Sensibility and Sense
“This is the most sensible man that I ever say in my life.”—Mrs. Porter, on Dr. Johnson, quoted in W. Jackson Bate, Samuel Johnson I live with the most sensible person I’ve ever seen in…
Tag: Joanie French
Long Live Vivacity!
Depend upon it, Sir, vivacity is much an art, and depends greatly on habit.—Samuel Johnson, in A Johnson Sampler, edited by Henry Darcy Curwen. I’ve never thought about vivacity in this way …To master an…
Bucket List/1
To love my enemies To be here now To smile at every child I meet To travel in my mind’s eye to Rafah, Gaza and remember the beauty of the people To encourage 237 more…
The One Thing That Is Important
Christopher Isherwood, My Guru and His Disciple, New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1980. I’ve been imagining coming up with a class in which we’d explore Chris Isherwood, Ram Dass, and especially The Gospel of Sri…
#TitleIXat50
Our dear Friend Laura was on Twitter today and found the following about Joanie from Missouri State Athletics– Joanie French did her part in establishing MSU’s women’s athletic programs in the 1970’s! She was a…
During Our Lojong Class in the Central West End
“My true religion is kindness.”HHDL Everyone is trying to keep it togetherTo make a contributionDon’t forget thisHave a kind heart Maybe some people aren’t trying to make it betterThey want to cause troubleDon’t dwell on…
What I Love about the US of America: Overture to an Unfinishable List
Martin Luther King’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech, Riverside Church, NYC, April 1967; Route 50 in Nevada; Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass; Duke Ellington, “Take the ‘A’ Train”; Joey Neilsen, resister of Catholic high school homophobia; massive…
I Thank Jonathan Richman
When did he meet Joanie French?He captured her almost perfectly… If only he included her swishing from 25 feet In “Her Mystery Not of High Heels and Eye Shadow”!
Healers
How to Live Jesus had his students Dipa Ma had her devotees Joanie French has her students Jesus sat with people Dipa Ma sat with people Joanie helps people to sit without pain Jesus placed…
Micro-Affections
Her Favorite Photograph Out of the blue She texted me First, there was a photo: Then Lena Laserstein Wrote underneath it: “My favorite photograph” Being ever so curious I wrote her back: “Why do you…