Traveling With Pomegranates

Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor. (Penguin Books, 2009) Reviewed by Gabriel Constans A mother and daughter travel to Greece, Turkey, France and home to South Carolina and provide their respective perspectives on the experience. Sue Monk Kidd (the well-known author of The Secret Life of Bees) is reflecting about [...]

Rahula, Savarna & Bodhi

Excerpt from the novel Buddha’s Wife. Historically, Rahula was Yasodhara and Siddhartha’s son. Siddhartha was later known as “The Buddha” or “The Tathagata”. Chapter Thirteen “Run! Run!” shouted Rahula, as he picked Bodhi up under his arms and headed towards an impression in the hill. Savarna was close behind. He turned and yelled at Savarna [...]

His Mother’s Arms – Part 3

His Mother’s Arms. Excerpt from children’s story collection Solar Girl and Lunar Boy. His Mother’s Arms – Part 3 (Conclusion) When Jon and his mother made their return visit to the hospital, Jon let slip a comment about his mother’s headaches. The doctor, a young, auburn-haired woman, named Sally Shapiro, quickly questioned Clarisa. “When did [...]

His Mother’s Arms – Part 2

Hist Mother’s Arms – Excerpt from Children’s short story collection Solar Girl and Lunar Boy. Hist Mother’s Arms – Part 2 The nurse, Bea, washed Jon’s forehead with yellowish-brown betadine that ran behind his ear. Bea’s brown face was surrounded by straight, thick black hair. The rest of her body was covered in white. She [...]

His Mother’s Arms – Part 1

His Mother’s Arms – Excerpt from children’s short story collection Solar Girl and Lunar Boy. His Mother’s Arms – Part 1 The squeaking bicycle wheels turned with mechanical persistence, as Jon pumped triumphantly across the neighborhood asphalt and rounded the bend towards home. It felt like the sky swooped down and pulled his excitement into [...]

Leave Some for Me

Excerpt from The Skin of Lions: Rwandan Folk Tales Leave Some for Me as told by NSHINIYIMANA Dativa (10 years old) at the ROP Center for Street Children (Rwandan Orphan’s Project) There was a young couple that had a child called Imanway. The couple had a field of maize next to their home. When the [...]

Watch Your Ass & Testify

Excerpt from Paging Dr. Leff: Pride, Patriotism & Protest. Watch Your Ass And Testify In the midst of his conflicts on base, Dr. Leff received a letter from his good friend Dennis Wolter, who wanted him to be the best man at his wedding in March. Dennis had been running the motorcycle shop he and [...]

She-Rain

She-Rain: A Story of Hope by Michael Cogdill (Morgan James Publishing, 2010) Reviewed by Gabriel Constans She-Rain is like a gem that’s been pulled out of a pigsty. It contains some of the most eloquent prose and language since Shakespeare. Some will see elements of Pat Conroy’s writing that takes place in the Carolinas and [...]

Surviving in Time of Crisis

Here is the beginning of a very important article by Alison Rose Levy at the Huffington Post. What You Need to Survive in an Age of Crisis In this special blog, I’ll share with you what my 30-year survey of the most powerful, little known and guaranteed health interventions has revealed. There is no pill [...]

Erik Is Not Alone

Erik’s story was written by Lukasz Zielonka for ROP Stories, one of the sites for ROP Center for Street Children and the Rwandan Orphan’s Project. Erik’s Story Erik sat on the plastic chair and looked deep into my translator’s eyes. Late afternoon light brightens every detail of his face, lost somewhere in the shadows of [...]