🎙 Season 1- Episode 9: Art Official — Writing Authentic Stories in a Market-Driven World

Guest: Daphne Santana Strassmann

What if the bravest thing you could do as a writer wasn’t just to write—but to write like no one’s watching?

In this intimate and layered conversation, Enzo sits down with memoirist and educator Daphne Santana Strassmann for what feels like a master class on writing from the inside out.

Together, they explore the quiet—but powerful—ways we’re taught to question the validity of our own stories. Not just by the outside world, but by the expectations we internalize. Whether it’s the pressure to fit into a narrative that makes sense to others, or the fear that our truth is too complicated, too specific, too much—this episode is a reminder that honoring your voice is a radical act.

💬 Inside this episode:

– How to trust the shape of your story before it’s “market-ready”

– Memoir as a way of returning to yourself

– The danger of leaving stories untold

– And how writing with honesty—on your own terms—is its own form of liberation

Daphne’s wisdom, warmth, and lived experience offer an invitation to all of us: to claim our stories not because they’re easy to tell—but because they’re ours to tell

What if poetry isn’t just about art—but about survival, clarity, and connection?

In this solo National Poetry Month reflection, Enzo the Poet invites listeners into the quiet laboratory of the poetic life. Drawing parallels between poets and scientists, he explores how language—like any evolving experiment—holds both implication and application. From the politics of translation to the sacred work of interpretation, this episode dives into what it really means to write, to witness, and to wonder aloud in a world that often demands silence.

Whether you’re a writer, a thinker, or simply someone trying to make sense of the noise, The Language of Infinity offers an intimate meditation on how poetry helps us live, remember, and begin again. With stories that span from cultural silencing to contemporary book bans, Enzo reflects on the emotional labor of language, the risks of being misunderstood, and the courage it takes to tell the truth anyway.

This isn’t just an episode about poems—it’s about why words still matter.

Subscribe to It’s a Poetic Life and join a growing community of listeners engaging with art, voice, and meaning—one reflection at a time.

In the final segment of this three-part episode, It’s a Poetic Life turns to the transformative power of art and curation in bridging cultural, geographic, and ideological divides. Curator Amy Rosenblum-Martín joins host Enzo Silon Surin for a compelling conversation on how exhibitions become spaces of resistance, reclamation, and relationship-building. From her work on Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration to Swagger and Tenderness, Amy reflects on the curatorial responsibility to amplify underrepresented voices while navigating institutional tensions and public resistance.

Together, they explore how art unsettles comfort, disrupts dominant narratives, and serves as a poetic force for connection in fragmented times. This segment asks: How do museums and curators hold space for authenticity amid systemic resistance to equity? What happens when storytelling becomes a collective bridge rather than an individual expression?

Listen in for a resonant close to a conversation rooted in the everyday work of creating true community.

In one of the most intimate and resonant conversations of It’s a Poetic Life, Addie Tsai and I explore the complexities of identity, belonging, and the myth of inclusion. Moving beyond the structural challenges of diversity and representation, this episode delves into the deeply personal—how we navigate the ever-shifting landscape of selfhood in a world that often demands we define ourselves in rigid terms.

Addie, a writer, poet, professor, and creative force, shares how their experiences as a mirror twin, biracial individual, and nonbinary person have shaped their perspective on fluidity—not just in identity, but in creativity, community, and survival. We discuss the tension between assimilation and authenticity, the pressure to conform even within marginalized spaces, and the ways in which true belonging often resists easy categorization.

From Audre Lorde’s challenge to define ourselves before the world does it for us to James Baldwin’s insistence that true community must allow for critique, this episode asks: What does it mean to live at the intersections of multiple identities? How do we navigate spaces where we are simultaneously insiders and outsiders? And ultimately, how do we create spaces where multiplicity is not just tolerated, but celebrated?

Join us for this thought-provoking and life affirming discussion.

Across histories and cultures, people have grappled with the meaning of belonging. Who gets to be part of a community? Who decides? And how do we navigate the spaces we call home when definitions of inclusion shift?

This episode was conceived last summer, but its relevance couldn’t be more timely. In this first installment of a three-part conversation, I sit down with Danielle Marshall, founder and principal consultant at Culture Principles, to explore the evolving nature of community, identity, and access.

We examine how labels shape perception, why flattening identities can erase individual experience, and how storytelling fosters real connection. We also address why diversity as a word often provokes fear, why equity is frequently misunderstood, and how these misconceptions can lead people to self-exclude from conversations that directly impact them. Whether in workplaces, neighborhoods, or cultural spaces, we often navigate unspoken boundaries that define who is welcomed and who remains on the margins.

As we dive into this three-part discussion, we explore the stories and structures that determine who is embraced and who is pushed to the edges. What defines true belonging, and who gets to set the terms? Tune in to this first segment as we begin unraveling these essential questions.

How do we carry grief through the places that shape us, and how do we find a way forward when it feels like everything has changed? In this heartfelt episode of It’s a Poetic Life, I reflect on the quiet weight of loss through the works of Elizabeth Bishop’s One Art and Marie Howe’s What the Living Do, exploring how their poetry offers ways to hold onto what matters and create meaning in uncertain times.

Joining me is the brilliant January Gill O’Neil, whose latest collection, Glitter Road, takes us on a journey through loss, love, and resilience. Together, we delve into how poetry helps us process both the small, everyday losses and the monumental moments that reshape who we are. January shares her stunning poem Begin Again, offering a powerful meditation on how grief transforms us and opens the door to rediscovery and connection.

This episode is about more than grief—it’s about the stories that tether us to life and how poetry becomes a bridge to something new, even in the hardest of times.

We live in a world that pushes us to look flawless, act perfect, and bury what makes us human. In this episode, I invite you to pause and reflect on what it means to embrace our struggles, imperfections, and shared humanity.

Through stories—from sixth-grade insecurities to an unforgettable encounter at the pharmacy—I explore how vulnerability allows us to connect more deeply with ourselves and others. How do we stop pretending we don’t need each other? How do we show up, just as we are, in a world that often demands we be something else?

Join me as we talk about the beauty of aging, the courage of self-acceptance, and the freedom of honoring where we are right now. I’ll also share insights from my own creative process, including reflections on a line from a libretto I wrote during the pandemic: “What if we don’t make it to forever?”

This episode is an invitation to step into the new year with honesty, curiosity, and the belief that showing up fully—flaws and all—is what truly matters.

To continue the conversation and dive deeper into themes of connection and creativity, head over to my Substack, A Poetic Life, at enzothepoet.substack.com. And if this message resonates, share it with someone who might need it, because we’re all in this together.

Listen in, reflect, and let’s move forward—one step, one story, and one poem at a time.

In a post-pandemic world where many of us are striving to reclaim our sense of agency, Episode 4 of It’s a Poetic Life—“Loving Me is Complicated: Crafting the Poetry of Self-Love”—offers a fresh perspective on self-love through the lens of poetry and creativity. Featuring poet Kali Pezzi, this deeply personal conversation explores how shame and guilt intersect with self-care, and how poetry becomes an extension of the self-love journey—a way to nurture, reflect, and heal.

Kali shares how her poetry serves as a tool for self-care and self-expression, offering listeners a glimpse into the profound connection between creativity and self-acceptance. Together, we unpack the contradictions and deeper truths of self-love, reflecting on what it means to write the unwritten lines of our own narratives. This episode is an empowering and soul-nourishing exploration of authenticity, vulnerability, and the art of becoming whole—like the coffee date you didn’t know you needed.

What does happiness look like beyond clichés and fleeting moments? In this episode, we dive into the complex and often elusive nature of happiness, exploring how our experiences, our creative lives, and even social media shape our understanding of joy. Whether you’re a seasoned writer, an aspiring storyteller, or simply someone looking to find more meaning in daily life, we’ll examine how happiness can be found not just outside ourselves but within.

We take a close look at a powerful poem from award-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye, reflecting on how happiness might already be present within us, waiting to be embraced. I also share a deeply personal reading of one of my own poems, revealing the intimate details behind its creation and how it reflects the journey toward authentic joy. Together, we’ll explore how joy can be less about seeking and more about allowing, uncovering how we can connect with a deeper sense of fulfillment, both on and off the page. Join us for a journey into the heart of happiness and the creative paths that can help us realize it.

In this episode of It’s a Poetic Life, host Enzo Silon Surin is joined by North Carolina-based writer Shari Tate to explore the intersection of writing, identity, and liberation. They discuss how the creative process allows for personal growth and freedom, and how writers navigate the balance between self-expression and sharing their work. Enzo reflects on his journey as a Haitian immigrant and how writing has been a tool for liberation, leading to a “new kind of free.”

Tune in for a deep dive into how writing helps us navigate life’s constraints and open up new paths to freedom.