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The Clearing with Katherine May — Arts
The Clearing with Katherine May

Where would you go to rest and retreat, in good times and bad?

Katherine May, author of Wintering and Enchantment, asks her guests to share their idea of a perfect sanctuary. Drawing on memory, inspiration and imagination, she explores the things we seek out when we need to restore our joy, hope and energy.

It begins with a forest clearing. What will we find there? A log cabin or a grand hotel? What cherished object or talisman would you bring? And what single work of art, be it a book, record, film or something else, would provide you with enough sustenance to see you through the darkness and remind you of the good times?

In a series of frank, thoughtful and deeply personal conversations, The Clearing will explore the cultural, social and spiritual mindset needed to survive difficult times.

Katherine’s Links:

Visit The Clearing website https://katherine-may.co.uk/the-clearing-podcast to discover how to enjoy the episodes ad free

Katherine’s new book, Tending: How Care Binds the World is out in March and you can pre-order it here https://katherine-may.co.uk/tending

Buy Katherine’s books: Enchantment | Wintering | The Electricity of Every Living Thing: UK / US

Follow Katherine on Instagram

Visit Katherine’s Website

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: Copyright © Katherine May

Latest Episodes:

Ece Temelkuran on the politics of emotion Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Turkish journalist Ece Temelkuran understands the problems of rightwing populism better than most: she lives as an exile, after her criticism of the Erdogan regime threatened her liberty. But despite the very personal toll that our current politics has taken, Ece remains optimistic. The seeds of a new society, she says, lie in communities, and the ways they find to come together.

In this episode, Katherine and Ece discuss courage, truth and learning to befriend our fear. We also touch on the power of Twitter in the days before Elon Musk took over - so maybe a little of our optimism was misplaced! But Ece has a unique ability to put our current political conflicts into a global context, and her faith in grassroots action is redemptive.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Links from the episode:

Ece's website
Ece's books
Follow Ece on Instagram and Twitter

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Gannon on understanding, not agreeing Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Emma Gannon is a true digital native, a storyteller who finds creative inspiration in online communities, and who has sought a more thoughtful way to be in the digital spaces that so dominate our lives.

In this episode, Katherine and Emma discuss what it means to be a digital citizen - the pleasures and the agonies of coming together in the ether, and the ways it can both warp and welcome connection. Emma’s is a nuanced take, emphasising our own agency within social media spaces, and inviting us to be thoughtful and disciplined, rather than reactive and addicted.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Links from the episode:

Emma's website
Emma's books
Follow Emma on Instagram and Twitter

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Griffiths on the ecology of connection Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Jay Griffiths’ writing has long explored the link between land, culture and our potential for connection, but her father’s death during lockdown made this more vital than ever. Denied the comfort or closure of a funeral, Jay had to find other ways to connect, mourn and memorialise, and in this gentle, wide-ranging conversation she and Katherine talk about imaginary journeys, ritual and delving into a sense of place.

Behind all of Jay’s work is an ecological urgency, and a sense of grief for the life that we seem to be losing. Here, it’s expressed through the idea of homelessness, both literal and metaphorical. But she also introduces us to the character of Nemesis, offering us a model for justice that might just see us through the next decades.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Links from the episode:

Jay's website
Jay's books

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lama Rod Owens on necessary change Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Many of us are enduring a painful new awareness of the conflicts that underpin our social relationships. For Buddhist teacher Lama Rod Owens, this is the beginning of a revolutionary path to our liberation - a necessary upheaval that will rebalance us forever.

In this profound, perspective-shifting conversation, we are urged to stop looking for short-cuts and panaceas for our suffering, and instead to engage with the deep, transformative work of change.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Pre-order Katherine's new book, Enchantment, released March 2023: UK and US & Canada

Links from the episode:

Lama Rod's website
Lama Rod's books
Follow Lama Rod on Instagram and Twitter

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simran Jeet Singh on Radical Interconnectedness Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

Being a Sikh in America gives Simran Jeet Singh a very particular insight into the divisions that run between us: on one hand, his visible differences have made him a target for racism; on the other, his religion emphasises the connectedness of all humans, and urges him towards compassion, forgiveness and love.

In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Katherine and Simran explore building empathy, seeing the divine in everyone, and how being forced to confront white supremacy has helped Simran to develop a language to challenge those who would attack him. The Sikh value of Chardi Kala is hard to miss here: the sense of everlasting optimism that propels him forward.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Links from the episode:

Simran's website
Simran's book, The Light We Give: How Sikh Wisdom Can Transform Your Life
Follow Simran on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find shownotes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Priya Parker on gathering well Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

When it comes to getting together, Priya Parker turns our assumptions on their heads: gatherings, she says, benefit from firm rules and careful management, which allow us to relax more, communicate better, and come away feeling positive. It’s all about clarity of purpose. A lack of structure leads to chaotic and draining events, and may even put us in conflict.

In this episode, Katherine asks Priya how we can learn to be in the same room again - whether it’s with colleagues, family or even complete strangers. For those of us who have found it tough to return to social spaces after the pandemic, this is a reassuring conversation, reminding us of the pleasures of meeting, and offering a blueprint for more enriching, less fraught, future gatherings.

Join the conversation! We’re also inviting your thoughts on each episode from now on - follow this link to join the conversation. Answers, challenges, ideas and further questions are all welcome - there will be a further episode in a couple of months focusing on your voices.

Katherine's new book, Enchantment, is released in March 2023. Pre-order now: US/CAN and UK

Links from the episode:

Priya's website
Priya's book, The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
Follow Priya on Instagram and Twitter

Join Katherine's Patreon to receive episodes early and ad-free
Sign up to receive Katherine's newsletter
Find show notes and transcripts for every episode by visiting Katherine's website.
Follow Katherine on Instagram

Image credit: Photographer, Adam Ferguson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Susan Cain on the bittersweet & introducing How We Live Now Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Susan Cain’s groundbreaking book, Quiet, taught a generation of readers to perceive and value their introvert qualities. Her latest book, Bittersweet is a song to the complex space between happiness and sadness. In this episode, Katherine talks to Susan about how she came to move so comfortably in the understated parts of life, and why the minor key is so beautiful.

While we’ve been away, The Wintering Sessions have been undergoing a metamorphosis. Katherine talks us through the process of becoming How We Live Now, and offers us a peek at the season to come.

Links from the episode:

Susan's Links:

Susan’s latest book, Bittersweet

Katherine's Links:

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Raynor Winn on losing everything and finding home Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May.

Author Raynor Winn talks to Katherine May about the losing her home when her husband was diagnosed with a terminal illness, and finding new life from having nothing.

Raynor Winn has captured a multitude of hearts with her book, The Salt Path, which recounts the time she lost her home just as her husband received a terminal diagnosis. With nothing to lose, they set off to walk the South West Coast Path carrying nothing but a tent.

Here Raynor reflects on that transformative time that redefined the meaning of home - and gives a welcome update on Moth’s health. We also hear about her book, The Wild Silence.

I adored talking to Raynor about our shared love of the South West Coast Path, as I always do :)

RAYNOR LINKS

Raynor’s new book, Landlines

KATHERINE LINKS

Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions

The Wintering Sessions

Katherine's writing class

Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leah Hazard on changing career after having her first child Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

While we take a rest over the summer, we’re sharing some remastered episodes from Season One, chosen by listeners.

This week, I talk to Leah Hazard, NHS midwife extraordinaire and author of Hard Pushed, part memoir of Leah’s life on the labour ward, and part exploration of the current state of the profession.

Leah is as funny, wise and warm in person as she is in print, and she talks about the life-changing decision to leave her TV career and train to be a midwife, and the moment when the stress became too much during one very busy night on the ward.

References from this episode:

Leah’s Twitter
Leah’s Instagram
Leah’s book Hard Pushed

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remona Aly on breaking an engagement, and the transformative force of grief Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

Welcome to the Wintering Sessions with Katherine May.

While we take a rest over the summer, we’re sharing some remastered episodes from Season One, chosen by listeners.

In this episode, I speak to journalist and broadcaster Remona Aly about her life-changing decision to call off an engagement, and how it echoed through the years to teach her about forgiveness, faith and empathy.

This is such a special one for me - I went to school with Remona, and I think you can hear our joy at reconnecting after a couple of decades, and feeling so at home in the process. We cover all of human life here: buckle in.

We talked about:

Finding the sacred in everyday life
How grief changes you
The need for community
Breaking off an engagement and family shame

REMONA LINKS

KATHERINE LINKS

Shop all books from The Wintering Sessions

The Wintering Sessions

Katherine's writing class

Note: this contains affiliate links which means Katherine will receive a small commission for any purchases made.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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