Naomi Shihab Nye (Image Credit: Stephen Barclay Agency—Photo by James Evans) As the beauteous Ibtisam Barakat (author of “Taste the Sky”—see post below as well) laid out a table filled with books overflowing with tabbed pages and Naomi Shihab Nye’s wisecracks began to flow alongside her wisdom, we knew we were in for something besides…
Photo by Arabian Nights pillows “Hospitality and generosity are the true calling cards of the Middle East.” –Naomi Shihab Nye Missouri Writers Guild Conference Luncheon, April 12, 2008 Also see: Does the Land Remember Me? (A Memoir of Palestine) by Aziz Shihab (her father) Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat RED BROCADE –From 19 Varieties…
Hostesses and the floral industry have known this for a long time. But the symbolic action of giving and receiving flowers makes people happy. The tangible symbol of being surrounded by flowers, makes people happier. Now the Home Ecology of Flowers Sudy at Harvard reveals that: 1) Flowers Feed Compassion. 2) Flowers chase away anxieties,…
What the Living Do by Marie Howe (From “What the Living Do“) Johnny, the kitchen sink has been clogged for days, some utensil probably fell down there. And the Drano won’t work but smells dangerous, and the crusty dishes have piled up waiting for the plumber I still haven’t called. This is the everyday we…
Here is the entire interview with Eden Maxwell, all in one piece, if you’d prefer to read it that way rather than chunked out into the three featured posts: April 10, 2008: Artist Eden Maxwell’s Life Purpose is Dharma in Daily Life April 9, 2008: Eden Maxwell on Art in Zen and the Zen of…
Eden Maxwell’s weblog “The Soul of Fine Art” is a fine place to “delve into art, passion, writing, dharma, character, consciousness, culture, intuition, evolution, and the spirit we call soul. Eden Maxwell’s breakout book An Artist Empowered: Define and Establish Your Value as an Artist—Now is, indeed, a triumph over rejection and a 435 page…
Symbolism is the tool of the poet, the visionary, the dreamer, the prophet, the priestess, the medicine woman, world healers and healers all over the world, ritualists, ceremonialists, performance artists, theater folks, and…yes, activists! Susan Tweit and I have been continuing our conversation on returning reverence and creativity to your daily life. Particularly, we’ve been…
My brother is one of the most competent men I know. He can repair a tractor, bake a pie, and help me with my taxes—all in the same day! That’s an Eagle Scout for you. This week he cooked dinner at the homeplace for not only Pop, himself, and myself, but as a special treat,…
I met Linda Darnece Jones at Kwaanza six days into the new year and we started a conversation about her art and poetry. I heard Linda read “Mama’s Powder Puff Was Rough and Tough” at a recent Women’s Art and Vision event and asked her if she’d let us share it on Riehlife, to which…
When I was a young married woman computing to graduate school at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in the 1970s before I went into Peace Corps in 1972, my husband and my best friend of that time got together to buy me the complete works of e.e. cummings. I was never so thrilled, and spent almost…