About Writing

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 Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and has been awarded eight honorary degrees from institutions including Yale University and the Virginia Theological Seminary. In addition, Buechner has been the recipient of the O. Henry Award, the Rosenthal Award, the Christianity and Literature Belles Lettres Prize, and has been recognized by the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.

Joining us to talk about Buechner's 1992 talk, his first of two appearances here at Calvin, is Jennifer Holberg who, along with Jane Zwart, co-directs the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing. Jennifer is senior faculty in the English department at Calvin and editor of SHOUTS AND WHISPERS: TWENTY-ONE WRITERS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR WRITING AND THEIR FAITH, a collection of interviews and essays gleaned from past Festivals. She was introduced to Buechner’s work through her good friend, colleague, and former Festival director(1992-2004)Dale Brown, who can be heard introducing Buechner to the assembled audience as well on the recording. 

Many thanks to Frederick Buechner and the The Frederick Buechner Center. You can learn more about Buechner's life and work at www.frederickbuechner.com. And you see everything the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing is up to, including producing this very podcast, at ccfw.calvin.edu.

#10: Frederick Buechner 1992

Episode #11 of Rewrite Radio features Dani Shapiro interviewed by Catherine Wolff about spirituality and creative practice at the 2016 Festival of Faith & Writing. Dani Shapiro is the author of several books including STILL WRITING: THE PLEASURES AND PERILS OF THE CREATIVE LIFE. Her most recent memoir HOURGLASS: TIME, MEMORY, MARRIAGE was released on April 11 and the Boston Globe says it’s “A gorgeous, poetic stay against loss and confusion. Shapiro has never written anything as raw, dark, or brave as HOURGLASS.” Dani has also written for magazines including The New Yorker; O, The Oprah Magazine; Vogue; and Elle. 

Catherine Wolff is the author of NOT LESS THAN EVERYTHING: CATHOLIC WRITERS ON HEROES OF CONSCIENCE, FROM JOAN OF ARC TO OSCAR ROMERO and the former director of the Arrupe Center for Community-Based Learning at Santa Clara University. 

Journalist Barbara Mahany helps introduce the recording. A former pediatric oncology nurse, Mahany spent nearly three decades as a reporter and writer at the Chicago Tribune. Her two collections of essays include SLOWING TIME: SEEING THE SACRED OUTSIDE YOUR KITCHEN DOOR, and MOTHERPRAYER: LESSONS IN LOVING JUST RELEASED LAST WEEK.

Many thanks to Dani Shaprio and Catherine Wolff. You can learn more about Dani Shapiro’s work at danishapiro.com. Thanks also to Barbara Mahany, who can be followed at barbaramahany.com.

#11: Dani Shapiro & Catherine Wolff 2016

Oprah's agent, THE biggest literary agent in the world, is on today’s episode of the Beautiful Writers Podcast with one of her star clients! Jennifer Rudolph Walsh is the head of the Worldwide Literary Department at WME (William Morris Endeavor). Along with repping authors like Sheryl Sandberg, Arianna Huffington, and Brené Brown, she’s sold the books you’ve heard about here multiple times—HOURGLASS, DEVOTION, and STILL WRITING—by one of our favorite writers and guests, Dani Shapiro!  

Dani is back as today’s guest host with her rock star agent for an intimate look at the kind of relationship every writer dreams of. 

Jennifer and Dani’s “soulmate” connection started nearly two decades ago, which makes this episode so unique. It’s loving. Kind. Cozy. Fun. Not exactly the first words that come to mind when you think of high-powered lit agents. But Jennifer is far from jaded or standoffish, as you’ll see. “Everyone who has breath has a purpose,” Jennifer says, which is just the kind of feel-good encouragement you may need right now. In case you’ve forgotten to breathe or remember that you have a purpose. 

You’ll be reminded when you hear about where to access precious pockets of time for your dreams, and how caring passionately about your goals but giving zero f#cks about the nonsense and noise you can’t control makes all the difference. We hope you’ll be encouraged to hear about how agenting is a two-way street, and how we’re all doing our best to wrap our arms around the changing realities of social media and platform building when what we’re desperate for are both community and a revolution. 

Community. Revolution. Jennifer’s middle names. She’s currently building the ark before the flood, so to speak, with her creation of the TOGETHER LIVE tour, an annual speaking tour that's coming to ten cities this fall. Featuring heart-stopping stories from our Glennon Doyle Melton and Elizabeth Lesser, and so many other wonder women (Abby Wambach! Luvvie Ajayi! Sophia Bush!…), TOGETHER LIVE is affordable, accessible, raw, and ignited. It’s also curious, fierce, intersectional, and Zero Bulls#it. Or, as Glennon says, a ten-city, three-hour traveling Love Rally.

Kind of like what we hope you’ll find in this conversation with these love-bug wonder women. Welcome.

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Jennifer Rudolph Walsh on Together-ness

On welcoming compassion for the string of selves you've ever been, quotes from Hourglass and Inheritance. On the corrosive power of family secrets, and the healing of the secret that Dani uncovered about her origins. On welcoming compassion for the string of selves you've ever been, quotes from Hourglass and Inheritance. On the corrosive power of family secrets, and the healing of the secret that Dani uncovered about her origins. About Dani Shapiro Dani Shapiro’s books include the memoirs, Hourglass, Still Writing, Devotion, and Slow Motion, and five novels including Black &amp; White and Family History. Her work spans diverse subjects from her tumultuous upbringing in an Orthodox Jewish community and the tragic death of her father to her explorations of spirituality and the nature of our deepest relationships. Dani’s New York Times best selling memoir, Inheritance, was recently published by Knopf. Dani's essays and journalistic pieces have appeared in numerous publications including The New Yorker, Salon, n+1, Tin House, and Vogue, and have been widely anthologized. She contributes regularly to The New York Times Book Review and has been broadcast on This American Life. Along with teaching writing workshops around the world, Dani has taught at Columbia and New York University, and is the cofounder of the Sirenland Writers Conference in Positano, Italy. In February of 2019, Dani launched an original podcast “Family Secrets” in collaboration with iHeart Media. The podcast features stories from guests who—like Dani— have uncovered life-altering and long-hidden secrets from their families’ past. She lives with her family in Litchfield County, Connecticut. Show Notes danishapiro.com Hourglass Inheritance Family Secrets Podcast

Episode 11: Dani Shapiro

Rewrite Radio is the podcast of the Festival of Faith & Writing (#FFWgr), a biennial celebration of literature and belief in Grand Rapids, MI.

Festival is the flagship initiative of the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing (CCFW), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit fostering scholarship & community around the literary arts.

#11: Dani Shapiro & Catherine Wolff 2016

Rewrite Radio

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