The Say The Word Podcast

Where Curiosity Meets Language

Curiosity is a skill.

It’s at the heart of how we move away from judgment and into real learning, empathy, and forward motion.

Like all skills, there are tools to help us develop, grow, and hone curiosity.

Language is one of those tools.

The Say The Word podcast is where we look at how language is used in literature, memoir, poetry, and all kinds of fiction and nonfiction to connect us to what it means to be human and how to use curiosity to peel back the layers of what is keeping us from living the rich, meaningful lives we were always meant to be living.

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**May 2, 2023: The podcast is on pause indefinitely…

#29: A Different Story

#29: A Different Story

Nonfiction, Memoir, LGBTQ+Cindy GiovagnoliMarch 4, 2023Say the Word, LGBTQ+, Latino, memoir, personal essaysComment

#28: Beyond Imagination

#28: Beyond Imagination

Fiction, BIPOC, Short StoriesCindy GiovagnoliFebruary 18, 2023Say the Word, curiosity, Fiction, fear, Jhumpa Lahiri, immigration, short story, short storiesComment

#27: Hurry

#27: Hurry

Nonfiction, PoetryCindy GiovagnoliFebruary 11, 2023Say the Word, Marie Howe, poetry, Hurry, The Kingdom of Ordinary TimeComment

#26: It Would Pass

#26: It Would Pass

Fiction, BIPOCCindy GiovagnoliFebruary 4, 2023Say the Word, curiosity, creativity, Louise Erdrich, The Round House, Fiction, fear, impermanence, Native AmericanComment

#25: To Err Is To Wander

#25: To Err Is To Wander

Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel WritingCindy GiovagnoliJuly 23, 2022Say the Word, curiosity, nonfiction, memoir, travel writing, William Least Heat-Moon, Blue Highways, errors and mistakes, creativity, Daniel Pink, The Power of RegretComment

#24: Undercut

#24: Undercut

FictionCindy GiovagnoliMay 21, 2022Say the Word, curiosity, David James Duncan, The Brothers K, fiction, insidious problems, novel, Brene Brown, OprahComment

#23: Hostages of Time

#23: Hostages of Time

Nature Writing, Nonfiction, Personal Essay, MemoirCindy GiovagnoliOctober 30, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, nonfiction, memoir, Elizabeth Tova Bailey, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, illness, time, time managementComment

#22: Genius Encouraged

#22: Genius Encouraged

Fiction, Historical FictionCindy GiovagnoliOctober 23, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, fiction, BIPOC writers, BIPOC fiction, Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Water DancerComment

#21: Salty Grace

#21: Salty Grace

Nonfiction, Personal EssayCindy GiovagnoliOctober 16, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, Brian Doyle, One Long River of Song, nonfiction, personal essaysComment

#20: Islands and Walls

#20: Islands and Walls

Fiction, Science Fiction, Young AdultCindy GiovagnoliAugust 21, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, Joan He, The Ones We're Meant To Find, Science Fiction, Sci-fi, YA, young adult fiction, dystopian fictionComment

#19: Right Here

#19: Right Here

Poetry, NonfictionCindy GiovagnoliAugust 14, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, poetry, Joy Harjo, Directions To You, An American SunriseComment

#18: The Largeness Inside

#18: The Largeness Inside

Fiction, Historical FictionCindy GiovagnoliAugust 7, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, Sue Monk Kidd, The Book of Longings, fiction, historical fiction, biblical fictionComment

#17: Residing Alongside

#17: Residing Alongside

Nature Writing, Memoir, Personal Essay, NonfictionCindy GiovagnoliJuly 31, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, Ellen Meloy, Seasons, personal essaysComment

#16: See Me

#16: See Me

Fiction, Young AdultCindy GiovagnoliJuly 24, 2021Say the Word, curiosity, YA, young adult fiction, contemporary YA, LGBTQ fiction, BIPOC fiction, Leah Johnson, You Should See Me In A CrownComment

#15: Delight

#15: Delight

Personal Essay, Nonfiction, Memoir, PoetryCindy GiovagnoliJuly 17, 2021Say the Word, podcast, curiosity, Ross Gay, Book of DelightsComment

#14: Multifarious Possibility

#14: Multifarious Possibility

FictionCindy GiovagnoliJuly 10, 2021Say the Word, podcast, fiction, Matt Haig, regret, curiosityComment

#13: Angels and Bodhisattvas

#13: Angels and Bodhisattvas

Memoir, Personal Essay, NonfictionCindy GiovagnoliJuly 3, 2021Say the Word, podcast, Brian Doyle, One Long River of Song, nonfictionComment

#12: Love Begins With

#12: Love Begins With

Fiction, Young AdultCindy GiovagnoliMay 29, 2021Say the Word, podcast, BIPOC writers, YA, young adult fictionComment

#11: Language of Home

#11: Language of Home

Memoir, Nonfiction, Nature WritingCindy GiovagnoliMay 22, 2021Say the Word, podcast, Braiding Sweetgrass, language, importance of language, indigenous languages, conservation, environmentalismComment

#10: Small Things

#10: Small Things

Fiction, Historical FictionCindy GiovagnoliMay 15, 2021Say the Word, podcastComment