The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis Podcast

Laura Davis
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Weekly

A safe, creative sanctuary where people connect deeply with themselves, their stories, and each other, writing in sacred community. laurasaridavis.substack.com

  1. 1d ago

    The Work I Am Not at Liberty to Quit

    Episode Title The Work I Am Not at Liberty to Quit: A Writing Prompt That Gets to the Heart of What Matters Episode Description In this episode, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis shares one of her most powerful and enduring writing prompts—a favorite she's returned to again and again in more than twenty years of teaching. Drawing on a beloved essay-turned-poem as inspiration, Laura invites listeners into a prompt designed to strip away the noise and get straight to the core of what a person is here to do. She reads her own raw, deeply personal response, offering a rare glimpse into her own creative and emotional life. What Laura Covers in This Episode The essay Laura uses as a launching pad for one of her most resonant writing prompts Why this particular prompt cuts through surface-level answers to reach something truer Laura's own unfiltered response to the prompt, touching on family legacy, marriage, creativity, and presence How repetition and rhythm can become a writing tool for emotional excavation The difference between what we do and what we are not at liberty to quit Why Laura believes this prompt works for writers at any stage, on any subject Episode Highlights Laura introduces the essay-turned-poem that inspired this week's prompt and explains why it resonates so deeply with writers She reveals the exact prompt she gives her students: "The work I am not at liberty to quit" Laura reads her own response, beginning with a raw, repeated line about opening her heart She reflects on inherited anxiety, ancestral legacy, and the pull toward stillness Laura explores what she's learned about love and marriage from a place of hard-won self-awareness She names the habit she considers the "antithesis" of her real work—and why she keeps circling back to it Laura shares a story about a friend's parenting philosophy that changed how she thinks about saying yes The episode closes with an invitation for listeners to try the prompt themselves About Host Laura Davis Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers uncover and tell their most essential stories. She has written seven books, including her BookLife Prize-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars, and co-authored the groundbreaking The Courage to Heal. Laura teaches online writing classes, workshops, and international retreats through The Writer's Journey, including her Creative Camino pilgrimage program through Spain. She writes and podcasts weekly at The Writer's Journey, sharing prompts, craft techniques, and reflections on the writing life. Resources Laura Mentions "An Address to My Fellow Faculty Who Have Asked Me to Speak About My Work" by A. Papatya Bucak, published in Brevity: A Journal of Concise Literary Nonfiction Laura's memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars The Writer's Journey Roadmap — Laura's weekly writing prompts The Writer's Journey Substack and podcast Key Takeaways from This Episode A single, well-chosen writing prompt can bypass the surface and lead straight to essential truth Repetition of a phrase or line can be used deliberately to build emotional momentum on the page Naming what you're "not at liberty to quit" can clarify priorities far more effectively than a goals list Writers can use another writer's work as a springboard without losing their own voice The habits that feel most productive—like multitasking—can sometimes be the biggest obstacle to real creative and emotional work Episode Call-to-Action Listeners are invited to try the prompt for themselves: "The work I am not at liberty to quit." Laura encourages writers to let the phrase repeat, follow it wherever it leads, and share their reflections or an excerpt of their writing in the comments on Substack. Connect with Laura Davis Subscribe to The Writer's Journey on Substack: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's classes, books, workshops, and international retreats: https://lauradavis.net/ The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    11 min

  2. 4d ago

    Pause for Peace: Pray for Peace

    Episode Title: Pause for Peace: Pray for Peace — featuring a poem by Ellen Bass Episode Description: In this Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares a poem by her longtime friend and co-author Ellen Bass — a poet whose work, Laura says simply, sings. "Pray for Peace" is a poem that refuses to keep the sacred confined to temples and kneeling benches. Paired with peaceful imagery, this episode offers a midweek reminder that prayer, in its broadest and most human sense, is hiding in plain sight — in every ordinary act of an ordinary day. What Laura Covers in This Episode: Why Laura chose this particular poem by her longtime collaborator and friend Ellen Bass, and what makes Bass's voice so distinctive How "Pray for Peace" expands the very definition of prayer — and why that expansion matters right now The way Bass weaves the mundane and the sacred together until the line between them disappears An introduction to Ellen Bass — Guggenheim Fellow, Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets, and one of the most celebrated poets writing today About Host Laura Davis: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal." Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation. Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world. Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content. About Ellen Bass: Ellen Bass is a poet and teacher who earned her MA in creative writing from Boston University, where she studied with Anne Sexton. Her poetry collections include Mules of Love, The Human Line, Like a Beggar, and Indigo (2020), and her poems appear regularly in The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, and many other journals. She co-edited the first major anthology of women's poetry, No More Masks!, and her nonfiction books include the groundbreaking The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse and Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Youth. A Chancellor Emerita of the Academy of American Poets, Bass founded poetry workshops at Salinas Valley State Prison and the Santa Cruz, California jails, and teaches in the MFA writing program at Pacific University. Her honors include fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Lambda Literary Award, the Pablo Neruda Prize, and four Pushcart Prizes. Visit her at: https://www.ellenbass.com/ CONNECT WITH LAURA DAVIS Join Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm. The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    6 min

  3. Jun 27

    Our Time Will Come

    Episode Title: Our Time Will Come: Keep Fighting with Joy Episode Description: Some words stop you in your tracks. In this episode, Laura Davis shares a passage from J. Drew Lanham — MacArthur Fellow, wildlife biologist, and poet — that has strengthened her again and again. It names the fire, the fuel, and the only rain that matters. What Laura Covers in This Episode: A passage from J. Drew Lanham that Laura returns to when she needs steadying Why joy is not escape — it's the backing fire A brief introduction to Lanham and his MacArthur Fellowship-winning work Key Takeaways: Despair is the fuel. Joy is the rain. Write, sing, paint, shout for it. Fireproof your heart — and keep the ember glowing. Our time will come. Fight joyfully until it does. About J. Drew Lanham: Joseph Drew Lanham is an American author, poet, and wildlife biologist awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022. Learn more about his work here. Connect with Laura Davis: Substack: laurasaridavis.substack.com Website & Retreats: lauradavis.net The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    3 min

  4. Jun 24

    Pause for Peace: testify

    Episode Title: Pause for Peace: testify — featuring a poem by Eve L. Ewing Episode Description: In this Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis brings a poem that made her want to walk through her day celebrating beauty — and hopes it does the same for listeners. Eve L. Ewing's "testify" is a poem rooted in the Black church tradition of bearing witness: to grace, to survival, to the unexpected gifts hiding inside an ordinary afternoon. Paired with peaceful imagery, this episode is a midweek invitation to notice what is still golden, even now. What Laura Covers in This Episode: Why this poem stopped Laura in her tracks and sent her back into her day with fresh eyes The tradition of testifying — bearing witness to blessing, protection, and survival — and how Ewing brings it alive on the page How a single walk home becomes a portal to something larger, and what that means for how we move through the world An introduction to Eve L. Ewing, award-winning poet, scholar, and cultural organizer whose work spans poetry, nonfiction, theater, and Marvel Comics About Host Laura Davis: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal." Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation. Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world. Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content. About Eve L. Ewing: Eve Louise Ewing is a writer, scholar, and cultural organizer from Chicago, and an associate professor in the Department of Race, Diaspora, and Indigeneity at the University of Chicago. She is the award-winning author of five books, including the poetry collections Electric Arches (2017) and 1919 (2019) — which was adapted into a hit play by Steppenwolf Theatre — the nonfiction work Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago's South Side, and her most recent book, Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism, an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller. She is also co-author of the play No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks and has written several Marvel Comics series, including Ironheart and Black Panther. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and many other venues. "testify" was originally published in Poem-a-Day on January 28, 2022, by the Academy of American Poets at poets.org. CONNECT WITH LAURA DAVIS Join Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm. The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min

  5. Jun 20

    They Made Me Part of History

    PODCAST SHOW NOTES Episode Title: They Made Me Part of History: A Final Deleted Scene from the Cutting Room Floor Episode Description: Some stories are too good to lose—even when they have to go. In this special episode, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis shares the final deleted scene from her award-winning memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars. It's a piece she fought to keep, shaped with care, and ultimately had to release. What remains is a story that illuminates not just a family, but an era—and the quiet, ordinary moments that place us inside the extraordinary. What Laura Covers in This Episode: The painful editorial decisions behind cutting 30,000 words from a completed memoir draft Why even a perfectly written scene must go if it doesn't serve the core throughline The relationship between ruthless cutting and creating a "page-turner with real momentum" A vivid personal narrative set against two watershed moments in American history How childhood memory, sensory detail, and family values intersect in memoir The role of parents in shaping a child's moral imagination and sense of witness Episode Highlights: The Story Behind the Story — Laura sets the scene for this deleted piece, explaining why she wrote it, what it was meant to do, and why, in the end, it had to go. A Classroom Moment That Stops Time — Something happens in an ordinary second-grade classroom that no child expects—and the world is suddenly, irreversibly different. A Mother on the Couch — Laura describes coming home to find her mother doing something she never did, and what they watched together that afternoon that neither of them would ever forget. A Family Decision Made Over Dinner — Around a table with a favorite childhood meal, Laura's parents make an announcement that will take the whole family somewhere none of them have ever been. A Sea of People — Three months before the classroom scene, Laura's family was already somewhere remarkable—part of something hundreds of thousands of people had traveled to join. Feet in the Water, a Voice in the Air — An eight-year-old girl, tired and hot at the end of a long summer day, hears words that will echo for the rest of her life. The Craft Lesson Underneath — Laura reflects on what this scene taught her about memoir structure, throughline, and the courage required to cut what you love most. An Invitation to the Memoir It Came From — Laura shares reader praise for The Burning Light of Two Stars and invites listeners into the larger story this scene was written to serve. About Host Laura Davis: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers find and tell their most important stories. She is the author of seven books, including her award-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars (BookLife Prize Winner, 2021) and the groundbreaking co-authored work The Courage to Heal. Laura leads weekly writing classes on Zoom, hosts writing retreats including Flourishing as We Age and the Creative Camino pilgrimage. She reaches writers around the world through The Writer's Journey podcast and her Midweek Pause for Peace series. Her teaching is known for being both rigorous and deeply humane—challenging writers to go further than they thought possible while honoring the courage it takes to tell the truth. Key Takeaways from This Episode: Your throughline is everything. Every scene in a memoir—no matter how beautifully written—must serve the central spine of the story. If it doesn't, it has to go, regardless of how much you love it. Cutting is a creative act. Removing 30,000 words from a finished draft isn't failure—it's the work. Momentum is built not just by what you include, but by what you're willing to release. Sensory specificity is the engine of memory. The details that seem too small to matter—the wool skirt, the crystal doorknob, the taste of an Oreo—are often what make a scene unforgettable. Childhood scenes can carry enormous moral weight. The values a child absorbs, and the moments a family chooses to witness together, become part of that child's lifelong understanding of what matters. Even deleted work has value. A scene cut from a memoir isn't wasted—it deepens the writer's understanding of the story, and it may find its audience in an entirely different form. Episode Call-to-Action: For Writers: Take a close look at your own manuscript. Is there a scene you love—one you've been holding onto—that may not be serving your throughline? Laura's experience cutting this piece is an invitation to ask the hard question: What does my story actually need? For Readers: If this deleted scene moved you, imagine what didn't get cut. Pick up a copy of The Burning Light of Two Stars and discover the memoir this scene was written to support. If you haven't yet read The Burning Light of Two Stars — the memoir these deleted scenes were written for — now is the time. Readers describe it as impossible to put down, a book that sends them straight into thinking about their own mothers, their own estrangements, their own unfinished reckonings. You can purchase the print edition and audiobook here: 👉 lauradavis.net/the-burning-light-of-two-stars Subscribe: Don't miss future deleted scenes, craft essays, and writing insights. Subscribe to Laura's Substack at laurasaridavis.substack.com to receive every new post directly in your inbox. Deleted Scenes in This Series: The Summer I Dropped Acid with My Father: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/5d90f2b6-2d68-4d9f-a120-cad131f6e3f2 I Could Still Let Her Comfort Me Then: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/d72ed72f-70c3-4489-8def-1cf5ad6d5a86 They Made Me Part of History: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/p/de5c307d-9165-43e9-a7d2-50b7cf957362 Connect with Laura Davis: 🌐 Website: lauradavis.net ✉️ Substack: laurasaridavis.substack.com 🎙️ Podcast: The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis 📚 Writing Classes & Retreats: Available online and internationally — visit her website to learn more The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    16 min

  6. Jun 17

    Pause for Peace: The Moment

    Episode Title: Pause for Peace: "The Moment" by Margaret Atwood Episode Description: In this Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis offers a poem that stops you cold — and then cracks something open. Margaret Atwood's "The Moment" holds up a mirror to one of humanity's oldest assumptions, and asks us to look again. Paired with peaceful imagery, this episode is a quiet invitation to reconsider what we think we own — and what has always owned us. What Laura Covers in This Episode: Why Laura chose this particular Atwood poem and what it illuminates about the human relationship with the natural world The tension at the heart of "The Moment" — between the desire for ownership and the world's quiet, firm refusal How poetry can shift perspective and loosen the grip of assumptions we didn't know we were holding An invitation to sit with Atwood's closing whisper and let it settle into the nervous system About Host Laura Davis: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal." Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation. Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world. Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content. About Margaret Atwood: Margaret Atwood was born in Ottawa in 1939 and is one of Canada's finest living writers — a poet, novelist, essayist, and environmental activist whose work has been published in more than forty-five countries. Her fifty-plus books include The Handmaid's Tale, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin (2000 Booker Prize), and The Testaments (2019 Booker Prize co-winner). Her most recent book, Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, was published in November 2025. Visit her at: https://margaretatwood.ca/ CONNECT WITH LAURA DAVIS Join Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm. The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    2 min

  7. Jun 13

    What Every Author Craves

    EPISODE TITLE: What Every Author Craves — And How AI Is Exploiting It EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Every author has a secret hunger. And somewhere, an algorithm has learned exactly how to feed it. In this solo episode, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis pulls back the curtain on a sophisticated new scam flooding writers' inboxes — one that bypasses the usual red flags by doing something far more insidious: telling you exactly what you've always longed to hear. Laura shares the full paper trail of a real exchange that nearly fooled her, unpacks why even experienced authors are vulnerable, and offers tools and resources to help writers protect themselves without closing their hearts entirely. WHAT LAURA COVERS IN THIS EPISODE: Why authors are uniquely vulnerable to AI-generated flattery — and what that reveals about the writing life The anatomy of a sophisticated AI praise scam: what makes these emails so disarmingly convincing How Laura's own hunger for recognition — shaped by decades of publishing history — set her up to be fooled The complete email exchange that almost got her, including her own annotated commentary in real time How the scam pivoted when she pushed back — and what that second response revealed Red flags to watch for when glowing outreach lands in your inbox Resources from fellow writers and publishing insiders who are tracking this phenomenon How to fight back — and why Laura thinks you should EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS: The Inbox Flood — Laura describes the wave of AI-generated praise letters that have become a regular feature of her writing life, and what distinguishes them from genuine reader mail. A Career-Long Vulnerability — To understand why this scam works, Laura goes back decades — to a million-copy bestseller, bags of fan mail, and the particular hunger that kind of early success can create. The Email That Snagged Her — Arriving while Laura was in Egypt for her daughter's wedding, one message stood apart from the rest. She flagged it to answer personally. That decision set everything in motion. Reading It Live — Laura shares the full email — purportedly from a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist — along with her own annotated reactions as she read it for the first time. The commentary is both hilarious and uncomfortably honest. Laura Writes Back — After returning home from more than a day of travel, one of the first things Laura did was compose a careful, open reply. She's not entirely proud of that fact. She shares it anyway. The Second Letter — The response that arrived a day and a half later is what finally confirmed everything. Laura describes the feeling of reading it — and why "slimed" is exactly the right word. Why This Scam Works on Writers — Laura steps back from the personal story to name the deeper dynamic: what it means to create work that yearns to be seen, and how that yearning becomes a target. Resources and a Call to Fight Back — Laura points listeners toward three fellow writers who are tracking and responding to this phenomenon — including one who had a very satisfying time fighting back. ABOUT HOST LAURA DAVIS: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers find, shape, and share their most important stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars (BookLife Prize Winner, 2021) and The Courage to Heal, co-authored with Ellen Bass, which has sold over one million copies and transformed the lives of survivors worldwide. Laura teaches writing in all forms — memoir, personal essay, poetry, and more — through weekly online classes, immersive retreats, and international writing and pilgrimage programs. She is the host of The Writer's Journey podcast and Substack, where she shares craft, reflection, and the deep work of the writing life. RESOURCES LAURA MENTIONS: The Burning Light of Two Stars by Laura Davis (BookLife Prize Winner for Best Memoir, 2021) https://lauradavis.net/the-burning-light-of-two-stars/ The Courage to Heal by Laura Davis and Ellen Bass https://bookshopsantacruz.com/book/9780061284335 "Why Authors Are Perfect Victims" by Brooke Warner, founder of She Writes Press: https://open.substack.com/pub/brookewarner/p/why-authors-are-perfect-victims "War and Peace and Book Promotion" by Dan Schorr: https://danschorr.substack.com/p/war-and-peace-and-book-promotion The Impersonation Trap by Victoria Strauss on Writer Beware: https://writerbeware.blog/2024/03/15/the-impersonation-list/ KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: AI scammers have learned to exploit the specific emotional vulnerabilities of authors — including the longing to be seen, understood, and widely read. Awareness of that vulnerability is your first line of defense. The most sophisticated AI praise emails skip the sales pitch entirely. If a message offers only admiration and thoughtful questions with no obvious ask, that's not proof it's real — it may be proof it's very well-designed. When something in your inbox feels almost too perfectly attuned to your deepest hopes, pause before responding. That feeling of being completely understood by a stranger is worth examining carefully. Pushing back and asking direct questions — "Are you actually you?" — is not rude. It is a reasonable response to the times we are living in, and any genuine person will understand. You don't have to go numb to protect yourself. The goal is discernment, not cynicism — learning to recognize manipulation without losing the openness that makes you a writer in the first place. EPISODE CALL-TO-ACTION: If AI flattery has found its way into your inbox, you are not alone — and you are not foolish for being tempted. Laura encourages every writer to read Brooke Warner's post on why authors are perfect targets, follow Dan Schorr's lead and consider fighting back, and share this episode with a fellow writer who needs to hear it. And if you've been waiting for a sign to finally say yes to yourself: one room has just opened at Flourishing as We Age, Laura's upcoming week-long writing retreat on the California coast this June. Visit lauradavis.net to learn more. CONNECT WITH LAURA DAVIS: Substack & Podcast: laurasaridavis.substack.com Website: lauradavis.net Writing Classes, Retreats & International Programs: lauradavis.net The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/   This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    24 min

  8. Jun 10

    Pause for Peace: Listening for the Singing

    Episode Title: Pause for Peace: Listening for the Singing — featuring a poem by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Episode Description: In this Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares a poem from one of her favorite daily voices — Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, whose poems arrive in Laura's inbox each morning like a warm and welcoming gift. "Listening for the Singing" holds the full weight of these times without flinching, and finds inside that weight something unexpected: the sound of others, singing in the dark, calling out so no one has to feel alone. Paired with peaceful imagery, this episode is a reminder that peace and difficulty have always coexisted — and that the singing is how we find each other. What Laura Covers in This Episode: Why Laura subscribes to Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer's daily poems and why she recommends listeners do the same How Trommer holds injustice and peace in the same breath — without pretending either one away The surprising image at the heart of this poem and what it reveals about why we create, sing, and reach toward one another in difficult times An introduction to Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, former Poet Laureate of Colorado's Western Slope and dedicated champion of creative practice About Host Laura Davis: Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal." Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation. Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world. Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content. About Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer: Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is an American poet dedicated to helping others explore creative practice, associated with Colorado. She served as Poet Laureate of San Miguel County, Colorado from 2006 to 2010, and was named Poet Laureate of Colorado's Western Slope by the Telluride Institute from 2015 to 2017. Laura warmly recommends subscribing to Rosemerry's daily poems — a small, sustaining gift arriving in your inbox every morning. You can subscribe to Rosemerry's daily poems here: https://www.wordwoman.com/a-daily-dose-of-poetry/ CONNECT WITH LAURA DAVIS Join Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm. The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more. Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

    3 min
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