Looking For Uncertainty with poet James Navé

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm your host, James Navé. Today, I'm going solo with a show divided into three parts. Join me on a journey through poetry, performance, and politics. I begin by telling how I launched my career as a performance poet and founded Poetry Alive!, a theater company that presented poetry performances to over 5 million students over three decades. I share how it all began—the spark that set it in motion, the years of touring and performing, and, ultimately, my decision to step away. In the second segment, I take you on an early morning stroll through my neighborhood in Manila, reflecting on performance poetry and the power of memorization and reciting The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock as I walk. Prufrock's dilemma—his fear of irrelevance, of being "spare" in the world—resonates deeply, and I explore what that means for artists today. I then weave a fictional dialogue between Prufrock and Wilfred Owen, the World War I poet who wrote Dulce et Decorum Est. Owen, a young soldier shaped by war, confronts Prufrock's hesitation and self-doubt. It's a clash between a man stuck in his limitations and a poet who saw the raw truths of life and death. In the end, Owen puts Prufrock in his place—where he belongs. The final part of the episode shifts to the present, reflecting on the political climate of 2025. I focus on Donald Trump, particularly a story about his 1980s dealings with billionaires and his admiration for Adnan Khashoggi, a mentor of sorts who embodied Trump's aspirations for wealth and power. I close with thoughts on poetry—why it matters, why we write, and how artistic expression keeps us from becoming like Prufrock, lost in the corner of irrelevance. I hope you enjoy the show.