This Show is All About You

Episode 79: "Building A Better Lightning Rod" JDK welcomes screenwriter Troy Hunter to the show, their conversation focused on the personal and professional challenges involved in getting writing of any kind into the public sphere as novels, movies, television series, etc. They discuss the roots of their inspiration(s) to write, what makes for good storytelling, and how we can each stay the course...

Episode 78: “You Wrote Me Back….” JDK welcomes Cherry O’Neill to the show, eldest daughter of music legend Pat Boone and author of the groundbreaking and NYT bestselling memoir about her recovery from Anorexia Nervosa, “Starving For Attention.” Hear Cherry’s powerful story of recovery and about the years of work she has done since to help others suffering from addictions and other life challenges....

Episode 77: “Cherry Picking On July 4th” JDK put on his historian cap on this Independence Day holiday, taking aim at what he sees as deeply flawed uses of history in the recent SCOTUS rulings, our false lionization / demonization of historical figures, and our understanding of what it means to have Rights. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://ar...

Episode 76: "The Right's Persecution Complex Gets Its Closeup" JDK flies solo this week, discussing the ramifications - intended by the political Right and otherwise - of last week's SCOTUS rulings on abortion, guns, school vouchers, and expressions of faith in public schools. With a focus on opportunities for connection and conversation between all sides of these debates, he poses hard questions...

Episode 75: “Connecting Image with the Soul” JDK talks with Bruce Pflaumer, founder and CEO of Michael Bruce Image Consulting, about his life experiences as a Black man working in the highest levels of global fashion and corporate styling. Listen in on a conversation that touches on how inclusion works in business, on the Juneteenth holiday, and on the challenges involved for each of us in how we...

Episode 74: “Playing Catch Up” JDK gives updates on goings on with past guests, then introduces newer listeners and readers to all the various parts of what makes him Him. Hear about his novel, his podcast adventures, his foray into performance coaching, how he combines cooking with Motown, and more! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com...

Episode 73: “Bringing the Past - And Other Cool Stuff - to Everyone” To commemorate the anniversary of D-Day, JDK welcomes Jay Gaskell to the show, who was the cameraman with JDK and others on the Virtual Field Trip three years ago to Normandy for the 75th anniversary commemorations of D-Day. Live-streamed to the internet and watched by thousands during and since, Jay captured more footage than an...

Episode 72: "What We Choose To Remember" For this Memorial Day holiday, JDK does a solo episode to reflect on the tragedy of the Uvalde, TX school shooting before spending the rest of the episode reflecting on what we remember on this holiday and why - and what it may say about who we are today and going forward. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at http...

Episode 71: “Two Truths Side-By-Side” JDK welcomes Mark Frazier to the show, a black man who just retired after a 24-year career as a police officer. Join them for a heartfelt conversation about Mark’s life experiences with racial profiling, as well as his deep belief in, and support for the crucial civic mission of law enforcement and his fellow officers. The truths of both are something each of...

Episode 70: “For the Love of Odin” JDK welcomes in Maria Bartlow and her daughter, Monica Franks, to discuss their campaign to find a kidney donor for their son / brother, Odin. Join them to hear about what each of us can do to help that happen (it’s easier than you might think), as well as a conversation about what it’s like when parents and children have to “switch” roles in caretaking. Be sure...

Episode 69: “Crossroads Friends” JDK welcomes Dr. Kevin Simpson to the show, a longtime friend, colleague, and partner in studying and teaching about the Holocaust. Join them for a conversation about how psychology and history share common goals and power to illuminate, and hear about Kevin’s book, “Soccer Under the Swastika.” Throughout it all, hear two longtime friends connect over their shared...

Episode 68: “Attaboy, Girl” JDK welcomes Julia Cannell, Executive Director of Airway Science for Kids, to the show to talk about the organization’s mission to help historically excluded youth, as well as how her life story prepared her to do this work and live her purpose. Be sure to have your daughters, moms, and sisters listen, too! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

Episode 67: “Like Fathers, Like Sons?” JDK launches his new one-hour format with a quick look at the week’s news, followed by a open, honest conversation with his father about their shared experiences as pastor’s kids, the life lessons they’ve learned and continue to learn, what bothers them most about the world, and why Parmesan cheese just might be the King Of All Cheeses. See Privacy Policy at...

Episode 66: “An Illumination of the Soul” JDK asks us all to consider why we often treat history as a burden to hold and defend, rather than as a way to illuminate what is true about ourselves. Is it fear of what we might see? What we might lose? And what could be possible for us if we stopped being so afraid of the “unknowns” that history can often make known to us? See Privacy Policy at https://...

?Episode 65: “The ‘Fascists’ Next Door” As evidence mounts of widespread Russian military crimes against civilians, JDK takes a hard - and decidedly angry - look at what he sees as Putin’s criminal “weaponization” of history and terms like ‘Nazi’ and ‘fascist’ to justify these crimes. Amidst it all, too, are warnings for all of us to be careful with those same words. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Episode 64: “The Way (Out) of War” JDK talks about how the very different approaches that Russia and the West have in envisioning, preparing for, and fighting wars go a long way in explaining why Russia is losing the war in Ukraine AND how the West can best prevent the war from becoming something larger. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19...

Episode 63: “The Bear in the Backyard” JDK continues his examination of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by responding to questions from listeners about how the US and its allies “didn’t see this coming” from Putin. Part of the answer is in the successive failures by every presidential administration since the end of the Cold War to truly understand the Russian “bear” on its own terms and in its ow...

Episode 62: “What Do We Learn From Here?” JDK continues his discussion of the Russian invasion of Ukraine by answering a few questions from listeners and from his producer, Stacy Heller, about how all of this came to be and what paths there may be to move forward towards peace. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my...

JDK continues his look at some of the history behind the current Russian invasion of Ukraine, and digs into the ideological underpinnings of Vladimir Putin’s worldview. Along the way, he also suggests the West / rest of the world has work to do in learning more about Russia and its historical connections with its neighbors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Episode 60: “Ukraine Matters” With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominating the news, JDK puts his historian’s hat back on to discuss some of the historical roots of the conflict, which go back further in history than many realize. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Episode 59: “Road Trips and Friendships” JDK welcomes in Seth Moorman, his longtime friend and host of the fabulous ‘Athletic Obscura’ podcast, for a lively discussion about their shared road-trip experiences together, and why such trips can do so much to build and maintain the bonds of our closest friendships. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https:...

Episode 58: “Loving the Rock Steady Soul Singing” In this Valentine’s Day episode, JDK takes listeners deep into the historical origins of the holiday, highlights some myths about it, talks about some no-longer-practiced traditions, and discusses ways to reframe our experiences of the holiday in ways that might be more honest and helpful to us. And, somehow, he weaves in Motown music and pregnancy...

Episode 57: “Stripping Off The Armor” In this episode, JDK pulls the curtain aside to give listeners a glimpse of what it looks and feels like when he’s down, when he “armors up” and hides when he feels vulnerable or threatened, and how he seeks to grow from sitting in those uncomfortable spaces. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pri...

Episode 56: "Seasoned to Taste" After a weekend spent making a favorite family recipe, JDK reflects on what the experience has him wondering about when it comes to our sense of self and our personal relationships. What "ingredients" do we have in ourselves and in our relationships that are required for the "dish" to work? When do we know when and how to add or subtract ingredients? What happens wh...

Episode 55: “The Obstacle is the Way” JDK follows up last week’s show about Martin Luther King, Jr. by wondering aloud about what a personal, connected conversation with MLK would have been like, and what it could teach us about how to pursue dreams, connect despite our differences, and use the obstacles to those things as the way to achieve them. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy an...