Conservation

JAN 01: Woodland Zoo, Its Animals & People

It’s a zoo at Conversations Live with northwest naturalist, John Bierlein.  Today we’ll learn the story behind a Seattle icon, and share how the people and animals of Woodland Park Zoo shaped its history. We’ll also discover how zoos can help people and animals connect, and hear about some of the 35 conservation projects that Woodland is currently managing.

John Bierlein began his career at Discovery Park more than 40 years ago, and was involved with the design of Woodland Park Zoo for 20 years. Bierlein wrote Woodland: The Story of the Animals and People of Woodland Park Zoo as a continuation of the work done by longtime zoo colleague, Dana Payne.

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Uncategorized

DEC 25: Happy Holidays from Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair!

All of us here at Conversations Live would like to wish you and your loved ones a peaceful and joyous Christmas!  In our place today, KKNW will feature the annual two hour special from “The Scandinavian Hour” full of music and Christmas spirit.

Tune in Friday at 6 AM during prime drive time to enjoy this encore edition of Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair, featuring Sarah Perry’s The Essex Serpent, and Christopher Brown’s Tropic of Kansas.

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Biography, Conservation, Non Fiction, Social Issues

DEC 18: Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist & The Collected Letters of Alan Watts

Filmmaker Zara Hayes takes an in-depth look at Dian Fossey, from her lonely childhood to what drove her to endanger her own life for the sake of the gorillas of Rwanda.  Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist reveals the inside story of the tragically murdered activist.

Zara is a British filmmaker who works between the UK and the USA.  The production of Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist was aided by National Geographic and is voiced by Sigourney Weaver.

Today, we’ll also take a journey into the mind of British author and philosopher Alan Watts, who greatly influenced 60’s counter-culture with his interpretations of Buddhism and Zen philosophy.  His daughter, Joan Watts, captures the colorful and controversial life of her father in The Collected Letters of Alan Watts.

For this collection, Watts’s letters were curated by two of his daughters, Joan and Anne Watts, who have added behind-the-scenes biographical commentary.

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Health & Wellness, Personal Development

DEC 11: Dr. Armin Zadeh with The Forgotten Art of Love & Dr. Becky Thompson’s Teaching with Tenderness

“As a cardiologist, I find this difficult to admit, but love is more about the brain than the heart,” writes Armin Zadeh, MD, PhD, and author of The Forgotten Art of Love: What Love Means and Why it Matters. “However, the view of love as a mental rather than magical power comes with a silver … if not golden … lining. “

On today’s show, Dr. Zadeh will help you discover the not-so-obvious connection between heart disease and state of mind, and unlock some of the answers to the mysteries of love.

Dr. Zadeh is a professor at John Hopkins University with doctoral degrees in medicine and philosophy, as well as a master’s degree in public health. As a cardiologist and scientist, Dr. Zadeh understands the close relationship between heart disease and the state of the mind.

With so much going on in our lives, it can be nearly impossible to find those cherished moments of peace each day.  Teaching with Tenderness: Toward an Embodied Practice will have you using contemplative practices such as yoga, meditation, and free writing, to help you keep your heart open as you deal with each day’s setbacks.

Becky Thompson, Ph.D., is a professor of sociology at Simmons College, human rights activist, cross-cultural trainer, writer, poet, and senior-level yoga teacher.

 

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

DEC 04: James Rollins’ The Demon Crown

What do the British chemist who founded the Smithsonian and Alexander Graham Bell have in common with a primordial threat that could devastate humankind?  The bone-chilling answer lies in New York Times bestseller James Rollins latest Sigma Force novel, The Demon Crown.

James is a prolific author of international thrillers, blending historical fact with science fiction to create stories acclaimed for their originality.  His books have been translated into 40 languages.

Later, Vicki will help you get into the spirit of giving, (and maybe help you decide on a gift for that one person you can never figure out what to get), as she reveals our Conversations Live holiday gift book recommendations!

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Inspirational, Non Fiction, Social Issues

NOV 27: Helen Thorpe’s The Newcomers & The American Heritage Dictionary’s Steve Kleinedler

Immigration is one of the most divisive issues in the United States, and yet there are still millions trying to make a better life for themselves here.  Today, we put a human face to those trying to build a new life from scratch, and the unimaginable hardships in their way.

Award-winning writer Helen Thorpe introduces you to some of these families in The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American Classroom.  Helen has been a staff writer for The New York Observer, The New Yorker, and has written freelance stories for the New York Times Magazine, among other publications.

Later, we encourage you to drink a gose to wash down your plate of shakshuka, because to be the GOAT, you can’t give in to orthorexia.  What, you need a translation?

Well then, returning guest Steve Kleinedler, Executive Editor of The American Heritage Dictionary, is at your service.  He’ll define some of the weirder and wilder examples out of the 400 words and senses that were added to the dictionary this year.

You’ll find out from Steve if you are a prepper, or perhaps a snowflake, as well as some fascinating science and technology terms.

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Personal Development, Self-help

NOV 20: How to Survive Your Childhood with Ira Israel & Supernormal with Dr. Meg Jay, PhD

Okay, so you’re all grown up, but are the stories you learned as a child still getting in the way? You know the ones we mean: You’re not enough. Not smart enough. Talented enough. Pretty enough.

You fluctuate between self-confidence and self-doubt. And those conflicting feelings can leave you depressed or anxious or both.

Blending eastern and western philosophies, licensed psychotherapist and relationship counselor, Ira Israel, will share how to transcend childhood-assumed-realities in How to Survive Your Childhood: Now That You’re An Adult: A Path to Authenticity and Awakening.

Later, whether it is bullying, the loss of a loved one, domestic violence, neglect, or emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, early adversities are experienced by nearly 75% of us.  

In Supernormal, TED speaker and author, Meg Jay, PhD, combines cutting edge research with two decades of experience.  We’ll discuss how “supernormal” adults have overcome adversity to change our world, and share skills and tools we can use to build resilience.

Dr. Jay is a clinical psychologist and narrative nonfiction writer.  Her work has appeared in numerous media outlets including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, USA TodayPsychology Today, and on the BBC, NPR, and TED.

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Personal Development, Self-help

NOV 13: Perceptual Intelligence with Dr. Boxer Wachler & Mindfulness for Emerging Adults with Donna Torney

Brian Boxer Wachler, MD describes Perception Intelligence (PI) as how we see what we see and why this affects every aspect of our life.

We’ll explore how we can improve our PI to see past illusion and self-deception. How to reverse self-delusion. Why we feel obliged to return a favor. And why some folks see Jesus in their cornflakes, or the Virgin Mary in a grilled cheese sandwich.

Dr. Boxer Wachler is a leading authority on kerataconus and refractive surgery. His latest book Perceptual Intelligence: The Brain’s Secret to Seeing Past Illusion, Misperception, and Self-Deception.

Also today, licensed psychotherapist Donna Torney combines Eastern philosophies with modern neuroscience to aid millennials in facing the stresses and challenges of “adulting” in Mindfulness for Emerging Adults: Finding Balance, Belonging and Meaning in the Digital Age.

Donna is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, with a focus on emerging and established adults who are struggling to live in our fast-paced society.

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Fiction, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

NOV 06: Manhattan Beach with Pulitzer Winner Jennifer Egan & Technically Wrong with Sara Wachter-Boettcher

Set on the Brooklyn docks during the World War II era, Manhattan Beach seamlessly intertwines the stories of a man working for both the union and the mob, his daughter, the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s only female diver, and a shady, but charismatic, nightclub owner.

Jennifer Egan is the author of several novels and a short story collection, including  A Visit From the Goon Squad, which won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Times book prize.

Also, Sara Wachter-Boettcher presents an informed and compassionate critique of the technology industry in Technically Wrong: Sexist Apps, Biased Algorithms, and Other Threats of Toxic Tech.

Sara Wachter-Boettcher is a Philadelphia-based consultant where she helps organizations make sense of digital content. She speak at conferences worldwide and has authored two previous books for web pros.

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Health & Wellness, Personal Development, Self-help

OCT 30: Reclaim Your Body Now & Be A Force for Change with Fierce Kindness

An insult at the age of 11 can stay with you forever, much as a scar from a car wreck, or other tragedy that marks you physically. Suzanne Scurlock-Durana has discovered a way to reconnect to your body’s intrinsic wisdom and begin the healing process from within in Reclaiming Your Body: Healing from Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom.

After decades of perfecting her methods of awakening the body’s innate wisdom, Suzanne created the comprehensive Healing From the Core training curriculum in 1994. Today it includes a robust selection of international workshops, webinars, speaking engagements and audio programs.

When was the last time you shone a little light in the world while simultaneously making your own life better?

In Fierce Kindness: Be A Positive Force for Change, Melanie Salvatore-August provides an easy to follow recipe to combine compassion and courage into an elixir of uplifting action.

Melanie is an experienced life coach, yoga teacher, and Reiki healer who travels the country, speaking about creating a movement of positivity.

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