a place for contemplative practice, deep listening and compassion
Past Book Conversations
November 3, 2025
Thriving on a Riff: Jazz and the Spiritual Life by Bill Carter​
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In Thriving on a Riff, Presbyterian minister and jazz pianist Bill Carter shows us how jazz, in its quest for transcendence, bridges the gap between the secular and the sacred and, further, that these two worlds are not mutually exclusive--jazz is spiritual. Carter traces jazz from its origins in the twilight of American slavery, to its evolution from dance music to serious art form during the American civil rights movement, and its eventual introduction into the church as a legitimate expression of praise and lament. Along the way, he explores the spiritual dimensions of jazz, with its blend of passion and intellect, its ability to awaken us to something in and beyond ourselves.
May 27, 2025
Leaves Falling Gently: Living Fully with Serious Illness through Mindfulness, Compassion, and Connectedness by Susan Bauer-Wu​
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Accessible meditations, reflections, and practical advice to help patients and their loved ones navigate the emotional landscape of serious illness. Dealing with chronic illness can be an isolating and challenging experience. Whether it’s you or someone you love, it’s common to struggle with feelings of fear, sadness, or anger as you navigate the uncertainty of a diagnosis. This revised, expanded edition of Leaves Falling Gently empowers readers to embrace the present moment, find peace within themselves, and deepen interpersonal connections.
January 20, 2025
Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
What would it be like to live in a well-rested world? Rest as Resistance encourages us to connect to the liberating power of rest, daydreaming, and naps as a foundation for healing and justice. In Rest Is Resistance, Tricia Hersey, aka the Nap Bishop, casts an illuminating light on our troubled relationship with rest and how to imagine and dream our way to a future where rest is exalted. Our worth does not reside in how much we produce, especially not for a system that exploits and dehumanizes us. Rest, in its simplest form, becomes an act of resistance and a reclaiming of power because it asserts our most basic humanity. We are enough. The systems cannot have us.
October 22, 2024
Seven Thousand Ways to Listen: Staying Close to What is Sacred, by Mark Nepo
This beautifully written spiritual memoir explores the endless ways we can listen for life’s deepest messages. “Whatever difficulty you face, there are time-tried ways you can listen your way through. Because listening is the doorway to everything that matters.” - Mark Nepo. Weaving together memoir and meditation exercises, Nepo offers many ways to listen to life and live more fully. A moving exploration of self, our relationship to others, and the world around us, this remarkable guide unpacks the many ways we are called to redefine ourselves and to name what is meaningful as we face life’s challenges.
June 25, 2024
An Altar in the World, by Barbara Brown Taylor. In the New York Times bestseller An Altar in the World, acclaimed author Barbara Brown Taylor continues her spiritual journey by building upon where she left off in Leaving Church. With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and the spiritual depth of Anne Lamott (Grace, Eventually), Taylor shares how she learned to find God beyond the church walls by embracing the sacred as a natural part of everyday life. In An Altar in the World, Taylor shows us how to discover altars everywhere we go and in nearly everything we do as we learn to live with purpose, pay attention, slow down, and revere the world we live in.
March 26, 2024
The ElderGarten: A Field Guide for the Journey of a Lifetime is author Sally Z. Hare's invitation to you to join her in becoming what the planet most needs now: Elders. There are more old people than ever on the planet, but too few have grown to be wise elders. There has never been a time when wisdom, leadership, and integrity are more needed. This non-linear journey of a lifetime begins early in life and invites us to become fully who we are and to use our gifts in service of the planet. Elder is not about age but about the time of Life when one's hidden wholeness becomes visible. Elder means to live with integrity, undivided between the inner Self and the outer world: soul and role are connected in a seamless flow. The journey requires resilience and commitment - and Sally shares the practice she has discovered to build that strength. Sally envisions The ElderGarten as the field for learning to be an Elder. She knows that books are the thin places that invite her into the space between the real and the imaginary, so why not a field guide that shows the way to The ElderGarten?