

Everything Comes Back to Love featuring Danez Smith
7 snips Jun 18, 2025
Danez Smith is a celebrated poet, writer, and activist known for addressing race, sexuality, and social justice. In a dynamic conversation, they explore the balance of grief and joy, emphasizing love within black queer experiences. Personal tales highlight the impact of family and art on emotional wellness. Smith reflects on poetry's power to confront societal challenges and share intimate moments. The discussion shifts to navigating hope amid pessimism and the importance of resilience in creating meaningful change.
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Personal Balance of Grief and Joy
- Danez Smith shares a personal story about caring for their grandmother amid health struggles.
- They balance grief with moments of joy, highlighting the complexity of their emotions.
Commodification of Black Pain
- Danez reflects on the tension of gaining fame while persistent racial injustices continue.
- Their poem critiques how Black pain can be commodified as art without real societal change.
Choosing Silence Then Return
- After George Floyd's murder, Danez stopped writing poetry for a period, feeling language was insufficient.
- They eventually returned to poetry to clarify its purpose and their mission.