A good ensemble can cure the loneliness blues. For Monster Baby episode #95, come join Ted and Lisa for Part 1 of their conversation with improvisor and author Dan O’Connor, celebrating the release of his new book, Ensemble! Using the Power of Improvisation and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World. Dan starts with a nod to his co-author, Dr. Jeffrey Katzmann (“one of the nicest human beings on the planet”) (1:37) and then shares the basic lowdown on Ensemble! (4:48). Ted wonders about how hermits fit in to the notion of humans-in-groups, which leads to a distinction between loneliness and solitude (11:53). The conversation leads to the value of listening without needing to find similarities with the speaker (15:03) and Dan articulates the ways in which “ensemble” can become a verb and a practice (16:21). Lisa wonders how writing the book impacted Dan’s life (22:45) and Ted asks about using ensembling as a way to build bridges across divides of difference (27:36). Dan describes how connecting to groups can improve human longevity (32:46) and differentiates between “apart from” and “a part of,” noting the ways in which we need to be strong in ourselves before joining with others (36:23). Part One of the conversation ends with a note about building an ensemble with the many different parts of ourselves (38:51). Make sure to continue on to Episode #96 for the remainder of our conversation with Dan! If you’d like to get a copy of Ensemble!—and we bet you would—visit www.northatlanticbooks.com and enter “monsterbaby35” to get a 35% discount (!!!) on your order, good til September 30, 2021. Thanks, Dan, and thanks, North Atlantic! We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at [email protected]. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.     And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.