Email from Jaime in El Salvador
I have an internship in El Salvador this summer and was visiting the Casa during the beatification of Romero. The house was full of The Struggle is One books and I met a Nicaraguan volunteer…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
The Essential Allen Ginsberg: Cafe Ventana Reading Group
“It occurs to me that I am America” –Allen Ginsberg, America Beat poet, antiwar activist, gay liberationist, free speech devotee, “First Thought, Best Thought” advocate, and cheerful Buddhist, Allen Ginsberg has been a major influence on U.S. counterculture…
On Ivan Ilyich
ahamkara [aham, “I”; kara, “maker”] Self-will, the ego mask, the principle in people which makes them feel separate from others. — Diana Morrison, A Glossary of Sanskrit from The Spiritual Tradition of India The Death of Ivan…
Share the Wealth with Chris Wallach
If you want to understand your mind, sit down and observe it. –Munindra, Bengali Buddhist At the end of March, Chris Wallach spent a week on silent retreat at the Insight Meditation Society retreat center…
Power Branding, American Style
Early morning walk on Naperville-Wheaton Road I see this collection of signs: – One caught my eye Power Yoga Power Yoga? Of course Power Yoga! This is branding, American-Style What’s next? What else is out…
Nocturnal Thoughts after Reading Julia Esquivel, A Guatemalan Poet in Exile
Dear Bella Levenshteyn Remember how last January You read all the Yiddish works you could find Of Yankev Glatshteyn for almost all of three weeks? Rob Renaud S.J. is on a similar binge — Nicaraguan,…
A Short Digression While Discussing a Tolstoy Story (Why I Love Siobhán)
At McGurks I asked Siobhán, “Did I ever tell you about the ‘Meanwhiles?’” “I don’t think so.” “Back in the days and nights When The Book of Mev wasn’t The Book of Mev (I was…
LA Woman
Dear Bella Levenshteyn Got galleys for book and cover proofs. Going to a cafe early tomorrow morning and see how it looks. I’d like to be handcuffed to you for six hours, at a bar,…
Living in Belize City
Carolina and Tatiana have been participating in the Be in Love with Yr Life writing course from Belize City. I sent them my “It’s About” (on what Dear Layla Welcome to Palestine is about) which…
Just This
Your great-uncle who was connected to the KKK You righteous indignation at this Your bodhisattva compassion for him, for yourself Hold it all In this present moment –from novel-in-progress, Our Heroic and Ceaseless 24/7 Struggle against…