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Lessons from a Parakeet

Parakeet Gus on book cover; image of a speech bubble and of a brain
Maine Public

Gus was a pet parakeet that two Maine-based psychologists adopted and lived with for 5 years. They join us to share the story of how Gus’s remarkable ability to talk to humans taught his owners lessons about the value of communication and empathy.

Panelists:
David Bellows, retired clinical psychologist who practiced psychotherapy privately in Maine for over 30 years; author of Gus: A Bird's Life in His Own Words
Barbara Held, Barry N. Wish Professor of Psychology and Social Studies Emerita at Bowdoin College; her writings focus on discerning truth in psychological science and in our sociopolitical world; her work includes the book Stop Smiling, Start Kvetching

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Jonathan was born in Monsey, New York. A field trip to Washington, DC when he was in 7th grade started him on his circuitous path to a career in public radio. The trip inspired a love of politics and led to his desire to one day call DC home. After graduating from Grinnell College, he worked on a couple of campaigns in Iowa (presidential and congressional) and moved to Washington, DC.