Living in the Meantime with Stephen Bauman

When a blizzard hits Manhattan, Stephen Bauman would rather stay warm in his office—but love sends him out anyway, on a mission to brave the holiday chaos of Macy’s for a gift his wife has been quietly hoping for. What follows is a darkly funny descent into the seasonal circus: a “subway ride from hell,” slush-soaked streets, near-collisions with cabs, and a packed department store where the stres...

In this reflective episode, Stephen Bauman turns his attention to one of the simplest—and most complicated—words we use: love . Drawing on lived experience and a line from Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables , Stephen observes how most of us fall into one of two camps: those who say “I love you” too easily and those who withhold it almost entirely. In either case, something essential is missing. Stephen...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Stephen welcomes tech veteran and radio host Mark Hurst to explore what artificial intelligence is really doing to us—far beyond the hype. Mark traces his journey from early optimism about the web to outspoken critic of the “techno-feudalism” created by today’s Big Tech giants, and explains why he believes the harms of AI vastly outweigh its benefits. Together, S...

In this brief but poignant seasonal reflection, Stephen Bauman explores the profound paradox at the heart of the period between late November and early January. While this stretch of the calendar is filled with religious and civic celebrations that elevate gratitude, compassion, humility, and generosity, it also unleashes a torrent of commercialism, consumer pressure, and the myth that our highest...

In this wide-ranging and deeply human conversation, Stephen Bauman welcomes educator, peace-builder, and longtime Jerusalem resident Jared Goldfarb to explore what it truly means to live “in the meantime” in Israel-Palestine today. Jared shares the story of his unlikely journey from New Hampshire to Jerusalem, where a search for Jewish identity turned into a 30-year life shaped by study, faith, an...

In this reflective Thanksgiving-themed episode of Living in the Meantime, Stephen shares a quiet encounter that changed two lives—his and a stranger’s. A young man named David shows up in Stephen’s office to say thank you for a conversation on a city bus 18 months earlier, a conversation Stephen barely remembers and during which he said very little. For David, simply being heard in a moment of dee...

Stephen sits down with longtime friend and former college president Steven Poskanzer for a wide-ranging, no-spin conversation on the role of universities in a turbulent culture. They explore what higher education is uniquely for—pursuing truth, forming judgment, and curating reliable knowledge—and where it’s falling short. Topics include academic freedom, free speech vs. platforming, the populist...

In today’s episode, Stephen reflects on why Living in the Meantime exists in the first place — to cultivate a modest but meaningful space for the simple, perennial values that actually build human flourishing: integrity, compassion, respect, civility, and the common good. He names the very ordinary, very daily places where those values show up — not in big speeches or sweeping national movements —...

In this reflective episode, Stephen Bauman takes us back to his early days of life in Manhattan — a young father adapting to the relentless rhythm and noise of the city that never sleeps. From sleepless nights high above Second Avenue to unexpected moments of gratitude sparked by the sound of a garbage truck, Stephen explores the deep interdependence that makes urban life so extraordinary. He remi...

In this moving episode of Living in the Meantime, Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman reflects on a recent vigil for Ali Farqirzada — an Afghani refugee and Bard College student detained by ICE despite his family’s deep integration into their Hudson Valley community. Stephen shares the story of local people of many faiths rallying around Ali’s family and explores what it truly means to live for the common goo...

In this episode of Living in the Meantime, Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman reflects on a simple yet piercing line from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What you do screams so loud, I can’t hear what you say.” Stephen explores how this quote has haunted and guided him for over forty years — from becoming a young father to observing today’s culture of constant performance and noise. Through personal story and cultural...

Episode 1: Living in the Meantime — A Conversation on Meaning, Transition, and Community In the debut episode of Living in the Meantime , Rev. Dr. Stephen Bauman sits down with producer Brandon Batson to introduce the heart behind this new podcast and blog project. Together, they explore what it means to live lives of deep meaning and value amid chaos, uncertainty, and cultural change. From reflec...