Nurturing a Capacious Heart: Why Everyone Should Read Kate DiCamillo

A lecture given at L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough, Massachusetts. For more information, visit https://southboroughlabri.org/

by Joshua Chestnut

In her 2013 book Flora and Ulysses, beloved children's author Kate DiCamillo uses a remarkable phrase to describe a certain George Buckman, calling him a man who was "very capacious of heart." This means that George's heart has become large and so is "capable of containing much joy and much sorrow." Perhaps in our moment of endless digital distraction, angry partisan politics, and perpetual anxiety, we could all use a bit of help nurturing our own hearts in becoming more capacious. This lecture will consider the life and writing of Kate DiCamillo with the hope that her writing can help us all, old and young alike, grow in our capacity to be honest about the joys and sorrows of our lives.

*If you've never read any of her many books, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane or The Tale of Despereaux are great places to start!

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