Charles reflects on one of TTBOOK’s core values — what we call “intelligent optimism.” It’s a complicated kind of hope, even brave in a time of despair and cynicism. And he plays snippets from some of his favorite interviews.

Shannon delights in the nuanced intonations of the human voice, and she has a special appreciation for poetry. We hear her interview with Alice Walker, who talks about responding to anger and Buddhist teachings on “taking the arrow out of the heart.”