Twice 5 Miles Radio with James Navé

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. In this episode, I have the great pleasure of speaking with my longtime friend, John Biscello—a gifted writer, actor, poet, and theater director who’s been shaping the artistic landscape of Taos, New Mexico for over two decades. John and I connected across the Atlantic—he in Taos and me in a 6th-floor studio on rue Dauphine in Paris. In th...

Tell Me No More Lies Put down your story across the rocky landing. All force belongs to those who break angel wings apart and turn them into dust. I fold you behind the patches on my shoulders. Oh, no, these are the days that have never been. At last I'm home, tired. I forgot your name. Why do I find old buzzards hiding behind clocks in shops on the Flyway Road? I wish I could be in love forever w...

What does it mean to report on the world’s hidden stories? In this episode of Twice 5 Miles Radio, I sit down with investigative journalist Sean Williams, co-host of the Underworld podcast, which reaches a million listeners every month. Sean’s reporting has taken him into the depths of organized crime, political corruption, and human resilience, from the slums of Manila to the frontlines of war zo...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé, coming to you solo today from Paris on rue Dauphine—a neighborhood I've been visiting since 1985. In this episode, I wander through the contours of my own story, musing on what it means to write from personal experience, especially when the backdrop is as evocative as Paris. Lately, I've considered the difference between being "a writer" a...

Let's break down this story. I belong to those who believe small gods call out to lizards with wings. Who can remember 20 years ago? How do you know those you've forgotten still live? A man told me last night he had died in another lifetime because he jumped off a cliff to keep the Romans from killing him—some kind of religious thing, many, many centuries ago. I told him I'd never experienced a pa...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé, and today, I'm going solo, reflecting on the four months I've spent in Manila from October 2024 to March 2025. The title Manila Is An Acquired Taste comes from something I've heard repeatedly: "Give it time." At first, I wasn't sure how to do that. Manila travel is an experience like no other—life in Manila is fast-paced, unpredictable, an...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé, and today, I'm joined by my good friend Kelly Hanson for a conversation that weaves together history, resilience, and the enduring spirit of the LEAF Global Arts community. Kelly and I were both there at the beginning when LEAF Global Arts was founded in 1995. Over the years, we've watched it evolve into a cultural beacon for creativity, i...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. Today, I'm going solo with a show divided into three parts. Join me on a journey through poetry, performance, and politics. I begin by telling how I launched my career as a performance poet and founded Poetry Alive!, a theater company that presented poetry performances to over 5 million students over three decades. I share how it all began...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. My guest today is the extraordinary Jessie Kanelos Weiner—painter, illustrator, author, and stand-up comedian—who has built a creative life in Paris. We first met at a writing workshop years ago and recently reconnected to discuss her evolving artistic journey. Jessie is known for her stunning watercolors, illustrating for Vogue, The New Y...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio, I’m your host, James Navé. Today, I’m thrilled to be in conversation with my longtime friend, the one and only Regie Cabico—a poet, performer, and spoken word legend whose impact on the literary world is undeniable. Regie and I first crossed paths in 1994 at the National Poetry Slam in Asheville. He was a rising star out of New York City, and even then, his performa...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé, (www.jamesnave.com). Today, I'm joined by writing coach and author Cynthia Morris (www.originalimpulse.com). Cynthia's mission is to empower writers—especially those who feel time or self-doubt working against them—to craft books that make an impact. I've been receiving newsletters from Cynthia for some time and recently decided to reach o...

What Belongs? A spoken-word poem by James Navé At the end of the day, cats sing in red hills. Capture what belongs. Electricity came and went in those mad, mad days, all those years ago, when girls and boys found their way. What belongs?  What belongs?   Bill and Tinker belong—somewhere in a story, somewhere beyond where I am right now. And I belong, and you belong. Once in a coin-operated laundry...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio—I’m your host, James Navé. My guest today is novelist, journalist, and mental health advocate Nova Wallace. Nova, a regular participant in our Imaginative Storm Writing Prompt sessions, brings a unique blend of storytelling passion and professional insight as a PR consultant for creative talent. In our conversation, we delve into the persistence required to succeed a...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé, and today, I’m joined by screenwriter, actress, and documentary filmmaker Angela Shelton for a wide-ranging conversation that’s as bold as she is. This is Angela’s second visit to the show, and if there’s one thing I admire about her, it’s her fearless honesty. She has no hesitation in saying what’s on her mind, whether it’s about the clut...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio, where the art of conversation thrives. I'm your host, James Navé. Kelly Pasholk, the talented book designer and creative writing facilitator, is joining me today. Kelly brings a unique blend of artistry and expertise to every project she touches, and she's here to share the fascinating journey behind Taos Portraits II, a visually stunning art book capturing 60 promi...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. As 2024 comes to a close, I'm going solo to wish you a Happy 2025 and reflect on the year ahead. Recently, I memorized a line from T.S. Eliot that stuck with me: "Do not let me hear of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their folly." Inspired by those words, this episode explores the curious, messy decisions—both wise and foolish—that sh...

James Navé here. I’ve performed A Child's Christmas in Wales every Christmas since 1991, from snowy street corners to quiet gatherings in homes and libraries, at the American Church in Paris, and even in a damp, cozy community center in Roundstone, Ireland. This isn't just a reading; it's a journey. A Child's Christmas in Wales holds a special kind of magic—the nostalgic recollections of a Christm...

This spoken-word performance of Robert Frost’s Christmas Trees, subtitled A Christmas Circular Letter, evokes memories of my childhood in Western North Carolina. Growing up in a house surrounded by acres of woods on Brevard Road, just eight miles outside of Asheville, Christmas meant venturing into the forest to find the perfect tree. I remember dragging fresh-cut pines through the snow, placing t...

I'm James Navé with The Imaginative Storm Writing Project. Today, I’m delighted to perform “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore—more commonly known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. Moore (1779–1863) was a writer, scholar, and professor of Oriental and Greek literature, as well as a philanthropist and land developer. His poem is widely credited with shaping American Christmas tra...

James Navé here. "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost is one of the most beloved poems in American literature. I memorized it decades ago and have performed it countless times—it never gets old. The poem endures because it invites us to reflect on our place in the world. Where do we belong? How do we face solitude? The speaker reminds us he has promises to keep. What does it mean...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio, where the art of conversation thrives. I'm your host, James Navé, and I'm delighted to welcome back my guest, Paul O'Connor—a celebrated photographer, sculptor, and visual artist who calls Taos home. Paul's work has left an indelible mark on the art world, and his latest performative book, Taos Portraits: Volume Two, is no exception. In this episode, we dive deep in...

Monday, December 9, 2024 / 6-9 pm ET · 5-8 pm CT · 4-7 pm · 3-6 pm PT $97-Limit 10 - https://www.jamesnave.com/events/wordbywordmemorization In this three-hour Word by Word: The Creative Power of Memorization workshop, you’ll experience the power of memorization as a creative discipline. Building on centuries-old traditions and personal practice, you’ll learn how memorization deepens your connecti...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. This week, we’re joined for a fourth time by poet, teacher, and podcaster Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, a devoted practitioner of daily poetry for nearly two decades. Together, we explore what it means to Rosemerry to “live poetry.” She speaks to the soul-deepening practice of poetry as a way of experiencing life in its fullness—a delicate da...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome back my longtime friend, the indefatigable investigative journalist and poet, Greg Palast. Greg and I first crossed paths back in the early ‘90s at the Asheville Poetry Festival, and I was instantly drawn to his fiery passion for truth, a trait that has defined his entire career. Greg’s no stranger to hard-hi...

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. Today, I'm re-airing a special interview from the fall of 2016, recorded just before the U.S. presidential election. My guest was one of the most well-read, brilliant minds I've ever known—my mother, Bobbi Sue Nave. She left us a few years after this interview, at age 93, and her insights remain as timeless as ever. Bobbi Sue possessed wha...