The Hummingbird Podcast

Catherine Graham and Jessica Outram
  • 4.8 (5)
  • ARTS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Two friends use poetry to chat about creativity, process, and the mysteries of life. Catherine Graham is an award-winning writer and creative writing teacher. Jessica Outram is an award-winning writer, poet laureate emeritus, and educator. Visit https://thehummingbirdpodcast.com/ New episode every two weeks!

  1. The Spark between Intuition and Sensory Information

    2024-06-09

    The Spark between Intuition and Sensory Information

    Noticing. Moving out of autopilot. Actively making decisions to notice. We chat about Anne Truitt’s book Daybook: The Journal of an Artist. Jessica reads a recent sensory inspired piece. Catherine shares the story behind her poem “Sleep Patterns for Seamus Heaney.” And we have fun with the word “colloquium.”  Join us for the last episode of Season Five!

    30 min
  2. Art & Writing

    2024-05-26

    Art & Writing

    We “sink in” to the role perception plays with art and writing. Catherine reads two excerpts from her novels (Quarry and The Most Cunning Heart) as examples. Jessica shares her poem “The Works,” a commissioned piece written when she was Poet Laureate of Cobourg. Plus we talk about portals, paying attention and writing through to see.

    32 min
  3. Art & Inspiration

    2024-04-28

    Art & Inspiration

    We talk about art as inspiration and connection. We share stories about visiting art galleries and our powerful one-on-one experiences with art. Catherine shares two poems that connect to two book covers “Troll Was No Monster” (Winterkill) and “Cancer in the Celery Forest” (The Celery Forest). Jessica shares her poem “Windblown Group of Seven,” inspired by a sketch by Tom Thompson of a landscape she knows and loves dearly.

    30 min
  4. Craft

    2024-04-14

    Craft

    We explore what this word means to us as creators, from the silly to the serious. Plus the role of intuition, practice and inner knowing. Jessica shares her poem “On Deciding on Learning to Write” and talks about her experience with writing workshops. Catherine shares two poems that bookend her writing journey: “Pupa” the title poem from her first book and “Part of the Song Where the Dead Come From” from her latest book, Put Flowers Around Us and Pretend We’re Dead: New and Selected Poems.

    37 min
  5. Ideas

    2024-03-31

    Ideas

    Beginning ideas, sustaining ideas, consuming ideas—how as creators do we relate to this word? Jessica shares her poem “The Crossing of Candle Eyes” and Catherine shares three short poems inspired by her mother: “The Red Element” “It’s Only Her Piano Face” and “ My Suburban Forest.”

    31 min
  6. Holding On & Letting Go

    2024-03-17

    Holding On & Letting Go

    While staying in to rest and heal what occupies our mind and imagination? What does it mean to “clean house”? How do we know what to hold on to and when to let go? We explore these things in dialogue and in poetry. Jessica shares two poems: “Leaving Home” and “Shine Firefly” and Catherine shares her poems “Freckle” and “Father’s Tattoo.”

    30 min
  7. Winter & Self Care

    2024-02-13

    Winter & Self Care

    Writing, resting, going inward, the importance of self-care. Letting go. Balance. Writing through dark times. Balancing our creative life with teaching. Valuing our own rhythm. Catherine reads an excerpt from her memoir Aether: An Out-of-Body Lyric and Jessica reads an excerpt from a book about Métis beadwork.

    30 min
  8. Winter, Dreams and Sleep

    2024-01-28

    Winter, Dreams and Sleep

    What might our dreams teach us? Catherine shares her poem from the Niagara Falls Poetry Project “The Water Draws.” Jessica shares her poem “When.” Plus sleep habits, reading habits and Raymond Carver’s poem “Late Fragment.”

    31 min
See All (84)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Two friends use poetry to chat about creativity, process, and the mysteries of life. Catherine Graham is an award-winning writer and creative writing teacher. Jessica Outram is an award-winning writer, poet laureate emeritus, and educator. Visit https://thehummingbirdpodcast.com/ New episode every two weeks!

Information

  • Creator
    Catherine Graham and Jessica Outram
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2024
  • Episodes
    84
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Catherine Graham and Jessica Outram
  • Show Website
    The Hummingbird Podcast