Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Life isn't always bright and shiny, as Kate Bowler knows. Kate is a young mother, writer and professor who, at age 35, was suddenly diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. In, warm, insightful, often funny 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)."

Sunita Puri: The Uncertainty Specialist 04/21/2020

Sunita Puri: The Uncertainty Specialist Pain 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/14077289

The Emergency Button 03/31/2020

The Emergency Button When 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/13771181

Ari Johnson: More than Enough 12/03/2019

Ari Johnson: More than Enough Sometimes 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/12258914

Angela Duckworth: Finding the Margins 11/19/2019

Angela Duckworth: Finding the Margins Psychologist 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/12089609

Vivek Murthy: The Loneliness Epidemic 11/05/2019

Vivek Murthy: The Loneliness Epidemic US 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/11912060

Jen Hatmaker: The Preacher's Wife 10/22/2019

Jen Hatmaker: The Preacher's Wife Author 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/11738852

Sister Helen Prejean: The Face of Love 10/08/2019

Sister Helen Prejean: The Face of Love Sister 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/11554112

Nora McInerny: It's Okay to Laugh 09/24/2019

Nora McInerny: It's Okay to Laugh Nora 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/11369777

Sesame Street: How do we talk to kids about hard things? 08/13/2019

Sesame Street: How do we talk to kids about hard things? How 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10870115

Andrew Solomon: The Stories of Who We Are 07/30/2019

Andrew Solomon: The Stories of Who We Are Writer 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10703969

Jerome Adams: We Belong to Each Other 07/16/2019

Jerome Adams: We Belong to Each Other US 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.” /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10539710

John Swinton: The Speed of Love 07/02/2019

John Swinton: The Speed of Love The 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10368458

BJ Miller: Loving What Is 06/18/2019

BJ Miller: Loving What Is After 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10185647

John Green: Chronic Not Curable 06/04/2019

John Green: Chronic Not Curable Society 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/10037558

Kelly Corrigan: Tell Me More 05/21/2019

Kelly Corrigan: Tell Me More When 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/9854459

How to Grieve Well (Special Conversation) 05/12/2019

How to Grieve Well (Special Conversation) What 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/9747956

Jayson Greene: The Language of Grief 05/07/2019

Jayson Greene: The Language of Grief When 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/9681407

Mark Lukach: True Believers 12/18/2018

Mark Lukach: True Believers Mark 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/7946594

Barbara Brown Taylor: Life after Dark 12/04/2018

Barbara Brown Taylor: Life after Dark Author 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/7784063

Emily McDowell: There's No Good Card for That 11/20/2018

Emily McDowell: There's No Good Card for That Why 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/7635368

Alan Alda: Can You Hear Me Now? 03/20/2018

Alan Alda: Can You Hear Me Now? Alan 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6386104

Wes Moore: Fork in the Road 03/13/2018

Wes Moore: Fork in the Road Wes Moore had a rough childhood growing up in Baltimore. His father died when he was a child, he struggled in school and was arrested for vandalism before something shifted. Moore grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, White House fellow and published writer. And along the way, he learned of another man who shared his same name, but is serving a life sentence in prison. He talks with Kate about what he learned from "the other" Wes Moore. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6360362

Margaret Feinberg: Joyful, Anyway 03/06/2018

Margaret Feinberg: Joyful, Anyway Bestselling 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6313671

Alexandra Petri: Awkward 02/20/2018

Alexandra Petri: Awkward Washington 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6278125

Lucy Kalanithi: Costly Love 02/14/2018

Lucy Kalanithi: Costly Love When 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6260055

Ray Barfield: This is Going to Hurt Just a Little 02/10/2018

Ray Barfield: This is Going to Hurt Just a Little Dr. 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6226606

Nadia Bolz-Weber: The Insight of Outsiders 02/06/2018

Nadia Bolz-Weber: The Insight of Outsiders Before 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. /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6185325

Everything Happens: Series Preview 01/26/2018

Everything Happens: Series Preview Life 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)." /episode/index/show/everythinghappens/id/6185127

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

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