hope — Episodes — The Growing Edge

Episode 66: The Everyday Sacred - A Conversation With Poet James Crews

I hope you’ll join Parker and I for this heart expanding conversation with poet, James Crews. In this conversation we talk about slowing down and becoming more awake to daily wonder, drawing strength from the divine in the smallest details, We discuss the importance of joy and beauty, the inspiration found in the natural world, change and impermanence, and the process of grief and healing. We also talk about the welcoming and interactive nature of his books and anthologies.

For more about James and his luminous poetry, books, anthologies, retreats, courses and his “Poetry is Life” Substack offering visit www.jamescrews.netrews.net or Substack: James Crews - Poetry Is Life

To Purchase “The Sacred Everyday: Poems of Peace & Stillness” visit Bookshop.org

Here is a bit more about James and his works —James Crews is the editor of several bestselling anthologies, including The Path to Kindness: Poems of Connection and Joy and How to Love the World: Poems of Gratitude and Hope, which has over 100,000 copies in print. He has been featured in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New York Times Magazine, and on NPR’s Morning Edition. James is the author of four prize-winning books of poetry and essays—The Book of What Stays, Telling My Father, Bluebird, and Every Waking Moment—Kindness Will Save the World: Stories of Compassion and Connection.

His last collection “Turning Toward Grief”is a beautiful book about the process of loss, grief and healing. His newest book, “Everyday Sacred: Poems of Peace and Stillness” will be released October 27th. He has a beautiful Substack offering called “Poetry is Life” James also speaks and leads workshops on kindness, mindfulness, and writing for self-compassion. He lives with his husband on forty rocky acres in the woods of Southern Vermont.

Podcast Episode 61: Revisiting The Power of Story & Song With Songwriter, Activist John McCutcheon

On our August The Growing Edge Podcast we revisit their conversation with musician, master songwriter, storyteller, multi-instrumentalist, author, activist, seven-time grammy nominee, John McCutcheon. In this episode we explore the power of story, song and what it means to speak with compassion, clarity and a sense of humor in these challenging times You can hear John’s most recent album "A Field of Stars" on Spotify, Itunes or by checking out his website www.folkmusic.com
Parker and I loved this interview and we're so happy to revisit our conversation with John McCutcheon.

Episode 59: Practical Ways to Stay Engaged in Challenging Times—A Discussion of On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

Please join us for a conversation about historian Timothy Snyder’s book On Tyranny. Carrie and Parker discuss four of the twenty hallmarks of authoritarian governments addressed in Synder’s clear and informative work. The book is relatively short, but chock-full of insights, stories and practical advice when navigating the very real challenges of our times. We’ll look at the large overarching symptoms of an existential threat to our democracy, but also how to bring it home and to focus upon the power we each have in our daily and personal lives for defending and preserving our most deeply held values, community and national aspirations.

Episode 58: Cutting Loose—Sometimes from Sorrow, For No Reason, You Sing

Join Parker and Carrie for a conversation about William Stafford’s poem “Cutting Loose”. In this episode we explore the way that disillusionment or feeling lost can bring with it a powerful sense of reality, faithfulness and new direction. Parker and Carrie talk about their own experiences of feeling lost and listening to the sound of the genuine within them. In these challenging times, this is a poem that has much history and wisdom to share. We hope you’ll join the conversation by listening to the episode and commenting on our Substack page.

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Hope is holding a creative tension between what is and what could and should be, each day doing something to narrow the distance between the two. —Parker J. Palmer