Living Poetry

What a gift. This podcast brings poetry to its listeners in accessible, resonant conversations centered on the question of how to be human. Susan and her guests bring a sense of belonging, not just to poetry but to ourselves—a place to be and feel seen in our own experiences of confusion, hope, love, despair, joy and redemption. While the premise is poetry, the theme is people - Susan’s hospitality shines a light on the beauty and complexity her guests and the importance of understanding within communities. Personally, this podcast has given life and shimmer to moments of mundanity - a chance to feel part of something bigger while washing the dishes. Susan invites the listener to feel the poetry of everyday life, in messes transformed into beauty with attention and care.

I’ve listened since you launched—partly because you’re a longtime friend and partly because these conversations are so often rich, meandering into new and beautiful territory. This episode with Pádraig Ó Tuama was one of those wonderful meanderings—from the inclusion of R. S. Thomas’s poem to Pádraig’s own. I was especially struck by the idea that each of our journeys with God grows and evolves in its own way—into new questions and quests that remain connected to where we began, yet are so different from those early steps. What most snagged my soul, though, was Pádraig’s wondering: “….often you see people who, after they retire, are able to say what they always thought….. There are so many questions where, of course, we wonder, what would it take for you to have been able to say some of that while you were still in positions of power and leadership?” Maybe it’s because I’ve seen this play out again and again—or maybe because these are the very questions I need to be asking myself.

Consistently interesting and moving

Love the premise of this podcast, and the execution is beautiful. Highly recommend. We all need poetry and the creative arts in our lives. It may just save us.