A listen back to a show from 2017 on the theme of Quiet. My guests in that two-part conversation were Orenda Fink, a musician, writer, and Jungian Depth Coach, and the Benedictine monk, Brother James Dowd. In the second part of the show we’ll hear from Orenda Fink on her music and career, dream analysis, and how a health condition requiring the quiet of complete voice rest impacted her sense of self.  First, we’ll hear from Brother James Dowd on his path from New York theater to Nebraska monastery, contemplative life, and embracing silence.

Brother James Dowd of the Order of the Holy Cross is the founding Prior of the Incarnation Monastery and the Community of The Benedictine Way, which was founded in 2018 in north Omaha. It is the first Benedictine monastery in the history of the Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska. At the time of our 2017 conversation, Brother James had recently joined the staff of the Diocese for a two-year position as “Monk in Residence.” His ministry focused on enriching the community’s prayer and spiritual life, and discovering and building better ways to befriend the poor in our communities. Prior to entering the monastery, Brother James lived in his home town of New York City, where for 20 years he worked as a director of more than 100 theater productions and numerous live events for television.

Orenda Fink is a well known musician, performer, and songwriter. She has been writing, recording, and touring for critically acclaimed records since 1997. Fink got her start in Birmingham, Alabama, with the pop rock group Little Red Rocket. In 2000, she formed the ethereal folk duo Azure Ray with longtime friend Maria Taylor. Their music has regularly featured in film and television programs and Fink has collaborated widely on numerous other music projects. Currently residing in California’s Mojave desert, Fink is a certified Jungian Depth Coach with a specialization in shadow work and dream interpretation. Later this year I’ll be in conversation with Fink about her new memoir, “The Witch's Daughter: My Mother, Her Magic, and the Madness that Bound Us” which will be available in August. At the time of our 2017 show on the theme of Quiet, Fink reflected back on her musical origins, self-reflection brought about by emergency surgery to correct a misdiagnosed heart defect, and the implications for her sense of self in the world when she was required to take an extensive period of complete voice rest.