Sam speaks with author, writing coach, and Zen practitioner Natalie Goldberg. They discuss the enduring influence of her first book, Writing Down the Bones; her “very deep awakening experience”; her editing and revision process; overcoming one’s inner critic; writing fiction vs. nonfiction; longhand composition vs. typing; the prospect of full awakening; persistence in one’s writing practice; the importance of listening; impermanence as inspiration; the benefits of therapy and being in nature; psychedelics; loneliness; writer’s block; and other topics. 

Natalie Goldberg is the author of sixteen books, including Writing on Empty, her latest, and Writing Down the Bones, which has sold over one million copies and has been translated into fourteen languages. Natalie is also a prolific painter. Her book Living Color: Painting, Writing, and the Bones of Seeing describes painting as her second art form. For more than forty years Natalie has practiced Zen and taught seminars in writing as a practice, and people from around the world attend her workshops. She lives in Northern New Mexico.