Listen "Episode 216: The Nail in the Tree: Essays on Art, Violence, and Childhood, with Carol Ann Davis"
Episode Synopsis
My guest is Carol Ann Davis. Her new book The Nail in the Tree (https://www.amazon.com/Nail-Tree-Essays-Violence-Childhood/dp/1946482269) narrates her experience of raising two sons in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, on the day of and during the aftermath of the shooting there. Part memoir, part art-historical treatise, these meditations lead her to explore crucial subjects, including whether childhood can itself be both violent and generative, the possibility of the integration of trauma into daily life and artistic practice, and the role of the artist. Davis is the author of two previous poetry collections, Psalm (2007) and Atlas Hour (2011), both from Tupelo Press, and a professor of English at Fairfield University. Special Guest: Carol Ann Davis.
More episodes of the podcast Give and Take
Episode 307: Hamilton vs. Jefferson: The Battle That Still Shapes America, with Jeffrey Rosen
13/10/2025
Episode 306: Nations Apart: How Clashing Regional Cultures Shattered America, with Colin Woodard
24/09/2025
Episode 304: Playback, with Carla Malden
16/09/2025
Episode 301: Morbidly Curious: A Scientist Explains Why We Can't Look Away, with Coltan Scrivner
07/09/2025
Episode 300: My Guest Is Scott Jones...
02/09/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.