Name: Jaya

Reading: The Temple of My Familiar, Alice Walker

Why did you want to read this? I partly wanted to connect with my 21-year-old self—just finishing college, already into meditation, and amazed by how this book transmitted a shamanic, transformative atmosphere. I bought copies for many friends, and even the mother of a friend, although I had very little money—and these gifts were hardcover copies because the paperback hadn’t come out yet. Even now, after decades of meditation, I find it more important than ever to share art that directly supports insight and awakening, rather than trying to address the mystery of life through the intellect.

How did you record yourself? I sat on the floor of my son’s bedroom with a Rode podmic on a short stand, and an ill-fitted pop filter teetering on the neck of the mic. The mic was plugged into my laptop USB port, where Audacity was taking it all in.