Practice
An awed interviewer once exclaimed To the jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, “You do amazing things on the saxophone, Mr. Parker.” The musician replied, “I don’t know about amazing— I practiced for fifteen hours a day…
Author: Mark J. Chmiel
Share the Wealth: Envisioning Intentional Communities
We, Penny Smith and Tony Albrecht, recently visited a number of intentional communities, which provides the jumping-off point for this week’s Share the Wealth. We will share our pictures, stories, and takeaways from six different…
Ripples of Influence
All living beings are members one of another so that a person’s every act has a beneficial or harmful influence on the whole world. We cannot see this, near-sighted as we are. The influence of…
Sleepless (Life under Occupation/12)
Dear Carla, It’s 5 a.m. and I’ve been up 24 hours We visited a family yesterday The first two hours She beheld her brother Who was home after two years in prison: “How much weight…
Reflections on “The Book of Mev” from Cochabamba by Kate Raymond
Dear Mark, I return to the United States on December 15th and will spend the holidays with my family in Dallas. Then from the 26th through the beginning of January we will be in Colorado…
You, Walt, and I (And Most Everybody Else We Know)
Cab, Here’s section 51 of Song of Myself, which you’ve heard me and others quote scores of times, and even today as we discussed The Brothers Karamazov. And you might also enjoy June Jordan’s essay,…
Alice Walker to Hedy Epstein
Chris Wallach is reading Alice Walker’s latest book of poetry, The World Will Follow Joy: Turning Madness into Flowers (New Poems), and found this poem to Hedy.
Share with Wealth with Hedy Epstein: Remembering Is Not Enough
Our next Share the Wealth will be with Hedy Epstein, a long-time activist in Saint Louis and beyond. Hedy will share stories about growing up in Germany, which she left on a Kindertransport to England…
“I Know You Can Read My Mind”
You can cry on my shoulder anytime, no questions asked You can use me to train for the Guinness Book of World Records for Lingering You can take me for a Lou Reed ride in…
What I Wrote the Night before You Spoke (Gratitude Journal/8)
Suhad, I thank you even before you speak tomorrow because I know you’ll be passionate I know you’ll tell your truths I know you will be fierce and charming I know you will honor your…