kirsten powers

Today, Debbie talks with Kirsten Powers, a New York Times bestselling author, a liberal columnist and, most recently, an on-air political analyst with CNN. In 2023, after almost two decades, she left what she calls the “media circus” to pursue a different life as a writer and a life coach. Kirsten, who is 56, is [b]old by any definition.

Prior to CNN she was at Fox (as a liberal voice) and before that she was a columnist for USA Today, The Daily Beast, American Prospect Online, and the New York Post. Her recent bestselling book is Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts.

Currently Kirsten writes a very popular newsletter on Substack, called, appropriately, "Changing the Channel." It's about living authentically, unlearning societal conditioning, and how to actually change your life. She published an essay recently about her plan to move to Italy with her husband because, as she put it, the U.S. is unlivable, with school shootings, the frenetic pace of life and because it’s too expensive. Somehow we are societally conditioned to accept this, as if it’s normal. But it’s not, Kirsten emphasizes. The post went viral, hitting a nerve with her many readers. Now she’s working on a book proposal. 

Since leaving her on-air job, Kirsten has been deliberately pursuing what she calls a "more easeful life" that is less striving and less accomplishment-oriented. It includes writing on Substack, which she loves. In this episode she also talks about her transition from evangelical christian to atheist.

 Kirsten is fast thinking and provocative and Debbie loved this conversation with her. 

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Don't miss the Behind The Scenes for every episode in Debbie's [B]OLD AGE newsletter.

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Mentioned in this episode or useful:

• Kirsten Powers - Wikipedia
• kirstenpowers.com
• Changing the Channel : Kirsten’s Substack newsletter
• The way we live in the United States is not normal: Kirsten’s viral Substack post about moving to Italy  (Nov. 29, 2023)
• Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts by Kirsten Powers (Convergent Books; Nov. 2021)
• Kirsten Powers: A liberal working for Fox News (Washington Post, June 17, 2015)
• What are the Nine Enneagram Types?
• CP Enneagram where Kirsten is studying for an Enneagram certificate.
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®)
• Jonathan Merritt on Personal Transformation and the Complicated Intersection of Faith and Culture:  Season 5, Episode 19 of the podcast.
• Behind the Scenes with Jonathan Merritt  by Debbie Weil (Substack, July 7, 2023)
• My Complicated Feelings About Tim Keller by Kirsten Powers (Substack, May 24, 2023)
• MEA: the midlife wisdom school  in Baja, MX and Sante Fe, NM where Debbie and Kirsten met.

Connect with Debbie:

• debbieweil.com
• [B]OLD AGE podcast
• [B]OLD AGE newsletter on Substack
• Gap Year After Sixty Debbie Weil and husband Sam Harrington’s joint blog

Our Media Partners:

• CoGenerate (formerly Encore.org)
• MEA and with thanks to Chip Conley
• Next For Me (former media partner and in memory of Jeff Tidwell)

How to Support this podcast:

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify

Credits:

• Host: Debbie Weil
• Producer: Far Out Media
• Music: Lakeside Path by Duck Lake

Spencer Crandall sits down with Kirsten Powers to talk about her new book “Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You.”

Text Spencer to be the first to know about new music: (615)358-7729

Listen to Spencer Crandall’s latest music: https://solo.to/spencercrandall

Website: http://spencercrandallmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spencercrandallmusic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencercrandall/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spencercrandall?

Email: jeff@hudsonhillmgmt.com

Pub Date –
Pub Date is a podcast dedicated to the love of books. In today’s episode, Copper CEO & founder, Allison Trowbridge, sits down with author Kirsten Powers on her launch day of Saving Grace: Speak Your Truth, Stay Centered, and Learn to Coexist with People Who Drive You Nuts. Kirsten, for years, has been center stage of many of our nation’s most searing political and cultural battles as a columnist, TV analyst, and one-time participant in the thunderdome of Twitter. 

After listening to today’s episode, you’ll walk away knowing better how to have a civil disagreement. Kirsten offers us a path to navigating the toxic division in our culture without compromising our convictions and emotional well-being.

Most importantly, you will hear about and learn from the process of Kirsten writing this book. You can get your copy of Kirsten’s new book here, and you can follow her on social media at @kirstenpowers. You can learn more about Copper Books by clicking here, and follow your host @alliebridge on all social media!

Ken's guest this week is Emmy award-winning writer, producer, director, and documentary filmmaker, Linda Midgett. This is her second appearance on the podcast. We talk about her new Facebook Live Series, What's At Stake? Her guests have included Larycia Hawkins, the subject of Linda's award-winning film, SAME GOD, David Gushee, Kristin Kobes Du Mez and the high profile cable television commentator, Kirsten Powers. With the Presidential Election is just a few days away, we discuss what's at stake - and Ken reads a blog post that speaks to that question. SHOW NOTES.