I used to listen to podcasts in the car, but during the pandemic I began walking with them instead. Which I wasn’t sure about because walking for me is a time to consciously not-think, especially while I’m writing. The not-thinking space is what my imagination needs sometimes, to loosen knots or to ask what if… But I found there were certain podcasts that I missed. Not the newsy ones - honestly, it was a relief to be missing most of those, but one or two that I would call heart-mind focused. This month I’m sharing a conversation from one of my absolute favorites - the On Being podcast - between Krista Tippett and the acclaimed writer and poet, Ocean Vuong.
Early on Tippett asks Vuong about his childhood and whether or not there were aspects of it to which he might attach the words ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’. He talks about his exposure to certain Buddhist traditions, then says:
“And I think I embrace that in everything I do — writing, sitting with you now — how do I do it with care? And even in the temples — in many Asian-American households, when you enter the house, you take off your shoes. Now, we’re not obsessed with cleanliness any more than anyone else. But the act is an act of respect: I’m going to take off my shoes to enter something important; I’m going to give you my best self. And I think, even consciously, when I read or give lectures or when I teach, I lower my voice; I want to make my words deliberate; I want to enter — I want to take off the shoes of my voice so that I can enter a place with care, so that I can do the work that I need to do.”
‘Take off the shoes of my voice’.
I wrote that down and I thought about words as footsteps, words as footprints - markers of being, symbols of having passed this way, as trails of impact. Did I tread lightly into a conversation, onto a page, or did I stomp my way into somebody’s house, somebody’s imagination, somebody’s heart? Was I respectful in the way I used my words, put them down, left them there for others to come across?
‘Take off the shoes of my voice.’
And I was reminded, through this beautiful image, to approach my writing with deliberation and humility; with respect and care - not only for the young reader I hope to connect with, but also for the characters who present themselves, in all their vulnerability and gentleness.
The full conversation and many more that are just as thought-provoking can be found below (although just to be clear, Ocean Vuong does not write for children and some of the conversation touches on profound loss and heartbreak.)
Krista Tippett in conversation with Ocean Vuong : Life Worthy of our Breath | The On Being Project
And just in case you have any long walks to look forward to, here are a few others worth exploring: