All my books, whatever the subject - poetry, art, a journey through Iran or the Middle East - share a common aim: to inspire myself and others to value life and each other with depth, and to ask courageous questions about the way we live – to encourage us, before we die, to live into the best that we are. For me, travel, poetry,and art are like meditation. They are forms of spiritual practice; they are catalysts for change: a change of mind, a change of heart, a change of life. They help to give shape to our unspoken dreams, aspirations, and longings, and raise questions about what it means to be human. My book on Iran will be published in May 2010. November 1st 2009 sees the publication of my new poetry anthology, FOR LOVERS OF GOD EVERYWHERE: POEMS OF THE CHRISTIAN MYSTICS.
the silence
holds with its gloved hand
the wild hawk of the mind.
R.S.Thomas.
From: For Lovers of God Everywhere
Photo by Roger Housden
Interview with Kris Welch for The Living Room Show, KPFA Radio Berkeley.
In his keynote lectures, poetry recitals, and retreats Roger explores how the images and creative language of poetry, and also art, can transform our way of thinking and lead us to live a more deeply felt life. Click here to schedule an event with Roger.
Poetry can also change lives in a concrete, material way. Our Poetry For Water page shows how one evening of poetry can generate enough funds to bring water to a village in Africa.
Implicit throughout this website is our culture’s need for fresh ideas – ideas that light the fire of our passion for life; that challenge us to see the world with new eyes. “Philosophy,” Socrates said, “is a bite in the heart to any young and gifted soul.” At its best, poetry is a direct transmission of truth; a universal language that conveys the depths of human experience without dogma or sermons. Through his books and talks, Roger Housden is an advocate and mediator for this language, both in the public worlds of work and family, and in the personal world of self reflection.
“Housden’s book provides the key to life’s best kept secret garden, a place the reader can receive refuge and sustenance for the rest of her life.”
on Ten Poems to Open Your Heart