The Whimsy Farm Podcast

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I welcome my friend Susan J. Tweit and celebrate her new book Earthbound—A Year of Mindful Connection with Nature. Earth Bound offers daily meditations that celebrate terraphilia, or love for the earth. The book features both her writing and her photographs. It the culmination of her life's work as a botanist, poet, and as she puts it, "Pagan Buddhist". 

Susan the author of the memoirs Bless the Birds, Living with Love in a Time of Dying; Walking Nature Home, a Life’s Journey; Barren, Wild and Worthless, Living in the Chihu...

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Today we honor the thinning of the veil. My friend Christabeth Ingold returns to the show as we celebrate Samhain, Halloween, All Saints Day, and Day of the Dead, time-honored transitions from a smattering of different cultures and belief systems. Christabeth is an astrologer, Akashic record reader and death doula based in Massachusettes. You can find her online at soulfullynourishing.com.

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I welcome Joanna Whaley, Democratic candidate for the open seat of State Representative of District Two in Michigan. In a district that leans democratic, Whaley is expected to beat Republican opponent Ronald Kokinda. If elected, Whaley will be the first transgender woman to serve in the Michigan State Legislature. For more information on her campaign, visit joannawaley.com. T This is the second of two episodes of Midterm Election Coverage. For Part One of my Midterm Election Coverage, see Episode Thirty-Five and my discussion about movements and elections with Norman Solomon.

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Today I speak with Norman Solomon. Norman is the national director of RootsAction and executive director of the Institute for Public Accuracy. He is the author of more than a dozen books, including War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine. He has written about politics for The Hill, The Nation, The Guardian, Common Dreams, Salon, and more.  His most recent book, The Blue Road to Trump Hell: How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way for Autocracy, will be the focus of our discussion today. 

To learn mo...

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Maryam Barrie and I celebrate the Libra Equinox, AKA the Autumnal or Fall Equinox. 

“September 2nd” by Wendell Berry 

“Equinox” by Elizabeth Alexander 

“Autumn Begins in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio” by James Wright

 “When Autumn Came” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz

 “Song of My House Being Battered by the Autumn Winds” by Tu Fu trans. Marilyn Chin 

“These Crisp Fall Evenings” by Carolyn M Crane 

“Fall Leaves in an Episode of Depression” by Maryam Barrie 

“Corona” by Paul Celan trans. Pierre Joris 

“Autumn D...

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I speak with Josh Weil about his new novel What Came West. He is a Fulbright fellow whose prizes include the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the California Book Award, and a Pushcart Prize. He’s also the author of The Great Glass Sea, The New Valley, and The Age of Perpetual Light. He makes his home where I made mine for most of my life, the west slope of the Sierra Nevada and the Yuba River Watershed.

You can find him online at joshweil.com. 

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Maryam Barrie guides us as we take a deep dive into the life and work of Federico Garcia Lorca. Maryam is a poetry expert and poet who lives and works in SE Michigan. Here's the link to Maryam's presentation: 

https://padlet.com/mbarrie1/federico-del-sagrado-corazon-de-jesus-garcia-lorca-1898-1936-jhej1oujrehf22vl

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I speak with Anna Marie Stenberg from the organization Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide, or TAAG. TAAG, along with the organization Democracy for the Arab World Now, or DAWN, is launching a nationwide grassroots campaign to demand that Trump, Rubio, and other senior U.S. officials be investigated and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their participation in genocide and other crimes against the Palestinian people. Links: Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide,  Taxpayers Against Genocide,  Democracy for the Arab World Now, Guardian Article,  Rubio's Editorial in the Wall Street Journal

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On July 15, 2026, Susan J. Tweit interviewed me about terraphilia, my rewilding efforts on the farm and my progress with my biography of Utah Phillips. This interview is part of her Earthbound series to promote her new book, Earthbound, coming out this fall. On October 15, Susan will be my guest on the pod to discuss the book.

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I speak with author Russell James Ray, author of Canyons of the Mind. Ray is credited with the first canyoneering descents of Barrancas Sinforosa and Batopilas in northern Mexico. His book is an eccentric collection of reflections and journal entries about those descents as well as many other of his life pursuits. 

  If you’d like to hear more about Ray’s canyoneering, check out the podcast The Canyons Are Calling—he’s their guest on the  November 11, 2023 episode.

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We learn more about fighting fascism as we protect our children from falling victim to it. Our first guest is Craig A Johnson, author of How to Talk to Your Son about Fascism.

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Maryam Barrie shares "Fern Hill", written by the iconic poet Dylan Thomas. We learn relevant biographical details that led to the writing of one of  Thomas's most widely known poems. This is how we honor the transition from spring to summer here at Whimsy Farm.

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I speak with Andrea Hightower, who directs the Cuba Reality Tour for Global Exchange. Drea and I discuss the conditions Cubans now face under the current blockade. She also gives us an idea of what to expect on a Cuba Reality Tour. Learn more at: https://globalexchange.org/travel-to-cuba/

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I celebrate May 15, Utah Phillips' birthday. For the last two years I've been researching and writing about Utah. This year marks the 91st anniversary of his birth. 
My first guest is his old and dear friend Mark Ross. Utah met Mark in Greenwich Village in 1969, and they remained friends until Utah's death in 2008. Mark shares trivia and remembrances about Utah with us. 
My second guests is Utah's younger son Brendan. Brendan shares memories of his father as well as details about an exciting project he's working on. He's currently restoring Utah's ol...

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Welcome everyone, to Episode Twenty-Five of the podcast.  The month of May is Utah Phillips month here on the pod, since he was born on the 15th and left us on the 23rd of May. On this episode, I’m honored to speak with author and labor historian Patrick Murfin, an old and dear friend of Utah Phillips. Patrick wrote the final chapter of the book The IWW: Its First Seventy Years. He once worked as a labor writer for the Chicago Seed and was an integral part of the Chicago industrial labor mov...

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Coming up May 1:  The month of May is Utah Phillips month here on the pod, since he was born on the 15th and left us on the 23rd of May. On this episode, I’m honored to speak with author and labor historian Patrick Murfin, an old and dear friend of Utah Phillips. Patrick wrote the final chapter of the book The IWW: Its First Seventy Years. He once worked as a labor writer for the Chicago Seed and was an integral part of the Chicago industrial labor movement in the 1970s, as was...

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Celebrating National Poetry Month and Earth Day: Poetry Sustains with Maryam Barrie

Show Notes for Poetry Sustains 4/15/26

 Maryam and I read and discuss the following poems: 

“A Short Story of Falling” by Alice Oswald

“Ichthysaur Speaks: Notes from the Benthos” by Kyle E Miller/An excerpt from his novel The Idiot’s Garden

 “Trying Hard Not to Become a Nature Poet” by W. Joe Hoppe

“Exhausting Weather” by Maryam Barrie 

“Between” by J.C. (Chris) Olander 

“A Litany for Survival” by...

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Celebrating National Poetry Month and Earth Day: Poetry Sustains with Maryam Barrie

Show Notes for Poetry Sustains 4/15/26

 Maryam and I read and discuss the following poems: 

“A Short Story of Falling” by Alice Oswald

“Ichthysaur Speaks: Notes from the Benthos” by Kyle E Miller/An excerpt from his novel The Idiot’s Garden

 “Trying Hard Not to Become a Nature Poet” by W. Joe Hoppe

“Exhausting Weather” by Maryam Barrie 

“Between” by J.C. (Chris) Olander 

“A Litany for Survival” by...

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I speak with author Nell Bernstein about her latest book, In Our Future We Are Free,  "an astonishing story of resistance and change" about the "dismantling of the youth prison" system. 

Bernstein is the Directing Advocate at the Youth Law Center in Sacramento, California. The details below are taken from the back page of her new book. 

"Nell Bernstein is the author of All Alone in the World, a Newsweek Book of the Week, and Burning Down the House, winner of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Award. She is...

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On April 1,  I speak with author Nell Bernstein about her latest book, In Our Future We Are Free,  "an astonishing story of resistance and change" about the "dismantling of the youth prison" system. 

Bernstein is the Directing Advocate at the Youth Law Center in Sacramento, California. The details below are taken from the back page of her new book. 

"Nell Bernstein is the author of All Alone in the World, a Newsweek Book of the Week, and Burning Down the House, winner of the American Bar Association's Silver Gavel Awar...

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I speak with author Jim Robbins about his latest book "The Wonder of Birds" and other recent and upcoming writing projects. 

The material below is quoted from the back page of "The Wonder of Birds."

"Jim Robbins was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, but has lived in Montana since 1977. He has written for The New York Times for more than thirty-five years, on a wide range of topics but with a special focus on science and environmental issues. He has also written for Audubon, Conde Nast T...

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Coming March 15, I speak with author Jim Robbins about his latest book "The Wonder of Birds" and other recent and upcoming writing projects. 

The material below is quoted from the back page of "The Wonder of Birds."

"Jim Robbins was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, but has lived in Montana since 1977. He has written for The New York Times for more than thirty-five years, on a wide range of topics but with a special focus on science and environmental issues. He has also written for Audubon, C...

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In this episode we celebrate love: big beautiful love. This time of year, we’re programmed to focus on couple love. Cupid and his arrow, etc., among other cliches. But there is a much more expansive love available to us, Neptunian rather than Venusian. It’s terraphilia, as author Susan Tweit calls it. Love of the earth and all its inhabitants. Love for those with us and those who have departed.  First, we’ll hear from writer Rowena Yeseta. Then we’ll welcome Maryam Barrie for another segment of Poetry Sustains. 

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I  speak with author Carol Menaker and discuss her memoir "The Worst Thing We’ve Ever Done, One Juror’s Reckoning with Racial Injustice." Her book explores the trial and unjust incarceration of Freddy Muhammed Burton, imprisoned for over fifty years now in Pennsylvania for crimes he did not commit. 

Update: On January 8, Menaker reported that "Muhammed was transferred to Chester, PA from Somerset, PA, an event that has been underway for more than two years. He told Eleanor (Jonathan Gettleman’s mother) that he was so happy. That he felt like he’...

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I  speak with author Carol Menaker and discuss her memoir "The Worst Thing We’ve Ever Done, One Juror’s Reckoning with Racial Injustice." Her book explores the trial and unjust incarceration of Freddy Muhammed Burton, imprisoned for over fifty years now in Pennsylvania for crimes he did not commit. 

Carol Menaker’s website: www.carolmenaker.com
 
Abolitionist Law Center Website: https://abolitionistlawcenter.org/


Correspond with Mohammed Burton:  
Smart Communication TADOC
SCI - Somerset,       Fred Burton AF3896
PO Box 33028, St. Petersburg FL 33733
United States<...

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I speak with Keith Runyan, activist, speaker, and new father. With a background as an educator, Keith began his Quaker activist career with a 12-day hunger strike to increase awareness of the importance of climate action to the Friends Community and the general public. In 2024, along with his partner and child, he began a traveling ministry inspiring action on the planetary crisis.  Keith is the General Secretary at Quaker Earthcare Witness, where he’s leading the QuakerEarth Campaign to unite global earthcare action. 

Keith and I discuss the mission of Quaker Eart...

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I speak with Keith Runyan, activist, speaker, and new father. With a background as an educator, Keith began his Quaker activist career with a 12-day hunger strike to increase awareness of the importance of climate action to the Friends Community and the general public. In 2024, along with his partner and child, he began a traveling ministry inspiring action on the planetary crisis.  Keith is the General Secretary at Quaker Earthcare Witness, where he’s leading the QuakerEarth Campaign to unite global earthcare action. 

Keith and I discuss the mission of Quaker Eart...

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Welcome everyone, to Season Two of the podcast, and Episode Eighteen.  Late last fall, in anticipation of being out of the studio for my shoulder replacement, I spoke at length with Laura Pritchett, author and educator and, as we soon found out, kindred spirit.  Enjoy our free-flowing conversation about honoring the wild with us, personal authenticity, and journeying inward during these winter months. 

 Laura is the author of seven novels, most recently Playing with (wild)Fire and Three Keys. She’s also written two works of nonfiction. She directs the Nature Writin...

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Welcome everyone, to Season Two of the podcast, and Episode Eighteen.  Late last fall, in anticipation of being out of the studio for my shoulder replacement, I spoke at length with Laura Pritchett, author and educator and, as we soon found out, kindred spirit.  Enjoy our free-flowing conversation about honoring the wild with us, personal authenticity, and journeying inward during these winter months. 

 Laura is the author of seven novels, most recently Playing with (wild)Fire and Three Keys. She’s also written two works of nonfiction. She directs the Nature Writin...

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December 21 marks the Capricorn Solstice--the Winter Solstice for the Northern Hemisphere. Poet Maryam Barrie joins me on this extended edition of Poetry Sustains to share Brigit Pegeen Kelly's "Song".  Song tells the story of a young girl, her beloved pet goat, and the cruelty that darkness brings. What happens when darkness meets light? When foolishness meets wisdom? When the heart and the brain work in power together? Join us as we explore "Song" and the light within us at the darkest time of the year. 

Here's link to the poem: https://poe...

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My guest on Episode Seventeen is author Susan J. Tweit. Her most recent memoir is "Bless The Birds: Living with Love in a Time of Dying." 

In this book, Tweit chronicles the journey she and her husband Richard Cabe take shortly before his death. Cabe and Tweit collaborated on the term and definition of "terraphilia", a concept that guides Tweit's work today. 

You can find Susan at susanjtweit.substack.com

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My guest on Episode Seventeen is author Susan J. Tweit. Her most recent memoir is "Bless The Birds: Living with Love in a Time of Dying." 

In this book, Tweit chronicles the journey she and her husband Richard Cabe take shortly before his death. Cabe and Tweit collaborated on the term and definition of "terraphilia", a concept that guides Tweit's work today. 

You can find Susan at susanjtweit.substack.com

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I speak with Chuck Collins, author of Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Our Planet. Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits Inequality.org. He is the author of several books including Born on Third Base, The Wealth Hoarders, and, with Bill Gates, Sr., Wealth and Our Commonwealth. 

He also wrote a novel of speculative fiction entitled Altar to an Erupting Sun. Chuck Collins lives in Vermont. 

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I speak with Chuck Collins, author of Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power are Ruining Our Lives and Our Planet. Collins is a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits Inequality.org. He is the author of several books including Born on Third Base, The Wealth Hoarders, and, with Bill Gates, Sr., Wealth and Our Commonwealth. 

He also wrote a novel of speculative fiction entitled Altar to an Erupting Sun. Chuck Collins lives in Vermont. 

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Mark Dyken and his brother Bear Dyken have been visiting the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for decades now, offering boots-on-the-ground support for families that refused forced relocation in the 1990s. Founders and members of the band Clan Dyken, they tour northern California and southern Oregon each fall to raise funds and awareness of the Dineh people and The Beauty Way.

For more information about Clan Dyken's activism on the Navajo Reservation: https://www.clandyken.com/category/beauty-way/

Shelly Muniz's book "When The Creator Moves Me: A Story about Music...

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Mark Dyken and his brother Bear Dyken have been visiting the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for decades now, offering boots-on-the-ground support for families that refused forced relocation in the 1990s. Founders and members of the band Clan Dyken, they tour northern California and southern Oregon each fall to raise funds and awareness of the Dineh people and The Beauty Way.

For more information about Clan Dyken's activism on the Navajo Reservation: https://www.clandyken.com/category/beauty-way/

Shelly Muniz's book "When The Creator Moves Me: A Story about Music...

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Christabeth Ingold can be found online at www.soulfullynourishing.com.

Her resume: 

B.S. in Art Therapy, Lesley University, 2006

Certified Buddho-Ennersense Advanced Reiki Practitioner, Christine Radice of Boston Reiki, 2010

Certified Holistic Health Coach, Institute of Integrative Nutrition, 2011

Certified Life Coach, Coby Kozlowski of Souluna Life Coach Certification, 2012

(formally) Licensed Chakradance Facilitator, Chakradance, 2014