Maggie Smith, a New York Times bestselling author known for her impactful poem 'Good Bones,' joins Ryan to explore the challenges of parenting in an imperfect world. They discuss the delicate balance of shielding children from negativity while nurturing hope and resilience. Maggie emphasizes the importance of instilling strong values and creating a safe haven amidst chaos. The conversation highlights the courage it takes to raise earnest children, blending realism with optimism in today's complex landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Balancing Hope and Reality
The poem "Good Bones" expresses a balance of acknowledging the world's harshness while maintaining hope.
It illustrates how parenting involves selling the potential for a better future despite recognizing life's difficulties.
insights INSIGHT
Holding Dual Realities
Parenthood requires holding the tension between a flawed world and its beauty.
This dual awareness enables parents to shield children but remain honest about reality.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Parent With Hope
Parents must protect children from despair while acknowledging real problems.
Maintaining hope is essential; without it, parenting and creating are impossible.
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In 'Keep Moving,' Maggie Smith shares her personal journey through divorce, single parenthood, postpartum depression, anxiety, loss, and grief. The book is a compilation of daily affirmations and essays that she initially posted on social media to help herself and others move forward through difficult times. It emphasizes the importance of kindness, hope, and transformation, encouraging readers to lean into change rather than avoiding it. The book is praised for its profound insights, empathy, and honesty, making it a valuable resource for anyone struggling with grief, change, and uncertainty.
You Can Make This Place Beautiful
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Maggie Smith
Maggie Smith's "You Can Make This Place Beautiful" offers a poignant exploration of divorce and its aftermath. The book delves into the emotional complexities of separation, examining themes of grief, loss, and self-discovery. Smith's honest and vulnerable portrayal of her experiences resonates with readers who have faced similar challenges. The book explores the process of healing and rebuilding one's life after a significant loss. It offers a message of hope and resilience, reminding readers that even in the midst of pain, beauty and growth are possible.
Dear Writer
Maggie Smith
Dear Writer provides tools for artists of all experience levels by breaking down creativity into ten essential elements: attention, wonder, vision, play, surprise, vulnerability, restlessness, tenacity, connection, and hope. Each element is explored through inspiring essays and generative writing prompts, making it accessible to various genres and areas of life. The book is inspired by Maggie Smith's twenty years of teaching experience and her bestselling Substack newsletter, For Dear Life.
"The world is at least fifty percent terrible, and that’s a conservative estimate, though I keep this from my children," writes Maggie Smith in her viral poem Good Bones. Today, Maggie joins Ryan to talk about what it means to shield children from the world's harsh realities while still acknowledging its beauty and potential. They discuss how parents can balance hope with realism, the importance of instilling strong values, and the courage it takes to remain earnest and sincere in a cynical world.
In 2016, Maggie Smith’s poem Good Bones became a viral sensation. It was named the “Official Poem of 2016” by the Public Radio International. Maggie Smith is the New York Times bestselling author of You Could Make This Place Beautiful; My Thoughts Have Wings, a picture book illustrated by SCBWI Portfolio grand prize winner Leanne Hatch; the national bestsellers Goldenrod and Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change; as well as Good Bones, named one of the Best Five Poetry Books of 2017 by the Washington Post and winner of the 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in Poetry.
Maggie’s latest book, Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life just released! You can grab signed copies of Dear Writer at The Painted Porch in addition to her books You Could Make This Place Beautiful and Keep Moving
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