Introduction He was the most powerful man in the world, and he spent his nights writing notes to himself about humility.Marcus Aurelius ruled Rome from 161 to 180, through fifteen years of plague, a decade of war on the Danube frontier, the betrayal of his best general, and the deaths of most of his children. He never wanted the throne. At sixteen, when he … [Read more...] about Marcus Aurelius on Love, Grief, and His Son: A Night on the Danube
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: Characters Speak
Introduction What if the people we lost could return for one conversation, not to say goodbye again, but to tell us how they really felt?In Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore, a father and his three children live on a remote island near Antarctica, protecting a seed vault containing some of the world's most precious plant species.The ocean is rising. … [Read more...] about Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy: Characters Speak
Putin, Zelensky, Trump & Jesus: Can They End the War?
IntroductionWhat if Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Donald Trump, and Jesus sat together in a private room, determined to find a way to end the war in Ukraine?Putin arrives believing Russia's security and historical grievances must be addressed.Zelensky comes carrying the responsibility of defending a country whose families have endured invasion, destruction, … [Read more...] about Putin, Zelensky, Trump & Jesus: Can They End the War?
Hard Times Create Strong Men: G. Michael Hopf’s Cycle Challenged
Introduction Hard Times Create Strong People: Can We Break the Cycle?What if the greatest achievement of a strong generation isn't teaching its children how to suffer, but teaching them how to become strong without suffering?You've probably heard the famous saying:Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And … [Read more...] about Hard Times Create Strong Men: G. Michael Hopf’s Cycle Challenged
Swedenborg Imagined Interview: What Happens When We Die
Introduction What if one of the most respected scientists of the eighteenth century told you he’d spent the last twenty-seven years of his life visiting heaven and hell, and could prove it?Emanuel Swedenborg was a Swedish nobleman, a mining engineer for the king, an inventor who sketched a flying machine in 1714, and an anatomist who studied the brain … [Read more...] about Swedenborg Imagined Interview: What Happens When We Die
Carl Jung Imagined Interview: Synchronicity, Shadow, and God
Introduction Have you ever had a coincidence so precise it felt like an answer?Most of us have. A name that comes up three times in one day. A book that falls open to the exact page you needed. We usually shrug it off. Carl Jung didn’t. He gave those moments a name, synchronicity, and spent his life insisting they meant something.Jung was a Swiss … [Read more...] about Carl Jung Imagined Interview: Synchronicity, Shadow, and God
Shakespeare Imagined Interview: Hamnet, Hamlet, and Grief
Introduction What would you say to the greatest writer who ever lived, if you could ask him one question no one has ever dared to ask?I’ve wanted to sit down with William Shakespeare for years. But I didn’t fully understand why until this year, when my youngest son left for university. The house grew quiet. And I kept thinking about a father, four hundred … [Read more...] about Shakespeare Imagined Interview: Hamnet, Hamlet, and Grief
Jesus and the 12 Apostles Reunite: Judas at the Table
Introduction Thirteen at the Table: An Imaginary Conversation About Regret, Forgiveness, and the Father's LoveWhat would Peter say if he could sit across from Jesus again, knowing that his three denials could never be erased?Would Thomas still have questions? Would John regret the times his devotion became anger? Would the quiet disciples wonder whether … [Read more...] about Jesus and the 12 Apostles Reunite: Judas at the Table
What If You Could Interview Nikola Tesla?
Introduction What would you say to the man who lit the world, if you found him alone in a hotel room on a snowy night?For me, this conversation began somewhere personal. Years ago, I lived at the Hotel New Yorker in Manhattan for six months. I rode its slow elevators, walked its long hallways, and looked out at the same city lights. Only later did I fully … [Read more...] about What If You Could Interview Nikola Tesla?
What If You Could Interview Leonardo da Vinci?
Introduction What would you ask the greatest creative mind who ever lived, if you had one afternoon with him?I thought I knew. I’d ask about the Mona Lisa’s smile, the flying machines, the secret of genius. But somewhere in preparing for this conversation, a different question found me, and it changed everything I wanted to ask.Leonardo da Vinci was born in … [Read more...] about What If You Could Interview Leonardo da Vinci?