Updates and Meditations - Week of May 9th

I.

I think we in the Northeast can finally declare that spring has arrived!  Finally the trees are exploding, we can sleep with the windows open and we are supposed to be in the seventies most of the coming week. 

Some updates:  Chai street book first printing next week.  I am available to brew on site and teach and sell some books.  I practiced this at my work place, The Centre for Social Innovation this week.  I brewed a batch in the kitchen and filled the place up with the aromas of cardamom and ginger.  Many folks were excited to sample and to learn about the spices. 

We also had our chai photo session, where my man Miguel took shots for the color version of the chai book (out in late May).  Still finalizing arrangements with printers.  Check out this beautiful shot:

II.

Our meditation of the week comes from a 16th century Japanese warrior and ruler, Uyesugi Kenshin.  He faced the fear of death regularly and had some powerful reflections on transcending fear of death. (I have taken the liberty of playing with the format of the words, for I enjoy taking a quote and formatting into a little poem)

Those who cling to life die
                     those who defy death live. 

The essential thing is the mind. 
Look into the mind and firmly take hold of it,
and you will understand that there is something in you which is above
birth-and-death
      which is neither
drowned in the water nor burned by fire. 

Those who are reluctant to give up their lives and embrace death
are not true warriors. 

III.

The next book in the Urbanmonks Press pipeline is almost complete as well.  Written by yours truly, entitled, "The Small Street Book Revival," reviews the history of the small street  book and encourages the revival of the medium.    It is the text that supports the project of the revival of the street vending of small books, pamphlets and broadsheets. 

Another component of the Small Street Revival is the incubation of a affiliated network of small street book presses.  This book is intended to inspire and guide development of local street book presses.  

Imagine what a few hundred independent presses that sell their books on the streets could do for our society, providing a public venue for creativity and discourse.        .  

Happy spring good people, 
doug