'Whatever We Have, We Have to Work With It.'

Cheryl calls Alice Walker, the poet and novelist, at her home in Mendocino, California. They talk about ancestors, solitude and the time it takes to heal. Cheryl asks Alice about remembering her dreams, and the two discuss suffering and resilience — via the late boxing world-champion Muhammad Ali. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.