Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
178 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 4.3K ratingsAre you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens. Find her online at @katecbowler.
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Episodes
Sunita Puri: The Uncertainty Specialist
April 21, 2020 04:11 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBPain is like a geography—one that isn't foreign to palliative care physician, Dr. Sunita Puri. Kate and Sunita speak about needing new language for walking the borderlands and how we all might learn to live—and die—with a bit more courage. CW: Esophageal cancer, chronic illness For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/sunita-puri-the-uncertainty-specialist/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.au...
The Emergency Button
March 31, 2020 04:00 - 43 minutes - 40.1 MBWhen fear is overwhelming, sometimes you need to press the button—the emergency button. In this special episode, Kate gets real with the people that she calls when she needs to push the button. You'll hear from actor Joel McHale, writer Nora McInerny, preacher Beth Moore, and Kate's mom for a little dose of courage (and a lot of yelling by one of these people) in these uncertain times. CW: Coronavirus, death of a spouse, death of a child For show notes, the transcript, and discussion quest...
Ari Johnson: More than Enough
December 03, 2019 05:00 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBSometimes everything is possible. Sometimes nothing is possible. How do you know the difference? Dr. Ari Johnson works to change the infant and mother mortality rates in Mali. Kate and Ari speak about how when other people are suffering, we must act, even when the problems seem insurmountable. Because your pain is mine too. CW: Death of children For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/ari-johnson-more-than-enough/ To learn more about li...
Angela Duckworth: Finding the Margins
November 19, 2019 04:03 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBPsychologist Angela Duckworth studies the significance of grit. There are those who experience a difficult circumstance and scrape by, and there are those who thrive in the aftermath. Together, Angela and Kate explore what makes the difference and how we can develop resiliency in ourselves and our kids. For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/angela-duckworth-finding-the-margins/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy pract...
Vivek Murthy: The Loneliness Epidemic
November 05, 2019 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBUS Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy embarked on a listening tour to determine what was ailing Americans. The answer surprised him. In this soulful conversation, he speaks with Kate about loneliness as a public health crisis and how the experience of disconnection affects our ability to weather life’s most difficult storms. For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/vivek-murthy-the-loneliness-epidemic/ To learn more about listener data a...
Jen Hatmaker: The Preacher's Wife
October 22, 2019 13:49 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBAuthor and speaker Jen Hatmaker ruled the Christian marketplace as the evangelical darling. But when her theology shifted, she learned how harsh the penalties could be. Kate and Jen speak about what it means to lead faithfully when you lose certainty. For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/jen-hatmaker-the-preachers-wife/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy L...
Sister Helen Prejean: The Face of Love
October 08, 2019 04:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBSister Helen Prejean didn't know what she was getting into when she became pen pals with an inmate on death row, a story told in the film, Dead Man Walking. Now, she's a fierce advocate against the death penalty. Sister Helen and Kate talk about finding purpose as a discovery that often begins with gentle nudges and tiny yeses. CW: Death penalty For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/sister-helen-prejean-the-face-of-love/ To learn more...
Nora McInerny: It's Okay to Laugh
September 24, 2019 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBNora McInerny had a miscarriage, lost her father, and lost her husband all within a few weeks. Much to her surprise, she kept living. But she didn’t “move on.” Nora and Kate discuss how grief is messier and less linear than we imagine. And even when you may feel like you might never “get over” what happened, love is there somehow. Nora shows us why it’s time to reframe how we think about a happy ending. CW: Miscarriage, death of spouse, death of a parent, brain cancer For show notes, the ...
Sesame Street: How do we talk to kids about hard things?
August 13, 2019 04:00 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBHow do we prepare our kids for a world we can't always protect them from? Sesame Street creates educational programs to make the most vulnerable among us smarter, stronger, and kinder in the face of difficult realities. On this episode, Kate speaks with Sherrie Westin, the President of Global Impact and Philanthropy at the Sesame Workshop on how to tell our kids the hard truths in age appropriate ways. For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podca...
Andrew Solomon: The Stories of Who We Are
July 30, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBWriter Andrew Solomon never felt like he fit in. But studying other communities that celebrate differences transformed his sense of belonging and his parenting. Which aspects of our kids should we attempt to change and which need to be celebrated? Andrew and Kate discuss what it's like to be different from our family, find our people, and love our kids across difference. CW: Homophobia, disability For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/and...
Jerome Adams: We Belong to Each Other
July 16, 2019 10:42 - 25 minutes - 23.2 MBUS Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams is committed to combatting the rising fatalities from opioids because he knows the struggle too well. His brother is one of the millions of Americans who is ensnared by addiction. Jerome talks to Kate about how a broken heart helped him understand his job as “America’s doctor.” CW: Melanoma, opioids, substance abuse, mental illness For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/jerome-adams-we-belong-to-each-oth...
John Swinton: The Speed of Love
July 02, 2019 03:37 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBThe quality of time depends on our abilities and disabilities, possibilities and limitations. In a world of speed and productivity, Kate speaks with disability theologian John Swinton on how slowing down deepens our ability to love. CW: Chronic illness For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/john-swinton-the-speed-of-love/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Lea...
BJ Miller: Loving What Is
June 18, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBAfter an accident left BJ Miller with a serious physical disability, he had to learn how to be patient with his limitations. Now, he’s a palliative care physician who works every day to encourage people to be comfortable with limits and maybe even learn to love them, but not in a Pollyanna way. Kate and BJ discuss how living with the end in mind actually makes life… richer. CW: Amputation, doctor describing palliative medicine For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https...
John Green: Chronic Not Curable
June 04, 2019 04:00 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MBSociety likes to tell the narrative of sick to healthy. But what if there are things we can’t just get over? In his novel, Turtles All The Way Down, John Green explores what it is like to live with something we can’t control. Together, Kate and John talk about finding identity amid chronic illness and how love just might save us all. CW: Mental illness, cancer For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/john-green-chronic-not-curable/ To learn...
Kelly Corrigan: Tell Me More
May 21, 2019 04:00 - 32 minutes - 30.1 MBWhen bestselling author Kelly Corrigan experienced the death of her dad and dear friend back-to-back, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t living as gratefully as she wanted to. She reflects on her love and loss through ordinary moments and everyday sayings. Together, Kate and Kelly explore the phrases we cling to in order to find deeper connection and meaning during difficult times. CW: Death of parent, death of friend, cancer For show notes, the transcript, and discussion quest...
How to Grieve Well (Special Conversation)
May 12, 2019 16:22 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBWhat can we expect in the first moments of loss? How is it possible to grieve someone we may have never met? How can we best support people who are in mourning? In this special conversation, Kate speaks with Reverend Dr. Susan Dunlap about how our minds, bodies, and hearts respond to deep loss and the best practices for allowing ourselves space to grieve well. Death of friend Rachel Held Evans For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/how-to-...
Jayson Greene: The Language of Grief
May 07, 2019 04:01 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBWhen Jayson Greene’s two-year-old daughter died in a random tragedy, he was forced to find a way forward. What does it look like to hope again after loss? How do you be brave when the world is so terrifying? Jayson and Kate discuss how to stay open to love in the face of fear, especially as parents. CW: Death of a child For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/jayson-greene-the-language-of-grief/ To learn more about listener data and our...
Mark Lukach: True Believers
December 18, 2018 05:01 - 34 minutes - 31.4 MBMark Lukach felt like he was hit with a tsunami when his beautiful marriage was upended by mental illness. With one diagnosis, he lost his wife and gained a lifelong patient. Mark and Kate explore the cost of caregiving and the importance of finding the true believers who will love through it all. CW: Bipolar disorder, mental illness, caregiving for spouse, suicidal ideation For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/mark-lukach-true-believers...
Barbara Brown Taylor: Life after Dark
December 04, 2018 05:01 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBAuthor and Episcopal priest Barbara Brown Taylor is no stranger to darkness. After experiencing devastating loss, Barbara explores our culture’s pursuit of the sunny side of life. But perhaps there are things we learn in the dark that we can’t learn in the light. Kate and Barbara discuss the two halves of our lives and how to practice courage even in the scariest of circumstances. CW: Death of parents, tongue cancer For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowl...
Emily McDowell: There's No Good Card for That
November 20, 2018 23:00 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBWhy is it so hard to say the right thing to those going through difficult circumstances? Artist Emily McDowell was on the receiving end of some terrible responses after her own diagnosis. Now, she creates kind and irreverent greeting cards that teach us all how to be a little more human. She speaks with Kate about the best and worst things to say and do when our loved ones are hurting. CW: Hodgkins Lymphoma For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/po...
Alan Alda: Can You Hear Me Now?
March 20, 2018 14:17 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBAlan Alda is best known for his prolific acting career. But he has also spent years learning about, and teaching, communication. The Emmy-winning actor and star of television's M*A*S*H* teaches doctors and scientists to communicate more effectively and wrote the recent book “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?” He talks with Kate about why human beings are so bad at talking about sickness -- and about what helps them improve. CW: Describes dental operation, chronic illn...
Margaret Feinberg: Joyful, Anyway
March 06, 2018 14:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBBestselling author and speaker Margaret Feinberg was writing a book about joy when her world fell apart. Suddenly she was fighting for her life and re-writing the book from scratch. Feinberg talks about how she learned how to be happy again, despite everything. CW: Cancer For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/joyful-anyways-with-margaret-feinberg-s1e5/ To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacy...
Alexandra Petri: Awkward
February 20, 2018 15:30 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBWashington Post columnist Alexandra Petri is the queen of awkwardness. She didn't audition for "America's Next Top Model" and become a yodeling champion without a high tolerance for the sound of people laughing. And, as it turns out, building up your ability to embrace awkwardness can be a kind of superpower during difficult times…if you know how to use it. For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/awkward-with-alexandra-petri-s1e4/ To learn ...
Lucy Kalanithi: Costly Love
February 14, 2018 16:27 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBWhen Lucy Kalanithi fell for another doctor, she couldn't know how much love would teach her about suffering. Lucy Kalanithi is the widow of Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of the bestselling memoir, “When Breath Becomes Air.” She talks about the high cost of love and how all the best things in life are those you are afraid to lose. CW: Cancer, death of a spouse For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/lucy-kalanithi-costly-love/ To learn more ...
Ray Barfield: This is Going to Hurt Just a Little
February 10, 2018 17:00 - 45 minutesDr. Ray Barfield knew when he entered the field of pediatric oncology that he was going to have an unusually tough day job. Some kids die. Some kids live. But after one particularly tough case, Ray couldn’t do it anymore. CW: Cancer, doctor describing childhood cancer and death For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/this-is-going-to-hurt-just-a-little-with-ray-barfield-s1e2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nadia Bolz-Weber: The Insight of Outsiders
February 06, 2018 21:00 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBBefore Nadia Bolz-Weber became famous as a foul-mouthed pastor and bestselling author, she was an alcoholic and stand-up comedian. This episode is devoted to the insight of outsiders, and how Nadia learned to confront her own demons with hard truths, good company and a delightfully inappropriate sense of humor. CW: alcoholism, suicide For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/nadia-bolz-weber-the-insight-of-outsiders-s1e1/ To learn more abo...
Preview: Everything Happens with Kate Bowler
January 26, 2018 15:14 - 1 minute - 1.87 MBLife isn't always bright and shiny, as Kate Bowler knows. Kate is a young mother, writer and professor who, age 35, Kate, was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. In, warm, insightful conversations, Kate talks with people about what they've learned in dark times. Kate teaches at Duke Divinity School and is author of "Everything Happens (And Other Lies I've Loved)." For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener da...
Everything Happens: Series Preview
January 26, 2018 15:14 - 1 minuteLife isn't always bright and shiny, as Kate Bowler knows. Kate is a young mother, writer and professor who, age 35, Kate, was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. In, warm, insightful conversations, Kate talks with people about what they've learned in dark times. Kate teaches at Duke Divinity School and is author of "Everything Happens (And Other Lies I've Loved)." For show notes, the transcript, and discussion questions: https://katebowler.com/podcasts/ To learn more about listener da...