The Facing Project Indiana Public Radio

Host J.R. Jamison sits down with Hollywood screenwriter, author, and producer Abdi Nazemian, who was born in Iran in the 1970s and at age two became an immigrant during the 1979 Iranian revolution. Today, he uses his identity and story as a gay Iranian-American to help build empathy and understanding, penning such works as his award-winning young adult novel Like A Love Story and associate producing the film Call Me By Your Name that starred Timothée Chalamet.

Photo Credit – Marc Ohrem-Leclef.

Host J.R. Jamison sits down with award-winning middle-grade and young adult author Leah Johnson to talk about writing authentic stories for kids, the harmful effects of book banning in America, and the founding of Loudmouth Books—her banned titles bookstore in the heart of her hometown.

Photo Credit – Provided by Leah Johnson.

Host J.R. Jamison sits down with filmmakers Josh Sabey and Sarah Perkins, directors of The Abortion Talks (2022), to explore civil discourse across major ideological divides. They’re joined by Reverend Anne Fowler and attorney Fran Hogan, two women profiled in the film on opposite sides of the abortion debate, who met secretly for six years to find common ground and ways to work together after the 1994 abortion clinic shootings in Boston that killed two people and injured five.

Photo Credit – J & S Ltd.

Ahead of its nationwide theatrical release, J.R. Jamison sits down with the producer and director of Van Jones’s documentary, The First Step, to discuss Jones’s attempts to bring people together across party lines to pass landmark criminal justice reform, while finding himself under fire from all sides. Later, the trio discuss filmmaking, storytelling, and why it’s more important than ever to create bridge-building art during a time of extreme polarization.

Photo Credit – Meridian Hill Pictures (used with permission)

The Facing Project Radio Show is made possible in part by Behavior Associates.

Think for a second about the last time you forgave someone. Was it hard? How did it make you feel? Or what about the person you forgave?

This time on The Facing Project, J.R. Jamison shares the stories of two women — one who forgave the man who paralyzed her son in a car accident, and another who forgave her once absent mother and abusive brother. Later, he is joined by Dr. Robert Enright, who was named by TIME magazine as the leading researcher on the psychology behind forgiveness.

Photo Credit – Flickr Creative Commons: https://flic.kr/p/6BaVu2

Stories included in this episode –


Stopping to Forgive
Greg Zgunda’s story as told to Stephanie Fisher by his mother, Beverly Zgunda, from Facing Disabilities in East Central Indiana. Performed by Katy Wolfe.
What I Know About Me
An anonymous story as told to Bev Nye from Facing Poverty in McPherson, Kansas. Performed by Tiffany Erk.


This episode originally broadcast on Sep. 24th, 2022.

The Facing Project Radio Show is made possible in part by Behavior Associates.

Ten years ago, six acres of abandoned lots in the Park Heights neighborhood of Baltimore were transformed into an urban farm, and today the American Farmers Bureau Federation has rated it as one of the top 10 innovative farms in the country. But there’s more than food being grown in Park Heights; they’re growing community and investing in the future. Join host J.R. Jamison as he shares stories from the Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm, and sits down with four of the faces who keep the farm and its neighborhood thriving each and every day. Photo Credit – Provided and used with permission. Story Performances – “A Safe Haven,” Margie Smith’s story as told to Zion Jalloh-Jamboria. Performed by Chandra Ford; “Willing to Work, Willing to Grow,” Elijah Staton’s story as told to Darren Marshalleck. Performed by Khaleo Price. Interview – Farmer Imani B, Administrative & Research Analyst for the Farm; Farmer Ayo, Arts & Humanities Program Coordinator & Vice President of the Farm; Farmer Karma, Marketing Executive for the Farm; and Santana Alvarado, Senior Project Manager for the Center for Religion & Cities. The Facing Project Radio Show is made possible in part by Behavior Associates.