The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis Podcast

Episode Title: The Good News: A Midweek Pause for Peace with Thich Nhat HanhEpisode Description: In this week's Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares "The Good News" by beloved Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Laura pairs the poem with peaceful imagery in her signature style, inviting listeners to notice the good that exists alongside the world's difficult news. This episode offers a gentle reminder that attention itself is a choice, and a source of healing.What Laura Covers in This Episode:·       Laura introduces Thich Nhat Hanh and the origins of "The Good News"·       Laura reflects on how media tends to monetize bad news while good news goes largely unpublished·       Laura explores the idea that each person is responsible for noticing and sharing the good news present in their own life·       Laura offers listeners a grounded, imagery-paired pause for the heart and nervous systemAbout Host Laura DavisLaura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.About the Featured PoetThich Nhat Hanh (1926–2022) was a Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, poet, and peace activist widely credited with bringing mindfulness practice to the West. Exiled from Vietnam for decades after opposing the war, he founded Plum Village in France and authored over 100 books, including "The Miracle of Mindfulness" and "Peace Is Every Step." Martin Luther King Jr. nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967. "The Good News" appears in "Call Me by My True Names: The Collected Poems of Thich Nhat Hanh" (Parallax Press, 2005).Learn more about Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings and the community he founded at: https://plumvillage.orgCONNECT WITH LAURA DAVISJoin Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm.The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Title: Kindness: A Midweek Pause for Peace with Naomi Shihab NyeEpisode Description: In this week's Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares "Kindness" by acclaimed poet Naomi Shihab Nye. Laura pairs the poem with peaceful imagery in her signature style, exploring the deep connection between loss and the capacity for tenderness. This episode offers a moment of grounding for anyone who has found compassion on the other side of grief.What Laura Covers in This Episode:·       Laura introduces Naomi Shihab Nye and reflects on why this poem resonates so deeply·       Laura explores the poem's central idea that kindness is learned through loss and sorrow·       Laura reflects on how grief can deepen rather than diminish a person's capacity for connection·       Laura offers listeners a grounded, imagery-paired pause for the heart and nervous systemAbout Host Laura DavisLaura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.About the Featured PoetNaomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinian American poet, essayist, and novelist, born to a Palestinian father and an American mother; she spent part of her adolescence in Jerusalem before settling in San Antonio, where she calls herself a "wandering poet." Author of more than thirty-five books, including "Different Ways to Pray" and "19 Varieties of Gazelle" (a National Book Award finalist), her work explores cultural connection and shared humanity through everyday life. Her honors include Guggenheim and Lannan Fellowships and the Wallace Stevens Award. "Kindness" appears in "Words Under the Words: Selected Poems."Learn more about Naomi Shihab Nye and her work at: https://poets.org/poet/naomi-shihab-nyeCONNECT WITH LAURA DAVISJoin Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm.The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Title: Brokenness: A Midweek Pause for Peace with L.R. KnostEpisode Description: In this week's Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares a quote from author and children's advocate L.R. Knost. Laura pairs the reflection with peaceful imagery in her signature style, offering listeners a moment to consider how brokenness, both personal and global, can hold its own kind of beauty. This episode invites listeners to meet fragility with intention rather than despair.What Laura Covers in This Episode:·       Laura introduces author L.R. Knost and the quote at the center of this week's reflection·       Laura reflects on finding beauty in what feels fragile, both in the world and within ourselves·       Laura explores the idea that brokenness can be mended not by time alone, but through deliberate acts of love·       Laura offers listeners a grounded, imagery-paired pause for the heart and nervous systemAbout Host Laura DavisLaura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.About the Featured AuthorL.R. Knost is an award-winning American author, children's rights advocate, and founder and director of Little Hearts/Gentle Parenting Resources, where she also serves as Editor-in-Chief of Holistic Parenting Magazine. Best known for her books on gentle parenting, including "Two Thousand Kisses a Day" and "The Gentle Parent," her writing and quotes have been cited internationally, including in an address to the South African Parliament on children's rights. She lives in Florida.Learn more about L.R. Knost and her work at: http://www.littleheartsbooks.comCONNECT WITH LAURA DAVISJoin Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm.The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

Episode Title: Remembering Our Descendants: A Midweek Pause for Peace with Laura Weaver Episode Description: In this week's Midweek Pause for Peace, Laura Davis shares "Remembering Our Descendants" by poet Laura Weaver. Laura pairs the poem with calming imagery in her signature style, inviting listeners into a moment of reflection on aging, transformation, and legacy. This episode offers a tender pause for anyone contemplating what it means to enter a new stage of life.What Laura Covers in This Episode:·       Laura introduces poet Laura Weaver and shares the origins of "Remembering Our Descendants"·       Laura reflects on the shift in identity and self-perception that comes with entering a new stage of life·       Laura explores themes of legacy, mortality, and what we offer to those who come after us·       Laura offers listeners a grounded, imagery-paired pause for the heart and nervous systemAbout Host Laura DavisLaura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.About the Featured PoetLaura Weaver is a poet, writer, and facilitator with over three decades of experience in leadership, education, and rites-of-passage work. She is the author of two poetry collections, "Luminous" (2018) and "River of Awe," as well as a book for educators, "The Five Dimensions of Engaged Teaching" (2013). Weaver previously directed the PassageWorks Institute and served as lead facilitator for the American Leadership Forum. She holds degrees from Trinity College and the University of Colorado at Boulder. "Remembering Our Descendants" first appeared on Weaver's SoulPassages blog in October 2014.Learn more about Laura Weaver and her work at: https://lauraweaver.orgCONNECT WITH LAURA DAVISJoin Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm.The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully crafted reflections, prompts, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.Subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe

You're Invited on a Virtual Vacation to Bali:Ready for a free virtual vacation to Bali? Join Laura Davis as she invites you along on her 10th sacred journey to this spiritual island. Experience temple ceremonies, meet traditional healers, and immerse in Balinese culture through her Substack posts and Notes. It's the next best thing to being there!Plus: discover her handpicked July Substack recommendations as a bonus.Laura's Five Substack Recommendations for JulyThe Feral Stack by Summer Koester: Cultural commentary for curious misfits @summerisferal, The Feral StackForager Field Notes by Michelle Dowd: Healing through creativity for cult survivors@mdowd, Forager Field NotesEveryday Ambassador by Annelise Riles: Global change through local action @Anneliseriles, Everyday AmbassadorFor the Love of Nature by Sue Kusch: Essays on place and natural connection @SueKusch. For the Love of NatureThe American Pamphleteer: Truth-telling for rebels and resistersExclusive Writing Workshop Opportunities @ladylibertie1, The American PamphleteerUpcoming Memoir Workshops with LauraIn-Person Intensive Workshop:Title: "The Art of Memoir: Crafting Compelling, Vivid, True Life Stories"Location: Villa Maria del Mar, Santa Cruz, CaliforniaDates: November 3-7, 2025 (5-day retreat)What You'll Learn: Inner voice connection, healing through language, "story beneath the story" techniquesRegistration Link: https://lauradavis.net/memoir-retreat-santa-cruz-november-2025More Info: https://lauradavis.net/workshopsOnline Masterclass:Title: "How to Write About What You Can't Remember"Format: 5-week interactive Zoom course with private Substack classroomSchedule: Tuesdays, September 30 - October 28, 2025Time: 12:00-2:30 PM ET / 9:00-11:30 AM PTUnique Feature: Community feedback system via private SubstackRegistration Link: https://lauradavis.net/online-memoir-course-fall-2025Course Details: https://lauradavis.net/memory-memoir-workshopYou can find information about Laura’s writing classes, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/ Subscribe to The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis on Substack to receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems, essays, and photographs to build courage, resilience and creativity.You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laurasaridavis.substack.com/subscribe