Teaching, Empathy, and Living Abroad with Alex Poppe

Writer, teacher, and humanitarian aid worker Alex Poppe joined me last year to talk about her journey from acting to teaching to writing, and how her experiences abroad influenced her journey. She returns to the show today to talk about her new memoir, Breakfast Wine, which chronicles her time teaching in Iraq. We also talk about what we each learned from living abroad at different ages and for different amounts of time, the special magic of teaching teens and young adults, and the way the arts teach us empathy and are a uniquely human way to give life meaning. Alex, who worked for USAID, also gives us a glimpse of the power of humanitarian aid around the world. Episode breakdown: 00:00 Introduction 04:18 Teaching international students changes perceptions about other cultures. 08:16 Political divisions and cultural nuances within Iraq explained. 12:26 Americans are insulated from ongoing events in Iraq. 16:09 Motivations for living abroad differ by age and situation. 20:47 Financial reasons and curiosity drive educators to work overseas. 24:39 The emotional impact of teaching youth in conflict regions. 28:14 Teachers and students mutually influence each other's lives deeply. 32:34 Adjusting to working with USAID and NGO environments. 36:00 Culture shock of returning to the US after years abroad. 40:26 Living abroad changes your outlook and maturity in many ways. 44:11 Encountering anti-American sentiment versus curiosity abroad. 48:09 The arts foster empathy and human connection in society. 52:28 Creative collaboration and failing exuberantly in brainstorming sessions. 56:01 The writing process of Breakfast Wine was messy and surprising. 01:03:34 Personal journey revealed through the writing process.   Want more? Here's a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.   If you enjoyed our conversation, I hope you’ll share it with a friend. Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack. Please leave a review for this episode—it’s really easy and will only take a minute, and it really helps me reach new listeners. Thanks! If you’ve been tearing up when you encounter other people’s art because you’ve lost touch with your own, we should talk.