Spark Media

01/31/2025

01/24/2025

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

For our season finale, we take listeners to 1930s Nebraska, where the notion of making an incubator for creativity was tested during the worst days of the Great Depression.

We look at what happened there when the Writers’ Project came to town, through a group of creatives from contrasting backgrounds, including a hobo, a nurse and a hardware store poet – all under the watchful eye of a university professor and a celebrated novelist. Together, they ignited a surprising alchemy.

This episode was produced with support from Humanities Nebraska and National Endowment for the Humanities.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or at the direct links below!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-peoples-recorder/id1693003215
Acast: https://shows.acast.com/peoples-recorder
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/72IK20V1a7nNhhbehGBIYm?si=479e79a135be4187
Audible: https://www.amazon.com/The-Peoples-Recorder/dp/B0C88BW4R2
iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-peoples-recorder-117528281/

American Library Association David Taylor Chris Haley Chris Haley Speaks The Library of Congress University of Nebraska-Lincoln Lincoln City Libraries Prairie Schooner

01/23/2025

So amazing to see our friend Dr. Clarence B. Jones honored earlier this week as an official “Impact Warrior” of the Golden State Warriors!

In honor of MLK Day, Jones visited the team at the Chase Center and reflected on his time working alongside Dr. King and the importance of making sure the next generation understands what Dr. King and other Civil Rights activists stood for and how to continue that legacy in the future.

https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/social-justice-advocate-honored-as-golden-states-impact-warrior/

Dr. Jones recently released his autobiography, Last of the Lions. It’s a powerful and inspiring work (with an audio version coming soon!).

Photo credit: Chase Center

01/20/2025

Thank you FilmHub for spreading the word about our documentary Partners of the Heart and for telling people about the inspiring story of Vivien Thomas and how his contributions to medicine helped break barriers!

To all our Spark friends - you can see Partners of the Heart now on Apple TV, YouTube and Tubi!

This MLK Day, honor the courage of those who changed history. Partners of the Heart, directed by Andrea Kalin and narrated by the iconic Morgan Freeman, tells the inspiring story of a groundbreaking partnership that broke barriers and redefined medicine. Produced by Spark Media, this daring film highlights racial struggles and the remarkable individuals who rose above them to shape history. Watch it now on Apple TV, YouTube and Tubi.

01/17/2025

We are honored to be shortlisted with such impactful and wonderful documentaries for the 2025 SIMA Awards. THANK YOU!

"These films do more than document our world; they celebrate the extraordinary resolve of individuals and communities who rise, despite the weight of uncertainty, to forge a path toward hope."

- SIMA Studios + Awards

See the full shortlist: https://simaawards.org/2025-FINALISTS/

01/16/2025

Thank you Wisconsin Humanities for sharing this episode of The People’s Recorder.

To all our Spark friends out there, definitely check out the great work Wisconsin Humanities is doing and their terrific Human Powered podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen up! We are excited to share a wonderfully Wisconsin episode of The People’s Recorder from Spark Media. Listen to Human Powered wherever you get your podcasts: https://pod.link/1527321744

The People’s Recorder tells stories about the Federal Writers’ Project, which was created by the Federal government as part of the New Deal during the Great Depression to provide jobs to out-of-work writers. The podcast traverses the country to explore the Project’s legacy — what it achieved, where it fell short, and what it means for Americans today.

The episode we are sharing is called “A Voice for the Land.” It features Nationally influential UW-Madison professor and wildlife expert Aldo Leopold, who brought a new way of thinking about how people engage with nature during the Dust Bowl era. When the Federal Writers’ Project recruited him to write for the WPA Guide to Wisconsin, he described a path toward the modern environmental movement in a section called 'Conservation.'

In this episode, you’ll hear some clips from the first season of Human Powered, when we spoke with Leopold’s biographer, Curt Meine. Be sure to check out that episode, called “Stories from the Flood,” next!

The People’s Recorder is produced by Spark Media with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities , Florida Humanities , Virginia Humanities , California Humanities , Humanities Nebraska and Wisconsin Humanities.

01/13/2025

Our friends at Incite Agency for Change are hosting a FREE training event on January 27th at 5pm PST. The event is "designed to help family, friends and community members have life-saving conversations with individuals who may be thinking of su***de or during times of crisis."

We've taken their training before and definitely recommend it. Charlette and Michelle at Incite Agency for Change are truly excellent facilitators and we learned so much!

Learn more and register here: https://www.inciteforchange.org/event-details/oregon-community-calm-4?fbclid=IwY2xjawHxWv5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHcQtI0J2agxhMhHAyssoNgfuMba-MAfEQHk3KLcpVdfi6pMMHAlW9EQVQw_aem_coWIzX9RAy-iSO1Uim-Rrw

Oregon Community CALM helps family, friends, and community members have life-saving conversations with individuals who may be thinking of su***de or during times of crisis.

01/09/2025

01/07/2025

Yesterday marked four years since the January 6, 2021 insurrection when Trump supporters, fueled by his misinformation, stormed the US Capitol in a violent attack to overturn his 2020 election loss. Yesterday also marked Congress' certification of Donald Trump's reelection. His win has shielded him from facing the repercussions of his actions that day.

Our newest film, Public Defender, focuses on two of the 1500+ men and women involved in the 2021 insurrection. In telling their stories, PUBLIC DEFENDER humanizes some of the nonviolent offenders who were arrested for their involvement on , but does so in nuanced ways without minimizing the violence or impact of the tragic event. The film follows the work of a criminal-defense lawyer who strives to confront America's divisions with empathy.

As a film all about relationships and actually listening to the story of somebody who you feel judgmental about based on what they’ve done or said, we couldn't be more thrilled to be collaborating with , a trailblazing company dedicated to relational health, meaningful connection, empathy fostering, and the practice of listening.

Kicking off our special screening event this Thursday, their transformative, interactive-workshop experience will be a 60-min guided conversation practice! And spoiler alert, they are teaching people to listen differently to other people. You will walk away with practical tools for building empathy and connection.

Space is limited—Add yourself to the waitlist: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/mlk-library-screening

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01/06/2025

We are saddened to hear about the passing of filmmaker Jeff Baena.

Each time su***de rears its ugly head in the national press, it serves as a reminder of the importance of open dialogue about prevention.

Take the time to check in with your family and friends. Even if someone seems happy on the outside, you never know what internal battles they are facing.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the Su***de and Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Writer-director Jeff Baena, who was actor and producer Aubrey Plaza's husband, has died at age 47. According to medical examiner's records, Baena was found dead Friday at a Los Angeles County home.

01/04/2025

You can catch select broadcasts of our newest documentary, Public Defender on WETA (WETA), the DMV’s leading public television station starting today! Check out the schedule below:

TODAY (Saturday, 1/4)
2 PM EST via WETA Metro
9 PM EST via WETA PBS

TOMORROW (Sunday, 1/5)
5 PM EST via WETA PBS

FRIDAY, 1/10
9 PM EST via WETA Metro

WETA Metro is available for local livestreaming on WETA.org, PBS.org, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and LocalNow viewers in the Washington, D.C., metro area. More info about the WETA Metro livestream distribution and its schedule, can be found here: https://weta.org/watch/metro/livestream.

Prefer an in-person screening? Come meet the filmmakers, participants and other special guests for a live screening, and panel discussion this Thursday: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/mlk-library-screening

01/03/2025

"A New Year's Choice: Lose our humanity or lean into it."

Read this important piece from Kate Woodsome about veteran mental health and su***de. As Woodsome mentions in the article, there is a tremendous need for focused support and intervention for veterans.

Here's the link:
https://katewoodsome.substack.com/p/a-new-years-choice-lose-our-humanity?r=ywq9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

Su***de prevention is an issue that we are passionate about; it's why we produced Scattering CJ and why we continue to organize outreach events to raise awareness. Woodsome's piece does a great job of breaking down the nuances of the issue and showing how public health approaches that focus on education can help.

If you liked this article, consider signing up for Woodsome's Invisible Threads newsletter. You can also hear her speak about radicalization and political polarization at our upcoming Public Defender screening and discussion event on January 9th at 7:00 pm at MLK Library. We were honored to have Woodsome as a Senior Producer on that documentary.

Learn more about that event here: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/mlk-library-screening

***deprevention DC Public Library

We have a choice: Lose our humanity or lean into it.

01/02/2025

In honor of our newest film, Public Defender, Spark's 2025 is . Here’s to another year of publicly defending it—in all its complexity and boundless potential. May your 2025 be filled with purpose and connection. 💫

Together, we can keep sparking change and building bridges! ✨ Join us! Visit our website to get your very own PUBLICLY DEFENDING HUMANITY t-shirt and become a part of the movement: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/category/all-products

12/31/2024

Don't miss this extraordinary evening with Emmy Award-winning actor Richard Schiff! Head here to grab a seat: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/mlk-library-screening

📅 Join us on January 9, 2025, at the MLK Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., for a free screening of PUBLIC DEFENDER.

Executive Producer Richard Schiff, beloved for his roles in The West Wing and The Good Doctor, will be a special guest for the evening. Following the screening, he’ll join a dynamic panel discussion exploring the transformative power of storytelling to foster empathy and bridge divides.

🎬 Directed by award-winning DC-based filmmaker Andrea Kalin (), our powerful and timely documentary offers a compelling look at the justice system through the lens of a public defender representing January 6th defendants. The film is a profound exploration of empathy and the human experience—don’t miss this chance to see it and hear directly from the voices behind it.

The event also features:
Relationship-Building Workshop (5:30 PM) led by
Film Screening (7:00 PM)
Post-Screening Panel (8:00 PM) with Richard Schiff, the filmmakers, and film participants

📚 Plus, support the DC Books to Prisons program by bringing a gently used paperback book for our film-inspired book drive.

This is your opportunity to engage with Richard Schiff and be part of an important conversation about justice, trust, and humanity.

🎟 Register while there are still seats left: https://www.publicdefenderfilm.com/mlk-library-screening! It's FREE.

12/31/2024

As Americans navigate life in a divided nation, PUBLIC DEFENDER offers a thoughtful lens on bridging the gaps between us. Through powerful storytelling, the film challenges us to understand one another and reconnect through our shared humanity.

Watch the award-winning documentary on The New Yorker's Youtube channel! 🔗 below.