Best Sun Valley Writers Conference Podcasts (2025)

1
Jonathan Eig on Martin Luther King, Jr. 30:47

28d ago30:47

30:47

In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 conference, biographer Jonathan Eig talks about his book on Martin Luther King, Jr., the first major biography of the civil rights leader in decades. Eig resurrects King from myth and history and brings him to vivid life, with all of his emotional complexity and unwavering courage, drawing a fresh and inde…

1
Ep. 137 - Being Held by Space with Lama Rod Owens 56:30

22d ago56:30

56:30

Teaching us to relax back into being held by spaciousness, Lama Rod Owens discusses the forces that help us remember real love, awakened freedom, and who we truly are. In this episode of the Indie Spiritualist Podcast, Chris and Lama Rod explore: The practice and embodiment of real love as revolutionary Transcending violence and harm and the yearni…

1
The Radical Honesty of Judy Blume 30:47

2M ago30:47

30:47

In this episode of Beyond the Page, lucky listener, you get to hear the great Judy Blume, the author of twenty-five books for young readers and four novels for adults that all-told have sold more than 90 million copies in forty languages. Blume’s cherished, ground-breaking 1970 young adult novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, has captivated…

1
Ep. 136 - Wetiko: Understanding Our Collective Malady with Paul Levy 56:16

2M ago56:16

56:16

Paul Levy, a pioneer in spiritual emergence, chats with Chris Grosso about the concept of Wetiko and healing our collective malady. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, Chris and Paul explore: The diagnosis of our collecti…

1
Ep. 135 - Freedom Through Sound Healing with Kelvin Young 1:04:39

3M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Certified sound healer Kelvin Young joins Chris Grosso to discuss how to find freedom within institutions and systems. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Kelvin explore: Kelvin’s first encou…

1
Dennis Lehane: Confessions of a Novelist Turned TV Showrunner 30:53

3M ago30:53

30:53

In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 Writers Conference, I sit down with bestselling crime novelist and TV writer/producer DENNIS LEHANE for a lively, wide-ranging conversation about how he approaches writing books vs. television scripts, his advice for writing true crime stories, as well as his journey developing his two latest AppleTV limit…

1
John Vaillant: Fire Weather 33:36

4M ago33:36

33:36

We were already editing this episode when the L.A. fires broke out on January 7, 2025. In fact, our editor Dean Grinsfelder had to evacuate as the flames moved in. So did my 91-year-old dad, and so did my co-producer James Tooley’s parents and brothers and their families; one of those brothers saw his house burn to the ground. All of which is to sa…

1
Kristin Hannah in conversation with Jenny Emery Davidson 29:10

6M ago29:10

29:10

In this episode, recorded live at the 2024 Sun Valley Writers' Conference, novelist Kristin Hannah talks to Jenny Emery Davidson, the executive director of The Community Library in Ketchum, Idaho, about her #1 New York Times bestselling novel The Women. In The Women, Hannah (known for previous bestselling historical novels such as The Nightingale, …

1
Ep. 134 - Unraveling Inner Landscapes with Tori Olds 1:15:01

6M ago1:15:01

1:15:01

Psychologist Tori Olds helps listeners unravel inner landscapes by examining emotions, identity, and the patterns in our lives. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, Chris and Tori explore: Tori’s early interest in emotions…

1
Ancient Wisdom and the Enduring Power of Community 42:03

6M ago42:03

42:03

In a time of loneliness and isolation, social rupture and alienation, what will it take to mend our broken hearts and rebuild our society? In this episode, one of Ameriica’s leading rabbis, and the author of the book The Amen Effect, Sharon Brous makes the case that it is through honoring our most basic human instinct – the yearning for real connec…

1
Ep. 133 – Unlocking Unconscious Desires with Carolyn Lovewell 1:11:41

7M ago1:11:41

1:11:41

Diving into the meaning of existential kink, Dr. Carolyn Lovewell joins Chris Grosso to discuss unlocking our unconscious desires. Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Dr. Lovewell discuss: Th…

1
Putin, Ukraine, and the Future of Russia 33:30

8M ago33:30

33:30

The author of a seminal book on Putin, All The Kremlin’s Men, and the founding editor-in-chief of what was Russia’s most truth-telling opposition news channel TV Rain, Mikhail Zygar is a journalistic hero to many in Russia. Now living and writing in the U.S. after fleeing persecution by Putin, Zygar continues to cover the most troubling stories of …

1
Ep. 132 – Peaceful Coexistence with Krishna Das and Nina Rao 1:04:51

8M ago1:04:51

1:04:51

Reflecting on our ability to peacefully coexist, Nina Rao and Krishna Das join Chris Grosso to talk politics, practice, and more. This week, Chris, Krishna Das, and Nina all converge upon: Maharaj-ji’s response to being visited by politicians Keeping the heart calm and open regardless of what is happening around us Recognizing everyone as a part of…

1
Ep. 131 - A New Paradigm of Healing with Sean P. Lawlor 1:13:58

10M ago1:13:58

1:13:58

Calling attention to the healing properties of psychedelics, author and therapist Sean Lawlor talks with Chris about his new book, Psychedelic Revival. Grab your copy of Psychedelic Revival: Toward a New Paradigm of Healing HERE Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your wa…

1
Patrick Radden Keefe 24:09

11M ago24:09

24:09

In this episode, recorded live at the 2023 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference, New Yorker Staff Writer Patrick Radden Keefe, who has garnered prizes ranging from the National Magazine Award to the Orwell Prize to the National Book Critics Circle Award for his meticulously reported, hypnotically engaging work on the many ways people behave badly, tells …

1
Ep. 130 - Merging the Material and Spiritual with Matt Winkley 1:15:06

11M ago1:15:06

1:15:06

Through the inspiration of Sufism, Matt Winkley describes how he merged the business world with spirituality to form heart-centered companies and find financial freedom. This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Matt and Chris chat about: Matt’s youth and leaving for California with only the shirt on his back Building his own business out of his apartme…

1
Ep. 129 - Meeting the End with Frank Ostaseski 1:07:50

12M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

Encouraging listeners to examine their relationships with death and endings, Frank Ostaseski and Chris Grosso talk about living fully. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this deep conversation, Chris and Frank Ostaseski go over: Death, d…

1
Curtis Sittenfeld 20:21

1y ago20:21

20:21

In bestselling author Curtis Sittenfeld’s much-loved new novel, she explores—with her typically keen observations and trademark ability to bring complex women to life on the page—the neurosis-inducing and heart-fluttering wonder of love,while slyly dissecting the social rituals of romance and gender relations in the modern age. Sittenfeld sits down…

1
Ep. 128 – Punk Rock, Skateboarding, and Meditation with Brian Fair from Shadows Fall 1:05:46

1y ago1:05:46

1:05:46

Come hang out with Chris Grosso and Brian Fair from the band Shadows Fall as they chat about life, meditation, and the golden eras of skateboarding and punk rock. Today’s episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. In this episode, Chris and Brian dive i…

1
Ep. 127 - Symbols, Myths, and Archetypes of Recovery Kikan Massara 1:11:49

1y ago1:11:49

1:11:49

In an enthralling discussion on the archetypes, myths, and symbols within the 12-step recovery program, Kikan Massara joins Chris Grosso. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self. This time on The Indie Spiritualist, Chris and Kikan dive into: A.A…

1
Ep. 126 – Humor, Religion, and Politics with John Fugelsang 1:16:14

1y ago1:16:14

1:16:14

In a politically charged return to the Indie Spiritualist Podcast, Chris Grosso sits down with John Fugelsang to talk about finding humor as a weapon against the world's chaos. In this episode, Chris Grosso and John Fugelsang converse about: - Politics, the state of the world, and Joe Biden’s accomplishments Spiritual and emotional burnout preventi…

1
Javier Zamora in conversation with Mitchell Kaplan 22:10

1+ y ago22:10

22:10

In this episode of Beyond the Page, recorded live at the 2023 conference, poet and memoirist Javier Zamora talks to legendary bookseller Mitchell Kaplan about his memoir Solito, which chronicles his experiences traveling from El Salvador to the United States, by himself, when he was 9 years old. Javier Zamora writes, and speaks, like someone who be…

1
Swamp Story: Dave Barry's Florida 34:59

1+ y ago34:59

34:59

Recorded at the closing of the 2023 Sun Valley Writers' Conference, Pulitzer Prize-winning humor writer (and one of the funniest people alive) Dave Barry talks about his latest novel Swamp Story, using it mainly as a springboard to talk about his crazy home state of Florida, and from there, about some of the problems facing our nation in general, a…

1
Andrea Elliott in conversation with Ayad Akhtar 42:20

1+ y ago42:20

42:20

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Andrea Elliot sits down with another Pulitzer winner, novelist and playwright Ayad Akhtar, at the 2023 Writers’ Conference to talk about Elliot’s book, Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City. The subject of the book is a Black girl in New York City named Dasani, whose story …

1
Abraham Verghese: Writer in the World 28:06

1+ y ago28:06

28:06

On this episode, author and physician Abraham Verghese – who received the 2023 Sun Valley Writers’ Conference WRITER IN THE WORLD prize – brings us intimately and poetically into the heart of his remarkable, inspiring journey from his childhood in Ethiopia to his experiences as a young doctor in America during the AIDS epidemic, to his beginnings a…

1
Will Democracy Survive? 41:10

1+ y ago41:10

41:10

In this episode, three of our most cogent and influential writers on global affairs and history – Anne Applebaum, Robert Kagan, and Evan Osnos – discuss the geopolitical ramifications of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing battle between democracy and authoritarianism, Vladimir Putin’s endgame, China’s power plays, and the future of the …

1
Endangered Species: Tad Friend and the Art of Long-Form Journalism 30:17

1+ y ago30:17

30:17

Beyond the Page host John Burnham Schwartz talks with New Yorker staff writer Tad Friend, a longtime contributor to the magazine’s Letter from California and the author of two funny, poignant family memoirs, Cheerful Money and In the Early Times. In a notable testament to Friend’s curiosity, range, and talent, over the years his work has been chose…

1
From Streaming Wars to Star Wars with Erich Schwartzel 34:17

2y ago34:17

34:17

In this episode of Beyond the Page, SVWC Literary Director John Burnham Schwartz and writer Eric Schwartzel go Hollywood. Schwartzel covers the film industry in The Wall Street Journal's Los Angeles bureau and his first book “Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy,” detailed the growing influence of China on the …

1
Louise Dennys: Stories from a Publishing Legend 39:22

2+ y ago39:22

39:22

In this episode of Beyond the Page, host John Burnham Schwartz talks with editor and Canadian publishing titan Louise Dennys about her extraordinary career working side by side with writers including Salman Rushdie, Michael Ondaatje, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Ian McEwan… to name just a few. Dennys talks about how she got started, what it’s l…

1
Aleksandra Crapanzano on Her Dual Passions For Cooking and Writing 34:15

2+ y ago34:15

34:15

In this episode of Beyond the Page, Anne Taylor Fleming talks with award-winning food writer Aleksandra Crapanzano about her delightful and accessible new cookbook GATEAU: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes. The author shares her memories of being a child in Paris and talks about her dual passions for cooking and writing. Aleksandra Crapanza…

1
Jennifer Egan: There's No Way Out From the Collective Consciousness 35:05

2+ y ago35:05

35:05

Welcome to Beyond the Page: The Best of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Over the past 25 years, SVWC has become the gold standard of American literary festivals, bringing together contemporary writing’s brightest stars for their view of the world through a literary lens. Every month, Beyond the Page curates and distills the best talks from the …

1
Being American in the World We've Made: Ben Rhodes in Conversation with Ayad Akhtar 29:59

2+ y ago29:59

29:59

In this episode of Beyond the Page, BEN RHODES, Barack Obama’s former Deputy National Security Advisor, sits down at the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and playwright AYAD AKHTAR for a deeply informed conversation about the state of the world we are living in today, with the rise of authoritarian leaders and eth…

1
Rebecca Donner on “All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days” 36:23

3y ago36:23

36:23

In this episode of Beyond the Page, host John Burnham Schwartz talks with Rebecca Donner, winner of the 2022 National Book Critics Circle Award for biography for “All the Frequent Troubles of our Days.” The story of Donner's great-great aunt, Mildred Harnack, who as a young midwestern grad student moved to Berlin and became one of the leaders of th…

1
The Last Days of Roger Federer – And Other Endings 37:27

3y ago37:27

37:27

When artists and athletes age, what happens to their work? Does it ripen or rot? As our bodies decay, how – and why – do we keep going? In this episode, John Burnham Schwartz sits down with the ever-original and wittily ironic GEOFF DYER to discuss the author's own encounter with late middle age against the backdrop of the last days and last works …

1
Behind the Scenes: Programming the 2022 Sun Valley Writers' Conference 42:16

3y ago42:16

42:16

In this episode of Beyond the Page, we offer something fun and different, a lively conversation between SVWC Literary Director John Burnham Schwartz and Associate Director Anne Taylor Fleming about the upcoming 2022 conference. As the chief programmers, the longtime colleagues and friends will talk about some of the magical writers who are coming, …

1
Susan Orlean Is a Really Serious Chicken Lady 43:22

3y ago43:22

43:22

On this episode, John Burnham Schwartz talks with SUSAN ORLEAN, whose New Yorker articles across the last 30 years, along with books such as The Orchard Thief, The Library Book, her biography of the movie star dog Rin Tin Tin, and her latest collection of pieces, On Animals, have made her one of our most beloved and distinctive writers. Learn more …

1
Annette Gordon-Reed: Getting History Right 36:45

3+ y ago36:45

36:45

Is Thomas Jefferson to be deplored as a slave-owner who had a family with a young woman he owned or is he to be celebrated as one of the country's most essential and gifted founders? Or, should he be both--condemned and revered? That is the question Annette Gordon-Reed, the brilliant Harvard law professor, historian, and author of the Pulitzer priz…

1
Tobias Wolff: The Art of the Story 33:09

3+ y ago33:09

33:09

In this episode of Beyond the Page, John Burnham Schwartz speaks with author TOBIAS WOLFF, renowned for his classic memoirs and short stories, for an intimate, wide-ranging conversation about life, literature, craft, and the never- ending mysteries and revelations that come from spending one’s time inhabiting the minds of others. Tobias Wolff was b…

1
How Lincoln Broke the Constitution 47:57

3+ y ago47:57

47:57

In this episode, John Burnham Schwartz speaks with Noah Feldman, Harvard Law professor and renowned Constitutional scholar, whose groundbreaking new book, The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America, takes us inside one of the more surprising realities of American History: in abolishing slavery and preserving our union,…

1
Ep. 125 – Pilgrimage & Journey w/ Allyson and Alex Grey 1:01:45

3+ y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Legendary artists, Allyson and Alex Grey join Chris in conversation around Ram Dass, psychedelics, spirituality, and Entheon—their new visionary art sanctuary & interfaith temple. Visionary artists, wise psychonauts, and podcasters, Allyson and Alex Grey are co-founders & Ministers of CoSM, the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, a transformational art based…

1
Elliot Ackerman on the End of the Forever War 37:45

3+ y ago37:45

37:45

In this episode of Beyond the Page, acclaimed novelist, journalist, and Marine Corps veteran ELLIOT ACKERMAN talks to former CBS News Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief Christopher Isham about the United States military’s calamitous withdrawal from Afghanistan and what comes after. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi…

1
Patrick Radden Keefe on the Relationship Between Reporting and Storytelling 45:01

3+ y ago45:01

45:01

Welcome to Beyond the Page: The Best of the Sun Valley Writers’ Conference. Over the past 25 years, SVWC has become the gold standard of American literary festivals, bringing together contemporary writing's brightest stars for their view of the world through a literary lens. Every month, Beyond the Page curates and distills the best talks from the …

1
Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan on the Private Life of Francis Bacon 41:01

4y ago41:01

41:01

In this episode of BEYOND THE PAGE, host John Burnham Schwartz talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors MARK STEVENS and ANNALYN SWAN about their landmark biography Francis Bacon: Revelations. MARK STEVENS is the former art critic of New York magazine. He has been the art critic for The New Republic and Newsweek and has also written for The New Yo…

1
Ep. 124 – Grace and Grit with Sebastian Siegel 1:16:12

4y ago1:16:12

1:16:12

Chris Grosso welcomes director Sebastian Siegel for a conversation about his new movie, Grace and Grit, which is based on the book by philosopher Ken Wilber. Sebastian Siegel is a British-American director, producer, screenwriter and author. His modes of storytelling range from filmmaking to contemporary art and psychology. His latest movie, Grace …

1
Ep. 123 – Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen with Brad Warner 1:07:17

4y ago1:07:17

1:07:17

Hardcore Zen master, Brad Warner, rejoins Chris for a talk on death, discernment, cosmic meaning, Zen Buddhism, and making sure your crazy wisdom isn't too crazy. Brad Warner is the author of Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen and numerous other titles including Don't Be a Jerk, Hardcore Zen, and Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Budd…

1
The Education of an Idealist: U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power on Soft Power and Hard Lessons 54:21

4y ago54:21

54:21

In this episode of BEYOND THE PAGE, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations, human rights activist, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author SAMANTHA POWER – interviewed in the lead-up to her pending US Senate confirmation vote to be President Biden’s new administrator of USAID – discusses her distinctly American journey from immigrant to wa…

1
Francis Lam's Food For Thought 38:19

4y ago38:19

38:19

In this episode, the host of American Public Media’s award-winning radio show The Splendid Table shares with us a few unforgettable food stories from his childhood, along with some of his current thoughts about the social experience of food during these pandemic times, the struggles and future of restaurants, and how certain tastes become identity …

1
Ep. 122 – Walking Through Anger with Christian Conte, PhD 59:11

4y ago59:11

59:11

Dr. Christian Conte joins Chris to share life lessons on knowing yourself, stepping towards conflict, facing wounds, emptying your cup, understanding, and walking through anger with non-attachment. Dr. Christian Conte is one of the country’s most accomplished mental health specialists in the field of anger and emotional management. A familiar figur…

1
David Eagleman Gets In Your Head 33:11

4y ago33:11

33:11

On today's episode of Beyond the Page, John Burnham Schwartz speaks with David Eagleman, who not only teaches neuroscience at Stanford University, but is also CEO and co-founder of New Century, a company that develops devices for sensory substitution. Eagleman is the author most recently of Live Wired: The Inside Story of the Ever Changing Brain, a…

1
Ep. 121 – We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life with Laura McKowen 1:03:42

4y ago1:03:42

1:03:42

Author Laura McKowen talks with Chris Grosso about the process of addiction and recovery, her resistance to defining herself as an alcoholic, and working with guilt and shame. Laura McKowen is the author of We Are The Luckiest: The Surprising Magic of a Sober Life. She had a successful career in public relations and the Mad Men–esque drinking cultu…

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Sun Valley Writers Conference Podcasts

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