After a delayed start due to technical difficulties, Ed and I had a great chat about the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction , a favorite of both of us. The movie stars Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman, and has a lot to say about free will, sacrifice, and the power of story. The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. A few resources:...
Jul 02, 2025•52 min
It’s summer and it’s HOT. We all need things to look forward to, eh? Today Edward Goode and I check in, share what we’re reading/watching, and preview what’s to come this summer. First, we’ll be talking about the 2006 film Stranger Than Fiction next Wednesday July 2 at 1 p.m. EDT, giving you more than a week to watch this deep and delightful movie starring Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah, and Dustin Hoffman. Here’s the link , so you can get it on your calendar! Then...
Jun 23, 2025•20 min
And that’s a wrap! After doing a review of Rogue One in light of what we experienced with Andor, we celebrate the conclusion of a majestic TV series with some hall of fame categories. GOAT of the Rebellion? Most entertaining dinner party guests? Ed and MaryAnn get into all of that and more, including our ideas for best Andor tattoo. Spoilers for all of Andor, Rogue One, and Star Wars: A New Hope. A few links and resources: * The House of R podcast, which has done some marathon-length breakdowns ...
May 30, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Thanks to everyone who joined Edward Goode and me for our fourth conversation about Andor. We talked about the power and perils of a human-driven movement; disease, disgust and the rhetoric of dehumanization; the fate of our heroes; and the impact of one small word: TRY . Spoilers for all of Andor, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi. Follow Ed at Imago Scriptura . Here’s the article I mentioned from Sojourners, We Have What We Need to Fix This . And here’s the quote I read: Plugging into national orga...
May 26, 2025•57 min
Thanks to everyone who joined Edward Goode and me for our third conversation about Andor. We drew some historical and scriptural parallels to the show, talked about the communal nature of calling, explored the power of prophetic speech, and lifted up the nature of resistance, full of small moves and tag-team efforts. And much more! This was a meaty episode—fitting for some of the best television we’ve ever seen (just because I’m prone to hyperbole doesn’t mean it’s not true). Spoilers for all of...
May 14, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Thanks to everyone who joined Edward Goode and me for our second conversation about Andor. We talked about the benefits and pitfalls of episodic storytelling, the strength and frailty of human beings, the perils of building a movement, and more. Spoilers for all of Andor season 1, plus season 2 episodes 1-6, the movie Rogue One, and The Last Jedi. Here’s the book I mentioned: Preaching in Hitler’s Shadow: Sermons of Resistance in the Third Reich . And don’t miss Ed’s charming story of adventure ...
May 07, 2025•47 min
What a blast. Thanks to everyone who joined Edward Goode and me for our first of four (or more?) conversations about Andor. We talked about gender, power and privilege; the “cost of discipleship”; accelerationism as faithful strategy (or not?); and more. Spoilers for all of Andor season 1, plus season 2 episodes 1-3, and the movie Rogue One, and a brief reference to The Last Jedi. See you next week. Between now and then, May the Fourth (and the Force) be with you. Get full access to The Blue Roo...
Apr 30, 2025•41 min
A bonus pod! Season two of Andor premieres on Disney+ this week, and to celebrate, here’s a standalone pod featuring conversations recorded two years ago during season one of the television show. Special thanks to Derrick Weston and Marthame Sanders for these conversations. A few spoilers for season one of Andor, but the spoilers are mainly thematic. Enjoy! ~ Contact MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.net . Order Hope: A User’s Manual Editor and Producer: Amelia Dana Get full access to...
Apr 24, 2025•20 min
A few thoughts on Sen. Cory Booker’s filibuster. I didn’t mention this in the video, but it’s somehow fitting that this is taking place on April Fool’s Day. There’s a kind of reckless foolishness at work here. But as the Franciscan blessing says, “May God bless you with just enough foolishness to believe you can make a difference in the world, so you will do what others say cannot be done.” And here’s the link to the David Lamotte TEDx talk I mentioned. Steady on… together. Get full access to Th...
Apr 01, 2025•6 min
Join me for my next live video in the app Get full access to The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.substack.com/subscribe
Mar 28, 2025•3 min
We did it! Thank you to Ed Goode of Imago Scriptura for trying something new with me, and for the wonderful chat. Watch the recording right here, or check out the episode of What Now with Trevor Noah which inspired our conversation. I appreciated Ed’s connecting Putnam’s work with Peter Block, and am now thinking about the triad concept as a model for ministry. What would it look like to say we don’t go with something—an idea, a new program—without three people at the helm? There are some truly ...
Feb 03, 2025•43 min
Join me for my next live video in the app Get full access to The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.substack.com/subscribe
Jan 30, 2025•5 min
“The way we make change is as important as the change we make.” -Valarie Kaur This moment feels different than eight years ago, and I reflect a bit on why that might be. Get full access to The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.substack.com/subscribe
Jan 23, 2025•7 min
Whew, y’all. What a tough couple of days. Sending love to my friends in SoCal. Some thoughts about finding light wherever we can. Steady on. Get full access to The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.substack.com/subscribe
Jan 09, 2025•7 min
A few thoughts about an Internet scam, and the incoming head of the Office of Management and Budget. How we get hooked, how we can do better. I think it’s worth your time, even though I kept saying it was Tuesday and not Wednesday 🤦♀️🤣 Here’s the article I mentioned by Thomas Zimmer: Steady on… Get full access to The Blue Room with MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.substack.com/subscribe...
Dec 11, 2024•8 min
Hey there, I’ve had something nagging in my brain for the last week or more. Rather than take the time to write it out, given that I have a book to write, I decided to record my thoughts on video (my first live video on Substack!). This is not going out to subscribers, but for anyone who finds it, I submit it as musings that I hope you’ll engage with, consider, and correct and challenge where needed. I’m not sending it out to subscribers—with anxieties and tensions high, and given my role, it’s ...
Oct 31, 2024•15 min
The Blue Room podcast is back--sort of--with something new this week! I’ve been wanting to play around with audio here on Substack, the platform that hosts the Blue Room. I thought I’d give it a try using the audio from last Sunday’s sermon. Nothing fancy in this prototype, not even an intro or outro, just the sermon audio. Let me know how it works for you! The scripture text: Mark 4:26-34 Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and...
Jun 21, 2024•16 min
It’s the season two finale! Today, we wrap up our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual. Section six of the book is Hope Beyond Hope. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. This section is a bit of a catch-all, wrap-up section. It’s about how we persevere amid everything or despite everything, when we’re feeling hopeful and even when we’re not. Our guest is Tim Beal, Distinguished Uni...
Apr 19, 2023•28 min
Today, we continue our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual. Section five of the book is The Practice of Hope. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. Section five is the get-your-hands-dirty section, so what could be more fitting than a conversation about gardening with Derrick Weston! As you’ll hear, we talk about a lot more than just gardening: food, faith, race, justice… it’s a wi...
Apr 05, 2023•29 min
Today, we continue our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual. Section four of the book is Hope Travels in Story. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. Today, MaryAnn’s guest is Patrice Gopo. Patrice is an award-winning essayist and the author of books for adults and children. Her essay collection, All the Colors We Will See , was Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selectio...
Mar 24, 2023•28 min
Today, we interrupt our regular season with a bonus episode! Sandhya Jha is someone I’ve known through various professional networks, and I’m an avid reader of Sandhya’s wonderful Thursday newsletter, called Joy in Social Justice. I love their work and wanted you to get to know Sandhya as well. We talk about Sandhya’s approach to anti-racism and anti-oppression work, how we find hope in the struggle, and the vital work of getting in touch with the stories of our ancestors, whether familial, cult...
Mar 08, 2023•33 min
Today, we continue our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual. Section three of the book is Hope Lives in the Body. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. Today, MaryAnn’s guest is the Rev. Lynn Horan, an interfaith theologian and leadership consultant specializing in women’s leadership development in both spiritual and secular contexts. She is currently a doctoral fellow through Antio...
Mar 01, 2023•36 min
Today, we continue our series of conversations about Hope: A User’s Manual. Section two of the book is What Hope Is. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. Today, MaryAnn’s guest is Marilyn Finch Williams, LCSW, Psychotherapist, Neurofeedback Practitioner and Founder of the MEDIAN Center for Resilience and Brain Training… and MaryAnn’s own coach/therapist! Marilyn has degrees in International Relat...
Feb 15, 2023•33 min
Welcome to season two! Today, we begin a series of conversations that stand alongside the sections of Hope: A User’s Manual. Section one of the book is What Hope Is Not. If you’ve read the book, we hope this conversation will enhance that section. If you haven’t read it, the conversation stands on its own. Today, MaryAnn speaks with Marthame Sanders. Marthame is an Atlanta-based podcaster, producer, musician, improviser, and consultant. He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of C...
Feb 01, 2023•29 min
MaryAnn's sabbatical begins in two weeks and two days! We finish out our season of Hope Notes with a preview of her book, Hope: A User's Manual, which comes out in August. Available now for pre-order. Make sure you're subscribed to the podcast and following MaryAnn on YouTube --we will be dropping some bonus goodies this summer as well. Pre-order Hope: A User's Manual from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop, or wherever you order books. Contact MaryAnn McKibben Dana at maryannmckibbendana.net . ...
May 20, 2022•10 min
Today, a replay of a Hope Notes conversation from a few months ago in which I talk about art that equips us for hard times. Maybe the hardest of times. Maybe even apocalyptic times. First, we talk about music for the end of the world. Then, a short detour into the book and TV series Station Eleven, which you don't need to have read or seen in order to follow the discussion. Finally, I explore two types of stories, with some superhero examples. Throughout, I draw from an article from Vox.com , “A...
May 12, 2022•18 min
Pre-order HOPE: A User's Manual here or wherever books are available online! ~ During 2021, I hosted a series of online conversations looking at various works of art and pop culture, with an eye toward what these works have to teach us about hope. What does hope look like during a global pandemic? What tools do we need as we find our way? How do we find the strength to persevere? I called these conversations Hope Notes. Today, we revisit a conversation with my friend Sarah Scherschligt, a Luther...
Apr 25, 2022•17 min
During 2021, I hosted a series of online conversations looking at various works of art and pop culture, with an eye toward what these works have to teach us about hope. What does hope look like during a global pandemic? What tools do we need as we find our way? How do we find the strength to persevere? I called these conversations Hope Notes. Today, a reflection on tick, tick...BOOM!, last year’s biopic of composer Jonathan Larson. The film was directed by Lin Manuel Miranda and stars Andrew Gar...
Apr 08, 2022•10 min
During 2021, I hosted a series of online conversations looking at various works of art and pop culture, with an eye toward what these works have to teach us about hope. What does hope look like during a global pandemic? What tools do we need as we find our way? How do we find the strength to persevere? I called these conversations Hope Notes. Today, we revisit a conversation with my brother Matthew McKibben about the Lord of the Rings trilogy and make connections between the themes of that story...
Mar 24, 2022•16 min
During 2021, I hosted a series of online conversations looking at various works of art and pop culture, with an eye toward what these works have to teach us about hope. What does hope look like during a global pandemic? What tools do we need as we find our way? How do we find the strength to persevere? I called these conversations Hope Notes. Today we're doing things a little differently! This is an all-in-one-take set of reflections about the movie Free Guy, and what it has to say about the poi...
Mar 11, 2022•16 min
