David Whyte

David Whyte grew up among the hills and valleys of Yorkshire, England. A captivating speaker with a compelling blend of poetry and insightful commentary, David Whyte is one of the few poets to take his perspectives on creativity into the field of organizational development, where he works with a diverse international clientele. An associate fellow of the Said Business School at the University of Oxford, he holds a degree in marine zoology and is the recipient of an honorary degree from Neumann College in Pennsylvania. He has traveled extensively including working as a naturalist guide and leading anthropological and natural history expeditions in the Galapagos, the Andes, and the Himalayas. He brings this wealth of experience to his poetry, his lectures, and his workshops.

Whyte is the author of six volumes of poetry and three books of prose.

Author photo © Scott Garen

Listen to Tami Simon's in-depth audio podcast interview with David Whyte:
Being at the Frontier of Your Identity »

Also By Author

The Practice of the Imagination, with David Whyte

In this short video, poet David Whyte takes listeners on a journey into the nature and practice of the imagination. For David, while we ordinarily think of the imagination as the ability to think up new things, the poetic tradition sees the imagination as the ability in each of us to form a central image which provides a container for our own belonging. As we explore this image – and as it unfolds within us – we come to discover our innate aliveness.

David is the author of three inspiring audio learning programs with Sounds True:

When the Heart Breaks: A Journey Through Requited and Unrequited Love

Clear Mind, Wild Heart: Finding Clarity and Courage through Poetry

What to Remember When Waking: The Disciplines of an Everyday Life

Enjoy this short video with David on the practice of the imagination.

David Whyte: Being at the Frontier of Your Identity

Tami Simon speaks with David Whyte, a passionate speaker, poet, and author of four Sounds True audio programs, including Clear Mind, Wild Heart and What to Remember When Waking: The Disciplines of an Everyday Life. In this rebroadcast of one of the most popular Insights at the Edge interviews, Tami speaks with David about how each of our lives unfolds as a great conversation with reality, which is the source of originality. David also shares some of his poetry, and explores how our innate sense of exile is actually a core human competency, how vulnerability enhances our perception, and what it might mean to tap into the invisible support that is always available to us. (61 minutes)

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