logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
6m 7s

1170: The Way by Cynthia Cruz

American Public Media
About this episode

Today’s poem is The Way by Cynthia Cruz.


The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “This past spring like every spring many of my students graduated into the uncertainty of their futures. Their lives can take so many directions. I am curious as to what ultimately launches us as human beings with a purpose, or not. If ever we meet as new friends, I will likely ask what you do for a living. In some scenarios, my inquisitiveness can sound like prying. But what I am really asking is what makes you happy — to really live.”


Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

Up next
Oct 2023
987: Totalitarian
Today’s poem is Totalitarian by Tyler Mills. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem makes the case that there are occasions in which I cannot let apathy rule, that the assaults on human dignity are so large, I must speak through my ... Show More
6m 19s
Oct 2023
986: EGGSHELLS
Today’s poem is EGGSHELLS by Michael Kleber-Diggs. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, guest host Shira Erlichman writes… “This poem makes me consider the great tension between one’s vision and one’s reality. I feel profundity in that the assertion of I wil ... Show More
7m 12s
Oct 2023
982: Rain
Today’s poem is Rain by Adrian Keith Smith. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, guest host Shira Erlichman writes… “Today’s short poem is by an extraordinary young monk, four year old Adrian Keith Smith. He may not be ordained, but he is a tremendously wise ... Show More
5m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
439. You Get to Not Get What You Want
Jolie Stele has made a lot of plans for how her life should go. Very few of them panned out exactly how she expected, but she’s still happy with where she ended up. Jolie Steele is a coach and a writer. Check out more essays like this on her Substack, and follow her on Instagram. ... Show More
7m 9s
Feb 2025
Carmen Giménez — Ars Poetica
Carmen Giménez’s poem “Ars Poetica” is a stunning waterfall of words, a torrent of dozens of short statements that begin with “I” or “I’m.” As you listen to them, let an answering cascade of questions fill up your mind. What does this series of confessions reveal to you about poe ... Show More
15m 16s
Apr 2025
Sunday Pick: How poetry builds teenagers' confidence (w/ Youth Poet Laureate Naisha Randhar) | How to Be a Better Human
<p>In honor of National Poetry Month, Chris is speaking with Naisha Randhar. Naisha is the Youth Poet Laureate of Dallas, the author of Roses of Arma, and the youngest guest Chris has ever interviewed — she’s a high school sophomore. Chris and Naisha talk about the inspiring work ... Show More
41m 12s
Feb 2024
201. What Do I Do
When your loved one is going through a hard time (illness, divorce, grief) we often find ourselves asking “what can I do for them?” Nora has a pep talk for those of you adjacent to suffering, and how you can help the people you love.   “It’s Going To Be OK” is a daily podcast ... Show More
6m 26s
Jan 2025
Do You Need Talent to Succeed in Tango?
<p>In this episode, I reflect on the idea of talent—what it really means, how it shapes our journey as dancers, and whether it’s as important as we think. Inspired by a listener’s message, I share my own struggles with feeling “untalented” in the arts and how that mindset carried ... Show More
34m 11s
Dec 2024
417. Mama Essie
Nora reads a remembrance about someone’s former foster mom.  Read more about Mama Essie.  _ If you have anxiety, depression or any sense of the world around you, you know that not *everything* is going to be okay. In fact, many things aren’t okay and never will be! But instead of ... Show More
5m 40s
Jan 2025
Creative Rest Practice with The UnVeiler Community
<p><strong>Appreciative Rest is </strong>Taking in and Appreciating the beauty around you. <em>(Phase III of The UnVeiling Method - 7 Forms of Rest Other Than Sleep)</em></p><p><br /></p><p>Creative rest practice is the active form of appreciative rest where you are creating by p ... Show More
10m 23s
Oct 2024
EP. 104 – Best Piece of Advice From My 60 Year-Old Mama
On this week&apos;s episode, I have the honor of sitting down with my incredible mom, who just marked her 60th birthday! In this heartfelt convo, she opens up about the advice she’d share with her 18-year-old self, the moments she’s most proud of, and the lessons she’s learned th ... Show More
19m 29s
Jun 2020
Maya Angelou's "I Still Rise"
Today's poem is<em> </em>Maya Angelou's "I Still Rise."<br/><hr><p style="color:grey; font-size:0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a style="color:grey;" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://acast.com/privacy">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> <br/><b ... Show More
7m 45s