A few weeks back, I wrote about what I called the music of meaning–what makes writing memorable and moving. (If you didn’t have a chance to look at it then, […]
Flower Picking
Whenever I return to the South Indian village of Valayapatti, where I first learned to speak Tamil and to which I’ve been connected for more than a quarter century, I […]
The Same Leaf
I recently returned from a trip to Tamil Nadu, India, where, among other things, I was interviewed on Sun TV. It’s the highest-profile interview I’ve been invited to give so […]
Howard Thurman and What is True
I’ve been fascinated to be learning more about Howard Thurman, one of the first African-American civil rights leaders to meet Gandhi. He’s been on my mind as I explore the […]
Hazel’s Vision
When I was a kid, I happened to watch a movie called Watership Down. It was a tale of rabbits in search of a new warren, told through a beautiful […]
Moments of Respite
As many of us begin a new year—one of many new years on many different calendars—it can be easy to let whatever sense of spaciousness and ease we may have […]
The Music of Meaning: How Writing Becomes Memorable and Moving
What makes a piece of writing unforgettable? How does it come to move us? My experience writing in English and translating from Tamil and Spanish suggests an answer that’s as […]
Art-making and Meditation
The very first time I went to the house of my Tamil teacher, Dr. K. V. Ramakoti, I was greeted by beauty even before I entered the yard. On the […]