Kelly Corrigan Wonders

Confessions and thoughts on all the ways our biases mess up how we think and how that locks us into boring, no-growth positions from the stage of The Nantucket Project, a great weekend-long think session with some of the nicest people I have ever met. (You should meet me there next year, Sept 26-29, 2024.) (Previously aired) To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https:...

We learned today that one of our favorite guests, Dr. Helen Fisher, passed away recently.   I first heard her name from my daughter Claire.  She and her friends had discovered this 79 year old researcher on sex and relationships and were hooked on her plain spoken insights.  I tuned in.  She was a spectacular communicator with vetted and validated information on a super important topic.  In other...

Though we dream of big overhauls, national change often comes after many states and cities sprinkled across the country come to the same conclusion about what’s best. I loved talking to Josh Graham Lynn, who co-founded the bi-partisan organization Represent.us to fight corruption and fix America. In the decade they’ve been up and running, their work has focused on matching public support for a giv...

Listener Jocelyn Cohen expresses her gratitude and commemorates National Doctors Day by sharing an essay in honor of Dr. Leon Root, who treated her cerebral palsy from the age of four.  Jocelyn recounts the impactful and compassionate care Dr. Root provided, celebrating his kindness, empathy, and the deep bond they shared over decades. This touching tribute underscores the significant role dedicat...

If I don't let myself cry, I risk a migraine, which is to risk several days of living.  So when the wave comes, I let it.  After my most recent release, I stumbled onto some analysis of the benefits of crying and why we might do well by each other to normalize crying as a natural and effective human behavior.  Sharing here for the good of the order.  Speaking of which, we'd love to hear about the...

Sometimes, even when things go precisely as you hoped they would, change hurts. Kelly was a guest on a podcast called A Slight Change of Plans, hosted by Dr. Maya Shankar, who was curious to know how empty nesting was going. The conversation was so rich that it felt worth sharing here. This one is for every parent you know. Pass it on. (Previously aired).You can find Kelly's PBS Tell Me More inter...

Listener Suleena Kansal Kalra shares her poignant reflections on becoming an empty nester through her beautifully written essay, "The Launch". Suleena, a doctor from Kelly's hometown, expresses her emotions as she prepares for her son Kethan's transition to college. She describes the profound and visceral experience of letting go, coupled with wistful memories and timeless parental advice. This ep...

Here are 4 pretty perfect poems to slow you down and give a dose of serenity to underwrite your day, whatever may come.  PS: Send us your favorite poems and lyrics so we can share on a future pod -- we read and appreciate every email that comes to hello@kellycorrigan.com.  Also, today is Kelly's birthday so if you're reading this, could you take 10 seconds to rate this podcast in your listening ap...

Meet Daniel Lubetzky, founder of KIND Healthy Snacks and son of a Holocaust survivor. He is irresistible, a force for good that is asking us to reflect on what our role in the conversation can be.  His point of view is grounded in his father's experiences during the Holocaust, most especially in a single moment of unexpected kindness that saved his father's life. Daniel wonders with Kelly about th...

This episode features a eulogy delivered by Lauren Smith Medina, the goddaughter of her beloved Uncle Den. Lauren reminisces about her Uncle Den's humor, his culinary skills and cherished summer weekends spent together at their family's beach house.   To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

One of the things you lose when you lose someone essential is the comfort of their presence — and their presence may have been your secret weapon in the world.  Today’s Go To is a story about Kelly’s mom watching her play backgammon on a porch in Avalon one summer long ago. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about...

When veteran BBC journalist Laura Trevelyan discovered her family was involved in slavery in Grenada, she did what journalists do: investigate.  As the details of the story emerged, Laura and her family worked to make a plan.  Kelly and Laura discuss the importance of acknowledgment, the role of historical truth in healing, and the Trevelyan's path toward family-led reparations. Link to Laura's X...

An anonymous listener shares a letter about her complicated relationship with a still-living, yet emotionally distant parent. The listener reflects on the emotional journey and growth experienced over the decades, considering how her mother’s shortcomings have shaped her own approach to parenting.  To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy...

With extra thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival, here are Kelly's notes from a happiness panel featuring Adam Gopnik, Tamar Gendler, David Brooks, and Sarah Lewis. Link to Kelly's previous interview with David Brooks HERE. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adch...

Kelly talks with Chasten Buttigieg, teacher, advocate, and husband of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. The conversation goes deep into Chasten's coming out story, no easy task in his conservative, Catholic, rural Michigan family.  His greatest fears were losing family connections and never finding the kind of acceptance we all need. The episode highlights the principles and practic...

In this episode, Anne Swayze shares an emotional tribute to her 16-year-old golden retriever, Mac, who touched many lives over the years. She recounts Mac's adventures across multiple homes and campuses, his unique quirks, and the profound impact he had on her family. Anne's heartfelt narrative captures the bond shared with Mac, illustrating the deep emotions involved in saying goodbye to a belove...

Kelly shared the stage with acclaimed author (and personal hero) Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at this year's Aspen Ideas Festival to talk cancel culture, the importance of free speech, tribalism in America, the impact of sensitivity readers in publishing, and the consequences of self-censorship. They also share personal reflections on grief, having both lost their parents in recent years. (Speaking of...

Kelly shares an episode of a podcast she loves called A Braver Way which is hosted by friends of Kelly Corrigan Wonders, Mónica Guzmán and April Lawson.  Is it the facts that get in the way in our politics, or our stories? Baratunde Thurston is a renowned comedian, activist, and PBS host who knows a lot about how the stories we tell about ourselves can either unlock our civic power... or make us f...

Can memorials transform thinking?  Have you ever felt something change inside you looking at a sculpture or walking through an especially powerful exhibit?  Can representing injustice lead to collective understanding?   Maybe.  From the 9/11 site to the hills of Montgomery, Alabama, people are finding ways to confront past horrors and visitors are leaving with a Never Again spirit that just might...

Listener Katie Niemeyer shares a poignant story from her time as a 16-year-old patient in a burn unit, battling a severe reaction to a depression medication. Katie recounts how a fellow patient named Kerry, a fireman recovering from his own traumatic burns, brought light and support to her darkest days. Despite his own suffering, Kerry showed up for Katie consistently, forming a lifelong bond that...

Today, I'm sharing my notes from listening to Indra Nooyi, who had a transformative tenure as CEO of PepsiCo, and is now a woman who speaks freely and blunty about what the country needs most. Live from the stage at Aspen Ideas Festival, Nooyi set the audience on fire with her blunt assessments and candid insights on how business can serve society and not the other way around. (Speaking of interpe...

Nicholas Kristof is one of America's most experienced, prolific, awarded and grounded journalists.  I read him often when I want a point of view that comes with 35 years in the field and his signature big picture optimism.  This is a conversation to remind us all how exactly change happens.   Special thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival for putting me on stage with Nick and for generally being such...

Kristina Phipps wrote this exquisite, poetic eulogy to honor her mom Ann Emanuels.  Ann's love for beauty and her affinity for the natural world shone through in her garden, where she loved to spend time.  She saw a world to be seized and not squandered and would pack more into a day than seemed humanly possible. Perhaps more than anything though, Ann viewed the world as a place that should be sav...

Getting the call, drafting a talk, practicing in the mock studio, dinner at Chris Anderson's with all the other speakers...it's a wild ride.  Here's the backstory of TED 2024.(And here's the link to Kelly's TED talk on the occasional need for extraordinary bravery in family life -- please post or share with every brave and loving person you admire.) To learn more about listener data and our privac...

Living in an optimization culture is making parenting much more complicated than it need be. Or so says Dr. Aliza Pressman, author of The Five Principles of Parenting and the host of Raising Good Humans, who spends a lot of time with the latest research and a lot of time with parents in clinic. Today’s conversation is about exactly what does and does not protect us from the worst health outcomes a...