Are you from New Hampshire?
The past 32 years I have lived in New Hampshire. I am previously from the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles. I have deep California roots, especially from the 1960s and 1970s. I think I have finally adapted to the New Hampshire culture.
Your bio says that you are a philosopher. What does that mean?
Philosophers question reality. My quest throughout life has been mostly through the lens of religion. I began at age 10 with Zen, Christianity, and Judaism. I studied philosophy and religion in college. I deeply explored Hasidic Judaism, Sufism, and spent time with various eastern gurus. I had the opportunity to learn in-depth comparative religion and metaphysics working at Shambhala Booksellers in Berkeley. Later, I explored contemporary Christianity, theology, and sacred philosophy. All these studies had one thing in common: the philosophical quest for the depth of reality. My philosophical approach now allows me to step outside of religion and speak with words more familiar to the general public.
You just published a new book - Fragments Within Time. What is this book about?
This small book contains 240 short and concise writings on such topics as meaning, reality, imagination, and time. It presents ideas and insights to be mulled over and thought upon. Over many years, I have written essays and poems, but in my personal writings, it was the shorter writings that were most meaningful. That was the birth of these fragments. I took my longer ideas and extracted short concise nuggets to express what I wanted to say. I needed to get to the point and shorter writings were more useful.
Is this book philosophical?
I do not speak in the language of academic philosophy but rather present short concise ideas and insights. As philosophy is ongoing, ideas are also ongoing. I see philosophy as a dialog. One person presents an idea and then allows the reader to continue the idea, pause and contemplate the idea, let the idea sit in silence, or reject the idea. The process is a movement in time.
Are these short fragments aphorisms?
These fragments are not aphorisms. While an aphorism is often only one sentence, these fragments are two or more sentences. Fragments as a literary style can be considered complete as a highly constructed aesthetic form – like poetry. The ideas exist to be experienced like poetry.
Have you written any other books?
I wrote a book on tonic herbs called ADAPTOGENS. It has become a best-seller among herbalists and is the definitive popular book on adaptogens.
Thank you.
