PODCAST · society
Keeping Dad Alive
by Margaret Poethig
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.
Episodes
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Archives, Sibs, and Toss
Richard and Eunice left behind a 100 boxes’ worth of personal papers and family records. Margaret and her sister Kerry must dispose of it all. The sisters sequestered themselves for several weeks near the storage unit in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as they sorted the papers. To get through it, they...
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Requiem for Impossible Matter
Richard imagines life after death on an undiscovered planet in a far-flung galaxy where he can recreate his life with his beloved wife Eunice. Margaret has a message for listeners. Richard Poethig’s Obituary: https://legcy.co/3FqQCxY “Remembering Richard Poethig,” The Presbyterian Outlook…
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Episode 6 – Mr. Richard
Richard is in hospice and needs caregivers 24-hours-a-day. He marvels at all the attention. For his caregivers, it’s a vocation in the deepest sense of the word. Richard makes a case for more public support for caregiving.
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Episode 5 – Bold Move to a New World
Richard is about to embark on his final journey. He recounts an earlier voyage by train, boat, and plane with his young family to their new home in the Philippines. On a stopover in Japan, Richard attends a conference about his new vocation: the urban-industrial mission of the church.
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Episode 4 – Hellish Jobs
What does vocation mean to someone in a hellish job? The Ministers in-Industry-Program put seminarians to work in steel mills to teach them what the industrial system does to people. Richard applies what he knows about Calvin and labor organizing to the circumstances workers find themselves in...
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Episode 3 – Henny and Ernest
Richard, the son of a working class father and a mother with higher aspirations, found a way to honor them both through his vocation. Richard’s sister Erna helps memorialize their resilient lives. Music Credits: “Phase 3” by Xylo-Ziko https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Xylo-Ziko/ and "The Fred...
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Episode 2 – Good Will
People popped up in Richard’s life along the way and gave him direction. Call this vocation, good will, or “breaking the spell”—it altered the course of his life. When Mrs. Masek, a neighbor in the tenement building where Richard lived, recommended Good Will Sunday School, little did Richard or…
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Episode 1 – Cosmic Theologian
At the start of Season 2, Margaret asks "why do you talk so much about vocation?” Richard’s surprising answer spans time and space—from Luther’s understanding of Beruf that launched the Protestant Reformation to Richard’s current theological ideas about what holds the universe together. For...
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Trailer – Season 2 – On Vocation
Richard talked a lot about vocation when his kids were young. The word stuck with Margaret. When she asked her dad about it, his answer took them is so in many different directions, they decided to devote the entire podcast season to it.
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Episode 13 – Rhythm of the seasons
Richard’s been clocking his progress through the coronavirus pandemic by the seasons, hoping he would make it to this point. Now that he’s made it to Spring, it’s time to end Season 1 of this podcast and pause for reflection.
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Episode 12 – Hitchhiking with Ben
Richard’s grandson Ben tries to interview him about cars, but the conversation quickly goes off track. Ben struggles to get the answers he was hoping for while Richard (and Margaret) are confused by Ben’s line of questioning.
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Episode 11 – The money episode
Money is an emotional trigger for Richard and it rubbed off on his kids. Margaret and her sisters unpack the family dynamic.
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Episode 10 – Live! from Coleus Earth Station
Richard and his daughter Johanna co-host a radio show, broadcasting through plant signals. Tune in for some deep listening to the sounds of the universe.
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Episode 9 – Bird insurrection
Richard and his daughter Margaret investigate the bird insurrection, while humans attack the U.S. Capitol and President Trump is impeached for the second time.
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Episode 8 – PT to the rescue!
Richard's physical therapist has saved his life...more than once! Jennifer keeps an eye on Richard and, with training, persistence, and ingenuity, helps him keep it together.
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Episode 7 – A fruity guy
Fruit brings Richard joy, especially papaya. But the fruit cup at Richard’s senior living residence leaves something to be desired. Richard must work on his son Scott—with deft negotiation and meticulous timing—to keep him in fruit.
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Episode 6 – In one lifetime
Richard reflects on the connection between his life’s work and that of his daughter Erika, who is leading the Biden/Harris transition team for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The thread that connects them begins in the tenements of Manhattan, where Richard’s mother was born...
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Episode 5 – Lockdown blues
When Richard stops answering the phone and getting out of bed for Zoom meetings, daughter Kerry finds a new way to reach our dad.
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Episode 4 – Counting votes in Philadelphia
Richard revels in living in Philadelphia - the historical heart of U.S. democracy and home of his son Scott - while waiting anxiously for the votes to be counted in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
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Episode 3 – Keep on rollin’
Richard and his grandson Sam sing old favorites together while daughter Erika explores her father’s influence on Sam.
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Episode 2 – On pulsars, wavelengths, and beating hearts
Richard and his daughter Johanna explore the physical, emotional, and spiritual planes of human existence while exercising on Zoom. The music in this episode is the piece “Invention No. 1” by the composer and performer Chris Brown. You can find him at https://cbmuse.com/.
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Episode 1 – Interference
Recording the podcast presents hilarious challenges for Margaret and Richard.
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Introducing the Keeping Dad Alive podcast
Six months into the coronavirus pandemic, Margaret's 95-year-old dad Richard was cheerfully riding it out in his senior living residence. But things change. This podcast captures the voice of a father and his five children, as they cherish their time together on earth.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Margaret Poethig
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Keeping Dad Alive have?
Keeping Dad Alive currently has 23 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Keeping Dad Alive about?
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...
How often does Keeping Dad Alive release new episodes?
Keeping Dad Alive has 23 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Keeping Dad Alive?
You can listen to Keeping Dad Alive on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Keeping Dad Alive?
Keeping Dad Alive is created and hosted by Margaret Poethig.
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