a conversation about ethnic loneliness, identity, & curiosity

Loneliness is part of the human experience, but ethnic loneliness carries added layers of complexity for many people who have historically been pushed to the margins. In our season two opener, Sarah talks with Prasanta Verma about the ache to belong, how our “in-betweenness” can be essential to one’s identity, and practicing curiosity with ourselves and others.

Episode Notes:

• Festival of Faith & Writing

• Zero at the Bone by Christian Wiman

• The Comfort of Crows by Margaret Renkl

• Beyond Ethnic Loneliness by Prasanta Verma

• A Biography of Loneliness by Fay Bound Alberti

• The Great Belonging by Charlotte Donlon

• C.S. Lewis

• Parker Palmer: “What a long time it can take to become the person one has always been.”

• Maya Angelou: “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.”

• Mary Oliver

• Viola Davis: “I will not be a mystery to those who love me.”

• Belonging by Geoffrey Cohen

• Henry David Thoreau

Connect with Prasanta:

• Instagram: @prasantaverma

• Website: prasantaverma.com

• Book: Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging

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Human Together is hosted by Sarah E. Westfall and is produced and edited by Ben Westfall. The theme music is “Sit with Me,” written and performed by Sarah Scharbrough.

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