A Quiet Rebellion- Carrie Birde on Shame, Voice, and Uncommon Grace

Episode Summary

Some people rebel by getting louder. Carrie Birde rebelled by getting gentler.

After years of writing in secret—carrying shame, creative fear, and a persistent who am I to do this?—Carrie finished A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace, a novel that intentionally pushes back against a culture saturated with noise and dystopia. Instead of resistance, the book is driven by acceptance. Instead of spectacle, it offers wonder. Nature is a living presence, hope is deliberate, and beauty is treated as essential rather than indulgent.

In this conversation, Carrie shares what it took to move from emotionally distant drafts to vulnerable, living pages—and how breaking long-held patterns finally allowed her to hear her own creative voice. We talk about writing methodically (her preferred term over “slow”), trusting quiet stories, and the courage required to let tender work be seen. She also reflects on small creative acts—turning newsprint into paper hearts, hanging origami cranes on a neighborhood wishing tree—as ways of choosing meaning when the world feels heavy.

If you’ve been keeping your creativity tucked away, this episode is an invitation to bring it into the light.

Show Notes & Chapters

• [00:00] A quiet rebellion: why gentleness can be a radical act

• [01:00] Writing in secret and the fear of being seen

• [03:40] Holding the finished book; early creative life across mediums

• [06:00] From distance to vulnerability: rewriting with emotional presence

• [08:45] Breaking family patterns and shedding creative shame

• [12:50] “The world isn’t watching your every move” — freedom from imagined judgment

• [18:45] Writing against dystopia; nature as a character; choosing a hopeful ending

• [22:40] Meet Grace (19): conversation with the living world

• [26:30] Methodical writing, parking-lot epiphanies, and knowing the ending first

• [29:45] Teen beta reader finishes the book in a day: “Please write more”

• [36:00] Letting the book rest for years; fear of being “too quiet”

• [37:30] Finding the right boutique publisher and editorial partnership

• [48:30] Paper hearts, wishing trees, and choosing beauty anyway

Resources Mentioned

• Novel: A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace — by Carrie Birde

• Publisher: Blind and Square Books (editor Tara Tomczyk)

• Creative practices: Paper-heart project (newsprint → handmade hearts), neighborhood wishing tree with origami cranes