Dear Friends of New Village Press,

Happy Summer! We are thrilled to announce the release of our tenth new title—Art and Upheaval: Artists on the World’s Frontlines by William Cleveland. This is a rare and moving account of local artists rebuilding the social infrastructure of communities in six parts of the world that have suffered the trauma of civil war or political repression. (more…)

Patience is a word that has been showing up for me lately—at least three reminders this month to consider a slower mode of living. In this why-didn’t-we-fix-it-yesterday world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer potential of what we can do, what we feel we should do, and what we feel we must do, not mention what we wish we had done. Finding reminders about patience, I am nudged to give myself permission to ease into the space of just appreciating what is, take off the yanking bridle that pulls me ever forward and really feel the luscious grass on my bare feet.

You may think this is only metaphor, but that is exactly what I did this past Saturday at a festival called the Big One that our parent organization, ADPSR, co-sponsored at Golden Gate Park in SF. Wisely, we were invited on arrival to take off our shoes and sit down for a guided meditation. I never put those shoes back on and enjoyed all day the glorious lawn of Sharon Meadows that stretched for a hundred yards in all directions from the event center, a space dressed in colorful Indian cloths and tables of fresh organic strawberries, bread and beverages. (more…)