To Tell or Not to Tell with James Navé

To Tell or Not to Tell with James NavéTelling a poem is different than performing it. It’s closer to telling a story than delivering a text.Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio. I’m your host, James Navé. Today I’m going solo once again, spending time with a subject that’s been close to me for many years: how we read, perform, recite—or, as I prefer to say, tell—a piece of literature.I’ve earned my living doing this work. I’ve stood on stages, read into microphones, memorized poems, improvised, stumbled, and kept going. And even now, after all these years, I’m still not completely satisfied. I say that with a bit of tongue-in-cheek—I'm fairly happy—but I’m always curious about how to go deeper and stay honest.In this episode, I explore what happens when reading aloud becomes a way of editing, listening, and emotional connection. I talk about voice, mess, and presence; about community radio as a place to experiment; and about telling a poem the way you’d tell a story. This isn’t about getting it right. It’s about letting the words live in the room.