This is a troubled time in our world. But each person has some personal power, some ability to help, even in the smallest of ways. Sometimes that is all we can do, and it is more than enough.

How do we help impassioned young people to believe in themselves and take action to help the world?

Meet Michaella Gallina and Elise Strong, two inspiring women, one a previous winner of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, and the other, a mother of a previous winner.

Michaella shares with us just how she started the Exceptional Rodeo for disabled children at the age of ten years old. Elise shares her journey of encouraging and empowering her son Josiah, founder of the non-profit Save the Nautilus.

Don’t miss that pivotal moment when you are called to action.

And don’t miss this inspiring conversation!

About Michaella Gallina: 

Michaella Gallina is the Vice President of Investor Relations and ESG for H&R Block. Previously, she held many corporate finance roles including Chief of Staff, head of investor relations and corporate communications, and corporate development for several publicly traded companies. Before that, she worked as an investment analyst and in investment banking. Ms. Gallina graduated summa cum laude from the University of Denver with a bachelors and masters degree in finance and was a Boettcher Scholar and Coca-Cola Scholar.

Beginning at the age of 8, Michaella led the Exceptional Rodeo, a rodeo for physically and mentally disabled children in her hometown, which is carried on today at the National Western Stock Show. She was an inaugural Barron Prize winner in 2001.

Michaella is a national champion equestrian and resides in Denver, Colorado.

Learn about the Exceptional Rodeo.

About Elise Strong:

Elise is the mother of Lucas and Josiah Utsch ( Winner of 2012 Barron Prize). She lives in Bozeman MT with her husband Adrian & Golden Retriever Molly. Elise has worked as a sailor, teacher, and landscaper, and also helped run her mother’s family business. She is an active supporter of numerous environmental and community service projects and serves on the boards of several local non-profit organizations. She spends her time caring for her family, working to protect the natural world and expanding support for underprivileged teens in Montana.

Learn more about how Save the Nautilus is making an impact.

Check out the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

Let us never forget that our choices matter, and our lives matter.

During a particularly hard time in her own childhood, Dr. Doyin Atewologun kept a journal. She wrote the story of her life, and it helped her to remember where she came from… and where she longed to go. In this episode, she tells us about how she walked the trail from growing up in Lagos, Nigeria to now being the Dean of Rhodes Scholars at Oxford University in England.

Excelling in leadership and inclusion with success and impact, Doyin shares with us how to expand our views on leadership, how to empower young leaders, and how to turbocharge the possibilities for impact.

T. A. and Doyin talk about how to honor our own story – our own identities – and at the same time build community with people from all walks of life.

You are here. And because you are here, you belong.

About Dr. Doyin Atewologun

Doyin is a psychologist, scholar practitioner, regular media contributor and multi-award winner in recognition of her innovative methodologies and pioneering work in promoting inclusion and excellence in organisations. She is CEO and Founder of Delta, a leadership and inclusion consultancy and Leadership Programme Advisor at the Rhodes Trust at the University of Oxford. Her previous roles include Dean of the Rhodes Scholarship, and Director of the Gender, Leadership & Inclusion Centre at Cranfield School of Management, where she was Reader (Associate Professor). Doyin is the Academic Adviser on the UK-government backed Parker Review Committee, as well as a member of the Co-op’s Diversity and Inclusion Think Tank. Doyin is an Honorary Fellow at Trinity College, University of Oxford and has extensive experience in coaching, executive education, and programme design. She was recognised in People Management magazine’s Top 20 Diversity and Inclusion ‘Power List’ for 2020 and has won numerous awards for excellence in academic publications.

More about the Rhodes Scholars Program.

Check out the episode See Your Life as a Story from Magic & Mountains, Season 1.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

Perseverance — a quality essential to success.

In this episode, T.A. talks with Kate Williams, CEO of a unique environmental group called 1% for the Planet, about the true meaning of perseverance — and how core values can lift an entire organization.

Our world today faces huge environmental challenges. But only a tiny sliver of total philanthropic giving goes to environmental causes. Kate’s organization is on a mission to change that. How does she keep fighting, keep learning, and keep making a difference to our planet?

Kate shares with us the core values of 1% for the Planet. She discusses her guiding philosophy “Ask the next question.” She also shares her unusual definition of “Return on Investment”.

Tune in for ways to rise to the challenge, increase your stick-to-it-ivity, and make an enduring impact.

About Kate Williams:

Kate Williams is CEO of 1% for the Planet, a global organization that inspires action and commitment so that our planet and future generations thrive. 1% for the Planet’s global network of thousands of businesses and individuals have donated hundreds of millions of dollars to vetted environmental partners to date. Kate has driven significant organizational scale —implementing high-impact giving strategies, growing a global brand and leading an incredible and dedicated team around the world.

Outside of her tenure at 1% for the Planet, Kate earned a BA at Princeton University and an MS at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and has served on a variety of Boards. At home, Kate is Mom to two amazing young adults, a partner with her husband of 30 years, and is a trail runner, hiker, and kitchen gardener.

Learn more about Kate’s work with 1% for the Planet.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

A leader brings the weather, and in this episode, President and CEO of American Rivers, Tom Kiernan, gives us a warm summer day (with a cool breeze) and a ton of enthusiasm.

T. A. and Tom K. discuss how nature has the capacity to hold us in times of stress, loss, and deep personal struggles. We hear the heartbreaking and uplifting story of how Tom Kiernan has become a devoted protector of open spaces and wild places. And we reflect on the peace that nature offers us all – the reconnection and the renewal.

We learn about our rivers, why we need them, the threats they are facing, and what American Rivers is doing to help. 

Tom K. urges us all, “Follow your passions. Figure out what really excites you.” 

T. A. asks us, “What would it look like if you combined your true passion with what the world truly needs?”

Join us and get inspired to do your part to protect the natural world. 

About Tom Kiernan:

Tom Kiernan (he/him) became President and CEO of American Rivers in February 2021, leading the 78 staff that make American Rivers the nation’s most trusted and influential river conservation organization. Throughout his career, Tom has been dedicated to protecting the nation’s lands and waters, diversifying the conservation movement and advancing innovative solutions to benefit people and nature. 

Before joining American Rivers, Tom led the American Wind Energy Association for over seven years, growing the organization and advancing a clean energy policy agenda to fight climate change. As President of the National Parks Conservation Association from 1998-2013, he increased the annual budget from $16 to $35 million and led a capital campaign exceeding the $125 million goal. With his team, he established the Community Partners Program at NPCA in 1999 – one of the first diversity programs of any major conservation organization.  

Tom developed a love for rivers at a young age, growing up on the Potomac River in metropolitan Washington, DC. He co-founded the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Center on the Arkansas River in Colorado and worked at North Carolina’s Nantahala Outdoor Center guiding trips throughout the Southeast. Today, Tom is an avid rower who spends time on the Potomac River most mornings. 

He received a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. 

Read more about American Rivers.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

Leave no book unsigned. And leave no bowl of homemade soup uneaten.

In this episode, T. A. shares some of his favorite adventures from three decades of touring the world on his book tours. We travel from a small town in Alaska, to the top of the Washington Monument, to the island of Shikoku, Japan. From an early book event where no one showed up and even the host left for coffee, to filling bookstores and speaking to thousands at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry!

Join us as we celebrate how T. A.’s creativity has inspired more creativity from fans… producing stories, movies, paintings, magical wreaths, costumes, bird sanctuaries, Merlin sneakers, and homemade soup. (Not to mention original words like mooshlovely!)

We hear T. A.’s own personal journey from a hopeful writer who received only rejections, to a newly published author, to the now successful author of 32 books and counting. From empty rooms to lifelong fans who now join him for enduring, magical, and awe-inspiring journeys.

Tune in to laugh, cry, and fill your heart with the power of story.

Want to see what it’s like to attend book event with T. A. Barron? Check out this video from the virtual tour for GIANT: The Unlikely Origins of Shim.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

How do you bring a character’s voice to life in a way that is authentic? How does one get started in audio book narration?

In this episode, we learn about the art of voice-acting and audio-book narration from two very different voices in the industry.

John Lee, the brilliant narrator of the audio book version of T. A. Barron’s GIANT: The Unlikely Origins of Shim, as well as hundreds of other books, shares with us how he put his thumb in the air and hitch-hiked around the universe before becoming a voice actor. Carolyn Hunter, our very own co-host, shares with us her unique journey as a voice artist.

We discover how John landed on the sparkling voice of Shim and he even treats us to a live performance.

T. A., Carolyn, and John will make you want to go home and read out loud to yourself, your kids, your loved ones. Find what voices just appear!

We hope you tune in. As Shim would say… Certainly, definitely, absolutely!

About John Lee:

John Lee has read hundreds of audio books of every conceivable genre. He is the recipient of many Audiophile Magazine Golden Earphone Awards and was one of their Golden Voices of 2010. He received the Audie Award for Male Solo Narration for The Count of Monte Cristo and has narrated two series of Ken Follett’s monumental historical novels as well as several of Turkish Nobel Laureate Orhan Pahmuk’s celebrated works.

Learn more about GIANT: The Unlikely Origins of Shim (Prequel to The Merlin Saga).

Check out more books narrated by John Lee and Carolyn Hunter.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

Jill Santopolo is an author, publisher, mother, and born storyteller. She gracefully weaves big moral questions, dilemmas, and choices into all of her books.

In this episode, T. A. and Jill illuminate their creative process in working together as author and editor. They discuss how to add layers of richness and depth into books. They share why stories make us feel less alone, how to see a place as a friend, and what guides us through the challenges of creating authentic worlds.

What does it mean to create something that is emotionally autobiographical? And what happens if you pat a magical Cat?

Tune in to find out.

About Jill Santopolo:

Jill Santopolo is the internationally best-selling author of Stars in an Italian Sky, Everything After, More Than Words, and The Light We Lost, which was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into 35 languages and have been named to the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Apple, and Indie Bound bestseller lists. She is also the author of the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. Jill holds a BA from Columbia University, an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from NYU. She is the publisher of Philomel, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group and lives in Washington, DC and New York with her husband and daughter.

Check out Jill’s books The Light We Lost and Stars in an Italian Sky.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.

Are we willing to walk with our characters? Are we willing to go far enough? Are we willing to let go to find transcendence?

This episode’s special guest is former Editor in Chief of Philomel Books, Patricia Lee Gauch. Patti (as she’s known by her friends) was T. A. Barron’s editor for over 30 years – editing 27 of his 32 books.

T. A. and Patti speak passionately about finding the core values of your story, then protecting and nurturing them, and letting them shine organically. Hear two seasoned writers explore the power of humor and magic in stories, as well as the importance of voice.

Patti urges us, “Trust the universal storyteller in you. If you only trust your brain, you may have a compositionally powerful piece, but you may have missed the beating heart. And that is what we’re going for – the beating heart.”

Where did it all begin for Patti? And… how do we, as authors, earn our ending?

You don’t want to miss this lively and completely inspiring conversation about voice, character, and the beating heart of story.

Aspiring writers – this one’s for you.

About Patricia Lee Gauch:

I am Patricia Lee Gauch, my writers call me Patti. I have worn many hats – journalist, author, teacher, lecturer and finally editor, but all of my hats have been grounded in writing. And my relationships with my writers have passed into sacred space, from my point of view. I have worked with Patricia Polacco, Brian Jacques, Eric Carle, Andrew Clements, Janet Lisle, Jane Yolen, but the first writer I worked with at Philomel was T.A. Barron. The renowned Madeleine L’Engle discovered him at a retreat, was impressed, and brought him to my agent Dorothy Markinko, and she brought him to me, fledgling editor.

He was and always has been an unusual mix of writer of fantasy writer and environmentalist, wroter of fantasy and philosopher. As he walks his Colorado mountains, which he does regularly, he is always searching for ideas. His characters are often paradigms, rich in their humor, their courage, their humanity. That’s Tom, searching. And discovering.

Tom and my fondest memories were rooted in editorial sessions at his mountaintop cabin in Colorado. We would sit in a window that looked out on a meadow, simply breathing open air, and we would begin a somewhat miraculous brainstorming. I was often the tip-master, but Tom could catch fireflies of ideas, and when he realized that there was a key Merlin story still to be told, he began writing his life’s work.

We are partners still. And partners here today.

Check out Patricia Lee Gauch’s novels and picture books.

Magic & Mountains is hosted by T. A. Barron, beloved author of 32 books and counting. Carolyn Hunter is co-host.

Magic & Mountains Theme Song by Julian Peterson.