Magic & Mountains

This is a troubled time in our world. But each person has some personal power, some ability to help, even in the smallest of ways. Sometimes that is all we can do, and it is more than enough.   How do we help impassioned young people to believe in themselves and take action to help the world?   Meet Michaella Gallina and Elise Strong, two inspiring women, one a previous winner of the Gloria Barron...

Let us never forget that our choices matter, and our lives matter.   During a particularly hard time in her own childhood, Dr. Doyin Atewologun kept a journal. She wrote the story of her life, and it helped her to remember where she came from… and where she longed to go. In this episode, she tells us about how she walked the trail from growing up in Lagos, Nigeria to now being the Dean of Rhodes S...

Perseverance — a quality essential to success.   In this episode, T.A. talks with Kate Williams, CEO of a unique environmental group called 1% for the Planet, about the true meaning of perseverance — and how core values can lift an entire organization.   Our world today faces huge environmental challenges. But only a tiny sliver of total philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes. Kate's or...

A leader brings the weather, and in this episode, President and CEO of American Rivers, Tom Kiernan, gives us a warm summer day (with a cool breeze) and a ton of enthusiasm. T. A. and Tom K. discuss how nature has the capacity to hold us in times of stress, loss, and deep personal struggles. We hear the heartbreaking and uplifting story of how Tom Kiernan has become a devoted protector of open spa...

Leave no book unsigned. And leave no bowl of homemade soup uneaten.   In this episode, T. A. shares some of his favorite adventures from three decades of touring the world on his book tours. We travel from a small town in Alaska, to the top of the Washington Monument, to the island of Shikoku, Japan. From an early book event where no one showed up and even the host left for coffee, to filling book...

How do you bring a character's voice to life in a way that is authentic? How does one get started in audio book narration?   In this episode, we learn about the art of voice-acting and audio-book narration from two very different voices in the industry.   John Lee, the brilliant narrator of the audio book version of T. A. Barron's GIANT: The Unlikely Origins of Shim , as well as hundreds of other...

Jill Santopolo is an author, publisher, mother, and born storyteller. She gracefully weaves big moral questions, dilemmas, and choices into all of her books. In this episode, T. A. and Jill illuminate their creative process in working together as author and editor. They discuss how to add layers of richness and depth into books. They share why stories make us feel less alone, how to see a place as...

Are we willing to walk with our characters? Are we willing to go far enough? Are we willing to let go to find transcendence? This episode's special guest is former Editor in Chief of Philomel Books, Patricia Lee Gauch. Patti (as she's known by her friends) was T. A. Barron's editor for over 30 years – editing 27 of his 32 books. T. A. and Patti speak passionately about finding the core values of y...

Stories emerge from the darkness… characters walk out of a mist… no map, no directions, just a candle and an invitation to muse. This is how Isabel Allende writes – with transcendence, vulnerability, and magic. In this wonderfully candid and soulful conversation, Isabel shares with us the heartbreaking story of how she lost her beloved daughter Paula, which inspired the book Paula . She also speak...

The spectacular journey of light continues. How has the metaphor of light inspired T. A. Barron throughout his life and writings? Gather round to hear… and also to help Tamwyn, the wilderness guide of Avalon, re-light the stars. Join us around this magical fire to hear more readings from T. A. Barron's books, a musical performance by co-host Carolyn Hunter, and even… a love poem written by T. A. B...

As Buddha said, "Make of your life a light." What does that really mean? And how do we make our life, our gift of time, a candle flame that can light even the darkest places? In this episode, T. A. Barron takes us on a beautiful journey of inspiration and light. He reads passages from his books Heartlight and The Great Tree of Avalon . We explore radiant ideas as well as distant stars, and we meet...

Join T. A. Barron in an intimate and soulful conversation with the bright light that is Dr. Jane Goodall. What is her deepest wish for the world? And what is her next great adventure? T. A. and Dr. Jane, who is now almost 90 years old, consider our troubled world, the indomitable human spirit, and the importance of giving people a sense of their own individual power. Hope is a remarkable thing, an...

In season 2 of Magic & Mountains, we journey far and wide to the minds of courageous and visionary leaders like Jane Goodall and Isabel Allende, guided by the uplifting wisdom of T. A. Barron. We explore the wonders and inspiration of nature (as well as the challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss) and the power of young people to make a positive difference in our world. Plus, you'll hea...

How did one eight-year-old girl protect endangered rainforest in Costa Rica and all the songbirds living there? How did a bold middle schooler rally an entire community in Montana to install solar panels? Today we welcome on to the show two more outstanding young heroes. Phebe Meyers founded a group called Change the World Kids that has helped tropical songbirds throughout Central America. Claire...

How did one 11-year-old girl ultimately touch the lives thousands of young people in Africa? How did one teenage boy in New York City change an abandoned lot into a garden… while also changing the lives of many in his community? Today we meet Ashley Carter & Shawn Henry, two inspiring young people who have won the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Ashley founded a nonprofit group called Africa...

What is the difference between a hero and a celebrity? What does it mean to be a real-life hero? And why do heroes really matter? T. A. and Carolyn discuss why we need heroes now more than ever. T. A. describes meeting a deeply cynical girl in Ohio who inspired him to write the non-fiction book  The Hero's Trail . Hear the amazing story of a courageous girl named Wilma Rudolph. And learn about the...

What is a resplendent quetzal? And how can magnificent creatures like this enlighten and inspire us… and give us the courage to protect the world's most wondrous ecosystems? In this episode, T. A. welcomes onto the show his friend and hiking companion, Carter Roberts, the President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund in the USA. Carter shares with us his first magical experience in nature. He tells...

How does Rue, founder of Outdoor Afro, retain her sense of joy? And how has she kept her childlike sense of wonder through all the challenges of life? We are so thrilled to welcome to the show one of T. A.'s most favorite people in the whole world, Rue Mapp. She is the founder and CEO of Outdoor Afro, an important organization and network that celebrates and inspires Black leadership and connectio...

Why does nature have such great power to heal, transform, and inspire? Walk with us in the enchanted forest of nature, full of wonder and mystery. T. A. Barron shares the story of how he first came to know the enduring power of nature. He walks us through his journey from a nature writer to a fantasy writer and why the magic of nature infuses all his stories. Carolyn and T. A. discuss the dangers...

Why is it essential to follow your dreams? What part of your soul would you sacrifice if you never tried? What can we learn from life's rejections and failures? In today's episode, T. A. invites you to see your own life as a story. A story of which YOU are the author. He shares some of the most bizarre and surprising (and funny!) turns in his own life story…  including the 32 rejections of his fir...

Are you an aspiring writer? Do you have stories in you that you are yearning to tell? In this episode, T. A. reminds us of the power of stories to reach people across all distances, times, and languages. He shares the story of something truly bizarre that happened to him while at the Frankfurt, Germany Book Festival. T. A. and Carolyn talk about how to use your whole brain while writing – and why...

What are the three essential rules for writing the perfect novel? What is a story boat…and how do you keep it afloat? Journey with us as we take a deep dive into the blue lagoon of creativity. T. A. and Carolyn explore the mysterious process of creative writing, bringing characters to life, bringing places to life, and bringing stories to life. We talk about the value of voice… and how it's essent...

If you asked the great wizard Merlin, "How do I live a meaningful life?" …what would he say? In this episode, we continue our Merlin explorations in a rather surprising way, by visiting Merlin's Crystal Cave. T. A. shares aspects of one of his smallest books that holds some of his biggest ideas, The Wisdom of Merlin: 7 Magical Words for a Meaningful Life . These are brilliant and magical words of...

What is the historical origin of Merlin? Did Merlin have a different understanding of the natural world than the rest of us? Why have his legends persisted over all these centuries? Travel with us to the land affectionately known as "Merlin's Isle."  T. A. talks with Carolyne Larrington at Oxford University, a professor of medieval European literature and fellow at St. John's College. We explore h...

What are Merlin's passions? What were his greatest heartaches? And how did he discover that nature was the true source of all magic? In this episode, T. A. Barron describes why Merlin has become for him both a mentor and a friend. We explore how T. A. first discovered Merlin and what sparked him to begin writing his best-selling series the  Merlin Saga .  We dive into the challenges he faced while...