Interview: Malcolm Guite on Pipe Smoking and Stillness

A huge treat: Malcolm Guite joins the podcast!

In our fast-paced, ever-connected world, we've largely forgotten the art of being still. But what if stillness isn't simply the absence of activity—what if it's actually a practice that requires intention, ritual, and presence?

Join Brian Brown and Matthew Clark as they sit down with renowned poet and theologian Malcolm Guite for a contemplative conversation about pipe smoking as a case study in the spiritual discipline of stillness. Opening with Malcolm's own poem "Smoke Rings from My Pipe," this episode explores how a simple ritual can become a pathway to what T.S. Eliot called "the still point of the turning world."

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why stillness is both desperately needed and increasingly difficult in our age

• How memory and presence intersect in moments of contemplation

• How physical objects and rituals can anchor us in the present moment

Far from escapism, this conversation reveals how true stillness prepares us for better action in the world—and how sometimes the most profound spiritual practice is simply learning to "enter the standing Sabbath of the trees."

Whether you're a pipe smoker or simply someone longing for deeper rest in our restless age, this episode offers both theological insight and practical wisdom for cultivating the lost art of being fully present.

"Make a place to sit down. Sit down. Be quiet." —Wendell Berry