Stories and Stanza – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Stories and Stanza

Abhra Pal

Forme & Santé

Arts

Société & Culture

Fréquence : 1 épisode/7j. Total Éps: 143

Stories and Stanza is a podcast for curious minds hosted by Abhra Pal - poet, storyteller & public speaker.

The show is charting in the top mental health podcasts across the US, UK, and Canada.

Through two distinct series, the show explores the human experience with honesty, depth, and literary intention.

📖 Between The Lines brings intimate conversations with writers and creators — uncovering the vulnerability behind their craft, the stories that shaped them, and the creative struggles that lead to transformation.

🎙️ Fail With Me features raw, unfiltered conversations with doctors, psychologists, and mental health advocates exploring emotional intelligence, resilience, and the courage it takes to rebuild. Because awareness builds bridges — and people suffer silently until someone speaks first.

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Données mises à jour le 05/10/2026

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Embrace the Mud: A Veteran Poet on Discipline and Craft

Saison 3 · Épisode 34

dimanche 4 octobre 2026 • Durée 37:10

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#StoriesAndStanza #BetweenTheLines #PeterGunn #EpicPoetry #CreativeDiscipline

"Embrace the suck. Embrace the mud." Peter Gunn learned that lesson crawling under barbed wire in Air Force boot camp, and he's been living by it ever since.

In this episode of Between the Lines, I sit down with Peter, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, bodybuilder, guitarist and poet, who is on a mission to bring epic poetry back from the dead. We talk about how he went from being a morbidly obese 12-year-old to building a life around small, daily discipline, why 15 minutes a day is enough to write a book, and what it takes to get back up when life pushes you into the mud.

In this conversation:

How bodybuilding taught Peter to approach writing and music one small step at a time
Falling in love with poetry through eighties rock lyrics, and why rhyme sticks in the mind
A reading from the prologue of The Amazons, and why he wrote the heroine epic poetry never gave his daughter
Why perfection is flawed, and why the people who keep getting back up deserve our admiration
Writer's block, meditation and the "downloads" that arrive when you're not looking for them
How a soundtrack project turned into a band, The AngellicS
The Sigma Squad, and graphic novels as "sparks of knowledge"
Will AI end poetry? Peter's answer: it's the spark within us
His advice for anyone staring at the mountain: don't look at it, just write the next page

About Peter Gunn:
Peter Gunn is a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran turned bodybuilder, guitarist and myth-maker, blending ancient philosophy with modern media to challenge how people see the world. After overcoming morbid childhood obesity at 12, discipline and transformation became a defining force in everything he does. When his daughter was born in 2010, he noticed the feminine perspective was missing from the hero's journey, and he created The Amazons series and a new writing form called Linked-Lyrical Poetry (LLP), a modern evolution of epic poetry designed to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In 2020 he launched The Sigma Squad, a graphic novel series inspired by ancient Gnostic texts. He is also the guitarist for The AngellicS, an international band formed with German musicians. Their second album, Elysium Feels, is available on 23 platforms.

Connect with Peter:

If this conversation spoke to you, follow Stories and Stanza on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with someone who might need it. More at storiesandstanza.com

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📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA
Email: info@storiesandstanza.com
Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new

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Why "Use Your Words" Doesn't Work: How Children Learn Emotional Language | Dr David Marcus

Saison 3 · Épisode 33

jeudi 24 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:07:58

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"Use your words," we tell our children. But what if they don't have the words yet? In this Fail With Me conversation, clinical psychologist Dr David S. Marcus explains why emotional language is a skill that has to be built, not something children simply pick up, and how parents can build it with them.

Most of us parent the way we were parented, for better or worse. Dr Marcus has spent 40 years working with families under stress, and he unpacks what actually helps a child feel safe enough to talk to you. He covers what it means to be a "soothing presence" (someone who's okay when you're not okay), why a filled-up child can't hear even the calmest logical explanation, and how emptying out on three levels changes the conversation. There's also a story about an eight-year-old boy who described his anger as "volcano mad" or "eat-your-peas mad", and why using a child's own words matters more than using yours.

The conversation closes on identity and the teenage years: individuation, peer pressure, why parents will lose the power struggle, and why trust is built on predictability.

In this episode:
- Why emotional intelligence and resilience need to be defined, not just named
- The four assumptions behind every "Why did you do that?"
- Being a soothing presence when modern life keeps you stressed
- Building a common emotional language with your child and your partner
- Being "filled up" and the three levels of emptying out
- Common parenting mistakes that shut down emotional communication
- Helping teenagers make well-advised decisions without lecturing

ABOUT DR DAVID S. MARCUS
Dr David S. Marcus is a clinical psychologist with 40 years of experience treating families under stress. He is a sought-after clinical and legal resource in the Cincinnati area on parent–child communication and child advocacy. His work focuses on helping parents develop an effective emotional language with their children, with step-by-step strategies for each stage of child and teen development.

Website and podcast: https://parentrx.orgEmail: dsmarcusphd@parentrx.orgABOUT STORIES AND STANZAStories and Stanza is a podcast exploring creativity, resilience and the transformative power of human stories. Between the Lines features writers and creators; Fail With Me explores wellbeing, emotional intelligence and life's challenges.🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://spotify.openinapp.co/storiesandstanza🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.openinapp.link/u3ui2📝 Read the episode takeaways on Substack: https://storiesandstanza.substack.com/🌐 Website: https://storiesandstanza.com☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/storiesandstanzaFollow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesandstanzaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesandstanza/X: https://x.com/storiesnstanzaIf this conversation helped you see your own parenting a little differently, please like, subscribe and share it with a parent who might need it.

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Why We Repeat Patterns We Know Are Hurting Us: Shadow Journaling, Self-Acceptance and the Reveal, Reclaim, Rewrite Method with Oliver Mann

Saison 3 · Épisode 32

jeudi 24 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:02:47

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Why doesn't self-awareness lead to change? Shadow journaling coach Oliver Mann, author of Shadow Journaling: A Field Guide to Personal Alchemy, explains why self-acceptance is the missing step between knowing your patterns and changing them.

In his third conversation on Stories and Stanza, Oliver makes an uncomfortable point: awareness is only the first step, and on its own it can keep us more stuck than before. He and Abhra explore the hidden benefit in the patterns we say we want to lose, the difference between a contradiction and a paradox, and how every person we meet can act as a mirror.

In this episode:
- Why change is hard even when we know the root cause
- Victimhood, ego and the self-development trap
- Why acceptance isn't the same as liking it
- The Reveal, Reclaim, Rewrite process from Oliver's new book
- Exploring the emotions we're least comfortable with, including joy
- Why journaling doesn't have to be perfect, and why it's a non-performative act of rebellion

Oliver also reads a passage from the book on the courage it takes to say "yes, I am also that."

About Oliver Mann: Oliver is a journaling mentor and teacher with a passion for Shadow Journaling, co-founder of the Barcelona Journaling Festival, a council member of the International Association of Journal Writers, and a certified JTTS instructor.

Get the book

Part of the Fail With Me series on resilience, emotional intelligence and personal growth.

Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast
Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Listen on: Apple Podcasts

Navigating Redundancy: Grief, Identity and Finding Yourself Again

Saison 3 · Épisode 31

vendredi 11 septembre 2026 • Durée 47:42

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What happens to your sense of self when the job you gave years to suddenly no longer needs you? In this Fail With Me episode, Abhra sits down with Claire, a fellow writer, for an honest conversation about redundancy, job loss and the quiet grief that comes with it.

Recorded at Sam Merrifield Library in Moonee Ponds, this is Stories and Stanza's first one-on-one in-person interview. Abhra and Claire have both recently been through redundancy. Instead of a neat success story, they talk about the parts people rarely share: the shame and isolation, the colleagues who disappear, and the unexpected people who show up.

They explore why tying our worth to a title or organisation leaves us so exposed, how looming job cuts can turn a close team into a game of Survivor, and why grieving the future you thought you had is a natural response. The conversation also gets practical. They share the self-care routines that kept them centred: pocket journaling, a daily "five things" gratitude text with a friend, affirmations, and a simple mindfulness image of keeping two doors open. They finish with a timely look at how AI is reshaping job hunting, from AI-polished applications to AI-run interviews, and why real human connection matters more than ever.

If you or someone you care about is facing redundancy, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone. As Claire puts it, "It's just a chapter. It's not your entire book."

Chapters:
00:00 Opening moments
01:30 Welcome and our first in-person one-on-one
04:00 Why "Fail With Me" and redefining success
05:45 When your identity is tied to your job
08:45 Fear, freezing and advice that doesn't help
10:30 Hundreds of applications and the human cost of mass redundancies
12:00 Highlight reels versus the real story
15:30 Self-worth beyond titles and organisations
19:30 Strained relationships and Survivor dynamics
21:30 Journaling through uncertainty
22:30 Grieving the future you thought you had
25:00 Seeking validation and ripping off the band-aid26:30 Five things of joy: a daily gratitude practice29:30 Mindfulness, busyness and the two open doors34:00 Control, grace and giving yourself time37:00 AI, job applications and AI interviews44:30 How to genuinely help someone going through redundancyWatch on YouTube: https://yt.openinapp.co/ii389Listen on Spotify: https://spotify.openinapp.co/storiesandstanzaListen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.openinapp.link/u3ui2Read episode reflections on Substack: https://storiesandstanza.substack.com/Follow Stories and StanzaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesandstanzaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesandstanza/X: https://x.com/storiesnstanzaSupport the show: https://ko-fi.com/storiesandstanzaGuest, collaboration and sponsorship enquiries: storiesandstanza@gmail.comStories and Stanza is a podcast exploring creativity, resilience and the transformative power of human stories through two series: Between the Lines, with writers and creators, and Fail With Me, on wellbeing and life's challenges.

Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

Can You Predict How People Will Behave? Jim Marshall on Septemics

Saison 3 · Épisode 30

vendredi 11 septembre 2026 • Durée 01:22:52

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#StoriesAndStanza #Septemics #HumanBehaviour #SelfImprovement #EmotionalIntelligence

"95% of the problems in industrialised society are because people don't understand people, including themselves." That conviction sits at the heart of Septemics, a system Jim Marshall spent decades building.

In this episode, Abhra sits down with Jim to explore his book Septemics: Hierarchies of Human Phenomena. Jim describes Septemics as a philosophical science grounded in direct observation: many human phenomena unfold in sequences of seven levels. The book sets out 35 unique scales, 245 levels in all, covering the problems we face with people.

Jim explains three ways to use it. First, as a yardstick for judging whether a group, individual or activity lifts people up or drags them down. Second, as a source of insight once you spot where someone sits on a scale. Third, as a set of gradients for helping yourself or others improve, one level at a time.

He shares how the system grew out of his work with hundreds of clients as a human development engineer, why the seven-level structure only became clear to him in 1995, and why he chose to write for everyday readers rather than specialists. Along the way, he applies the scales to relationships, choosing who to go into business with, historical leaders from George Washington to Adolf Hitler, and the difference between criminals and truly destructive people. His argument: once you know someone's level, you can predict their behaviour and steer clear of downscale troublemakers.

CHAPTERS
00:00 Why Septemics Exists
04:00 Seven Levels and 35 Scales
21:08 Real World Uses and Reading People
44:33 Reading People by Gradients
50:12 Power and Danger Levels
54:04 Self Improvement and Who Changes

ABOUT JIM MARSHALL
Jim Marshall is a polymath who has devoted more than 50,000 hours to the study and practice of human potential and development. He received a classical education as an honour student at a Jesuit military prep school, was accepted into engineering school while still a junior, and attended college on an academic scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Science cum laude from City University of New York. As an undergraduate, he began studying "alternative" arts and sciences, what today might be called transformational and holistic practices, and went on to become a professional practitioner.After 28 years of formal education, he built a 40-year career as a Human Development Engineer, treating and training hundreds of clients. He has integrated some of the most advanced techniques available and extended them through his own research and discovery, and is the inventor of Septemics and several consciousness-expanding systems. His areas of expertise include psychology, philosophy, theology, parapsychology, science, engineering, mathematics, law, literature, history, music, organisation, metaphysics, military science, political science, physical culture and education.Learn more about Septemics: https://septemics.comIf this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe and follow Stories and Stanza on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform, and share it with someone who's curious about what makes people tick.https://storiesandstanza.com

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Art Is an Act of Survival — Dancer Alexandra Beller on Aloneness, Healing & Finding Your Voice

Saison 3 · Épisode 29

dimanche 6 septembre 2026 • Durée 48:28

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"This is what it feels like to be alive. Does anybody recognise it?" Dancer and choreographer Alexandra Beller believes that's the question at the heart of all art — and the answer is what makes us feel less alone.

In this episode of Stories and Stanza, Alexandra shares 25 years of lived experience inside the creative process — from performing with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company to teaching artists how to trust themselves while creating. We explore why authenticity isn't something you can teach but something you facilitate, how the body holds feelings the mind can't access, why labels can be a form of violence, and what it means to separate who you are from what you make.

Alexandra also reads from her upcoming book The Anatomy of Art (Bloomsbury, September 2025) — a field guide for artists blending poetic insight with practical tools for navigating the messy, thrilling terrain of making.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Art and Aloneness
02:00 Meet Alexandra Beller
05:30 Authenticity Through Movement
15:00 Healing Beyond Labels
27:00 The Body Remembers What the Mind Won't Say
34:00 Books and Creative Integrity
38:00 Reading from The Anatomy of Art
44:30 Protecting Authenticity in a Product-Driven World

✍️ ABOUT ALEXANDRA BELLER
Alexandra Beller is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and author with 25 years inside the creative process. She performed with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and has since taught and mentored professional artists, first-time movers, and private clients across the United States. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity and healing — drawing on Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and somatic practices to help people find their authentic voice through the body.

Her upcoming book The Anatomy of Art (Bloomsbury) is a field guide for artists and educators, blending poetic insight with practical tools for navigating creative process, doubt, burnout, and artistic pressure.

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From Trauma to the Page | A Nurse's Journey Through Writing & Forgiveness — Nancy Jasin Ensley

Saison 3 · Épisode 28

dimanche 23 août 2026 • Durée 51:26

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#WritingAsHealing #PTSD #MentalHealth #StoriesAndStanza #Resilience

"I decided I didn't want to be afraid all the time." That one decision changed everything for Nancy Jasin Ensley — and it might change something for you too.

In this episode of Stories and Stanza, host Abhra sits down with Nancy — a writer, registered nurse, teacher, and grandmother of fourteen from rural Michigan — for a conversation that moves between the craft of writing and the work of healing.

Nancy shares how a difficult childhood marked by PTSD and abandonment shaped her, and why it took her ten to twenty years before she could write her memoir, The Tire Swing. She talks about what it means to find stillness inside the tornado — her metaphor for those moments when life is chaos but you learn to breathe in the centre of it.

The conversation explores why childhood PTSD was only recently recognised as distinct, how journaling sustained Nancy through years of caring for parents with dementia, and why she believes writing is for everyone — not just those who publish.

Nancy brings her themes to life through her characters: "3B," a half-alien boy who overcomes bullying with nothing but a smile, and the Martians of Indigo 35, who gave up feelings entirely because they believed emotions caused war.

She also shares hard-won lessons on writer's block, the realities of editing and self-publishing, and the moment a difficult colleague read her memoir and called her by name for the first time — because behind the name tag, he finally saw a person.

The episode closes with Nancy reading "The Tire Swing" — a poem about the choice we all have to ride.

🕐 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Childhood PTSD Reality
01:10 Podcast Intro Trailer
01:34 Meet Nancy Jasin Ensley
03:24 Early Life and Reading
05:23 Writing as Healing 08:08 Publishing and Craft Lessons 10:56 Themes Across Genres 16:02 Beating Writer's Block 22:10 Resilience and Self-Care 24:33 Fail With Me — Healing 32:36 Authenticity in Storytelling 40:06 Empathy and Mental Health 49:06 The Tire Swing Poem Finale

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What If Your Happiness Isn't Yours? Redefining Happiness With Charu Moorjani

Saison 3 · Épisode 27

samedi 15 août 2026 • Durée 31:47

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What does it mean when your life looks perfect on the outside but something feels deeply off inside?

In this episode of Fail With Me, I sit down with Charu Moorjani — Australian author of The Happiness Pathway, mindset coach, and wellbeing storyteller — for a conversation about what happens when the version of happiness you've been chasing was never actually yours.

Charu's turning point came during her honeymoon in Macau, when she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome and spent a month in ICU on a mechanical ventilator. For the first time, everything went quiet. No expectations, no performance, no pretending. That stillness forced her to confront how disconnected she had become from herself. Later, navigating an emotionally abusive marriage and divorce, journaling became her lifeline — a nightly practice of sitting with her feelings, asking honest questions, and slowly rebuilding who she really was.

What I love about this conversation is how practical Charu makes it. This isn't abstract self-help. She walks us through gratitude exercises, mindfulness prompts, the difference between pleasure and fulfilment, and why happiness isn't a destination — it's something you cultivate through daily micro habits and alignment with who you actually are.

In this episode, we explore:

→ Why a life that looks good on paper can feel empty inside

→ How an ICU diagnosis became her turning point

→ Why journaling works — and what to do if you struggle with it

→ The one gratitude practice Charu swears by every night

→ Bringing awareness into mundane moments — the coffee exercise

→ Steps to heal after a difficult relationship: acknowledge, forgive yourself, forgive the other

→ The difference between pleasure and fulfilment

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Moonee Valley Writing Group on Craft, Community, Resilience & New Work

Saison 3 · Épisode 26

lundi 10 août 2026 • Durée 42:44

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What happens when you pass a mic around a library table and ask four writers why they keep showing up?

This is the first ever in-person episode of Stories and Stanza — recorded live at Sam Merrifield Library in Moonee Ponds with the Moonee Valley Writing Group.

Frances McKay talks about her published nonfiction Pieces of China and reads from her humorous novel-in-progress Postcards from Paris, about a young Australian au pairing in 1970s Paris. Claire describes turning a redundancy diary into fiction. Katherine reflects on memoir writing, dyslexia, composing music, and finding community. And John shares his journey from retirement into science fiction, reads from his series Rogue Genesis, and talks openly about the path to self-publishing.

Together they explore why meeting face-to-face still matters, how honest feedback helps you accept imperfect writing, and what keeps a small group of volunteers returning to the same table month after month.

📣 Join us for the first ever Stories and Stanza live event on 29 August — an in-person discussion with author and journal coach Sarah Rosse about her memoir So, Who Are You Anyway?, exploring identity, motherhood, caregiving, and healing through writing.

🎟️ Register: https://events.humanitix.com/stories-and-stanza-with-sarah-rosse

The Moonee Valley Writing Group meets every month second Monday at Sam Merrifield Library, Moonee Ponds — 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome.

Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack.

📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | |

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Writing Scary Books: What I Learned from NaNoWriMo

Saison 3 · Épisode 26

dimanche 9 août 2026 • Durée 47:42

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In this episode of Stories and Stanza, host speaks with writer Diana Gunn about her writing journey from starting at age eight and using NaNoWriMo to build discipline and finish projects to publishing five books, including her recent Gothic horror vampire novel Woman of Sorrow and Blood. Gunn discusses planning versus drafting fast, how challenges like NaNoWriMo can help writers start and develop confidence, and why she created the Weeknight Writers community to provide year-round support, especially for marginalized writers. She explains how fantasy and horror offer a safe container to explore trauma, healing, and real-world fears, notes world-building pitfalls, and reads an excerpt from her novel. The conversation also covers drafting-to-editing best practices, beta readers and proofreading, writer’s block as a symptom, and key differences between traditional and self-publishing.

00:00 NaNoWriMo Magic Hook

01:24 Podcast Intro and Guest

02:42 Diana Writing Origins

06:05 NaNoWriMo Planning Tips

09:53 Why Horror and Fantasy

13:07 Classic Horror Metaphors

15:43 Worldbuilding Pitfalls

17:16 Meet Woman of Sorrow

21:00 Cover Art to Draft

22:58 Weeknight Writers Programs

27:36 Why Writers Need Community

30:55 Start Writing When Overwhelmed

35:47 Editing and Beta Readers

41:11 Writer Block Workbook

43:11 Publishing Paths Compared

46:18 Final Thoughts and Goodbye

Dianna Gunn decided she wanted to be an author when she was just eight years old. Since then, she's devoted her entire life to not just becoming an author - with six published fantasy and horror books to her name in 2026 - but helping other writers become authors through Weeknight Writers, an organization dedicated to creating virtual events and community spaces for authors.

Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...

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