The Art of Fiction, Democracy & Truth with AL KENNEDY

"The thing that puzzled him was why people don't agree to be fully expressed while they're alive. Why does it only happen in their last moment? Why wouldn't you live being fully expressed?"My guest today is AL Kennedy. She is one of Britain’s most acclaimed and versatile literary voices, a writer who can inhabit the internal life of a soldier in a POW camp, as she did in her Costa Book Award-winning novel Day, as easily as she can navigate the "professional lying" of a modern civil servant.Her latest novel, Alive in the Merciful Country, takes place during the 2020 lockdown. It tells the story of a primary school teacher who receives a confession from an undercover police officer who infiltrated her life decades earlier. It’s a provocative investigation into state power, the "Spy Cops" scandal and the search for mercy in an age of surveillance. It’s a book about the breakdown of trust. We talk about her life, her activism, and why she believes fiction is the only way to tell the truth when the facts are forbidden and how she balances the truth of her novels with the relief of stand-up comedy.(0:00) Finding Your VoiceOn the Alfred Wolfsohn voice method and the power of being fully expressed(2:30) Reading from Alive in the Merciful CountryKennedy shares a passage from her latest novel, exploring hope and resilience in dark times.(4:43) The Myth of Shrinking Attention SpansChallenging the narrative that modern audiences cannot focus, and the importance of engaging storytelling.(6:22) Education and the Foundation of DemocracyThe dangers of dismantling education and how critical thinking protects us from fascism.(10:26) The Spy Cop Scandal and State SurveillanceUnpacking the reality of undercover police infiltrating peaceful protests and intimate lives.(13:59) Lockdown: A Global Pause and the Inrush of EmpathyThe fleeting moment of unified humanity during the pandemic and how it was ultimately betrayed.(17:34) Writing Without Theft: The Ethics of Character CreationKennedy explains her imaginative process and why she refuses to steal details from real people's lives.(28:16) AI, Digital Slop, and the Loss of TrustReflections on artificial intelligence as an unstable plagiarism machine and its impact on truth.(30:03) Nature, Spirituality, and the Merciful CountryFinding healing in the natural world and navigating the future with love and awareness.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“Grief is a particular kind of unrequited love. It wasn't unrequited in the past. Usually, we think of unrequited love as you never got to do it, you never had it for yourself. But, in fact, there can be requited love, which is then unrequited love in the paroxysms of grief.”Today, we are honored to welcome a writer whose work has long explored the intimate landscapes of the mind, memory and the heart. Siri Hustvedt’s writing moves between the personal and the philosophical, the literary and the deeply human. Her work bridges collections of essays, non-fiction, poetry, and seven novels, including the international bestsellers What I Loved and The Summer Without Men. Recipient of the Princess of Asturias Award for Literature and the Gabarron Prize for Thought, her work has been translated into over thirty languages. Her new memoir, Ghost Stories, is a reflection on forty-three years shared with her late husband, the writer and filmmaker Paul Auster. In its pages, we encounter not only love and loss, but the quiet persistence of presence, memory, and language itself.(0:00) “We were hugely important to the drama of becoming in our own lives”(2:04) Grief as Unrequited LoveSiri explores the emotional reality of living without Paul Auster, noting that grief occurs because love does not stop when a person dies.(3:19) The Shared Space of a 43-year Marriage(4:36) Reading from Ghost StoriesSiri reads the opening passage of her memoir, detailing how the loss of her husband deranged her sense of time and bodily rhythms.(7:02) How Loss Changes Our Sense of Time(11:24)  How Powerful Emotions and a Person's Life Can Play a Role in Illness(13:04) Believing in a Reality that Transcends the Individual(20:06) Physical Love in MarriageOn the importance of physical intimacy in long-term marriages, a reality often left out of grief memoirs.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

"Within society, we seem to have separated the arts out, so they're not so much a part of our daily lives. Often there's something that we feel we should do as a kind of leisure activity or hobby if we have enough time or if we have enough money to engage in them. And this is so fundamentally different to how humans engaged with the arts. When we look back thousands of years, it just was part of the everyday, and I feel like that's a major loss within contemporary societies."Daisy Fancourt is a Professor of Psychobiology & Epidemiology at UCL and the author ofArt Cure: The Science of How the Arts Transform Our Health. A pioneer in the field of psychoneuroimmunology, she directs the WHO Collaborating Center on Arts and Health, where her research influences global health policy and the integration of the arts into medical care.(0:00) The Healing Power of the Arts: Longevity, Immunity & Wellbeing(1:17) Singing to Daphne: How Daisy used singing to comfort her premature daughter in the ICU(2:47) The Story of Russell: How a stroke survivor used art classes to reclaim his life, health, and identity(5:23) A Planet of 8 Billion Artists: Tracing the evolutionary origins of creativity back 40,000 years(8:58) Psychoneuroimmunology. Defining the biological mechanisms: how art reduces inflammation and cortisol(12:42) Art & Longevity. How arts engagement can slow biological aging and alter gene expression(18:24) Safeguarding Creativity. Why we should use AI for routine tasks but protect the human joy of the creative processEpisode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

Can curiosity and empathy be taught? How can we expand our sense of solidarity through stories? In this episode, we explore the internal dialogues of artists, actors and writers to ask what it means to step into someone else's shoes.(0:00) Novelist  Jim Shepard discusses Literature as a Tool for Emotional Education and Exploring History(2:05) Tony Award-winning Actor Neil Patrick Harris on Being Moved by Theater and its Ability to Bridge Worlds(3:55) Novelist Katie Kitamura on How a Book is Made in Collaboration with the Reader(5:00) Screenwriter, Playwright Laura Eason on Inhabiting the Hearts of Characters Different from Ourselves(6:03) Academy Award-winning Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the Art of Visual Storytelling(6:37) Cinematographer, Director Benoit Delhomme on the Freedom of Handheld Cinematography(7:19) Author Etgar Keret on Looking for Humanity through Shared Intention(8:18) Viet Thanh Nguyen – Opposing Power through Expansive Solidarity(9:27) Adam Moss – Author, Fmr. Editor New York magazine on “The Work of Art”(10:29) John Patrick Shanley – Tony & Academy Award-winning Writer, Director on Finding Value in Ordinary Experiences and the Creative Power of Daydreaming(11:56) Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist Nicholas Kristof on Why Individual Stories are Necessary to Generate ConnectionTo hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

Can curiosity and empathy be taught? How can we expand our sense of solidarity through stories? In this episode, we explore the internal dialogues of artists, actors and writers to ask what it means to step into someone else's shoes.(0:00) Novelist  Jim Shepard discusses Literature as a Tool for Emotional Education and Exploring History(2:05) Tony Award-winning Actor Neil Patrick Harris on Being Moved by Theater and its Ability to Bridge Worlds(3:55) Novelist Katie Kitamura on How a Book is Made in Collaboration with the Reader(5:00) Screenwriter, Playwright Laura Eason on Inhabiting the Hearts of Characters Different from Ourselves(6:03) Academy Award-winning Director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on the Art of Visual Storytelling(6:37) Cinematographer, Director Benoit Delhomme on the Freedom of Handheld Cinematography(7:19) Author Etgar Keret on Looking for Humanity through Shared Intention(8:18) Viet Thanh Nguyen – Opposing Power through Expansive Solidarity(9:27) Adam Moss – Author, Fmr. Editor New York magazine on “The Work of Art”(10:29) John Patrick Shanley – Tony & Academy Award-winning Writer, Director on Finding Value in Ordinary Experiences and the Creative Power of Daydreaming(11:56) Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist Nicholas Kristof on Why Individual Stories are Necessary to Generate ConnectionTo hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

“They're kind of like a hidden superhero in your body and we just didn't know they existed. Muse cells eat the damaged cells, and they can actually turn into new cells using the cellular machinery.”Dr. Adeel Khan is a global thought leader in regenerative medicine. He is the CEO and Founder of and founder of Eterna Health, whose work with MUSE cell therapy—developed in collaboration with its discoverer, Professor Mari Dezawa—has made him the go-to expert for world leaders, athletes, and celebrities Chris Hemsworth, Kim Kardashian, and Tony Robbins. In this episode, we move beyond the hype of "anti-aging" to explore the hard science of Muse cells (Multilineage-differentiating Stress-Enduring cells). Dr. Khan breaks down how these unique cells differ from the "medicinal signaling cells" (MSCs) found in most clinics and how they act as a bridge to a future where tissue regeneration is standard care.(0:00) The "Repair Guys" & The Muse Difference Dr. Khan explains why traditional stem cells (MSCs) often disappoint and how Muse cells offer the "best of both worlds": safety and pluripotency.(2:19) Smart Cells: How They Find the Damage Understanding the "homing mechanism" that allows Muse cells to sense inflammation and instinctively travel to injured areas like the brain or heart.(3:11) Curing the Incurable: Diabetes & Alzheimer's The potential of the "cure triad"—stem cells, gene therapy, and FMT—to treat complex autoimmune diseases within the next decade.(4:40) Biological Noise & The Symphony of Health How "static" in our gene expression indicates aging, and how cellular therapy can reduce this noise to restore the body's harmony.(6:40) The Viral Monkey Study Dr. Khan discusses a recent study showing significant de-aging in monkeys through high-frequency cell dosing.(7:32) Unshakeable Foundations: Lifestyle as MedicineWhy advanced therapies must be paired with purpose, community, and mindfulness to create a "bulletproof" body.(8:44) From Sketchy to StandardizedNavigating the regulatory landscape: why Muse cells are being classified as a drug in regions like the UAE and the path toward FDA approval.(12:24) A Personal MissionDr. Khan shares the origin of his journey: trying to find solutions for his mother's chronic illness when traditional medicine failed.(14:16) The Cancer HunterUnlike other pluripotent cells that risk tumor growth, Muse cells have a unique mechanism that can detect cancer cells and trigger their death.(18:30)Future Outlook: AI, Nature & Blue Zones Reflections on the risks of AI, the importance of "Blue Zone" city design, and reconnecting with nature in a post-human world.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

In this special edition, we hear from our guests from across the arts and sciences. From composers and poets to forest ecologists and climate envoys, they tell the story of our planet. Moving beyond the data of destruction, we explore the intelligence of nature, the ethics of what we eat, and the empathy required to save our future.MAX RICHTER, Composer, Sleep, The Blue NotebooksCARL SAFINA, Author, Becoming WildADA LIMÓN, 24th US Poet LaureateCYNTHIA DANIELS, Grammy Award-winning Sound Eng.SUZANNE SIMARD, Finding the Mother TreeJOELLE GERGIS, Lead Author, IPCC 6th Assessment RptNOAH WILSON-RICH, CEO, Best Bees CompanyINGRID NEWKIRK, PETA FounderBERTRAND PICCARD, Solar Impulse FoundationDAVID FARRIER, Author, FootprintsKATHLEEN ROGERS, Pres, Earth Day NetworkODED GALOR, Unified Growth TheoryPETER SINGER, PhilosopherGEOFF MULGAN, Another World Is PossibleCLAIRE POTTER, Welcome to the Circular EconomyCHRIS FUNK, Dir. Climate Hazards Car.JENNIFER MORGAN, Special Envoy, International Climate ActionTo hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Website

In this special edition, we hear from our guests from across the arts and sciences. From composers and poets to forest ecologists and climate envoys, they tell the story of our planet. Moving beyond the data of destruction, we explore the intelligence of nature, the ethics of what we eat, and the empathy required to save our future.MAX RICHTER, Composer, Sleep, The Blue NotebooksCARL SAFINA, Author, Becoming WildADA LIMÓN, 24th US Poet LaureateCYNTHIA DANIELS, Grammy Award-winning Sound Eng.SUZANNE SIMARD, Finding the Mother TreeJOELLE GERGIS, Lead Author, IPCC 6th Assessment RptNOAH WILSON-RICH, CEO, Best Bees CompanyINGRID NEWKIRK, PETA FounderBERTRAND PICCARD, Solar Impulse FoundationDAVID FARRIER, Author, FootprintsKATHLEEN ROGERS, Pres, Earth Day NetworkODED GALOR, Unified Growth TheoryPETER SINGER, PhilosopherGEOFF MULGAN, Another World Is PossibleCLAIRE POTTER, Welcome to the Circular EconomyCHRIS FUNK, Dir. Climate Hazards Car.JENNIFER MORGAN, Special Envoy, International Climate ActionTo hear more from each guest, listen to their full interviews.Episode Website

On Music, Trust and Connection with the Animal World“Mostly I’ll play in a minor key, something sad, which I think can work for an animal because they can sense the sadness, and they try to reassure me and comfort me. I chose love songs because I'm convinced they are very intuitive and they can sense what I am trying to say to them, and profess my love in a way. I think there's always a way to connect, and if you're being cautious and don't threaten the animals, something beautiful can happen.”Musician Plumes takes his guitar to the world's most unlikely concert halls—farms, sanctuaries, and wild habitats. A passionate advocate for veganism and animal welfare, we discuss what animals hear, how trust forms, and what music can reveal when it enters a world not made for humans alone.Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast

On the urgent need to reclaim our political voices, the forces that silence dissent, and how art and poetry are crucial tools for survivalOur guest today is an activist scholar who believes the classroom is inseparable from the public square. David Palumbo-Liu is the Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor of Comparative Literature at Stanford University and a founding faculty member of Stanford’s Program in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity. But his work has long reached beyond the academy. Through his book, Speaking Out of Place: Getting Our Political Voices Back, and his podcast of the same name, he insists that the great global crises of our time—from escalating wars and democratic failures to environmental collapse—are fundamentally crises of value and voice. His recent work has put him on the front lines of campus activism, challenging institutions, resigning his membership from the MLA, a move that highlights the ethical cost of speaking truth to power. We’ll talk about what he calls the "carceral logic" of the modern university, why art and poetry are crucial tools for survival in times of war, and what he tells his students about preparing for a future defined by uncertainty. His perspective is rooted in literature, but his urgency is all about the world we live in now. We will discuss the forces that silence dissent, the "imperial logic" of AI, and what it means to be a moral, active citizen when the systems we rely on are failing.“There is a dispute about what the American Dream is or how it would play out in different circumstances. The American dream has essentially been narrowed into a white Christian nationalist notion of things so that everything that falls outside what they imagine that to be is not only undesirable, but should be the subject of extermination, deportation, and detention. I am heartened by the fact that more of our 'better angels' are emerging with a more capacious and expansive notion of what the American dream could be.”Episode Websitewww.creativeprocess.info/podInstagram:@creativeprocesspodcast