Ep002: This Here Flesh with Cole Arthur Riley
“I am interested in reclaiming a contemplation that is not exclusive to whiteness, intellectualism, ableism, or mere hobby. And as a Black woman, I am disinterested in any call to spirituality that divorces my mind from my body, voice, or people.”
In Episode 002 of Become A Good Ancestor, Layla Saad interviews writer, liturgist, and speaker, Cole Arthur Riley.
Cole’s NYT bestselling book, This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories That Make Us is our May 2022 book selection in the Become A Good Ancestor Book Club. To find out more about the book and to join us in the book club click here.
In her stunning debut, Cole weaves stories from three generations of her family with contemplative reflections to discover the necessary rituals that connect us with our belonging, dignity, and liberation.
Cole’s writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Guernica, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post. She is also the creator of Black Liturgies, a space that integrates spiritual practice with Black emotion, Black literature, and the Black body; and a project of The Center for Dignity and Contemplation where she serves as Curator. Cole currently serves as the spiritual teacher in residence with Cornell University’s Office of Spirituality and Meaning Making.
In this interview, Layla and Cole explore:
How Cole was inspired to write This Here Flesh
Cole’s experience with chronic illness and how it shaped her view of owning her body.
The experiences of Cole’s ancestors and how they not only shaped who she is today, but inspired a book that embodies multiple generational experiences
What it means to become disembodied and how this can affect the way we not only see ourselves, but how others see us.
“This is the spirituality that if I’m going to do this, I want to communicate this kind of contemplation, this kind of spirituality when it’s intergenerational, when that’s embodied, when that’s emotional.”
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Connect with Cole Arthur Riley
Website: colearthurriley.com
Instagram: @blackliturgies
Twitter: @blackliturgist
Facebook: @blackliturgist
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