Mackenzie Farkus

We’re back from our hiatus! In this episode, we talk with Mark Sappenfield, the Monitor’s former top editor turned roaming Europe reporter and watcher of global trends. Find out what that shift has been like, and what went into the framing of his highly readable recent story on Finland’s grassroots defense strategy – a talker in the newsroom and beyond. Plus, Mark gets going on his favorite word (nuance) and his favorite riff: what’s special about Monitor journalism. Also, hear about a Finn so stealthy that he gave up hunting because it had begun to feel unfair. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Taylor Luck, an Amman, Jordan-based writer for The Christian Science Monitor, recently joined Christa Case Bryant, the Monitor’s editor, on our Daily podcast to talk about his dynamic beat. This episode of “Why We Wrote This” begins with a reprise of that conversation, followed by a curation of excerpts from Taylor’s previous appearances on this show. Those include Taylor’s account of his career’s beginnings, more anecdotes from the field, and a discussion about his sense of a restive region’s yearning for stability.

If you've seen the 2000 film “Almost Famous,” you might think you know Cameron Crowe's story.

Filmmaker Cameron Crowe digs into his past as a chronicler of rock ‘n’ roll idols and explores his pivot to the movies.

The cranberry, with its short seasonal star turn, has a compelling history as a North American fruit. Growing the crop is a tricky business – climate-sensitive, naturally collaborative – with some old practices but also a compelling cast of innovators. In this episode, food writer Kendra Nordin Beato goes deep on the tart, red orb. Also included: An encore excerpt from last year’s show with Kendra on the history of Thanksgiving food. And on the side-dish skirmish over how cranberries should best be served. Hosted by Clay Collins.

Movies about aliens have fascinated audiences for decades. But two new movies about alien life – “Project Hail Mary” and “Disclosure Day” – led Monitor culture writer Stephen Humphries to wonder, What does our fascination with aliens tell us about our views of humanity? In this writer’s-notebook variation on our “Why We Wrote This” podcast, Stephen shares excerpts of his conversations with three of the experts in his recent story.

The life of jazz virtuoso Alice Coltrane has often been overlooked in favor of her husband, the late John Coltrane, one of the most influential figures of jazz.

Michelle Geffken's color-filled home, in a leafy neighborhood by the Boston area's oldest arboretum, is a veritable museum for typewriters.

It began with a swipe on the dating app Tinder. Silvia, a lonely single mother of three sons and owner of a successful dental clinic, matched with

When box office sales plummeted during the pandemic, conventional wisdom held that members of Gen Z might not return to the movie theater. Instead, young people are both creating hit content and filling seats for the in-person experience.