Binnie Klein is a Renaissance woman. At 74 she has reinvented her life time and again, from poet to psychotherapist to memoirist to songwriter, with several steps in between.
She picked up boxing as a sport when she was 55. The red gloves in the corner of the gym caught her eye, and a memoir followed in 2010.
A surprise phone call in 2016 triggered memories of a long-ago love, heartbreak, and the radical politics of the 1960s. A six-part audio memoir ensued.
In this episode, she talks with host Jane Trombley about creativity being the “sustaining thing,” the essential “nutrient” for her well-being.
Binnie started writing poetry at age eight. Childhood piano lessons laid the foundation for playing the music of the 60s on a hand-me-down guitar. In her 20s her poetry won awards and fed into her interest in becoming a psychotherapist. She has maintained a private psychotherapy practice since 1984,
Binnie began a music and interview show on FM radio (WPKN, Bridgeport Connecticut, WPKN.org) in 1975. She’s been a DJ there ever since.
A few years ago, a 30-something Australian songwriter sent her some material requesting airplay. They started collaborating with Binnie’s poetry and released an album, Quiver, in 2024.
What’s next? There is a lot in the pot. Have a listen.
P.S. Exciting News: Binnie invites you to the In These Trees and Tartie listening party April 27, 2025, at 6 PM/Eastern, celebrating their musical collaboration and debut CD. Binnie (AKA In These Trees) will be in a live chat from Connecticut, with Tartie (Tash Anderson) from Australia! To attend this FREE event, RSVP here. Downloads and CDs are available.
Show Notes:
Binnie’s Website
Binnie's Substack: Open Tuning
Book: Blows to the Head: How Boxing Changed My Mind (SUNY Press, 2010)
Audio Memoir Ten Days in Newark, 2018
Album: “The Quiver” 2024
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