Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words

Poet David Whyte's 2024 sequel to Consolations gathers fifty-two short essays, arranged alphabetically, each devoted to a single everyday word, from anxiety and blessing to freedom, shame and moon. Rather than define the words, Whyte explores their emotional weight, treating anxiety as a preparation for being hurt, guilt as a friend waiting patiently to be caught up with, and routine as a form of ritual. The book is dedicated to the essayist Michel de Montaigne.

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Tim Ferriss: “And certainly I recommend people get their hands on anything that you've written, including your latest, Consolations II, which further explores what you call the conversational nature of reality, which is a wording I absolutely love.”