Late December, 2013 Boulder County, Colorado, USA Dear Friends, Despite what may follow here, I do sincerely wish you happiness, good health, and the kinds of fulfillment you desire, today, tomorrow, next month, and in the coming year. The nature or complexion of that fulfillment is not for me to decide or prescribe. One of … [read more]
Narrative
Happy Birthday, Gary
Riprap -Gary Snyder From Turtle Island, New Directions Press, 1974 Lay down these words Before your mind like rocks. placed solid, by hands In choice of place, set Before the body of the mind in space and time: Solidity of bark, leaf or wall riprap of things: Cobble of milky way, straying planets, These … [read more]
Manifesto for warm-hearted bi-ped earth-walkers- Nikki Hodgson
Friends, Many of you know Michael Hodgson. Some know his daughter Nikki. Nikki has followed in the little guy’s footsteps, and made a real mark for herself as a writer. Her pieces from Palestine a few years ago were among the best writing from there I have seen: human-scaled and visceral, leaving the reader with … [read more]
The People
Gary Snyder’s conclusion of “For The Children” is a complete prescription for humanity:“Stay together, learn the flowers, go light.” Nothing is left out. I see us, through the restaurant window, together and not, going here and there, going on. There are no other politics. The People Rain slick streets of Shanghai lie worn but resolute … [read more]
The Ten Thousand Guys
The Ten Thousand Guys (From Six Mile Creek Report, 2004) One of these days, if I practice real hard, I may have the heuvos to do what these boys above are doing, to set up on a street corner or walk into a stanky bar or a hushed coffee shop and sing and play songs … [read more]
The Ship Graveyards of Chittagong
The Ship Graveyards of Chittagong We flew from Shanghai to Bangkok then on to Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city. The airport was alarmingly small and shabby for a city of nearly seven million. I wondered if we were in the right place. Armed military were ever-present and customs barely moved, in step with the sweltering heat … [read more]
