Share the Wealth: With Gratitude for Jean Abbott
I invite you to join us for an evening of sharing stories about Sister Jean Abbott (1943-2021), who was the founder of the Center for Survivors of Torture and War Trauma here in Saint Louis….
Category: Our Heroic and Ceaseless 24/7 Struggle against Tsuris
Under Pressure
The Wretched Truth One of the very worst things in life… is when you cannot help or be with someone you love who is working 100 hours a week. Every week. Deepest Darkest Insecurities by…
No Lectures, No Tracts, No Prayers
Roy Morris, Jr., The Better Angel: Walt Whitman in the Civil War This book tells the story of Walt’s practice of the 4th Tiep Hien precept, not to look away from suffering. Actually, here’s the…
Sometime, Somewhere, Someone’s Saying…
Dear Bella Balaban “That higher-up in the Vietnamese Politburo who died of cancer—what a decent guy!” “I miss—I really do—our last dictator. He was so intelligent and really tried to make la Guardia more diverse.”…
Looking Ahead to a Spring Trip to Washington, D.C.
I want to listen to your tales of triumph and disaster I want to massage your feet, long oppressed by heels I want to be present to all you cannot say I want to be…
Don’t Get Rattled by Samsara
So many of my brilliant former students— Their families from Gujarat, Bijar, Delhi, Kerala, West Bengal— Would pity me Or express incredulity That I, their erstwhile quasi-prof, Hang on the words Of Sri Anandamayi Ma…
Exchange
“But how come those Palestinians can’t be like Dr. King?” Well then… “So, Rabin, did he make it even through a third of Gandhi’s Collected Works? And did Shimon Peres invite Gene Sharp to give…
I Was Sitting Outside at 6 North Coffee
I bought tea for my friends Shams and Rumi Another intoxicatingly sunny day 70 degrees They were cutting up the way they always do But they could see in my eyes a request to quit…
Bella Levenshteyn Gives Me an Opportunity to Practice
“I’ll be filling two backpacks, and then I’m headed to Warsaw” My heart sinks Three deep breaths in and out My heart expands
“So Don’t Flip”*
When it comes to righteous indignation She makes Arundhati Roy seem timid At a public reading of The Book of Mev I made sure she read last reading aloud the last chapter To mark the…