On today’s episode of Rewrite Radio: working in the television and movie industry, Abigail Disney and Dorothy Fortenberry are involved in making some of the most significant media today. In this wide-ranging conversation with Jennifer Holberg, co-director of the CCFW, they discuss the ethical imperatives that shape--and should shape--the stories we tell on-screen.Abigail Disney is an award-winning filmmaker, philanthropist, and the CEO and president of Fork Films, which has supported more than 5...
Apr 24, 2019•59 min
In this episode of Rewrite Radio, we bring you a session from Festival 2004. Listen in as two poets—Li-Young Lee and Nick Samaras—define the “demonization” of lyrical language and explore the meaning of pauses articulate in poems. Along the way, they reminisce about their lives as readers and writers, speaking about their own stories as pilgrimage.Li-Young Lee has written five highly acclaimed volumes of poetry: Rose; The City in Which I Love You, which was named the Lamont Poetry Selection (now...
Apr 10, 2019•58 min
On this Rewrite Radio: Calvin College chaplain, Mary Hulst--first woman ordained in the Christian Reformed Church in the US--interviews Rabbi Sandy Sasso, the first woman to have been ordained a rabbi in Reconstructionist Judaism. Sasso and Hulst discuss Judaism, feminism, and why children’s books are so significant.Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is the author of several nationally acclaimed children’s books, including For Heaven’s Sake, Noah’s Wife, and The Shema in the Mezuzah, which won the 2012...
Mar 27, 2019•1 hr
On this episode of Rewrite Radio: Scott Hoezee, a noted preacher himself and the director of the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Theological Seminary, conducts a wide-ranging interview with Fleming Rutledge. Fleming Rutledge is an Episcopal priest and writer of nine books, including the award-winning The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ. Ordained to the diaconate in 1975, two years later, she became one of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood of the E...
Mar 06, 2019•1 hr 2 min
On today’s Rewrite Radio, independent scholar Sarina Gruver Moore talks with author Afaa Michael Weaver about how his journey took him from factory work to a Fulbright and ultimately to a professorship and an established writing career--and the spiritual practices that helped him along the way. Afaa M. Weaver is a poet, short story writer, playwright, and editor. You need to listen to this episode to learn his whole story, but--spoiler alert--in 1985, Weaver published his first collection of poe...
Feb 27, 2019•57 min
On today’s episode, a look back to 2004 when the 2018 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jacqueline Woodson, visited the Festival.As we listen back to the 2004 Festival, we hear Jacqueline Woodson consider how her upbringing, including her family’s faith commitments, prepared her for life as a writer, a mother, and a humanitarian. Though she writes for all ages, Jacqueline Woodson has won just about every major award in children’s and young adult literature, including several ALA...
Feb 13, 2019•41 min
Today’s episode of Rewrite Radio features a conversation between the writers April Ayers Lawson and Jamie Quatro, hosted by Amy Frykholm. Titled “Sex, the Spirit, Short Stories, and South,” this conversation takes up the complicated work of writing about religious experience and sexual experience. It may not be appropriate for all listeners.Jamie Quatro writes fiction, poetry, and essays, and her work has appeared in publications such as Tin House, the New York Times Book Review, and the Kenyon ...
Jan 30, 2019•56 min
On today’s Rewrite Radio, Kathleen Dean Moore, a philosopher and nature writer, proposes that the art of spiritual nature writing is to explore unfathomable ideas—mystery, astonishment, sanctity, despair—in the plain language of ice and frogs, returning stars, bells, birdsong, and pawprints in snow. The work of the nature writer, Moore argues, is to see the world—really see it, leaves and bones—and by that seeing, to find a gratitude so full that it can’t be distinguished from joy.Kathleen Dean ...
Jan 16, 2019•52 min
In Rewrite Radio Episode #32, Gary Schmidt discusses the ethical implications of using memories in fiction at the 2006 Festival of Faith & Writing.Gary Schmidt’s novels, though set as far back as 1730, often include moments and scenes from his own past and experience. So how does the writer for middle-grade and young-adult readers adapt his or her past to a narrative set in a different time period and to readers who are unfamiliar with both the author and the historical past? And what ethica...
Jan 02, 2019•52 min
On today’s episode, Pádraig Ó Tuama and Marie Howe, in a conversation with Micah Lott of Boston College, discuss the political possibilities of poetry: to bear witness, to inspire the moral imagination, and to provide perspective on our neighbors’ lives and the world around us. A poet, theologian, and group worker, Pádraig Ó Tuama is the leader of Corrymeela Community, an interdenominational church in Belfast dedicated to conflict transformation and church reconciliation. Ó Tuama has published a...
Dec 12, 2018•1 hr
On this episode of Rewrite Radio from Festival 2010, Richard Rodriguez delivers the speech he rewrote after realizing that Festivalgoers really did want him to talk about the complexities of faith and class in his life as a writer. Starting with an Elvis-singing taxi-driver in the Sinai and a Thanksgiving turkey blessed with a Hindu hymn, he unfolds his American story.Richard Rodriguez writes about the diversity of cultural and religious traditions in conversation—and in conflict—throughout our ...
Nov 28, 2018•1 hr
In Rewrite Radio Episode 29, Anya Silver and several other poets discuss the landscape of joy amidst suffering in their personal and public lives. Joy, distinct from happiness, can be a form of religious practice. They explore questions regarding what cheapens joy, how Christians view joy and how to “balance the scale” of joy and pain in writing.Rewrite Radio is a production of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing, located on the campus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI. Theme music is Ju...
Nov 14, 2018•1 hr 9 min
As an editor, mentor, and friend, Luci Shaw has enjoyed deep creative partnerships with many writers, perhaps none so special as her relationship with the late Madeleine L’Engle. Despite differences, the two animated each other’s work in important ways. They coauthored three books—WinterSong, Friends for the Journey, and A Prayer Book for Spiritual Friends—and Luci suggested and then edited Madeleine’s seminal treatise on faith and writing, Walking on Water. Madeleine’s granddaughters, Charlotte...
Oct 31, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Madeleine L’Engle reflects on her life and the “cosmic” questions that have guided her writing. Why do bad things happen? Why do people die? Why? Weaving stories of hurt knees and publisher rejections with the realities of marriage and the deaths of those she loves, L’Engle illuminates her commitment to writing and abiding faith in God. Opening introduction from Calvin professor Don Hettinga.Rewrite Radio is a production of the Calvin Center for Faith and Writing, located on the campus of Calvin...
Oct 31, 2018•49 min
In this episode, Billy Mark, Kwame Alexander and Nate Marshall engage in a conversation about the power of poetry for children and young adults. Because of particular systemic and social issues within the literary communities, it can be difficult for some kids to gain access to the sorts of books they want to read. They suggest poetry, as a form of activism today, can forefront voices that are normally not heard at the publishing “dinner table.” From spoken word, to vocabulary lessons, to ballin...
Oct 17, 2018•56 min
Episode 25 of Rewrite Radio features a collection of excerpts from our first season of the podcast, curated and edited together by our creative director Jon Brown. He’s teased out a conversation between Festival speakers through the years about the power of stories to help us understand and navigate dark times. Jon also joins Festival director Lisa Ann Cockrel on the microphone for a look behind the scenes of production. Speakers in order of appearance in this episode:Frederick Buechner (1992)Ka...
Jan 05, 2018•53 min
Episode 10 of Rewrite Radio features one of the oldest recordings in our Festival archive, Frederick Buechner speaking at our gathering in 1992. Frederick Buechner’s books—fiction, essays, sermons and more—have been translated into 27 languages and he has often been praised for his ability to inspire readers to see the grace in their daily lives. The London Free Press called him “one of our great novelists because he is one of our finest religious writers." He has been a finalist for the Pulitze...
Dec 22, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Today’s episode of Rewrite Radio features Katherine Paterson at the 2004 Festival of Faith & Writing. In this talk she discusses how and why she finds meaning in the midst of life’s chaos, the comforts and challenges of art, and also the vital importance of teachers. Katherine Paterson is the author of more than 30 books, including 16 novels for children and young people. She’s won countless awards including the Newbery Medal for both Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved and National ...
Dec 08, 2017•1 hr 23 min
Episode 5 of Rewrite Radio features Patricia and Alana Raybon on the power of the pen to bridge a deep divide. They talk about writing UNDIVIDED: A MUSLIM DAUGHTER, HER CHRISTIAN MOTHER, THEIR PATH TO PEACE and the truths, troubles, and triumphs of co-authoring when the collaborators are struggling not just to write a book, but to reconcile their deepest difference.ALANA RAYBON is the co-author of UNDIVIDED: A MUSLIM DAUGHTER, HER CHRISTIAN MOTHER, THEIR PATH TO PEACE, along with her mother, Pat...
Nov 24, 2017•56 min
Episode 23 of Rewrite Radio features Barbara Brown Taylor at the 2004 Festival of Faith & Writing. In this talk she discusses writing for the ear and the difference between what she calls the language of belief and the language of beholding. Barbara Brown Taylor is a teacher, Episcopal priest, and New York Times best-selling author of books including Speaking of Sin, An Altar in the World, and Learning to Walk in the Dark. In 2014 TIME included her on its annual list of Most Influential Peop...
Nov 10, 2017•48 min
Episode 6 of Rewrite Radio features George Saunders in an on-stage conversation with Calvin College English professor Lew Klatt at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. A critically acclaimed author of essays, short stories, and now his first novel, LINCOLN IN THE BARDO, Saunders discusses a wide range of topics including the intimacy of storytelling, how weird narratives work to disrupt moral cul-de-sacs, and creative writing as a form of play.George Saunders is the author of three essay co...
Oct 27, 2017•1 hr 8 min
Episode 22 of Rewrite Radio features a conversation with Shauna Niequist at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. Shauna was interviewed by Ansley Kelly, a Calvin College senior at the time, and their wide-ranging conversation includes claiming the authority to create, the need writing meets in Shauna’s own life, the writing practices she’s developed over the years, and the joys of Razor scooters and dancing in the kitchen. Shauna is a New York Times best-selling author whose books include C...
Oct 13, 2017•1 hr 3 min
Today, we have something a little different in store for you. Russian poet, author and activist Irina Ratushinskaya passed away earlier this summer, and as we dug into the Festival archives, we knew we wanted to celebrate her life and work with a special episode. Irina spoke at the 1998 Festival of Faith & Writing ten years after her release from a Russian prison camp, and we’ve pulled several different recordings from that weekend.
Sep 29, 2017•55 min
Episode 20 of Rewrite Radio features MT Anderson at the 2016 Festival of Faith & writing and his talk titled “The Sacred and the Strange.” MT, or Tobin as his friends call him, talked about how paying attention to what might be considered “unusual” religious practices can help us see our own faith with new eyes. He says literature has a similar power to help us see our lives more clearly, by taking what we think we know and putting it at a distance, making it strange. Tobin has written over ...
Sep 01, 2017•59 min
Today’s episode features David Dark talking about “attention collections” at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. Attention collections are memories, fears, even playful obsessions - anything that has left a deep impression on us. David encourages writers to examine these things in service of the question: What do I have in me that may be of use to someone else? David is the author of several books including The Gospel According to America and, most recently, Life’s Too Short to Pretend You...
Aug 18, 2017•1 hr 4 min
Episode #18 of Rewrite Radio features Marilyn McEntyre speaking at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing in a session titled “Called to Clarity: Writing for a Polarized Public.” She discusses strategies for writing about subjects that deeply divide us, pulling wisdom from an array of authors she’s found who do this exceptionally well. Marilyn McEntyre’s interests are deep and wide-ranging. Author of 16 books to date, including Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, she is currently professor ...
Aug 04, 2017•1 hr 5 min
Episode #17 of Rewrite Radio features Christian Wiman reading old and new work at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. A poet, translator, editor, and essayist, Christian Wiman is the author of numerous books including the poetry collections Once in the West, Every Riven Thing, and The Long Home, and the essay collections My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer and Ambition and Survival: Becoming a Poet. He was the editor Poetry magazine for ten years and is currently on faculty at...
Jul 22, 2017•57 min
Episode #16 of Rewrite Radio features a conversation between five memoirists about the appeal of memoir, its relationship to the practice of sharing testimonies of faith, and how both have created room for women's voices in religious spaces. Titled "Memoir as Feminist Testimony," this panel featuredAmy Julia Becker, Jessica Mesman Griffith, Alison Hodgson, Katherine Willis Pershey, and Rachel Marie Stone.Amy Julia Becker writes and speaks about family, faith, disability, and culture. A graduate ...
Jul 07, 2017•1 hr 6 min
Episode #15 of Rewrite Radio features Zadie Smith, interviewed by Jane Zwart at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. Their wide-ranging conversation includes Smith’s love of C. S. Lewis, the challenges of literature about and for the working class, and the varieties of religious experience. Zadie Smith is the award-winning author of 5 novels including White Teeth, On Beauty, and, Swing Time. Her essays and book reviews are frequently published in The New Yorker and the New York Review of Bo...
Jun 22, 2017•59 min
Episode #14 of Rewrite Radio features Brian Doyle talking about the power of bearing witness via the stories we tell at the 2012 Festival of Faith & Writing. This is a particularly poignant episode for us, as Brian passed away from complications related to a brain tumor on May 27, 2017, less than two weeks before this episode's publication. Just 60 years old at the time of his death, Brian was a prolific writer, producing more than two dozen books of fiction, nonfiction, essays, poems, and p...
Jun 09, 2017•1 hr 8 min
