On Good Friday I found a vulture lying in the middle of the road, wings spread wide as if crucified. Blood pooled under its belly. And I wondered about the meaning: a dead vulture on Good Friday, its brethren circling overhead. A day hallowed by people around the globe, heads… Read More
They are everywhere. What Downtown Abbey Character are you? What Superhero? Font? There is even one to help you discover – get this – “What Arbitrary Thing Are You?” Really? Are we that fricking board? Self absorbed? Lost? What? You know I was in Guatemala last week, and I did… Read More
Lauren Artess and Naseem Rakha, Fetzer Institute, 2010 I flew to Oakland today to spend the weekend with three women I met four years ago at a Fetzer Institute retreat for writers examining the subject of love and forgiveness. My friends are bright, funny, and wonderful people doing the important work… Read More
There is an art to balance. In how we move. In what we eat. In how we love. zi
I once had a house painter who tried to convince me the earth is just 6000 years old. I am a non-believer, I told him. This just fueled him more. So I told him I am a mongrel—father a Muslim, mother a Catholic, husband a Humanistic Jew, and me, just… Read More
One of the things Elijah and I are looking forward to during our upcoming road trip to Denver (about 1300 miles on two lane highways) is to listen to an audio book. As we consider what to listen to we are both reminded of the magic year we had listening… Read More
It was snowing when I dropped Elijah off at school today. At least it looked like snow – it was white and covered the ground and plants and streets and cars. Then I drove east a few miles, climbing to about 1500 feet, and poof – the snow was gone,… Read More
Waldo is my dog and dearest friend. He is always at my side, or close by as I sit at a desk or under a tree writing stories. He patiently waits for the moment I look up and say, let’s go take these characters for a walk. Waldo on the… Read More
On November 29th, 2013, the Grand Canyon had an unusual inversion. With warm blue skies soaring above, the canyon, at a cooler temperature, filled with fog. This time lapsed video shows the phenomena well. It was created by photographer Paul Lettieri. Enjoy. Grand Canyon Timelapse from Paul Lettieri on Vimeo.
Here is the talk I recently gave at Ted X. It was a wonderful and challenging experience. I think Brian and Linnea Kenny for allowing me to share a small part of their daughter, Kaitlin’s, story. I think the National Park Service for giving me the present of a one… Read More