The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane

New York Times columnist David Brooks would be the first person to tell you he is a work in progress. In fact, he details his many shortcomings in his new book, How to Know a Person. He writes about his detached younger self saying, “I had the emotional capacity of a head of cabbage.” He believes he’s not alone; that many people are cut off from their emotions, feeling estranged from other people and themselves. David Brooks joins us to tell us what it takes to see someone for who they truly are and allow ourselves to be truly seen by others. Not surprisingly, it involves curiosity, empathy, vulnerability, generosity, and the ability to ask the right questions.

There is a lot of misinformation on the internet but why do so many people believe it? Dannagal Goldthwaite Young examines the supply side of the misinformation problem in her new book, Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation. She explains how our psychology — our need to exert control and to belong — sets the stage for political leaders and media organizations to exploit our differences and divide us, making us more willing to believe things we know are false.

With the Israel-Gaza war in our thoughts, we are talking about trauma and the possibility of healing. Renowned psychiatrist Dr. James Gordon has studied trauma through his work in conflicts around the world, including Israel and Gaza and Ukraine. He’s worked with victims of natural disasters, school shootings, and many others who experienced enormous personal loss. Gordon joins us this episode to discuss how trauma affects the body, the power of the mind to heal, the importance of self-care and possibility of recovery.

PBS NewsHour co-host Amna Nawaz joined Marty last week before a live audience for a conversation about her life, career and being a journalist in contentious times. From her time at the University of Pennsylvania, to working beside Ted Koppel, covering the Afghanistan war and now co-hosting the NewsHour. She also shares thoughts on the role of journalism when facts are being contested and how she juggles work and family life.

We are often told to forgive and forget but philosopher Myisha Cherry says forgiveness isn’t always the answer. She joins us to talk about how we misuse forgiveness, its limitations and a better path for personal and societal healing. Her new book is, Failures of Forgiveness.

Many workplaces have instituted diversity, equity and inclusion training for their employees to help create a welcoming environment for everyone. These DEI programs have come under fire recently from some claiming they enforce liberal orthodoxies, including “wokeness.” They have also been criticized by researchers who question whether they are doing more harm than good or whether we even know whether they are effective or not? What is the best way to build cohesion in a diverse workforce and address bias on the job? Our guest is Harvard psychologist Robert Livingston who works as a diversity consultant and is the author of The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth about Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations. He says that stories are more powerful than data to foster understanding and build bridges across divides.

Ross Gay gave himself an assignment: notice something that gave him delight, write about it quickly and in longhand, every day for a year. His new book, The Book of (More) Delights is about paying attention to the world around him and being attuned to joy and gratitude. It’s a sequel to his bestselling The Book of Delights. Ross Gay joins us to talk about the connection between joy and sorrow, which he compares to the underground fungal networks of the forest. Gay teaches writing at Indiana University and grew up in Bucks County, a diehard fan of the 76ers. So we’ll also talk about his book length poem, Be Holding, an ode to Dr. J’s gravity-defying layup.

Showtime’s documentary series, Couples Therapy, flings open the doors to the therapeutic process, allowing us to watch couples as they struggle with their relationships. It’s raw, intimate and revealing. The program is hosted by psychoanalyst Dr. Orna Guralnik, who guides couples through their conflicts with her probing questions, laser focus, patience and well-timed insights. Orna Guralnik joins us tomorrow to talk about what we want from our partners, where most couples get stuck, how they can get unstuck and why coupledom is undergoing a profound transformation.

We humans are the ultimate invasive species, transforming the planet in dramatic and surprising ways. In his work as a Princeton University biologist and host of the PBS series “Human Footprint,” Shane Campbell-Staton explores the biological impact humans have on the Earth and how nature is forced to adapt. He joins us to talk about the ways we are changing the world’s ecosystems, our inextricable connection to the plants and animals around us, and what this tells us about our own species.

Paula Marantz Cohen comes from a family of loud and opinionated talkers. She said her mother was the “maestro of the dinner table” because of her ability to regale her family with colorful stories about her life. Cohen believes in the importance of meaningful conversation because it gives us joy, surprise and insight, and engages us with others. In her new book Talking Cure, Cohen says that the art of conversation is under threat from partisanship, social media, conformity and censorship. Honest conversation, Cohen says, is not about scoring points or even winning arguments. It’s about being vulnerable, honest, curious and authentic. It’s good for our mental health and good for civic engagement. Paula Marantz Cohen is an English Professor at Drexel University and joins us to talk about talking.