Author Archives: Jeff

Earth Lords/Spirits

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Jeff

In one of his memoirs, Gary Snyder tells of moving to Kyoto, Japan. After a week or two, he noticed the city was not welcoming him. Kyoto is many things, including the Imperial capital for over a thousand years, but … Continue reading →

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Burden

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Jeff

Down by the dying park, on the bench, sits a man with a story. It’s heavy. He tells the story to anyone who comes within earshot, even the pigeons. At first, he had bread to toss. They came and he … Continue reading →

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Level of Difficulty

Posted on May 16, 2019 by Jeff

Poetry contest winners are frequently about violent, traumatic, scary circumstances. I could imagine or make up such, but the result probably wouldn’t ring true. Why spend time and money pursuing something that’s unlikely? My wife and I recently sponsored a … Continue reading →

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Krister Stendahl on Religous Pluralism

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Jeff

Krister Stendahl, Harvard Divinity School professor, later Bishop of Stockholm, while famous among theologians for his writings on the Apostle Paul, is more widely known for his three rules of religious understanding: When trying to understand another religion, you should … Continue reading →

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LeGuin on Dystopia

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Jeff

Earlier I wrote about several of Ursula K. LeGuin’s books in Dystopias with Light Visible. In Words Are My Matter (an excellent collection of her essays about writing, book reviews, etc.) she says: Dystopia is by its nature a dreary, … Continue reading →

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Hazards of Self-Education

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Jeff

For the relentlessly curious and those moving faster than the speed of communication (a metaphorical sound barrier), self-education is a necessity. As someone with an education in programming and who often worked just behind the cutting/bleeding edge I’ve experienced both … Continue reading →

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The Third Self: Mary Oliver

Posted on March 17, 2019 by Jeff

Mary Oliver is one of my favorite poets. She has also written many essays on poetry and the artist’s task. Maria Popov’s Brain Pickings is an excellent way to learn about writers and their writings. The Third Self: Mary Oliver … Continue reading →

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The Hits Keep Coming

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Jeff

The next thing I read after You’ve got to be kind popped up in my RSS reader was Hating People is Easy. Loving Them Isn’t. Read to the end. Genesis B. is taking kindness into radical territory.

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You’ve got to be kind

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Jeff

The headline writers for MarketWatch have to be humble or have strong egos. The market moves after they write often falsifying what they wrote. Writing anything in a public place can be like that. The day after I wrote Kindness … Continue reading →

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Grooks

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Jeff

Grooks are haiku for scientists and engineers written in runes instead of ideo- or picto-grams. The term was coined by Piet Hein, a Danish poet, inventor, and scientist. My description is about as helpful as describing a haiku as a … Continue reading →

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