Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé, and today, I’m joined by screenwriter, actress, and documentary filmmaker Angela Shelton for a wide-ranging conversation that’s as bold as she is.

This is Angela’s second visit to the show, and if there’s one thing I admire about her, it’s her fearless honesty. She has no hesitation in saying what’s on her mind, whether it’s about the clutter on her kitchen counter or heavier topics like the politics of sex trafficking and the aftermath of last year’s floods in Western North Carolina. She believes developers are using the floods as an excuse for a massive land grab; it’s a point worth exploring.

We also touch on faith and perspective. Angela says Jesus is her boyfriend—someone she can always count on. I see God more as “The Infinite,” something less human and more abstract. That’s where our conversation takes its twists and turns, from rituals and daily habits that keep us grounded to the unflinching realities of the world around us.

Angela’s perspective on sex trafficking is incredibly personal—she believes it’s time for ordinary people to step in, become investigators, and take action. It’s a controversial notion that forces you to think and question where you stand.

Our visit is more than an interview—it explores ideas and attitudes that challenge the status quo. Whether or not you agree with everything we discuss, Angelia brings a fire to the conversation that’s impossible to ignore.

When Honesty Meets Action: Angela Shelton on Life and Justice

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.

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