINGS' TODAY?   AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY EPISODE OF THE SOUL CAFÉ PODCAST WE LISTEN TO THAT WILD SONG BY DELLA MAE TO REMIND US THAT WE ALL NEED A LITTLE RUDENESS—A RUDE AWAKENING----A ROUSING FROM SLEEP—A ROUSING FROM INACTIVITY OR INDIFFERENCE –SO SING US INTO SOME AWAKENINGS DELLA MAE………  PLAY SONG—RUDE AWAKENINGSTHANKS DELLA MAE AND ROUNDER RECORDS/CONCORD MUSIC FOR THE PERMISSION TO USE RUDE AWAKENINGS AND OUR WRAP UP SONG—FOR THE SAKE OF MY HEART.SO IF YOU ARE NOT AWAKE YET—YOU WILL BE SOON AS OUR GUEST DEAN CYCON JOINS US.  DEAN IS FOUNDER AND OWNER OF DEANS BEANS AN ORGANIC/FAIR TRADE—KOSHER CERTIFIED COFFEE ROASTER BASED IN ORANGE MA.  NOMINATED  FOR 2022 ROASTER OF THE YEAR FINALIST----“TAG LINE OF—SPECIALITY COFFEE AS A VEHICLE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE.  I HAVE DEAN WITH US TODAY FOR MANY REASONS---BUT AS WITH MOST OF MY GUEST THERE IS ALWAYS A PERSONAL REASON—AND THAT IS THE FAMOUS COFFEE THAT WAS CREATED AT DEANS BEANS JUST FOR THE SOUL CAFÉ---SOUL CAFÉ BLEND—A BLEND OF 3 FRENCH ROASTS—GUATAMALEN—SUMATRAN—NICARAGUAN—GO TO DEANS BEANS.COM---AND YOU TOO CAN HELP CREATE YOUR PERSONAL BLEND.  MY WIFE AND I DRINK THIS SUPER BLEND CALLED SOUL CAFÉ EVERY MORNING---AND SERVED AT LOTS OF SOUL CAFÉ EVENTS OVER THE LAST 10 PLUS YEARS---AND WHEN WE DRINK IT WE FEEL LIKE WE ARE JOINING WITH DEAN'S BEANS IN THEIR MISSION OF PEOPLE CENTERED DEVELOPMENT----HOPEFULLY DEAN WILL TALK TO US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT TODAY.  Yes, you can have a successful business that actually makes a difference in the lives of real people.  And---by the way my close second favorite to the soul café blend is Artic Sunrise.And DEAN IS ALSO AUTHOR OF THE BOOK---JAVATREKKER—DISPATCHES FROM THE WORLD OF FAIR TRADE COFFEE---AND RIGOBERTA MENCHU SAID THIS ABOUT DEAN AND JAVATREKKER—“COFFEE IS MORE THAN JUST A DRINK.  IT IS ABOUT POLITICS, SURVIVAL, THE EARTH, AND THE LIVES OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.  JAVATREKKER IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON IN THEIR MORNING CUP.”WELCOME DEAN---CAN'T YOU JUST SMELL THOSE FRESHLY ROASTED BEANS….WELCOME TO THE SOUL CAFÉ---WHERE LIFE IS SERVED-UP FRESHLY BREWED---PULL UP A CHAIR AN OLDER SINGER SONGWRITER---BRUCE COCKBURN USE TO-- IN A SONG ASK A RECURRING QUESTION---“CAN ANYBODY TELL ME---WHAT IS THE SOUL OF A MAN?”---FOR ME HE WAS ASKING---WHAT DRIVES YOU—WHAT GIVES YOU PASSION—WHAT ENERGIZES YOU EVEN TO THIS DAY---WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THAT DEAN?OKAY—THE BURNING QUESTION—MUCH DEEPER----WHAT IS DEAN'S---THE DEAN OF DEANS BEANS—WHAT IS YOUR TOP 3 COFFEES YOU ROAST---NAMES AND BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS?NOW BACK TO THE IDEA OF YOUR COMPANY HAVING AS ITS MISSION –PEOPLE CENTERED DEVELOPMENT—YES, I READ JAVATREKKERS—LOVED THE CHAPTER—GOOD FRIENDS, COLD BEER AND A WATER BUFFALO—SUMATRA, 2003—NOW I DID GIVE DEAN THIS QUESTION YESTERDAY---KNOWING THAT IT MIGHT TAKE A MOMENT OR TWO TO JOG HIS MEMORY OF SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED  ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO----THIS IS WHAT I REMEMBER –PAMAN DEAN THE BUFFALO ROAMS---WATER BUFFALO ECO-MANAGEMENT PROJECT---I THOUGHT OF THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE-CENTERED DEVELOPMENT---PAGE 201-202 –TELL US THE STORY PLEASE…….AND EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT PEOPLE CENTERED DEVELOPMENT AND HOW YOUR COMPANY DEANS BEANS HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY THIS PASSION FOR MANY YEARS.NEVER UNDERESTIMATE GOOD DUNG—OKAY MOVING ON..LET'S TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT DEAN'S BEANS—WHERE DOES YOUR ROASTED COFFEE GO?  WHO BUYS IT OTHER THAN MYSELF?I KNOW IT MAY SOUND A LITTLE CORNY BUT I FEEL THAT WHEN I DRINK COFFEE THAT HAS BEEN ROASTED BY DEANS BEANS AND HAS COME FROM THESE SMALL FARMERS AROUND THE WORLD—THAT I AM JOINING WITH DEAN'S PASSION AND MISSION---“SPECIALITY COFFEE AS A VEHICLE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE”  I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE JOINING IN MANY WAYS GOOD STUFF THAT IS GOING ON –DRINKING THE BEST CUP OF COFFEE POSSIBLE CAN DO THAT—I AM CONVINCED THAT DRINKING A CUP OF DEANS BEANS COFFEE IS DOING MY SMALL PART IN POSITIVE CHANGE—From the prologue of Javatrekkers---“The Inner Worlds of Coffee----when you sit back with a good cup of coffee you are engulfed in the aroma, the taste, the acidity, and the body of the brew.  You take in all the dimensions of the cup—yet this is only the surface.  Swirling beneath are worlds within worlds of culture, custom, ecology, and politics.  All of the major issues of the twenty-first century---globalization, immigration, women's rights, pollution, indigenous rights, and self-determination----are being played out through this cup of coffee in villages and remote areas around the world.  The coffee trade is immense, second only to that of oil in its value.  It is also complex, with several levels of middlemen removing the 28 million growers in fifty distant countries far from the ultimate consumers, far from your cup.”------and then one more little part----“not all coffee growers look like Juan Valdez---coffee farmers come in all shapes and sizes, colors, and genders………yet what they all share are the common dreams of good health, love, food on the table, an education for the kids, and a great sense of humor”.DEAN---HOW HAVE ALL THESE RELATIONSHIPS CHANGED YOU? (IN TWO MINUTES OR LESS—HAHA)DEAN IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU CAN DO TO CONVINCE THESE GOOD PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING IN TODAY—CONVINCE THEM TO STOP DRINKING ALL THE NOT SO GOOD COFFEE OUT THERE—NOT SO GOOD IN SO MANY WAYS---AND AS DEANS BEANS SAYS---DRINK DEEP?????THANK YOU SO MUCH DEAN FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO JOIN ME TODAY AND THANKS FOR DEANS BEANS---AND I DO HOPE THAT WHEN THIS EPISODE IS RELEASED SOON THAT YOU WILL POST IT ON DEANS BEANS FACEBOOK PAGE SO THE SOUL CAFÉ PODCAST CAN REACH MANY MORE.END OF INTERVIEWSo I hope you are wide awake now---make sure you join us for the December episode of the soul café podcast.So hopefully we have learned today to DRINK DEEP---to be vehicles of positive change—to only drink good coffee—deans beans.comBy drinking life deep we will create change in the world---so get started—get outside and as we go off the air—we go with the blessing of Della Mae---open your eyes---cause “where there's healing in the sun when she rises—and forgiveness when she settles back down in the hills---there's strength in the love of the living and in knowing how to be still.” And may our motto be like an old friend of mine who used to say---“I am too blessed to complain”--   drink deep—get outside!!   PLAY------  FOR THE SAKE OF MY HEART.

EPISODE 2 NOTES FOR SOUL CAFÉ PODCAST—October 2021Special Guest: Carrie NewcomerAs always the Soul Café Podcast begins with Della Mae singing Rude Awakenings---an awakening is a rousing from sleep or a rousing from inactivity or indifference. We then introduce Carrie Newcomer our guest is has been described by the Boston Globe as a “Praire Mystic”. And Rolling Stone Magazine says, “she asks all the right questions”. Carrie is a singer/songwriter and author that has released 19 albums.  We start the conversation with some light stuff like Carrie telling us about her dog and she actually has a song on her new album—Until Now entitled—My Dog. Then we touch base about how in the cover photo on her new album she actually grew 2 inches for her legs to be able to touch the bycycle in the picture (take a look at the album cover and you will understand). I launched us into deeper conversation by telling my Carrie Newcomer story about the time my wife and I took the train from Norwalk Ct into New York City to see Carrie at Joe's Pub. This was in early December of 2016 soon after that presidential election that left many of us activist types kind of tired and drained and maybe slightly disillusioned. And then Carrie started singing her songs and spoke to our very souls. Songs like You Can Do This Hard Thing---Sanctuary-“will you be my refuge-my haven in the storm-will you keep the embers warm-when my fire's all but gone?-be my sanctuary, till I can carry on—in a state of true believers, on streets called us and them, it's gonna take some time-till the world's safe again”. And then Lean In Toward the Light followed by Room at the Table (which in part inspired this whole Pull Up a Chair at the Soul Café idea—“come on pull up a chair—there's room at the table for everyone”. And after we were exhausted and emotionally drained the entire crowd is standing at Joe's Pub singing to the top of our lungs—If Not Now—if not now tell me when-I may never see the healed land—and yet we'll take the journey and walk hand in hand—we'll work it until its done—if not now tell me when”. What a night!! To say the least Carrie was moved by the fact that her music had this kind of impact on myself and others that night. This all moved us into a lengthy conversation about the “great unraveling” we have all experienced in this Pandemic and spent some time on Parker Palmer's thoughts about hope—“hope is holding a creative tension between what is and what could and should be, each day doing something to narrow the distance between the two”. And that led Carrie into reading a poem from her new book—Until Now entitled ‘What You Want Hear on the Cable News”. We talked a little about a song from her new album—‘When the Wolf is at the Door'---and how that really was her way of thinking about how the Pandemic came ‘like a train coming up through the floor'----and the “we can't just be healed we need to be transformed”. We began to wrap the interview up with some thoughts on her new song—I Will Sing a New Song and how it was inspired by her readings of Howard Thurman and then we ended with a conversation about the song-‘Like Molly Brown' which was probably my favorite part of the interview. Over the course of the conversation we talked a lot about how connecting with the natural world has continued to move us in the Pandemic. And, this episode ended as always with Della Mae singing a song that reminds us to get out into nature---‘For the Sake of My Heart'. Of course I also pointed out my gratitude for my adult children helping me with all things Podcast—Amie with Main Street Photography and Brooke with Allobee.com and Page with keeping the song going in our crazy family.Next month---Dean Cycon founder and owner of Dean's Beans—organic and fair trade coffee for change and author of JavaTrekkers-dispatches from the world of fair trade coffee.

Episode 1 of Pull Up a Chair at the Soul Café PodcastWith special guest Celia Woodsmith of Della MaeIn this episode I have a great conversation with Celia Woodsmith the lead singer of the Americana, Bluegrass label defying all female band Della Mae.  Celia kicks the conversation off with what makes her tick—gives her passion.  She talks some about Della Mae's life changing visit to Pakistan which led to a little TED TALK entitled—A Soft Drink and a Song in the Hills of Pakistan. Even though this happened many years ago the current relevance is eye opening.  When asked about something funny that has happened to Della Mae---let's just say the story is hilarious.  We talked about how the Pandemic is changing us and that led to Pretty Stories on Sunday's and more.  The conversation ends with an honest talk back about a couple of Della Mae's recent songs---Headlights and The Way it Was Before that address—or better said tell stories of our current reality of how we are divided as a people and how we must speak truth (tell stories) and hopefully let people move into the change that we can all make.