Even a joyful holiday ballet like The Nutcracker nods gently towards madness, darkness, and fear: in the dangerous Mouse King, first and foremost, and also in the mysterious magician and uncle, Drosselmeier. E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story – on which it is…
I dreamt of a city too strange to be believed. A ship sailed through the sky, a flower docked on the shore, a lion with a mermaid’s tail guarded the bay. Mighty metal Super Trees rose above a garden and…
Today’s poem and photos come to you from a city cold and grey and drear – it’s winter here. But there’s Christmas cheer, and the Buddha, and Shinto shrines too. The lights that glow in the Christmas trees and the…
Sometimes a gift comes to you – unbidden – from God, the universe, or your local bookstore. A few months ago, I was chatting with Peter Taylor, a high school senior, at Parnassus. He was behind the counter, working part-time…
Several weeks ago, Mary Raymond wrote a guest post called “The Mysterious Discipline” – by far the best explanation of meditation I’ve ever read. For the first time, it made sense to me. Inspired by her piece, I offered a Bacon…
OH DEAR. I’m so sorry, friends, Bacon error! Post launched prematurely. I hope you have a good Monday ahead! xo
My friend Sara Bhatia is doing something hard (in addition to preparing the turkey): she’s listening. And trying to understand. A fierce and beautiful American, she wants to know what motivated other fierce and beautiful Americans in the 2016 election….
In a season of Thanksgiving, Patricia Eastwood stops in at Bacon to introduce us to a remarkable book about friendship. From Patricia: I know that tradition dictates New Year’s as the perfect time to declare a resolution or create a…
I have bad ideas all the time. Some good ones. I have learned humility over the years – and keep learning it anew all the time. But today’s post is not about humility. Or good ideas. It’s about… * …