The Poetry of Transformation
Yesterday, when I read in the Concord Monitor that one of the last major American poets of his generation, Donald Hall, died at his home at the age of 89, I felt sad that I had neglected to write to him one more time. I never told him how much his example of the good… Continue reading Unpacking the Boxes: a small tribute to Donald Hall, (1928-2018)
The Spirituality Center at Saint Benedict’s monastery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, has a labyrinth, which I am preparing to walk soon for personal and professional reasons. I suppose I could just drive over there tomorrow and walk it, but that’s not how I take journeys. I read up on the places I’m going because it… Continue reading Gailand MacQueen on the spirituality of mazes and labyrinths
“And I have at last accounted for this last part of my story.” Beowulf’s voice surrounds me, and his image again appears whole before me. Beowulf the warrior reaches out his hand as if to touch me. I extend mine toward him. “Which causes more pain, I wonder. The words unsaid or the words not… Continue reading Susan Thurston’s “Sister of Grendel”: a cultural critique of the epic hero
In essence, the best Genre Fiction contains great writing, with the goal of telling a captivating story to escape from reality. Literary Fiction is comprised of the heart and soul of a writer’s being, and is experienced as an emotional journey through the symphony of words, leading to a stronger grasp of the universe and… Continue reading Who does and does not read literary fiction?
“Recovering my fluency in Kansas things, I talked recipes, quilts, and weather with some people, books and poetry with others. I met populists and democrats, poets and farmers, Lutherans and agnostics, and a lot of people who not only loved where they lived but had chosen it.” Tracy Seeley How to be at home “How… Continue reading Tracy Seeley on choosing to love where we live
"Language as a tool to manipulate both mind and heart...snapshot of the human condition; of our mortality reflected in nature; the staying of time." Alice B. Fogel Why poetry matters "Poetry will bring you significant new interactions with the world around you, with ideas and sensations, with yourself and others," poet Alice B. Fogel wrote… Continue reading New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alice B. Fogel on How to Explore Poetry’s Strange Terrain
Did you ever try to write a poem attempting to capture a mind-to-mind, heart-to-heart encounter, sitting up half the night conversing with a brilliant person / kindred spirit, your heart bursting with a sensation of music, moonlight and the mystery of existence all mingled together? Don't bother; it's impossible to put into words. I've recently been savoring essays… Continue reading Marilynne Robinson on The Givenness of Things and Democracy
Have you read a book that compelled you food to sample the food described, or tasted a new cuisine to enrich your understanding of a story? I went to Tibet with Sabriye Tenberken...
A close reading of the "news" reveals that much of what we take for fact, is at best an entertaining opinion, often misleading, and sometimes harmful propaganda.
A good read for those who like a pretty cook book, with a balanced mix of quick and elaborate, exciting, healthy, tasty recipes.
Tracy Rittmueller 