Writer's Voice with Francesca Rheannon

Entwined Lives: Bridget Lyons on the Intersection of Species, with Carl Safina on Alfie and Me

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Today we explore what it really means to share the planet with other forms of life. We’ll talk with writer Bridget Lyons about her acclaimed book, Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species, a collection of essays that invites us to see animals, plants, and even ourselves in a radically more connected way. “Part of the reason I wrote this book was to encourage people, inspire people to just go outside and look around and see who else is living around you.” — Bridget Lyons And then we’ll hear an excerpt from our conversation with ecologist and author Carl Safina about his book Alfie and Me, the extraordinary story of a baby owl that helped him rethink what animals know — and what humans believe.  “People have often said humans are the only logical animals, but I think that’s almost completely backward. We’re really the only illogical animals.” — Carl Safina Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast. Key Words: Bridget Lyons, Entwined, Carl Safina, Alfie and Me, Writers Voice podcast, animal intelligence, anthropomorphism, biodiversity, environmental ethics, sea stars, interspecies relationships You Might Also Like: Adam Nicholson on BIRD SCHOOL, Richard Louv, OUR WILD CALLING & Carl Safina, BEYOND WORDS Read the Transcript on Substack Segment One — Bridget Lyons on Entwined Bridget Lyons describes how her essays begin with encounters with other species — kelp, whales, sea stars, fireweed, octopuses — and expand into questions about value, empathy, humility, and how humans might live differently on the planet. She explains that real connection begins with paying attention: “Part of the reason I wrote this book was to encourage people, inspire people to just go outside and look around and see who else is living around you.” Lyons argues that wonder leads to empathy and responsibility: “As you become more connected to them, you feel more empathy for their life situation and what’s going on with them.” One of the book’s core themes is rethinking value — not just in economic terms, but in terms of being: “Can I, as a person, learn to value this creature for just being who it is, rather than for how it serves me, how it bothers me, etc.” Lyons also speaks about humility in the face of ecological complexity: “We all need a hefty, hefty dose of humility.” And about how curiosity builds respect across species: “The more you learn, or the more you learn that you don’t know, or the more that you marvel at something that another creature is doing, the more I think you’re creating a bridge.” Segment Two — Carl Safina on Alfie and Me (archival excerpt) Carl Safina tells the story of raising a baby screech owl named Alfie and what that relationship revealed about how animals experience the world — and how humans misunderstand it. Safina challenges the idea that humans are uniquely rational: “People have often said humans are the only logical animals, but I think that’s almost completely backward. We’re really the only illogical animals.” He explains how human beliefs often override evidence: “We’re the only ones who carry on through the world based on our beliefs rather than on evidence about how the world is and what the world around us is.” Safina describes why freedom matters even when safety is available: “That is not life. It’s pure safety, but there’s no shot at being part of the world or part of the future.” And he reflects on what it means to witness another being’s full life unfold: “I got to know something about these birds, and then I started to ask myself, well, why are we so blind to all of this?” Key Topics Key Topics The “intersection of species” Anthropomorphism and connection Wonder, humility, and ecological awareness How humans assign value Extinction and regeneration Animal intelligence and culture What owls — and other animals — reveal about how the world works

American Reich: Eric Lichtblau on Murder, Neo-Nazis, & the New Age of Hate

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Eric Lichtblau joins Writer’s Voice to discuss his new book, American Reich, a gripping investigation that begins with the murder of Blaze Bernstein in Orange County and expands into a sweeping analysis of white nationalism in 21st-century America. “We’ve seen an enormous surge in hate crimes across the board… and this is horribly symptomatic of the rise of the neo-Nazis in the 21st century.” — Eric Lichtblau Lichtblau traces how online extremism, political normalization of hate, and leaderless neo-Nazi networks have collided to shape a dangerous new era—one that has produced waves of hate crimes, radicalized young white men, and emboldened supremacist movements. Lichtblau also explores the role of Trump-era politics, the mechanics of recruitment and radicalization — and what gives him hope for resistance and solidarity. We also re-air a clip from our 2017 interview with photojournalist Zach Roberts about his viral photos of the brutal beating of De’Andre Harris by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia during the Unite the Right rally on August 12 of that year. Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast. Key Words: American Reich, Eric Lichtblau, Writer’s Voice podcastwhite supremacy, neo-Nazis, hate crimes, online extremismreplacement theory, Trump white nationalism You Might Also Like: Zach Roberts on Charlottesville attack, Michael German on POLICING WHITE SUPREMACY Key Topics The murder of Blaze Bernstein as a window into national extremism How Trump-era rhetoric normalized white supremacist ideology Historical cycles of xenophobia and racism in America Online radicalization & social platforms as recruitment engines Atomwaffen Division, James Mason, and leaderless resistance Replacement theory explained Why young white men become targets for recruitment The reality of modern hate-crime statistics Community resistance and hope

The Relevance of Virgil’s Aeneid: A Conversation with Scott McGill & Susannah Wright

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. What does a 2,000-year-old epic have to say to us today about exile, duty, love, power, war, misinformation, and the fragile hopes of human community? A great deal, say translators Scott McGill and Susannah Wright, whose new English translation of Virgil’s Aeneid captures both the grandeur of the epic and its deeply human emotional core. “We were really keen to try to capture…the humanity of the poem, the deep pathos that Virgil generates, the power of the emotional world of the poem.” In this conversation, they talk about collaboration, emotion, translation craft, and why the Aeneid remains one of the most morally and politically provocative works ever written—wrestling with migration, empire, trauma, rage, resilience, and the cost of duty. They also explore unforgettable characters like Aeneas and Dido, the role of Rumor as an ancient “fake news engine,” and what we gain when we keep engaging with the classics today. We also play clips from some of our favorite episodes of 2025: Links to episodes Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast. Key Words: Virgil, Aeneid translation, Scott McGill, Susannah Wright, Aeneas and Dido, Roman empire, epic poem, Writer’s Voice podcast, You Might Also Like: James Romm, DYING EVERY DAY & Robert Knapp, INVISIBLE ROMANS, James Romm, THE SACRED BAND Key Topics Why translate the Aeneid now Collaboration and co-translation Emotional depth vs. epic grandeur Aeneas’s duty, sacrifice, and humanity Dido’s heartbreak and power Ambiguity of empire & colonialism Refugees, displacement & war Rumor as ancient misinformation Violence, morality & the troubling ending Why the classics still matter today Read Interview Transcript

Modern Psychedelics: A Conversation with Joe Dolce

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. In this episode of Writer’s Voice, we explore the what’s going on with the current resurgence of psychedelics. My guest is Joe Dolce, whose new book, Modern Psychedelics: The Handbook for Mindful Exploration, dives deep into what these substances really do, why so many people are using them, and how science, politics, medicine, and culture are reshaping the conversation. Dolce tells us why this is both an “exciting and confusing time” in psychedelic history—a time when reliable guidance is urgently needed in a moment of expanding access and misinformation.  “I thought it was a good opportunity… there’s still so much confusion and so much misinformation about what these are, how they work, why they work, who they don’t work for, who should take them, who shouldn’t take them.” — Joe Dolce We talk about what psychedelics can help heal — from PTSD and addiction to depression and traumatic brain injury, why set and setting matter so deeply, how to micro dose psychedelics and how these substances can change not only individual consciousness, but maybe even how we relate to each other, to nature, and to the world we’re trying to save. Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast. Key Words: Writer’s Voice podcast, Francesca Rheannon, Joe Dolce interview, Modern Psychedelics book, psychedelics research, PTSD psychedelics, traumatic brain injury psychedelics, microdosing, ibogaine therapy, MDMA therapy, psilocybin depression, psychedelics and spirituality You Might Also Like: David Goodman, AN AMERICAN CANNABIS STORY & Carl Hart, DRUG USE FOR GROWNUPS, Alexandra Chasin, ASSASSIN OF YOUTH & Mason Tvert, MARIJUANA IS SAFER Read Interview Transcript Episode Summary Joe Dolce traces the renewed psychedelics movement from cultural taboo to scientific renaissance. He explains why psychedelics are not like traditional pharmaceuticals, discusses risks, cautions, and who shouldn’t take them, and explores compelling new research into “critical periods of brain learning,” microdosing, mystical experience, and emotional healing. The conversation also looks at capitalism, policy battles, the underground psychedelic community, and the deep spiritual questions these substances raise. Listen to or Read A Sample Key Topics • Why psychedelics are returning to medicine and culture• The difference between psychedelics and pharmaceuticals• Preparing for a psychedelic experience: set, setting & safety• Psychedelics and trauma healing• Spiritual experience and meaning• Microdosing: myth vs reality• Policy, legality & capitalism• The underground psychedelic community• How people are accessing psychedelics today Resources The Fireside Project

The Return of the Siberian Tiger: Jonathan Slaght, TIGERS BETWEEN EMPIRES

Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. Francesca speaks with Jonathan Slaght about his remarkable book Tigers Between Empires: The Improbable Return of Great Cats to the Forests of Russia and China. Slaght tells the story of the 35-year Siberian (Amur) Tiger Project, one of the longest-running wildlife studies in the world, and how science, persistence, and cross-border collaboration helped bring a species back from the edge of extinction. Follow us on Bluesky @writersvoice.bsky.social and subscribe to our Substack. Or find us on Instagram @WritersVoicePodcast. Key Words: Jonathan Slaght interview, Tigers Between Empires, Amur tiger conservation, Siberian Tiger Project, wildlife conservation Russia China,endangered species recovery, human–wildlife conflict You Might Also Like: Adam Hart, DEADLY BALANCE, Gloria Dickie, EIGHT BEARS Read Edited Interview Transcript About the Episode Jonathan Slaght recounts the extraordinary history of the Amur (Siberian) tiger’s decline and recovery, drawing on decades of field research conducted by Russian and American scientists working across political boundaries. Our conversation opens with the story of Lidiya, a tigress whose seven-year reproductive record illustrates how a single animal can anchor population recovery when conditions are right. Slaght explains how the Siberian Tiger Project broke new ground by tracking individual tigers across their entire lifespans, yielding insights into reproduction, survival, territory size, and the pressures that most threaten the species . The conversation traces how 19th-century border treaties between Russia and China fragmented tiger habitat, accelerating hunting and habitat loss—only for those same borders, decades later, to become sites of coordinated protection. Slaght discusses the pivotal role of Soviet-era hunting bans, protected areas, and later rapid-response teams that reduced human-tiger conflict by intervening quickly when tigers approached villages . He also reflects on the conservation philosophy of “green fire,” inherited from Aldo Leopold and championed by early project leaders, which treats top predators as essential to ecosystem health rather than threats to be eliminated. Finally, Slaght looks ahead, emphasizing that government commitment and international collaboration—including newly coordinated Russian-Chinese protected areas—are essential to sustaining the Amur tiger’s recovery in a time of climate change and geopolitical strain . Read An Excerpt