Dear Reader: Writing Life Beyond the Page

And we are back for Season Two of Dear Reader! 

This season we are exploring such words as empathy, manifest, grief, joy, and breathless. Come listen every week as we talk with writers and thinkers about this and so much more. 

What is empathy and how do you live an empathic life. This week's guest, writer, poet, and publisher Edward Vidaurre tells us not only how he shows empathy in his life but also in his work. 

Exhaustion.

With the chaos of the world and with the impact on people of color, specifically Black people, writer and host Icess Fernandez Rojas talks about exhaustion, writing as activism, and living as an Afro-Latinx during this time. 

It's the end of the year and you're probably looking back thinking that you HAVE to do better next year. But do you know how to do that? 

For the past couple of years, the guiding word(s) technique has gathered popularity. That's when you choose one word (or a couple) to guide your next 365 days. That process is easier said than done! 

In this episode, we go over how to pick your guiding words for the year and how to stick to it for the best year of your life! 

The holidays are here and soon we'll be attending events that may put us out of our comfort zones.  It's difficult to establish boundaries when you're trying to join in the merriment but how about in your everyday life?  How does one establish boundaries? According to journalist and writer David Dunn, it's baptism by fire. 

In this episode, he'll discuss how he's been able to establish boundaries not only in his workplace but in other aspects of his life.  

When someone says retrograde, do you think Mercury? Of course, you do, however, retrograde also means the feeling of moving backward. We have all felt that one time or another.  

In this episode, we'll talk about the feeling of moving backward or standing still and what we can distill from it. It's a solo show so it's just you and !, reader! 

What is opportunity? Do you know it when you see it, even if it doesn't look how you think it's supposed to? In this episode,  we talk to Dr. Trevor Boffone, educator, writer, and community organizer, who recognized opportunity during a tough time.  He'll also tell give us some writing advice. 

Also in this episode, I talk about the latest in my writing life< Bassey Ikpi, and the joys for writing workshops. 

In this second episode of Dear Reader,  we'll talk about another form of self-care...adulting. We'll also talk about a Dia de los Muertos tradition, an altar, and how remembering your ancestors can be a form of meditation.