Podcast Summary: The Slowdown – Episode 1433: "Given to Rust" by Vievee Francis

Host: Maggie Smith
Date: January 13, 2026
Produced by: American Public Media, in partnership with the Poetry Foundation

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Slowdown, Maggie Smith delves into the power and pain of silence within relationships, inspired by her recent reading of Jeannie Vanasco’s memoir A Silent Treatment. Smith reflects on the often-overlooked brutality of stonewalling—the intentional withholding of communication—and its emotional impact. She then introduces and reads Vievee Francis’s evocative poem "Given to Rust," which explores intimacy, communication, and the metaphorical and literal threats to the human voice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Silent Treatment as Emotional Abuse

[00:33-02:36]

• Maggie opens by discussing A Silent Treatment by Jeannie Vanasco, which examines a mother’s prolonged silences as a control tactic within the family.
• She defines "the silent treatment" (aka stonewalling) as a form of gaslighting that erodes another’s confidence in their own feelings and basic needs for connection and communication.
  • “Giving someone the silent treatment, or stonewalling, involves not speaking to someone or... refusing to acknowledge their existence.” — Maggie Smith (00:46)
• Maggie emphasizes that this method, though non-violent, can be “brutal, especially if prolonged” and is often hard to identify as abusive because it occurs privately and passively.

2. The Human Need for Connection

[02:36-03:16]

• She remarks on the fundamental human craving for connection and the pain caused when that connection is deliberately withheld.
  • “Human beings crave connection, so it’s especially painful when that connection is withheld.” — Maggie Smith (03:09)
• The segment sets the stage for the poem by drawing a parallel between emotional silence and literal absence of voice.

3. Today’s Featured Poem: "Given to Rust"

[03:17-05:13]

• Maggie introduces "Given to Rust" by Vievee Francis, noting how the poem deeply moved her through its exploration of the intimacy of sound, particularly the human voice.
• She highlights the poem’s poignant meditation on what is revealed—or lost—through silence.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

On the Harm of Stonewalling

• “The silent treatment can be a form of gaslighting, where the stonewaller makes the other person doubt their feelings and perceptions, or even question if their needs for communication and connection are unreasonable.” — Maggie Smith (00:57)
• “Although it’s not physically violent, the silent treatment can be brutal, especially if it’s prolonged.” — Maggie Smith (02:37)
• “Silence can be manipulative and punitive. It's passive, not aggressive, and it often occurs in private, in families, or in intimate relationships, so it can be hard to identify.” — Maggie Smith (02:16)

Excerpts from "Given to Rust"

• “Every time I open my mouth, my teeth reveal more than I mean to. I can't stop tonguing them, my teeth almost giddy to know they're still there.” — Vievee Francis (03:25, read by Maggie Smith)
• “I did once like my voice, the way it moved through the gap in my teeth, like birdsong in the morning, like the slow swirl of a creek at dusk.” — Vievee Francis (03:37)
• “Some early cancer didn’t stop the compulsion to sing, but there's gravel now, an undercurrent that also reveals me.” — Vievee Francis (03:51)
• “Time and disaster, a heavy landslide down the mountain when you stopped speaking to me. What you really wanted was for me to stop speaking to you, to stifle the sound of my voice.” — Vievee Francis (03:57)
• “What does it mean to silence another? It means I ruminate on the hit of rain against the tin roof of childhood, how I could listen all day until the water rusted its way in.” — Vievee Francis (04:11)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:33: Maggie introduces today's episode and begins discussing A Silent Treatment
• 01:00: Defining the silent treatment and its use as emotional control
• 02:16: The subtlety and brutality of manipulative silence
• 03:09: The pain of withheld connection
• 03:17: Introduction and reading of "Given to Rust" by Vievee Francis
• 03:25-04:38: Selected impactful lines from the poem are read aloud
• 05:14: Episode transitions into The Slowdown’s credits and donation appeal

Episode Tone and Language

Maggie Smith’s tone is thoughtful, empathetic, and gently illuminating. She weaves literary reflection with personal insight, using language that is precise yet warm—mirroring the intimate and contemplative spirit of the featured poem.

Conclusion

In this episode, Maggie Smith uses both literature and poetry to meditate on the edges between silence, voice, and connection. Through discussion of A Silent Treatment and her introduction to Vievee Francis's "Given to Rust," she invites listeners to consider how silence, whether forced or chosen, shapes our emotional landscapes and our capacities for communication, creativity, and hope.