Poet and American University professor David Keplinger featured “Tend,” from my forthcoming collection, Smolder on his Mindfulness Initiative. Listen here. Then visit David’s website for info about his work and weekly online meditations.
My debut poetry collection, Smolder, won Ex Ophidia Press’s Richard-Gabriel Rummonds Poetry Contest, judged by Felicia Zamora, and will be published in early summer 2026!
The Ekphrastic Review featured some poems I had a lot of fun writing in the voice of Frida Kahlo’s skirts in January 2026.
Traverse magazine published my micro essay, The Shared World.
My memoir-in-fragments, THE PROBLEM OF HAPPINESS, was a finalist for AWP’s 2025 Sue William Silverman Prize for Creative Nonfiction, judged by Cheryl Strayed.
Older but still good news
My poetry manuscript, SMOLDER, was a finalist for the 2024 Laura Boss Narrative Poetry award. See/hear me read a selection of poems at The Poetry Center in Paterson, NJ.
KQED’s Erin Baldassari wrote this probing piece in November 2023 about the intersection of climate change and wildfire. She came over to chat about Fire Monks, and a brief excerpt from our conversation appears at the end of her thoughtful piece.
(Erin Baldassari/KQED)
Visit my list of recommended Books That Fill Me with Awe on Shepherd.com.
In July 2021, with Tassajara facing another wildfire threat just last month and the drought-dry west bracing for another relentless fire season, this story of a Zen community’s wisdom, humility, and grit continues to inspire. NowThis interviewed me for this short video about the natural affinities between Zen and firefighting.
Read my May 2020 interview with fire monk Mako Voelkel here & my April 2020 interview with fire monk David Zimmerman here.
Fire in the vicinity of Tassajara (in September 2015) has me thinking of Abbot Steve and his wise leadership during the 2008 Basin Complex fire. I dug through my interview audio files to unearth this little Dharma gem, Abbot Steve talking about applied Zen in the realm of wildfire: “Detachment doesn’t mean that you separate yourself from things.”
Older still but still good news
Fire monk Myogen Steve Stücky died December 31, 2013 from pancreatic cancer. For remembrances of this man of remarkable compassion and determination visit the Myogen Roshi Facebook page or San Francisco Zen Center’s memorial page.
I gave a Dharma talk in July 2012 at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate in Chicago. Here I am (awake with eyes closed) with my host Taigen Dan Leighton.
A video clip from my Fire Monks reading and slideshow presentation at East West Books in Mountain View.
Mill Valley Public Library First Friday lecture video.
Along with fire monk David Zimmerman, pictured below, I gave the keynote presentation at the 2012 International Association of Wildland Fire Human Dimensions conference in Seattle.
The Daily Beast named Fire Monks as one of the week’s Hot Reads (July 27, 2011).
Fire Monks was a Barnes & Noble Best Book of the month (July 2011).
Events
Events – Archive