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Language Against Which We Have No Defenses
About David
Behind each of these approaches lies a very physical attempt to give voice to the wellsprings of human identity, human striving and, most difficult of all, the possibilities for human happiness.
Featured writing
Friendship
The ultimate touchstone of friendship is not improvement, neither of the other nor of the self: the ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another, to have walked with them and to have believed in them, and sometimes just to have accompanied them for however brief a span, on a journey impossible to accomplish alone.
from "Friendship" in Private: Consolations (old paperback edition)
Featured writing
Start Close In
Start close in,
don't take the second step
or the third,
start with the first
thing
close in,
the step
you don't want to take.
Start with
the ground
you know,
the pale ground
beneath your feet,
your own
way to begin
the conversation.
from "Start Close In" in David Whyte: Essentials
Featured writing
The Well of Grief
Those who will not slip beneath
the still surface on the well of grief,
turning down through its black water,
to the place we cannot breathe,
will never know the source from which we drink,
the secret water cold and clear,
nor find in the darkness glimmering,
the small round coins,
thrown by those who wished for something else.
from "The Well of Grief" in River Flow: New & Selected Poems
Featured writing
Hiding
is a way of staying alive. Hiding is a way of holding ourselves until we are ready to come into the light. Hiding is one of the brilliant and virtuoso practices of almost every part of the natural world: the protective quiet of an icy northern landscape, the held bud of a future summer rose, the snowbound internal pulse of the hibernating bear. Hiding is underestimated. We are hidden by life in our mother's womb until we grow and ready ourselves for our first appearance in the lighted world; to appear too early in that world is to find ourselves with the immediate necessity for outside intensive care...
from "Hiding" in Private: Consolations (old paperback edition)
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Listen to
Podcasts & Interviews
Listen as David brings his poetry to life and delves into the philosophical and creative themes that shape his work. This series features insightful conversations, guided by seasoned interviewers.
Ordinary words as doorways into the underlying currents of human life, with Sam Harris.
Seeking language large enough, an interview with Krista Tippett.
An interview with Rick Rubin. Three interviews total between David and Rick.
Spacious ease, Irish koans, revelations from a yak manger, and more.
Navigating life's invitations through poetry and prose, with Tami Simon.
On forgiveness, fear and being fully human, with Connor Beaton.
David's farewell letter to his mother; an interview with Katie Hafner.
Discover more
Explore David's writing and speaking, and learn more about upcoming events, leadership retreats and the Three Sundays Series.
01
Three Sundays Series
Join David for three 75-minute online sessions in a given month. Exploring a new theme in each series, David brings his unique blend of poetry, storytelling and philosophy. Session recordings are available for all registered attendees.
02
Poetry & Prose
For over 35 years David's poetry and prose has investigated the way the invisible elements of human life converse with our visible endeavors; anchored in the understanding that at its essence, the human life is both deeply solitary and profoundly communal.
03
Events
View upcoming and online events. When available, live-streamed event recordings will be made available to both onsite and virtual attendees.
The David Whyte Companion
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