The Growing Edge

Latest Episodes:

Episode 64 - Rebroadcast of The Promise of Loving Kindness, The Problem of Evil May 31, 2026

Show notes

Carrie Newcomer & Parker J. Palmer Rebroadcast a podcast recorded in May 2022. In this podcast they explore the poems “What I’ve Learned So Far” by Mary Oliver and “Small Kindnesses”. Danusha Laméris. and revisit a conversation about holding and navigating the "both/and" of complex times—the presence of goodness in the world, but also a clear and present danger, even evil at work in the world.

Episode 64: A Conversation With Poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Apr 15, 2026

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Join Parker and Carrie for this heart opening conversation with poet, storyteller and wise woman, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Rosemerry is a poet, teacher, speaker and writing facilitator who co-hosts “Emerging Form,” a podcast on the creative process.

Episode 63: A Conversation With Author Christy Berghoef - The Nature of Belonging & Being Rooted Dec 31, 2025

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Join Carrie Newcomer and Parker J. Palmer for a beautiful conversation with author/contemplative photographer Christy Berghoef. Christy is a published author, speaker, mother of four, common good communications consultant, contemplative photographer, musician, wanderer, and wonderer. Christine is a graduate of Calvin College with a degree in Political Science and later a doctor of Ministry in The Sacred Art of Writing .She spent a year on Capital Hill working for a Congressman. Christy has two books; Cracking the Pot: A Memoir of Spiritual Expansion and her newest book Rooted: A Spiritual Memoir of Homecoming – which describes her return to the sacred ground of her family’s 40-acre farm. In Rooted Christy visits the themes of spiritual transformation, social justice, motherhood, the healing wisdom of the land, and the meaning of belonging. She also explores her journey from a conservative evangelical upbringing to a more inclusive, justice oriented progressive faith. She has a beautiful Substack offering called Willow and Wheat

Episode 62 A Conversation With Musician, Author, Activist David LaMotte Oct 01, 2025

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Join Parker J. Palmer and Carrie Newcomer as they explore peacemaking in divided times with David Lamotte. David has a wide-ranging career as a singer-songwriter with a dozen albums and performances across all fifty states and five continents. He’s the author of four books, including two for children. His latest book, You Are Changing the World Whether You Like It Or Not, serves as a textbook in colleges and universities across the U.S. and in Australia. In 2009-11, David interrupted his music career to accept a Rotary International Peace Fellowship, studying International Relations, Peace and Conflict Resolution at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. His TEDx talks—Why Heroes Don’t Change the World (2024) and Music Can Help Us Understand Peace and Conflict (2017)—have been widely praised. As David writes, “It’s not naive to think you can change the world. It’s naive to think you could possibly be in the world and not change it.” Join us as we talk with a deeply engaged artist and peace-maker from whom we have much to learn.

Episode 61 Revisiting The Power of Story & Song With John McCutcheon Jul 31, 2025

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Today Parker and I will be revisiting our conversation with musician, master songwriter, storyteller, multi-instrumentalist, author, activist, seven-time grammy nominee, John McCutcheon. In this episode we explore the power of story, song and what it means to speak with compassion, clarity and a sense of humor in these challenging times You can hear John’s most recent album "A Field of Stars" on Spotify, Itunes or by checking out his website www.folkmusic.com Parker and I loved this interview and we're so happy to revisit our conversation with John McCutcheon.

Podcast Episode 60: A Conversation with Unitarian Universalist Pastor & Activist Susan Frederick-Gray Jun 05, 2025

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Podcast Episode 60: A Conversation with Unitarian Universalist Pastor & Activist Susan Frederick-Gray by Carrie Newcomer & Parker J. Palmer

Episode 59 - Conversation about imothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny. Mar 27, 2025

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Please join us for a conversation about historian Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny. Carrie and Parker discuss four of the twenty hallmarks of authoritarian governments addressed in Snyder’s clear and informative work. The book is relatively short, but chock-full of insights, stories and practical advice when navigating the very real challenges of our times. We’ll look at the large overarching symptoms of an existential threat to our democracy, but also how to bring it home and to focus upon the power we each have in our daily and personal lives for defending and preserving our most deeply held values, community and national aspirations.

Episode 58 February 2025- Cutting Loose Jan 21, 2025

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Join Parker and Carrie for a conversation about William Stafford’s poem “Cutting Loose”. In this episode we explore the way that disillusionment or feeling lost can bring with it a powerful sense of reality, faithfulness and new direction. Parker and Carrie talk about their own experiences of feeling lost and listening to the sound of the genuine within them. In these challenging times, this is a poem that has much history and wisdom to share. We hope you’ll join the conversation by listening to the episode and commenting on our Substack Page at https://tinyurl.com/25tmtbhf.

Episode 57: Unexpected Hope in Improbable Actions: A New Conversation with John Paul Lederach Sep 29, 2024

Show notes

Join Parker and Carrie for a conversation with Notre Dame’s Professor Emeritus of International Peacebuilding, John Paul Lederach, about his Pocket Guide for Facing Down a Civil War. This new booklet draws upon Lederach’s experience as a renowned peace practitioner who has mediated conflicts around the world. Here, he provides thoughtful, sometimes surprising ideas and advice on how to navigate, disrupt and mitigate the patterns that lead to deeper conflict, with attention to what is happening right now in U.S. politics.

Rebroadcast Episode 22 Revolutionary Love - A Conversation With Author:Activist Valarie Kaur Jul 31, 2024

Show notes

This month Parker Palmer is taking a sabbatical. This is a re-broadcasting our June 1 2020 conversation with Author/Activist/Filmmaker Valarie Kaur. In this episode we discuss her book " See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love". Two months after the 2016 election, Valarie spoke words that went viral, offering millions of people a lasting image of hope, the kind of hope we still desperately need today: “The future is dark. But what if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb but the darkness of the womb?” Those words became the seeds of The Revolutionary Love Project, a movement that continues to reframe and lift up the tradition of nonviolent action for social change for our era. Tested and tempered by suffering, but rising up with hope and joy, Kaur explores with us how to how to love others, love our opponents, and love ourselves in ways that will bring us closer to the Beloved Community. We're proud to call Valarie a friend, and to feature her important work on The Growing Edge.

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