Our 5-part "Shook By A Book" series continues today with US Congresswoman Katie Porter. (You might have seen her on TV; she's famous for pulling out whiteboards in hearings to make things simple and visual for the public.) She grew up a 4H kid in Iowa who ended up at boarding school in Massachusetts. In her first month on campus, she was assigned F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby which has helped frame her thinking ever since. Katie's take on class, insecurity and fairness is well worth a listen.

Special thanks to The Teagle Foundation for their generous support of this series.

This week's Thanks for Being Here features a letter from singer/songwriter Lisa Redfern to her unborn child, reflecting on her 12-year journey of trying to become a mother, her eventual acceptance of a different path, and finding love. Lisa shares her 2013 letter in full, detailing her dreams, heartbreaks, and how she found healing through becoming a stepmom to two boys.

Links to the two songs referenced by Lisa:

Waiting for You c. lisa redfern ASCAP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vyLyUtzeoE

Live Through the Questions c. lisa redfern ASCAP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy-hs9HWkuo

Lisa's website to learn more about her and check out her music: www.lisaredfern.com

In this special Go To, Kelly and Christy Turlington Burns sit down with Melinda French Gates to talk about the woman who raised her, Elaine, who taught her to set her own agenda and find a moment every day to really connect with the people who matter most.

Our About Your Mother series raises funds to support safe and respectful pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care in 9 countries through Every Mother Counts, founded in 2010 and led every day since by Christy Turlington Burns. Please join us with a donation here. Maternal health is a human right.

With special thanks to Tracy and David at Laughing Man Studios in Tribeca who support this series with pro bono studio time and superb coffee.

Got feedback? Have an idea? We love to hear from listeners. Write us anytime — hello@kellycorrigan.com - or sign up for our weekly list of takeaways here.

Check out Kelly's Tell Me More episode featuring Melinda French Gates.

Past episodes from the About Your Mother series:

Jennifer Garner

Amy Schumer

Bono

Cindy Crawford

Spike Lee

Edward Burns

In the second episode of our "Shook by a Book" series, Kelly connects with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and bestselling author Charles Duhigg about a century-old book assigned to him in college which influenced his thinking and life choices. Charles is the author of Supercommunicators, and The Power of Habit. (He and Kelly actually share the same editor at Random House.) This book Charlie picked, William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience, gets at the psychological need for religion, the power of choice and how context influences our behavior. It also serves as a springboard for Kelly and Charlie to go deep on their careers, families and life decisions.

Special thanks to The Teagle Foundation for their generous support of this series.

This episode was recorded at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

Sherri Coale wrote a deeply-felt “you got this” letter to her son Colton in the days before his wedding. She was certain that if she tried to say all of the important things she wanted him to know, “nonsensical drivel wrapped in tears, would land in his lap”. So, she sat down and wrote him this loving, sage advice-filled letter. This is a great GOTO to share with any young couple you may know…and maybe even your partner. (Previously aired)

Funny with a touch of Irish melancholy. That's how actor, director, producer Edward Burns described Molly, his mother, to me and my co-host, Christy Turlington Burns (who has been married to Eddie for 20+ years). In celebration of his new novel, A Kid From Marlboro Road, Eddie joined us in studio to talk about childhood, parenthood and grief.

Our About Your Mother series has raised funds to support safe and respectful pregnancy, delivery and postpartum care in 9 countries through Every Mother Counts, founded in 2010 and led every day since by Christy Turlington Burns. Please join us with a donation here. Maternal health is a human right.

With special thanks to Tracy and David at Laughing Man Studios in Tribeca who support this series with pro bono studio time and superb coffee.

Got feedback? Have an idea? We love to hear from listeners. Write us anytime — hello@kellycorrigan.com - or sign up for our weekly list of takeaways here.

Check out our earlier episodes from the About Your Mother series:

Jennifer Garner

Amy Schumer

Bono

Cindy Crawford

Spike Lee

Welcome to Shook By A Book, a 5 part series where we talk to big time American thinkers about transformative reading experiences. We're kicking off the set with a conversation with the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. Early in his med school days, a friend tipped him off to a book she found life-changing: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Vivek dove in head first. Join us to find out how The Alchemist helped him move on after a devastating family experience and find his footing in a career he has loved.

Also mentioned in this episode is the book: Conversations with God.

Special thanks to the Teagle Foundation for their generous support of our Shook By A Book series.

Listener Duncan Keegan submitted this astonishingly beautiful eulogy which he wrote and delivered for his five year-old son Ruairí. We were so deeply moved when we first read it that we reached out to Duncan to see if he would consider reading it himself for today’s episode. He kindly agreed and said, “I hope it helps some grieving parents out there, especially the fathers. I think some fathers find it hard to find the voice.” We hope this stunning tribute helps anyone who is mourning the loss of a dear loved one to feel less alone.