Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. As 2024 comes to a close, I'm going solo to wish you a Happy 2025 and reflect on the year ahead. Recently, I memorized a line from T.S. Eliot that stuck with me: "Do not let me hear of the wisdom of old men, but rather of their folly." Inspired by those words, this episode explores the curious, messy decisions—both wise and foolish—that shape our lives.

I share pivotal moments, like choosing performance poetry over law school—a so-called "folly" that led to a lifelong journey of storytelling. I revisit the origins of Poetry Alive, the educational theater initiative I co-founded, which brought poetry to life for millions of students. And I reflect on the transformative power of poetry: the choices we make, the paths we travel, and those we leave behind.

As we welcome 2025, I invite you to embrace the poetry in your life—from the landscapes you traverse to the relationships you nurture. What stories will you tell this year? Let's explore together. Enjoy the show.

The Wisdom of Folly: reflections for 2025 with poet James Navé

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.

The Wisdom of Folly: reflections for 2025 with poet James Navé

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