Makers & Mystics

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by L. Frank Baum, has been heralded as “The Great American Fairy Tale.” Generations of both young and old alike have been fascinated by this whimsical tale since the early 1900’s. When the book was first published, it became an immediate bestseller and was translated into multiple languages as well as adapted to Broadway musicals and several silent films. Frank Baum had reimagined the traditional fairytale and created a story so universal, it caught on like wildfire, and still today, over 120 years later, new adaptations continue to emerge.Today’s artist profile gives a small glimpse into the life of the man who brought this story to life and calls listeners to consider the sometimes fraught relationship between artists and the church as seen in Frank's own spiritual journey. Join the Makers & Mystics Creative Collective and help us continue to be an advocate for the relationship between art and faith. Music in this episode by: Glassea Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

There is a relationship between grief and transcendence that may not be immediately recognizable. But it’s one often expressed within art and in particular, children’s literature. Whether it’s Lewis’s wardrobe to Narnia, Dorothy’s house transported by cyclone to Oz or a bridge to Terabithia built across a chasm of loss. Grief has a way of transporting us to a fantastical world of imagination where we can more easily grapple with the difficulties of loss and even find closure to the trauma that sent us looking for relief. In this episode, Makers & Mystics host Stephen Roach talks with children's book author Katherine Paterson about the motivations behind her writing and why she feels it is important to create a safe space through art and literature for young adults to work through difficult emotions and experiences. Katherine Paterson is the author of more than 40 books, including 18 novels for children and young people. She has twice won the Newbery Medal, for Bridge to Terabithia in 1978 and Jacob Have I Loved in 1981. Katherine Paterson’s Website Join the Makers and Mystics Creative CollectiveMake a one time donation to support our work of advocating for the arts. This conversation was recorded at the Hope Words Writer’s Conference 2023.Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Aisha Badru is a singer/songwriter based in New York.  The magic of her music lies in distilling an often-tangled human experience into simple truths, quieting the inner cacophony of emotions to pave a path toward healing.  To date, her soulful music boasts over 135 million streams, critical praise from the likes of NPR Music, Okayplayer, and is featured in commercial work for brands such as Volkswagen.In this episode, Aisha discusses how the personal stories of heartbreak and healing often found in her lyrics move beyond individual experience and lend themselves to a broader even universal connection with listeners. Support The Podcast.Mentions: Read about my encounter with the word SisuIn our conversation I referenced our episode with Brie Stoner on the beauty and terror of reaching into the unknown. Listen to this episode here. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

As we approach the final episodes of our discussion on Art & The Urge for Transcendence, I want to call our attention back to a segment from S7 E7 with the incredible musician, songwriter, producer and fellow podcaster, Kimbra. I have highlighted two questions from our original conversation today which speaks directly into this season’s theme and adds a unique perspective on transcendence; the experience of the performing artist.In this REPLAY episode, Kimbra brings her magic to the topic of how transcendence informs and transforms her work as a performer and the impact it has on her audience. Patrons of the podcast can enjoy the transcript of this episode on our Patreon.You can listen to the full interview with Kimbra from S7 here. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Luke Burgis is an author , creative thinker and entrepreneur. He has founded and led multiple companies. He's currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America, where he also teaches business and develops new education initiatives. He's the founder and director of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator for people and companies that contribute to the formation of a healthy human ecology. He graduated from NYU Stern School of Business and later from a pontifical university in Rome, where he studied theology.In this episode, Luke talks with host Stephen Roach about the memetic nature of desire and how cultural influences shape the things we yearn for. Purchase Luke’s BookJoin The Makers & Mystics Creative CollectiveSupport The PodcastSend us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Julianna Barwick is a Los Angeles based composer, vocalist, and producer who makes deep, reflective compositions rooted in the human voice. Over the years she has made six critically acclaimed records as well as contributed her sound to the world of film scoring.   Her self-released debut “Sanguine” came out in 2007, followed by "Florine" in 2009, and “The Magic Place” in 2011. In 2013, she released "Nepenthe," an album which marked Barwick’s first steps into collaborating, working with producer and film composer Alex Somers in Reykjavík, Iceland. Her 2020 release "Healing Is A Miracle," features notable artists Jónsi (Sigur Rós), and earned Pitchfork's coveted 'Best New Music'. In todays episode Juliana talks with Stephen Roach about her experience growing up in Louisiana, singing in choirs and the development of her experimental soundscapes. Join The Creative Collective and Gain access to additional interview segments.Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Jeremy Begbie is a Scottish theologian, author and musician. We interviewed Jeremy in Season 5 of the podcast on his book Redeeming Transcendence In The Arts.. In this bonus REPLAY episode, we are revisiting a segment from this conversation which ties in perfectly to the theme of Season 11. Join Our Creative Collective! InstagramListen to the full episode from Season 5Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Peter Rollins is an author, philosopher, storyteller, producer and public speaker. Peter gained his higher education from Queens University, Belfast where he earned degrees (with distinction) in Scholastic Philosophy (BA Hons), Political Theory and Social Criticism (MA) and Post-Structural thought (PhD). He's the author of numerous books, including Insurrection, The Idolatry of God, and The Divine Magician.In today’s episode, Peter talks with Makers & Mystics host Stephen Roach about the unexpected relationship between loss and transcendence or what Peter terms as a “fundamental antagonism at the heart of reality.” Music Provide by: Thousand Dollar Movie Books mentioned: What Is Sex - Alenka ZupančičCapitalism and Desire, Enjoying What You Don’t Have  - Todd McGowanEmbracing the Void Richard BoothbyPhilosophers sited: Emmanuel LevinasJohn MacMurrayGeorge Hegel Psychoanalysts: Jacques LacanSigmund Freud Wilfred BionMystics: Meister EckhartHildegard Von BingenPatron Exclusive: Peter Rollins on Art & The Urge for Transcendence Your support means everything to us. Thank you. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Bruce Herman is a contemporary artist, writer, and speaker. His art has been shown in more than 150 exhibitions — nationally in many US cities, including New York, Boston, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston — and internationally in England, Japan, Hong Kong, Italy, Canada, and Israel. Bruce taught at Gordon College for nearly four decades, and is the founding chair of the Art Department there. He held the Lothlórien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts for more than fifteen years, and continues to curate exhibitions and manage the College art collection. In this episode Bruce talks with me about his current inspirations and the winding spiritual pilgrimage woven throughout his 51 years working as a master artist. Continuing our season theme of art and the urge for transcendence, Bruce shares his early experiences of psychedelics and the transformation that led him from Eastern mysticism to become a follower of Jesus. Join the Makers and Mystics Creative Collective. Get access to exclusive interviews, book clubs and online community hangouts. Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt is Assistant Professor of Art and Art History at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Her research and writing consider representations of race and gender in 19th and 20th century art and visual culture, but she is most passionate about equipping laypeople to engage generatively with the images they already see.  In this episode, Dr. Weichbrodt and I discuss her book, Redeeming Vision: A Christian Guide to Looking at and Learning from Art, which at the time of this recording was just released from Baker Academic.In our conversation, we talk about how we might engage with art that makes us uncomfortable, challenges us or takes us outside our familiar ways of seeing. One of the chapters in Redeeming Vision is titled Wondering at God’s Transcendence. Of Course, given our theme for the season, I couldn’t resist spending some time unpacking this chapter specifically.  You can visit our instagram @makersandmystics to see images of the paintings we discuss in this episode. Support The Podcast. Feel Good About Life.  Send us a textSupport the show Get Tickets to The Breath and The Clay 2026 featuring Malcolm Guite, Jon Guerra, and Jonathan Pageau! March 20-22 in Winston-Salem, NC.