When we were considering who to have on our very first episode, Marianne seemed like the obvious choice. Why? Well she’s maybe uniquely positioned to help make sense of the hell we just lived through in 2020 and situate it in the broader sweep of American history, the current political moment and our own deeply personal experiences with the universe and the human experience. We both also felt like the events of 2020 had brought us closer to some of Marianne’s views, making us more compelled to explore her synthesis of politics with deeper questions about health, happiness, and meaning. She did not disappoint.
In this (first!) episode, Marianne discusses her intellectual influences, her opposition to the status quo of the Democratic Party, and her views on the populist energy bubbling up around Medicare for All and COVID stimulus checks. Bringing all of these topics together, of course, is Marianne's fierce advocacy for the value of humanity and the promise of a more just world.
What you may find striking is that Marianne transcends the "new-age" spiritual label that is often ascribed to her. Given her attentiveness to the current issues that Americans are facing -- from unaffordable healthcare to hostile elites in power -- Marianne is clearly sensitive to modern struggles. Yet she's also drawing upon a greater tradition of humanitarians and philosophers, those who have argued for generations that human beings inherently deserve opportunities to flourish intellectually, spiritually, and socially. In this way, Marianne offers a perspective that you can't get anywhere else. Hers is a vision that marries pressing demands for justice with profound intellectual considerations of happiness, peace, and the things that give life meaning. After listening to our conversation with her, we think you’ll agree: Marianne Williamson is someone to take very, very seriously.
We hope that you enjoy this (first) episode of Krystal Kyle & Friends! For the next few weeks, you’ll have access to video recordings of our Friday interviews through Secular Talk. After that, paid subscribers to our Substack will have access to the video every Friday. The audio will post on Saturdays and always be free to all here on Substack and on all the major podcasting platforms. Apple takes a little while to verify so it will be a couple weeks before you can find the audio there but it’s available now on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon, Google and more. Happy New Year! Appreciate you all! Enjoy!
Episode 1: Marianne Williamson