Apocalyptic Supper Club

About Apocalyptic Supper Club

Are you checking out from the news? Feeling depressed and overwhelmed about the American political situation? Want to put your head in the sand? Welcome to the Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times where I plate up stories and ideas to feed the heart and soul and nourish our capacity to meet this very challenging moment of being alive in a drastically changing world.

Publisher

KSQD.org

Category

arts · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Oct 2025

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

12 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Cultivating Kinship in time of Transition with Shilpa Jain and Michelle Stransky

   As societal structures become more unstable, the strength of our communal connections matters more than ever. Shilpa Jain and Michelle Stransky seek to support collective remembering around how to create and deepen relational bonds as a way of building cultural resiliency. Together they are offering a three-month journey called: Cultivating Kinship: A relational practice series exploring presence, play, and & generosity—in community. Cultivating Kinship is a translocal learning Lab designed to deepen our kinship ties and features Michael Meade, Konda Mason, Pat McCabe and Orland Bishop as mentors. Members not only meet online, but will also be organized into small “translocal” groups in order to build deeper connections with those near you. Registration: Cultivating Kinship officially started on October 8, but the registration is open through October 14. The meetings missed are recorded and easily accessed through the Kinvene Portal. Sliding Scale Fee: Registration is on an accessible sliding scale, and no one will be turned away. Shilpa Jain has been working with leaders and changemakers across the globe for decades, building networks for connection, inspiration and collaboration towards the goal of systems change. Shilpa is now bringing her wealth of experience to the general public, offering simple and proven human technologies that increase our capacities for authentic connection. Michelle Stransky  has been a conference director and organizer in the transformational field for decades. She recently founded Kinvene, an online platform dedicated to offering collaborative and creative journeys between high-level mentors and participants in order to foster and reweave kinship. _____________________________ Books Discussed: Sand Talk by Tyson Yunkaporta, Fierce Vulnerability by Kazu Haga Michael Meade “The Heart of Transformation” __________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times  the second Friday of every month on KSQD, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter at this critical cultural moment. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

2. 

   10 Sept 2026

   Get Steady and Cultivate Skillful Defiance with Paul Shattuck, MSW

   If you feel overwhelmed, unsure and unmoored by our present political chaos, and need an extra dose of defiance, as well as granular guidance on how to stay grounded and resourced as you lean into the unknown, this episode of the Apocalyptic Supperclub is extra delicious! After decades of working in community organizing and academia, Paul Shattuck found himself on the wrong side of the authoritarian playbook. He lost his job for taking a stand, and from there he started a blog where he writes about staying grounded in our humanity under authoritarianism and other systems trying to manipulate or drain us. Paul leverages years as an activist, community organizer, and social worker, as well as being an accomplished student and teacher of contemplative practices, to deliver pathways towards grounded responsiveness that thousands of readers have connected with–including those who live under violent authoritarian regimes. With collaborative feedback from his audience, Paul has come out with a book called Survive Authoritarian Harm. Laid out in approachable, modular units it includes detailed practices in areas he calls “Recognition, Rescue, Resilience, and Building” to move you out of reactivity and back into steadiness from where you can respond in a consistently coherent and strong way to authoritarian threats to our lives and freedoms. Paul Shattuck works with leaders across nonprofits, research centers, universities, foundations, and public service agencies. You can check out his work and benefit from his depth of experience to help you find a steadier way forward in dire times. Link to subscribe to Paul Shattuck’s Substack: Stay Human, Shape Tomorrow “Tools, Insight and Inspiration for People Doing Good Work in Hard Times.” Link to Paul’s digital workbook: Survive Authoritarian Harm Some of Paul Shattuck’s most appreciated essays: Stay Human: 80 Tiny Moves for Everyday Resistance in the Authoritarian Harm Complex Resisting Authoritarianism for Introverts: An FAQ for Staying Human in Loud Times Your Attention Is the Key Battleground State

3. 

   28 Jul 2026

   Compassion, Connection, and Bridge Building: Recipes for Societal Transformation with Tenzin Chogki

   Tenzin Chogki is a compassion educator, community leader, and a fiercely caring advocate for social justice. She dropped into the Apocalyptic Supperclub to share some of her tasty recipes for delicious change following our three activisms for societal transformation: Inner. Communal. Strategic. Learn more about Tenzin’s work here: Unlocking True Happiness. Tenzin Chogkyi  (she/her/hers) is a teacher of workshops and programs that bridge the worlds of Buddhist thought, contemplative practice, compassion training, mental and emotional cultivation, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology. She feels strongly that a genuine and meaningful spiritual path includes not only personal transformation, but social and cultural transformation as well, and an emphasis on modern cultural values such as racial and gender justice and environmental awareness. Mentioned in this show: Dan Siegel: His work was mentioned related to increasing our window of tolerance for nervous system disruption. Siegel’s most recent work integrates the theories of Interpersonal Neurobiology with the theories of Mindfulness Practice and proposes that mindfulness practice is a highly developed process of both inter and intra personal attunement. Jaak Panksepp: Neuroscientist and psychobiologist who coined the term “affective neuroscience”–the name for the field that studies the neural mechanisms of emotion. Tenzin mentioned his work related to our 7 emotional circuits. Paul Gilbert: Gilbert is the founder of compassion focused therapy, compassionate mind training and the author of books such as The Compassionate Mind: A New Approach to Life’s Challenges and Overcoming Depression. Kazu Haga: A trainer and practitioner of nonviolence and restorative justice and a core member of the Fierce Vulnerability Network. Author of Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He works with incarcerated people, youth, and activists from around the country. He has over 20 years of experience in nonviolence and social change work, having played leading roles in various movements and organizations. He now resides in Lisjan Ohlone land, a.k.a Oakland, CA. Daryl Davis and the KKK “Why I, as a Black man attend KKK rallies” TED Talk Ann Atwater and C.P. Ellis How Ann Atwater Convinced A Ku Klux Klan Leader To Change His Mind On Civil Rights Ezra Klein interviewed Representative Sarah Mc- McBride, “Why the Left lost on Trans Rights” ________________________________________________ Music: Mountain Summer Motivation by Pixabay. Warm Fingers; Surly Bonds, Monday Seven and Rodney Skopes from Blue Dot Sessions. __________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times  the second Friday of every month on KSQD, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter at this critical cultural moment. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

4. 

   10 Jul 2026

   What if we are all that’s needed?

   This episode of the Apocalyptic Supperclub serves up a suite of ideas that form the core of what inspires this show. You’ll meet guests that I have interviewed over the years whose work and ideas reflect the three core themes that spur on societal transformation: inner work, the rebuilding of kinship ties, and skillful strategic action. Featuring Mindfulness teacher Lee Klinger Lesser, Poet Kai Siedenburg, Queen Reverend Mutima Imani, Anthropologist Ida Susser, Julie Womack of Red, Wine and Blue, and Yasmin Radgy, Executive Director of Swing Left. The news can drain us with too much of a bad thing! We need more stories that nourish our political imagination and show us how we are important players in creating solutions. We know it takes about 3.5% of us to truly transform a system, but you can’t run a marathon on an empty tank. That’s why in every episode, we serve up a three-course meal for the long-distance change-maker: Inner Resources: To keep your spirit steady when the world is shaking. Community Resources: To remind you that you aren’t doing this alone. Action Resources: Clear, effective ways to move the needle. The river of change is strongly flowing. The old world is unveiling its shadow, but a new one is waiting to be spoken into existence. So fill your plate, resource your spirit, bring your friends along, and let’s go build that three point five percent. ________________________________________________ Music: Truth and Love by Pixabay. Discovery Harbor, Circle Geronimo, Newsy Neighbor, Dire Ghost, Burrow, Star of Lisa and Taoudella; from Blue Dot Sessions. __________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times  the second Friday of every month on KSQD, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter at this critical cultural moment. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

5. 

   11 Jun 2026

   What the Yellow Vests of France Can Teach U.S about Reclaiming Power

   Are you tired of being a spectator to history? Ordinary people are often trapped on a political pendulum—swinging back and forth between partisan headlines while the fundamental power of big money stays exactly the same.  On the Apocalyptic Supperclub, we look at what breaks the pendulum with legendary urban anthropologist Ida Susser who has spent 50 years embedded in global resistance movements—from 1970s Brooklyn to South African AIDS activism, and now the roundabouts of France where thousands of ordinary people joined together to shift the balance of power. Ida Susser’s latest book, The Yellow Vests and the Battle for Democracy, offers a visionary blueprint for systemic change that Americans can leverage to navigate the present political chaos and become protagonists in a new political story. Ida Susser is offering her book for free as a resistance field guide for shifting the balance of power back towards the people: The Yellow Vests and The Battle for Democracy ________________________________________________ Music: Star of Lisa; Taoudella; Cabernet from Blue Dot Sessions. __________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times  the second Friday of every month on KSQD, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter at this critical cultural moment. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

6. 

   6 May 2026

   Finding Stability in an Unstable World: Returning to our Senses with Lee Klinger Lesser

   When the headlines feel like a storm, our natural instinct is to tighten up, tune out, or burn out, but teacher and author Lee Klinger Lesser suggests a different way to stay fed and focused. For more than fifty years Lee Lesser has been helping people find their center of gravity and embodied purpose through tuning into sensory awareness practices.  Now she distills her years of teaching and life experience into her book Return to our senses: A path to stability in an unstable world. This show dives into the essential connection between our inner state and our outward action, because if we’re going to step into the river of change together, we need to know how to keep our feet on the ground and our hearts open. Links and Resources: To learn more and register for Lee’s workshops: Returntooursenses.com Purchase Lee’s Book:  “Return to our Senses: A Path to Stability in Unstable Times” Enjoy this lovely 6-minute Sensory Awareness Meditation by Lee Lesser recorded during our interview: https://ksqd.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Lee-Guided-Meditation.mp3 ________________________________________________ Music: Dire Ghost; Borough; Circle Gerano from Blue Dot Sessions. __________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub: Nourishment for Dire Times  the second Friday of every month on KSQD, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter at this critical cultural moment. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

7. 

   9 Apr 2026

   EveryLibrary transforms outrage into action on behalf of libraries

   Checking out from the news? Feeling overwhelmed about the American political situation? Want to put your head in the sand? Join Christine Barrington for the Apocalyptic Supperclub where she serves up stories to whet the appetite for the politically possible in these dire times. The April episode features the organization EveryLibrary, A 501(c)4 non-profit fighting to protect libraries and librarians by empowering American citizens to stand up for the freedom to read across the nation. In the face of rapidly evolving assaults to our library and information systems, citizens need resources and strategies to not only support their local libraries, but to also transform outrage into effective political action. Every Library shows you how. Featured Guest: Patrick Sweeney Digital Director at EveryLibrary. Mentioned in this show: Run for Something. Tired of book bans, Run for Something! If you want to run with a pro-library agenda, with support and resources from EveryLibrary you could win. Run for Office It is important for people who care about liberal values to fill every political vacancy. Just enter your address to see all available offices open in your area. If you feel your local library system is safe it doesn’t mean it will be safe forever. EveryLibrary’s collective cry de coeur of “any library initiative anywhere matters to every library everywhere” reminds us that together we are powerful and that vulnerable libraries and librarians need our help. When you donate to EveryLibrary it translates into empowering frontline resources for those who need it most. To date, they have helped libraries win nearly 3 billion dollars in funding through voter and political action, which translates into every dollar raised delivering a return of over $1,600 in funding to libraries. Freedom to Read Project exists to develop education and research materials to help limit book bans and education censorship across the country. American Library Association Funding Libraries Page has great resources for understanding how to support our library systems through contacting your representatives. “The president has repeatedly underestimated congressional support for libraries and the lengths to which advocates will go to protect library services. Thanks to library advocacy, Congress increased library funding, just as they did all four years of the president’s first term.” The Librarians Documentary on PBS.org. When lawmakers seek to review a list of books, librarians find themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, The Librarians explores the broader implications for education and public life. ____________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub the second Friday of every month, where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

8. 

   12 Mar 2026

   Practicing Courageous Citizenship to Bridge Political Divides with Braver Angels

   Have your relationships with friends or family been negatively affected by politics?  In a recent worldwide survey, the United States was the only country to say that most of our fellow citizens are “bad people.” In America, the politics of contempt have reached Olympian levels, but this episode of the Apocalyptic Supperclub highlights one organization bold enough to take on the challenge of healing that divide. Braver Angels leans into the spirit of President Lincoln’s first inaugural address when he urged us to remember the angels of our better nature. It is the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement that seeks to strengthen our democratic republic through building what should be a basic skill: the ability to disagree respectfully and stay connected despite differences. They call this capacity courageous citizenship and Braver Angels insists that on the eve of our nation’s 250th anniversary, we must accept our responsibility to bring humility, courage, and persistence to the work of building trust and strengthening the bonds of citizenship, despite our enduring differences. It is not easy, but how they do it, and the programs they offer to help you do it too are featured in this program. Host Christine Barrington interviews Gabriella Kearns who is the Braver Angels Director of Communications and Marketing. Also featured in this interview are clips from the Reuniting America: Braver Angels Documentary; Maury Giles‘ Inaugural Speech as CEO of Braver Angels (July 2025), and clips from the New Hampshire Legislative Workshop, which is part of Braver Angel’s Braver Politics program. Gabriella Kearns highlighted the Braver Angels Convention in Philadelphia taking place June 2025. _______________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

9. 

   13 Feb 2026

   Ground Truth: Swing Left’s Game-Changing New Canvassing Program

   Feeling overwhelmed and discouraged about our present political reality?  Don’t believe you can make an impact? This episode will be medicine for your citizen heart, because Swing Left empowers you to be an effective agent of political change. What if winning back power comes down to simply changing the way we talk to voters? What if campaigns knocked on every door, asked open-ended questions about voters perceptions and needs, and then listened with curiosity and non-judgement? Sound revolutionary? Well it is, and it’s what Swing Left is up to right now. This episode of The Apocalyptic Supperclub features Yasmin Radjy (photo below), the Executive Director of Swing Left,  an election advocacy platform that strategically targets tight political races to swing them towards the left and return power to the people. With the largest volunteer force in elections today, they empower citizens to know what to do, how to do it, and why it makes a difference. In this show we cover the history and future of Swing Left with a special focus on Ground Truth, their innovative people-powered canvassing program that’s helping Democrats win back power by reimagining how to talk with voters. Every candidate Swing Left backed in November 2025 won!  And, they aim to repeat that success by going all in for the mid-terms through Ground Truth, and it’s looking to be a political game-changer. Swing Left was started by people with no previous political experience–people like you and me who simply knew they needed to do something as American politics deteriorated.  You can join them and become a part of weaving a new American political fabric. ___________________________________________ Music: Dire Ghost By Blue Dot Sessions ;  Highway 430 by Blue Dot Sessions; and Cicle Gerano by Blue Dot Sessions ___________________________________________________ Join Christine Barrington for The Apocalyptic Supperclub where she serves up stories to whet your appetite for the politically possible and show just how much you matter. For more inspiration check out Apocalypticsupperclub.com where you will find rich resources to inspire your inner citizen and make it easy to engage effectively, strategically and meaningfully. To have resources delivered weekly straight to your inbox subscribe to the Apocalyptic Supperclub Substack channel.

10. 

    23 Jan 2026

    ARRT’s Puppets of Protest: Communal Art as Activism

    Join the art activists of ARRT (Artists Respond and Resist Together) in Santa Cruz, California on their  journey to create a troupe of giant puppets to amplify protest voices on the streets as people gather in ever larger numbers to resist this current administration. Their adventure involved five teams, six months of work, mishaps, a bit of mayhem and, most of all,  joyous creation. KSQD joined them all along the way to reveal how working in community inspires our capacity to respond and resist resiliently. With a society that profits from you, being stuck on devices, giving your attention to art is a rebellious act. Artistic activism combines the creative power of the arts to move us emotionally with the strategic planning of activism necessary to bring about social change. It is a beautiful marriage of opposites, and this story is all about it. Even though the creation story for these puppets has reached the end, ARRT’s work is not done, They always have new projects on the horizon. The puppet teams still help in refining many details and there is always room for more handlers for staging the them at future protests. They would like to welcome you to the troop, and if you feel inspired to join the team for this or future art activism please contact Myra Eastman below. JOIN ARRT! Write to: Myra@Myraeastman.com Feeling overwhelmed and discouraged about our present political reality?  Don’t believe you can make an impact? Then, join Christine Barrington for the The Apocalyptic Supperclub where she serves up stories to uplift and nourish your inner citizen. Every second Friday at 5pm on the Squid. Visit Apocalypticsupperclub.com for inspiring resources and links to all our shows.

11. 

    11 Jan 2026

    Apocalyptic Supperclub: Red Wine and Blue’s Rich Resources To Feed Your Activist Soul!

    If you feel overwhelmed and discouraged about what is happening in this country and don’t believe you can make an impact, this show about Red Wine+Blue will offer you good medicine, and, direct ways to see how you can take a stand, make a difference, and even experience joy while creating potent political change. Once a loose consortium of mid-western suburban women, Red Wine + Blue is now a national political organizing platform founded by political veteran and media expert, Katie Paris. Today it boasts nearly  700,000 members, and it’s growing every day. Why? Because Red Wine + Blue is intelligent and values driven, and it offers its members top-notch resources and opportunities to educate their political minds, learn how to organize, and build strong community-based relationships all with one goal in mind: To fight authoritarianism,  and have fun along the way. This show features Julie Womack RWB’s Head of Organizing. Also featured are a few excerpts from Red Wine + Blue’s dynamic speakers who put the spark to the educational fuel provided by the platform’s superb organizing resources. Recordings of these tremendous presentations are well worth watching in full. Historian Heather Cox Richardson: If you don’t know HCR yet, you are in for a treat. She is a frequent guest on RWB. Here’s her presentation on Our Best Chance to Save Democracy Political Scientist Dr. Erica Chenoweth:  Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Public Policy. With RWB’s Julie Womack: How Women Will Defeat Authoritarianism Prentiss Hemphill: Therapist, teacher, political organizer, and bestselling author of “What It Takes to Heal.”.  They are also the cofounder of The Embodiment Institute. Full length interview with RWB’s Katie Paris  Are You Available For Connection? Trouble Nation: Start a group, sustain it and grow it with RWB’s incredible suite of resources. Click the link above or start with this video: Trouble Maker Training 101 Get the App and Rally Together! Your one stop voter data address book for helping to organize your friends and contacts to get out the vote. 160 Ways Guide: There’s no reason to believe you have no idea what to do, here’s the guide. There more resources to be found at the Red Wine + Blue website. It’s a deep pool. Dive in! Music featured in this podcast: Dire Ghost by Blue Dot Sessions, and Hopeful Journey Warm Longing from Pixaby (more…)

12. 

    16 Oct 2025

    Apocalyptic Supperclub: Ripples of Hope

    Welcome back to the club! Right now your heart may be aching or your cynicism rising. You may be tempted to check out or lash out, but I want to assure you that together, with enough of us involved, we can blow open the doors of possibility, and my guests help show us how. This episode features a couple who have been educators and activists their entire lives. Larry Jones and Marilyn Green are the kind of people who move unseen through history and have made things better for the rest of us through effort, advocacy and a relentless dedication to humanitarian ideals. This show is all about love–love of ideas and principles, love of humanity and country, and a passion for putting that love into transformative action that ripples out into the world in ways we often cannot measure. At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.   –Albert Schweitzer People and Organizations mentioned in this show: Myrlie Evers-Williams: Wife of Medgar Evers. Her powerful book: For us, the Living tells the story of the commitment and work of Medgar Evers and the enormity of challenges he faced in bringing voter’s rights to Mississippi. Her later book, Watch Me Fly, continues with her story and accomplishments as she carries on with her commitment to the cause that deprived her of her first husband. The Children’s Eternal Rainforest: The original inspiration of a young Swedish boy exploded into a fundraising effort that expanded to over 44 countries, eventually culminating into a 54,000 acre protected rain and cloud forest, which is today the largest private reserve in the world. Erica Chenoweth of Harvard’s Kennedy School is known as The Professor who Quantified Democracy. Erica Chenoweth’s data shows how—and when— authoritarians fall. In the linked article you can learn more about her and her famous 3.5% statistic. RFK Speeches: His Words for our time. Robert Kennedy’s words from the 1960’s are still deeply relevant. His speeches are well worth revisiting. Resources for Heroes of Democracy: This Google Doc is full of people to follow, organizations who are offering excellent citizen resources, and suggestions for forming a local group to support your citizen journey. Check it out. I update it every month. Thanks to Chris Kuzma for sharing her story of becoming an activist. Thanks to Suki Wessling for reading Jessica Craven’s pep talk for activists:A Wildfire of Inspiration. Her Substack is full of terrific civic resources. Jim Hightower’s Lowdown is a Substack well worth following and supporting.

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