Pure and unexpected joy filled my heart during the Hardship Alaska book talk and World Café conversation at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage on June 6, 2023. I even reunited with four folks who knew me when I lived in a closet in the church’s basement fifty-plus years ago. Longtime friend and musician Mary… Continue reading Return to Alaska 2: St. Mary’s Book Talk & World Café
The Archive
Return to Alaska 1: Homecoming, June 3-10, 2023
I recently went back to Alaska—the first time in over fifty years. I returned as part of my Hardship Alaska book tour. The book chronicles my life as a Vietnam War-era conscientious objector as I set off on two years of exile, service, soul-searching, and self-discovery in Alaska’s rugged, unforgettable beauty. The trip north was also… Continue reading Return to Alaska 1: Homecoming, June 3-10, 2023
Martha Graham
The city’s black steel and concrete-gray buildings sparkled in the rain, their dark hues vibrant; even the dirt and trash-filled gutters glistened as if wrapped in a high-gloss clear coating. Nearly blinded by this dazzling display, I thought I heard an angel speak, her voice cutting through the light. I couldn’t make her out as… Continue reading Martha Graham
Death is not the worst of evils
Every morning, weather permitting, I drive the six miles from my house in Trenton to Washington Crossing State Park and walk the paved drives that cut through the historic site connecting picnic groves, parking lots, a nature center and an outdoor amphitheater. There’s also a small museum with Revolutionary War artifacts which are housed in… Continue reading Death is not the worst of evils
Under a Bali Moon
Under a Bali Moon Among treetops under a Bali moon moist in the heat after dusk, I’d sat in this spot the year before, came back with a friend in tow. I waited while she lifted her spoon in anticipation. “Luscious.” She licked the caramelized crust, spoon dipping deep scooping up what lurked below. Its… Continue reading Under a Bali Moon