SongWriter turns stories into songs

Filmmaker and director Ali Selim shares a story about his father, and the complicated weight of forgiveness without reconcilliation.  Dr. Emily Gaarder talks about her work in restorative justice, and explains why she sometimes refers to forgiveness as “the F-word.” Songwriter Carla Kihlstedt recalls her long relationship with Ali and his work, and shares a brand new song. Special thanks to FilmNorth for hosting the live event, and to New England Conservatory's Department of Recording and Performance Technology Services, and to audio engineer Collin Register.Chapters:00:02:38Ali Selim's story00:16:28Dr. Emily Gaarder's perspective00:42:29Carla Kihlstedt's "I Am a Fish"SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, Joyce Carol Oates, and George Saunders. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Brazilian poet and film editor Maria Rezende reads a poem about a man who could not forgive her. Dr. Rita de Cacia Oenning da Silva and Kurt Shaw speak about how the poem made them think about national issues of reconciliation and justice. Songwriter Pedro Mann speaks about a difficult relationship with his father, and shares a song on forgiveness called "Perdoa."SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Director Helen Cho shares a story that she wrote for SongWriter about learning to appreciate her mother’s perspective on caregiving and life. Dr. Komal Patel Murali talks about the burdens and challenges of first generation immigrants, especially in their relationships with their parents. Songwriter Alison Mosshart of The Kills talks about her long friendship with Helen, and how she wrote a rocker about rebellion and joy.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Filmmaker and director Silas Howard reads a story about caring for his mother in the years before her death. Dr. Fayron Epps speaks about her research in caregiving,  and about caregivers who struggle with complicated and often painful family memories. Songwriter and performer Dorian Wood speaks about rejecting  “chrono-normativity,” and shares a song called “Winooski (Time-Shifting Waltz).”Chapters00:05:31Silas Howard reads a piece about his mother's struggle with addiction and dementia00:21:12Dr. Epps speaks about her work in the faith community and with the families struggling with the challenges of caring for people experiencing dementia00:30:05Dorian Wood talks about her work and practiceSongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Dr. Stephanie Hutchison, a researcher of post-traumatic growth, explains findings about strengthened spiritual and social bonds and openness to new paths. Patrice Francis, Bahamian playwright and teacher, performs a live dramatic piece about recovery after Hurricane Dorian. Selah Moonie, Bahamian singer-songwriter, talks about sustaining original artistry and debuts a song written in response. They explore meaning, faith, community, and creative resilience.

Join poet Kaveh Akbar, known for his engaging work 'Martyr', as he shares an evocative new poem centered on empathy and theodicy. He dives into the depth of suffering and how art can expand our moral imagination. Alongside him, singer-songwriter Jamila Woods discusses her songwriting process, revealing how her powerful new song 'Ordinary as Air' was inspired by Kaveh's poem. Dr. Eman Abdelhadi adds her insights on community and empathy, discussing the complexities of these themes in the context of migration and social justice.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) gives a talk about belonging at a live performance at the Litquake Festival. San Francisco State University’s Dr. Russell Jeung speaks about founding Stop AAPI Hate and Asian identity and belonging. He describes how the pandemic seems to have revived and strengthened longstanding hate towards Asian Americans, and explains his term for collective action against this, “flocking.” Thao Nguyen (of the Get Down Stay Down) plays a new song called “Keep It Moving.”Chapters:00:04:58Viet Thanh Nguyen speaks about belonging at a live event during in San Francisco.00:27:05Dr. Russell Jeung speaks about his research on belonging, collective action, and the founding of Stop AAPI Hate.00:40:20Thao Nguyen introduces her new song.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Journalist and bestselling author Beth Macy (Dopesick) reads a piece she wrote to accompany her new memoir Papergirl, about her family's struggle with opposing political views. She describes a slow process of reconnecting with her conservative brother through simple things like fly fishing and the love of music. The University of Virginia’s Dr. Rachel Wahl talks about how hard it can be to break through polarization, and gives some simple advice for people struggling with the issue. The band Palmyra –whose guitarist and singer is Beth’s youngest child – talks about trans rights, and plays a song written in response to Beth's story titled “Appalachian Adam’s Apple Smile.”Chapters:00:01:36 Distorted Connections: Beth Macy tells a story about family and political polarization, and the power of music00:15:46 Breaking Polarization: Dr. Rachel Wahl discusses ways to engage, even across tremendous divides in politics and even facts.00:25:29 The Conduit of Music: the members of Palmyra discuss identity, the ways that music connects us, and the exhaustion and overwhelm of today.00:43:54 "Appalachian Adam's Apple Smile," the new song by PalmyraSongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastYouTube.com/@SongwriterPodcastSongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Season seven is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

The trailer for season seven includes mention of the themes we'll be working on, and some of the upcoming guests, including Jennifer Egan, Jamila Woods, Kaveh Akbar, Rhett Miller, and others!

Poet, author, and playwright Ben Okri reads his story “A Wrinkle in the Realm,” and talks about music and dream logic. Stanford’s Dr. Tomás Jiménez speaks about polarization, belonging, and empathy. And podcaster and songwriter Matshidiso returns to SongWriter, and co-writes a song with Ben OkriYou can hear Matshidiso's recent single, Dreams, and her first episode  with Charlie Gilmour, and songs Ben Okri co-wrote with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) and Tony Allen, Cosmosis, and with Harper Simon, Wishes and StarsA playlist of Ben Arthur's songs featured in season six (as instrumentals or written as a response to an episode) can be found on Apple Music or SpotifySongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastX.com/SnogWriterSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation