Magical Memoir Moments
The Secret of the Best Wedding Blessings: Find the Memoir Moments That Fit Your Child's Purest Self
Three years ago today our only daughter became a bride and wife. Stuart and I were asked to write wedding blessings to read in the ceremony. We were honored and a little daunted by the seriousness of the occasion. How to choose the words when the heart was so full, the memories so overwhelming, the…
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up? Kind!
Poet and master teacher Jack Ridl tells a story about an encounter with a boss that shaped his whole life. Again, from the 2010 Writer’s Retreat at the Fetzer Institute. The Dalai Lama has said, “My religion is kindness.” A few years ago, I wrote an essay about the desire of a young Amish boy…
Why Go to a Writer’s Conference? Two Slideshows Illustrate Some of the Many Benefits
In April of this year poet Mark Nepo and I co-facilitated a writer’s retreat that brought 16 wonderful writers to the Fetzer Institute where we both work. The experience profoundly affected all of us, and we continue to stay in touch with each other. Soon we will have edited video interviews which I will share here. In…