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The Mark of Belonging
Dear Friend, Mother tongue. Mother land. Mothers and daughters. The first chapter of the three we read this week is “Calliope,” the Muse of epic poetry. And this epic is a snapshot of both Cha’s mother, Hyung Soon Huo, and their motherland, Korea. The entire chapter, and this relationship to mothers of all kinds, seems…
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The Eternity of One Act
Dear Friend, As I imagined, Dictee is unlike anything I’ve read before. In our introductory post on February 1st, I somewhat teasingly asked of this book, “is it cake?” That question was inspired by the many different ways I’d seen this book described and by my passion for something silly: illusion desserts. Turns out, I…
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Is It Cake? Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s ‘Dictée’
Dear Friend, And so, we return to poetry. Well, sort of. Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictée has been described as a novel by some, as poetry by others. “Genre-bending” seems to be the most common and perhaps most apt description. I think what might be most important to know is, as The New Yorker says,…
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Be Closer to the Flowers
Dear Friend, As we wrap-up our contemplative read of The Book of Joy, I find myself feeling grateful for this experience, for this community, and for you. I suppose I would feel this way regardless of our reading selection this month, but it’s especially nice to stand in this place considering one of the eight…
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Step Firmly Forward into the Howling Wind
Dear Friend, “To choose hope is to step firmly forward into the howling wind, baring one’s chest to the elements, knowing that, in time, the storm will pass.” Days 2 and 3 of the meeting between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama are collectively titled, “The Obstacles to Joy,” and one of…
Contemplative Reading Project 