Her Deepest Ecologies: The Podcast

“I am always finding inspiration out there.” In April, during National Poetry Month, I had the chance to talk with Martha Silano about her writing process, her poetry teachers, her new book ( This One We Call Ours, winner of the 2024 Blue Lynx Prize in Poetry) and her recent ALS diagnosis. This conversation was a real gift after taking multiple poetry classes with Martha over the past several year...

“I am concentrating on playing live in front of as small an audience as possible.” I have always loved Louis Ledford’s music and his captivating storytelling. I enjoyed the chance to talk about songwriting, his life as an artist, and his move to Bellingham from New Orleans. He performs regularly in and around Bellingham, hosts a radio show, and curates music for the Honey Moon . After doing a lot...

“We’ve extracted all the materials we really need to clothe ourselves.” My sister has worked in the textile and apparel industry for many years. Her work is focused on sustainability and we had a great discussion about clothing, waste, fabric quality, fiber types and processing, and the future of textiles. As someone who has been focused on sustainable food systems, it was very illuminating to lea...

“I have been a father for almost thirteen years and it’s a primary part of my identity. My poetry is me figuring myself out as much as it is figuring the world out for them.” I met Jared online during a Hugo House workshop I taught in 2021 called the Five Stage of Ecological Grief . We have stayed in touch and I appreciate how his first book Who Will Cradle You Head investigates the space where ec...

“I use the language of ecology all the time in my preaching.” This interview was a real joy for me and a reunion of sorts. Andi Lloyd was my advisor in college, back when I was a biology major. At the time, she was teaching and doing research as a forest ecologist and professor and later became Dean of the Faculty and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Middlebury College. However, we discuss h...

“There is something about the sound of a symphony orchestra that speaks to people universally.” In the first episode of the second season, I am thrilled to talk with composer, Grammy-nominated conductor, and guitarist Christophe Chagnard. In our conversation, I enjoyed learning about his pivotal project, Terra Nostra, and the ways he believes art can impact climate change and education. Christophe...

In Part 2, we dive into some of the major issues facing the health and survival of migratory swans, including habitat degradation, lead poisoning, and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus (HPAIV). Below are some links to the places and topics that came up in our conversation. You can ready Martha’s Bio in Part 1 . “If you see a sick duck, goose, swan, or even a bird, do not pick it up. Do not p...

I loved the chance to talk with Martha Jordan about migratory Trumpeter swans and other migratory wildfowl. I met Martha twenty years ago at one of her education talks. As a swan enthusiast, I have so much more to learn from her. In fact, there was so much to discuss, I turned my interview with her into two episodes. Part 1 focuses on Martha’s work with swans, Trumpeter swan distribution and popul...

“We are with the trees every day, we live with them.” This interview was extra special because I had a chance to talk with my fellow Oregon State University Press author, Ann Stinson. I met Ann in Portland last April when we had a reading together at Broadway Books . I loved the chance to compare and contrast farming and forestry and I appreciated the chance to discuss her beautiful memoir, The Gr...

I encountered Lewellyn’s book at our local bookstore, The Book Shucker, in Edison, WA. Immediately, I appreciated her work as a farmer and mental health advocate. She describes her book R ooted: How I Stay Small-Town Strong When Life Gets Hard and How You Can Too as a “prescriptive memoir” and I enjoyed the balance of story and practical advice that she offers her readers (as well as a Spotify pla...

I have seen Claudia Castro Luna perform at the Skagit River Poetry Festival and have admired her poetry for a long time. Her latest book, Cipota Under the Moon , which came out last May “scores a series of poems as an ode to the Salvadoran immigrant experience in the United States.” I have always appreciated how ecopoetics and social justice appear seamlessly in Claudia’s work and in this conversa...

I loved talking with my dear friend Jodie Buller about her work at the White Eagle Memorial Preserve, a Natural Burial Ground at Ekone Ranch. She spends part of her time near me in western Washington, but one of her many roles is as Cemetery Director on the other side of the mountains in Goldendale, WA. This was an extra special conversation since Jodie and I used to host a radio show for our loca...

In Episode 2, I talk with Kevin Craft about wilderness, writing, and his new role as a poet-in-residence for the Terminus Project in Olympic National Park. A complete bio is below as well as links to things we discussed in our conversation. Kevin Craft lives in Seattle and directs the Written Arts Program at Everett Community College. His previous books include Solar Prominence , selected by Vern...

Welcome to the first episode of the first season of the podcast! It was a true honor to have Valerie Segrest as our first guest. Below you will find her complete bio and links to the various projects she mentioned in our conversation. Our talk covered a lot of ground, from food sovereignty to mothering to the various ways we spend time in and connect with nature. Enjoy! Valerie’s Bio: For more tha...