In October 2015, while living and teaching abroad in Siberia, I had an extraordinary dream. I was attending Mass in a large hall with both Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic believers. During the Mass, I was talking to the Orthodox about the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, when suddenly I realized that while talking I had missed … Read more
Two weeks ago today, I arrived in the USA after a year and a half in Novosibirsk, Russia. While it was a relief to arrive after such a long trip (a 4-hour flight to Moscow, followed by a layover and a 9-hour flight to New York), I carried a sadness I didn’t know what to do … Read more
Well, now autumn has come to Novosibirsk … which means it’s time for poetry again. For whatever reasons, I can’t bring myself to write poetry in the summer. Prose, fine. But the moment I try to sketch out a poem, it usually putters out like an old car running on fumes. Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s … Read more
Only a few words with this one. Tonight, after a (stirring!) concert of German and Austrian choral music, I stepped out of the cathedral to see a breathtaking sky-on-fire. How perfect for Pentecost. Here are a few of the photos I took while walking home through downtown Novosibirsk: This is the view that greeted me … Read more
There may have been snow flurries on May 2, but anyway it’s a fact — spring has come to Novosibirsk! The days are long, the trees full of pods and young leaves. New things are popping up all around, from baby birds in the bushes (I saw one the other day) to new menus in the cafes. As … Read more