Shows
The Holden Village PodcastReflections from Outgoing Co-Director Stacy KitahataIn the spirit of renewal, we celebrate the transition of co-directors Stacy, Mark, and Kathie as they conclude their service to Holden Village. To honor this important moment in Holden history, Villagers gathered to celebrate with a weekend of music, dancing, and a blanket ceremony by Vance Blackfoot. It was a joyful weekend of celebrating SMK’s leadership and love for the Village!To reflect on their time as directors of Holden Village, Stacy, Mark, and Kathie each sat down with Creative Tech Ellen Callender to record a special podcast episode. They shared their journey to Holden, fa...
2025-08-3018 minThe Holden Village PodcastReflections from Outgoing Co-Director Mark BachIn the spirit of renewal, we celebrate the transition of co-directors Stacy, Mark, and Kathie as they conclude their service to Holden Village. To honor this important moment in Holden history, Villagers gathered to celebrate with a weekend of music, dancing, and a blanket ceremony by Vance Blackfoot. It was a joyful weekend of celebrating SMK’s leadership and love for the Village!To reflect on their time as directors of Holden Village, Stacy, Mark, and Kathie each sat down with Creative Tech Ellen Callender to record a special podcast episode. They shared their journey to Holden, fa...
2025-08-3016 minThe Holden Village PodcastReflections from Outgoing Co-Director Kathie BachIn the spirit of renewal, we celebrate the transition of co-directors Stacy, Mark, and Kathie as they conclude their service to Holden Village. To honor this important moment in Holden history, Villagers gathered to celebrate with a weekend of music, dancing, and a blanket ceremony by Vance Blackfoot. It was a joyful weekend of celebrating SMK’s leadership and love for the Village!To reflect on their time as directors of Holden Village, Stacy, Mark, and Kathie each sat down with Creative Tech Ellen Callender to record a special podcast episode. They shared their journey to Holden, fa...
2025-08-3025 min
The Holden Village PodcastIsaiah Vespers at Holden Village: With a performance by John Hermanson, Maren Haynes Marchesini, and Megan MakeeverHolden Village debuts a new vespers this summer. “Isaiah: Is This the Fast We Choose?” is a liturgy composed by John Hermanson and edited and arranged by Maren Haynes Marchesini. The music draws from the Book of Isaiah, a collection of prophetic texts in the Jewish canon. The book is referenced frequently in the teaching of Jesus and reveals that justice, liberation, care for immigrants, release of prisoners, redistribution of wealth and critiques of power are at the heart of our theology. During this episode of the Holden Village Podcast, we’re joined by the three musicians who rec...
2025-07-2421 minThe Holden Village PodcastKendra Mylnechuk Potter on Yoga: A How-To For LifeThis episode of the Holden Village Podcast features Kendra Mylnechuk Potter (Lummi); a theatre and film artist, birth+death doula, yoga educator, partner, and mother.Most of her work centers on the mother/child relationship and embodied storytelling, with an awareness that this precious human form is a sacred gift we get to keep learning through again and again. Since 2021, Kendra has delivered keynotes and Q&As at festivals and conferences around the world with “Daughter of a Lost Bird”, a documentary she co-produced and in which she is the protagonist, about being adopted out and...
2025-07-1730 minThe Holden Village PodcastMeisha Wangerin and June Thomassen: The Alternative to Violence ProjectTo kick off this season of the Holden Village Podcast, Ellen is joined by Meisha Wangerin and June Thomassen, co-facilitators of a condensed version of the transformative Basic AVP workshop, designed to provide practical tools for conflict resolution, personal growth, and building peaceful communities. The Alternative to Violence Project (AVP) is rooted in experiential learning, offering participants a chance to explore nonviolent communication, self-awareness, and strategies for resolving tension in constructive ways.Meisha Wangerin (she/her/Queen) is a passionate and driven leader with over 15 years of experience in non-profit and higher education administration. Meisha’s core sk...
2025-07-0528 min
The Holden Village PodcastEmilie Teresa Smith and Armando Marquez Ochoa: Liberation and the ChurchIn the midst of the energy and heat of Abriendo Caminos, two of our teaching faculty, Emilie and Armando, their friend Flor de Marquez, and Kathie Caemmerer-Bach, one of Holden’s Co-Directors join in conversation discussing the Church, Holden and Emilie and Armando’s organization SICSAL. In this episode, Emilie also acts as a Spanish translator for Armando. Emilie Teresa Smith is an Argentine-born, Canadian-raised, Anglican priest, community activist and writer. She has lived in relationship with peoples of Abya Yala (Latin America) for almost 40 years. As co-president of the Oscar Romero network (SICSAL) she has s...
2024-10-1337 min
The Holden Village PodcastElisabeth Cherland: Paperless MusicMany things about Holden have changed since the mining days, but one thing remains the same, even in the heat of summer, the pool hall remains cool--an excellent place to escape the midday heat. Nestled in a back room away from the joyous sounds of children bowling and playing ping pong, Elli, a long-term staff member and Elisabeth Cherland, a guest musician from summer 2024 teaching faculty discuss cyclic music, and the humanness of singing and how good it is for our bodies. Elisabeth Cherland is a fourth-generation choral conductor as well as professor, singer, song le...
2024-08-1126 min
The Holden Village PodcastPamela Adams: Beaver DetectiveThis episode is a conversation between Holden Villages Naturalist Nic Caddell and a member of our summer 2024 teaching faculty Pamela Adams, a self-appointed freelance beaver detective. Nic and Pamela discuss the importance of beavers and other keystone species and the art of noticing. At the time of this recording, cottonwood fluff floats in the air and villagers take refuge from the summer heat in our beloved Railroad Creek. We hope you enjoy this snapshot of Holden's summer community. Pamela Adams is an advocate for beavers rights and riparian and wetland habitat health. As a 2020 graduate o...
2024-07-1935 min
The Holden Village PodcastJohn TirroJohn Tirro is Pastor of Worship at St John's Lutheran Church (ELCA), in Knoxville, TN, and a composer of hymns, such as "To You All Hearts Are Open" (Holden Prayer Around the Cross, All Creation Sings). He has written hits for the pop end of Country radio (“So Much for Pretending” for Bryan White. “Imagine That” for Diamond Rio), as well as songs on best-selling albums by LeAnn Rimes and Rascal Flatts. Trained in classical and jazz piano and voice, he learned guitar while writing on artist’s tour buses and uses all three to lead workshops in new hym...
2023-08-2116 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-Street: Nic CaddellWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.In their time as Holden's naturalist, Nic Caddell has written curriculum, taught classes...
2023-08-2134 minThe Holden Village PodcastPaul & Carol Hinderlie: Searcher's CheckPaul Hinderlie began his earthly ministry making way too much wine and at the end was grilling fish for breakfast on the beach. Perhaps that's why Paul became a cook.Carol Lund Hinderlie first came to Holden as a young staff member. Soon thereafter she brought her whole family to visit and work, beginning a long and fulsome history with the Village. She and Paul were married at Holden, spent two years on staff in their twenties, and with friend Tom Ahlstrom served as Executive Directors from 2005 to 2010. They have two daughters, Julia and Katherine, and a...
2023-08-1024 min
The Holden Village PodcastThe Prayer of Jesus from Vespers '23: Bless this NightHeather, Steve, Mark and Rachel talk with Dev about the Prayer of Jesus...part of the new vespers service (Bless This Night) that was composed and released at Holden Village this year. They reflect on their process and some of the decisions that they made in translating the Lord's Prayer into contemporary language and setting it to music.The Prayer of JesusThe disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He said, when you pray, pray like this:O Holy One, who calls me beloved, you are in the air we breathe.
2023-07-2322 minThe Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-street: Affinitea Session IIWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.This Summer Dev hosted a tea and poetry event every Friday in the...
2023-06-2433 min
The Holden Village PodcastMaren Haynes MarchesiniDr. Maren Haynes Marchesini serves as Director of Worship & Music at Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana. Maren is a choral director, cellist, vocalist, composer, and scholar with broad-ranging musical interests. She holds a PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Washington where she focused on megachurches, gender, and ritual (specifically at the former Mars Hill Church), and she continues scholarly work in Christian music, ethics, and community, including a current research project at Holden Village. Maren brings a passion for community singing, diverse musical traditions, improvisation, collaboration, and play. Maren and Dane Ueland are longtime bandmates w...
2023-06-1718 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-street: Ava ShivelyWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.Ava Shively blessed the village with their presence not only as a maverick...
2023-06-0638 minThe Holden Village PodcastPrayer Around the CrossOnce a week, Holden Village initiates a contemplative vespers service titled Prayer Around the Cross. In this service, simple chants are sung while community members and guests are welcome to light a candle in prayer. Our singers this week included the talented Emily Meyer and Eleanor Sherry...and our guests included the schools from our May Youth Program.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through Apple iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, and most podcast...
2023-05-3116 min
The Holden Village PodcastLola DeaneFor this episode we have the amazing Lola Deane, who helped pioneer the Holden Store...as well as Island Books on Mercer Island.Past - Farm girl, UW Graduate as Family Nurse Practitioner, Wife, Mother, Mercer Island resident 1957-1985 and founder of Island Books, Shaw Island resident 1985-2019. Community Volunteer/Activist.Present - Mercer Island resident again, still a Mother, Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, resident of Covenant Shores, Volunteer at MIYS Thrift Shop in books, and still a Community/Activist with even more issues on my plate.Future - "Who Knows what the Future Holds?"
2023-05-1110 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-Street: Rachel CornwellWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.Rachel Cornwell grew up in Bellingham, WA and came to the Holden seeking...
2023-05-0619 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-Street: Tim CarlsonWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.Tim Carlson began his Holden journey in the late eighties with his wife...
2023-05-0606 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Main-Street: Cataloguing with KennedyWelcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.Kennedy Elholm grew up in Minnesota and came to the Village in 2022. Since...
2023-05-0613 min
The Holden Village PodcastIntroducing Vespers '23: Bless this NightIntroducing a brand new evening prayer service written by members of the long-term Holden community. This service debuted during May Youth Weekend and seeks to honor night and darkness as times of blessing and renewal in our lives. It also has themes of creation, embodiment, and justice. It will be one part of the musical offerings during Summer 2023. To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through Apple iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, and most podcast a...
2023-05-0216 minThe Holden Village PodcastHolden Mainstreet: Hannes/Willow/Nathan (Zebra Mussel Edition)Welcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.In this episode we are highlighting three fantastic musicians of the village (Hannes...
2023-05-0241 minThe Holden Village PodcastHolden Mainstreet: Hannes/Willow/Nathan (Pure Music)Welcome to Holden Main Street: a playful podcast series dedicated to capturing the daily life and creative musings of ordinary folk at Holden Village. Who are the people drawn to this wild and uniquely transformative mountain community? How do their descriptions of hilarity, wilderness living, shared work and interior exploration shape the landscape of their time here? Expect to be delighted by improvised stories, poetry readings, the sounds of tea being poured, songs being sung, and bits of whimsy inspired by the moment. Enjoy.In this episode we are highlighting three fantastic musicians of the village (Hannes...
2023-05-0213 minThe Holden Village PodcastOrigins of the Prayer of Good Courage with Nancy Winder (Updated Version)"I have been coming to Holden since 1971 and became intrigued with the Prayer of Good Courage early on because the prayer has been at Holden since the beginning, in 1963. I have been the unofficial historian of the prayer, especially in telling people who wrote it. It was not written by Marty Haugen, Carroll Hinderlie, Martin Luther, or a Holden committee."Pastor Nancy Winder has been a weekly preacher for thirty two years, with the last twenty seven as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Seattle. A sought after preacher, she has written about preaching and worship. Pastor...
2023-04-2106 min
The Holden Village PodcastA Holden Village Retrospective: Life in the 30's, 40's, and 50's with Ed MilesEd Miles lived and worked at the Holden mining community from 1936, fought in World War II, and was an employee of Howe Sound at Holden until the mine closure in 1957. Ed visited Holden Village in the summer of 2021 and was interviewed by Director Mark Bach and archivist Larry Howard during his visit. Ed recounts living first on Honeymoon Heights, then in Chalet 8 with his parents, and then later in the Winston housing tract west of the mining town. He met his wife in the Holden dining room and they raised their family at Holden like many other miner couples of...
2023-04-1809 min
The Holden Village PodcastMeet Team Naturaleza with Elisa Lopez and Monica ValleThrough their work with Team Naturaleza, Elisa and Monica are creating a space where the Hispanic/Latinx community can gather, learn about the environment bilingually, and gain a sense of belonging in the outdoors. In this episode, Elisa and Monica talk about what brought them to their work, and their experience spending a week at Holden. Team Naturaleza is one of the recipients of offerings collected at Holden this summer. You can learn more and support them with a donation on their website: https://www.teamnaturaleza.org/To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage...
2021-09-1515 min
The Holden Village PodcastA Postcolonial 'Alleluia with Hierald Osorto and Ben Masters"How do we bring forward a counternarrative to political oppression?""Those vestiges of colonialism when empire was present in a particular context, when it left, those forms of knowledge still exist and they're still informing how you make decisions and how you move with one another and we can ask those questions of the Lutheran Church." - Hierald"I think the questions we were asking around, who benefits from this kind of interpretation, and how does someone's history shape their story? Those are questions I want people to bring back to their communities." - Ben
2021-09-1414 min
The Holden Village PodcastGrappling and Playing with Beloved Liturgies with Liv Larson AndrewsPastor Liv Larson Andrews talks about her response to this week's programming, which reflected on themes of lightness and darkness in liturgy as well as the story of Hagar, and the experience of trying out new language in the Holden Evening Prayer.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through Apple iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, and most podcast apps. For questions and inquiries, contact podcast@holdenvillage.org.
2021-08-2907 min
The Holden Village PodcastIn the Studio with Kate Egolf - Virtual Programming Week 6"I realized my first year in this position that art is a muscle that you have to develop and flex and train to be in the flow to produce and cultivate inspiration." ~ Kate Egolf, PotterHolden Village has long been known for incredible programming, sparking minds and imaginations with insightful and engaging sessions. And now we're bringing Holden programming to you!Through this Virtual Programming series, we'll profile the amazing work of Holden Village. Journey along with us as we explore the arts, the kitchen, utilities, ceramics, garbology, and more, interviewing staff members and telling the s...
2021-08-1309 min
The Holden Village PodcastGarbology with Rachael Meadors - Virtual Programming Week 5"Garbology has increased my understanding of how we get into cycles of consumption and is also a way to be mindful, care for creation, and show respect for the interdependent web of which we are all a part of. " ~ Rachael Meadors, GarbologistHolden Village has long been known for incredible programming, sparking minds and imaginations with insightful and engaging sessions. And now we're bringing Holden programming to you! Through this Virtual Programming series, we'll profile the amazing work of Holden Village. Journey along with us as we explore the arts, the kitchen, utilities, ceramics, garbology, and more...
2021-08-1017 min
The Holden Village PodcastCultivating Native Plants with Amy Tongue - Virtual Programming Week 3"According to the Audubon society, over the past century, urbanization has taken intact, ecologically productive land and fragmented and transformed it with lawns and exotic ornamental plants. The continental U.S. lost a staggering 150 million acres of habitat and farmland to urban sprawl, and that trend isn't slowing." Amy Tongue, NaturalistHolden Village has long been known for incredible programming, sparking minds and imaginations with insightful and engaging sessions. And now we're bringing Holden programming to you!Through this Virtual Programming series, we'll profile the amazing work of Holden Village. Journey along with us as...
2021-07-2616 min
The Holden Village PodcastQuestioning our Practices in the Art Studio with Kelly Snyder - Virtual Programming Week 2"We are focusing on curiosity and making space for questioning our practices, processes, and crafts. That fits into our summer theme of Samaritan Traveler of approaching projects without expectation, and allowing the processes to unfold out of curiosity and play. Then we leave with a deeper understanding of the practice, the materials, and ourselves." ~ Kelly Snyder, Craft Studio CoordinatorHolden Village has long been known for incredible programming, sparking minds and imaginations with insightful and engaging sessions. And now we're bringing Holden programming to you!Through this Virtual Programming series, we'll profile the amazing work...
2021-07-2009 min
The Holden Village PodcastHellos and Goodbyes with Emer Kate - Virtual Programming Week 1"There are so many people coming in and out of the village. Hellos and goodbyes are a way to acknowledge the time we have with this group of people as a community, be grateful, try to experience everything as fully as we can (without thinking of the end), be present, and then let go." ~ Emer Kate Sanders, Holden Program AssociateHolden Village has long been known for incredible programming, sparking minds and imaginations with insightful and engaging sessions. And now we're bringing Holden programming to you!Through this Virtual Programming series, we'll profile the amazing w...
2021-07-1306 min
The Holden Village PodcastGood People, Good Food, Good Earth with Chance Voigt"Holden exists for what Holden does down lake... The food philosophy is here to bring people into a way of thinking about food that they can bring with them when they leave." ~ Chance VoigtFrom 2017, Chance worked and lived in the village as the Food Services Coordinator, as well as Community Services Manager. He graduated from Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California.To learn more about the Holden Kitchen philosophy and local partnerships visit: https://www.holdenvillage.org/about-us/kitchen.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen...
2021-06-1821 min
The Holden Village PodcastPorch Preservation Project with John, Harrison, and Chris"We have a treasure. The buildings here are fragile and susceptible to damage and deterioration. It is our privilege to be able care for them and be able to pass them on to next generations." ~ John Lauber"So many experiences from the people that have come to Holden Village have included a special time on these porches. They in themselves are a sacred space." ~ Chris Gustafson"If you drive through the countryside and see an old barn, in all likelihood, you start recreating a story of what was in that barn, or why that barn...
2021-06-0121 min
The Holden Village PodcastIntroducing Stacy, Mark, and Kathie and the 2021 Summer ThemeKathie Caemmerer-Bach, Mark Bach, and Stacy Kitahata serve as Holden Village Executive Directors. Listen to how they first came to know Holden, what sharing the work of directors is like, as well as hearing about this coming summer's theme, "The Samaritan Traveler - Encounter, Embrace, Embark - Luke 10".
In their shared leadership vision, Kathie, Mark, and Stacy contemplate a Holden Village for the Life of the World. They hold common commitments to nurturing and empowering community that engages diversity, interfaith dialogue, spiritual practice, environmental justice, and holy hilarity.
Kathie, holding an MA in Education, has served in leadership positions with...
2021-05-2119 min
The Holden Village PodcastCreating A Wellness Pod Through A Community Covenant"The covenant is more than just a set of rules. The process for creating it was key to healing and developing new relationships and allows a place like Holden to thrive through a spirit of care and compassion for one another." ~ SarahSarah Sherry, Mark Bach, Callie Mabry, and Tori Kerssen-Griep discuss how the village navigated the pandemic and created a wellness pod through a community covenant. In September 2020, the Holden Village community collectively explored the possibility of forming a “pod of wellness” in which everyone who has completed a two-week quarantine without symptoms or illness is cons...
2021-05-0711 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood for Thought with Katherine HarrisThis podcast is part of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower winter months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a weekly Village "Day of Action" that invites civic and political...
2021-04-3006 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden School Presents 'It Takes a Village' with Eleanor Sherry"For so many people, the heart of this village is the constant flow of guests and volunteer staff that contribute to daily upkeep, fascinating conversations, and holy hilarity. The big question is do we have anything up here without that?" ~ Eleanor SherryEleanor is a sophomore in the Holden School. As a culminating project, she interviewed villagers about their experiences over the years, capturing multi-generational perspectives about what Holden Village is, was, and continues to be. The four questions asked included: 1) What was a time you feared for your life? 2) What was it like living here as...
2021-04-2030 minThe Holden Village PodcastFinding Faith in Feathered Friends with Holly Hughes"When I look back on my life, I see that birds have always been part of my family, speaking to me, sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly... I can't imagine my life without birds, even if their presence is fleeting. They are my family, my relations, without them the world would be a less vibrant, less musical place." from Passings - Holly J. Hughes.
Holly is a writing teacher, poet and essayist with a long-time interest in writing, nature and contemplative practice. She has taught writing workshops at Fishtrap, the Rainier Writers Workshop, and Edmonds Write on the Sound, as well as...
2021-04-1315 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood For Thought with Anneliese FloydThis podcast is part of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a weekly Village "Day of Action" that invites civic and political engagement...
2021-03-2312 min
The Holden Village PodcastComposition, Choir, and Covid-19 with Cooper Sherry"The goal of each movement is to communicate an impression of some aspect of life in the remote wilderness setting and unique community experience that Holden Village provides."Cooper Sherry wrote the Holden Piano Suite, a series of reflections in seven movements, during a six-month stay at Holden Village from August to February 2020 - 2021. At home, Cooper is a church music director living in the Pacific Northwest. He has served as a Lutheran church music director for many years, and is an enthusiast of music for the piano, pipe organ, choir, and church congregation. He is married...
2021-03-1217 min
The Holden Village PodcastTrails Crew Work during the Pandemic with JonahHolden seeks a Trail Crew Coordinator for the upcoming summer! Visit the following link for more information: http://www.holdenvillage.org/volunteer/short-term-volunteers/Jonah Jensen-Young currently serves as the podcast author and audio archive assistant. He has lived at Holden the past three years. Beyond the audio work, he helps every summer with trail crews and joining Forest Service projects maintaining and improving trails surrounding the village.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is...
2021-02-2605 min
The Holden Village PodcastCascade Wolverine Project and Winter Snowpack with Steph, Drew, and David"I spent a lot of years skiing near Leavenworth and now, in the past decade, in the Methow Valley. Railroad Creek Valley is a blend of those two snowscapes. The climate here is not quite as cold as the Twisp River, but the snowpack is deeper, and tends to be more consistent than Icicle Creek Canyon." - Drew Lovell Drew Lovell is a ski guide and avalanche forecaster in the North Cascades, as well as the Alaskan Wrangell-St.Elias region. Educated as a geologist at the University of Montana, Drew has previous experience as a field biologist a...
2021-02-1009 minThe Holden Village PodcastIntroducing Stacy, Mark, and Kathie and the 2021 Summer ThemeKathie Caemmerer-Bach, Mark Bach, and Stacy Kitahata serve as Holden Village Executive Directors. Listen to how they first came to know Holden, what sharing the work of directors is like, as well as hearing about this coming summer's theme, "The Samaritan Traveler - Encounter, Embrace, Embark - Luke 10".In their shared leadership vision, Kathie, Mark, and Stacy contemplate a Holden Village for the Life of the World. They hold common commitments to nurturing and empowering community that engages diversity, interfaith dialogue, spiritual practice, environmental justice, and holy hilarity.Kathie, holding an MA in Education, has...
2021-02-1019 min
The Holden Village PodcastUtilities Off the Grid with Ian Goller"The basic idea and why we argue that its more carbon neutral to get our heat from wood rather than diesel, is the distinction between what's called short-cycle and long-cycle carbon. Wood is considered short-cycle carbon because trees are pulling CO2 out of the air. When you burn wood its functioning on a much shorter timescale in regards to circulating CO2. The time scale on which carbon gets stored in fossil fuels is thousands of years as opposed to a couple decades."Ian Goller completed a B.S. in Anthropology at the University of Chicago with a...
2021-02-0335 min
The Holden Village PodcastSocially-Engaged Art with DOEprojektsDeborah Adams Doering received her MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her individual works focus on the relationship of keywords Nature and Technology. Glenn N. Doering received his MS in Biology from Loyola University of Chicago. His individual works explore keywords Biology, Body, and Fashion. He creates unique wearable objects.Both Deborah and Glenn are founders and lead artists in the socially-engaged art collaborative DOEprojekts. They emphasize both experiences and artifacts as they work with communities and individuals, drawing upon Coreforms and cultural keywords as invitations to interact.For further information...
2021-01-2807 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood for Thought with Marta and MadiThis podcast is part of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower winter months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a weekly Village "Day of Action" that invites civic and political...
2021-01-1408 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood for Thought with Marta and JuliaContent warning: colonialism, violence against Indigenous peoples, and themes of traumaThis podcast is part of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower winter months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a...
2021-01-0313 min
The Holden Village PodcastTechnology Updates at Holden with Jonah and Corky"Holden is still very much a place apart in part because of the satellite link - the very thin and slow thread to the outside world. Nonetheless, the goal here for computer technology is to facilitate business and give people more time to enjoy the environment, not to make people stare at a device all the time. The pandemic prompted adaptation. Technology is integrated into the Holden way and is facilitating what Holden does in terms of engaging people in this unique space. I'm not sure we could have envisioned this a year ago."Corky Searls is...
2020-12-1626 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood for Thought with Kelly and CallieThis podcast is part of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower winter months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a weekly Village "Day of Action" that invites civic and political...
2020-12-0613 min
The Holden Village PodcastThe Jesse Tree Tradition with Steve and Amy TongueAmy Tongue worked as head of Lawns and Gardens and is the Naturalist for the coming summer. Steve Tongue is currently Operations Manager. They're from Alpena, Michigan on beautiful Thunder Bay of Lake Huron. They first lived at Holden Village in the early 1990s. The Jesse Tree is an Advent tradition during the days leading up to Christmas. It is meant to be done as a daily family devotional, or with a group.Advent is a time of preparing and waiting. The word "advent" means "coming." The Jesse tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "Then a shoot will...
2020-11-2606 min
The Holden Village PodcastFood for Thought with Andrew and SophiaThis podcast marks the start of a series called Food for Thought. The meal table is a place of gathering, conversation, connection, and nourishment. During the slower winter months, Food For Thought is a weekly practice at Holden Village promoting dialogue in the dining hall. It is grassroots led and infused by the curiosities and passions of the people present in the Valley, inviting Villagers to engage our shared intellect and insight as we discuss a wide range of topics over lunch. It is action-oriented and justice-centered, partnered with a weekly Village "Day of Action" that invites civic and...
2020-11-1908 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Fire Systems and Wildfires with Jeff Pierce and Danny PavekIn the spring of 2015, volunteer fire marshall Jeff Pierce said, "I looked at the Holden leadership and said, we are not going into fire season in a drought year and record temperatures with a 80 percent complete system that's just waiting for a water source...the timing was phenomenal, because we had a functioning system a month before the lightning strike" (that started the Wolverine Creek Fire).Jeff served 26 years as a driver/engineer for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue in northern Oregon. Since 1992 he has been working with Holden Village in developing the fire program and improving and...
2020-10-1237 min
The Holden Village PodcastQuarantine Quarterly with Becca Carcaterra"There is something about the written word that makes people feel comfortable putting parts of themselves out there that might not come out in small talk or in a conversation in a normal busy summer. Especially with the Village being a safe and intimate community, as we have all gone through the pandemic together. There has been a sense that you can put things out there and know that they will be held and the Q.Q. is a great space for that."Becca Carcaterra lives at Holden Village and serves on the Human Resources team. She...
2020-09-0409 min
The Holden Village PodcastVoices Calling for Radical Love and Justice with John Noltner"We use stories to connect, bridge divides, and build community. Watch and listen to these stories and use them as a lever towards important conversations. Loving one another comes from listening, engagement, and treating every person with respect. This is how we find ways to live better together."A gifted storyteller, Noltner has worked on four continents, gathering stories of human courage, grace, and resilience. He has produced projects for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. A Peace of My Mind reflects his belief that art and storytelling can help individuals, organizations and communities articulate their...
2020-08-1309 min
The Holden Village PodcastRe-forming Intercultural Relationships with Stacey Kitahata, Claire Smith, and Rediet Mulugeta"Whiteness perpetuates itself by denying it's existence. That is one of the biggest hurdles to try and overcome. Continue to name whiteness, even when we're uncomfortable talking about it. Avoid the temptation to spin off into generalizations about society or political agendas and own that part of ourselves." ~ Claire SmithStarting September 2020, Stacy Kitahata (she/her) is Co-Executive Director, Holden Village and Retreat Center, with Kathie and Mark Bach. Stacey is a graduate of UCLA and McCormick Theological Seminary, She comes with over 25 years of leadership experience with faith communities, grassroots organizations and higher education. She served...
2020-07-2111 min
The Holden Village PodcastFirst Nations Algonquin-Metis and Anishinaabe heritage with Leah Yellowbird"Take care of your spirit because you're in a world where spirits get eaten. It's easy to drown in day to day monotony and hate. When I got off the boat at Lucerne, I could tell Holden was a place I didn't have to worry. Part of that is the view. The beauty gives everyone a bit of a serene feeling."Intricate, graceful, thought provoking and prolific – these are all words that have been used to describe the elaborate masterwork of Leah Yellowbird. Originally a traditional bead-worker, she identifies strongly with her First Nations Algonquin-Metis and Anishinaabe he...
2020-07-1309 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden Mining Days with Betty Frye and Alana Horton"These were the best 10 years of my life. I loved living here and never felt isolated. Raising children, it was a relief not having to worry about them. We left in 1956. I'm glad Holden lives on, instead of having been wiped out or becoming a ghost town." Betty Frye worked as a waitress in the dining hall and lived at Holden, with her family between the years of 1945 and 1956. In the village, she met her husband Jack, who worked in the mine, and also raised two kids. Her youngest daughter is Alana Horton. Linda Breitag (interviewer), writes s...
2020-07-0936 min
The Holden Village PodcastGood News In A World Of Bad News with Jason Mahn"When I'm at the correctional facility, it's hard to know who's the teacher and who's the student. One inmate, convicted of murder at age fifteen, had never been involved in gang activity or violence. One year prior to his crime, he was shot eight times outside his house and a police officer, instead of rushing to his aide was standing over him, as he was bleeding on the ground saying, "you see what you gangbangers get?", presupposing that he deserved this, that this was just punishment. It was a self-fulfilling prophecy. This police officer assumed he was involved in...
2020-06-2208 min
The Holden Village PodcastReligion, Immigration and Race with Jason DeRose"A congregation decided to stop calling the police, saying that is an act of justice on their part. Things go south, if the people you're calling the police on are African American. There's a tendency to be more afraid and to call the police in unwarranted situations, but also a tendency if those situations involve police that they become violent."Jason DeRose is Western Bureau Chief and Senior Editor at NPR News. He edits stories from Colorado to Hawaii and oversees national coverage of religion, LGBTQ issues, and Native American issues. Before joining NPR, he was a...
2020-06-1408 min
The Holden Village PodcastRe-examining Biblical Stories with Glenn JordanRemembering Glenn Jordan by the Corrymeela Community https://www.corrymeela.org/news/184/remembering-glenn-jordan"In every situation we find ourselves, particularly at the margins of life, we need to evaluate each time in the light of compassion. Stories help us do that by forcing us to think broader, wider, and differently about situations. Stories establish a principle that compassion trumps the law and invite us to bring that principle into the complexity of our everyday life."Glenn was a public theologian working with Corrymeela, the oldest peace and reconciliation organization in Northern Ireland. Corrymeela's public theology...
2020-06-1005 min
The Holden Village PodcastBridging the Great Racial Divide with Mark Washington and Michael Coffey"The biblical passage: what men intend for evil, God uses for good, is exactly what has happened in this situation but, I believe there is a lot more good that can be done. There are a lot of other connections and relationships that need to happen. That will only happen when people who are not used to talking to each other begin to connect to one another."Michael Coffey is the Pastor of First English Lutheran Church, Austin, TX and Author of Renounce, Resist, Rejoice: Being Church in the Age of Trump. Wipf & Stock. 2017 and Mystery without...
2020-06-1008 min
The Holden Village PodcastExploring Salvation History with Daniel Castillo"My work is in liberation theology and environmental ethics, taking into consideration the relationship between the cries of the earth and poor and what it means to be Christian and living in response to those cries."Daniel Castillo is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland, where he also contributes to the Environmental Studies and Peace & Justice programs. He earned his Ph. D. at the University of Notre Dame in 2014. Dan’s teaching and research focuses on the intersection of liberation theology, environmental ethics, and the theological interpretation of scripture. He has published ess...
2020-05-1614 min
The Holden Village PodcastHallie Parkins on Bach "Cello Suite No. 1"Cellist Hallie Parkins is an avid performer, collaborator, and advocate for social justice. She is also a recently ordained pastor at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Tacoma, WA. In 2014, she completed her undergraduate studies at Oberlin Conservatory, where she studied with Darrett Adkins. She also completed a Bachelors of Arts at Oberlin College, studying feminist and womanist religion.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through Apple iTunes, Spotify, TuneIn, iHeart Radio, and most podcast...
2020-05-1114 min
The Holden Village PodcastSharon Varallo Speaks to Mass Incarceration"We know globally, the U.S. has five percent of the world's population but twenty percent of the world's incarcerated population. The U.S. puts more people in prison and for longer, compared with any other country."Sharon received her BA from William and Mary, her MA from North Carolina and her PhD from Ohio State. She teaches in the Department of Communication Studies at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Her scholarly interests originated in relational communication and include cultural expressions of time. In recent years her interests have taken a sharp turn toward j...
2020-05-0726 min
The Holden Village PodcastInspiring Hope and Reformation with Amanda Weber"Choir is so antithetical to the prison system at large. For so many of these woman, they are entering prison with immense trauma.. What we're seeing is great healing and a lot of skills that are being built around leadership and being in community with people that are different. There is a change in mindset, because as a choir member, you are listening to other people and understanding your voice is contributing to something that is greater than yourself. The experience is helping woman get through their time in a way that's healthier but also hopefully making a difference...
2020-04-2908 min
The Holden Village PodcastWoodcarving with John ThompsonJohn Thompson has a fine arts degree from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. He started carving in 1990, making a carousel in Missoula Montana. He is now a printmaker that spends most of his time carving wood and some stone carving. He has been teaching printmaking workshops since 1980, and carving workshops since the early 2000s. You can see some of his work at www.hobbyhorsearts.com.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: http://www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org. The Holden Village Podcast is accessible through...
2020-04-2106 min
The Holden Village PodcastBorderlands, Rituals of Resistance, and Popular Music with Octavio Carrasco"My goal is to present questions and ideas to get people to talk to each other. What we have in common is greater than what makes us different."Octavio Pascal Carrasco is a historian of American culture and music with special interest in the processes of social change, cultural resistance, and the religious imagination. As an undergraduate student at Princeton University, he was blessed to work with Dr. Cornel West, exploring the religious dimensions of Tupac Shakur’s music and death. He completed his Masters Degree at Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, CA with Re...
2020-03-2809 min
The Holden Village PodcastField Recording with Thomas Rex Beverly"It's wonderful being able to routinely record here without any sort of noise pollution. In order to have one square inch of natural silence, you need a thousand square miles around you, roughly fifteen miles of silence in any direction. It's really rare to find places that have natural silence."Thomas Rex Beverly is a field recordist and composer exploring our evolving planet. His mission is to preserve endangered environments through sound in order to raise awareness and inspire people to protect unique acoustic ecosystems. Thomas unites his love of field recording, composition and acoustic ecology in...
2020-03-1912 min
The Holden Village PodcastRadio Drama by Holden's SchoolStudents learned about the radio drama format, sound recording and creating effects. The fable, "More Than a Match" is posted by permission from the author Aaron Sheppard. The moral says "offer the world what you expect to receive from it."The Holden Village School is a public school operated by the Chelan School District under state provisions for schools that are remote but necessary. It meets all state educational requirements and credits earned are transferable. The kindergarten through 12th grade curriculum meets the educational needs of the children of long-term staff families.To learn more...
2020-03-0909 min
The Holden Village PodcastRailroad Creek Chamber Music Festival with Janice Gockel"We get used to the stuffiness of concert halls, but music doesn't have to be that way. Guests attending Holden are hearing chamber music throughout the village at various times of day." Janice Gockel has enjoyed a lifelong love affair with music. She holds degrees in viola performance and has been inspiring violin and viola students of all ages for more than 40 years. Remembering her own early childhood musical experiences, Janice fell in love with Music Together®. She became a registered Music Together® teacher and has completed advanced Certification training. Janice is the founder/conductor of H...
2020-02-2710 min
The Holden Village PodcastLooking Ethically with Christa Olson"Rhetoric provides tools for understanding a world where we can't always know what is true, but must still move forward. We must be critical viewers of images and know the stories and histories behind them, but also know that there's good reason to allow pictures to make us act. It's not naive to be moved."Christa Olson teaches about writing, rhetoric, and visual culture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she is an Associate Professor of English. In addition to researching 19th and early 20th century visual culture in Latin America, she regularly writes about news photography...
2020-02-2011 min
The Holden Village PodcastModern African American Fiction Writers with Paul Olson"Good literature creates a kind of understanding and empathy, that when it touches your heart, it changes you. It raises consciousness. You are eager to look at all people with different eyes and understand people's stories. Our heart becomes larger. The beauty of simple things that are beyond the practical and institutionalized, provide awesome statements of love and sharing and connectedness to what's really important."Paul was born in Wisconsin, raised in Minnesota, and college educated (B.A. history & English) at Luther College in Iowa. He then earned a Ph.D. in English at the University of...
2020-02-0610 min
The Holden Village PodcastReformation Through White Anti-Racism with Aana Vigen"If we stop at reading books, watching documentaries, and having safe conversations with the people we most know, then we will not be able to help much in the cause for racial justice. We all need to be part of this work for the sake of our world, our relationships, and our own moral formation."Aana Marie Vigen is an Associate Professor of Christian Social Ethics at Loyola University Chicago. She is passionate about advocacy and education on white anti-racism, climate change and Christian moral agency. She is also passionate about her local congregation, Holy Trinity Lutheran...
2020-01-2912 min
The Holden Village PodcastResident Artists Sam Olson and Sam Genualdi"I'm realizing that a song is a kind of story. Stories are expressions of togetherness. They're all we have to bridge the phenomenal gulf of our experiences. Through story telling, we come close to perceiving together."Born in Portland, Oregon with Montana roots, Sam Olson, like his poetic aspirations, can't decide if he should wear a Stetson with his raincoat. He gets inspiration from Greyhound windows and dreams. Blessed to join Holden as a 2019 Resident Artist, he wrote about finding salmon in places they shouldn't be. Check out his work at http://www.ourfeetonearth.com
2020-01-1915 min
The Holden Village PodcastCascades Wolverine Project"We have so many humans on this planet... As we have a stronger and bigger desire to connect with natural places, we need to be careful that we are doing so in a way that is respectful of the other animals that live here."Stephanie Williams, professional mountain guide and independent field biologist, is the project’s co-founder and manager. Steph earned an undergraduate degree in Biological Science while working as a research assistant in chemical and landscape ecology at Boise State University. She also trained in alpine, rock, and ski guiding with the American Mountain Guides As...
2020-01-1015 min
The Holden Village PodcastTheological Symbolism in the Music of J.S. Bach"Bach is certainly one of the greatest Lutheran composers ever. However, there are many who think he was not just musician and composer, but equal parts theologian. The main ways he embedded theology into music were through word painting and cross and number symbolism. Bach always signed his manuscripts, SDG "Soli Deo Gloria" to God alone be the glory. The embedded symbolism was intended for God."Dr. Alexa Doebele is associate professor of music and Director of Choral Activities at Concordia University Wisconsin, where she conducts three choirs in addition to teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in...
2020-01-0209 min
The Holden Village PodcastOrigins of the Prayer of Good Courage with Nancy Winder"I have been coming to Holden since 1971 and became intrigued with the Prayer of Good Courage early on because the prayer has been at Holden since the beginning, in 1963. I have been the unofficial historian of the prayer, especially in telling people who wrote it. It was not written by Marty Haugen, Carroll Hinderlie, Martin Luther, or a Holden committee."Pastor Nancy Winder has been a weekly preacher for thirty two years, with the last twenty seven as pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Seattle. A sought after preacher, she has written about preaching and worship. Pastor...
2019-12-2306 min
The Holden Village PodcastCalligraphy with Laura Norton"Calligraphic words are something to gaze upon. They reach different parts of the heart and mind then when reading words in a traditional font. Adding the visual element gets people to slow down, dwell upon, pay attention to, and perhaps get insights from the words, that they wouldn't have otherwise."Laura Norton is an artist whose spiritual practice includes weekly creating calligraphic designs which are used in churches across the U.S. and Canada, aiming to visually enliven biblical texts from the lectionary. A professional calligrapher, she works with a wide variety of media to add hand-lettered words to paper...
2019-12-2309 min
The Holden Village PodcastAvalanche Awareness with Mr. Em"I have been doing avalanche awareness education since the seventies and during that time, I've had people come back and tell me what I said in my presentation helped save their life. That is huge payment. I do this work as a volunteer. The community has been good to me and I want to give back. It's like paying rent."Roland Emetaz "Mr. Em" has been coming to Holden Village since 2004. He helped start the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) and has been on the board since 1998. Mr. Em is a retired Forester with the US Forest Service, Pacific NW Region...
2019-12-1419 min
The Holden Village PodcastClearness Committee with Annemarie Russell and Erik Samuelson"The Quaker practice called clearness committee is about silence, deeply listening to someone else's story, and cultivating space for the inner teacher to emerge. It's not about telling someone what to do or even helping a person figure a problem out, it's about opening space so they can do the work themselves."Music excerpt from Fireside Concert by Annemarie Russell (guitar/vocal) and Hallie Parkins (cello) August 15, 2019Rev. Erik Samuelson is a minister of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and a Coach with Vibrant Faith. He has been working in the area of vocational discernment...
2019-12-0511 min
The Holden Village PodcastApplied Improvisation with David Westerlund"What fuels and enables great improv are the very same things we need to build relational infrastructure of our organizations. Things like cultivating presence, empathy, supporting each other, and being agile in the moment... Improv is about loosening our grip on control, which can be a difficult thing, but when we experience that in the context of play... it builds that visceral experience of maybe I don't need control in this other situation in work or life."David approaches life and the world with a growing curiosity, wonder, and a posture of "Yes". He savors Ignatian and Jesuit spirituality and...
2019-11-2611 min
The Holden Village PodcastHarp Music Therapy with Laurence Furr"The more people meditate or have a prayer life, the more unified we become. It is hard to pray or meditate with holding on to anger or hate." Harp music helps us be contemplative, cleansing our soul through immersion in a sound bath. In this podcast, listen to how Laurence Furr became a certified Harp Therapist, followed by the track, "Jasmine" from his album, "Ylang Ylang" * posted with artist permission.Dr. Laurence Furr is Cantor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Ft. Worth, Texas. Dr. Furr is also a Certified Clinical Musician and Certified Therapeutic Harp Practitioner and works as a therapeutic...
2019-11-1709 min
The Holden Village PodcastPoetry and Personal Journeys with Kai Carlson-Wee"She had been carrying this poem around with her for so many years. It changed the way I thought about language and art... A lot of times, poetry is a very private thing. People come to poetry to have that personal relationship..."Kai Carlson-Wee is the author of RAIL (BOA Editions, 2018). He has received fellowships from the MacDowell Colony, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, the Sewanee Writers' Conference, and his work has appeared in Ploughshares, Best New Poets, AGNI, New England Review, The Southern Review, Gulf Coast, and The Missouri Review, which awarded him the 2013 Editor’s Prize. His photography ha...
2019-08-1112 min
The Holden Village PodcastNeighbors In Faith With Terry Kyllo"Dehumanization is on the rise. We have to be really thoughtful in our understanding of what it is and how it functions. Dehumanization is when someone proposes there is an us and them and the them is a threat to the vulnerable, our culture, or our physical existence. When someone proposes a them that might be a threat, the fear becomes real even if the threat isn't."The Rev. Terry Kyllo is a Lutheran pastor serving as the director of Neighbors in Faith. He began this work part-time in September of 2016 and full-time in September 0f 2017. A graduate of the...
2019-07-2210 min
The Holden Village PodcastThe Vision Of Beloved Community With Asa Lee"The powerful way in which Dr. King expressed beloved community is that this is hard work, but it is good work and beloved community becomes generative. Yes, it's difficult to talk with family and friends about racism, difficult to be defined, and not be grandiosing yourself, those are hard concepts, but when you do it, the community thrives, it generates itself, people want to be apart of it. This is a really important notion, at a time when we are tearing each other apart, that we can actually find ways to build each other up."Rev. Dr. Lee currently serves...
2019-07-2208 min
The Holden Village PodcastWhat is White Talk and How to Avoid It with Jeff Kerssen-Griep"White talk involves routines in speaking that sound like they are advancing the conversation, but really are ending the conversation. These patterns are ways of saying I don't want to talk about this. I'm skeptical about it. I'm a good person. I'm not going to understand this stuff at a systemic level, so I'm responding to it as though it's about the person I am and the choices I'm making."Jeff Kerssen-Griep is a Professor of Communication at the University of Portland, where he especially enjoys teaching Intercultural, Interpersonal, and Barrier-crossing communication courses. His research and workshops help teachers and...
2019-06-0113 min
The Holden Village PodcastPeace of My Mind with John Noltner"I was frustrated with the quality of our national dialogue and concerned with all of the things that ask us to look at what separates us. I wondered if I could use my photography and storytelling instead to look at what connect us."John is a Minnesota-based photographer. For 25 years he has made images for national magazines, Fortune 500 companies, and non-profit organizations. In 2009 he founded A Peace of My Mind, a multimedia arts project that explores our common humanity through portraits and storytelling as he asks people from across the country to consider the simple question, “What does peace mean to...
2018-10-1509 min
The Holden Village PodcastBecoming an Irish Poet with Pádraig Ó Tuama"Lyrical poetry carries at it's heart the radical belief that the self narrating I can have something to offer the wide world. That the individual might say, I have something to say, and it might not be just for yourself, it might somehow be a place in which many peoples find deep narrative echo of their own lives."Poet, theologian and group worker, Pádraig has worked with groups in Ireland, Britain, the US and Australia. With interests in storytelling, group work, theology and conflict, Pádraig lectures, leads retreats and writes both poetry and prose. He holds a Bachelor of...
2018-09-0410 min
The Holden Village PodcastGrandpa's Letter with Larry Rasmussen"The early Anthropocene is where I leave my life behind and you begin yours. You cannot know what I would give so you did not live out your days on this trajectory of climate instability, mass uncertainty, and breath taking extinction across the community of life. I pray that you are able to bring adaptation from distress. What I know, is that Anthropocene citizens who continue Holocene habits, doom their children. Nonetheless, the world has not stopped being beautiful, so claim the beauty that is. Beauty is it's own resistance."Larry L. Rasmussen is Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social...
2018-08-2218 min
The Holden Village PodcastThe Holden Mine Remediation Project with Mario Isaias-VeraMario is an Environmental Engineer with the US Forest Service and has oversight responsibility for the mine remediation project at Holden Village.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.org or to listen to more audio recordings visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org
2018-05-0507 min
The Holden Village PodcastMaking Art at Holden with 2017 Artist in Residence- Carrie LarsonThe Holden Village Artist Residency in Ecology, Spirituality, and Social Justice awards professional artists the opportunity to work and live for six weeks in the remote mountain community of Holden Village.With a new set of Holden Village Artists in Residence arriving this week, tune in to hear from 2017 Artist in Residence: Carrie Larson!Carrie Larson, a visual artist currently based in Hoquiam, Washington, has always called the Northwest home. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993 from Whitman College in Walla Walla, where she was privileged to study art under Keiko Hara. There she was introduced to Book...
2018-02-2409 min
The Holden Village PodcastMaking Music at Holden with 2017 Artists in Residence- The Living ArrowsThe Holden Village Artist Residency in Ecology, Spirituality, and Social Justice awards professional artists the opportunity to work and live for six weeks in the remote mountain community of Holden Village.With a new set of Holden Village Artists in Residence arriving this week, tune in to hear from 2017 Artists in Residence: The Living Arrows!The Living Arrows are Traesti, Loren, and Alexandra, a musical triohailing from Bellingham, WA. Through evocative lyrics & harmonies,lilting saxophone sounds, dreamy guitar-scapes, and driving rhythms,they explore the range of the human experience. Inspired by the Pacific Northwest bioregion and the loving community in...
2018-02-2417 min
The Holden Village PodcastHolden: The Mine and the Village with Linda JensenLinda first arrived in Holden as a child in August of 1951 when the Village was a mining community. Linda has volunteered with museum projects since 1999. Her goal is to help people understand the activities and folks who are part of the 100 plus years of history in this beautiful valley.To learn more about Holden Village, visit: www.holdenvillage.orgTo hear more from Linda Jensen, visit: http://audio.holdenvillage.org/node/4001
2017-12-0207 min
The Holden Village PodcastPoetry with Elizabeth Austen"Every Dress a Decision is a poem from my collection that I often think of when I'm here at Holden, because I love to hike here. So many other people hike here and then there's always that question of do we hike alone? This poem is called the girl who goes alone."As the Washington State Poet Laureate for 2014-16, Elizabeth Austen traveled to all of the state's 39 counties, offering writing workshops and giving readings. Her collection Every Dress a Decision (Blue Begonia Press, 2011) was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. She’s also the author of two ch...
2017-11-1011 min
The Holden Village PodcastDeep Time and Environmental Ethics with Dan Spencer"Biomimicry is thinking about design that's inspired by nature. Since the industrial revolution, humans have been relying on fossil fuel technologies requiring heat, beat, and treat methods. Meaning, in order to support new technologies and get our new devices and materials, we subject products to very high temperatures, pressure, and often times, toxic chemicals, all of which consume unsustainable amounts of energy . The genius of life is that nature is able to design all the things it needs to survive and thrive within the constraints of the ambient atmosphere and environment. Using biomimicry to rethink our energy needs and develop...
2017-10-1411 min
The Holden Village PodcastThe Widow with Alan Storey"The widow is the reality and the metaphor of all vulnerable peoples and if the widow is not cared for, if we don't prioritize the vulnerable, then all of society will collapse. But the converse is equally true and promising, that if we look after the widow, then society will develop, because it will be built on justice."Alan is a Gospel story-teller located in Cape Town South Africa. Alan serves in and through the Central Methodist Mission and is an ordained Methodist minister. Alan was the last conscientious objector brought to trial in Apartheid South Africa for refusing military...
2017-07-0906 min
The Holden Village PodcastMindful Meditation with Suba Nadarajah"Meditation is simply allowing us time to pause and breathe, a place in our mind where there is no judgment and no reservations. A place only to allow us to be peaceful, happy, healthier and a better us." Subashini (Suba) Nadarajah is the Global Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at VMLY&R. She is responsible for promoting and celebrating diversity to increase cultural literacy, awareness, and acceptance within VMLY&R and through partnerships. Suba has also been an adjunct professor at the Kansas City Art Institute, where she taught branding and design systems. She believes that art and design, c...
2016-08-1511 min