We’re joined by author, essayist, investigative journalist and the gloriously feral Nancy French. We discuss Nancy's new memoir, GHOSTED: AN AMERICAN STORY, which involves deeply personal topics such as her experiences with sexual abuse, faith struggles, being a ghostwriter for politicians, and increasing political turmoil. Nancy also talks about navigating her long-standing personal and professional relationships amid the Trumpification of the Republican party; how the party has drifted away from folks like her even though Nancy’s positions and philosophy haven’t changed; and how her Christian faith has played a significant role in the journey. We also candidly explore the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, the complexities in religious institutions, and being resilient in troubled times.
Nancy French is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, essayist, investigative journalist, and storyteller at the Moth. She’s published op-eds and articles in the Washington Post, USA Today, Time and many other publications. Her investigative journalism into abuse at Kanakuk Kamps appeared on the front page of USA Today. Nancy is also the co-author of The After Party with friend of the pod Curtis Chang and she’s the author of the new memoir GHOSTED: AN AMERICAN STORY.
01:20 Nancy French: A Brief Introduction;
05:14 The Art of Ghostwriting;
09:53 The Journey of Discovery and Art;
13:45 The Struggles of Writing Your Own Story;
19:38 The Challenges of Confronting Past Abuse;
31:10 The Power of Love and Relationships;
37:47 The Struggle with Faith and the Church;
40:25 Reflections on Christian Faith and History;
41:16 Experiences of Divine Intervention;
42:07 Discussing Faith with Non-Believers;
46:19 Political Writing and Its Consequences;
50:12 The Shift in Political Identity (Despite Not Having Changed);
52:11 The Impact of Political Polarization;
55:34 The Power of Human Connection Across Differences
It would mean so much if you could leave us a review on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/TPandRPod
Talkin' Politics & Religion Without Killin' Each Other is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.
Please support our sponsor Meza Wealth Management: www.mezawealth.com
You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.threads.net/@coreysnathan.
www.nancyfrench.com
GHOSTED on Amazon - https://amzn.to/49tSNzO
www.threads.net/@nancyjanefrench
Relax. The Judiciary Branch Is Actually Working Well.
John Inazu, LEARNING TO DISAGREE: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect
ICYMI: Tim Alberta on American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism
Rachel Bitecofer, Ph.D. | Hit ’Em Where It Hurts: How to Save Democracy by Beating Republicans at Their Own Game
Have You Ever Spoken to One of "Them"? (Talkin’ Israel / Palestine)
Haley Voters for Biden: Co-founder and Senior Advisor, Robert Schwartz
Being Anti-Trump BECAUSE I'm a Christian
Kate Cohen | WE OF LITTLE FAITH: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too)
Being Anti-Trump BECAUSE I'm a Conservative
Elizabeth Neumann | KINGDOM OF RAGE: The Rise of Christian Extremism and the Path Back to Peace
Voice of a Renegade: Adam Kinzinger on Democracy's Challenges (Best of TP&R)
Bill Kristol: Director of Defending Democracy Together and Editor at Large at The Bulwark
Not THE LEFT. And definitely not MAGA. Nope, I'm a French Davidian!
Danielle Allen is a Democracy Advocate, Harvard Professor and Nonprofit Leader who is "doing work on actually renovating our institutions"
Fred Guttenberg and Joe Walsh, are on very different sides of the gun debate but they're also "Two Dads Defending Democracy" together
You do realize that when I criticize Donald Trump, I'm not attacking you, right?
Rachel Vindman, Co-host of The Suburban Women Problem: “...to make a difference, you simply need to keep moving forward.”
Through the Fog with Elliot Kirschner, Emmy winning news producer, NYT bestselling author and documentary filmmaker
Jonathan Rauch on “America’s purest experiment in true totalitarianism”
A Trump supporter took a victory lap after October 7th. It hasn’t gone well with us since.
Join Podbean Ads Marketplace and connect with engaged listeners.
Advertise Today
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free