The Thing with Feathers: birds and hope with Courtney Ellis

Author and speaker Dorothy Greco joins us on the podcast today to help expand our definition of misogyny and see how embracing both women and men as full parts of the human story can bring us hope.She joins us to talk about her fabulous new book, For the Love of Women: Uprooting and Healing Misogyny in America. I found this conversation so enlightening, and I just know that you will, too.Plus: why Saw-whet Owls are some of the best owls, the status of leaves turning in Massachusetts, and the hope of a really good church.Follow Dorothy on Twitter, SubStack, or Instagram. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

I love birds. I’m fascinated by American history. But there is not enough writing out there about birds and history! Enter: Robert Francis, whose wonderful Substack, Bird History, is a delight of parrots and passenger pigeons, feathered hats and conservation treaties.He joins us on the show today to talk all things bird history. Plus: twenty of the weirdest categories for bird names (they’ll crack you up, for reals), finding hope in our feathered friends, and birds of Brooklyn.You can also follow Robert on Twitter, where he often shares birding factoids, whimsical lists (this one is my current favorite), and fantastic photos. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Karen Swallow Prior is one of those writers and thinkers I’ve enjoyed reading for years. Her book On Reading Well inspired me to tackle some challenging literature. The wisdom of The Evangelical Imagination has helped illustrate more than one of my sermons. And now Karen’s rare and signature mix of depth, courage, and wisdom shows up on every page of her fabulous new book, You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful.Today she joins us on the show to talk about the idea of vocation and how we might discern God’s calling all the days of our lives. Plus: what’s the difference between calling and passion? How can we seek truth, goodness, and beauty in jobs we may not love? And what is Karen’s favorite bird? (You’ll never guess. Except… yes, you might.)From not backing down in the face of corruption to loving one another well in painful seasons, Karen shares some of her own vocational journey as a professor, a daughter, a writer, and beyond.If you’re facing questions about your own calling, perhaps as you near retirement or consider a job change or prepare for graduation, this is the podcast for you. And who among us won’t face this question multiple times in our lives?Check out You Have a Calling anywhere books are sold. I enjoyed it so very much, and I expect that you will, too. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Emily McGowin is an associate professor of theology at Wheaton College as well as a priest in the Anglican diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others. She is the author of three books: Quivering Families, Christmas, and Households of Faith. Today Emily comes on the show to talk about family: what it is, what Scripture says about it, and how family can be a blessing to our communities and our world. We dig into her newest book, Households of Faith: Practicing Familiy in the Kingdom of God, and From parenting as accompaniment to seeking justice, our conversation was a deep encouragement and blessing to me and I pray it will be one to you as well. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Starting a business is not for the faint of heart. Starting a publishing business might take the most courage of all.Enter Karin Hoyle. This author and birder wanted to broaden the landscape of middle grade literature with more books that feature the good, the beautiful, and the true. Middle grade lit is a field that is often filled with books that skew much older than the kids preteens and teens who read them. As a parent myself, I know firsthand that finding books that are both challenging enough for my young readers and still being age-appropriate can be a real uphill climb.Join us as we pick Karin’s brain about Owl’s Nest Publishers, the state of young adult literature, the joys and struggles of writing, and why owls just might be the coolest birds. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

When Jack Bruce founded WellBirds, he was excited to merge two of his passions—birding and health. It’s no secret that birding can improve our mental health, but did you know it can improve our social, emotional, and physical health as well?Join us on this episode of The Thing with Feathers as we learn from Jack about the birds of Atlanta and the myriad of ways birding can strengthen and connect us. Plus, a window into fabulous programs like Mental Health First Aid that can help us love our neighbors well. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

As a mom of three youngish kids (6, 9, and 12), I was so excited to talk to Barbara Hunsicker. Barbara is a Florida birder, a theologian, and a mom of two. She shares her best birding tips to welcome kids into the joy, the gift of watching youngsters discover the world of birds, and how we might learn from our kids, too.Plus, we talk hurricane relief and what natural disasters can mean for us and our feathered friends. Barbara and her family were new to Florida—her husband Dave pastors a Presbyterian church there—when Hurricane Helene came through, wreaking havoc on their church property as well as many of their congregants’ homes. It was a trial-by-fire in beginning their ministry, and in many ways they are still recovering.She helps answer the questions: what happens to birds in a hurricane, and how does a community’s recovery shape its togetherness and its love?Plus, we celebrate the birds of Florida and talk theology, mystery, favorite birds, nemesis birds, and the small, surprising places where Barbara is finding hope today.You can follow Barbara’s birding journey on Instagram, too, where she’s one of my very favorites for bird photography and Florida joy. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Today on the podcast, Daryl Ellis—beloved and patient birding spouse—joins the show to celebrate our 100th episode. Together we talk about the origin story of The Thing with Feathers, what it’s like to be married to a birder (and discover that you’re slowly becoming one yourself), and the importance of purusing joys and hobbies in midlife.Plus: which local bird we can set our watch by, the delight of mulch (yes, really), and how to support your spouse in that which brings them joy.A great word of thanks to all those who have supported The Thing with Feathers in its journey. From molting to migration, faith to falcons, bird fests to binoculars, sparrows to spiritual reawakenings, we’ve covered so much ground in these 100 episodes.I can’t wait for the next 100.What topics haven’t we covered that you’d like to learn about in the days ahead? Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Shemaiah Gonzalez is back! This time she joins us to unpack her beautiful new book, Undaunted Joy: The Revolutionary Act of Cultivating Delight. My friends, if you need the perfect book to be your nightstand right-be-for-bed companion, this is it. In this collection of short essays, Shemaiah unpacks the small ways uncovering, accepting, and welcoming joy can change our lives.The opposite of toxic positivity, she argues for slowing down, being present, and experiencing our lives rather than rushing through them. You’ll meet delight in surprising places like the laundry room, with surprising companions like capybaras, and amidst surprising companions like sorrow.Join us for this conversation about cultivating delight. Plus: what is Shemaiah’s least favorite bird? The answer may surprise you! Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Have you ever had a crisis of faith? I can point to several points in my life—my mid-teens, my early 20s, and my late 30s—when serious doubts crept in. It can be a fearful and unsettling time, and even more so if we feel alone.Authors Catherine McNiel and Jason Hague are no strangers to this type of crisis. Catherine faced her first at the tender age of twelve when the church her father pastored kicked her family to the curb. Jason’s biggest came to him in mid-life when a beloved friend died unexpectedly. In both seasons, they found themselves reeling, aching, confused, and lost.But this isn’t the whole story. Jason shares the journey of his oldest son’s autism (where is God when our prayers seem to go unanswered?). And Catherine unpacks how a crisis of this kind can be incredibly painful, with no silver lining… and yet still create space for a deeper faith on the other side.Join us for a special episode about hope (and penguins, loons, and Red-winged Blackbirds!) as we dig into Mid-Faith Crisis: Finding a Path Through Doubt, Disillusionment, and Dead Ends. It’s a gentle, truthful book that takes an unflinching look at crisis, pain, and the presence of God. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

I’m a big fan of the ABA. No, not the American Bar Association. Not Applied Behavioral Analysis either. (Though I’m sure they’re both great.)I’m a fan of the American Birding Association! The ABA does truly fantastic work on behalf of birds, wild spaces, and birders everywhere. From its young birder initiatives (start ‘em young!) to its bird of the year to its magazine to its podcast… I could go on and on. But I don’t have to, because today we have the ABA’s director, Wayne Klockner, with us to talk about the ABA, his life’s work in conservation, and why he can’t ever choose a favorite bird. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Deb Rienstra is a professor of English at Calvin University. Her beautiful book, Refugia Faith, takes us deep into both an aching planet and the goodness of God. Friends, I couldn’t put this one down.From despair to preparation, alienation to kinship, and indifference to attention, Deb’s masterful weaving of theology, literature, ecology, and a love for creation makes this book sing.Join us for a conversation about birds and hope, about how the church calendar can help remind us of our creatureliness before God, and about the ways both lament and gratitude can tether us to one another. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

One of our greatest tools in understanding ourselves and the world is the concept of both/and. When we can hold two ideas or feelings in tension, we discover whole worlds of understanding and goodness.Author, speaker, and Episcopal-priest-in-training Cara Meredith has been fascinated with this concept for years. After dabbling in some essays about it, she landed on a both/and topic that really spoke to her soul: church camp.Today we celebrate her new book, Church Camp: Bad Skits, Cry Night, and How White Evangelicalism Betrayed a Generation, hot off the presses from Broadleaf. We talk about the good, the bad, the ugly, and how we might all be a little bit more faithful to the both/and in our lives.Plus: a little detour about penguins. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Jo Swinney is the Director of Communication for A Rocha International, a global Christian nature conservation charity. She’s also the author of several books, including The Whole Easter Story: Why the Cross is Good News for All Creation. On this Easter Monday she joined me to talk about the power of hope in helping us steward our planet well.“Love is what generates the desire to care,” she told me. It all comes down to love.Join us for a hopeful Easter episode about loving this beautiful planet, signs of hope springing up all around, and the good, creative work of conservation from elephants to coral. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Dan Van Voorhis is a professional podcaster with a PhD in Church History. His podcast, The Christian History Almanac offers daily 5-minute episodes all about the work of God in the world over the centuries. It’s one of my favorites.Dan is also a friend, congregant, and the best interviewer I know. He graciously agreed to come on The Thing with Feathers and interview me about the launch of the audiobook for Looking Up that comes out today (yayyyyyyy!) on the one-year anniversary of the paperback’s launch.Come join us as we chat about the ins and outs of audiobook recording, the joys and surprises at the ways Looking Up has made its way into the world, the birds of spring, and the special additions that come with the audio version of this book. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Lee Pfannmuller and Jerry Niemi know a thing or two about birds. With over one hundred years(!) of birding experience between them, they have spent their lives doing fieldwork related to conservation and ecology throughout the state of Minnesota and beyond.Today we celebrate the publication of their new, beautiful book The Breeding Birds of Minnesota. We talk about everything from bird surveys to caring for creation to wrangling volunteers. Find out the most frequently seen bird in Minnesota (the answer surprised me!), the most difficult places to perform bird surveys, and a great story about one place you should never drive a Prius.Join us for this special, encouraging episode all about the beautiful birds of one of our most fantastic and ecologically fragile states. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Peter Harris co-founded A Rocha, a Christian nonprofit dedicated to conservation back in 1983. Together he and his wife Miranda built an organization that helped churches and Christians across the world work together to care for creation. Their vision was to build a global family of conservation organizations working together to live out God’s calling to care for creation ​and equip others to do likewise.Today, A Rocha exists in more than 20 countries, from Portugal to the United States to India to Kenya. It continues to bring together those interested in conservation with people of faith, offering practical ways people can work to steward the good gift of creation God has given.Friends, I could have spoken with Peter for days upon days. He is a wealth of wisdom, humility, and kindness, and I learned so much from our hour together. I’m so excited to share today’s episode with you - our discussion ranges from practical tips for conservation to the British evangelist John Stott’s love for birds to coping with grief to and loss to the hollowness of consumerism to how gosh-darned wonderful the avian world is.“People are looking to understand,” said Peter. I’ll also never forget our initial email exchange where I, a little star-struck by a guest who has done so much good in the world, told Peter I was looking forward to learning from him.“We will learn from each other, Courtney,” he said.Check out Peter’s beautiful book from the 1990s, Under the Bright Wings, about the faith-filled founding of A Rocha, too.Enjoy this gift of a podcast, perfect for thinking more about the beauty of God’s creation and how we might better care for it. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Liz Charlotte Grant’s new book, Knock at the Sky: Seeking God in Genesis after Losing Faith in the Bible is a wild and wondrous read. And rightly so—anyone who’s spent any time in Genesis knows that it’s a delightfully odd and messy book.Join us on this episode about hope, backyard chickens, and the surprising ways God sometimes shows up even when we feel we’ve lost our faith.You may want to check out Liz’s fabulous Substack, The Empathy List, which has won Webby awards for its writing, as well as her haunting article on one of the saints of the evangelical church, Elisabeth Elliot. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Duane Bidwell is the author, most recently, of the new book After the Worst Day Ever: What Sick Kids Know About Sustaining Hope in Chronic Illness, with Beacon Press. He’s a professor, a chaplain, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). He also loves a raven, but we’ll get to that.Today’s episode is all about hope. Where we might find it, what we can learn from kids who have it—often against all odds—and how may serve as agents of hope to one another.We also dabble a little in birds, don’t you worry.Whether you’re feeling hopeful or hopeless, this is an episode not to be missed, my friends. And don’t forget to check out Duane’s beautiful book. You can find it anywhere books are sold. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe

Janet Hill first appeared on The Thing With Feathers back in 2023. I’d followed her wonderful photography for years and grown to appreciate her invitational style, and our conversation cheered and heartened me.I couldn’t think of a better person to come on the show to talk all things winter birding than Janet. From Saskatoon to Newfoundland, from California gulls to Black-billed Magpies, join us for a conversation about listening, the benefits of keeping records, and why Janet believes in the importance of getting outside every single day, even in sub-zero weather.Plus: an update on Mary the Blue Jay.Follow Janet over on BlueSky to see more of her beautiful work. Get full access to Keep Looking Up at courtneyellis.substack.com/subscribe