You may have noticed there hasn’t been a regular Slow Way Letter these last couple of weeks. Last week Blessed Are The Rest of Us released into the world! There’s been a lot going on around here as I promote the book. I’m looking forward to getting back to regular Slow Way posts and podcasts, but until then, I have been in other spaces posting and podcasting.
Here are some places you can find me and the greater conversation about Blessed Are the Rest of Us: How Limits and Longing Make Us Whole.
PODCASTS
Today Blessed Are The Rest of Us is featured on the Kelly Corrigan Wonders short Friday episode GOTO (For The Good of The Order).
A few weeks ago, I responded to an episode in which she and Jia Tolentino spoke about humanity and technology, and eventually came to the question of whether, if technology allowed, we should edit anything out of humanity. The question was intended to point toward changing the great suffering that can come from our human bodies—our propensity to cancer, mental illness, etc. In response to the question, Jia mentioned the reality that there are no longer children born with Down syndrome in Denmark, a result of prenatal screening and Denmark’s cultural assumption that any fetus showing signs of Down syndrome should be terminated. They spoke about this, recognizing its complexity, but then immediately compared Down syndrome to “things we don’t like about ourselves” and how these things can bring good.
I felt compelled to write to Kelly, after all my new book is about how our limits and longings actually move us toward a more whole way of being human. I also wrote to her because I believe our inclination to compare intellectual disability to “things we don’t like about ourselves” is a sign that we humans are not entirely trustworthy with what is good and what is not good. We are deeply formed by our particular cultures and societal norms. In my letter, I say that we don’t recognize how much we are shaped by a culture steeped in capitalism, the cultural view that we are good because of what we do or what we can accomplish.
Kelly responded to my email asking if she could share it on her podcast, along with an excerpt of my book. I, of course, said Yes. Listen here.
The Slow Way with special guest Shauna Niequist
If you don’t already listen to the podcast version of this letter, you can start with this special episode, the audio recording of my book launch party last week at General Theological Seminary, where I was in conversation with my friend, the author Shauna Niequist. It was fun, thoughtful, and very sweet.
Reimagining The Good Life with Amy Julia Becker
I hope you already follow Amy Julia Becker’s work. She and I have been friends for at least 15 years. We met while blogging and writing for similar publications. She writes about disability, culture and theology, and is my go-to on thinking about faith and disability. I adore her brain. Fun fact: When I received my prenatal diagnosis for Ace, while still sitting on the bleachers at my son’s gymnastics class (you’ll read about the pre-gymnastics class phone call in Blessed), Amy Julia was the first person I called after my husband. She checked in on me throughout that day and has never stopped checking in.
The podcast conversation we had was absolutely the most thoughtful—both in terms of theology and literary insight. This is just Amy Julia’s way. I’d love for you to listen to this one!
This podcast is one of my every-week must-listens. Roxy and I go to the same church, and Katelyn was my editor for Blessed. So it was very fun to jump into their banter. (They are the best banterers around.) The conversation at the beginning about weird current events in Evangelicalism has nothing to do with our conversation! So stick with it, k?
Hey Amarillo with Jason Boyett
My brother Jason Boyett is a local journalist and magazine publisher in my hometown Amarillo, Texas, as well as the author of several books. His podcast Hey Amarillo has been going strong for at least seven years and has more than 350 episodes. I love listening to Hey Amarillo and have been secretly hoping I might be invited on as a guest, even though I don’t live there! I finally was able to sneak my way into the interviewee seat. This is a fun conversation between brother and sister. He asked me about my writing journey, how I ended up getting my MFA in poetry, and what it was like to study with George Saunders and Mary Karr in graduate school. Listen here!
This podcast hosted by Joshua Johnson was new to me before our interview, and I was delighted to be introduced to it. We had a good and thoughtful interview about disability and how churches can take steps toward making intentional space for disability in their communities and spaces of worship. Listen here.
Of course, The Lucky Few is the Down syndrome advocacy podcast I share with my dear cohosts Mercedes Lara and Heather Avis. Getting to interviewed by my friends was so much fun, and it was particularly meaningful to share about how I understand my faith in light of raising Ace, who has a dual diagnosis of DS and autism. Even if our podcast is not your usual listen, this one might be a fun one to tiptoe into!
HERE’S WHAT’S COMING UP!
Book launch event and fireside chat with The Center for Faith and Justice in San Francisco, April 25 at 6 pm. If you’re in Northern California, I’d love for you to join me in the Richmond district of SF for an evening conversation between me and my friend Dr. Peter Choi. Books will be available for purchase.
Local Event in Morristown! “On Wholeness, Disability, and the Transformative Power of Embracing Our Limits” Morristown Public Library, April 30, 7-8 PM
Preaching at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, Amarillo, TX. Sunday May 5, 8 AM and 10:30 AM services, “Embracing Our Limits, Discovering Our Wholeness” workshop during 9:30 AM formation hour.
Burrowing Owl Book Launch Event: Reading and Q+A with Micha Boyett. Amarillo, TX. Monday May 6, time tbd.
As we get closer to other events, I’ll fill you in on them as well. Thanks for sticking around with me! There’s a lot going on, and I’m grateful you’re here for the ride.
Just a reminder that there are TWO BIG THINGS you can do to support me and Blessed Are The Rest of Us right now: Share about the book with your friends and on your social media. And leave me a review on Amazon! (My Amazon reviews could use some love! Head on over there right now if you can. Five stars and a quick sentence goes a really long way!)
Grateful for all of you! I’ll be back with real Slow Way letters in May.
Until then,
Micha
I forgot that I had pre-ordered and when the book arrived it genuinely felt like a gift from past Debbie. Blessed has landed in Glasgow, Scotland 😊❤️
I’m loving this new book and savoring your beautiful writing. Can’t wait to check out some of these interviews. ❤️