This fortnight, Sofia and Georgia are back with another guest - and this time they are here to talk about something a little different. They welcome the wonderfully creative and talented Zack Inglis, a screenwriter residing in Boorloo, Western Australia, to discuss the differences between screen and novel writing and why we as humans feel the consistent need to tell stories. Plenty of laughs ensue, as well as moments of deep recognition and thought.

If you would like to continue following Zack's journey you can find him @zackvitus on Instagram, or on Facebook as Zack Inglis. Please also find Zack's feature film, "The Light," at thelightfilm.com.

Episode 5: Novels vs Films - with Zack Inglis!

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. James Navé here. Today, my guest is poet and UNCA professor Mildred Barya.  is a North Carolina-based writer and poet of East African descent. She teaches and lectures globally and is the author of four full-length poetry collections, most recently The Animals of My Earth School, published by Terrapin Books in 2023. Her prose, hybrids, and poems have appeared in New England Review, Shenandoah, Joyland, The Cincinnati Review, Tin House, Forge, and elsewhere. She’s now working on a collection of creative nonfiction, and her essay, “Being Here in This Body”, won the 2020 Linda Flowers Literary Award and was published in the North Carolina Literary Review. She serves on the boards of the African Writers Trust and Story Parlor and coordinates the Poetrio Reading events at Malaprop’s Independent Bookstore/Café. She blogs here: www.mildredbarya.com

I Write Because Of Everyday Shamans with poet and UNCA professor Mildred Barya

The first of two special episodes loosely based around the craft of writing, Episode 28 of First Impressions features a wide-ranging, relaxed but insightful conversation with Brooklyn-based author Douglas Berman recorded in July. We reflect on what’s changed in the world and in our writing lives since we last spoke for the podcast back in December 2021. 

We also talk about the reading that’s inspired our work, writing techniques (from the epistolary to the horizontal) and while I share excerpts from my new autobiographical short story Countdown (at 07:10 and 21:02) and recently published poem, Anti-algorithm Technique (47:55), Doug reads extracts from the three novels he has been working on, with locations ranging from San Francisco to the Midwest and beyond (at 32:22, 34:51 and 38:16).

Fresh in the mind was my trip to Canada in March 2024. The show opens with a song recorded there with my brother (feat. former guest Mike Teague on guitar) and a trip to an Edmonton rock pub is included in one of my story snippets. Ukraine is also in our thoughts and features in the work and in our chat. A mid-point meander into music past and present is accompanied by some beats and effects (27:06).

The Wordarium Journal is available here, containing the work of 48 local poets: https://litfest.org/product/the-wordarium-journal/ 

Escape2Make, ‘a charity dedicated to helping 11–18-year-olds in the Lancaster & Morecambe area’ who provided the artwork for the journal: https://escape2make.org 

Andrey Kurkov’s ‘Grey Bees’: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/andrey-kurkov/grey-bees/9780857059369/ 

Andrey Kurkov’s ‘Diary of an Invasion’: https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/andrey-kurkov-2/diary-of-an-invasion/9781800699090/  

Natalia Ginzberg’s ‘Family Lexicon’: https://dauntbookspublishing.co.uk/book/family-lexicon/ 

Timothy Snyder’s ‘Our Malady’: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669175/our-malady-by-timothy-snyder/

First Impressions - Episode 28 - Lasting Impressions (feat. Douglas Berman)

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio; I’m your host, James Navé. 

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to poet and educator Cynthia Shumacher, who, at 95, is still actively writing and publishing. Cynthia’s latest works, "Polished Stones" and "Soul Flowers" reveal her masterful ability to convey the emotions we all feel but often struggle to express. Through a carefully crafted combination of words, she paints a relatable and refreshing picture of the human experience.

Our conversation touches not only on her poetic journey but also on her deep commitment to education. A career teacher for 33 years, Cynthia has been a champion of student empowerment and was even briefly fired in the 1960s for her courageous activism during the civil rights movement. Her insights into poetry, teaching, and the power of language are a testament to her lifelong dedication to both the arts and social justice.

In this episode, I’ve paired my interview with Cynthia with a past conversation I had with poet Ocean Vuong. Together, their perspectives bridge generations and remind us of poetry's timelessness.

Join us for a rich discussion that spans history, poetry, and education.

The Poetics Of Education with author and educator Cynthia Shumacher

The second of two special episodes based around the craft of writing, Ep. 29 of First Impressions features more chat with Brooklyn-based author Douglas Berman as we turn to travel writing, both of us having lived in the Far East and written about our experiences there to some degree. 

We discuss the risks and benefits of bearing witness to a place as outsiders and how well-known authors like DH Lawrence and George Orwell have fared doing the same, as well as the expectations that come with setting fiction in a particular time and/or place. 

Poetry is also discussed and Doug chooses a travel-related Derek Walcott poem, The Castaway, to share. Within the conversation there is news of the second of my two novels forthcoming on Pine Goat – The Neighbours, a speculative thriller set in a fictional northern town in which a community finds themselves with unanticipated superpowers. I read an extract from The Neighbours at 44:16 while Doug shares his short pieces ‘Taiwan in the New Year’ (13:56) and ‘Iced Sausages’ (21:35) plus a poem of his own (54:12).  

A giveaway of the audiobook version of my last published novel Hong Kong Rocks is mentioned. Drop me a line at pjhwriting@gmail.com if you’d like more details of that.  

Some links to topics we covered: 

More reflections on DH Lawrence’s ‘Mornings in Mexico’: https://modernistreviewcouk.wordpress.com/2022/01/31/the-travellers-mirror-indigenous-tribes-and-he-modernising-west-in-d-h-lawrences-morning-in-mexico-1927/ 

DH Lawrence’s ‘Studies in Classic American Literature’ examined: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/books/review/dh-lawrence-american-classics-literature-soul.html 

On author David TK Wong’s life and work: https://davidtkwong.com

More about Eileen Chang’s life and work: https://aaww.org/a-lifelong-romance-reflections-on-eileen-changs-life-work-and-legacy/  

Details of Garth Simmons’ two books Hole Punch and The Men in My Life can be found via his Instagram page, which is an excellent follow: https://www.instagram.com/garth_simmons/ 

Hong Kong Rocks audiobook available on Google Play/other audiobook platforms: https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details/Peter_Humphreys_Hong_Kong_Rocks?id=AQAAAEDCw1-DjM&hl=en_GB

First Impressions - Episode 29 - The Writing Journey (feat. Douglas Berman)

In this episode of Bold Voices Good Yarns, host Ian Henzel sits down with author Jerry Wheeler to discuss his latest book, Mercedes General, and the personal journey that shaped his writing. 📚✍️

🔎 From Edgar Allan Poe to The Dick Van Dyke Show, Jerry’s influences are as diverse as they are fascinating. He shares how books became an escape, television shaped his humor, and self-research led to his journey of self-acceptance. Plus, hear why he’d choose to live in Middle-earth! 🏔️📖

🔥 Key Takeaways:
🔹 Writing shaped by a conflicted childhood
🔹 The lasting impact of fantasy worlds & literature
🔹 The Beat Generation’s influence on his style
🔹 How humor and darkness coexist in his work

Here are links to Jerry’s book, “Mercedes General:”
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/110292/9781608642991
Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/bn-mercedes-general-wheeler
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4iGWffc

Jerry Wheeler - From Poe to Middle-earth: on Writing, Influence, and Self-Discovery - Ep5

Q: Who Would Envy You? 
A: Bruce Springsteen 

Last month, I had coffee with my friend Gareth Higgins at Recess Coffee in Black Mountain, North Carolina. As we settled in, I mentioned I’d been exploring ChatGPT. Gareth smiled and said, “Let me show you something ChatGPT can do that’ll surprise you.”

Then he leaned into his phone and dictated: List 10 notable writers or poets who would be envious of James Navé and explain why.

If you’ve ever used ChatGPT, you know what happened next—within seconds, it generated the list along with a paragraph for each one. 

While a few responses were predictable, the overall experience was oddly fascinating. It got me thinking about the lens of self-worth, creative admiration, and the power of imaginative comparison.

Yesterday, I tried Gareth’s idea out as a prompt during our Thursday Imaginative Storm Zoom workshops. List 5 to 10 people you admire. Then, write for 10 minutes about why they would envy you. Give it a spin. 

I chose Bruce Springsteen. Here’s what I wrote.

Bruce Springsteen, you envy me because I can be invisible whenever and wherever I want, wherever I go, walking through the promised land across the Rainbow Bridge. 

Bruce, I like the way you look straight out. You envy me because I can see the edges. I dwell in the fall from grace as much as the rise from grace. I'm not troubled with old sheep wandering in dry pastures. 

I have a voice that calls my mama from the grave. No, I'm no karmic child, nor am I a fleeting-moments Buddhist. I am oil and dusty windows. 

Bruce, you envy me because unlike you, I'm from the rugged south, down in the heartland where rocks have accents and children grow up to sing in Nashville. 

Bruce, you are from New Jersey—Land of steel, forest, factories, and “made-men” on corners in Jersey City. I am a creature of things that crawl in old gold heat. I know the runners that pull the cargo up the inland waterway and fly twin-engine planes out of Cuba, or they used to. 

Bruce, I know you know people, too. Do I envy you? Sure, I envy you. I've heard you weep over your piano. You envy me because nobody expects me to weep over my piano. Those who know me expect me to rise up like magic wind. 

Bruce, you envy me because I can talk to age, and time, and the coming years. I belong to the invisible Bruce. I can call up sometime, anytime I want. You can call me sometime, too. 

Let's meet in Virginia, south on I-95 just below Washington, DC. How about it, Bruce?

Bruce Springsteen Envies Me by James Navé

This week, Lupa fumbles her way through housekeeping and struggles to get started in this week's episode. She is in a new environment, and her brain doesn't seem to want to work with her mouth. Eventually, she gets going and shares some exciting news. What? Tune in and find out.

Lupa's Bits #199 - Chronicles Of Whatever

Welcome to Provocative Conversations from Twice 5 Miles Radio; I’m your host, James Navé. What happens when a bullied 12-year-old finds her voice through a school talent show poem—and never looks back? In this powerful episode of Twice 5 Miles Radio, I sit down with Alabama-born poet E. Bailey, a rising star in the national slam poetry scene, who will be competing at this year’s LEAF Poetry Slam Championships.
Over 40 minutes, E. Bailey walks us through her poetic journey—from being mentored by a traveling poetry dad to self-publishing her first book at 15, to discovering the raw intimacy of slam poetry. Baileydoesn’t just write poems—she does poetry. She performs it, embodies it, lives it.
Her stories are vulnerable, electric, and deeply human: navigating trauma, small-town isolation, early grief, and ultimately, transformation. Whether she’s reading her two-part piece “Bad Girl / Bad Girl Becomes Woman” or reflecting on slam as a spiritual awakening, E. Bailey speaks forcefully, without hesitation.
The second half of the episode includes I  reflect on my own poetic evolution—growing into the craft later in life, the origins of the LEAF Slam, and what it means to say something true on the page and on the stage.
This is a show about poetry as survival, as connection, and as reclamation. Whether you’re 13 or 97, a seasoned poet or someone just starting out, this episode is an invitation to step through the door and speak your truth.
Tune in, take a breath, and let E. Bailey catch yo with your guard down.

Bad Girl Write Poetry with spoken word poet E. Bailey

This podcast was recorded at the Janet Frame Memorial Lecture, given by the NZSA President of Honour 2025, Charlotte Grimshaw, in October 2025 in association with Verb at the New Zealand National Library. The prestigious position of NZSA President of Honour, is bestowed on a senior writer and long-serving member in recognition of their contribution to writing and writers and the literary arts sector in Aotearoa

NZSA Live! Charlotte Grimshaw's 2025 Janet Frame Address

Emerging author
Whadjuk nyoongar booja
Historical fiction, old Hollywood lover
Podcaster

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.

Listen to the New Zealand Society of Authors Oral History Podcast, hosted by Karyn Hay and including author interviews collected over 30 years.  

Also find our new podcast, NZSA Live!  Featuring audio recorded at NZSA events.

I'm a writer and editor based in Lancaster. Check out my podcasts Pet Projects (in which I interview creative types about their pets - and their projects), First Impressions (a surreal slice of literary cheesecake), and Monkey Scribbling (two older blokes reflect on their youth in the '90s through the letters they exchanged at the time). 

Pet Projects is a collaboration with Ana Rebolledo and Monkey Scribbling with Richard Pye. 

The family band I formed with my brother, Decaying Leather, in 1989 continues to write and record. Our music can also be found on SoundCloud and elsewhere.

The Authors on the Air Global Radio Network is an international digital media corporation featuring  podcasts, book reviewers and conference media coverage..  Our content is available on audio and video platforms in 153 countries.

New tracks tagged #writinglife