Megan McDermott

Challenge your assumptions. Test Your Faith. Show everyone LOVE.

Megan McDermott is a poet, stand up comedian, and Episcopal priest currently working in Massachusetts.

CONTENT WARNING: Christianity and Christian supremacy

We talk about: shared experiences growing up in small town Central Pennsylvania

Rural, small town values that we embrace and other things that we’ve let go of

Nuances between different Christian subcultures and how they have formed us

The relationship between Christianity and late stage capitalism

Christian pop culture — music, toys, media

Becoming a young clergy person and working with youth during the pandemic

Megan's Brand new book, Jesus Merch: a Catalogue in Poems

Order Megan’s New book, Jesus Merch (affilitate link) https://bookshop.org/a/95818/9781594981029

Order Megan’s Book, Woman as Communion (affiliate link) https://bookshop.org/a/95818/9781735886473

Check out Megan’s website: meganmcdermottpoet.com [http://meganmcdermottpoet.com/]

Follow Megan on BlueSky: megmcdermott92.bsky.social

Follow Megan on Twitter (X): @megmcdermott92

Subscribe to Megan on Substack: https://meganmcdermott.substack.com/

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This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students (affiliate link): https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this episode's sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make wisdom, insight, and spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Is Church Still Relevant? with Megan McDermott

Mike is the director of communications and the liturgical minister at Marquand Chapel, the ecumenical ritual space at Yale Divinity School. Holding the position through the COVID lockdowns, he mentors students learning about the role of ritual in religious and spiritual life in today’s world. He assumed the position only a few short years after he graduated from Yale Divinity School.

CONTENT WARNING: COVID, collective trauma, anti-asian racism, Trump

We talk about:

Transitioning from a student role to a staff role at the same institution

Building spiritual community during the pandemic

Helping transition spiritual community and learning toward a post-lockdown environment

The critical role of grieving in processing trauma

What makes a good burger

And how to make ritual experiences accessible to everyone

Subscribe to Mike’s Substack: https://helloimmikee.substack.com [https://helloimmikee.substack.com/]

Follow Mike on Instagram: www.instagram.com/helloimmikee [http://www.instagram.com/helloimmikee]

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode's sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students: https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this episode's sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Mike Libunao-Macalintal: Reimagine Ritual. Process Things. Bear Witness.

Don P Hooper is a WGA-union screenwriter, an actor, and an author, whose new book True True hits bookstores on Tuesday, August 1.

Previously he contributed a story to Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Manhood.

CONTENT WARNING: trauma, racism, labor, explicit language, hate-based violence

We talk about:

The WGA/SAG-AFTRA strike

Shutting down productions across the country

How you can support writers and actors on strike

The importance of good mentors and collaborators

Tenacity and resistance as quintessential parts of black/African-American life

The novel writing process

Don’s first novel, True True

Questions of goodness, identity, and morality of AI

The through line of social uprising since 2016

survival, belonging, and community in a post-Trump world

Follow Don on instagram: www.instagram.com/madclownetry

Buy True True on Bookshop to support Don, the podcast, and your local bookstore: bookshop.org/a/95818/9780593462102

Buy Black Boy Joy on Bookshop to support Don, the podcast, and your local bookstore: bookshop.org/a/95818/9780593379936

Donate Aid for Striking Writers and Actors AND Learn More about Entertainment Community Fund Resources: https://entertainmentcommunity.org/how-get-help-and-give-help-during-work-stoppage

Donate Unrestricted Funds to the WGA East picket lines: https://venmo.com/steph_deluca

Donate Supplies in kind to the WGA East picket lines: https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/wgaestrike

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students: https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this episode's sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Don P Hooper: Keep Fighting. Keep Fighting. Keep Fighting. 

It’s hard to hate someone whose story you know.

That’s the resounding call of Neil Bardhan, the executive director of the Broad Street Review and the director of applied storytelling at First Person Arts.

Neil holds the Ph.D. in Brain and Cognitive Sciences from the University Rochester.

CONTENT WARNING: death of a parent, COVID

We talk about: storytelling, the life skills people can learn from studying improv, the damage to human interaction caused by social media (and some of the silver linings), bereavement.

Check out the Broad Street Review: https://www.broadstreetreview.com [https://www.broadstreetreview.com/]

Check out First Person Arts: firstpersonarts.org [http://firstpersonarts.org/]

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode's sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this episode's sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Dr. Neil Bardhan: Cut through the noise. Connect to another human. Build common ground. 

What does it look like to cultivate a political middle ground when hate is flying from all sides? How do queer folx maintain hope when everything feels awful? How can plant-based diets be more fun?

Martha Madrigal and Charles Tyson of Full Circle The Podcast are spilling ALL. THE. TEA.

CONTENT WARNING: discussions of politics, queerphobia, racism, bullying, suicidality, explicit language.

We talk about:

the practical bits of creating a bipartisan, actually diverse and inclusive bar

and then the spiritual and emotional process of closing that neighborhood bar

the development of their number one rated news commentary podcast

how to get along with your neighbor in a post-facts era,

the continuing challenges of living a hope-filled, joyful queer life in full acceptance of how awful the world can be,

and how to create a plant-based lifestyle you actually enjoy.

Find EVERYTHING about Full Circle the Podcast and subscribe to their weekly broadcast here at their Linktree: linktr.ee/fullcirclethepod [http://linktr.ee/fullcirclethepod]

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode's sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this episode's sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Martha Madrigal and Charles Tyson: Embrace Truth. Love Humanity. Get Queerer.

This is a special bonus episode! This is the live, unedited recording of moim, a gathering of Queer and Trans people of Korean descent, held in March 2023. It was recorded on location at David Rubenstein Atrium of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

CONTENT WARNING: trauma, discussions of anti-asian racism, discussions of historical violence, discussions of queer phobia, explicit language,

This recording was produced in partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Siobahn Sung, producer. For more about Lincoln Center, visit their website: lincolncenter.org

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

BONUS: [moim] Gathering, David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center

How do we keep our spirits high in an increasingly post-human age? How can the classics of western art become more inclusive? How can our art help us move forward from trauma?

Siobahn Sung is a producer at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

Before that, she worked as a professional opera singer.

CONTENT WARNING: trauma, COVID, natural disasters, discussions of anti-asian racism, explicit language

We talk about: Emotional labor of Korean identity, the challenges of being a professional musician in the age of AI and streaming

the history of white supremacy in classical music performance and how to make the work more inclusive

the recent increases in natural disasters and COVID-related collective trauma

philosophy of beauty and its importance to the human spirit

and of course, the Yankees and the Phillies.

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this video’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this video’s sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Siobahn Sung: Experience Wonder. See Beauty. Change the World.

How do we reconcile the rosy bits of history with the uncomfortable parts? How do we embrace it and learn not to repeat it at the same time? How can the food industry become a more just place for people of color?

Food writer, chef, and Poi Dog owner Kiki Aranita gets deep into her Chinese roots, her profound love of Spam, classic literature, her love of fiber arts, and what life is like for a food entrepreneur — after the restaurant closes.

And always, COOK. THE. SPAM.

CONTENT WARNING: Trauma, historical violence, anti-asian racism, explicit language

Show your support for (un)common good! Subscribe to our YouTube channel for FULL VIDEO EPISODES and shorts: youtube.com/@uncommongoodpod [http://youtube.com/@uncommongoodpod]

Follow us on TikTok for daily video shorts: tiktok.com/@uncommongoodpo [http://www.tiktok.com/@uncommongoodpod]d

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this video’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

Visit this video’s sponsor, Poi Dog, chef Kiki Aranita creating sauces inspired by Hawaiian Cuisine: https://poidogphilly.com [https://poidogphilly.com/]

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

 Kiki Aranita: Remember Your History. Cook Your Spam. Keep On Moving.

What does it look like to build interreligious community, when it’s mandated by the government? How can people work together to find creative solutions to complex problems?

Tori Mick is a DRE — Director of Religious Education — for the United States Army, a civilian position that provides educational content to Army chaplains to help protect and provide for the exercising of the First Amendment rights of soldiers and their families, in whatever tradition of faith and spirituality that they practice.

Tori talks about growing up in and growing out of Christian evangelicalism, lessons learned as a nomadic, third-culture military kid, the importance of naps and snacks, working with youth, surviving COVID, and so much more.

CONTENT WARNING: military, trauma, prison, conservative evangelicalism, moral injury, impacts of COVID

All of the opinions expressed in the program are explicitly the opinions of the individuals themselves and do not represent an endorsement or position held by the United States Army. 

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this video’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Tori Mick: Build Interfaith Communities. For Everyone.

What does it take to remember and preserver stories of queer black joy? How can we love our roots while we move on from the parts that hold us back from wholeness?

Kenneth Murphy has chronicled the work of the New York ballroom scene, committing it to the archives of the New York Public Library.

Kenneth talks mentoring, black joy and flourishing, and honoring his roots — all while moving forward at the same time.

Kenneth’s own work in ballroom has been featured across New York City, including at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

CONTENT WARNING: trauma, queerphobia, white supremacy, poverty

Check out the New York Public Library’s Jerome Robbins Dance Division: https://www.nypl.org/locations/lpa/jerome-robbins-dance-division

This program is produced in south west philadelphia, in the unceded neighborhood of the black bottom community and on the ancestral land of the Lenape nation, who remain here in the era of the fourth crow and fight for official recognition by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania to this day. You can find out more about the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania and how you can support the revitalization of their culture by going to https://lenape-nation.org [https://lenape-nation.org/].

Visit this episode’s sponsor, BVP Coffee, roasting high quality coffee that benefits HBCU students:

https://bvp.coffee/uncommongoodpod

we chat to ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity.

we are creating community that builds relationships across difference by inviting dialogue about the squishy and vulnerable bits of life.

(un)common good with pauli reese is an uncommon good media production, where we make spirituality accessible to everyone and put content on the internet to help people stop hating each other.

thanks for joining us on the journey of (un)common good!

Kenneth Murphy: Pose. Vogue. Pass it On. 

What do you want the world to look like when you're done with it?

Actors, authors, poets, CEOs, faith leaders, social workers, politicians, social media stars, activists, athletes, comedians, musicians, military officials, celebrities, artists, and many more are telling us: 

Origin Story: How did you get here? 

Inspiration: What things, people, places, and ideas help lift your spirits when times are tough and morale is low?

Impact: What sort of world do you see, and what are you doing to make that reality possible? 

Come be a part of this conversation about the squishy and vulnerable bits of our lives. Come be a part of this community. 

Be warned: we do not shy away from tough conversations. Instead, we dive in with boldness, grace, and whimsy.

This is the show where we collaborate with ordinary people doing uncommon good in service of our common humanity. 

This is (un)common good.

pauli reese

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