Episode 2 - On pulsars, wavelengths, and beating hearts
In this episode, Richard’s propensity toward survival is revealed in conversation with his daughter Johanna. Johanna leads Richard through exercises on Zoom. Richard brings a poem to read aloud. The poem, titled “Star with a Secret,” is by American anthropologist and natural science writer Loren Eiseley. It’s about a pulsar—the definition of a survivor.
Music Credit
The music in this episode is the piece “Invention No. 1” by the composer and performer Chris Brown. Used with permission.
Links
- Chris Brown, composer and performer: https://cbmuse.com
- Loren Eiseley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loren_Eiseley
- “Arecibo Observatory Telescope Collapses, Ending An Era Of World-Class Research,” December 1, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/940767001/arecibo-observatory-telescope-collapses-ending-an-era-of-world-class-research

Conversations between a dad and his children capture the sheer joy of talking, singing, and laughing with Richard, a man of simple pleasures, expansive intelligence, historical perspective, and progressive politics. In Season 1, Richard is living under lockdown in his senior living residence during the coronavirus pandemic. It tells the story of Richard’s resilience and of the family’s efforts to ease the psychic impact of his isolation. In Season 2, Margaret asks Richard why he talked so much about vocation when she was growing up. Richard offers the wide arc of his theological understanding—from the need to care for working people to the cosmic Spirit that holds the universe together. They decided to devote an entire podcast season to vocation.
