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Writing

From scholarly papers to fiction, I use the technologies of writing to help myself and other people understand the complexities of human relationships, out in the world and within ourselves. Here’s some of the writing I’ve done lately.

Two pictures from picture books in which clothing has been applied to a naked boy and goblin using clear tape.

Who’s afraid of a goblin’s butt?

If you can believe it, a tiny part of a tiny part of me actually admires Moms for Liberty for censoring naked pictures, which it finds truly terrifying. This week, some plural reflections on the grown-up effects of childhood fears.

A white ceramic model of a human head, annotated with colored lines, red points, and Chinese characters. Photo: public domain

Some new bodies to try this week

I’d been feeling crappy for weeks — not sick enough to take off work, but just sick enough to work slowly and badly. Thursday I finally decided to do something about it, and what happened was a remarkable development in this Year of Living Plurally: I ended up in a new and better body.

That tinkling you hear is the sound of breaking streaks

That tinkling you hear is the sound of breaking streaks

Last week I broke a long streak of daily meditation, a small bummer that got me thinking about how and why we track our own evolution over time. This week’s theme is streaks: how they work, how to choose them, and how to diversify your timescales to understand how you are growing in more ways.

An image of the year laid out in a grid, with 12 drawings of complex objects with faces arranged across the mont

Join me in a Year of Living Plurally

In 2024, some friends and I are trying an experiment in bucking American individualism: a “Year of Living Plurally.” Every week or so, I’m going to share some reflections about how multiplicity, diversity, and community show up in our daily lives and the culture around us. Want to come along?

A graphic that says INNER COMMUNITY WRITING WORKSHOP, decorated with whimsical drawings of speaking objects.

Fall 2023 Inner Community Writing Workshops

The first-ever Inner Community Writing Workshops are meeting in November and December of 2023. Here’s what participants need to know.

Photo of a woman in a vermillion sweater pouring hot water from a china teapot into a cup.

How I got consent to write about consent

Back in January, I got the opportunity to write an article about consent, and a hardworking writer part of me eagerly agreed — without consulting the rest of my inner family. Here’s a brief transcript from the internal debate that ensued, plus a link to the published article.

One man visiting another in a hospital bed. He holds a book and touches the other gently on the knee.

“Systems fight death”: A conversation about culture, faith, and endings with deathcare worker Kelly Butler

A few weeks ago, I heard a Canadian stranger mention that she was in the business of “deathcare.” I’d never heard the word before, but I instantly knew what it meant, and it fascinated me. That’s why I tracked down Ottawa deathcare worker Kelly Butler for this conversation about careful ending.