Topher Payne: The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries

One of the most divisive books in children’s literature is Shel Silverstein’s "The Giving Tree," the story of a dysfunctional relationship between a boy and a sentient apple tree who gives him everything she has, from her apples and leaves to her branches and trunk, until all that's left is a stump. Meant as a parable of unconditional love, writer Topher Payne thought our doomed pair needed a better ending to their sad story. He wrote "The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries," where the tree learns to say no and lives a long, happy life because of it. Today, playwright and Hallmark screenwriter Topher Payne joins us to revisit "The Giving Tree" and other classic children's books with questionable moral compasses, and to explore what happens when we give these stories the therapy they clearly need. What's the trouble with "Green Eggs and Ham" and "Where the Wild Things Are?" READ "Topher Fixed It" ★

You can listen to Topher Payne: The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Topher Payne: The Tree Who Set Healthy Boundaries is an episode from Feast of Fun : Gay Talk Show by Fausto Fernós.

This episode is 74:04 long.

This episode was published on Aug 25, 2025.

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