logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
1h 10m

the healing power of literature and poet...

MATTHIAS BARKER
About this episode

This week I'm joined by my co-author of On Grief. The poet William Bortz and I talk about:

  • The difficulty of putting difficult life experiences into words and the healing power of poetry to help us reflect on what's most important to us.
  • William shares his story of becoming a poet, sharing how he conceptualizes putting complex emotion into words
  • How poetry and writing allows us to have more empathy and how both reading and creating poetry expands our understanding


Touching on substance abuse, trauma, grief, and loss, this conversation is all about grounding in love, art, and vulnerability. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

About my guest:

William Bortz (he/him) is an author and a poet from the Midwest. He volunteers for the curation team for Button Poetry and is a poetry reader for Longleaf Review. Bortz is the author of The Grief We’re Given (Central Avenue, 2021). You can find his poems online at Brave Voices, Okay Donkey, Turnpike Magazine, and others. William lives with his wife and their two cats.


>> William's website

>> Book - The Grief We're Given

>> Find our free e-book On Grief here


Get an ad-free podcast feed here



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Up next
Oct 2022
Q&A - when you’re tired of holding onto hope
This is a snippet from my Q&A with Dr. Frank Anderson for our workshop Healing Trauma. For more information, visit my website.This interview is brought to you by my friends over at Drink LMNT! I love this product as it’s a sugar-FREE electrolyte drink mix that tastes great and ha ... Show More
11m 58s
Oct 2022
Why Do I Get Panic Attacks?! | Conversation with Steve Hayes
In this latest episode, I'm joined once again by the incredible Dr. Steve Hayes to talk all about panic disorder. If you aren't familiar with Dr. Hayes, he is the co-founder of the ACT Therapy model, also known as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. In this conversation we ... Show More
52m 44s
Aug 2022
inner conflict and taking sides
In this episode, I am joined by one of my mentors, Jim McNeish. This is a much more personal conversation, as it much more closely resembles one of our mentorship sessions. We talk about my experience with quickly gaining a large platform and navigating the complexities that come ... Show More
1h 13m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
Life Through Poetry with IN-Q
IN-Q is an award-winning poet, best-selling author, and multi-platinum songwriter. His groundbreaking achievements include being named to Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of the world’s most influential thought leaders, being the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque Du Solei ... Show More
47m 22s
Mar 2018
The Power of Poetry, with William Sieghart, Jeanette Winterson and Helena Bonham Carter
Poetry is the perfect medication against some of life’s challenges, so William Sieghart has found. In this accessible and warming exchange, from tea towel poems to T.S. Eliot, Sieghart brings to life a few of the experiences that inspired his book ‘The poetry pharmacy: Tried-and- ... Show More
1h 26m
Jun 2018
Elisa New on Poetry in America and Beyond
Elisa New believes anyone can have fun reading a poem. And that if you really want to have a blast, you shouldn't limit poetry to silent, solitary reading  - why not sing, recite, or perform it as has been the case for most of its history? The Harvard English professor and host o ... Show More
54m 10s
Jul 2020
Ellen Bass on the Power of Poetry
Ellen Bass is a poet, non-fiction author, and teacher. She is the author of many collections and books including Like a Beggar, The Human Line, and Mules of Love. Ellen’s poems also appear frequently in The New Yorker, American Poetry Review, and many other journals. She’s been a ... Show More
44m 22s
May 2024
New From Poetry Unbound: A Series on Conflict and the Human Condition
A taste of a special mini-season of Poetry Unbound — bringing contemplative curiosity and the life-nurturing tether of poetry to the very present matter of conflict in our world. In this first offering, Pádraig introduces the intriguing idea of poems as teachers and ponders Wisła ... Show More
11m 9s
Jun 2021
Jacqueline Suskin on Poetry in Everyday Life
Jacqueline Suskin is a poet, educator, and author of many books and collections. She is best known for her project Poem Store, where she composes improvisational poetry for patrons who choose a topic in exchange for a unique verse. Poem Store has been her main occupation since 20 ... Show More
49m 53s
Dec 2019
Welcome to Poetry Unbound
Poetry Unbound features an immersive exploration of a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Proudly produced by On Being Studios. Anchor your week with new episodes on Monday and Friday, beginning January 27. This season featur ... Show More
1m 21s
Jan 2019
Roger Housden on Poetry for Difficult Times
Roger Housden is a second time guest on the show – you might remember him from episode 152. He founded The Open Gate which is a conference and workshop center in England that introduced the work of Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh and many others into Europe. You also might have seen ... Show More
41m 51s
Jul 2019
Adi Assis's Poetry of Social Critique and Personal Pain
The poetry of Adi Assis injects us with the distress that consumes his days and nights. His laments madden us as we find ourselves rare witness to circumstances usually hidden from view, and even more profoundly, to the hidden reaches of the poet's heart. Podcast on Anat Levin’s ... Show More
8m 5s
Nov 2022
Dan Vera — Norse Saga
When you move to a new place, everything seems different. Hell’s not hot anymore; it’s freezing. A poem of strangeness and wonder. Dan Vera is a writer, editor, watercolorist, and literary historian. Vera is the author of two books of poetry: Speaking Wiri Wiri (Red Hen Press 201 ... Show More
12m 30s