Pause for Peace: Marge Piercy's "The Low Road" — A Timeless Poem About the Power of Collective Action
In this Midweek Pause for Peace episode, acclaimed author and writing teacher Laura Davis shares Marge Piercy's iconic poem "The Low Road" — a fiercely hopeful poem about the power of collective action and solidarity. Laura reflects on her personal history with this poem, first encountering it in Piercy's 1980 collection The Moon is Always Female during her years as a young activist, and explores why its message resonates just as powerfully forty-six years later. Paired with peaceful imagery, this episode offers listeners both a moment of calm and a stirring reminder of what becomes possible when people come together.
What Laura Covers in This Episode:
The enduring relevance of Marge Piercy's activist poetry — why a poem written over four decades ago speaks directly to the challenges of today
How solidarity and collective action build power — the poem's vision of strength growing from two people to ten million, and what that progression means in our current moment
Laura's personal connection to the poem — how a friend's gift of Piercy's poetry collection shaped her thinking during her years as a young lesbian activist
The role of poetry in sustaining resilience — how returning to meaningful poems across different life stages can offer renewed strength and perspective
About Laura Davis:
Laura Davis is an acclaimed author and writing teacher with over 35 years of experience helping writers craft powerful, authentic stories. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning memoir "The Burning Light of Two Stars," which won the BookLife Prize in 2021. Laura is also co-author of the groundbreaking book "The Courage to Heal."
Through her Midweek Pause for Peace podcast series, Laura pairs carefully selected poetry with peaceful imagery to support listeners' emotional wellness and nervous system regulation.
Each week, host Laura Davis pairs beautiful imagery with meaningful poetry, offering listeners a respite for both heart and nervous system. These midweek pauses provide essential moments of reflection, healing, and inspiration in our complex world.
Perfect for: Anyone seeking Laura Davis' signature blend of poetry and peace, those managing stress and anxiety, and listeners who appreciate thoughtful, heart-centered content.
Connect with Laura Davis:
Join Laura's Community: Subscribe to Laura Davis' Midweek Pause for Peace series for consistent, nurturing content that honors both your need for beauty and your nervous system's need for calm.
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Learn about Laura's writing classes, books, workshops, and international retreats at: https://lauradavis.net/
About Featured Poet Marge Piercy:
Marge Piercy is an American poet, novelist, and social activist born in 1936 in Detroit, Michigan. Shaped by her working-class roots and her involvement in the civil rights, antiwar, and women's movements of the 1960s, she became one of the most prominent feminist literary voices of her generation. Piercy has published more than twenty poetry collections and seventeen novels, including the science fiction classic Woman on the Edge of Time and the bestselling Gone to Soldiers. Her work centers themes of gender, class, ecology, and Jewish identity. At 88 years old, she continues to write and publish from her home on Cape Cod. Her new book, The Hour of My Death, is forthcoming from Sibylline Press in fall 2026.
Learn more about Marge Piercy at: https://margepiercy.com/
