Episode Details

Some lives don't follow a script. They follow a feeling — an inexplicable something that whispers just loud enough to be heard over the noise of the ordinary. Calvin Schwartz has been listening to that whisper his whole life, and what it's led him to is nothing short of extraordinary.

Calvin joins us today as the host of We the Species, a podcast over 700 conversations deep that explores the big, beautiful, unanswerable questions about humanity, connection, and what it means to be alive. If you haven't found it yet, consider this your sign.

In this episode, Calvin takes us on a journey that winds through pharmacy school he never wanted, a 25-year career selling eyeglasses for one of the world's wealthiest men, a novel that arrived fully formed during a rainy morning rewatch of Casablanca, and a spiritual awakening that changed the entire trajectory of his life. Along the way we touch on bullying, reinvention, the paranormal, a mysterious healing in Nazareth, a five-roll car crash he walked away from without a scratch, and — not once, but twice — turning down Steven Spielberg. Almost, he'll tell you. Almost.

Calvin is also the award-winning author of There's a Tortoise in My Hair: A Journey to Spirit, a novel that has drawn comparisons to Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Roth, and John Irving, and has collected over ten national awards. It is a book about meaning, mortality, and the unseen forces that seem to guide us — whether we believe in them or not.

At 80-something and showing no signs of slowing down, Calvin is a living, breathing argument for staying curious, staying open, and never letting age write the final word on who you're still becoming.

In this episode we explore:

Leaving behind a career — and a whole identity — to follow something you can't quite name

The spiritual thread that runs quietly through an entire life

How writing one novel unlocked an entire new world of possibility

The paranormal experiences that changed how Calvin sees existence

What 700+ conversations about the human species has taught him about all of us

The gift of the antenna — and why Calvin believes we all have one

Connect with Calvin:

🎙️ We the Species Podcast — available on all major streaming platforms

📖 There's a Tortoise in My Hair — available at CalvinSchwartz.com

💼 LinkedIn: Calvin Schwartz

📘 Facebook: Cal Schwartz

Enjoyed this episode?

If something Calvin said today stayed with you, please take a moment to leave us a review on your streaming platform of choice — it helps more curious minds find their way to these conversations. And if you know someone who needs a reminder that it is never too late to begin again, share this episode with them. That small act might mean more than you know.

Until next time — peace be with you.