Recent News
FANTASTIC NEWS: My new book has found a wonderful home — and some great new friends. William Morrow, an 80-year-old blue chip New York publisher, will publish The Curiosity in 2013. The editor is Jennifer Brehl, who I’m thrilled to be working with. Harper Collins/Canada will publish an edition for north of the border, and other foreign rights are in negotiation. And here’s a fun and unexpected angle: 20th Century Fox has acquired the rights to make a movie from the book. In fact, the film deal preceded the book offer by three days. More news about The Curiosity sure to come. And aren’t you a little curious what it’s about?
ZOWIE! Authentic Patriotism wins book award. The Nautilus Book Awards recognize “books of exceptional merit that make a literary and heartfelt contribution to spiritual growth, conscious living, high-level wellness, green values, responsible leadership and positive social change, as well as to the worlds of art, creativity and inspiration.” Stephen’s book is a 2011 Silver Medal winner. Previous winners include Deepak Chopra, Barbara Kingsolver, Eckhart Tolle, Thich Nhat Hanh, Naomi Wold and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. To learn more about these awards, click here.
“CONSIDER THE CONVERSATION” wins national public television distribution. will be released to PBS stations nationwide via the National Educational Telecommunications Association on June 18th. This represents a unique opportunity for healthcare organizations to educate their communities and potentially partner with their local PBS station in the effort. To see the first five minutes of this documentary, click here and be blown away. My favorites are the black woman in the glasses, who makes us stop and think right along with her, and the old woman who wants to be in her lover’s arms.
“CONSIDER THE CONVERSATION” debuts. A pair of passionate Wisconsin filmmakers produced and directed this moving documentary about the importance of hospice, palliative care, courage and compassion for people nearing the end of their lives. Stephen was the producers’ first interview and is featured throughout. To learn more about this powerful film, to obtain a copy or to arrange a showing, click here.
Vermont Cable TV program broadcasts Kiernan’s end of life care talk. Hospice Volunteer Services of Addision County and the Palliative Care Initiative at Porter Medical Center jointly sponsored Stephen’s presentation on building excellent end-of-life care, and Middlebury Community Access Television was there. To see the presentation, click here, scroll to number 1, and click on it.
South Carolina columnist praises volunteerism and authentic patriotism. Andy Brack, whose political writing appears in a newsletter and several regional newspapers, writes about the success of Volunteers in Medicine, and how that demonstrates the power of civic engagement. To read Andy’s column, click here and scroll down to “Commentary.”
Kiernan interviewed on Virginia radio program “Shaping Families.” Third Way Media is associated with values-oriented programming in alliance with the Mennonite Community. The interview occured just before Stephen spoke at Eastern Mennonite University. For more information, a transcript or to hear the broadcast, click here.
Kiernan speaks at Castleton’s SOUNDINGS. Castleton State College, the oldest college in Vermont, conducts an acclaimed lecture and performance series known as SOUNDINGS. Stephen recently was a guest of the college, which makes civic engagement and service learning a central component of a Castleton education. Here’s a link to coverage in the Castleton State College’s Spartan newspaper.
TEDx in Vermont includes a Kiernan presentation. Perhaps you’re familiar with the TED talks, which bring all kinds of people together to hear presentations from interesting speakers who must limit their remarks to 18 minutes. If not, check out TED’s amazing site. Now TED shares its format with local and regional conferences known as TEDx. Middlebury College hosted its first TEDx on Oct. 2, and Stephen was invited to be the lead-off speaker. For an 18-minute explanation of Authentic Patriotism and national renewal, click here to watch Stephen Kiernan’s TEDx talk. (If you’d also like to see a great presentation by Michael Kiernan MD at that same event, click here.)
The Coffee Party holds its first national convention, and Stephen is a featured speaker. The Coffee Party is about more than its name implies — responding to the popularity and media focus on the Tea Party. The goal is “to develop, replicate, and sustain an effective method of engagement … based on responsible citizenship — a sense of civic duty, patriotism, and a respect for our democratic system of government.” The idea is clearly popular: 300,000 Facebook friends, 305,000 viewers on its YouTube channel, and four million views on its virtual town hall every day. The Coffee Party held its first convention in Louisville, KY, and taped Stephen’s remarks. Here’s the link to Stephen Kiernan’s speech at the Coffee Party national convention. And in case you’re curious, here’s the link to the Coffee Party’s home page.
Regional newspaper runs pages of discussion about end-of-life care, including an op-ed piece by Stephen. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel of Wisconsin devoted its Sunday perspective section to articles about how to take better care of people nearing the end of their lives. The newspaper’s coverage coincided with a local conference – organized by cardiologist Bruce Wilson MD — to educate doctors about these issues. At the conference, Stephen delivered the keynote address. Here is the link to Stephen’s Milwaukee Journal and Sentinel op-ed piece. The conference also provided preliminary showing of the forthcoming film “Consider the Conversation,” which addresses these issues in an artful, sensitive and heartfelt way. The film is produced my Mike Bernhagen and Terry Kaldhusdal, who both also wrote pieces for the Milwaukee newspaper. Here is the link to Terry Kaldhusdal’s article, and here is the link to Mike Bernhagen’s article. These pieces are worth reading if you care about these medical and spiritual issues, and if you are interested in seeing how people turn personal losses into civic action and a public benefit. An overall discussion of the film came from the president of Rainbow Hospice of Wisconsin. Here is a link to the op-ed piece Karen Lacke Carrig wrote.
Stephen appears on “Happening Now” national TV program. A brief interview about the Fourth of July highlights some familiar examples of authentic patriots. Here is the link to the live Fox News interview, on the site of ace publicist Wendy Knight.
Radio interview on The Jefferson Exhange, Ashland, OR. Great conversation and strong interview by Geoffrey Riley. Here is the link to Stephen Kiernan’s interview on the Jefferson Exchange.
Nice interview and profile in the Post-Star newspaper (Glens Falls, NY): Here is the link to the Post-Star article.
Many appearances around the country:
July 1
WGDR-VT: 9:30 a.m., live radio interview with Carl Etnier. Vermont Public Radio: Live call-in interview on The Vermont Edition. Here is a link to the Vermont Public Radio podcast.
July 3
Montpelier, VT: Discussion of Authentic Patriotism and book signing, as part of the citywide Independence Day celebration.
July 4
Middlebury, VT: Guest sermon at the Unitarian Universalist Society: “Service and Conscience”.
July 7
Portland, OR: Appearance on the Carl and Christine show, KJOR. Meeting with local volunteers at The BiPartisan Cafe. Interview on the Thom Hartmann show.
Blog of healthy communities foundation finds optimism
Bill Roper runs The Orton Family Foundation, whose mission is to help small cities and towns manage growth and change while enhancing what they value most. The foundation champions new models for citizen engagement and community planning, to help people strengthen their communities’ heart and soul.
Bill is also a blogger, and in a recent post he found unexpected optimism from several writers who address people’s ability to make a difference. Authentic Patriotism winds up in some pretty fine company. Here is Bill Roper’s blog posting.
National political blog praises the non-partisan stance of Authentic Patriotism
Purple State of Mind called the book’s message “ a pitch for seeing the country through completely different eyes, neither left not right, conservative nor liberal. The ideological division on every corner turns out to be a nightmare distraction from the very big job at hand.” See the full discussion and interview at Purple State of Mind.
Strong review in The Burlington Free Press
“Author Stephen P. Kiernan dreams of a new American patriot” For the article: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20100516/LIVING/5160306/Author-Stephen-P.-Kiernan-dreams-of-a-new-American-patriot
Live interview on the Mark Johnson Show, WDEV
Two hour program with many call-in questions. The podcast is listed under May 12: http://www.markjohnsonshow.net/
Great profile and excerpt in The Rutland Herald
“Vermont author offers the nation a do-it-yourself fix” http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100509/NEWS04/5090379
Stephen is the featured speaker at the United Way annual meeting
For media coverage of the event, go to the Burlington Free Press article about the United Way event.
Terri Gross interviewed Stephen on Fresh Air, Dec. 4, 2006:
Journalist Stephen Kiernan’s new book is Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life from the Medical System. Kiernan writes that doctors are not well-trained in end of life procedures, and that half of those who die in hospitals suffer untreated pain, while those in nursing homes risk abuse and personal bankruptcy. Based in New England, Kiernan has written for the Boston Globe, the Burlington Free Press and other publications. He received the George Polk Award for medical reporting and the Joseph Breckner Center’s Freedom of Information Award. Listen to More >>
Jane Brody wrote about Stephen’s work in The New York Times, Nov. 28, 2006:
“Engaging in a discussion about end-of-life issues does not have to be a dark, depressing matter. Many people are willing to spend a Saturday learning CPR, but their time would be better spent drawing up an advance directive.” This is the conclusion reached by Stephen P. Kiernan, 46, the author of a new book, “Last Rights: Rescuing the End of Life From the Medical System” (St. Martin’s Press). Mr. Kiernan spent three and a half years studying why so many Americans die “bad deaths.” Read more >>
