Podcast appearances and mentions of patrick shen

LACHSA Cinema with guest Patrick Shen hosted by Gian Lombeyda! Patrick shen is a director, cinematographer and founder of transcendental media. Thank you for listening.

Our good friend Patrick Shen returns to tell us about his latest project, "The Dawn Chorus."

In a world full of noise, is silence more than just the absence of sound? Filmmaker Patrick Shen shares what he's learned while making his latest film "In Pursuit Of Silence", a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives. (Intro: It's Time To Move On)

This week's episode — our 100th overall, not counting our "pilot episode" — features the conclusion of Kathleen Norris's second conversation with Encountering Silence. Kathleen Norris is the award-winning poet, writer, and author of The New York Times bestsellers The Cloister Walk, Acedia and Me, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, Amazing Grace and The Virgin of Bennington. She’s also published seven books of poetry, her first being the 1971 Big Table Younger Poets award-winning  Falling Off. I provide myself with enough chocolate to keep going. — Kathleen Norris Kathleen’s work explores the spiritual life with an intimate and historical perspective. Cassiday notes, "Her book Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life accompanied me in the most beautiful ways a book ever has and truly changed my life—and it remains among my top 3 favorite books alongside Thomas Merton and Mary Oliver. I wept through the book feeling more understood and clear-headed about my own spiritual journey than ever before." This is part two of a two-part episode. Click here to listen to part one. I'll never forget, I was talking to an Episcopal nun; when I told her I was writing a book about acedia, she said, 'Well you know, you've taken on the devil himself.' And now that I've finished that book, I know exactly what she meant. She was absolutely right about that. The crazy thing is that her comment didn't stop me, I just kept going with it. — Kathleen Norris Amid the pandemic Kathleen shared some recent work on the National Catholic Reporter, offering tips for coping with acedia amid this time of slowing down and staying in. She writes, "I recognize acedia when it does turn up. Being forced to stay still is a breeding ground….It's the feeling of being totally bored and totally restless. It's a horrible combination… It isn't just depression. It isn't just boredom. It's a lot of things." Widowed in 2003, Kathleen is no stranger to living alone. She now divides her time between South Dakota and Honolulu, Hawaii. In our previous conversation with Kathleen in 2018, she had this to say: Silence sometimes shows you what you’re really suffering from… just to sit there and let the silence sink in, and often that’s when you discover what it is you’re really worried about, what you’re really suffering from, what your real concerns are, because when you’re busy in the world either with activity or a lot of verbal stuff going on, you’re ignoring some of those deeper things, and sitting in silence for a while, it will start to surface. Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Kathleen Norris, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography Kathleen Norris, The Cloister Walk Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace Kathleen Norris, Acedia and Me Kathleen Norris, Acedia and Me Audiobook Kathleen Norris, The Virgin of Bennington Kathleen Norris, Falling Off Kathleen Norris, Journey (includes the poem "The Presbyterian Women Serve Coffee at the Home") Patrick Shen, In Pursuit of Silence Episode 100: Silence, Acedia and Pandemic: A Conversation with Kathleen Norris (Part Two) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Kevin Johnson, Carl McColman Guest: Kathleen Norris Date Recorded: April 27, 2020

To honor the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day, and in recognition of the continuing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Encountering Silence's own Cassidy Hall joins with her colleague at Transcendental Media, Patrick Shen, to announce two special, limited-time opportunities: The movie In Pursuit of Silence — the documentary film that inspired this podcast — is streaming free during this time of crisis, as a gift from the filmmakers to help each of us embrace what this unprecedented season offers. Click here to stream In Pursuit of Silence. The companion book to the film, Notes on Silence, is also available for a limited time for only $2.99 (Kindle edition). Click here to purchase Notes on Silence for $2.99. For today's episode of the podcast, Patrick joins us to speak about the movie, how its message is more important than ever in our world today, and offers some insight into new initiatives he is working on, including a collaborative film project celebrating silence at the break of day called the Dawn Chorus. If we could all learn the work of silence we’d take an awful lot of pressure off of our planet, in terms of ecology, because we wouldn’t be addicted to consumption. And, we wouldn’t be wasting what we waste. … there wouldn’t be this constant seeking seeking seeking for something else to fill up that empty space, when what will fill up the empty space is actually going into the empty space. Again, it’s a paradox. To fill up that empty space, you need to go into the spaciousness of your silence that lives in your heart. 

— Maggie Ross Meme recently seen on Facebook, which Carl alludes to in this episode. …The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone and everything is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys his own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful….  —Thomas Merton To hear our previous episodes featuring Patrick Shen, click here and here. A lot of the white noise of the world has fallen away, many of us are hearing our own voices for the first time, we're certainly much louder than before, and I think the film provides some helpful context. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence — for a limited time, stream for free at watch.pursuitofsilence.com Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Maggie Ross, Silence: A User's Guide, Volume 1 Charles Taylor, A Secular Age George Prochnik, In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise Thomas Keating, Open Mind Open Heart Howard Cosell, I Never Played the Game Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Macrina Weiderkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day Johann Baptist Metz, A Passion for God: The Mystical-Political Dimension of Christianity Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander Julio Vincent Gambuto, Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting Episode 98: In Pursuit of Silence, Earth Day, and the Dawn Chorus: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Kevin Johnson With: Cassidy Hall, Carl McColman Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: April 20, 2020

To honor the 50th Anniversary of the first Earth Day, and in recognition of the continuing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Encountering Silence's own Cassidy Hall joins with her colleague at Transcendental Media, Patrick Shen, to announce two special, limited-time opportunities: The movie In Pursuit of Silence — the documentary film that inspired this podcast — is streaming free during this time of crisis, as a gift from the filmmakers to help each of us embrace what this unprecedented season offers. Click here to stream In Pursuit of Silence. The companion book to the film, Notes on Silence, is also available for a limited time for only $2.99 (Kindle edition). Click here to purchase Notes on Silence for $2.99. For today's episode of the podcast, Patrick joins us to speak about the movie, how its message is more important than ever in our world today, and offers some insight into new initiatives he is working on, including a collaborative film project celebrating silence at the break of day called the Dawn Chorus. If we could all learn the work of silence we’d take an awful lot of pressure off of our planet, in terms of ecology, because we wouldn’t be addicted to consumption. And, we wouldn’t be wasting what we waste. … there wouldn’t be this constant seeking seeking seeking for something else to fill up that empty space, when what will fill up the empty space is actually going into the empty space. Again, it’s a paradox. To fill up that empty space, you need to go into the spaciousness of your silence that lives in your heart. 

— Maggie Ross Meme recently seen on Facebook, which Carl alludes to in this episode. …The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone and everything is to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys his own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful….  —Thomas Merton To hear our previous episodes featuring Patrick Shen, click here and here. A lot of the white noise of the world has fallen away, many of us are hearing our own voices for the first time, we're certainly much louder than before, and I think the film provides some helpful context. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence — for a limited time, stream for free at watch.pursuitofsilence.com Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Maggie Ross, Silence: A User's Guide, Volume 1 Charles Taylor, A Secular Age George Prochnik, In Pursuit of Silence: Listening for Meaning in a World of Noise Thomas Keating, Open Mind Open Heart Howard Cosell, I Never Played the Game Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Macrina Weiderkehr, Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day Johann Baptist Metz, A Passion for God: The Mystical-Political Dimension of Christianity Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander Julio Vincent Gambuto, Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting Episode 98: In Pursuit of Silence, Earth Day, and the Dawn Chorus: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Kevin Johnson With: Cassidy Hall, Carl McColman Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: April 20, 2020

For our final episode of 2018 — the first full year of our podcast, which debuted on December 6, 2017 — the three co-hosts of Encountering Silence sat down for a brief chat in which we reflected on the year just past, and shared some hopes for the podcast in the year to come. This time a year ago, we had only released four episodes and had yet to interview our first guest (who would be Patrick Shen, in episode 7). We were still trying to figure this whole podcasting thing out. Kevin had managed to get some grant money for the recording and mixing equipment, and we all split the costs of the website, the URL and the podcasting hosting fees. We were operating on a shoestring, driven by faith and our shared love for silence (and, as we were soon to discover, poetry). This time a year ago we had no idea that we would soon be interviewing a wide array of truly interesting and insightful guests who spoke about silence from a variety of perspectives. (If you're new to the podcast, here's a partial list of the folks we've spoken to over the past year): James Martin, SJ Barbara A. Holmes Richard Rohr, OFM Kathleen Norris Parker J. Palmer Leah Weiss Jim Forest Mirabai Starr Over the course of the year, several themes emerged, some of which we were mindful of when we began the podcast, but others which arose out of the various conversations over the year. Some of those themes included these thoughts: Silence matters; silence is an "endangered species" in our hyper-connected, entertainment-drenched world; silence is essential not only for spiritual well-being but for mental and physical wellness also; silence is essential for creativity; different kinds of people embrace and encounter silence in different ways; not all "silences" are created equal, and not all expressions of silence are good — there is such a thing as "toxic" silence; and the list could go on. After thirteen months, all three of the co-hosts are awed and humbled and amazed at the richness of the conversation, as well as the emerging web of new friendships and connections that we see on social media, as well as in "real life," of people who are drawn to this podcast — and each other — by a shared recognition that silence matters. So — now, where do we go from here? Looking ahead, naturally we are eager to expand the conversation as we invite some new dialogue partners onto the podcast (and perhaps welcome a few of our previous guests back for new episodes). We are eager to explore more deeply both the social dimension of silence (how silence relates to religion, to art, to social justice, and to the problem of social and economic privilege) as well as the personal dimension of silence (how to be more silent in the middle of stress, during times of vulnerability or suffering, and in the midst of life's ordinary chaos). We believe silence makes a difference, and — except for its toxic form, which we would argue is actually a betrayal of true silence) — that difference is universally positive, yielding physical, mental and spiritual benefits. So we also want to talk more about how to spread the "good news" of silence and help others to access silence in both personal and communal ways. It's amazing how such a quiet topic (pardon the pun) can yield such a rich and nuanced conversation. We feel like the conversation is just getting started. Please stay tuned — we value your companionship as we make this journey, deeper and deeper into the mystery of silence! Finally, one last point to observe about both the year just ended and the year to come. As of this writing, 42 people have committed to support the podcast financially through a monthly pledge on Patreon (we've had several other donors make one-time contributions as well). All three of us find it's awkward to ask for money,

For our final episode of 2018 — the first full year of our podcast, which debuted on December 6, 2017 — the three co-hosts of Encountering Silence sat down for a brief chat in which we reflected on the year just past, and shared some hopes for the podcast in the year to come. This time a year ago, we had only released four episodes and had yet to interview our first guest (who would be Patrick Shen, in episode 7). We were still trying to figure this whole podcasting thing out. Kevin had managed to get some grant money for the recording and mixing equipment, and we all split the costs of the website, the URL and the podcasting hosting fees. We were operating on a shoestring, driven by faith and our shared love for silence (and, as we were soon to discover, poetry). This time a year ago we had no idea that we would soon be interviewing a wide array of truly interesting and insightful guests who spoke about silence from a variety of perspectives. (If you're new to the podcast, here's a partial list of the folks we've spoken to over the past year): James Martin, SJ Barbara A. Holmes Richard Rohr, OFM Kathleen Norris Parker J. Palmer Leah Weiss Jim Forest Mirabai Starr Over the course of the year, several themes emerged, some of which we were mindful of when we began the podcast, but others which arose out of the various conversations over the year. Some of those themes included these thoughts: Silence matters; silence is an "endangered species" in our hyper-connected, entertainment-drenched world; silence is essential not only for spiritual well-being but for mental and physical wellness also; silence is essential for creativity; different kinds of people embrace and encounter silence in different ways; not all "silences" are created equal, and not all expressions of silence are good — there is such a thing as "toxic" silence; and the list could go on. After thirteen months, all three of the co-hosts are awed and humbled and amazed at the richness of the conversation, as well as the emerging web of new friendships and connections that we see on social media, as well as in "real life," of people who are drawn to this podcast — and each other — by a shared recognition that silence matters. So — now, where do we go from here? Looking ahead, naturally we are eager to expand the conversation as we invite some new dialogue partners onto the podcast (and perhaps welcome a few of our previous guests back for new episodes). We are eager to explore more deeply both the social dimension of silence (how silence relates to religion, to art, to social justice, and to the problem of social and economic privilege) as well as the personal dimension of silence (how to be more silent in the middle of stress, during times of vulnerability or suffering, and in the midst of life's ordinary chaos). We believe silence makes a difference, and — except for its toxic form, which we would argue is actually a betrayal of true silence) — that difference is universally positive, yielding physical, mental and spiritual benefits. So we also want to talk more about how to spread the "good news" of silence and help others to access silence in both personal and communal ways. It's amazing how such a quiet topic (pardon the pun) can yield such a rich and nuanced conversation. We feel like the conversation is just getting started. Please stay tuned — we value your companionship as we make this journey, deeper and deeper into the mystery of silence! Finally, one last point to observe about both the year just ended and the year to come. As of this writing, 42 people have committed to support the podcast financially through a monthly pledge on Patreon (we've had several other donors make one-time contributions as well). All three of us find it's awkward to ask for money, but podcasting is both a time-intensive task and a form of media based on free access — anyone can listen for free (and we like it that way),

British writer and educator Dr. Helen E. Lees is an independent scholar, journalist and artist whose work explores topics such as alternative education, silence and sexuality. She is an associate research fellow at York St John University in England. Her books include Education Without Schools: Discovering Alternatives and Silence in Schools. Dr. Lees appears in the movie In Pursuit of Silence and a transcript of her interview appears in the book Notes on Silence. Dr. Helen Lees. Screenshot from the film "In Pursuit of Silence." Used by permission. I’m not the first person and I won’t be the last person that comes to the conclusion that silence is equated with God, there is no difference. But the wonderful thing, the best thing of all about silence in this regard is it’s secular. We don’t need to call it this name or that name or locate it in a particular tradition or a particular culture. It doesn’t make you have to join something. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Dr. Lees speaks of discovering silence as a child, and particularly as a young adult when first exploring the spiritual practice of meditation. In this interview she explores the intersection between silence, authenticity, grace, and creative expression. From learning to cherish silence as a young artist, to exploring the tension between the hunger for silence and the demands of a busy career, to musing on how silence comes to us in graced and graceful ways, to how silence continues to shape her work as a writer and an artist, Dr. Lees invites us into a profoundly meaningful exploration of how beautiful and necessary silence is for us all. I'm not interested in silence being affiliated with any particular religious path, because for me it's totally devoid of any need of characterization like that. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Silence returns us to what is real. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Helen E. Lees, Education Without Schools: Discovering Alternatives Helen E. Lees, Silence in Schools Patrick Shen (dir.), In Pursuit of Silence Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions Pythagoras, Pythagoras: His Life and Teachings Sarada Devi, The Gospel of the Holy Mother Ramakrishna, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Episode 38: Silence, Politics and Education: A Conversation with Helen E. Lees Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Dr. Helen E. Lees Date Recorded: October 1, 2018

British writer and educator Dr. Helen E. Lees is an independent scholar, journalist and artist whose work explores topics such as alternative education, silence and sexuality. She is an associate research fellow at York St John University in England. Her books include Education Without Schools: Discovering Alternatives and Silence in Schools. Dr. Lees appears in the movie In Pursuit of Silence and a transcript of her interview appears in the book Notes on Silence. Dr. Helen Lees. Screenshot from the film "In Pursuit of Silence." Used by permission. I’m not the first person and I won’t be the last person that comes to the conclusion that silence is equated with God, there is no difference. But the wonderful thing, the best thing of all about silence in this regard is it’s secular. We don’t need to call it this name or that name or locate it in a particular tradition or a particular culture. It doesn’t make you have to join something. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Dr. Lees speaks of discovering silence as a child, and particularly as a young adult when first exploring the spiritual practice of meditation. In this interview she explores the intersection between silence, authenticity, grace, and creative expression. From learning to cherish silence as a young artist, to exploring the tension between the hunger for silence and the demands of a busy career, to musing on how silence comes to us in graced and graceful ways, to how silence continues to shape her work as a writer and an artist, Dr. Lees invites us into a profoundly meaningful exploration of how beautiful and necessary silence is for us all. I'm not interested in silence being affiliated with any particular religious path, because for me it's totally devoid of any need of characterization like that. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Silence returns us to what is real. — Dr. Helen E. Lees Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Helen E. Lees, Education Without Schools: Discovering Alternatives Helen E. Lees, Silence in Schools Patrick Shen (dir.), In Pursuit of Silence Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence bell hooks, All About Love: New Visions Pythagoras, Pythagoras: His Life and Teachings Sarada Devi, The Gospel of the Holy Mother Ramakrishna, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Episode 38: Silence, Politics and Education: A Conversation with Helen E. Lees Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Dr. Helen E. Lees Date Recorded: October 1, 2018

Allison M. Sullivan is a mom, wife, yoga teacher, author, podcaster, and spiritual companion. She is the author of Rock Paper Scissors: God's Mighty Power, Jesus's Covering Forgiveness, and the Snipping Refinement of the Holy Spirit. She is the host of the Sinner Saint Sister podcast. She and her family reside in Bryan, Texas, where she engages in ministry with college women. We first connected with Allison through the Sick Pilgrim writers' collective online, where we all grew admire her honesty, vulnerability, and faith. Allison and Cassidy made a pact to interview each other on their respective podcasts — so here the conversation begins! I have this evolving definition of what silence is... before, all silence meant to me was just an absence of noise, you know, just kind of this literal silence — but now, as I seek it out as a discipline, whether it's in an effort to know myself, or create, or get needed time as an introvert — it's more about a search — and that can happen within noise, of course, but it's a searching posture of my heart, that asks the question, "What do you have for me here?" so there's an asking and receiving, or a searching and a finding, of silence. — Allison M. Sullivan Allison shares her first discovery of silence (in the context of growing up with two "boisterous" parents) while encountering solitude in a swimming pool. She muses on the challenge of cultivating silence in the midst of a large family (routine and a prayer closet have been lifesavers), and silence has been integral to her experience as a Christian yoga instructor. Allison shares how she has experienced silence both as a safe space and as a shield for avoidance, and shares how a bizarre moment while getting a root canal inspired her to self-care — and to explore her vocation as a writer. She approaches silence in terms like lingering and sabbath — and laments how such ways of being in time are so absent in so much of our culture. I think it's important to distinguish when silence can become avoidance — whether that's avoiding a certain type of person, or that's avoiding a certain type of emotion, silence can be avoidance. — Allison M. Sullivan Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Allison M. Sullivan, Rock Paper Scissors: God's Mighty Power, Jesus's Covering Forgiveness, and the Snipping Refinement of the Holy Spirit Julia Cameron, The Right to Write Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Gregorian Chant, Lost in Meditation Allison M. Sullivan, The Sinner Saint Sister Podcast Thomas Merton, Day of a Stranger At the end of the podcast Carl speaks briefly about the trailer for Cassidy's forthcoming movie, Day of a Stranger. Here it is: https://youtu.be/pGbEGzy4P2M I think about the word "linger" — our culture doesn't allow for that, does it? We are constantly trying to achieve more, process more information, cross more things off the to-do list; but I think that linger is so connected to love. We cannot linger over that which we do not love, we cannot love that which we do not linger over. And when it comes to our bodies and maybe this is sensitive with women in particular, but I don't know that we love our bodies and so there's that desire to dissasociate. My desire with yoga and this full-bodied experience of life is to bring it all back into one being in a loving way, in a way that lingers and loves. — Allison M. Sullivan Episode 37: Silence, Yoga and Faith: A Conversation with Allison M. Sullivan Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Allison M. Sullivan Date Recorded: September 24, 2018

Allison M. Sullivan is a mom, wife, yoga teacher, author, podcaster, and spiritual companion. She is the author of Rock Paper Scissors: God's Mighty Power, Jesus's Covering Forgiveness, and the Snipping Refinement of the Holy Spirit. She is the host of the Sinner Saint Sister podcast. She and her family reside in Bryan, Texas, where she engages in ministry with college women. We first connected with Allison through the Sick Pilgrim writers' collective online, where we all grew admire her honesty, vulnerability, and faith. Allison and Cassidy made a pact to interview each other on their respective podcasts — so here the conversation begins! I have this evolving definition of what silence is... before, all silence meant to me was just an absence of noise, you know, just kind of this literal silence — but now, as I seek it out as a discipline, whether it's in an effort to know myself, or create, or get needed time as an introvert — it's more about a search — and that can happen within noise, of course, but it's a searching posture of my heart, that asks the question, "What do you have for me here?" so there's an asking and receiving, or a searching and a finding, of silence. — Allison M. Sullivan Allison shares her first discovery of silence (in the context of growing up with two "boisterous" parents) while encountering solitude in a swimming pool. She muses on the challenge of cultivating silence in the midst of a large family (routine and a prayer closet have been lifesavers), and silence has been integral to her experience as a Christian yoga instructor. Allison shares how she has experienced silence both as a safe space and as a shield for avoidance, and shares how a bizarre moment while getting a root canal inspired her to self-care — and to explore her vocation as a writer. She approaches silence in terms like lingering and sabbath — and laments how such ways of being in time are so absent in so much of our culture. I think it's important to distinguish when silence can become avoidance — whether that's avoiding a certain type of person, or that's avoiding a certain type of emotion, silence can be avoidance. — Allison M. Sullivan Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Allison M. Sullivan, Rock Paper Scissors: God's Mighty Power, Jesus's Covering Forgiveness, and the Snipping Refinement of the Holy Spirit Julia Cameron, The Right to Write Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Gregorian Chant, Lost in Meditation Allison M. Sullivan, The Sinner Saint Sister Podcast Thomas Merton, Day of a Stranger At the end of the podcast Carl speaks briefly about the trailer for Cassidy's forthcoming movie, Day of a Stranger. Here it is: https://youtu.be/pGbEGzy4P2M I think about the word "linger" — our culture doesn't allow for that, does it? We are constantly trying to achieve more, process more information, cross more things off the to-do list; but I think that linger is so connected to love. We cannot linger over that which we do not love, we cannot love that which we do not linger over. And when it comes to our bodies and maybe this is sensitive with women in particular, but I don't know that we love our bodies and so there's that desire to dissasociate. My desire with yoga and this full-bodied experience of life is to bring it all back into one being in a loving way, in a way that lingers and loves. — Allison M. Sullivan Episode 37: Silence, Yoga and Faith: A Conversation with Allison M. Sullivan Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Guest: Allison M. Sullivan Date Recorded: September 24, 2018

As a peace activist, biographer, and lover of silence, author Jim Forest's deep humility and sincere way of being reveal to us much about listening, truly seeing, and deeply caring for our fellow human beings. "The day starts in silence... and silence normally — not always, but normally — opens the door to prayer, so prayer and silence are very connected; sometimes the prayer is silence." — Jim Forest Jim Forest, speaking at the Voices of Peace conference. Describing himself as "an undergraduate student at Dorothy Day university" — and noting that he doesn't think he will ever graduate! — Jim Forest tells the story of a truly remarkable life — the child of American communists growing up in the 1950s, he tried his hand in the U.S. Navy but soon dropped out from the service to immerse himself in the world of the Catholic Worker Movement and anti-war activism, that led him to (among other things) co-founding the Catholic Peace Fellowship after the "Spiritual Roots of Peacemaking" retreat convened by Thomas Merton in 1964. "Like arrows, words point, but they are not the target." — Jim Forest Cassidy Hall recorded this conversation while participating in the "Voices of Peace" conference in Toronto in April 2018. Their gentle and intimate conversation explores art, philosophy, politics, the Eucharist, and spirituality — and how silence dances through all these dimensions of life. Cassidy Hall and Jim Forest With stories about legendary figures like peace activist A. J. Muste, Henri Nouwen, Thich Nhat Hanh, and (of course) Thomas Merton, this conversation provides deep and rich insight into a man who not only knew some of the great peace activists of the twentieth century, but who was indeed one of their number. "Without silence, we don't hear anything." — Jim Forest Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes Jim Forest, Praying with Icons Jim Forest, Road to Emmaus Jim Forest, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton Jim Forest, All is Grace:  A Biography of Dorothy Day Jim Forest, At Play in the Lion's Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrigan Thomas Merton, Essential Writings Dorothy Day, Loaves and Fishes Daniel Berrigan, Essential Writings Thich Nhat Hanh, Essential Writings Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Patrick Shen (dir.), In Pursuit of Silence Jim Forest, The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton's Advice to Peacemakers A. J. Muste, Nonviolence in an Aggressive World Thomas Merton, The Literary Essays (Includes "The Message to Poets") Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out Jim Forest, Saint George and the Dragon Jim Forest, Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins Jim Forest, Silent as a Stone: Mother Maria of Paris and the Trash Can Rescue Visit Jim and Nancy Forest's website www.jimandnancyforest.com. Episode 20: Silence and Peacemaking: A Conversation with Jim Forest Hosted by: Cassidy Hall Introduced by: Kevin Johnson Guest: Jim Forest Date Recorded: April 27, 2018 It's cold in Toronto, even in the spring!

As a peace activist, biographer, and lover of silence, author Jim Forest's deep humility and sincere way of being reveal to us much about listening, truly seeing, and deeply caring for our fellow human beings. "The day starts in silence... and silence normally — not always, but normally — opens the door to prayer, so prayer and silence are very connected; sometimes the prayer is silence." — Jim Forest Jim Forest, speaking at the Voices of Peace conference. Describing himself as "an undergraduate student at Dorothy Day university" — and noting that he doesn't think he will ever graduate! — Jim Forest tells the story of a truly remarkable life — the child of American communists growing up in the 1950s, he tried his hand in the U.S. Navy but soon dropped out from the service to immerse himself in the world of the Catholic Worker Movement and anti-war activism, that led him to (among other things) co-founding the Catholic Peace Fellowship after the "Spiritual Roots of Peacemaking" retreat convened by Thomas Merton in 1964. "Like arrows, words point, but they are not the target." — Jim Forest Cassidy Hall recorded this conversation while participating in the "Voices of Peace" conference in Toronto in April 2018. Their gentle and intimate conversation explores art, philosophy, politics, the Eucharist, and spirituality — and how silence dances through all these dimensions of life. Cassidy Hall and Jim Forest With stories about legendary figures like peace activist A. J. Muste, Henri Nouwen, Thich Nhat Hanh, and (of course) Thomas Merton, this conversation provides deep and rich insight into a man who not only knew some of the great peace activists of the twentieth century, but who was indeed one of their number. "Without silence, we don't hear anything." — Jim Forest Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes Jim Forest, Praying with Icons Jim Forest, Road to Emmaus Jim Forest, Living with Wisdom: A Life of Thomas Merton Jim Forest, All is Grace:  A Biography of Dorothy Day Jim Forest, At Play in the Lion's Den: A Biography and Memoir of Daniel Berrigan Thomas Merton, Essential Writings Dorothy Day, Loaves and Fishes Daniel Berrigan, Essential Writings Thich Nhat Hanh, Essential Writings Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Patrick Shen (dir.), In Pursuit of Silence Jim Forest, The Root of War is Fear: Thomas Merton's Advice to Peacemakers A. J. Muste, Nonviolence in an Aggressive World Thomas Merton, The Literary Essays (Includes "The Message to Poets") Dorothy Day, The Long Loneliness Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out Jim Forest, Saint George and the Dragon Jim Forest, Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins Jim Forest, Silent as a Stone: Mother Maria of Paris and the Trash Can Rescue Visit Jim and Nancy Forest's website www.jimandnancyforest.com. Episode 20: Silence and Peacemaking: A Conversation with Jim Forest Hosted by: Cassidy Hall Introduced by: Kevin Johnson Guest: Jim Forest Date Recorded: April 27, 2018 It's cold in Toronto, even in the spring!

This week we have our first "return" guest, as Patrick Shen joins us again to discuss the new book he co-wrote and co-edited with Cassidy Hall, Notes on Silence. Describing the book as an "entry point" into silence, Patrick and Cassidy share with Kevin and Carl how the book functions as a companion to their documentary film In Pursuit of Silence — and how it is simply a work of art in its own right. Silence is always over-stated — and under-said. — Cassidy Hall     Notes on Silence features a selection of essays by both authors exploring silence, and their relationship to silence, from a variety of angles. The book also includes transcripts of interviews from a variety of persons who are featured in the film: theologians, psychologists, artists, educators, and others who have many interesting things to say about silence and the noise in our contemporary habitat. Since only a portion of each interview could be included in the film, these transcripts provide a wealth of information for anyone who wants to go deeper in his or her pursuit of silence. A monk from New Mellerey Abbey, Father Alberic, said to me, 'Silence is a place of infinite possibility.' Silence is also a place of infinite language, because there is no proper language — there is no official way to box it in." — Cassidy Hall Notes on Silence also contains a generous selection of beautiful (and deeply contemplative photos) taken by both Cassidy and Patrick. As each of them shares thoughts on one of their favorite photos in the book, they give insight into how image as well as words can testify to the beauty of silence, and of our capacity for wonder at, and in, silence. Alas, we cannot know for certain, the cosmos demands that we surrender to its majesty, and we must take our seat at the feet of doubt. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence Jonatha Brooks, 10¢ Wings (includes the song "Landmine," quoted in this episode) Richard Rohr, Essential Teachings on Love The Desert Fathers and Mothers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Laurie Anderson, Big Science (includes the song "From the Air," quoted in this episode) Absolute silence would be a state of lifelessness. Our relationship with silence is always filtered through sound in some way, shape or form. — Carl McColman Episode 17: Notes on Silence Hosted by: Kevin Johnson With: Cassidy Hall, Carl McColman Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: March 29, 2018  

This week we have our first "return" guest, as Patrick Shen joins us again to discuss the new book he co-wrote and co-edited with Cassidy Hall, Notes on Silence. Describing the book as an "entry point" into silence, Patrick and Cassidy share with Kevin and Carl how the book functions as a companion to their documentary film In Pursuit of Silence — and how it is simply a work of art in its own right. Silence is always over-stated — and under-said. — Cassidy Hall     Notes on Silence features a selection of essays by both authors exploring silence, and their relationship to silence, from a variety of angles. The book also includes transcripts of interviews from a variety of persons who are featured in the film: theologians, psychologists, artists, educators, and others who have many interesting things to say about silence and the noise in our contemporary habitat. Since only a portion of each interview could be included in the film, these transcripts provide a wealth of information for anyone who wants to go deeper in his or her pursuit of silence. A monk from New Mellerey Abbey, Father Alberic, said to me, 'Silence is a place of infinite possibility.' Silence is also a place of infinite language, because there is no proper language — there is no official way to box it in." — Cassidy Hall Notes on Silence also contains a generous selection of beautiful (and deeply contemplative photos) taken by both Cassidy and Patrick. As each of them shares thoughts on one of their favorite photos in the book, they give insight into how image as well as words can testify to the beauty of silence, and of our capacity for wonder at, and in, silence. Alas, we cannot know for certain, the cosmos demands that we surrender to its majesty, and we must take our seat at the feet of doubt. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen, Notes on Silence Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence Jonatha Brooks, 10¢ Wings (includes the song "Landmine," quoted in this episode) Richard Rohr, Essential Teachings on Love The Desert Fathers and Mothers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Laurie Anderson, Big Science (includes the song "From the Air," quoted in this episode) Absolute silence would be a state of lifelessness. Our relationship with silence is always filtered through sound in some way, shape or form. — Carl McColman Episode 17: Notes on Silence Hosted by: Kevin Johnson With: Cassidy Hall, Carl McColman Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: March 29, 2018  

With this episode, Encountering Silence features our first conversation with a special guest — Patrick Shen, the director of the luminous and thought-provoking documentary film In Pursuit of Silence, which he describes as "a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives." Incidentally, the three hosts of Encountering Silence first met each other through Maggie Ross as a result of her being interviewed for this film, so it's fair to say that the film is the raison d'être for this podcast. I'm just not that interested in making films anymore that add more to the noise. I'm interested in making films that point to this realm beyond the words, beyond the imagery. — Patrick Shen Patrick shares with us how he came to be inspired to create his movie, the unlikely role that heavy metal music played in his early life (helping push him to an appreciation of silence!), to the "existential curiosity" that propelled his creativity as a filmmaker. Our conversation explores the relationship between silence and death, the tension between the spirituality of the creative search and the work the creative process itself; how his relationship with silence is changing the way he works, and much more. We all get this idea that silence is this magical sort of space, this magical material; and we want it to be infused in our daily life, we want it to be infused with every breath that we take and every moment of our day, and so I've become really fascinated with this idea of work evolving from that place, rather than the work imitating or being a representation of that engagement. — Patrick Shen Patrick Shen's award-winning films, including Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality, The Philosopher Kings, and La Source, have been screened at over a hundred and twenty film festivals across the globe and broadcast in over twenty-five territories. He was the recipient of the 2009 Emerging Cinematic Vision Award from Camden International Film Festival. Since 2012 Patrick has been lecturing and teaching filmmaking workshops all over the globe as a film envoy for the U.S. State Department and the USC School of Cinematic Arts for their American Film Showcase. His latest film In Pursuit of Silence premiered to sold-out audiences in November 2015 at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. A companion book to the film, Notes from Silence, will be released in February 2018. Find Patrick Shen online at www.patrickshen.com or www.transcendentalmedia.com.   A lot of us when we step into silence, at least initially, find our narratives or identity stripped away, and it's a lot like a little death of sorts, and it's terrifying. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Patrick Shen, dir., Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality Patrick Shen, dir., The Philosopher Kings Patrick Shen, dir.,  La Source Patrick Shen, dir., In Pursuit of Silence Philip Gröning, dir., Into Great Silence John Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings Nathaniel Dorsky, Devotional Cinema Megadeath, Greatest Hits Metallica, Metallica Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death Kathleen Dowling Singh, The Grace in Dying Patrick Shen and Cassidy Hall, Notes from Silence Max Picard, The World of Silence Catherine Doherty, Poustinia Henry David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings Monica Furlong, Contemplating Now Rumi, The Essential Rumi Maggie Ross, Writing the Icon of the Heart Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness Episode 7: Creating in Silence: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Patrick Shen Date Recorded: January 12, 2018 IN PURSUIT OF SILENCE Trailer from Cinema Guild on Vimeo.

With this episode, Encountering Silence features our first conversation with a special guest — Patrick Shen, the director of the luminous and thought-provoking documentary film In Pursuit of Silence, which he describes as "a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence and the impact of noise on our lives." Incidentally, the three hosts of Encountering Silence first met each other through Maggie Ross as a result of her being interviewed for this film, so it's fair to say that the film is the raison d'être for this podcast. I'm just not that interested in making films anymore that add more to the noise. I'm interested in making films that point to this realm beyond the words, beyond the imagery. — Patrick Shen Patrick shares with us how he came to be inspired to create his movie, the unlikely role that heavy metal music played in his early life (helping push him to an appreciation of silence!), to the "existential curiosity" that propelled his creativity as a filmmaker. Our conversation explores the relationship between silence and death, the tension between the spirituality of the creative search and the work the creative process itself; how his relationship with silence is changing the way he works, and much more. We all get this idea that silence is this magical sort of space, this magical material; and we want it to be infused in our daily life, we want it to be infused with every breath that we take and every moment of our day, and so I've become really fascinated with this idea of work evolving from that place, rather than the work imitating or being a representation of that engagement. — Patrick Shen Patrick Shen's award-winning films, including Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality, The Philosopher Kings, and La Source, have been screened at over a hundred and twenty film festivals across the globe and broadcast in over twenty-five territories. He was the recipient of the 2009 Emerging Cinematic Vision Award from Camden International Film Festival. Since 2012 Patrick has been lecturing and teaching filmmaking workshops all over the globe as a film envoy for the U.S. State Department and the USC School of Cinematic Arts for their American Film Showcase. His latest film In Pursuit of Silence premiered to sold-out audiences in November 2015 at the Copenhagen International Film Festival. A companion book to the film, Notes from Silence, will be released in February 2018. Find Patrick Shen online at www.patrickshen.com or www.transcendentalmedia.com.   A lot of us when we step into silence, at least initially, find our narratives or identity stripped away, and it's a lot like a little death of sorts, and it's terrifying. — Patrick Shen Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Patrick Shen, dir., Flight from Death: The Quest for Immortality Patrick Shen, dir., The Philosopher Kings Patrick Shen, dir.,  La Source Patrick Shen, dir., In Pursuit of Silence Philip Gröning, dir., Into Great Silence John Cage, Silence: Lectures and Writings Nathaniel Dorsky, Devotional Cinema Megadeath, Greatest Hits Metallica, Metallica Ernest Becker, The Denial of Death Kathleen Dowling Singh, The Grace in Dying Patrick Shen and Cassidy Hall, Notes from Silence Max Picard, The World of Silence Catherine Doherty, Poustinia Henry David Thoreau, Walden and Other Writings Monica Furlong, Contemplating Now Rumi, The Essential Rumi Maggie Ross, Writing the Icon of the Heart Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness Episode 7: Creating in Silence: A Conversation with Patrick Shen Hosted by: Cassidy Hall

Continuing the conversation that began with Episodes 1 and 2, we now turn to the question of how our relationship to silence can evolve over time. We take a closer look at how encountering silence has nurtured our faith in God — and how monasteries, churches, museums, the wilderness, and even a documentary film has played a role in our lives as each of us has "pursued" silence (or, perhaps we should say, how silence has pursued us). We explore how silence has been a teacher to each of us, teaching us the ways of silence, teaching us to simply "let silence be" and approach it in a spirit of humility and openness. We discuss the limitations of academic scholarship (at least in terms of relating to silence), the challenge of moving beyond dualisting thinking when relating to silence, and how essential art and poetry have been to us when it comes to our evolving relationship with silence — and our shared recognition that there is a deep intimacy between silence and beauty. We also look at silence as the center around which aesthetics, theology, and liturgy all revolve — each points back to the silence, which in turn "hosts" each of these ways of human knowing and expression. Silence for me has always been wrapped up with the question of the Divine. — Kevin Johnson It's so interesting to engage with a material that is not a material. It's like clothing a bodiless body. you can't do it, but we're forever trying. That's why this keeps constantly pointing me back to God because it's another aspect of my life that certainty always fails me. It's in the unknowing that I know. It's in my extreme amount of doubt that my faith is. It's the tension pieces, the paradox pieces. — Cassidy Hall Some of the resources and authors we mention in this episode: Patrick Shen (director), In Pursuit of Silence (Documentary Film) Tilden Edwards, Embracing the Call to Spiritual Depth Gerald G. May, Will and Spirit: A Contemplative Psychology Martin Laird, Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation Elias Marechal, Tears of An Innocent God: Conversations on Silence, Kindness and Prayer Alex Lu, Soundtrack for In Pursuit of Silence Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters of Rainer Maria Rilke, 1892-1910 Hans Urs Von Balthazar, The Glory of the Lord: A Theological Aesthetics Karl Rahner, Encounters with Silence Bernard McGinn, ed., The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism Evagrius Ponticus, The Praktikos & Chapters on Prayer Christian Bobin, The Eighth Day: Selected Writings Carl quotes Acts 17:28: "In Him we live and move and have our being" — which comes from a sermon of Saint Paul, who in turn is quoting the pagan poet Epimenides. The words are printed on the page just as the space between the ink is the page. It's all the page. There is a real presence of silence in the most ear-splitting noise. — Carl McColman Kevin Johnson is a university professor, writer, speaker, and retreat leader based in Connecticut. Cassidy Hall is a writer, photographer, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Carl McColman is an author, catechist, and retreat leader based in Atlanta. Episode 4: Encountering Silence As Adults Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall and Kevin Johnson Date Recorded: October 23, 2017

Sound can be described as having an “invisible presence” but is this negative or positive? If your neighbour is having a party and you want peace and quiet, your perception of the sound you are hearing is very different from theirs. Within this fifth podcast we discuss how silence can be the means for us to step back from noise and gain perspective. In this episode of ‘A Sound Effect on People' we quietly explore the new film “In Pursuit of Silence” with the film's Executive Producer and Director. The film investigates both the negative impact of noise in our lives and the positive benefits of setting aside time for silent and natural reflection. Poppy Szkiler, the Founder and Manager of Quiet Mark, discusses how she feels that silence is the “undiscovered subject” and how people may feel uncomfortable with the idea of silence.  However although we may believe we can block the sound out, constant noise can still have a subconscious effect on us, causing us to be mentally strained. She believes silence can help to create a “harmonious society” and can how silence can be a “place of discovery”.  This topic is then taken further by the Director of  In Pursuit of Silence, Patrick Shen, who continues to discuss the relevance of balancing the amount of noise we absorb. He explains his motivation in creating a film for people that acknowledges the disruption of noise and proposes his idea of how allowing space for silence can create a better atmosphere for our lives.  As much a meditation as it is a documentary, In Pursuit of Silence is an exploration of our relationship with silence, sound, and the impact of noise on our lives.

BIFF-podden dag 4! Hvordan finner man stillhet? She-Fah snakker med Patrick Shen om hans film In Pursuit of Silence. Erik forteller om hvorfor han synes Soy Nero og Pawn Street kan være gode valg for en film på lørdag. Og vi minner på at Werner Herzog sin Lo and Behold har første visning.

With Francine Stock. Nell Dunn talks about her screenplay for Ken Loach's ground-breaking drama Poor Cow, which is back in cinemas only weeks after Loach won the Palme D'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival Francine hears from the makers of two documentaries about the different ways that smart technology is killing us. The director of Death By Design, Sue Williams, reveals the damage that the production and destruction of phones and laptops is doing to the planet. Patrick Shen and Poppy Szkiler discuss In Pursuit Of Silence, which demonstrates how our addiction to technology contributes to the noise and stress of our daily lives, which can have fatal consequences. The director of Cameraperson, Kirsten Johnson, talks about the impact that filming in war zones and recording victims' harrowing testimonies has had on her personal life.

A documentary about the card game Magic: The Gathering and the people who play it in Waco, TX, originally made for a graduate-level course on documentary filmmaking by Patrick Shen and Jack Woodward. Screened at the 2010 Black Glasses Film Festival.