In Episode 7 of The Artist's Statement, we're joined by Donika Kelly, poet and author of The Renunciations (2021) and Bestiary (2016), both published by Graywolf Press.

Kelly discusses the The Renunciations and the journey of self-exploration and therapy that led to its creation. She talks about the importance of having and nurturing a speaker and a safe space from which to create, along with the value of being protective of information, both for the writer and the reader. The conversation delves into the distinction between reality and artifice in artmaking, and how one can cultivate silence to help the creative process.    

Kelly reads her poems "Sanctuary," "The Oracle Remembers the Future Cannot Be Avoided," and "The moon rose over the bay. I had a lot of feelings."

Host: Davin Malasarn.

Visit us at granumfoundation.org.