Imbolo Mbue's journey took her from Cameroon to New Jersey, and ultimately to Oprah's house. The bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers and How Beautiful We Were describes the very best of America with charm and realism -- from being warmly welcomed as a college student and observing true freedom for the first time to witnessing crippling poverty and our "race to nowhere" mentality. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan.

Very few of us gaze contentedly into the mirror and are happy with our bodies. In this episode, Kelly dives into the dangers of our obsession with body image in a candid conversation with therapist Ariel and her client Lindsey about eating disorders, triggers and recovery. A must listen.

Very few of us gaze contentedly into the mirror and are happy with our bodies. In this episode, Kelly dives into the dangers of our obsession with body image in a candid conversation with therapist Ariel and her client Lindsey about eating disorders, triggers and recovery. A must listen.

Continuing our series "Love Stories for a Weary World," Kelly and New Yorker writer Susan Orlean open up about the pain and pleasant surprises of family life -- including the transition from family to couple. Kelly shares memories of early days with young children and finding joy as a lacrosse coach in this very personal episode. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan and read the essays from this episode on Medium.

Kelly wraps up her series "Love Stories for a Weary World," with medium writer Julio Vincent Gambuto, who fell in love during the pandemic. Julio talks about the ways Covid upended common dating practices and tipped the scales for deeper connection. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan and read the essays from this episode on Medium.

Kelly continues the "Mind the Gap" series with writer and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi as they look at well-being and self care through the lens of different generations. The two touch on topics such as the commodification of self-care, staying true to oneself and the importance (or not) of dyeing your hair. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan and read the essays from this episode on Medium.

Kelly kicks off a new series on BELIEF, delving into topics like the meaning of life, finding purpose, why faith, service and gratitude matter, and more with MIchael Murray, Philosophy Professor and President of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, our production partner on this series. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan and read the essays from this episode on Medium.

Johann Hari is an atheist with a passion for the power of our human connections and also the author of one of Kelly's favorite books called Lost Connections. He also did a Ted talk about the root causes of depression that has been viewed a mere 75 million times. He and Kelly share strories about the best of humanity and the worst -- through the lens of curiosity and compassion. Special thanks to the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, our production partner on the Belief series. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. Join Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan.

Kelly reflects on the meaning of life. Seriously, that's what this episode is. We pulled takeaways and excerpts from some of the best conversations we had in the belief series, like Anne Lamott (ep #54) and Anthony Ray Hinton (ep #55) Special thanks to the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, our production partner on the Belief series. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. Join Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan.

Johann Hari is an atheist with a passion for the power of our human connections and also the author of one of Kelly's favorite books called Lost Connections. He also did a Ted talk about the root causes of depression that has been viewed a mere 75 million times. He and Kelly share strories about the best of humanity and the worst -- through the lens of curiosity and compassion. Special thanks to the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, our production partner on the Belief series. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. Join Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan

There’s a lot to learn about how to help (or let) a kid become an adult from someone who worked with Stanford students for 10 years, not to mention someone who wrestles with every major moment in parenting herself. Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of How to Raise an Adult and Your Turn and is as honest as they come. This is one to play on repeat. If you loved this conversation, you might also like the August 27 quick hit pod on Parenting Mantras.

With not much more than a bag of chips and a tuba, Richard White found his way from intermittent homelessness and into the symphony This is a story to make you remember how much we can and do overcome.  

Puzzles. Pickle Ball. Backgammon, hearts, Rummikub. Collaging, watercolors, knitting. What might have seemed nice-to-have is actually a must-have if you want to protect your mental, physical and intellectual well being. Catherine Price, a science journalist, has rounded up the evidence and it’s clear: fun matters. Listen to Kelly and Catherine talk through the when, how and why of playing. Share with anyone you know who needs a reminder of the power of fun.

To learn more about Catherine’s book The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again, visit https://howtohavefun.com/.

People say “Stay in your lane” but I don’t buy it. I like people who care about a lot of things, not just winning another NBA championship (I see you Steve Kerr, eyeing #9) or making another world class docu-series (I see you W Kamau Bell, with your devastating Cosby series). I like people who dare to say unpopular things into microphones because they have a platform and they feel compelled to use it. This is an episode with two of my favorite people — Warriors coach Steve Kerr and comedian, producer and director W. Kamau Bell — talking about what they do beyond what they do, if you get my drift.

Scott Galloway repeatedly asks us to square our worship of technology and innovators with what we know is and is not good for us and society. He wants us to face the slow but certain damage we allow corporations to inflict, every day, on our kids and ourselves. Standing on a firm foundation of facts and insight, he asks the hardest and most consequential questions of our time. Dolores Huerta worked side by side with Cesar Chavez for decades. She stood next to Robert Kennedy the night he was shot. She convinced 18 million people to boycott grapes. These back to back conversations, recorded on the set of Kelly’s PBS show, Tell Me More, are part wake up call and part roadmap. 

Reflecting on the persistence and challenge of change as a way of life and a few deep dives into very specific changes with writer, activist and community leader Jen Hatmaker.

Convictions about what parenting moves work and which are pure disaster…decisions about where and when to donate to what…beliefs about shared humanity and common ground. This is a far ranging conversation with Jen Hatmaker that lifts us out of the headlines and into something more pervasive and timeless. 

Anna Deavere Smith (from Broadway as well as Nurse Jackie, West Wing and Inventing Anna) is a deep thinker with an easy laugh—pretty much my favorite combination. She felt like an old friend from minute one. This heart to heart from the set of my PBS show, Tell Me More was followed by a conversation with Princeton professor Andrew Chignell who studies, among other things, hope and optimism, something Anna had a lot to say about. This is what we think of as a perfect Kelly Corrigan Wonders episode—a lot of feeling, a lot of thinking.

If you haven’t heard of Father Greg Boyle, let us introduce you: a Jesuit priest who has a touch of Santa Claus in his affect, Greg Boyle has collaborated with thousands of former gang members to build thriving businesses and communities of radical acceptance in East LA. He is a man who is sure that love is the answer to every question and has lived a life that offers him daily proof. Following my conversation with Father Boyle, I sat down with a researcher and social scientist named Christian Miller, a philosophy professor from Wake Forest, to talk about his work around ethics and character. Please enjoy this very special conversation.

Dropping kids off at kindergarten, summer camp, the prom, college, their first apartment…how do we do transitions well? It’s that time of year: caps and gowns are being ordered, fields of chairs are being set out for graduations. Kelly has a tangled pile of questions about each sending off moment for her friend Ariel who is also Dr. Trost, psychologist.

Robin Roberts, who has been saying Good Morning America for decades now, has a few hard-earned lessons to share. She was in isolation for 174 days after a bone marrow transplant to save her life. She reported from Katrina only after searching the coast for her own family. She broke every barrier in journalism on her own terms. She personifies grit, which is why we had to bring Angela Duckworth into the conversation, to break down just how we all might nurture and sustain Robin’s perseverance and optimism. To watch this interview, go to PBS.org/kelly. Robin’s new book, Brighter by the Day, is available now.

If you need proof that nothing is quite as endearing as honesty, meet Lilly Singh. She is a smart, funny millennial whose YouTube sketch comedy videos are as brilliant as they are beloved: 3 billion combined views. This is a conversation worth your time, both for yourself and any young adult in your life who would benefit from your expanded understanding of the pressures of modern life. You can watch this interview, and all of the previous 9 podcast episodes, on PBS.org/kelly.  

As a 19 year old, Letitia Hanke took a job as a receptionist at the local roofing company. Within 10 years, she bought the business she has now been running (and growing) for 18 years. If you want to remember that anything is possible, this conversation will wake you up to the possibilities. Part 2 of the How’d You Do That? series.

Yllka Gashi is Kosovo’s answer to Jennifer Aniston. After years starring in the nation’s most adored sit-com, she left her war torn country to raise her daughter in the US. But a certain story stuck with her: a war widow who eked out a living selling honey from her husband’s beehives. 8 years in the making, HIVE won the Grand Jury prize at Sundance and was Kosovo’s official Oscar submission, making it onto the shortlist of films being considered for nomination. This is a conversation for people who wonder about the relationship between hardship, grit and integration.

What do college freshman Malia Honda and deep sea oceanographer Claudia Benitez-Nelson have in common? They both believe that they can change the story of Planet Earth. Here’s a lively, endearing conversation between people who care and have successes to show us. To keep in touch on this issue, join Kelly and sign up for the free, occasional newsletter from Science Moms.

Today’s show features two charming, unassuming, determined women. First, a humble teenager named Ardra Charath shares her ideas about what we can do to make sense of the extreme weather events she lived through in India and the Middle East. Then, atmospheric scientist Dr. Melissa Burt fills us in on the enthusiasm and forward motion she sees every day with her students. If you are finding yourself thinking more and more about how to protect Mother Earth, join the mailing list at ScienceMoms.com to keep in touch and stay up to date.

To understand the brain’s function and methods is to get some much needed distance from family dynamics so that we might understand them more fully. Lisa Feldman Barrett has been researching and writing about how emotions are made for many years. Kelly and Lisa met on the set of Tell Me More for PBS and they have been talking ever since, particularly about how neuroscience informs parenting. This is a conversation for anyone who has ever been stunned by an interaction, good or bad, and wondered what just happened?

Replay of Episode 44. Kelly and renowned writer Susan Orlean talk about transitions in family life — including the big one of becoming an empty nester. Kelly shares memories of early days with young children in this very personal episode. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan.

One of the most popular professors at Boston College is a woman named Biz Bracher. She teaches a course that wonders about ethics, society and the individual. She asks her students to think hard about their potential as citizens and contributors. She drills down on the biggest questions we face: What am I good at? Who am I called to become? This is a conversation that serves all of us, whether we’re kids inching toward adulthood or adults craving some productive introspection. Enjoy and share.

With tenderness and optimism, Atul Gawande (author of Being Mortal, a must read) and Ai-jen Poo (who supports caregivers across the country) give us all a way to think about love, caregiving and facing mortality

Santa Barbara has one of the best community colleges in the country. Kelly and her producer Tammy spent a day on the campus of Santa Barbara City College sitting in on class and talking about books, poetry, identity and society with Dr. Clara Oropeza. She describes her own intellectual awakenings in a way that helps underline the real point of college.

Dr. Waded Cruzado was the first person in her family to go to college. She loved it. She went on to get a PhD move from Puerto Rico to — of all places — Bozeman Montana, where she is regarded in heroic terms. She is determined to show every kid in the state what’s possible around them and within them. Her favorite day of the year is commencement. She is inspired and inspiring in equal measures and we loved our time with her.

Dave Eggers and Nick Hornby are two of our best novelists, and both happen to be serious do gooders as well. With dozens of books between them, they have keen observations on society, relationships and how to have impact. Kelly sat down with them, first Dave then Nick, on the set of her PBS show Tell Me More, in part to celebrate the release of Nick’s new book on Prince and Dickens.

Professor, podcaster, stage 4 cancer patient Kate Bowler knows the difference between crappy and happy. This week we review the Crappy Files, which turned out to be an enormously moving and often hilarious conversation. Next week: The Happy Files. Share them both with the women you love.

Bestselling author, star podcaster, stage 4 cancer patient and the kind of friend you can be honest with, Kate Bowler, compares her Happy list with Kelly’s. A conversation to share with your best friend.

Jazz, improv, curiosity and intellectual humility - what might these topics have to do with business? Kelly talks with Dr. Natalie Nixon a creativity strategist, author and public speaker about how taking cues from the world of design and other creative mediums can help us work more effectively. Natalie has an incredibly varied background which informs her work: she’s lived in 5 countries and has a background in anthropology, fashion, academia and dance. She is the author of Strategic Design Thinking and The Creativity Leap.

Funding for this episode was provided by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center as part of its "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility" initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation.

For the 5th and final episode in the Intellectual Humility series, Kelly talks to two doctors about how open mindedness figures into their time with patients.

The most popular class at The University of Washington is Psych 210: The Diversity of Human Sexuality. Kelly sits down with the professor, Dr. Nicole McNichols to find out what’s on the curriculum.

You can find Dr. Nicole McNichols on Instagram @nicole_thesexprofessor

67 million of us are estranged from a family member. 85% of us are in regular conflict at work. The country is split on every issue from masks to education, health care to policing. Kelly asks journalist and bestselling author of High Conflict, Amanda Ripley where we go from here. This episode is a replay of Ep #37 which originally aired on May 25, 2021.

How do you see the world and how much of that is based on lived experiences? How much comes from your education (formal and informal)? When was the last time you came to a new insight or position without being exposed to something new? This is a conversation with UCSD philosophy professor Manuel Vargas that might shake up your point of view on blame, determinism, midlife crises and what sets the table for cooperation.

Everyone loves a list. Everyone needs a way to cut through all the noise and move forward with expert guidance. That’s what today’s episode is all about. For everyone making the big investment in college here are the tips for how to make the best of it from two people who know…Katie Gayman, who has worked in the field of college counseling for 13 years and Dr. Angel Perez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Share this episode widely so that everyone can get the most out of their time on campus.

Special thanks to the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations for supporting this series.

Once upon a time there was a girl who got pink-eye and went to the Met. Author and podcaster Gretchen Rubin (The Happiness Project, Happier with Gretchen Rubin) joins Kelly to talk about how a visit to her eye doctor inspired her to start engaging with her five senses like never before. Gretchen’s intriguing new book Life in Five Senses: How Exploring the Senses Got Me out of my Head and Into the World is available 4/18/23.

Special thanks to Dean Kattari for the wonderful new show open/theme music debuting in today’s episode.

Kelly’s guest is actress and author Constance Wu - you may know her from her roles in the breakthrough tv show Fresh Off the Boat and the blockbuster film Crazy, Rich Asians. Constance shares her experiences as an actress in Hollywood both on and off screen: the privilege and responsibility of representation, being a true artist, navigating social media and an incident which took her to a very dark place.

Special thanks to PBS for supporting Tell Me More and this podcast series. You can watch this episode of Tell Me More anytime at pbs.org/kelly.

Thank you also to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center.

You might know bits and pieces of Jewel’s story. Homeless girl hitchhiking into the lower 48 from Alaska. Making music. Being robbed by her mother. What you might not know is how deeply and wisely she thinks about anxiety. This is one to share with every person you love who is sometimes gripped by panic.

Please note that this episode references alcoholism, abuse and suicide.

Special thanks to the Lafayette Library and Learning Center in Lafayette, CA.

How do understanding and approval factor into kindness? Are we only nice to the people we "get"? How can we change the way we think about who is deserving of love, respect and kindness? (hint: it's everyone). Carvell Wallace has thoughts on all of this and more. He's a writer, a thinker and a creative who has written powerful profiles of artists, actors, activists and is also the curious mind behind the podcast Finding Fred, about Mr. Rogers. If you enjoy this conversation, make sure to check out Episode #4: Trust your Gut? with Annie Jean Baptiste. Please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts! We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan.

How do the values we inherited clash or complement the cultures we come of age in? How can we stay the right size in the world and in our own minds? What do you worship and nurture - art, the church, politics, food? Claire Danes and Kate Bowler join Kelly to talk about all the things that came up as they read Life Worth Living, our first Kelly Corrigan Wonders bookclub pick.

Sadly, this is the last conversation with Claire Danes and Kate Bowler about what makes life worth all the trouble, worry and suffering. In this freewheeling ride, we dig into just how inevitable personal ethical failure is and therefore, what does repair require. Like, how good are you at apologizing? Have you really accepted the people you love — as they are — or are you still trying to change them? How do you keep yourself and your choices aligned with your values? Enjoy the honesty. Share widely. We all need to stay in touch with these fundamental questions about how we live.

Based on Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most from authors Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz. Visit lifeworthliving.com/kelly to access a study guide to help you work through the book. Special thanks to the Warren Smoot Carter III and Meagan Carter Charitable Fund.

Let’s say this: the number one driver of happiness across time and culture is meaningful connection to others. So how do you get it and how do you keep it? Dr. Helen Fisher has been studying love for 5 decades. 5. That’s a lot of information. Share this conversation with the people you love. Tons of takeaways that you can integrate immediately.

Take Helen’s personality quiz and figure out who you are…and who you aren’t.

Funding for this episode was provided by UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center as part of its "Expanding Awareness of the Science of Intellectual Humility" initiative, supported by the John Templeton Foundation

Timothy Goodman has made a great life for himself doing large format art projects like, say, making a basketball court for Kevin Durant, or small format masterpieces like a shoe for Nike, or a the most personal work, a graphic memoir called I Always Think It’s Forever. He smiles when talks and is unusually candid and I loved being with him so much I followed him home to meet his girlfriend and see his studio and basically try to cement our new friendship. This is for the people who have creative hearts and the people who love those creatives.

When one of her therapy patients said to Dr. Samantha Boardman, “All we ever do is talk about stuff that's going wrong in my life. And we don't talk about much else", it inspired a change in the way she approached her practice and eventually inspired her to write Everyday Vitality: Turning Stress into Strength.

Based on 15 years of experience as a psychiatrist, Samantha gives Kelly some practical, achievable strategies that are life-enhancing and resilience-building. No more rehashing the past and what went wrong in an effort to find a sense of well-being - the better strategy is to cultivate vitality and transform each new day into a more fulfilling one.

First up, a conversation with Katie Couric, who has been in the media business for 40 some years now in a variety of roles, who has a really honed perspective on where we are, how we got here, and where we might try to get to next. After Katie, a discussion with Neal Katyal, a Georgetown law professor who has argued in front of the Supreme Court. Between Neil and Katie, we hope we come to a set of understandings about this moment in American public life and what we might hope for and work towards next. (Replay of Ep 118 which originally aired on 12/13/22).

Krista Tippett, informed by decades of inquiry through her super-project, On Being, sits with Kelly to consider what’s in flux, what needs will never abate and what we might rediscover in new forms. In this moment when everything is broken open, when institutions are received with less reverence and more skepticism, where should we point our minds and hearts? What practices serve us best? This is a conversation to share with every thinking friend in your life and use as fodder for your own search for a spiritual home.

Thanks to our many friends at the Aspen Ideas Festival for making this interview possible.

This conversation was captured before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Mary Louise Kelly (host of NPR’s All Things Considered) has been doing some reflecting. What choices did she make and how do they look now, as her nest is nearly empty? Is it okay to travel through war zones when a kid is home with the flu? What is gained and what is lost, for the individuals in question and for society? This is a conversation to take in slowly, to share with every mother you know, and to discuss.

Thanks to the Aspen Ideas Festival. This conversation was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Kelly finds herself between two Annas -- Anna Quindlen, the Pulitzer Prize winning writer, and Anna Sale, the host of WNYC's popular Death, Sex & Money podcast. Together, they read excerpts from their books and riff on how terribly easy it is to misunderstand each other in family life. From thinking you’re not "a divorce kinda person" to overestimating our influence as parents, love is rife with misunderstandings. Here’s a conversation that will help you find your way out of what tangle you might be in at the moment. If this episode was useful to you, you’ll probably really like Kelly's conversation with Wanda Holland Greene on Finding Agency. And please subscribe, rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts!  We read and appreciate every review. You can follow the conversation with Kelly on Instagram @kellycorrigan. (Replay of Ep 24 - originally aired 3/2/21)