The Anxious Poet is a podcast looking at anxiety and mental health issues through the medium of poetry.
The two poems are to be published in my next collection - Where Do Dreams Come From. The books mentioned are The Book Of Symbols - Reflections on Archetypal Images - Taschen, Animal Life in Nature, Myth and Dreams - Elizabeth Caspari, Inner Work: Using Dreams & Active Imagination for Personal Growth: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth - Robert A. Johnson, The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols - Alain Gheerbrant. The App is called Temenos Dream www.temenosdream.com The quote from Hebrew Scripture is from Genesis 32:22-31. If you want to share anything with me about this episode you can email me at adrianscott@mac.com
The poem comes from my collection entitled A Night Sea Journey available by Clicking Here The Poem by Mary Oliver is called Don't Hesitate. Look out for the next full podcast Naming Our Myths Part Two coming soon.
The Poems I read are available on my Website www.adriangorscott.com you can read all four of them there. The carol Diadem is from Kate Rusby's album 'While Mortals Sleep' Listen on Spotify . Thanks for listening in 2024 and I look forward to more chat in 2025.
The poems used in this episode are Taking Stock from the Call of the Unwritten - I Am Me And You Are You from Arriving In Magic - Bottle Digging from A Night Sea Journey - all available to buy at www.adriangrscott.com This is the first quote used “I suspected that myth had a meaning which I was sure to miss if I lived outside it in the haze of my own speculations. I was driven to ask myself in all seriousness: “What is the myth you are living?” I found no answer to this question, and had to admit that I was not living with a myth, or even in a myth, but rather in an uncertain cloud of theoretical possibilities which I was beginning to regard with increasing distrust. I did not know that I was living a myth, and even if I had known it, I would not have known what sort of myth was ordering my life without my knowledge. So, in the most natural way, I took it upon myself to get to know “my” myth, and I regarded this as the task of tasks…” C.G. Jung Here is the second “Every individual in the world, regardless of cultural background or race, has an indigenous soul struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment created by that individual's mind. A modern person's body has become a battleground between the rationalist mind — which subscribes to the values of the machine age — and the native soul. This battle is the cause of a great deal of spiritual and physical illness.” Martín Prechtel You can see some of the items mentioned in the podcast on the cover.
This is a selection of some of the best bits according to how many people downloaded it and the amount of positive feedback they received. They are from, in order, Episode 1, Episode 3, Episode 5, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 15 and Episode 19. Thanks again to Philippe Edwards, Patrick Ryan, Helen Mort and Ray Tonge. For more go to www.adriangrscott.com
The poem quoted in the first half of the podcast is by Rainer Maria Rilke it is in Rainer Maria Rilke, Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God - the opening lines are 'You are not surprised at the force of the storm'. Here is list of Adrian's Lessons Learned with the quotes from his poems. Lessons Learnt from my Breakdown Breathing Advice to Myself in Anxiety ‘Breathe slowly into this, Don't run; stay, You are moored more firmly than you know. There is a constancy in you not your own.' Talking Anxiety Diary ‘My Jungian therapist said, right at the start, that this breakdown was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I thought it was she that was insane, and I wanted to stop right there and then. I think now, she may have been right.' Walking Rivelin Valley Vespers ‘By walking this same path, with a slow and monastic doggedness, I behold tonight's road by low sunlight, all made meaningful and prelude by the merle blue devotion in my collie's gaze.' Writing Writing as Therapy ‘Now here I am, sitting in a round of delivery, speaking lines gleaned from a dark and no-mooned night, when only my pen knew its way.' Seeing Afterword to a Traipsing ‘Laura Page has walked me around the streets camera slung, capturing Sheffield with f-stops and the right shutter-speeds for a city caught in the headlights of forces it is yet to grasp.' Sharing Writing as Therapy ‘In the morning session I had spared no detail of my breakdown, all the colly-wobbled, jelly-bellied quaking of it all.' Volunteering We are Bodies ‘We have turned sixty Volunteering, cooking the cafe Good soup, vegan and lentil Aching knees, aching nerves Bruised by the bruising lives we are Bludgeoned into, but brightened By the fellowship of fellow sufferers' Trusting A Night Sea Journey ‘This is what the mythologists call a night sea journey. I am on a gurney bark sailing through the dark into an uncertain dawn.' Loving Birdsong on Long Line ‘A sleek throat sounds against the early dusk a last verse to these long lines of walking, and my heart welcomes this reckless chorus, hopefulness beyond my walk's ending.' Thanks to Andy Selman for his wonderful accompaniment to the Birdsong poem - the whole Album Made I Sheffield can be heard on Spotify here Made In Sheffield - Scott & Selman You can buy Adrian's books here www.adriangrscott.com If you want to Adrian and Andy perform with the band Dusk Over Rivelin on August 15th in Sheffield click here for tickets. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/623931 Come along it will be a great evening. And finally Adrian would like to thank all who have listened and made the 9000 downloads and counting. Bless you all.
The poem Writing as Therapy at the beginning is from my collection - A Night Sea Journey available at Buy Here Simon's poems are copyright to him. If you want to hear more about his poetry you can email him here - stjosephwinsford2012@hotmail.co.uk. He is parish Priest at St Joseph's RC Church, Winsford, Cheshire.
The poems used in this episode are - Sometimes by David Whyte (in Essentials) - No Such Thing As Right Or Wrong from The Call of the Unwritten - Accompaniment from Arriving In Magic - Christ Before the High Priest from Arriving In Magic - Thomas Wanted To See Nail Marks from A Night Sea Journey. All my books are available at https://adriangrscott.com/product-category/books/ You can view the painting mentioned 'Christ Before the High Priest by Honthorst on the National Gallery Website https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/gerrit-van-honthorst-christ-before-the-high-priest You can purchase the book The Quest of the Holy Grail (Penguin Classics) on Amazon or any good bookshop.
The main book I reference in this episode is Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Heschel. The artwork for this episode is taken from one of the wood engravings in the book by Ilya Schor. It really speaks to me of the way the workaday world holds us captive and the great promise of cessation and rest that the idea of sabbath offers. The first two poems I read are When Will You Be Ready and This Is All The Life You Have from Arriving in Magic. Purchasable at www.adriangrscott.com . The last one - A Moment In Each Day is from A Sheffield Traipsing that will be available on my website from the 15th of March. This is the day of my Book Launch and if you are in Sheffield and want to join me - it will be at 7pm at the Kelham Island Museum ( more details on my website). To book a ticket click here - https://www.wegottickets.com/event/609358
The Poems used in this episode are Lara's Surgery from Arriving In Magic and Advice to Myself in Anxiety from A Night Sea Journey available to purchase at Books The Novel Lara reads from is Still Life by Sarah Winman Click Here for More
The two poems that I shared Francis and the Crib at Greccio and Winter Drive Along The A66 will be available on my substack page The Anxious Poet's Substack The Kate Rusby song is from her album While Mortals Sleep Listen . The Phamie Gow version of Emily Dickinson's poem “Hope” is the thing with feathers can be heard here Listen. The article by Edward Kessler Jewish-Muslim dialogue: feeling the other's pain can be found in the Tablet - 7th December 2023. The book by Zambia Malik is called We Are Muslim's Please. Have a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. Adrian x
You can read a version of this Podcast at The Anxious Poet's Substack The Poem - You Stride On, My Son, Ahead of Us, Up Enchanted Rock is in my book A Night Sea Journey available at www.adriangrscott.com The rest of the poem are on the Substack. The Native American Pipe Music is from R. Carlos Nakai - Canyon Trilogy.
You can find the poems and photographs in this episode here Adrian's Substack Page The book quoted is The Journey of Crazy Horse by Joseph M Marshall.
Belden C Lane is Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, American Religion, and History of Spirituality at St Louis University, He is author of Backpacking with the Saints, The Solace of Fierce Landscapes, and Ravished by Beauty. The poem he quotes is by Wendell Berry. It is called Our Real Work - It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have come to our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings. My prom Aravaipa Canyon is as yet unpublished if you want a copy email me at adriangrscott@me.com The other Poem is Two Beggars and a Wolf in A Night Sea Journey available at www.adriangrscott.com The Wordsworth Sonnet is XXXII in his collected works - Surprised by Joy. Deep thanks to Belden for his robust vulnerability and friendship.
This poem can be found in my first collection of the same name - The Call of the Unwritten. https://adriangrscott.com/product/the-call-of-the-unwritten/
The poems used are 'He sings a song of the younger world' as yet unpublished - Gabriel and There is No Such Thing As Right And Wrong from The Call of the Unwritten - The Lost Eden and The Tremor of Silk from A Night Sea Journey all available at www.adriangrscott.com The two books mentioned are The Call of the Wild by Jack London and Never Leave the Dog Behind by Helen Mort.
The first poem is The force that through the green fuse drives the flower by Dylan Thomas. The Three Marriages: Reimagining Work, Self and Relationship by David Whyte is the book I referred to in this podcast. The story is from The Lakota Way: Stories and Lessons for Living by Joseph M. Marshall the 3rd from the chapter on humility. The next poem is We Find Each Other written for Patrick and Sarah on their wedding to be found in A Night Sea Journey and finally the poem Blossom can be found in Arriving in Magic both by Adrian. Purchase at www.adriangrscott.com
The poems used in this podcast are Initiation from Arriving In Magic, You Stride On, My Son, Ahead of Us, Up Enchanted Rock from A Night Sea Journey, Speaking to Steel Workers about Rites of Passage, as yet unpublished, and Thomas Wanted to See Nail Marks from A Night Sea Journey. The piece about my Dad's experiences on the HMS Hermes is from a book called The Hermes Adventure. The final two pieces by Jack London and Henry David Thoreau are from I Am Coyote - Readings from the Wild Edited by Jay Schoenberger. If you want to comment or share your thoughts with me the email is theanxiouspoetspodcast@gmail.com To purchase any of my work go to www.adriangrscott.com
Wishing everyone a happy Solstice, a merry Christmas, a safe journey through the dark time of the year. You can find the miner's hymn on any good music platform - it is called Gresford. With heartfelt thanks to Vicky Jones from the Woodhorn Colliery Museum and to Matt Carr my collaborator and friend on the Grim Up North Podcast. You can find the album Made in Sheffield that Andy Selman and I have done on Spotify, or Apple Music. More info at www.adriangrscott.com
The final episode of this autumn mini series. In it I explore the whole idea of the genius loci - the sense of place - for me that place of synchronicity is Sheffield. The incidental music is by my great friend Andy Selman. The books referred to are Desert Wisdom by Sushi Nomura, A Year with Thomas Merton Edited by Jonathan Montaldo, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, The Essential Jung - Selected Writings by Jonathan Storr. If you live near Sheffield and want to come to the Gig at Cafe#9 on the 14th December here is a link to the details on how to book. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/561690
The incidental music is by my great friend Andy Selman. The books referred to are Desert Wisdom by Sushi Nomura, A Year with Thomas Merton Edited by Jonathan Montaldo, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, The Essential Jung - Selected Writings by Jonathan Storr. The first volume of my poetry - A Night Sea Journey is available on my website. You can also find some of the works quoted in this episode at www.adriangrscott.com
The incidental music is by my great friend Andy Selman. The books referred to are Desert Wisdom by Sushi Nomura, A Year with Thomas Merton Edited by Jonathan Montaldo, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, The Essential Jung - Selected Writings by Jonathan Storr. The first volume of my poetry - Arriving In Magic is available on my website. You can also find some of the works quoted in this episode at www.adriangrscott.com
The incidental music is by my great friend Andy Selman. The books referred to are Desert Wisdom by Sushi Nomura, A Year with Thomas Merton Edited by Jonathan Montaldo, A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver, The Essential Jung - Selected Writings by Jonathan Storr. The first volume of my poetry - the Call of the Unwritten is available on my website. You can also find some of the works quoted in this episode at www.adriangrscott.com
The two poems used are Visiting Shawbost and Evacuee from Arriving in Magic. It can be purchased at www.adriangrscott.com Here is Eva's Spotlight page https://www.spotlight.com/2695-6754-9782
The Wordsworth extract is from The Prelude Book 4. My poem is to be found on my website www.adriangrscott.com Thanks to Andy Selman for the incidental music.
There will be excerpts from the cycle of poems entitled 'Some Canvasses' on my website www.adriangrscott.com The poem 'What shall I do with the body i've been given' i from Osip Mandelshtam - Selected Poems - Penguin Modern Classics. Other great poetry can be read in the 'Four of Us - Pasternak, Akhmatova, Tsvetaeva, Mandelshtam'. If you want to read Doctor Zhivago there are some great versions, the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky is very good. Good compilations of poetry are 'The Zoo of the New - A Book of Exceptional Poems from Sappho to Muldoon' or 'A Poem for Every Night of the Year - Edited by Allie Esiri'.
The poems and prose used in this podcast are as follows. Digging and A Kite for Michael and Christopher by Seamus Heaney, Thank You for Waiting by Simon Armitage, The Road To Wigan Pier by George Orwell. My poems were The Pond from Arriving in Magic, Sedition from A Night Sea Journey these can viewed or the books purchased at www.adriangrscott.com
The book I have been reading is The Winter Solstice by John Matthews. The poem Sweet Darkness by David Whyte and its commentary can be read in David Whyte Essentials available at https://davidwhyte.com My poems were The Circle from Arriving In Magic, Taking Stock from The Call of the Unwritten, The Belly Of the Year from A Night Sea Journey, There is One Thing Necessary from The Call of the Unwritten, and Afterword to a Traipsing as yet unpublished. Published poetry available at www.adriangrscott.com The Samuel Taylor Coleridge poem is Frost at Midnight. The Sky Arts show I mention is Wordsworth & Coleridge Road Trip with Frank Skinner and Denise Mina.
The Poems in this Podcast are Moon Madness from The Call of the Unwritten, This Thing of Darkness from A Night Sea Journey, Married Again and Blossom from Arriving in Magic. The Story is Dream Boy and Shadow Man from A Night Sea Journey. The book by Carl Jung is The Undiscovered Self. To purchase my work go to www.adriangrscott.com
The poem can be found in A Night Sea Journey - available to buy at www.adriangrscott.com along with my Latest album in collaboration with Andy Selman called Made In Sheffield
The album Made In Sheffield can be streamed on Apple Music https://music.apple.com/us/album/made-in-sheffield/1566765813 or Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/5DJlxhG5Oiz59kKK8Q4fy2 More information about the poems and the album are to be found at www.adriangrscott.com David Whyte's poem The House of Belonging can be found at https://davidwhyte.com
Ray is an Integrative psychotherapist working in Rathmines Co. Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. He can be found at https://awarenesscounselling.ie/ray-tonge-counsellor The Poem used is by John O'Donohue and can be punt in his brilliant book Benedictus and can purchased at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benedictus-Book-Blessings-John-ODonohue/dp/0593058623/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= it is also available from other booksellers. The poems by Adrian are Writing as Therapy and Don't Recover Too Soon from A Night Sea Journey available at www.adriangrscott.com
The Poems used in this podcast are Poem in October by Dylan Thomas, The Boy Within from The Call of the Unwritten, Arriving In Magic from the collection of the same name, A Raven in my Sleep (as yet unpublished), you can find it on the front page of my website though, Advice to Myself in Anxiety from A Night Sea Journey, A Bigger Picture from Arriving in Magic and finally Birdsong on Long Line (as yet unpublished). You can donate to my birthday appeal at https://www.facebook.com/donate/1737114909826153/ and you can find more about my writing at www.adriangrscott.com
Martins in the Eves is, as yet unpublished, you can obtain a copy from Adrian - contact him through his website www.adriangrscott.com The music is by Andy Selman
In this episode the Anxious Poet looks at the phenomenon of family and what we inherit from them, especially our parents. He explores how it is up to us to appreciate just what has been passed on to us both in terms of our character and how the events of our parents lives shaped them and in turn shape us. The poems used are 'A Refusal to Mourn the Death, by Fire, of a Child in London' by Dylan Thomas. The other are all by Adrian - Evacuee from Arriving in Magic, My Daughter Acting from A Night Sea Journey, From the Medals of My Father from The Call of the Unwritten, and Two Photographs from A Night Sea Journey. The Cover Photo is from his parents on their wedding day. To purchase any of Adrians work go to www.adriangrscott.com
The first piece of music is by Enya from her 2008 And Winter Came Album. The first poem The Crib at Greccio is, as yet unpublished. The final poem Tofts Lane can be seen with all the others in my Exhibition - A Sheffield Advent at https://www.whirlowspiritualitycentre.org/a-sheffield-advent you can also view the film I made for the exhibition there too. Thanks again to Andy Selman for the musical the end and to my daughter Eva Scott for reading the Advent Blessing. All other info can be found at www.adriangrscott.com
This poem can be found in an earlier version in Adrian's book Arriving in Magic. If you want to see the version used in this podcast go to Adrian's Blog at www.adriangrscott.com
Aravaipa Canyon - the poem used in this Podcast is as yet unpublished. If you want a copy you can contact Adrian through his website www.adriangrscott.com See https://aravaiparanch.com for more about the ranch and the canyon. The directors cut of Dances With Wolves is available on DVD as a three disc special edition. For more on Animals in dreams and as symbols see Barbara Hannah The Archetypal Symbolism of Animals and The Cat, Dog and Horse Lectures.
This piece comes from a collection I am writing about my life and experience of the city of Sheffield. I hope to publish this in 2021 alongside a series of photographs. The music is by Andy Selman. The article mentioned can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/aug/21/tragic-story-of-sheffield-park-hill-bridge The production of Standing at the Sky's Edge was at the Crucible and they are hoping to reprise it in November. https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/standing-at-the-skys-edge-1
This poem is taken from my collection entitled Arriving In Magic and is available on Amazon or from my website adriangrscott.com Thanks to Andy Selman for the musical accompaniment.
Fiona Watson is a Mindfulness Practitioner in Sheffield. You can find more about her at http://www.fionawatsonmindfulness.com The poems used are Easdale Tarn from A Night Sea Journey, Haste from Arriving in Magic, www.adriangrscott.com The Wendell Berry Poem is called The Peace of Wild Things and can be found in his selected poems. Many thanks to Fiona for joining me. The conversation was recorded on Zoom so apologies for the quality.
The poem Silence is to be found in Adria's Book Arriving In Magic. The Music used was composed for the piece by Andy Selman - local Sheffield musician. Adrian and Andy are beginning to collaborate on music and poetry projects. They are hoping to produce an album of poems and music in the future and (when things are safe) to do some live gigs. www.adriangrscott.com
A slightly longer mini-ish Poemcast for my birthday - reflecting the time of lockdown we are living through. Thanks to my old friend Graham H Nash for the music. The poem used is from my latest collection - A Night Sea Journey available from www.adriangrscott.com
The poems read in this Podcast are The Real Truth from The Call of the Unwritten by Adrian Scott, Incertus by Seamus Heaney, from New and Selected Poems 1966-1987, A Dream of Trains by Pablo Neruda from Five Decades :Poems 1925-1970, Iron Hans by Anne Sexton from Transformations, an unpublished poem called A Moment in Each Day by Adrian Scott, and Taking Stock from The Call of the Unwritten by Adrian Scott. The film mentioned is Il Postino (the Postman) available on amazon prime. The book about Ruskin is To See Clearly - Why Ruskin Matters by Suzanne Fagence Cooper.
The Music is called Priveghiati si va Rugati by Angela Gheorghiu, the Romanian National Choir "Madrigal-Marin Constantin", the London Philharmonic Orchestra & Ion Marin. The title means watch and pray. This is often chanted on Holy Thursday after the service and remembers Jesus in the garden of gethsemane and his words to the his friends as they struggled to stay awake.
The second Poemcast, a short period of poetic reverie, for as William Blake says "There is a Moment in each Day that Satan cannot find Nor can his Watch Fiends find it, but the Industrious find This Moment & it multiply. & when it once is found It renovates every Moment of the Day if rightly placed." (Milton, Plate 35:42-3) In this difficult and frighteningly uncertain time we have not only to face our outer fears but our inner ones too. This inner journey introduces us to parts of ourselves that we are unfamiliar with and need to be negotiated with, to be dialogued with, to have secret talks with. Then we will be better fitted to face this changing world as it unfolds with resilience and vulnerability. Go well in these more isolated and solitary times. Adrian (the anxious poet). (the Music is from Baraka)
This is a new initiative for the Anxious Poet's Podcast - Poemcasts, a short sharing of one poem as a way of pausing in a busy day and opening ourselves up to another economy. To the slow work of reverie, of musing and absorption. This is the poem Falling from the book Arriving in Magic, to be found on Amazon or at www.adriangrscott.com The Music is by a good friend of mine Graham Nash (not of Crosby Stills Nash and Young vintage, rather a lovely musician from Sheffield.
This episode explores the twin phenomena of vulnerability and resilience. Adrian uses five poems, Keel Hauled from The Call of The Unwritten, All At Sea from A Night Sea Journey, When Will You Be ready and There is a Certain Kind for Vow from Arriving in Magic, House Martins in the Eves is a new piece. The rest are available on www.adriangrscott.com Brenee Brown's work can be found at https://brenebrown.com
In this episode Adrian speaks of Christmas and the Solstice Season. With his own poetry and that of Charles Causley, Kristian Evans, and Dylan Thomas he leads us into the season of the Holly King and the dark of winter.
In this podcast Adrian is working with the poetry of Dylan Thomas the welsh prophet who lived in the middle part of the 20th Century. Using his own and Dylan's poetry he explores the ways in which we wrestle with the dark and the light, with life and death, with innocence and experience. The pain we experience that creates many of our mental health issues is faced, both head on and avoided with addiction in Dylan's tempestuous life. This allows us to explore these issues through the lyrical and mysterious lines of this enigmatic poet.
In this episode Adrian explores the life of someone who was and is a great friend to him in his travails with anxiety and mental health issues. Although Francis of Assisi lived 800 years ago Adrian shows just how relevant his life is now. Especially when he is stripped of some of the religiosity and hagiographic accretions that have but up around him over the years. The poems come from Adrian's last collection - A Night Sea Journey available on Amazon or at www.adriangrscott.com The Leonardo Boff book mentioned is St.Francis: A Model for Human Liberation. Also check out the new film about his visit to the Sultan - https://www.sultanandthesaintfilm.com
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