Looking Back and Looking Forward
An update on Good Distinctions from Will Wright
Hello readers and listeners of Good Distinctions,
Thank you so much for being here! I wanted to take a moment mid-summer to look back over the past six months and then look forward. So, stay tuned to the end of this brief message for an update on the Podcast and posting.
The channel has been around, as Good Distinctions, for over a year now! Feel free to look through the posts to see all of the content and episodes that have been posted!
My Favorite Conversations of the Past Six Months
First, I want to start with my top three favorite episodes of the past six months (besides the top-performers listed below) that I learned the most from and I wish had gotten a bit more attention on podcast platforms and YouTube:
Top Performers of the Past Six Months
I also wanted to take a moment to share the “top-performers” - the episodes that you all tuned in to the most in the past six months!
Looking Forward
I loved each and every interview. My guests have been amazing. And don’t worry, there are many great guests I have already recorded with and many more in the queue! To give you some clue, I have already recorded episodes with:
Fran Maier (Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center)
Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ (Ignatius Productions and EWTN)
Mark Brumley (President of Ignatius Press)
Meredith Hinds (Author with TAN Books)
And I have scheduled interviews with:
Archbishop Emeritus Alfred Hughes (Archdiocese of Boston)
Aurelio Porfiri (Italian Composer and Author)
Fr. Dave Tomaszycki (Priest, Archdiocese of Detroit)
Kate Capato (Catholic Sacred Art Painter)
Dr. George Ceremuga (a returning guest to Good Distinctions!)
I am also currently working with 11 other fantastic authors, academics, priests, and businessmen to continue facilitating engaging and insightful interviews! I hope you have learned as much from them as I have and have been inspired to reignite good conversation, seek out the best distinctions, and inspire others to do the same!
Personal Update from Will
For those of you who do not know, I am currently working on a ThD program with Pontifex University. The Doctorate in Theological Studies (ThD) is the same rigor and work as a PhD (Philosophical Doctorate); the ThD just starts from the place of belief in the Christian Faith. Think about the difference between a Divinity School and a Religious Studies department.
At any rate, I am researching the following: Defining Active Participation in the Sacred Liturgy with the Paschal Mystery as an Interpretive Key.
I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Fr. Neil Xavier O'Donoghue as my Doctoral supervisor. He is a Systematic Theologian at St. Patrick’s Pontifical University in Maynooth, near Dublin, Ireland, and he is a first rate scholar of liturgical theology.
I am also married with two boys under the age of 7. I work full-time as a History and Religion Teacher at a Catholic High School run by the Nashville Dominicans. I also am a Fellow and adjunct faculty member with the Institute of Catholic Theology in Phoenix (and do marketing, promotion, and consulting work for the Institute).
Suffice it to say, I have a lot on my plate.
Some Changes to the Podcast
I have thought about putting the podcast on hold. But instead, I made the (fantastically helpful) decision to switch from video interviews to audio interviews. These are much simpler to schedule and edit - shaving off hours and hours of time from my week while still keeping the podcast going and growing!
Now, given that my studies are about to really begin, I have to take stock of my priorities and how I am using my time. This is something I have never been exceptional with, but I feel that as a husband and father, it is more than required! So, with my family, my work, my other responsibilities, and my studies, I have decided to write for Good Distinctions (in this season) only sporadically. And I will be posting a new episode at least every other week (so, biweekly instead of weekly).
I am grateful for all of you who tune in to Good Distinctions and I hope it has been a blessing to you.
Please leave a comment with these two pieces of information
Leave a comment and let me know which episode, so far, has been your favorite. And
let me know who you would like to see on the podcast, and I will try to make it happen!