Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:
Weird Things I Research
So Jennifer and I have been in several cities over the last couple of weeks on a workshop tour. (It’s been so good to see/meet many of you!) And lots of people have said extremely encouraging things about Holy Ghost Stories, which has been so fun because this work is usually very solitary.
Like, alone-under-a-blanket kind of solitary. 😃
Anyway, something people have mentioned again and again is the detail that goes into each episode and the research that level of detail must require.
I love it when folks love that.
Because it’s true—thorough research is a huge part of what makes HGS what it is. Much of that, of course, is facilitated by commentaries, academic journal articles, online museum collections, etc. BUT, I’m also inevitably chasing down random details that are just not to be found in textual commentaries or the like. This means I end up with a search history that’s…unique.
Some articles/essays/videos I’ve read/watched recently for my job:
A list of the largest sealife in the Mediterranean Sea
A study from a fisheries laboratory in Tokyo detailing the stomach contents of sperm whale carcasses recovered from various oceans
A collection of reflections from people who have nearly died in water on what it feels like to drown, along with studies of how many seconds pass before an involuntary breath is attempted underwater
A video of an amateur farmer butchering a calf by himself
A writeup of ISIS’s destruction of the reconstructed Nineveh gates in Mosul, Iraq
A pamphlet written by King James I on demons (Daemonologie—super fun read if you’re into that kind of thing)
A detailed description of the petals of the Gilboa Iris
A diagram of the bones in a human head
An article describing the symptoms of starvation
Information about how far the human eye can see on a clear day
A video essay about muscle function at the chemical level
A menu archaeologists discovered from Bronze Age Persia detailing the courses served at a royal feast
Best job ever. Also, remember as you listen to Holy Ghost Stories: I’m not making this stuff up!
What Happened After the Fish?
Alright, people—the latest episode of Holy Ghost Stories is fresh and ready for your listening enjoyment: the thrilling conclusion of Jonah’s story. It’s got a lotta drama, a bit of comedy, some gross parts, some sad parts, some beautiful parts, and a host of characters who (all) act in very surprising ways.
Welcome to the Old Testament, amIright?
Jonah’s quite the flawed hero (more ‘flawed’ than ‘hero’ for sure), but……there’s a bit of him in all of us. I can’t wait for you to listen.
I will say that this was a tough one to produce, simply because I was researching, writing, recording, and editing it on our workshop tour. You should have seen me the last couple of weeks shoehorning work into various moments on planes and in hotels and in the passenger seat of our car and at my sister’s neighborhood pool. I researched in St. Petersburg, FL, Round Rock, TX, Horshoe Bay, TX & Memphis, TN, wrote in Florence, AL, Wichita, KS & Nashville, TN, recorded in Nashville, TN, and edited in Huntsville, AL.
Basically, this episode is brought to you by the Great Plains, Southwest, and Southeast United States.🇺🇸 🗺 (And, I should say explicitly, enabled by a very generous God and the prayers of a handful of wonderful friends who lifted me up when I was about to throw in the towel.)
So without further ado, here it is: part two of “The Pushover, the Runaway, and the Belly of the Beast.” Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or whatever esoteric app you use, you nonconformist, you.
Enjoy!
Oh—and if you wanna leave a quick review, I sure would be grateful. Thanks!
That’s A Wrap
The Storied Family was an absolute blast. What a joy to be with so many incredible parents who are serious about leaning into the power of story to raise sturdy, resilient kids who love their Heavenly Father deep in their bones.
Jennifer and I were blown away by people’s enthusiasm and feedback, and we’ve already begun making plans to come back to the US next summer to do a few more stops. If you want to get in on that, shoot her a quick email (jlgerhardt.godscout@gmail.com)—we’d love to talk about coming your way.
License to Thrill
As you’ve gathered, the musical score of Holy Ghost Stories is a huge part of the storytelling. I search high and low for the best pieces that will compliment the script and create the most immersive experience for you.
Usually, I license those pieces from a couple of music libraries I subscribe to for a monthly fee. But a while back, I came across the music of Kendall Ramseur, a cellist/composer who does extraordinary work and who had some songs I wanted so badly to use in a story.
On a whim, I reached out to see if he’d license them directly to me for the show and he was gracious enough to agree. It was a good bit more expensive than what I usually do, but I wanted to invest in Holy Ghost Stories and in Kendall’s art, so I went for it.
So: the first scene of parts 1 and 2 of “The Pushover, the Runaway, and the Belly of the Beast” is scored with two gorgeous pieces from Kendall Ramseur. Make sure to listen for them—they’re amazing.
But that’s not all.
When Kendall and I talked over Zoom about possibly licensing his music, we just hit it off. Before we talked, he’d listened to an episode of HGS I sent him and loved it. And during our conversation, one thing led to another...and we made some plans. 🤫
That’s all I can tell you right now, but you can be expecting some super fun news in a few weeks that has to do with me and Holy Ghost Stories and the amazing Kendall Ramseur. You’re gonna love it.
4 Cool Things
Impossible Captchas - Surely I’m not the only person who stresses out about doing those photo captchas right (Am I even a human?!?). But these two are next level.
Noise, Cancelled - A couple of months in, I am loving these headphones from Sony. Not in the “casual gear” category, but man—a quality piece of hardware. Recommend.
How The Internet Works - Very informative video on where the internet comes from. Kids these days don’t even know.
No Small Wonder - Japanese artist Tatsuya Tanaka has made one of these incredible minatures every day for the past 10 years. You gotta see them.
That’s the latest! Don’t forget to check out today’s episode and share it with somebody if you dig it.
Gratefully,
Justin
Been meaning to support Holy Ghost Stories? Become an Anecdotalist, Storyteller, or Raconteur and I’ll thank you with cool stuff that coincides with each episode.