Caroline Takes Refuge
“Breathing in, I go back to the island within myself. There are beautiful trees within the island; There are clear streams of water, There are birds, sunshine and fresh air. Breathing out, I feel safe….
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
When It Comes to My Novel, Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine, Elie Wiesel Took the Words Right out of My Mouth
I no longer see literature as an art or entertainment. For me literature must fulfill a certain mission in categories of history and justice. Literature is the art of correcting injustices. If there is nothing…
How to Have Fun
Mev taught me something very important: She taught me that when you go to Ted Drewes you could mix all different kinds of frozen custard flavors together. I would never have dreamed of some of…
Gatha for Yoshifuji and Me
Breathing in, we don’t know the future. Breathing out, we smile.
Gatha for Yoshifuji and Me
Breathing in, we don’t know the future. Breathing out, we smile.
A Beautiful Kaddish by Andrew Wimmer
I was writing in my Naikan notebook this morning, reflecting on some of what I’ve received from Andrew Wimmer. I remembered his “review” of The Book of Mev, and am happy to share it here……
Our Bliss with Books: A Fall Writing and Reading Course
I have sometimes dreamt that when the Day of Judgment dawns and the great conquerors and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards — their crowns, their laurels, their names carved indelibly upon imperishable…
The Most Precious Treasure
Meditation teacher Eknath Easwaran distinguished between two kinds of spiritual reading: instruction and inspiration. While he believes it makes sense to limit your instructions to one teacher/lineage/path, you can fruitfully read from all religious traditions…
“I’ll Never Know, in the Silence You Don’t Know, You Must Go On, I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On”
Working on a kind of sequel to Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine, I am imagining a character named Bella Levenshteyn, who in her twenties devotes herself to learning Yiddish, the language of her ancestors. At…
“I Want to Write a Song Like Dylan…”*
November 1987 I attended the world premiere of Louisville band Led Pelvis in Lexington, Kentucky. *from “Country Metal”