Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness

We Need Creativity & Saxophone Solos with John Green

September 22, 2026·43 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Have you ever loved doing something and then forgot why you loved it in the first place? Same. This week, we’re talking with the incredibly thoughtful (and incredibly delightful) John Green about why we all need creativity in our lives and how to find our way back to the things that bring us joy.John is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who is returning to fiction for the first time in nine years with his new novel, Hollywood, Ending. Our conversation goes everywhere from why making art is part of being human to why it’s hard not to care about likes, views, and algorithms. We talk about the vulnerability of creating something, doing things simply because you love them, and how we both may want to live under a rock and salinger... yes, that is a verb now.And because this is Laugh Lines, we also discuss the books Penn and John wrote when they were eight, why Penn reenacted a college basketball game with dolls on TV, and we make the case for bringing back saxophone solos. (Careless Whisper, anyone?) Please let us know what your weird dreams are in the comments so we can get them interpreted... and tell us your thoughts on Penn's Sunny voice. We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.We love to hear from you. Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also listen to this show wherever you get podcasts.Pre-order Get It Done & Have FunGet the book, Hollywood, EndingLearn more about Good StoreVisit Our ShopJoin Our NewsletterFind us on SubstackFollow us on InstagramFollow us on TikTokFollow us on Facebook00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines6:51 Clay Aiken Is Here!8:31 North Carolina Roots21:20 Behind-the-Scenes of American Idol36:03 What The Gen Zers Are Saying - Sponsored by Yahoo! Scout40:20 Sexuality Obsession49:00 Being A Dad52:11 In The Studio1:00:38 Rewind or Fast ForwardLaugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines4:55 Today's Guest is John Green7:06 Return to Fiction11:54 Hollywood, Ending20:06 Partners In Health29:10 Our College Experiences32:55 Penn's Sports Reporting37:11 Why Is Music Whisper-y Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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