Nurturing a Capacious Heart: Why Everyone Should Read Kate DiCamillo

A lecture given at L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough,
Massachusetts. For more information,
visit https://southboroughlabri.org/


by Joshua Chestnut


In her 2013 book Flora and Ulysses, beloved children's author
Kate DiCamillo uses a remarkable phrase to describe a certain
George Buckman, calling him a man who was "very capacious of
heart." This means that George's heart has become large and so is
"capable of containing much joy and much sorrow." Perhaps in our
moment of endless digital distraction, angry partisan politics,
and perpetual anxiety, we could all use a bit of help nurturing
our own hearts in becoming more capacious. This lecture will
consider the life and writing of Kate DiCamillo with the hope
that her writing can help us all, old and young alike, grow in
our capacity to be honest about the joys and sorrows of our
lives.


*If you've never read any of her many books, The Miraculous
Journey of Edward Tulane or The Tale of Despereaux are great
places to start!


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Southborough L'Abri 2025