What happens when childhood teaches you more about survival than safety? Poet and author Nikki Grimes joins Kate to talk about growing up with profound instability—and still choosing to see beauty, feel joy, and offer forgiveness. In this moving conversation, they explore memory, trauma, faith, and the small pockets of belonging that shape a life.

SHOW NOTES:
Books by Nikki Grimes: Ordinary Hazards – A memoir in verse chronicling Nikki’s traumatic childhood; Glory in the Margins – A collection of Sunday poems exploring faith and resilience; A Cup of Quiet – A children’s book about the sweet bond between a grandmother and granddaughter; The Road to Paris – A semi-autobiographical novel inspired by Nikki’s experience in foster care.
Poems read in this episode: Holy Architecture – from Glory in the Margins, Habitation – from Glory in the Margins
Support guides: When You’ve Been Hurt as a Child, When Your Family is Complicated
Subscribe to Kate’s Substack for blessings, essays, and reflections that hold what’s hard and beautiful.
Join us for Advent over on Substack!

What happens when childhood teaches you more about survival than safety? Poet and author Nikki Grimes joins Kate to talk about growing up with profound instability&mdash;and still choosing to see beauty, feel joy, and offer forgiveness. In this moving conversation, they explore memory, trauma, faith, and the small pockets of belonging that shape a life.
SHOW NOTES:
<ul>
<li data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Books by Nikki Grimes: <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/ordinary-hazards-a-memoir-nikki-grimes/cff02bf83d6bf431?ean=9781635925623&amp;next=t">Ordinary Hazards</a> &ndash; A memoir in verse chronicling Nikki&rsquo;s traumatic childhood; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/glory-in-the-margins-sunday-poems-nikki-grimes/0074b5405cfa7987?ean=9781640606777&amp;next=t">Glory in the Margins</a> &ndash; A collection of Sunday poems exploring faith and resilience; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-cup-of-quiet-nikki-grimes/3b17df569e13331b?ean=9781547610730&amp;next=t">A Cup of Quiet</a> &ndash; A children&rsquo;s book about the sweet bond between a grandmother and granddaughter; <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-road-to-paris-nikki-grimes/d09f64e6da2c0268?ean=9780142410820&amp;next=t">The Road to Paris</a> &ndash; A semi-autobiographical novel inspired by Nikki&rsquo;s experience in foster care.</li>
<li data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Poems read in this episode: Holy Architecture &ndash; from <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/glory-in-the-margins-sunday-poems-nikki-grimes/0074b5405cfa7987?ean=9781640606777&amp;next=t">Glory in the Margins</a>, Habitation &ndash; from <a href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/glory-in-the-margins-sunday-poems-nikki-grimes/0074b5405cfa7987?ean=9781640606777&amp;next=t">Glory in the Margins</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Support guides: <a href="https://katebowler.com/guide/painful-childhood-happens/">When You&rsquo;ve Been Hurt as a Child,</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://katebowler.com/guide/complicated_family/">When Your Family is Complicated</a></li>
<li data-pm-slice="0 0 []"><a href="https://katebowler.substack.com/" data-start="2069" data-end="2132">Subscribe to Kate&rsquo;s Substack</a> for blessings, essays, and reflections that hold what&rsquo;s hard and beautiful.</li>
<li data-pm-slice="0 0 []">Join us for <a href="https://katebowler.substack.com/p/welcome-to-advent">Advent</a> over on Substack!</li>
</ul>

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.

Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media https://lemonadamedia.com/

Are you living your best life now? Not always? This is a podcast for you. Duke Professor Kate Bowler is an expert in the stories we tell about success and failure, suffering and happiness. She had Stage IV cancer. Then she didn’t. And since then, all she wants to do is talk to funny and wise people about how to live with the knowledge that, well, everything happens.  Find her online at @katecbowler.
Sales and Distribution by Lemonada Media <a href="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-stringify-link="https://lemonadamedia.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://lemonadamedia.com/</a>

Honest conversation about life's less-shiny moments.

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