The Meaning of Refuge with Terry Tempest Williams

Program Description

This is one woman’s story of growing up downwind of an atomic testing site, in a wild, beautiful and “virtually uninhabited” area near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. “My family were some of the virtual uninhabitants,” Williams says. Nine women in her family developed cancer, and seven of them are now dead. She has emerged from this background as a poetically and politically aware naturalist and author, with powerful personal perspectives on grief, love, and the spirituality of nature, lake and desert. She speaks with rich insight on cancer and creativity, living boldly in the moment, and the meaning of refuge. “We no longer can be complacent to the dark side,” says Williams. “It’s where the source of our power lies…. The only risk to ourselves is if we choose to remain silent.” (Hosted by Justine Willis Toms)

Terry Tempest Williams is a renowned naturalist and author who marries a love for language with a passion for the environment. Utne magazine named Williams one of a 100 leading “visionaries.” A native of Utah and a fifth-generation Mormon, Williams has authored over a dozen books, including Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place (Pantheon 1991), An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field (Vintage Books 1995), Leap (Vintage 2001), Red: Patience and Passion in the Desert (Vintage Books 2002), and The Open Space of Democracy (The Orion Society 2004). To learn more about the work of Terry Tempest Williams go to www.coyoteclan.com

Topics Explored in this Dialogue:

• Why refuge is important
• How Poetry can feed your soul
• Why you need to express your truth
• How nature speaks to us
• What is the importance of making peace with your ancestors
• What is the healing quality of risk-taking

Program Number: 2294                     Host: Justine Willis Toms                   Interview Date: 11/4/1991