Sing loud!
An invitation to write/right the future together with me.
In his famous poem, translated by Coleman Barks, Rumi imagines each human as an instrument through which Spirit enters the world.
God picks up the reed-flute world and blows.
Each note is a need coming through one of us,
a passion, a longing-pain.
Remember the lips
where the wind-breath originated,
and let your note be clear.
Don’t try to end it.
Be your note.
I’ll show you how it’s enough.Go up on the roof at night
in this city of the soul.
Let everyone climb on their roofs
and sing their notes.Sing loud!
Truly these are times in which each of us needs to open our hearts to the breath of Spirit, and join with others up on the rooftops, singing loud.
This is what we do when we "write to right the world," or use our creativity in any of a million ways to positively impact our present and our future.
Regular followers of this Substack will know that I recently returned from almost a month in Italy and Iceland, leading writing workshops and soaking in the beauty of extraordinary landscapes and the camaraderie of marvelous friendships.
When those trips came to an end, I plunged back into my ordinary, extraordinary life of family, friends and the beautiful places I am so fortunate to call home.
But there is a shadow falling rapidly on these sunny landscapes, as the environmental crises entwine with the political crises in what feels like an ever-tightening noose of peril.
There has never been a stronger need for our positive visions, and for the labor of bringing those visions into manifest reality.
For many years I wrote a blog called Transition Times, where I tried to not only thoughtfully consider the news of the day, but also to suggest positive alternatives, signposts towards a better future. I am returning to that mission in a new section of this Substack called "Writing/Righting the Future," which you can subscribe to here.
I'll continue to regularly share writing guidance, pep talks and news of my upcoming events here, but I'll also be posting more frequently in my "Writing/Righting the Future" space, in response to what are sure to be fast and furious events coming at us this summer and fall.
You can check out the first posts here, and I hope you'll subscribe and join me in conversation about the most consequential social, political and environmental issues of our time.
As I wrote in my latest book, Purposeful Memoir as a Quest for a Thriving Future, it's essential that we ask that famous David Byrne question, "How did I get here?" and parse through the answers, on both an individual and collective level, so that we can understand our present more fully, and step with greater clarity and intention into the future we desire for ourselves and our world.
Whether in memoir or in fiction, to me the task is clear: to open my heart to the wind-breath of Spirit and join with others in singing a better world into existence, note by precious note.
Let's sing loud!
Mark your calendars….
I have a couple of online events coming up that might interest you:
Scaffolding the Academic Writing Process
Tuesday, August 6 at 8 am Eastern, I’ll be sharing my 30+ years of experience in helping students to write academic papers. Things have changed a lot in the AI age, and the step-by-step process that we academics call “scaffolding” is more important than ever—for writers of every age and genre.
Register here for this free online event, sponsored by the Liberal Arts & Sciences Collaborative of the Bard Open Society University Network.
Exploring the Keys to Purposeful Memoir: Ancestral Archeology
Monday, September 9 at 10 am Eastern, explore how your ancestors’ lives impacted the way your own life has unfolded in a lively online workshop. What legacies are you proud to continue, and what would you prefer to jettison as you move towards a thriving future for yourself, your community and our world?
Sponsored by Berkshire Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning (OLLI) at Berkshire Community College. Berkshire OLLI members $15, non-members $20.
Come Riding & Writing in Portugal with me!
My next trip will be to Portugal January 5 - 11, 2025, at the beautiful Monte Velho Equo-Resort in the dramatic hills and cork groves of the Alentejo region.
Get away from it all in a treat for mind, body and spirit: contemplative writing in good company, and outstanding riding instruction on magnificent, well-trained Lusitano horses, with both arena dressage lessons and trail riding into the countryside.
Space is limited—reserve your spot now to avoid disappointment!
More info (and many beautiful photos of last year’s R&W trip) here; registration form here.
Friends, it’s my pleasure and my passion to support you as we stretch towards living our lives creatively and to the fullest.
The motto of my author consulting business is “Writing to Right the World,” and the motto of my book publishing business, Green Fire Press, is “Books that Make the World Better.”
If these intentions resonate with you and you are working on a book, or have one in mind, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Supporting creative people bring their work more strongly out into the world is one way I try to make the world better.
