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“It's about seeing, through reading, whether where you are going has been or is now or will be written, or not.” This deliciously twisty line is from Kimberly Campanello's ongoing versioning of Dante's Inferno, and as in that sentence, she is translating and reconfiguring the 700-year-old work of poetry to reflect her life, her family's lives, your life, our life, and, indeed, our lives today. We are delighted to bring you this exhilarating conversation — part one of two — between Kimberly and Pádraig Ó Tuama that was recorded over Zoom in 2025. In addition to reading excerpts from her redone Dante, she and Pádraig talk about the English teacher who made an indelible impression on her, the roles of love and time in the Inferno, and how an early-onset Parkinson's diagnosis has shaped her thinking and writing. We invite you to subscribe to Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound books and his newest work, Kitchen Hymns, or listen to all our Poetry Unbound episodes. Kimberly Campanello's recent projects are the poetry collection An Interesting Detail, the novel Use the Words You Have, and MOTHERBABYHOME. She is Professor of Poetry at the University of Leeds. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
“Poetry should be horrifying,” says Rachel Mann. “It should be … on the edge of the edge of what could be said.” We are delighted to bring you this vibrant conversation featuring Rachel and Yomi Ṣode speaking with Pádraig Ó Tuama at the 2024 StAnza Poetry Festival in Scotland. Rachel and Yomi each read poems, and then go on to discuss grace, who receives it, and who deserves it; the place of grief and remembrance in their work; and how writing about historical figures is a way to disrupt and re-vision both the past and the present. We invite you to subscribe to Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound books and his newest work, Kitchen Hymns, or listen to all our Poetry Unbound episodes. Rachel Mann is a priest, writer, and broadcaster. Her second poetry collection, Eleanor Among the Saints, was published by Carcanet in January of 2024. Yomi Ṣode is an award-winning Nigerian-British writer. His debut poetry collection, Manorism, was published by Penguin in October of 2022. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In a partnership with Disability Action Ni, our April event was amazing; there are three stories from that evening on this podcast: Natasha Geary introduces Schweppes the not-so-pretty pony; Mark Cousins introduces the changeling with the blond hair; Deena Dimick introduces the wonderful dancing Sophia. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions. Email us at tenx9belfast@gmail.com
West Belfast through & through, Bernie McDonald goes east & falls in love. Told in February 2026 when the theme was Directions. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
April is National Poetry Month, and to kick things off, this year we have a conversation from the 2025 Portland Book Festival between two of our most accomplished contemporary poets: Pádraig Ó Tuama and Patricia Smith. Their conversation is moderated by Portland poet, musician, and Torah teacher, Alicia Jo Rabins. An Oregon Book Award finalist for her collection Fruit Geode, Alicia published her spiritual memoir earlier in 2026 with the wonderful title When We're Born We Forget Everything. Alicia leads the conversation with Patricia Smith and Padraig O Tuama. Patricia Smith's latest book is her new and selected, The Intentions of Thunder; and in fact, shortly after this event took place, in November 2025, the book was awarded the National Book Award for Poetry. Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet and theologian, and the host of On Being's Poetry Unbound podcast. The event was titled “Testament,” and much of the conversation explores the poet as witness and bearing witness; both of one's own life but also beyond that, including the form of the persona poem. Patricia talks about how coming up in the poetry slam community shaped her poetic voice and confidence, while Pádraig shares how a childhood in Ireland, where his poetic education was mostly focused on memorization, influenced his own trajectory. Patricia Smith is an inductee of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the recipient of the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize for Lifetime Achievement. She is the author of nine acclaimed books of poetry, including Unshuttered and Shoulda Been Jimi Savannah. A Guggenheim Fellow, a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, and a four-time individual champion of the National Poetry Slam, Smith is a creative writing professor in the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University and a former distinguished professor at the City University of New York. Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet who hosts On Being's Poetry Unbound, and has written the accompanying (and forthcoming) volume to that podcast. With publications in the Kenyon Review, the New England Review, Poetry Ireland, Harvard Review and others, he's also a seasoned broadcaster, having appeared on national radio stations in Ireland, the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand. His latest poetry collections are titled Kitchen Hymns and 44 Poems on Being with Each Other: A Poetry Unbound Collection. Alicia Jo Rabins is a writer, musician, composer, performer and Torah teacher. She combines words, music, ritual and performance to create works of experimental beauty exploring the intersection of ancient wisdom texts, feminism, and everyday life. Rabins tours internationally as a musician and performer; she has performed and presented at Lincoln Center, Joe's Pub, and in countries including Sweden, Guatemala and Estonia.
On March 25 we teamed up with the Belfast festival Imagine! & here are three stories from that evening on the theme Something New: Ashlene goes on a road trip in ‘90s Ireland; Tim arranges a secret trip to… that would be telling; Judith goes on a journey of self-discovery. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Pádraig Ó Tuama is an Irish poet, theologian and host of the On Being podcast, Poetry Unbound. Belonging, identity and reconciliation are at the heart of his work. Growing up bilingual, speaking both English and Irish, showed Pádraig that there are multiple ways to say things, and multiple ways to look at things. As a young gay man, Pádraig was subjected to abusive conversion practices, and it was his yearning for a better language to understand God and himself that led him to poetry and conflict mediation. Pádraig shows us both the brutality and the beauty of language, how words can destroy or nourish, and choosing which words to use is a power worth cultivating. You'll learn how to balance fear and courage, and why you should approach conflicts in your life by admitting what you don't know. Padraig also shares a journaling practice to draw out your own poetic voice. Links and resources About Pádraig Poetry Unbound Pádraig's memoir In the Shelter: Finding a Home in the World Pádraig also read The Exorcist and Oh What A Marvel it Appeared to Me from his 2023 collection Feed the Beast His latest collection is Kitchen Hymns With & For is a podcast of the Thrive Center, an applied research center that exists to catalyze a movement of human thriving, with and for others through spiritual health. Learn more at thethrivecenter.org.Follow us on Instagram @thrivecenterFollow us on LinkedIn @thethrivecenter Dr. Pamela Ebstyne King hosts With & For, and is the Executive Director of the Thrive Center and the Peter L. Benson Professor of Applied Developmental Science at the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller Seminary. Follow her @drpamking. About With & ForHost: Pam KingSenior Director and Producer: Jill WestbrookOperations Manager: Lauren KimSocial Media & Graphic Designer: Wren JuergensenSenior Producer: Clare WileyExecutive Producer: Jakob LewisProduced by Great Feeling Studios Special thanks to the team at Fuller Studio and Fuller Seminary's School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy. The podcast was made possible through the support from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.
hree stories told at Black Box events in 2025/26 in Belfast: Don Gregory makes his presence felt; Rania Charalampidou has an Easter break in Constantinople-Istanbul; Paul Brady doesn't see it coming when he visits a medium. Paul D is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Petra's full conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama, from the episode Peace within Chaos.
Host Pádraig Ó Tuama shares “The Listeners” by Walter de la Mare, a favorite childhood poem of his, and offers an audio postscript to Season 10 of Poetry Unbound. Later in 2026, he will bring us more Poetry Unbound to look forward to — find out what and when here. In the meantime, you can listen to past episodes of Poetry Unbound or to new episodes of On Being with Krista Tippett, out now. We invite you to subscribe to Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound books and his newest work, Kitchen Hymns, or listen to all our Poetry Unbound episodes. Walter de la Mare was born on April 25, 1873, in London. He is the author of numerous books, including The Veil and Other Poems (Constable & Company, 1921) and The Listeners (Constable & Company, 1912). He died on June 22, 1956, in Twickenham, England. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Recorded by Pádraig Ó Tuama for Poem-a-Day, a series produced by the Academy of American Poets. Published on March 9, 2026. www.poets.org
When everything feels a bit much, how do we find peace within the chaos? In this episode of Sunday Sanctuary, Petra Bagust finally gets a chance to talk with Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama about how his history of mediation and writing poetry informs how he looks for peace. Second up is Christchurch-based counsellor Charlotte Cummings. Both Pádraig and Charlotte bring thoughtful, if very different, perspectives on looking for peace within chaos. Charlotte's podcast, Feel Better, can be found here Read more of Pádraig's poetry here Sacred texts: Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom Lessons on Living by Nigel Latta Practices for Embodied Living by Dr Hillary McBride Music: You are the Gold by Terrible Sons By the Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates East Cape by Headland The News by Paramore Walk Alone to Hear Thoughts of Your Own by Laura Misch Spirit 2.0 by Sampha Peace Piece by the Bill Evans Trio Niueans of Ariki Street - Ariki Street - 04 by Hanisi Garue
It was Weds February 18 & we were collaborating with NI Science Festival with a full house in Belfast's Black Box: Eve Pritchett forgot to ask where her new school was; Kelly Thompson was a victim of mistaken identity by technology; Louise Nealon could easily have lost her way on her trip to the US. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Cork band Cypress, Mine! released their second album pulling all the clouds apart on February 13, 2026 - nearly 40 years after their debut Exit Trashtown. The current lineup is Ian Olney (guitar), Ciarán Ó Tuama (vocals), Mark Healy (bass), and Morty McCarthy (drums). They say the songwriting on the new album has changed significantly, focusing on themes of strong women, struggles of physical/mental pain and societal issues such as coercive control, intimidation and violence. Second single Safe Highway, meanwhile, draws from a 1997 poem by Ciarán's father, Seán Ó Tuama. On this episode of The Point of Everything, Ciarán and Ian discuss the spark behind the comeback, reasons for the original breakup, memories of 1980s Cork (including catching The Smiths live at the Savoy), the enduring legacy of Exit Trashtown, their personal growth, and how pulling all the clouds apart marks a fresh chapter. Buy the album: https://cypressmine.bandcamp.com/ Exit Trashtown: https://prettyoliviarecords.bandcamp.com/album/exit-trashtown-in-pieces To Here Knows When: https://www.paulmcdermott.ie/episode-52
Three stories from 2024 to lift you out of the February murk: Dave Thompson enjoys a windy Bible reading; it's game on for Mylie Brennan with dungeons and dragons; Malachi steps out flaunting his new knitted waistcoat at First Communion. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Three stories recorded in 2025 in Belfast's Black Box & Limavady's Roe Valley Arts Centre: Karen Gibson becomes a 999 regular; Mary Farrell loses dead skin & dignity; Mike Carlisle faces his “little death” - fear! Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Saolaíodh é cothram an lae seo 100 bliain ó shin – dán a scríobh sé in ómós do Christy Ring.
In this episode, we delve into the profound poem 'The Pedagogy of Conflict' by Pádraig Ó Tuama, exploring themes of integrity, hypocrisy, and the sanctity of life. Drawing connections to current social and political unrest, we urge a return to core moral values and faith-based principles. Through self-examination, prayer, and community support, we emphasize the importance of acting with integrity and love, encouraging everyone to reflect on their actions and live by their deepest beliefs. This reflective piece calls for both personal and collective responsibility in pursuit of a just and compassionate society. 00:00 Reflecting on Pádraig Ó Tuama's Poem 01:03 Counting Lives and Recent Events 02:20 Exploring Hypocrisy and Integrity 04:21 A Call to Law Enforcement and Government Agents 06:40 Lessons from the Civil Rights Movement 07:56 Actions of Faith and Integrity 10:09 Concluding Thoughts on Love and Integrity #CountingLives #Integrity #HumanDignity #PeopleOfFaith #FaithInPublicLife #CommonGood #Nonviolence
To ease us into 2026 here's a story told in May by Attila Pál which was part of the NI Mental Health Arts Festival. Happy New Year! Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Get a taste of our Christmas 2025 event in Belfast's Black Box - surprises, laughter & stories: first-timer Nathan McCartney prepares for the worst; Fionnuala Close is told “say nothin” & agrees; Pat Scott goes off Secret Santa. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Christmas came early to Portstewart when tenx9 arrived at Flowerfield. Here are four stories from that evening: Kate Murphy discovers the truth of Xmas in Africa; Gloria O'Connor is pushed to her festive limits; David McCullough introduces the wonderful Jennifer; Maria McCloskey is on a mission to find Henry. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Three stories told at our Black Box Belfast event in November when the theme was Fall: Richard Brown “helps” his straight-laced friend pack; Bob Salisbury finds his field of dreams in Tyrone; Houdi takes a principled stand against sexploitation, kinda. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama from an idea in Paul's head.. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent discuss courage. The regular episode is preceded by some thoughts on Josh Bossé from Reed and Brent.Support for Sophia and Ronen after the loss of Josh — GoFundMeFor Josh — Text in UsRemembering Josh Bossé — Brent Billings“When I Am Among the Trees” by Mary Oliver in Thirst“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry in The Selected Poems of Wendell BerryDaily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Pádraig Ó TuamaThe Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis“Just Do It” Motivational Speech by Shia LaBeouf — YouTubeBEMA 39: A King After God's Own HeartRocky IV (1985 film) — Letterboxd
Three stories to brighten your winter gloom: Martin Hutchinson thinks “wee buns” to windsurfing; Colin Dardis watches his dad struggle with day-to-day life; Carrie Jain lowers her guard on a train. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Sharing an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast.These days, our culture is marked by political unrest, polarization and anxiety. Beauty and art feel like a luxury, or even a distraction.In a special series, No Small Endeavor is asking: What if art, beauty, and poetry are exactly what we need to face the crisis at hand? Can poetry help us protest, pray, lament, and even hope? Host Lee C. Camp talks to poets like Haleh Liza Gafori, a poet, musician, and acclaimed translator of the Persian poet Rumi; and Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian, and host of Poetry Unbound. Their conversations evoke thoughtfulness about how to fight for beauty in the current culture, and how to make it through the fires of our time together.In this episode, Lee talks to Joy Harjo, a musician, author, and three-term U.S. Poet Laureate. Camp and Harjo explore how poetry can act as a form of justice, a practice of self-development, and a tiny experiment in healing.You can listen to No Small Endeavor at https://link.mgln.ai/goodlifeprojectWatch Jonathan's new TEDxBoulder Talk on YouTube now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zUAM-euiVI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Father & daughter Paul & Alice Hutchinson took to the tenx9 mic with their Hallowe'en stories at Roe Valley Arts Centre in Limavady. It was a wonderful night and it's not often we get a parent/child (Alice is a grown woman to be fair) combo. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Sharing an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast. These days, our culture is marked by political unrest, polarization and anxiety. Beauty and art feel like a luxury, or even a distraction. In a special series, No Small Endeavor is asking: What if art, beauty and poetry are exactly what we need to face the crisis at hand? Can poetry help us protest, pray, lament and even hope? Host Lee C. Camp talks to poets like Haleh Liza Gafori, a poet, musician, and acclaimed translator of the Persian poet Rumi; and Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian, and host of Poetry Unbound. Their conversations evoke thoughtfulness about how to fight for beauty in the current culture, and how to make it through the fires of our time together. In this episode, Lee talks to Joy Harjo, a musician, author, and three-term U.S. Poet Laureate. Camp and Harjo explore how poetry can act as a form of justice, a practice of self-development, and a tiny experiment in healing. You can listen to No Small Endeavor at https://link.mgln.ai/rethinkingFor the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsInterested in learning more about upcoming TED events? Follow these links:TEDNext: ted.com/futureyouReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Four stories from 17 October 2025 told at an event in Derry/Londonderry in partnership with the Churches Trust. The theme was Faith: Cat felt she was losing her faith; Joseph wondered about a vocation; Kenny rediscovered his faith amidst adversity; Linda was hidden in an onion bag. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Today, we're sharing an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast. These days, our culture is marked by political unrest, polarization, and anxiety. Beauty and art feel like a luxury, or even a distraction. In a special series, No Small Endeavor is asking: What if art, beauty, and poetry are exactly what we need to face the crisis at hand? Can poetry help us protest, pray, lament, and even hope? Host Lee C. Camp talks to poets like Haleh Liza Gafori, a poet, musician, and acclaimed translator of the Persian poet Rumi; and Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian, and host of Poetry Unbound. Their conversations evoke thoughtfulness about how to fight for beauty in the current culture, and how to make it through the fires of our time together. In this episode, Lee talks to Joy Harjo, a musician, author, and three-term U.S. Poet Laureate. Camp and Harjo explore how poetry can act as a form of justice, a practice of self-development, and a tiny experiment in healing. You can listen to No Small Endeavor here. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
We welcome Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama to the Dean's Forum this Sunday, following his presentation at the Spirituality Conference on Saturday. We all live in situations of conflict: from the everyday tensions with your beloveds to arguments with yourself, then on to local and political and national issues that escalate feelings, loyalties and demands. How can we engage with these realities through the lens of the gospels? Will that help? If so, how? This session will explore some dynamics of conflict in gospel accounts, and then consider whether there's wisdom for our contemporary lives.Pádraig Ó Tuama (b. 1975 Cork, Ireland) is a poet with interests in conflict, language and religion. He presents Poetry Unbound from On Being Studios, and has published two anthologies (2022, 2025, both with WW Norton) from that podcast. In early 2025 Copper Canyon Press published Kitchen Hymns, his fourth poetry collection. A freelance artist, one of Ó Tuama's projects is poet-in-residence with the Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Center at Columbia University. For Ó Tuama, religion, conflict, power and poetry all circle around language, that original sacrament. Working fluently on the page and in public, Ó Tuama is a compelling poet, teacher, and group worker, and a profoundly engaging public speaker.
Can creative expression help us return to ourselves after we've experienced spiritual trauma?This week, Thomas sits down with Pádraig Ó Tuama, a distinguished Irish Poet, theologian, and host of the podcast Poetry Unbound, for a profound exploration of spiritual trauma. Pádraig shares about the specific heartbreak of being betrayed by a spiritual community, drawing from his own intense experiences as a young gay man whose sexuality was demonized by his church.Pádraig and Thomas discuss the intertwining of religious identity with politics and colonial history, particularly in Ireland, and share practical, philosophical, spiritual, and artistic approaches to healing from this type of trauma. At the heart of this conversation is the regenerative power of creativity and how art, poetry, and other forms of self-expression are essential to reestablishing a healthy relationship to your identity and your personal faith after trauma.Pádraig also reads his poem “The Exorcism” from his “Seven Deadly Sonnets” collection.✨ Click here to watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:
The theme for September 24th was “Wee Buns” & Paul Brady had this brilliant tale of starting over. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
It's road bowling season, and a major international event: the King and Queen of the Roads just wrapped up.One of the event organisers, Séamus Ó Tuama, joins Seán to discuss how it went!
Thanks to Pádraig Ó Tuama, August 24, 2025 on Substack.
On August 1st, there was a special tenx9 in the Black Box on the theme America: Fiona O'Neill had the coolest penpal; Richard O'Leary finally made it to San Francisco but his heart was elsewhere: Mylie Brennan had to make some cultural adjustments. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
We're back with three Summer stories just as those long, lazy days begin to fade: teenager Michael Blair goes on a European solo expedition; Barney Gribbin buys a bizarre wedding present; Sharon Magee makes a friend for life in the Netherlands. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
As we continue our series inspired by Howard Thurman's The Inward Journey, we turn toward the longing for peace—in our lives, our communities, and our world. Alongside Thurman's wisdom, we listen to the voice of poet Pádraig Ó Tuama, who closes one of his poems with a simple but profound refrain about choosing love again and again. In a world filled with conflict and division, we ask: What does it mean to let peace begin in us, shaped by the daily choice of love?
Former Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige and former Hawaiʻi State Sen. Randy Iwase discuss the rule of law; Irish poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama to give talks on Oʻahu and Maui as part of the Merwin Conservancy's "In the Green Room" series
Brendan gets a crash course in the competitive sport of road bowling from the secretary of Ból Chumann na hÉireann, Séamus Ó Tuama and enthusiast Michelle Forde who is the founder of the popular Road Bowls in Ireland Facebook and TikTok accounts.
Grúpa páistí bainteach leis an gcumann atá ag freastal ar Ghaelscoileanna.
On 14 May, Belfast's Black Box became a confessional where storytellers came for absolution: Fiona O'Neil tormented her mother with toothpaste; Phil Simon believed he had murdered his beloved grandad & Pat Scott questioned her guilt after two attempts at murder. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Darcey Youngman told this story in March 2025 when the theme was Class. The audience in Belfast's Black Box loved it. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
What better way to honour St George's Day than true stories on the theme English told in the Black Box on 23 April 2025: Ciaran Gallagher wonders what England had ever done to Ireland; Anjali Kusurkar connects with the Irish nuns through English; Barney Gribbin wonders if his brother has gone full English. Paul is your host. Tenx9 is a live storytelling event where nine people have up to ten minutes each to tell a true story from their own life on a particular theme. It began in Belfast in 2011 in the Black Box, started by Paul Doran & Pádraig Ó Tuama. You'll find all the upcoming dates at tenx9.com/events, our guidelines at tenx9.com/guidelines & you can submit your stories at tenx9.com/submissions.
Today's episode was recorded live onstage at The Crawford in Pasadena, in partnership with our friends at LAist. Listen to hear conversation, poems, and some fun and games with our host Major Jackson and our guests Pádraig ÓTuama, Samiya Bashir, and Jason Schneiderman. The full episode transcript is available on our website at slowdownshow.org. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
This episode was recorded on March 2, 2025 at the Phillis Wheatley Heritage Center in St. Louis., Missouri. In this conversation, Pádraig Ó Tuama reads several poems from Kitchen Hymns (https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/books/kitchen-hymns-by-padraig-o-tuama/) (Copper Canyon Press, 2024), his newest collection. We discuss subversive speech, belief and doubt, lyrical poetry, the psychology of poetic forms, and the power of ancient myths. Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet with interests in conflict, language and religion. He presents Poetry Unbound (https://onbeing.org/series/poetry-unbound/) from On Being Studios, and has published two anthologies (2022, 2025, both with WW Norton) from that podcast. A freelance artist, one of Ó Tuama's projects is poet in residence with the Cooperation and Conflict Resolution Center at Columbia University. He splits his time between Belfast and New York City. To learn more about Ó Tuama, you can visit his website (https://www.padraigotuama.com/).
What does it mean to live alongside people you don’t agree with? And love them anyway? Pádraig Ó Tuama is a poet, theologian, and conflict mediator from Ireland, where belonging has always been complicated and peace is fragile at best. In this conversation, Kate and Pádraig explore what it takes to live together in the midst of disagreement—the beauty, the cost, and the messy, sacred hope of it all. In this conversation, Kate and Pádraig discuss: Why peace is exhausting, fragile, and still worth fighting for The surprising role of curiosity in transforming division How belonging can comfort us—and cost us If you liked this episode, check out: Safiya Sinclair on Rewriting Roots Nadia Bolz Weber on the Insight of Outsiders Lanecia Rouse on When Hope Seems Lost Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here or visiting katebowler.com/podcasts. Follow Kate on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly known as Twitter)—@katecbowler. Links to social pages and more available at linktr.ee/katecbowler.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Irish poet Pádraig Ó Tuama cataloged spreadsheets of poems to help create his new anthology, 44 Poems on Being with Each Other. The collection features writing from a variety of poets as well as reflections from Ó Tuama on the nuances of the human condition. Ó Tuama is also out with his own poetry collection, Kitchen Hymns. In today's episode, he speaks with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about poetry that reflects complex emotions and about his background in theology.To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedayLearn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Today's poem is A Sword Shall Pierce Your Heart by Pádraig Ó Tuama. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “I think my group chats are the best group chats. We hit each other up every day, give verbal daps, check-in on family, share progress videos of workouts. We pass on new drafts of poems with no pressure to give feedback (but, of course, we do). Or we simply say, “Good morning.” When birthdays roll around, we make sure each feels the love. On our phones, we are royalty.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp
Poetry Unbound with host Pádraig Ó Tuama is back on Monday, December 2. Featured poets in this season include Robert Hayden, Kinsale Drake, Danielle Chapman, Diannely Antigua, and many more. New episodes every week through March 3.Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Overcast, or wherever you listen.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.
In this concluding episode of "Poems as Teachers," our special miniseries on conflict and the human condition, host Pádraig Ó Tuama says the poems discussed in this offering are a different kind of teacher: “not as teachers that give us rules to follow — more so teachers that share something of their own intuition.” And for a final reflection, he offers Kai Cheng Thom's “trauma is not sacred,” which speaks directly, fiercely, and lovingly to the pain, scars, and violence that we humans carry and inflict upon one another.Kai Cheng Thom is a writer, performance artist, and community healer. Kai Cheng is the author of the novel Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl's Confabulous Memoir; the essay collection I Hope We Choose Love: A Trans Girl's Notes at the End of the World (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book); the poetry collection a place called No Homeland (an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book); and the children's books From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (illustrated by Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li) and For Laika, the Dog Who Learned the Names of the Stars (illustrated by Kai Yun Ching). She won the Writers' Trust of Canada's Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers in 2017.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.This is the final episode of "Poems as Teachers," a special seven-part miniseries on conflict and the human condition.We're pleased to offer Kai's poem, and invite you to read Pádraig's weekly Poetry Unbound Substack, read the Poetry Unbound book, or listen back to all our episodes.