GOOD.W.Y.N. on Poetry, Survival, and the Healing Power of Truth

What does it mean to turn pain into art and to do it honestly? In this episode of Travel Time Stories, Shannon sits down with GOOD.W.Y.N. for a powerful conversation about poetry, survival, motherhood, mental health, and the long road home after military service. GOOD.W.Y.N.’s collection, War Crimes, draws from her experience in Iraq and the complicated emotional terrain of returning to everyday life after trauma.

Meet GOOD.W.Y.N.

GOOD.W.Y.N.’s story begins with identity, memory, and the courage to claim every part of herself. Her name change becomes more than a personal choice; it represents an embrace of history, healing, and self-definition. Now living in East Harlem, GOOD.W.Y.N. is an artist, writer, and proud parent whose creative life is shaped by honesty, family, and the desire to connect with others.

The Heart of War Crimes

War Crimes explores survivor’s guilt, PTSD, and the mental health challenges that followed GOOD.W.Y.N. home from military service. The collection does not look away from pain. Instead, it turns toward it, tracing what it means to survive, remember, and keep creating after war has changed everything.

“I use that energy to seek outpatient therapy... to create works of art and to write in an authentic and honest way.” – GOOD.W.Y.N.

Throughout the conversation, GOOD.W.Y.N. speaks candidly about channeling lived experience into art. Her reflections reveal a creative practice rooted in vulnerability, discipline, and a refusal to hide the truth. She also shares how mental illness has shaped her life as a mother and deepened her connection with her daughter, who has faced her own challenges with depression.

A Unique Bond

GOOD.W.Y.N.’s relationship with her daughter has grown into a meaningful partnership in art and life. Their shared creativity has helped them move through difficult seasons with empathy, openness, and understanding. Rather than hiding every part of her journey, GOOD.W.Y.N. has chosen honesty—an approach that has brought them closer and created space for compassion.

“Her witnessing what I go through has made her more empathetic, more compassionate towards human beings.” – GOOD.W.Y.N.

The Power of Poetry

GOOD.W.Y.N.’s poetry resonates because it invites readers into both the wound and the recovery. During the episode, Shannon shares how GOOD.W.Y.N.’s work stirred memories of her own family’s experiences with mental health, showing how poetry can open the door to conversations that might otherwise remain unspoken.

“Reading your poem really brought me back to that...” – Shannon

One standout piece, Dear Tony, dedicated to Toni Morrison, captures longing, inheritance, and connection across generations. GOOD.W.Y.N. describes the poem as a conversation with herself and with the influential women who helped shape her life, revealing how loss and legacy continue to move through her work.

“It’s me talking to myself and these women that had this profound impact on me.” – GOOD.W.Y.N.

Reflections

GOOD.W.Y.N.’s journey through pain and healing offers listeners more than a glimpse into one writer’s life. It is a reminder that telling the truth can be an act of survival. Her commitment to authenticity challenges us to honor our own stories, even the complicated ones, and to recognize the strength that can emerge from vulnerability.

Listen to the full episode of Travel Time Stories to hear GOOD.W.Y.N. reflect on poetry, motherhood, mental health, military service, and the healing power of making honest art.