Time & Other Thieves

In this spur-of-the-moment (ish) episode, I talk about the Chinese art of placement: feng shui! It literally means "wind" and "water." Merriam-Webster defines "feng shui" as "a Chinese geomantic practice in which a structure or site is chosen or configured so as to harmonize with the spiritual forces that inhabit it." And of course it applies to home interiors, which is what I'll focus on here. It is so very fascinating and fun! And it'll drive you to the point of distraction if you're not careful. That's partly why I made this episode, so I could get some of the feng shui out of my system and make room for other stuff in my head! 

In this episode I talk about my decision to stop making these episodes on a monthly basis. Instead, I will do them when the mood strikes! I briefly discuss Thomas Aquinas, who said just a few months before his death in 1274 that his writing labors had ended: "Such things have been revealed to me that all I have written seems as straw." I love that. I also talk a little bit about the political situation in the US and what I think we need to do if DJT gets elected. And I rant about brain-computer interface technology. "You do not have to be good. You do not have to be good..."

In this episode—the shortest one yet!—I talk a little bit about my recent experience of realizing (as a writer) how important and helpful editors are. I also discuss the sewing meditation retreat I did in February. But I didn't feel like going on and on about it or anything else, so I kept things brief. Just a little check-in! Maybe in April I'll have more to say. :)

In this episode, I talk a bit about my tendency to have multiple projects going at once, and how that probably informs a recurring dream I have about never being able to get where I need to be. But mostly I explore some of the ideas put forth in the 1961 book On Becoming a Person, by Carl Rogers. We people are change, embodied. We are always in a state of becoming, so don't go thinking you've become who you're going to be! You'll never become who you're going to be because that would mean there's a goal in mind, some static version of yourself that, once achieved, you'll never stray from. To get the most out of our ever-changing-ness, we need to be open to our experience, and able to share that experience in word and deed with the people we care about. There's a lot more going on in this episode, so give a listen if you wanna!

Happy New Year! In this episode, I briefly discuss the difference between spirituality and religion, share the various challenges that life presented me with in the month of December ("man plans, God laughs"), and talk about the box of my late paternal grandparents' courtship love letters that I acquired over Christmas. I also revisit some of my thoughts and feelings about Christmas and how my attitude about it has changed since last month, and I touch on some of the books I've been reading: The Case for God, by Karen Armstrong; Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner; On Becoming a Person, by Carl Rogers; and Branching Streams Flow in the Darkness, by Shunryu Suzuki.

In this episode, I talk about the obligatory gift-giving insanity that is Christmas (reminding you that you don't have to participate!), and I read an essay my husband recently wrote about climate change. I also share my experience of participating in National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo) and of attending my first Buddhist lay minister ordination ceremony. Lastly, I discuss what I've been reading—namely, Thomas Merton's autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain (finally finished it!) and The Sun magazine.

In this "bonus" episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 25th, 2021 (and which I've only just now converted to podcast format), I discuss Thanksgiving the holiday, as well as the practice of giving thanks. I explore the history of the holiday, which actually has very little to do with the meal shared by Pilgrims and Wampanoags in 1621. That was more of a celebration than a thanksgiving, as (at least for the Pilgrims) giving thanks typically entailed fasting and quiet contemplation. In reading about the true origins of this holiday, I realized how thoroughly Christian it is, and what a large role religion originally played in US government, and how much more willing to go without certain creature comforts the American people used to be.

In this episode I briefly discuss the bullshit that is war of any kind and I pay brief homage to Matthew Perry (R.I.P.) before reflecting on some favorite passages from Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet and Mason Currey's Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. In reflecting on what Rilke calls "the happiness of being a beginner," I announce my intention to begin writing a novel this month—and to complete 50,000 words of it—as a first-time participant in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). And in sharing some gems from Daily Rituals, I discuss some of my own sacred routines, as well as some words of wisdom on discipline and inspiration from Gustave Flaubert, Steve Reich, Samuel Beckett, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Bernard Malamud.

In this episode, I reflect on Jean-Dominique Bauby's memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, focusing particularly on (and reading a large portion of) the chapter titled "Through a Glass, Darkly." (I also talk a little bit about the origin and meaning of that strange phrase.) Bauby had a massive stroke in 1995, at the age 43, and as a result was totally paralyzed (except for his left eyelid) and rendered mute. After exploring his memoir, I then totally change gears and talk about Russell Brand, by way of really talking about civil discourse, or what Dr. Robert Nash calls "moral conversation." I discuss a 1996 article that Nash wrote on the topic and which still very much applies to the modern day.

In this episode, I mostly talk about Luis Rubiales, whom I'd never even heard of prior to the infamous kiss he planted on the lips of Jenni Hermoso after Spain won the World Cup last month. I also talk about the books I've been reading (and listening to), and the recent epiphany I had (again) about meditation.

Don't be fooled by the photo for this episode! I only talk about Make Your Schools Work for a few minutes near the end, but it's the only book I say much of anything about for this installment, and I needed something to take a picture of... I thought about snapping a shot of my bare belly, because I devote a good amount of time to exploring that topic here—women's bellies in general—but that would have felt way too vulnerable in way too many ways! So here I am with my sweet boy dog Tyke and a random-as-hell recent book purchase. In this episode I also talk about my family trip to Topsail Island, my discovery of an implicit bias I carry against women philosophers, some thoughts on climate change, and my continued adversity in the realm of physical health, which has led me to get curious about menopause, and due to my resulting google searches I've been seeing lots of ads aimed at menopausal women and they are BULLSHIT. This episode's got a good long rant about what they call "meno belly"—the extra fat around their middle that many women acquire during menopause. I talk about how this fat serves a valuable, health-supporting purpose, and I denounce the ridiculous notion that menopausal women should have flat stomachs. We shall never again be as we were, y'all. And that can be a beautiful thing!

In this episode, I explore some more ideas from the Alain de Botton book The Consolations of Philosophy, focusing on the surly sentiments of Schopenhauer and on Nietzsche's admonition to "live dangerously!" Happiness isn't about being safe all the time; nor is it about being comfortable or...well...happy. I also talk about the Medicine Buddha and the mantra associated with that archetype: TAYATA, OM BEKADZE, BEKADZE, MAHA BEKADZE, RADZA SAMUNGATE SOHA. I've recently been invoking him/it, trying to support my own healing (the "physical inadequacy" continues!) and that of those I love. Lastly, I discuss some ideas from the book Zen Spirit, Christian Spirit, by Robert E. Kennedy, Jesuit priest and Zen roshi. This episode has bells!

In this episode, I talk about my new fascination with ghostwriting, which has inspired me to listen to Prince Harry's memoir and to read Andre Agassi's autobiography, both of which were ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer, who recently wrote a compelling article about his ghostwriting experiences in The New Yorker. I also explore my recent attempt at watching The Handmaid's Tale TV series, which I abandoned early on into season two, opting for the novel instead, which I found a much more enjoyable form of entertainment. Another book I discuss is The Consolations of Philosophy, by Alain de Botton, focusing mostly on the section about Seneca, and the consolations he offered for frustration. I talk at great length about my recent, first-ever meditation retreat, the inherent challenges of which were exacerbated first by a head cold and then by biblical rain, chilly temperatures (in late May!), and some unfortunate sleeping accommodations. Lastly, I share my struggles with some recent minor health issues, revisiting de Botton's book and what Montaigne had to say about "physical inadequacy." And in my enduring rebellion against artificial intelligence, I revisit J. Krishnamurti's The Awakening of Intelligence by reading a few passages from it.

In this episode I talk about my first freelance editing gig (and also my last, with this particular company); rant about ChapGPT and AI in general; rave about TOOL's 2001 album, Lateralus; and of course address some ideas from stuff I've been reading, including Pema Chödrön's Start Where You Are. 

In this episode I talk about my continuing interest in all things editing and my deepening passion and appreciation for books, both for the education and entertainment they provide and for the quiet and solitude implied by being able to read them. I discuss my ever-evolving relationship with writing, and the realization that just because one is good at something doesn't mean they should make it their life's focus. I also share some of my thoughts and feelings about the recent school shooting in Nashville.

In this episode, I reflect on the living and learning that's happened in the past month in regards to my writing practice, which, as writing practices often do, is informing the rest of my life. Thanks to a book by Philip Gerard called Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life, I've decided to incorporate more research into my writing. Two topics I've researched are regret and noise pollution, so I talk about some of those search results. (Did you know that some of the loudest noises humans make, happen under water? It's hideous! People are the worst!) In this episode I also share some updates on my journey toward becoming a freelance editor. 

In this second-ever podcast-only installment of the program, I catch you up on what I've been reading, writing, experiencing (including my first case of COVID), pondering, and witnessing over the last month. Along with continuing to immerse myself in the personal essay as a writing genre, I've been exploring literary editing as a possible new career, so HMU if you need something edited for cheap! This episode also includes a couple of short readings from Denis Johnson's "Train Dreams," more reflections on the book "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das, and a monologue on the importance of having a regular practice of connecting to one's body and breath. There's also a good long rant near the end about the news media and about why I will never watch the footage of Tyre Nichols -- or anyone -- being murdered.

In this first-ever podcast-only episode of Time & Other Thieves, I share some of my thoughts on Christmas (a.k.a. Guiltmas), New Year's fireworks (condoned aggression), New Year's resolutions (no, thanks), Bodhisattva vows, and what I've been up to since retiring the radio version of this show. I briefly (yay!) discuss some of the key ideas I've flagged so far in my reading of the book Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das, and I read a passage from the beautiful novel Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. I also talk about how my new life as a disciplined-writer-with-the-goal-to-get-published is going, and the help I'm getting from an anthology called The Art of the Personal Essay, and through reading more literary journals. Lastly, I reiterate the importance of tending to your spiritual self -- the most important work that any of us can do!

This is the FINAL Time & Other Thieves episode that originally aired in radio format. Its broadcast date was December 1st, 2022. In it, I explore some of the ideas presented in Stephen Levine's 1982 book, Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying. Thank you for listening!

In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 10th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas that C.S. Lewis presents in the first three books/sections of Mere Christianity (1952). How is the fact that human beings try to abide by a Moral Law proof of God's existence? Why would God create a species who regularly fails to uphold that law and in the process can do so much harm? How much charity is enough charity? What does it really mean to have faith? To love your neighbor as you love yourself? Give a listen to find out how Lewis answers these questions and more.