Greetings, James Navé here. I'm thrilled to welcome "LEAF Global Arts" director Jennifer Pickering to the microphone for a heartfelt conversation called 'Holding Space,' which spans almost three decades.  

Jennifer and I had known each other for a few years when we met in the fall of 1994 to discuss her idea for a music and arts festival at Lake Eden in Black Mountain, North Carolina. She said she wanted to call the festival The Lake Eden Arts Festival. I said, "Why not shorten it to The LEAF Festival?" 

Jennifer's vision was to bring cultures together and build a community that values diversity through engaging in music, arts, education, and experiential learning. 

She aimed to cultivate curiosity, protect cultural integrity, and contribute to a greater global understanding among people from all walks of life. Now, almost 30 years later, Jennifer's vision has been fully realized through LEAF Global Arts. 

Join us as we talk about how doing good work in the world can ripple beyond your wildest dreams. Enjoy the show.

Holding Space with "LEAF Global Arts" director Jennifer Pickering

Provocative Conversations from Twice 5 Miles Radio is a podcast devoted to candid, often surprising exchanges with artists, thinkers, and cultural instigators who speak from the core. Each episode dives beneath the surface to explore the stories and questions that shape our lives.

I’m James Navé—poet, storyteller, educator, and longtime creative collaborator. With an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and decades of teaching experience across the globe, I help writers and performers tap into their authentic voices through public speaking, creative writing, and the Imaginative Storm method, which I co-developed with Allegra Huston.

My most recent book, 100 Days: A Poetic Memoir After Cancer (3: A Taos Press), documents a hundred days of healing and poetic reckoning. I’m also co-author of Write What You Don’t Know and How to Read for an Audience—practical guides for anyone seeking to speak and write with more truth and power.

I’ve directed festivals, hosted literary salons, taught with Julia Cameron, and memorized over 600 poems. I still believe in the power of a well-told story, the light through stained glass, and the open road with nothing but a podcast and a windshield full of stars.

Holding Space with "LEAF Global Arts" director Jennifer Pickering

Twice Five Miles