The Slowdown: Poetry & Reflection Daily

Episode 1474: "Epistemic Distance" by Emma Bolden
Host: Maggie Smith
Date: March 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Slowdown, Maggie Smith explores the theme of "epistemic distance"—the separation between what we believe, what we know, and how we come to know it. Through a thoughtful introduction on the nature of knowledge and its relevance in our divided world, Maggie sets the stage for Emma Bolden’s poem, "Epistemic Distance." The episode delves into questions of belief, knowledge, faith, and ambiguity, connecting these philosophical concerns to daily lived experience and the ongoing search for truth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Nature and Importance of Knowledge

• Epistemology Defined:
  Maggie introduces the philosophical field of epistemology, which "focuses on the nature, origin, and limits of human knowledge." She points out that epistemology asks “how we investigate ideas and come to conclusions”—critical pursuits in today’s divided society.
  [01:00-01:16]

• Belief vs. Knowledge:
  Maggie reflects on how “to have faith in something is different from having knowledge of it,” revisiting the philosophical definition: "knowledge has been defined as justified true belief."
  [01:35-01:44]
  She asks: “But what's the difference, exactly?” opening up a discussion on justification and proof.

• Shared Reality and Division:
  Highlighting contemporary relevance, Maggie discusses growing epistemic divides in America—not just of belief, but of basic facts:

  “It used to be that we differed in our beliefs, but I always felt we at least had a shared understanding of the facts…That, unfortunately, feels quaint now.”
  [02:20-02:38]

• Gaslighting and Media:
  She describes a loss of shared reality, referencing public figures telling people not to believe clear evidence:

  “We've seen video footage with our own eyes and then have not only news anchors but people in our own government, right up to the highest office telling us we didn't see what we saw—gaslighting its own citizens.”
  [02:54-03:08]

• The Poet’s Embrace of Ambiguity:
  Maggie values nuance and ambiguity as a poet but refuses, she says, "to believe that we are living in a post-factual world.”
  [03:19-03:26]
  She argues that epistemology matters, now more than ever.

The Poem: "Epistemic Distance" by Emma Bolden

• Epistemic Meaning:
  Introduction of the poem and the titular term: “The word epistemic means related to knowledge.”
  [03:52]

• Poem Reading
  Maggie reads "Epistemic Distance" by Emma Bolden, a poem grappling with the longing for certainty, the limits of faith, and humanity's persistent reach for understanding:

  “The day all fevered and I flat out deserved it, O Lord, and I suffered heavily under its greens, under the blue of a sky that held birds under its tongue and insisted it made no secret of separateness between the earth where I stood and the up where I'd been promised a God lived. I'd like to ask not where are you? But why are you not here? The greens are pretty but they are not enough. Neither is everything I've been told about you, that the fact that I'm still reaching out and up should be enough, that faith is only faith when there's no proof.”
  [04:01-05:24]
  (approximate timing; poem begins right after Maggie’s segue)

Reflection & Call to Mindfulness

• Poetry as a Tool:
  Maggie reiterates at the close how poetry helps us "consider our own lives and the lives of others...to use that attention to lean into wonder, and joy, and truth, and to find hope—to keep hoping.”
  [00:00 intro—see episode description]

• Invitation to Listeners:
  She encourages making room in the day for reflection, connection, and a slowing of attention, modeling through her reading and gentle tone.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Divided Realities:
  "The stories I read and hear about are not the stories they read and hear about. Or if they are, the coverage and the message behind that coverage is very different."
  — Maggie Smith [02:02]

• On the Erosion of Shared Facts:
  “We might interpret those facts differently, but facts were facts. That, unfortunately, feels quaint now.”
  — Maggie Smith [02:35]

• On Refusing a Post-Factual World:
  “I refuse to believe that we are living in a post-factual world.”
  — Maggie Smith [03:19]

• On Faith and Proof in the Poem:
  “That the fact that I'm still reaching out and up should be enough, that faith is only faith when there's no proof.”
  — Emma Bolden, read by Maggie Smith [05:22]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:56] – Maggie Smith begins episode content, introduces epistemology.
• [01:00–03:26] – Examination of knowledge/belief divides and their real-world urgency.
• [03:40] – Introduction to the day’s poem and explanation of “epistemic.”
• [04:01–05:24] – Reading of "Epistemic Distance" by Emma Bolden.
• [05:24–07:37] – Episode closing remarks and production credits.

Summary

This episode asks what it means to know, to believe, and to reach out for something beyond proof. Maggie Smith draws parallels between philosophical debates on epistemology and the very real breakdown of shared reality in contemporary society. Emma Bolden’s "Epistemic Distance" becomes both a poetic meditation and an emotional response to the longing for certainty and faith amidst separation. Smith’s voice carries listeners into reflection, urging the slow, careful noticing that is poetry’s gift in a fractured world.