Phyllis Cole-Dai's Blog, page 15

Poetry of Presence Deep Discounted in Response to Pandemic

My co-editor Ruby Wilson and I want to help you and those you care about through this pandemic. For a limited time we’re offering Poetry of Presence for $13 per copy, a savings of 40% off the regular price. (A shipping fee of $3 will be added.) Offer good while supplies last. Limit one book per customer please.

Click here to purchase.

This offer is only available through the book website. Sorry, U.S. customers only.

Stay well, everyone!

Amidst pandemic, Phyllis launches “Staying Power”

Today Phyllis introduced Staying Power, a virtual care package she’ll be sending each Sunday and Wednesday, free of charge, to help subscribers weather the pandemic with a clear mind, sound body, and generous spirit. If you’d like to receive Staying Power, sign up here. Each care package will include

a personal story or meditationan inspirational imagelinks to beautiful poetry, music, art, videos, and other nourishing resources

Again, to receive Staying Power, subscribe at this link. Phyllis hopes you’ll sign up for this twice-weekly care package. Invite a friend to sign up, too. We’re all in this together.

Phyllis Suspends Public Appearances Until 5/16

With regret Phyllis has suspended all public appearances through May 16, 2020. In early May she will consider whether to lift that suspension or to continue it through the summer. She hopes to reschedule all events that she misses at a later time, whether this year or in 2021.

Phyllis regrets any inconvenience and disappointment this may cause. However, she must prioritize the safety of those whose health might be jeopardized if she continued her schedule as usual, ignoring the potential risk of the coronavirus. 

As one mayor has recently put it, in these unsettled times “We must pull together by staying a little farther apart, recognizing the importance of being overly cautious in order to keep our most vulnerable family members, friends, and neighbors safe.” Phyllis couldn’t agree more.

She invites you to lean on the power of literature (among other forms of beauty) to sustain and inspire you during this pandemic. Books can help close the distance between people when physical proximity is unwise. Read to loved ones, whether across the room, on the phone, or via FaceTime. Indulge in reading in place of concerts, plays and sporting events. Order books and magazines for delivery to the quarantined. And don’t forget oral literature! Phyllis is doing StoryCircle with her mother, recording stories for the future. Care to try?

May you and everyone you love be healthy. Phyllis thanks you in advance for doing what’s necessary to help your community get through this crisis. 

Phyllis Interviewed about Streets Experiences on Tale Feather Podcast

This week Phyllis joined Nick Schmeichel, host of The Tale Feather Podcast, to discuss her experiences living on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. Along with friend James Murray, she went to the streets during Lent and Holy Week, 1999, to “practice presence” (or compassionate attention) among the people they would meet. They later chronicled what happened during those 47 days in The Emptiness of Our Hands, now in its third edition. The book has a timeless message, in part because homelessness remains a major challenge within American society. Listen to the podcast episode here.

Phyllis Composes a Community Poem as Thanksgiving Gift

Back in 1999, when Phyllis lived by choice for 47 days on the streets of Columbus, “Grateful, grateful!” was her shortest, most meaningful prayer. This year, in celebration of Thanksgiving, she invited readers of her newsletter to submit brief “gratitude lists” that she could use in composing a community poem. Not surprisingly, she titled the poem “Grateful, Grateful.” Listen to Phyllis read the poem here. Download a PDF of the three-page poem here. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Beneath the Same Stars” Earns Five Stars

Beneath the Same Stars has received a “BIG 5-STAR” review from Chick Lit Café. “A historical fiction masterpiece…. This novel deserves to win awards…. highly recommended to all historical fiction readers.” Read the full review at Chick Lit Café.

Phyllis Interviewed on Tale Feather Podcast

Listen as host Nick Schmeichel interviews Phyllis on the Tale Feathers Podcast about her writing of Beneath the Same Stars: A Novel of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War (affiliate link).

Interview Digs into Back Story of “Poetry of Presence”

Poet and anthologist James Crews interviews Phyllis and Ruby R. Wilson, her co-editor on the award-winning Poetry of Presence, about the back story of the collection. Read the in-depth article here.

City Selects “The Emptiness of Our Hands” as Common Read

Phyllis’s spiritual memoir, The Emptiness of Our Hands: 47 Days on the Streets has been selected as a common read by Aberdeen, South Dakota. Phyllis co-authored the book (now in its third edition) with James Murray. She will give a multimedia presentation about her experiences living by choice on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, at 7pm on Tuesday, October 29th, at the K.O. Lee Public Library in Aberdeen.

City Selects The Emptiness of Our Hands as Common Read

Phyllis’s spiritual memoir, The Emptiness of Our Hands: 47 Days on the Streets has been selected as a common read by Aberdeen, South Dakota. Phyllis co-authored the book (now in its third edition) with James Murray. She will give a multimedia presentation about her experiences living by choice on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, at 7pm on Tuesday, October 29th, at the K.O. Lee Public Library in Aberdeen.