The Stage I Never Planned to Take

SHOW NOTES:

Episode Title: The Stage I Never Planned to Take: Writing as a Path to Courage and Resistance

Episode Description: In this timely and deeply personal episode, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis offers both a writing practice and a story of unexpected courage — one that reminds us we have more bravery inside us than we may realize. Recording on the morning of the third No Kings rally, Laura connects the urgency of this political moment to the power of looking back at our own histories to find the strength we need to act now.

What Laura Covers in This Episode:

Why the current political climate makes reclaiming our personal courage essential

A powerful writing prompt for excavating your own history of bravery and resistance

How writing fleshes out memories and gives them visceral, usable power

The story behind The Courage to Heal — and why Laura chose a different story to write about today

A raw, twenty-minute free write from Laura's own early years as an out lesbian

What happened at a women's music festival forty-five years ago that Laura has never forgotten

Why revisiting past courage can fuel present action — and how to make that memory available to yourself right now

Episode Highlights:

Laura opens from Lexington, Massachusetts on the morning of the third No Kings rally — and reflects on the historical resonance of that place

She shares the Margaret Mead quote that has guided her through moments of collective fear and uncertainty

Laura reflects briefly on The Courage to Heal — a landmark book that came at enormous personal cost — before turning to a less obvious story

A twenty-minute free write takes listeners into a vivid scene from Laura's early twenties: a women's music festival in northern California, a drunk woman, and a terrified little boy

The moment Laura steps between the woman and the child — and what she discovers about herself in that instant

Laura organizes four other lesbians to take the stage with her, drafts a statement on the spot, and speaks out in an unwelcoming crowd

She closes by inviting readers and listeners to write their own courage stories and share them in the comments

About Host Laura Davis:

Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with more than 35 years of experience helping writers find their voices and tell their truest stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir The Burning Light of Two Stars (BookLife Prize Winner, 2021), and co-author of The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, one of the most influential books ever written for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

Laura teaches weekly Zoom writing classes, leads national and international writing retreats — including Flourishing as We Age and the Camino de Santiago Creative Pilgrimage— and hosts a podcast: The Writer's Journey. Her Substack newsletter, The Writer's Journey, reaches readers and writers around the world.

Resources Laura Mentions:

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse — co-authored with Ellen Bass (1988), a landmark book for survivors

The Burning Light of Two Stars — Laura's BookLife Prize-winning memoir

Flourishing as We Age: A Writing Retreat for Women — Laura's upcoming June retreat at an oceanfront retreat center in Santa Cruz, California https://lauradavis.net/flourishing/

A free two-hour introductory workshop based on the concepts explored in the Flourishing as We Age retreat. Free and online: April 18th online. You can register at: https://lauradavis.net/flourishing/#online

The Writer's Journey Substack newsletter: www.laurasaridavis.substack.com   

Laura Davis official website: www.lauradavis.net

Key Takeaways from This Episode:

Writing activates courage — Putting a memory of bravery on the page doesn't just record it; it re-embodies it and makes it available as a resource in the present moment.

Your courage history is real and retrievable — Most of us have moments of moral or physical bravery we haven't thought about in years. Writing brings them back into focus.

Courage doesn't have to be grand — The moment that comes to mind may be quiet, private, or unexpected. All of it counts.

Collective action starts with individual memory — Before we can show up fully in the resistance, it helps to remind ourselves that we have shown up before.

The prompt works — Whether you write, speak it aloud, share it with a friend, or sit quietly with it, the act of recalling a time you stood up with courage can shift how you move through the world today.

Episode Call-to-Action:

Laura invites listeners to respond to the courage prompt in this episode — and to share their stories in the comments.

She also encourages listeners to join her for a free two-hour writing workshop, Flourishing as We Age: A Writing Retreat for Women. April 18th, 10-12 Pacific time, 1-3 Eastern time. It will be recorded for those who can't attend live.

You can register here:

https://lauradavis.net/flourishing/#online

A weeklong version of this workshop will take place in June at a beautiful oceanfront retreat center in Santa Cruz, California. This intimate, transformative week uses story, deep listening, and ritual to help women build resilience, welcome change, and hold grief and gratitude at the same time. Learn more at:

https://lauradavis.net/flourishing/

The Writer's Journey with Laura Davis is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support her work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. You'll receive regular posts like these, as well as beautifully curated poems and nature photos, essays on life and the craft of writing, and more.

You can subscribe here: https://laurasaridavis.substack.com/ Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/

 

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