SongWriter turns stories into songs

Poet, author, and playwright Ben Okri reads his story “A Wrinkle in the Realm,” and talks about music and dream logic. Stanford’s Dr. Tomás Jiménez speaks about polarization, belonging, and empathy. And podcaster and songwriter Matshidiso returns to SongWriter, and co-writes a song with Ben OkriYou can hear Matshidiso's recent single, Dreams, and her first episode with Charlie Gilmour, and songs Ben Okri co-wrote with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) and Tony Allen, Cosmosis, and with Harper Simon, Wishes and StarsA playlist of Ben Arthur's songs featured in season six (as instrumentals or written as a response to an episode) can be found on Apple Music or SpotifySongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastX.com/SnogWriterSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Turkish journalist and author Asli Perker shares a story she wrote for SongWriter about a terrible car accident, and how it helped to make her the artist she is today. Scientist and researcher Dr. Itir Erhart talks about how art and empathy interact. And songwriter, poet, and crime novelist Tuna Kiremitçi performs a brand-new song written in response.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastX.com/SnogWriterSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Poet Maggie Smith reads her viral poem Good Bones and reflects on what it means to raise children in a world that is both beautiful and frightening. She also shares What I Carried, a poem about fear and love, and how both shape the lives of parents and kids. Psychologist Dr. Chrissy Salley from the Courageous Parents Network joins to talk about caregiving, resilience, and how families can have honest conversations with children. Jazz chanteuse Kat Edmonson closes the episode with Fear, Fear, a haunting new song inspired by Smith’s work.Chapters4:00 Good Bones: How a viral poem became a “disaster barometer” for dark times13:00 What I Carried: Fear, love, and the truths parents share with their children27:00 Caregiving Research: Building resilience and honesty in families with Dr. Chrissy Salley52:00 Fear, Fear: Kat Edmonson’s haunting new song inspired by Maggie SmithA broadside of "Good Bones" is available, as is the pre-order for Maggie's upcoming book, "Dear Writer"SongWriter is a music and songwriting podcast that turns stories into songs. Host Ben Arthur invites writers, poets, and musicians to share a story or poem, then pairs it with an original song written in response. Along the way, the show explores the creative process through intimate conversations and performances. Guests have included Questlove, Susan Orlean, David Gilmour, David Sedaris, George Saunders, and many more. Distributed by PRX, SongWriter also appears as a segment on the syndicated radio program Acoustic Café and in Paste Magazine. Learn more at SongWriterPodcast.com. Instagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastX.com/SnogWriterSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Filipinx American poet Ina Cariño shares a brand new “sonnet crown” poem that they wrote for SongWriter on the subject of family and empathy. Scientist Sarah Nila describes her experiments exploring empathy with children and mothers in the Philippines, and how Ina’s poem contains echoes of her findings. And producer and songwriter Alex Wong performs a brand-new song called “Murmurations,” that includes violin by Ina and vocals by Sarah. The song is only available on Bandcamp, and is a fundraiser for World Central Kitchen.SongWriterPodcast.comInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastX.com/SnogWriterSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Freddy Mutanguha, who is the CEO of the Aegis Trust – the organization that built the Kigali Genocide Memorial – describes surviving the genocide, and visiting the childhood friend who murdered his mother in prison. Woven into Freddy’s story are poems that Rwandan art activist and author Hope Azeda wrote about speaking to children about the genocide. Dr. Pamela Wadende describes the scientific mechanics behind forgiveness, and her experience of Rwanda. And Rwandan songwriter Peace Jolis shares a brand-new song called “BAHO.”SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastFor the live performance, Ben wrote a new song called "Kigali (ft. Peace Jolis)," which is streaming now on Apple Music, Spotify, and elsewhere. Season six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

Bestselling Cameroonian-American author Imbolo Mbue shares an excerpt she chose from How Beautiful We Were, about a village’s collective fight against a fictional oil company. Scientist Dorsa Amir describes her research with the Shuar natives of Ecuador, and how cooperation against a common threat and polarization both contain risks and benefits. Activist and songwriter Crys Matthews describes how collective action is at the center of her work, and shares her brand-new song “Restitution.”SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation