In this episode, Claire chats to poet, writer, teacher, coach, yogi and activist Nadia Colburn about her collection I Say the Sky. At the end of this episode, Nadia offers a wonderful guided meditation and poetry writing prompt so have your writing materials with you.
In poems at once profound and accessible, Nadia Colburn finds splendor and astonishment in a natural world—and a human world—that is deeply troubled yet still majestically beautiful. Both elegy and celebration, I Say the Sky addresses some of the most challenging aspects of human existence, from childhood trauma to environmental devastation, and discovers, in unexpected and clear-sighted ways, wisdom, wonder, and peace.
Colburn's brilliant second book charts a journey to meet the self. From girlhood to parenthood, loss to discovery, in poems that sing, the book explores how meaning is made. Claiming the female voice from silence, the poems find their grounding in the body and achieve rootedness and hope.
I Say the Sky is a meditative and ultimately inspiring book that will be savored by seasoned readers as well as those new to poetry.
Nadia´s favourite well-known poets are Rilke, Rumi, Mary Oliver and Lucille Clifton. You can read Rumi´s The Guest House here.
In her writing and teaching, Nadia Colburn explores questions of the body, motherhood, trauma, healing, social and environmental justice, and the power of attention. Nadia is the author of the poetry books I Say the Sky and The High Shelf, and her poetry and prose have appeared in more than eighty publications, including The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, Spirituality & Health, Lion's Roar, and The Yale Review. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Columbia University, is a yoga teacher and serious student of Thich Nhat Hanh and is the founder of Align Your Story Writing School, which brings traditional literary and creative writing studies together with mindfulness, embodied practices, and social and environmental engagement. The school has a community of over 30,000 mindful writers, and Nadia is passionate about helping each person unlock the full power of their creative voice. Nadia lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children. Find her at nadiacolburn.com. For a free five day meditation and writing challenge, which is a beautiful way to go deeper with your own work, click here.
Here are some links to find out more about Nadia´s work and offerings -
The Poetry of Attention Online Class: https://nadiacolburn.com/poetry-of-attention-online-poetry-course/
Order I Say the Sky on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Say-Sky-Poems-Contemporary-Poetry/dp/081319864X
Order I Say the Sky from Kentucky Press: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9780813198637/i-say-the-sky/
7-Day I Say the Sky Companion Meditation and Writing Challenge (free with book order): https://nadiacolburn.com/7-day-new-year-practice/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadia.colburn/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alignyourstory/
Epsiode 31 - Nadia Colburn