A Disciple and His Guru
Dear Max, I never read Christopher Isherwood until this summer. What drew me to him was not his fictional output but his spiritual journey. My Guru and His Disciple is his engaging memoir of several…
Category: Correspondence
Sharing a Common Suffering
–Brandon Sampson recently finished his Master’s at the University of Chicago.
Epistolary Ecstasy (Love Letters, Notes of Gratitude, Postcards with Brio): An Autumn Writing Class
“Dear God, I am fourteen years old. I am I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me.” Alice Walker, The Color…
Thank You, Dear Layla Writing Class, Spring 2016
Dear Friends Thank you for coming to Tower Grove Place Thank you for listening week after week Thank you for becoming acquainted with each other Thank you for meeting up with me, like at Kaldi’s…
Accept Loss Forever: Ono No Komachi & Izumi Shikibu
I am glad to have read The Ink Dark Moon, Jane Hirshfeld’s translations, with the aid of Mariko Aratani, of the Heian Court’s poets—Izumi Shikibu and Ono No Komachi. Several of Kerouac’s writing maxims came to…
Doctors in Hiroshima
for Amy, Charity, Neeta, Neil, Neil, and Nima Being their comrades becomes the only way we can remain true human beings. And if we would also be authentic human beings, then we already have impressive…
A Draft of Your First Book
Dear Ramona, Thinking of Ko Un and last week’s theme, it occurs to me that your first book could be a collection of short “meditations.” 600-900 words. Like that brilliant “Open Hands” you sent me…
“I Have Some Wonderful News…”
I recently received the following letter from Robert MacArthur, who studied with me in fall 2005 at Saint Louis University… Dr. Chmiel! Hello! I hope this letter finds you well. I have some wonderful news…
Dear Layla, Dear Mark by Abbey Fox
Dear Mark, Per usual, I devoured your latest release. YOUR WRITING INSPIRES ME SO DEEPLY. It inspires me to take a moment and notice the tiny things that are the fabric of life and how…
Please Let Me Call You by Your True Names
Someone recently sent me the following note… “Mark” I rarely call you this But you feel like a Mark right now A mark upon my life A mark of brightness in a grey background A…