Dr. Alan Townsend is a scientist, author, and Dean of the Franke College of Forestry & Conservation at the University of Montana. His new book is titled This Ordinary Stardust: A Scientist’s Path from Grief to Wonder, and it’s an unbelievably powerful book. It’s the story of Alan’s family being rocked to the core by two unthinkable, back-to-back tragedies– his four-year-old daughter and wife both being diagnosed with brain tumors.
Alan is a highly trained, Ph.D.-level scientist who spent his entire career using cold hard facts, emotionless inquiry, and academic rigor to try and solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. Yet when faced with a father/husband’s worst nightmare, he was forced to accept that science alone was simply not enough to make it through the gauntlet. I was blown away by Alan’s insightfulness and vulnerability and how he managed to constructively meld science and spirituality to make sense of an unimaginable catastrophe.
Alan was born in Hawaii and grew up in Montana, where he spent much of his youth hunting, fishing, and exploring the West’s wide-open landscapes. His education and career in science allowed him to delve deeper into the natural world, giving him an even more intense respect and appreciation for the beautifully complex biological systems that make our world work. He’s worked in Amazonian forests and Costa Rican jungles, and he’s published more than 140 peer-reviewed articles. But, as you’ll hear in this conversation, Alan also embraces the more ethereal and unknown aspects of our existence, and he has a gift for discussing and writing about them in a very powerful and helpful manner.
We met up at Alan’s office at the University of Montana, and had a very meaningful conversation about grief, curiosity, generosity, open-mindedness, focus, and family. We discussed Alan’s upbringing in Montana, his path to becoming such a highly trained scientist, and his process of re-evaluating the limits and usefulness of science in the face of tragedy. We talked a lot about his late wife Diana and her unbelievable toughness and his daughter Neva, who thankfully beat the tumor and is now a happy and healthy young lady. We discussed the compassion and skill of medical professionals, Alan’s years-long process of writing the book, and the indispensable role of his agent and editor. Alan also offers some wise, hard-earned wisdom for anyone who may be going through their own set of challenges.
I loved this conversation, I loved the book, and I really appreciate Alan taking the time to talk with me. Be sure to click through the link in the notes to grab your own copy of This Ordinary Stardust. Enjoy!
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Photos courtesy of Alan Townsend
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RESOURCES:
Topics Discussed:
- 4:10 – An introduction to the power of Alan’s book
- 6:10 – The importance of focus in Alan’s book, and the strength of Alan’s wife and daughter
- 10:40 – Discussing Alan’s writing
- 13:40 – Alan’s birth and early childhood in Hawaii
- 15:30 – When science became a focus for Alan
- 17:00 – Alan’s reading choices
- 18:45 – When Alan found out his daughter Neva had a brain tumor
- 21:00 – How Alan got through this incredibly challenging period in his life
- 23:15 – The importance of routine for finding mental stability and peace in difficult times
- 25:15 – The power of curiosity in Alan and his wife, Diana’s, life after Diana was diagnosed with brain cancer
- 27:45 – The difference between people who are curious when it is easy to do so and those who remain curious when life becomes difficult
- 30:15 – Why Alan reevaluated his relationship with science, and how he challenges readers to do a similar reevaluation in his book
- 37:15 – How we share more than we don’t, regardless of political belief
- 39:15 – How Diana invited Michael Brown into their home to learn more about his work with FEMA, demonstrating the importance of respecting and learning from people with different opinions
- 45:00 – Unpacking the theme of generosity in Alan’s book
- 47:45 – How Alan handled vulnerability and the desire for this book to have impact
- 49:45 – Alan’s relationship with his agent and editor
- 52:15 – Discussing Doctor Henry Freedman
- 56:00 – Alan’s take on how doctors dealing with mortality are able to handle the difficulties of that subject on a daily basis
- 58:15 – Alan’s work right now
- 1:01:30 – The next 5-10 years for Alan
- 1:02:45 – Of generosity, curiosity, and the willingness to fail
- 1:03:45 – Alan’s book recommendations
- 1:08:00 – Alan’s parting words of wisdom
Information Referenced:
- This Ordinary Stardust by Alan Townsend
- Doctor Henry Friedman
- John Krakauer
- Underland by Robert MacFarlane
- The Overstory by Richard Powers
- Katherine Hayhoe
- Micheal Brown
- Jesse Helms
- Anna Sproul-Latimer
- Maddie Caldwell
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
- Yemi Mobolade
- Peter Heller
- Body of Water by Chris Dombroski
- True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen
- Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison
- A Responsibility to Awe by Rebecca Elson
- In Old Sky by Lauren Camp
Enjoy this episode? Then you might like these too:
- Nick Offerman – Empathy, Nuance, & Good Hard Work
- Chris Dombrowski, Part 2 – “The River You Touch”
- Rick Ridgeway – Purpose-Driven Adventurer
- Dr. Sara Dant Returns – “Losing Eden: An Environmental History of the American West”
- Doug Peacock – 50 Years of Fighting for the Grizzlies
- Anna Borgman – Obsession, Curiosity, and Purpose-Driven Work
- Douglas Brinkley – Exploring the Past to Find Inspiration for the Future
- Sandy Colhoun – Building Leaders Through Outdoor Education
Visit the podcast page for a full, searchable list of episodes
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