In this bonus episode of Cultivate, longtime Veritas friend and guest Leslie Bustard shares with us her passion for poetry and inspires listeners to explore poetry as a way to "help us remember that which would impoverish us to forget."

If you enjoyed this episode, you will love the upcoming Ordinary Saints Conference, February 17-18, produced by Square Halo Books (of which Leslie is Vice President). Veritas Academy is a sponsor of this event, which features a keynote address by poet Malcolm Guite, concert by The Arcadian Wild, and more. More information here.

About Our Guest

Leslie Anne Bustard lives in a century-old row home in Lancaster City with her husband Ned and her two dogs, Pevensie and Milly-Molly-Mandy. They are the parents of three grown daughters. After years of homeschooling, classroom teaching, and producing high school and children’s theater, Leslie now fills her time writing and caring for loved ones. Her most perfect day would be walking somewhere in Northern Ireland where she could, in one day, traverse with Ned over green fields and farmers’ lanes, through breeze-kissed woods, and over rocks and sandy beaches.

Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children, co-edited with daughter Carey and friend Théa Rosenburg, was published through Square Halo Books in April 2022. Her second book The Goodness of the Lord in the Land of Living: Selected Poems will be published in 2023. As vice president of Square Halo, Leslie has developed and hosted their podcast series The Square Halo, as well as planned their conferences. Leslie is a contributor at The Black Barn Online, Story Warren, Anselm Society, and Calla Press. She also shares on her website PoeticUnderpinnings.com.

RESOURCES & LINKS

Poets & Books Mentioned In This Episode:

Dana Gioia
Luci Shaw
Sing a Song of Popcorn, Book of poems for children
Aaron Belz
Nikki Grimes
Naomi Shihab Nye
Billy Collins
Malcolm Guite
Sounding the Seasons, book by Malcolm Guite

Further Reading:

Two-part essay by Leslie on incorporating poetry in your family's everyday life:
Part 1
Part 2
Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children is an excellent resource for parents

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Cultivate: A Veritas Academy PodcastBy Veritas AcademyAug 10, 2022