Necessary Trouble

Tresta Payne, Megan Willome, Callie Feyen
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Welcome to season 1 of the Necessary Trouble podcast! Each week we read a chapter from a book on writing craft, write from it, and take turns critiquing one another’s words. We also discuss what we loved from the book and what we are reading, (because we are always reading). This season we are discussing Marilyn McEntyre’s Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. The book began as a series of lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary and developed into a thoughtful examination of how to read, speak, and write faithfully, especially as followers of Christ.

Episodes

  1. 3d ago

    Ep. 8: Practice Poetry

    Marilyn McEntyre invites us into a regular practice of poesis. “I do not believe we steward language well without some regular practice of poesis — reading poetry, learning some by heart, and writing, if not verse as such, at least sentences crafted with close attention to cadence and music and the poetic devices that offer nonrational, evocative, intuitive, associative modes of understanding.” Trouble Seat:“If There Were No Computers,” by Callie Feyen Mentions in this episode:Winter Morning Walks, by Ted KooserUnder the Terebinth, by Anna Friedrich30 Poems to Memorize Before It’s Too Late, ed. David KernPilgrim, You Find the Path by Walking, by Jeanne Murray WalkerLong After Lauds, by Jeanine HathawayThe Joy of Poetry, by Megan WillomeBut what is the Cure for Laundry? two paintings by Nan Henke with Megan’s poem “The cure for writer’s block”How to Read a Poem, by Tania RunyanThe Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo (P.S. Megan wrote the one&only newspaper editorial she has ever written in defense of this book, which appeared on a no-no list)Make Lemonade and True Believer, by Virginia Euwer WolfThe Crossover, by Kwame AlexanderBrown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline WoodsonWhat we’re reading:Megan: A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. MillerCallie:Tresta: The Gift of a Quiet Life, by Anna GallantVisit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  2. Oct 20

    Ep 7: Love the Long Sentence

    Marilyn McEntyre says long sentences demand more of us. They slow us down and open us up. “It prevents us from leaping to conclusions, though it invites us to consider possibilities. it schools us in the very patience it demands.” Trouble Seat:“The Trees of Eleanor,” by Megan Willome Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreDon Quixote, by Miguel de CervantesMiddlemarch, by George EliotMoby Dick, by Herman Melvillealways FlanneryWhat we’re reading:Megan: Moby Dick, by Herman MelvilleCallie:Tresta: Uprooted, by Grace OlmsteadVisit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  3. Oct 13 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Interview with Tresta Payne, Author of More Beautiful Than Necessary

    Today, Megan and Callie are interviewing Tresta to discuss the journey of writing her debut book More Beautiful Than Necessary: Finding God's Goodness in a Life Beyond My Control. We are exploring themes of grief, beauty, and trust in God's goodness even in the middle of life's uncertainties, as well as discussing the process of crafting a memoir that embraces mystery and the messiness of life. Join us on Substack at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to watch the video version of this episode, and to find links to our work. Tresta's book is available here:

  4. Oct 6

    Ep 6: Sharing Stories

    Callie starts off our episode on Sharing Stories with this gem: "Stories are how I breathe, how I live, everything I think, everything I do. As long as I have a story for it, I can keep going." McEntyre says stories equip us for living and even for survival. “At their best, if they are doing what they are meant to do, stories take us places we might not otherwise consent to go.” Join us as we discuss the stories we share through literature and around the table with family, and the ways story complicates and enriches our lives. Trouble Seat: “Our Shared Language,” by Tresta Payne Mentions in this episode: Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyrePeace Like a River, by Leif EngerTheo of Golden, by Allen Levithe Twilight series, by Stephenie Meyeralways FlanneryTresta’s essay “Sometimes He Gives Scars”, at Cultivating Oaks PressWhat we’re reading: Megan: Moby Dick, by Herman MelvilleCallie: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, by David SedarisTresta: Uprooted by Gracie OlmsteadVisit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  5. Sep 29

    Ep 5: Stay in Conversation

    McEntyre calls conversation “an exchange of gifts.” “We come into one another’s presence bearing whatever harvest of experience the day has offered, and we foster relationship by making a gift of what we have received.” This episode is all about the art of staying in conversation, the power of dialogue, and how meaningful exchanges can build community and foster self-awareness. Join us as we discuss insights from Marilyn McIntyre's Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, plus some practical tips for writers and conversationalists. Trouble Seat:“Stay in Conversation,” by Callie Feyen Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreEverything is Copy, a film about Nora Ephron, title from one of her most famous quotesFriendship in the Lord, by Fr. Paul HinnebuschWhen We Swung from Church Bells, by Callie FeyenFlannery O’Connor: everything she ever wroteWhat we’re reading:Megan: Terms of Endearment, by Larry McMurtryCallie: Middlemarch, by George Eliot (Book Two: “Old and Young” Essentialism, by Greg McKeownTresta: Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm Guite Visit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  6. Sep 22

    Ep 4: Read Well

    We dubbed this episode "Slow Reading", and in it we discuss the art of reading well, the importance of community in reading, and practical strategies for deepening our engagement with books and poetry. We share some of our personal practices and note-taking methods, and we talk about how reading influences our writing and spiritual growth. McEntyre invites us to enter a text, eat it, and breathe it. “If you’re reading slowly, listening to be addressed, one word or another will summon you. Those are the places where, instead of going on, you go in. You pause. you do that countercultural thing you can’t do at the movies: you stop.” Trouble Seat:“A Little Lectio,” by Megan Willome Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreThe Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (yes, you read that correctly, he of Pooh fame)What we’re reading:Megan: Bea Wolf, by Zach Weinersmith, art by BouletCallie: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim David SedarisTresta: Galahad and the Grail by Malcolm GuiteVisit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  7. Sep 15

    Ep 3: Don't Tell Lies

    In this episode, we explore the importance of honesty, trust, and boundaries in life and writing, inspired by Marilyn McEntyre's insights on truth telling and the power of metaphor. We also get a little glimpse into Tresta's forthcoming book 'More Beautiful Than Necessary: Finding God's Goodness in a Life Beyond My Control', releasing October 14, 2026. McEntyre offers questions to pose about our news sources, including: “Who is framing the questions? What questions are conspicuously not being addressed—or being consigned to a back page, or a subordinate clause? Who is selecting? Sequencing? Explaining?” Trouble Seat:“April Fool,” by Callie Feyen Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreThe Geography of Memory: A Pilgrimage Through Alzheimer’s, by Jeanne Murray WalkerWhat we’re reading:Megan: Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthyCallie: Prodigal Summer by Barbara KingsolverTresta: Life, and Death, and Giants by Ron Rindo Visit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  8. Sep 8

    Ep 2: Tell the Truth

    In this episode we explore Marilyn McEntyre's insights on truth, the craft of writing, and the importance of honesty and humility in storytelling. Callie expounds on the value of scene and reflection, and we give practical tips for writers seeking authenticity. McEntyre offers a list of distinguishing characteristics of truth, including: “Truth is not two-sided; it’s many-sided. Truth burrows in the body. Truth flickers.” Trouble Seat:“Sorting Truth,” by Tresta Payne Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreWilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge, by Mem FoxThe Daily Poem podcastWhat we’re reading:Megan: Lonesome DoveCallie: Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth StroutTresta: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John GreenVisit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  9. Sep 1

    Ep 1: Love Words

    In this episode, Megan, Callie, and Tresta explore Marilyn McEntyre's book 'Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies,' emphasizing the importance of loving words, slow reflection, and the stewardship of language in our lives. They share insights on how reading, writing, and silence deepen our understanding and connection. “We care for words when we use them thankfully, recognizing in each kind a specific gift borne in the mother tongue, bestowed at birth as a legacy from the Word who was in the beginning.” ~Marilyn McEntyre Mentions in this episode:Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies, by Marilyn McIntyreStill: notes on a mid-faith crisis, by Lauren WinnerThe Crossover, by Kwame AlexanderLove & other Mysteries, by Megan WillomeEmma M. Lion series, by Beth BrowerHistory of the Rain, by Niall WilliamsWhat we’re reading:Megan: History of the Rain, by Niall WilliamsCallie: On Writing by Stephen King; Middlemarch, by George Eliot Book One: Miss BrookeTresta: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 8 by Beth BrowerTrouble Seat: All three of us! Pleased to meet you. Visit us at https://necessarytroublepodcast.substack.com/ to read the revised essays from each episode, find links to each of our websites, and more.

  10. Season 1 Trailer

    Intro

    Episode 1 coming September 1, 2026! Welcome to season 1 of the Necessary Trouble podcast! Each week we read a chapter from a book on writing craft, write from it, and take turns critiquing one another’s words.

  • 1 Trailer
    9 Episodes

Trailer

About

Welcome to season 1 of the Necessary Trouble podcast! Each week we read a chapter from a book on writing craft, write from it, and take turns critiquing one another’s words. We also discuss what we loved from the book and what we are reading, (because we are always reading). This season we are discussing Marilyn McEntyre’s Caring for Words in a Culture of Lies. The book began as a series of lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary and developed into a thoughtful examination of how to read, speak, and write faithfully, especially as followers of Christ.

Information

  • Creator
    Tresta Payne, Megan Willome, Callie Feyen
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tresta Payne, Megan Willome, Callie Feyen
  • Show Website
    Necessary Trouble