Time & Other Thieves

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In this second-ever podcast-only installment of the program, I catch you up on what I've been reading, writing, experiencing (including my first case of COVID), pondering, and witnessing over the last month. Along with continuing to immerse myself in the personal essay as a writing genre, I've been exploring literary editing as a possible new career, so HMU if you need something edited for cheap! This episode also includes a couple of short readings from Denis Johnson's "Train Dreams," more reflections on the book "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das, and a monologue on the importance of having a regular practice of connecting to one's body and breath. There's also a good long rant near the end about the news media and about why I will never watch the footage of Tyre Nichols -- or anyone -- being murdered.

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In this first-ever podcast-only episode of Time & Other Thieves, I share some of my thoughts on Christmas (a.k.a. Guiltmas), New Year's fireworks (condoned aggression), New Year's resolutions (no, thanks), Bodhisattva vows, and what I've been up to since retiring the radio version of this show. I briefly (yay!) discuss some of the key ideas I've flagged so far in my reading of the book Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das, and I read a passage from the beautiful novel Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. I also talk about how my new life as a disciplined-writer-with-the-goal-to-get-published is going, and the help I'm getting from an anthology called The Art of the Personal Essay, and through reading more literary journals. Lastly, I reiterate the importance of tending to your spiritual self -- the most important work that any of us can do!

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This is the FINAL Time & Other Thieves episode that originally aired in radio format. Its broadcast date was December 1st, 2022. In it, I explore some of the ideas presented in Stephen Levine's 1982 book, Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying. Thank you for listening!

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 10th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas that C.S. Lewis presents in the first three books/sections of Mere Christianity (1952). How is the fact that human beings try to abide by a Moral Law proof of God's existence? Why would God create a species who regularly fails to uphold that law and in the process can do so much harm? How much charity is enough charity? What does it really mean to have faith? To love your neighbor as you love yourself? Give a listen to find out how Lewis answers these questions and more.

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on November 3rd, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in Part One of "The Spirituality of Imperfection," first published in 1992. We humans are imperfect for a reason; our task as spiritual beings is not to strive for perfection, but to learn how to live with its opposite. In this episode I also talk about my wholly (holy?) imperfect experience regarding a certain Chevy Nova 2. The obsession returned! 

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on October 27th, 2022, I revisit the book Addiction to Perfection, by Marion Woodman. The episode I made in 2021 about the first half of this book has received more downloads than any other by a long shot, so I thought listeners might enjoy learning about the ideas that Woodman explores in the second half. I discuss how the masculine and feminine principles are out of balance in this society, and how we as individuals can bring more of the conscious feminine into our lives. The word "perfect" means that something is completely and thoroughly done, which we humans will only be when we're dead, so let's embrace the imperfection of being ALIVE and stop letting the unconscious masculine principle prematurely deaden us! Let's remember that any imperfections we possess, exist within creation itself.

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on October 20th, 2022, I share a conversation I recently had with award-winning writer and former NC poet laureate, Joseph Bathanti. Mr. Bathanti also happens to be my all-time favorite college professor (he still teaches at App State) and one of my favorite humans in general. Here he  talks about writing as a habit, the role that inspiration plays, the importance of intimately knowing one's geographical place as a writer, how Catholicism still influences his work, why Buddhism appeals to him, and much more -- including the ekphrastic roots of his most recent book of poetry, Light at the Seam, which was largely inspired by a series of photographs taken by Carl Galie. Called "Lost on the Road to Oblivion: The Vanishing Beauty of Coal Country," Galie's photos portray the devastation of mountaintop removal, and in that way they are a form of environmental activism, as are Mr. Bathanti's poems.

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 30th, 2022, I explore some of the ideas presented in the book No Recipe: Cooking As Spiritual Practice, by Zen priest and chef (and author of The Tassajara Bread Book) Edward Espe Brown. It might just inspire you to engage more fully with your life-force energy!

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 23rd, 2022, I continue talking about some of the ideas that Wendell Berry explores in his 2017 essay anthology, The World-Ending Fire. Topics  include but aren't  limited to: how we must change our individual ways of living if we wish to change the world; how we must stop being violent towards the earth if we wish to end any other types of violence; the importance of work--especially working with one's hands; the importance of family work; the difference between "freedom" and independence; and how "more, faster, easier" should not be the defining features of what we call "progress." 

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In this episode, which originally aired in radio format on June 16th, 2022, and is the first of two installments on the writings of American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer Wendell Berry, I also share parts of a conversation I had with KP Whaley and Ed Graves, co-owners of Tiny Bridge Farm in Hendersonville, NC. KP is also the General Manager at Asheville FM, the station that broadcasts Time & Other Thieves! He and his husband Ed were gracious enough to have me out to their farm and share what they've learned about the modern agrarian lifestyle and the importance of community. This episode also contains lots of ranting about air travel!