David Zimmerman and I received a warm welcome from the Squaw Valley Institute last weekend, where we presented the Fire Monks story and talked with Tahoe residents and Squaw Valley Fire Chief Pete Bansen (who is multi-talented and also handled the tech side of my presentation). A big highlight of the evening was meeting with a group of kids who’ve been discussing Fire Monks with Carolyn Hamilton, an old friend from the Squaw Valley Community of Writers conference.
Soon, I’ll be putting up a page with more detail about the great work Carolyn is doing with these smart and adventuresome kids.
Speaking of adventuresome, another guest season at Tassajara has drawn to a close, and fire monks Mako Voelkel and Graham Ross are leaving the monastery in the Ventana Wilderness to travel to India and Southeast Asia, continuing to practice way-seeking, but in a whole new context. Read about their journey (and support them if you feel moved) on their blog:
https://thecloudmountains.com/
Still on tour
Fire season is still in full swing, and I’m still getting out there to meet readers and talk about Fire Monks. Here’s a photo with a new friend from the Oregon Country Fair, where I was when the Basin Complex fire burned through Tassajara in 2008, and where I read this past July.
I’m excited for an event Friday with the Squaw Valley Institute. Fire Monk David Zimmerman will join me, along with local fire service folks, to talk about living with wildfire. Check out my events page for more scheduled events, including San Francisco’s moving literary feast, LitQuake.
Heartland Dharma
Just back from an extended trip to the midwest, where I saw family, reconnected with old friends, and introduced some new readers to Fire Monks. You can listen to the Dharma talk I gave at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago here. Thank you, Ancient Dragon!
Write a review!
An editor at The Oregonian is looking at a stack of Buddhist books on her desk and trying to decide whether to take the time to read it. I wouldn’t narrowly categorize Fire Monks as a Buddhist book, but that’s beside the point. If you’re a fan, help her decide to crack it open by commenting here: https://www.oregonlive.com/living/index.ssf/2012/07/buddhist_books_fighting_fires.html
Fun and Fire Safety
I love the Oregon Country Fair. Even if by the end of it, I’m ready to sleep for a week, it’s such a great combination of creative, fun-loving, good-hearted zaniness and social and environmental responsibility. On the day my husband and I arrived at the Fair, we encountered this fire-extinguisher demo by a local firefighter in the parking lot, where I got to practice my fire-extinguisher skills.