When Trebbe Johnson interviewed David Powless on the Oneida Reservation in 1987, he spoke of his realization that the steel waste he had received a grant to recycle was “not an enemy to be conquered, but an orphan that had gotten separated from the circle of life.” Those words launched a years-long search for Trebbe for a way to change waste into beauty and value in a new way. That way, of course, became Radical Joy for Hard Times. David Powless is a wise, funny, and delightful speaker. In this interview with Trebbe he talks about transforming waste in several ways, tells an inspiring story about the coronavirus, and describes his current work with Native American children.