'Odes to Being Alive' notes appreciation and gratitude for small things

WBUR | By Here & Now Newsroom

Published August 4, 2025 at 9:50 AM MDT

The cover of "Get Me Through the Next Five Minutes" and author James Parker. (Courtesy of W.W. Norton & Company and Edward Boches)

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In “Get Met Through The Next Five Minutes: Odes to Being Alive,” James Parker writes notes of appreciation and gratitude on a wide range of subjects, from cold showers to the misplaced cup of tea to hugs to the hum of the fridge. Some are very short poems, some are short essays, and all are exercises in paying attention and celebrating everyday life and experiences.

Parker is a staff writer at the Atlantic, and he speaks with Here & Now‘s Anthony Brooks about the book and about staying “ode-ready” in the world.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.