Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way from Despair to Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our ... [Continue Reading]
Writing Through the Pandemic: December 1, Number 3
After the pandemic You can share your response to this prompt below. ... [Continue Reading]
Writing Through the Pandemic: December 1, Number 2
Tell me about something you can’t stop. You can share your response to this prompt below. ... [Continue Reading]
Writing Through the Pandemic: December 1, Number 1
Tell me about a story, a dream or a plan you’ve had to let go of. You can share your response to this prompt below. ... [Continue Reading]
Afraid to Say
“The first and greatest fear that blocks us as writers is fear of the truth we may discover. The world, dressed in our habitual interpretations, is familiar to us. It may not be exactly safe, but we know how to walk in it. We can get from sunrise to sunset. “But the unconscious part of us knows more than the conscious mind will admit. When we sleep, dreams hint at our secrets, but in code. Writing, like dreaming, sometimes tells us what we are not ready to hear… “…I have come to understand, through my own writing and through working with other writers, that fear is a friend of the writer. Where there is fear, there is buried treasure.” --Pat Schneider, Writing Alone and With Others
What I’m afraid to ... [Continue Reading]
Helpful Resources in a Time of Uncertainty #91
Dear Writers and Friends, I’ve had the great honor and privilege of teaching at Tassajara Zen Center retreat for the past few summers. This past July, my in-person retreat with my friend and colleague, the wonderful meditation teacher Tova Green, was canceled because of Covid. But now, under the auspices of Tassajara, Tova and I will be offering a one-day online retreat on Saturday, January 9th, entitled Writing Our Way from Despair to Commitment. It will be the first retreat I have taught since the spring and the only one on my calendar. Please join me for this very rare and special opportunity. Here are the details: Writing Our ... [Continue Reading]
Helpful Resources in a Time of Uncertainty #90
Coronavirus & the Pandemic Response A Room, a Bar and a Classroom: How the Coronavirus is Spread Through the Air Excellent set of graphics that explain coronavirus transmission from El Pais, a Spanish magazine. The article looks at three different scenarios: a home/family gathering, a restaurant/bar and a school and examines both droplet and aerosol transmission of the virus—how it works and the best ways to mitigate it. There is a big long gap in the middle of the article, but keep scrolling and you’ll get to the rest. Thanks to Deo Robbins for the heads up. Click here to access this ... [Continue Reading]
Writing Through the Pandemic: November 24, Number 1
Look at your life through the eyes of gratitude. Go back through your life. Last week, last month, last year, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, early adulthood, teenager, child, toddler, baby, birth, beginning in the womb, conception, before that? What are you grateful for? Begin making a comprehensive list. You can share your response to this prompt below. ... [Continue Reading]
The Wall
“There’s nothing more interesting than a wall behind which something is happening.” --Victor Hugo
Tell me about something that happened on the other side of a wall.
... [Continue Reading]Helpful Resources in a Time of Uncertainty #89
Coronavirus & the Pandemic Response Larry Brilliant Says We’ll Beat Covid—After We Go Through Hell This is the best article I’ve read about Covid in a long time. It’s an interview with epidemiologist Larry Brilliant in Wired Magazine, who say the next few months will be “the best of times and the worst of times.” Clear information from an excellent source. Click here to access this resource. Private School Tents & Public Longing A powerful essay about the inequities that have become more glaring than ever in the education of poor versus wealthy ... [Continue Reading]
