Poet Maggie Smith, known for her viral poem 'Good Bones,' discusses strategies for handling complex emotions and accepting ambiguity in life and art with Adam. They explore the value of asking unanswerable questions and sustaining hope while acknowledging reality.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Maggie Smith's poem 'Good Bones' acknowledges the world's harshness while remaining hopeful.
Smith highlights the benefits of embracing emotional ambivalence and uncertainty in writing and life.
Deep dives
The Power of Poetic Optimism
Poet Maggie Smith discusses the impact of her poem 'Good Bones,' which went viral and resonated with readers. The poem acknowledges the world's harshness while remaining hopeful. Smith shares that she wants her children to see the beauty in the world, even though she keeps the darker aspects from them. She also reflects on how writing allows her to express hard truths more easily than speaking does. The interview delves into the challenges of embracing emotional ambivalence and navigating ambiguity in life.
The Art of the Cento
Smith explains the Cento, a poetic form that uses lines from other poets' works. She describes how she applied the Cento technique in her memoir to bring together different parts of her story and create new connections. The chapter created through the Cento showcases the power of reframing and collaging words to evoke emotions and spark readers' reflections. The interview suggests that people could experiment with this technique using personal journal entries to gain new insights and stitch together a quilt of personal growth.
Writing as a Path to Discovery
Smith reveals that writing, for her, is a process of discovering rather than knowing. She highlights how the act of writing allows her to access emotions and experiences differently than speaking does, creating distance and temperature-based separation. Smith and Grant discuss the benefits of embracing emotional ambivalence and uncertainty, finding value in the gray areas of life. They explore the beauty of questions and the joy of exploring the unknown through writing, ultimately valuing the writing process more than the act of completion.
Embracing Ambiguity in Life
The interview delves into the theme of emotional ambivalence present in Smith's work. They explore the tension between wanting to eliminate ambivalence and appreciating its presence. Smith reflects on how embracing emotional ambivalence can lead to personal growth and freedom from suffering. They discuss the importance of recognizing pain without turning it into needless suffering and appreciating the good without resorting to toxic positivity. The conversation encourages an exploration of these complex emotions and the acceptance of ambiguity as an inherent part of life.
Poet and author Maggie Smith isn’t sure where she falls on the spectrum from optimism to pessimism. But her viral poem “Good Bones” and her bestselling books have inspired countless readers with profound insights on the messiness of being human. In this episode, Maggie and Adam discuss strategies for handling complex emotions, sustaining hope while acknowledging reality, and accepting ambiguity in life and art. They explore the value of asking questions that may not have a satisfying answer — or any answer at all. Transcripts for ReThinking are available at go.ted.com/RWAGscripts
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode