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Zen Poem

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

Tai just sent me this poem by Ryokan, a Japanese Zen poet of the eighteenth century (it, and more like it here). It’s not yet where I am, but it’s where I’m aiming to be, and it helps me understand that odd detachment or distance I experienced at the workshop: [read on]

Hanging out with stars continued

Thursday, May 10th, 2007

Now I’m sitting in class, slightly dazed and disoriented from the shock of travel between identities and localities, while one fifth of my students pores over their final exam which I will soon need to grade. My route home from Hartford/Springfield to Baltimore, to Birmingham, and finally to Houston took six hours, time enough for me to re-read Nawal El-Saadawi’s powerful but deeply depressing novel, Woman at Point Zero, which added to my sense of disorientation (why did I take that novel?). The long series of flights gave me time to write some notes to myself, trying to integrate (1) the workshop and my odd sense of mingled hero-worship of the stars and detachment from the whole event; (2) the feelings that arose from being at Kripalu again, the overwhelming power of familiar smells of the place and the woods surrounding it; (3) deep talks with old friends who know me well and whose lives continue to unfold in surprising and adventurous ways; and (4) the relevance of all of that to my on-going quest. [read on]

Hanging out with the stars

Wednesday, May 9th, 2007

I’m in the airport, standing up at a free computer with a red-dot mouse that doesn’t work very well, so here goes: I’m on my way back to Houston from Massachusetts, where I’ve been hanging out with the stars. [Links added May 10th] Here’s the quick and (like it or not) clean: [read on]

Packing my bags & going back

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007

I’m packing tonight because I’ll be at the prison till late tomorrow, and Friday I’ll be leaving after class for…Massachusetts. Old friends, cool weather, and a workshop on Women and Film at Kripalu. [read on]