Andrea and Rebecca interview Carl Manlan about his debut book of poetry, I Can Breathe. Together they delve into the profound ways grief impacts our lives, identity, and relationships, featuring intimate stories, poetic reflections, and expert insights. Join us as we explore how grief is a universal, shared experience that can foster empathy, healing, and connection.

In this episode:

• Andrea shares her experience of physical grief after her father's passing
• Carl Manlan introduces his poetry collection "I Can Breathe" and discusses grief as a journey of renewal
• Experts discuss grief in different cultural and personal contexts
• Reflection on the significance of language and storytelling in grief processing
• Practical insights on how showing up for others in grief strengthens our collective humanity
• The importance of patience and emotional acceptance in long-term grief management
• How current global conflicts deepen collective grief and empathy

Resources & Links:

• I Can Breathe by Carl Mandlin (Link to purchase or more info)
• https://www.youtube.com/@InsideTheBluePrintPodcast

Connect with Carl Manlan:

Instagram @carlmanlanofficial

• https://ke.linkedin.com/in/carlmanlan

In this episode, Andrea and Rebecca are joined by poet Cheryl Slover-Linett for a deeply moving conversation about grief, trauma, motherhood, land, and the healing power of poetry. Cheryl shares how her life experiences shaped her work, including the long arc of writing The Seduction of the Daughter in 15 Pieces and the emotional care required to tell a traumatic story without overwhelming herself or the reader.

In this episode, we talk about:

• The strange emotional tension of Colorado spring: beauty, heat, fire risk, and unease
• Cheryl’s grief origin story and the moments that shaped her early life
• How trauma, memory, and grief show up in poetic form
• Writing about sexual violence with care, specificity, and boundaries
• The role of nature in holding difficult creative work
• Mother wounds, protection, and the grief of not being fully protected
• Land, colonization, ancestry, and the grief embedded in place
• Hope, recovery, and what it means to keep living with unresolved pain
• The embodied power of poetry and why form matters

Featured guest

Cheryl Slover-Linett

Poet based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her work has appeared in multiple literary journals, and she also leads wilderness retreats through Lead Feather, the nature-based nonprofit she founded in 2008.

Poems featured in the episode

• Glastonbury Guzzle
• Mistletoe

Connect with Cheryl:

• Get her book of poetry: https://dulcetshop.myshopify.com/products/the-seduction-of-the-daughter-in-fifteen-pieces-cheryl-slover-linett-copy
• Lead Feather Wilderness Retreat

In this conversation, Andrea and Rebecca talk with Becky Galli who shares how a life of unexpected losses shaped her perspective and how writing became a way to process, reflect, and stay connected to what matters most.

Key moments

• Becky opens up about the recent hospitalization and what it felt like to recover afterward.
• She shares the origin of her grief story: the sudden death of her 17-year-old brother.
• The conversation explores how each family member grieved differently and how they stayed connected.
• Becky reflects on raising children with special needs, divorce, and paralysis.
• She explains how writing columns, books, and daily reflections helped her navigate life.
• The episode closes with a discussion about when people feel least alone in grief.

Keywords

grief, loss, healing, resilience, journaling, uncertainty, family, support, special needs, paralysis, storytelling, recovery, honesty, emotions, love, connection

About Becky Galli

Becky Galli is an author and columnist who writes about love, loss, and healing. She is the author of Rethinking Possible and Morning Fuel, and writes the weekly column Thoughtful Thursdays.

Find her online at

https://rebeccafayesmithgalli.com/

On Instagram @chairwriter