FRANCESCA LIA BLOCK on Finding Rhythm Through Word /323
Photo by Giordano Rossoni of column-like mineral formations emerging within a cavern.
This week, Ayana is joined by Francesca Lia Block in a heartfelt conversation recognizing the search for self and love through magic, literature, and deeply-felt presence. Francesca brings listeners into her writing practices as she navigates centering beauty in a world of intensity.
Moving through the depths of empathy, pleasure, and presence, Francesca considers passion as a practice of gratitude to the world around us. As she discusses her most recent book House of Hearts, with Ayana, she emphasizes the healing and growth that comes from examining ourselves and our passions deeply. As we journey through life, what mentors, books, and practices give us the inspiration we need to keep moving forward?
Francesca delicately balances themes of mystery and inevitability through her work, and her insight about the forms of spirituality and enchantment that bring the two together ring beautifully throughout the interview. Basking in the enchantment of the world, Francesca offers us an escape from mindless distraction through the power of imagination and literature.
“Storytelling is survival. It’s how we survive ourselves, but it’s also how we help others survive.”
Photo of Francesca Lia Block by Madeline Northway
Francesca Lia Block, M.F.A., is the author of more than twenty-five books of fiction, non-fiction, short stories and poetry, and has written screenplay adaptations of her work. She received the Spectrum Award, the Phoenix Award, the ALA Rainbow Award and the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as other citations from the American Library Association and from the New York Times Book Review, School Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly.
♫ The music featured in this episode is “A Glimpse of the Summit” by 40 Million Feet, “Cinnamon” by India Blue, and “Raven” by Ariana Saraha & Flight Behavior.
Episode References
House of Hearts by Francesca Lia Block
Episode 608: The Healing Magic of Writing with Francesca Lia Block by Sex Magic Podcast
‘Weetzie Bat’ author Francesca Lia Block explores the Salton Sea in new novel by Daily News
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