The David Magee Show

Novelist Claire Gibson has spent years doing the part of writing no one sees—the showing up, the refining, the staying with it long before anyone pays attention.

Now, with her novel Burst Into Song on the horizon, things are starting to move.

This conversation lives in the long middle—the doubt, the quiet, the moments when it feels too hard. And why that’s often where the real work is happening.

Gibson stayed w...

There’s one simple practice that can change your life, and it doesn’t take discipline, talent, or effort the way most habits do. It’s something we often overlook, but the science and the lived experience both point to the same truth: gratitude has the power to transform how we think, feel, and connect. In this episode, I share why gratitude is so powerful, how it builds resilience and emotional strength, and the ...

Few words are more powerful than “I’m sorry,” yet those two words can be some of the hardest to say. Admitting we’ve done something wrong challenges the story we tell ourselves about who we are.

In this episode, I talk about why apologies are so difficult, what psychology and neuroscience say about it, and why learning to say a sincere “I’m sorry” can repair relationships, restore trust, a...

So many struggles stay hidden because of shame. Whether it’s an eating disorder, substance misuse, or just feeling like you’re the only one dealing with something hard, silence has a way of making things darker.

In this episode, Kent, Mary Ivon Montgomery, and I join Tammy and Kevin as guests on their podcast Across the Table. They invited us to talk about faith, recovery, body image, and the courage it takes to tell t...

There are few things more uncomfortable than taking a real, honest look at ourselves. For me, a fearless moral inventory meant facing lies, the shame, and damage. But after the pain comes remarkable healing — and joy. In this episode, Kent and I talk about why step four is so hard but why it’s the turning point. Real change doesn’t start when we blame someone else. It starts when we ask, “What’s my r...

For a long time, I thought the 12 steps were just for people battling addiction. What I’ve learned is that some of the most practical, life-changing lessons I’ve ever found are embedded in that process, and at the center of it all is something simple: love and service.

In this episode, Kent and I talk about how helping others has a way of healing the one doing the helping. If you’ve ever felt restless, stuck, or ...

A lot of people think recovery is just about quitting something. Just stop drinking. Just stop using. Just get it under control. But what I’ve seen in our family and in so many others is that recovery isn’t just about stopping. It’s about building a different kind of life. What once felt like a curse can slowly become something you’re grateful for.

In this episode, Kent and I talk about what we call “...

For a long time, I thought willpower was enough. I believed I could muscle my way through change, keep faith on a shelf, and pull it down later if I needed it. What I learned — slowly and painfully — is that stopping a behavior and finding recovery are not the same thing.

Kent and I talk about ego, vulnerability, the spiritual path that so many people in recovery eventually walk, and why growth begins when we admit we...

We recently lived through a storm that shut down our town, cut the power for days, and reminded us how fragile our routines really are. When the lights go out and the temperature drops, and your house is hit by a tree, perspective gets tested — and so does patience, fear, and old wounds you thought were long settled.

In this episode, my wife Kent and I talk about what it’s like to navigate an unexpected storm — ...

January puts an enormous amount of pressure on us — to be better, healthier, more disciplined, more productive. If you’re feeling behind, distracted, or overwhelmed right now, you’re not alone. Most of us are trying to improve ourselves at the exact moment we feel least equipped to do it.

In this episode, I share what I learned 15 years ago when my life had fallen apart: I didn’t need a new me — I nee...

We tell ourselves the holidays are supposed to be joyful — full of warmth, family, and meaning. And they are. But they also have a way of bringing grief, loneliness, and unmet expectations to the surface, especially when you’ve experienced loss of loved ones.

In this episode, Kent and I talk honestly about why Christmas can feel heavy for some, how expectations shape our suffering, and why letting go of the “per...

Sitting down with my friend Dr. David Weill, I was struck by the courage it takes to return to your past and ask a hard, lifelong question: Who am I really?

In this episode, we talk about his new memoir, Tell Me I Belong, and the journey that shaped it—growing up in the Deep South as the son of a father with Jewish heritage and a Southern Baptist mother, in a home where faith was rarely discussed. That silence left him searc...

Kent and I share the story behind our shared journey that led us to launching The Magee Foundation, work we are doing together.

The Magee Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening community well-being through storytelling, education, recovery support, and collaboration. It’s the next step in the work that began and continues with our family’s own story.

Find out more at mageefoundation.org

David Magee's ...

The holidays are supposed to be a time to exhale — to reconnect, rest, and breathe again. But for many young people, from middle school through college and well into their twenties, this season can quietly become the most dangerous stretch of the year. Structure fades. Old pressures reappear. Sleep goes sideways. Substance misuse and emotional distress often surge. I see it every day in my work with students and families &mda...

I’ve always loved Thanksgiving for its simplicity—no gifts, no pressure, just a table and gratitude. But the one year I sat alone at mine, I learned more about grace than any other holiday I’ve lived through.

This is the story of how a box at my door reminded me I wasn’t as alone as I thought… and it helped lead my family and me back to each other.

David Magee's Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://davidmagee....

When I was younger, I thought 60 meant slowing down, maybe coasting into the sunset. But I’ve learned the opposite — this season of life is sharper, clearer, and freer to try and make a difference in the world.

Today, my wife Kent interviews me and ask what turning 60 means and about second chances, regret, aging with peace, and the strange beauty of realizing you have nothing left to prove. It’s not a story abo...

There was a time when my daughter Mary Halley and I couldn’t talk. Not really. Now we sit across from each other, laughing, asking questions, and sharing the hard-won peace that came from years of healing and growing.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means to rebuild trust, the lessons that come with being parents and grandparents, and why keeping the conversation going is the victory in family.

David Magee's Ne...