Episode 296-More Thoughts on Writing

Episode 296-More Thoughts on Writing

Author: Dr. Steven Shepard October 15, 2025 Duration: 9:09
Some additional thoughts on the craft of writing.

Dr. Steven Shepard has spent a lifetime with his senses tuned to the environment, and The Natural Curiosity Project is the audio result of that deep attention. Each episode is built from his photographs, field recordings, and written observations, woven together into a narrative that feels less like a lecture and more like a shared exploration. You’ll hear the specific rustle of leaves in a particular forest, the call of a bird he’s been tracking for weeks, and the quiet reflections that arise from simply paying close attention. The core idea driving this podcast is a powerful one: that genuine curiosity is not just a personal trait but a transformative force. By immersing listeners in the details of the natural world-the often overlooked patterns, sounds, and stories-Shepard aims to spark that fundamental sense of wonder. He operates on the conviction that from curiosity comes discovery, and from that discovery, a more meaningful knowledge and, ultimately, a deeper understanding of our place within the world. This isn’t about grand pronouncements, but about the incremental insights gained through patient observation. Tuning into this podcast means joining a guided, sensory experience designed to reawaken your own questions about the landscape outside your window and the intricate systems that sustain it. The hope is that by the end of an episode, the world sounds a little different, looks a bit more intricate, and feels worthy of a second, more curious glance.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Natural Curiosity Project
Podcast Episodes
I Otter be in the Water [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:12
When I was a commercial diver in California, I often found myself surrounded by great swarms of marine mammals--seals and sea lions, mostly. But every once in a while we were rewarded by a sea otter, the most iconic of a…
Episode 321-A Climb to Remember [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:43
It was an assignment to photograph the 50th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Bridge from atop one of the towers. Who knew they didn't have an elevator?
Episode 320-Food Names [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:43
Ever wonder why they call the company Starbucks?
Episode 318-The Greatest Sentence Ever Written [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:38
In this small book that celebrates the second line in the American Declaration of Independence--the line that begins, "We hold these truths to be self-evident..." we discover the brilliance of the nation's founders.
Episode 317-Russ Willis-AI Ethicist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:15
Russ Willis is equal parts academic, ordained minister, technologist, poet, and strategist. In this episode, we sit down to chat about his new book, "AI and the Crisis of Control."
Episode 315-Clixed-Up Miches with Stephen Morris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:00
At various times in the past, I’ve talked about the partnership between the NCP and the Silverback Digest, an online journal published by my friend and fellow Vermonter Stephen Morris. Stephen, or Step as his friends cal…
Episode 314-Mexico’s Island of the Dolls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:30
Mexico is rich with mysterious tradition, a culture where magic and mysticism are as present as Catholicism and the lingering Aztec voices that are woven into the wind. But nowhere is it as evident as it is in Xochimilco…
Kyle Steele Interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:03
Kyle Steele Interviews Steve Shepard about His New Book, “The Sound of Life.”