The world can be painful. But love is possible, too

Code Switch

NPR

Society & Culture

4.6 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2023

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kai Cheng Thom is no stranger to misanthropy. There have been stretches of her life where she's felt burdened by anger, isolation, and resentment toward other people. And not without reason. Her identities, especially as a trans woman and a former sex worker, have frequently made her a locus for other people's fear and hatred. But at a certain point, Kai decided to embark on a radical experiment: to see if she could "fall back in love with being human." The result was a series of letters, poems, exercises and prayers that let Kai confront some of the most painful moments of her life, and then try to move past them.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Just a heads up, this episode contains some adult language.
0:05.0	You're listening to Code Switch. I'm Lori Lissaraga.
0:09.0	I recently wrote a book of poetry that a producer colleague of mine has been recommending.
0:14.6	Actually, it's a book of love letters. And once I read it, I bought several more copies
0:21.2	to share with my mom and my sisters and with Parker my
0:26.0	Co-host but for the purposes of this episode she's the friend I roped in on yet
0:31.7	another adventure.
0:33.0	I'm recording.
0:35.0	I'm recording too.
0:36.0	Okay.
0:37.0	Hi Parker.
0:38.0	Hi,
0:40.0	Parker, I have brought you here under the pretense of potentially assigning you some homework.
0:47.0	Okay.
0:48.0	It's called Falling Back in Love with Being Human by Kai Chang Tom a collection of love letters to lost souls
0:57.1	kind of poems kind of prayers each trying hard to explore love and harm. And after each letter there's a prompt, an opportunity
1:07.6	or challenge to go somewhere, do something, write to someone, think.
1:13.0	Let's see, go somewhere you have never been before.
1:16.0	Think of a lie you've told about yourself.
1:19.0	Design and perform a ritual to release something from your life that you love.
1:24.0	Write a letter of forgiveness to someone, that someone can be yourself.
1:28.0	Adorn your body with something beautiful.
	...

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