Isolation

Imagine a winter’s day alone in the mountain’s, the silence runs deep, the wind chills your bones, yet you feel the warmth of joy from this solitary moment.  Award-winning poet and author Karen Auvinen has spent decades living alone at 8500 feet, and shares her experiences in her new memoir, Rough Beauty: 40 Seasons of Mountain Living.

Karen is a mountain woman, life-long westerner, and accomplished writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Lithub, Real Simple, and Westword, as well as numerous literary journals.

Later, psychologist and former Buddhist monk Donald Altman returns to Conversations Live to share how love, kindness, and compassion help overcome fear and negativity.  Hear his original interview on mindful living here.

Donald is a psychotherapist, award-winning writer, former Buddhist monk, and teacher. He served as adjunct professor at Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, and is an adjunct faculty member of the Interpersonal Neurobiology program at Portland State University.