Vanessa and Casper explore the theme of Erosion in chapter sixteen of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This week we are joined by writer and mentor Terry Tempest Williams, who shares an opening story about the landscape of Utah. Casper and Vanessa discuss Molly’s tireless work for her family, the way Harry stands up to Scrimgeour, and how Vanessa came to love musicals. Throughout the episode we consider the question: how do we stay open to change without degrading sense of self?

Thanks to Paulinie Marie Dias for this week’s voicemail! Next week we’re reading chapter seventeen, A Sluggish Memory, live from Washington D.C., through the theme of Attention.

Don’t forget to check out Terry’s new book, Erosion: Essays of Undoing.

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