We've had Annie Patterson as a guest many times on NSR programs, but today we're going full-spectrum on Annie. She's known by many as a folk singer and the co-creator of the group singing songbooks, Rise Up Singing and Rise Again, but she also performs a variety of music genres like swing, blues, soul, gospel and more with groups like Dear Ella and Girls from Mars, and others. We're headed to Amherst, MA, to visit with the full-spectrum Annie Patterson.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Methodist, Quaker

All featured music is written & performed by Annie Patterson, unless otherwise indicated:

Most of the time it is the top officials in an organization who are interviewed to learn about & understand the group, but today we're exploring The Sierra Club from the ground up. Paul Wagner has been very active with The Sierra Club for over forty years, connecting at the local, Chippewa Valley level, within the state of Wisconsin, and also nationally. Paul walks us through the club, its way of functioning, and the kind of work it accomplishes, including through its volunteer vacations, service trips with an Earth-connecting core. With a ground-level view, we get to see the wonderful aspects and possibilities of The Sierra Club. Paul Wagner joins us in person, in Eau Claire, WI, to share his experience.

Wayne Finegar is Executive Director of QuakerHouse, a resource located in Fayetteville, SC, which provides counseling and support to service members who are questioning their role in the military; educates them, their families, and the public about military issues, and advocates for a more peaceful world. Check out the GI Rights Hotline and also their Conscientious Objection resources. We're homing in on a specific topic of importance with the rise of the Project 2025 agenda and its added pressure for building the military, specifically being prepared for the military draft and the preparation necessary for those who may want to claim conscientious objection.

We've got a very different experience for you today and it's called shape-note singing, or sometimes sacred harp singing. Our guest, Jim Page (or James Page when in print) gives us a rich taste-test of this venerable tradition of American religious singing for laypersons. I've only been around shape-note singing a couple times, and I have to admit that what you'll hear today is only a faint echo of the music experienced in person. Jim, by the way, has written his own shape-note songs, included in the 2 music books he's written which you can find via this site by searching James Page. Though he won't be sharing any of his own songs today, you can contact Jim to learn more. Rest assured that he has led vast amounts of shape-note singing over the decades, and you can learn a lot more at fasola.org

Noel Paul Stookey's first band was the Birds of Paradise, but he rose to prominence in the 1960s as part of Peter, Paul & Mary, and has produced around 19 solo albums. Noel's music & work are deep in healing & connecting directions, including OneLightManyCandles.org and MusicToLife.org, both which he helped found. Follow Noel's Substack posts for deep, funny, & profound posts on the state of the world.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Catholic, CS Lewis, Surprised By Joy, Emily Dickinson, Non-denominational Christian

We're going back in time to the end of World War II today for SIA, to get to know about one of the 151 Civilian Public Service camps, this one for the “bad boys” of the conscientious objectors. Our guest is Jane Kopecky, and we'll be visiting about her book, World War II Conscientious Objectors - Germfask, Michigan: The Alcatraz Camp. Jane grew up in the area near the CPS camp, in a remote area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and she had to dig deep to unearth a full accounting of this camp where COs were sent into obscurity. What Jane discovered was a set of truly inspirational people, surrounded by a hostile society.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Mennonite, Non-affiliated

Steve Hazell is an inspiration for all of us, for both the quality and depth of his songs. In his youth Steve performed with Wolverine Willy and the Blues Toads, but now he's mostly, but not always, a solo act. Interestingly, the best way to get Steve's music is to email Steve. You'll get a good glimpse of Steve and his journey with music in his book, The Kindred Path, about the Green Apple Folk Music Society. Steve's is music with deep heart, and sterling quality. Steve Hazell joins us from Sun Prairie, WI

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Methodist, Congregational, Non-affiliated

Prepare yourself for a thorough musical delight today as we head to Cleveland, Ohio for a visit with Charlie Mosbrook. Besides his exquisite guitar, piano, lyrics, & voice, Charlie has a rich backstory and forestory. A heavy-duty triathlon athlete, Charlie had a spinal cord injury that left him a high-functioning quadriplegic, and he used the life detour to delve deeper into his music, pouring his passion and compassion into organizations like Music to Life and Stop the Hate. In the past 15 years he's released 9 albums and more, touching hearts and raising up the world.

Past/present religious/spiritual influences: UCC, Presbyterian, Thich Nhat Hanh, Native American, Jewish

We're seeking world healing in a different way today, for Spirit In Action. Our guest is Peter Anderson - author, mystic, misfit, & mountain dweller. His recent books have included First Church of the Higher Elevations: Mountains, Prayer, and Presence, and most recently, Riding the Wheel: Prose-Poems. From his youth on Long Island, NY, Peter wandered to the western US mountains, finding his self in the high elevations. Peter's quest for roots and meaning are a deep example of one valuable way to find a deep & enduring sense of home, even more so in our world today. Peter Anderson joins us from Crestone, CO.

Today we're catching a glimpse of the organization Indivisible and, specifically, Chippewa Valley Indivisible, the local chapter here in the place I happen to live. There are hundreds, even thousands, of chapters nationwide. Indivisible's vision is “A real democracy - of, by, and for the people.” and they state that, “We have to build a democracy that reflects a broad, multiracial 'we the people', one that works for all of us and is sustained by all of us. Only then will we be able to achieve a progressive vision for our future.” Cyndi Greening is the group leader of the Chippewa Valley Indivisible group.