Essays, Writing

Stranger (K-Drama Review)  

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Trigger Warning: This show contains graphic violence, blood, torture, suicide, and mature themes involving corruption and murder.

I love my K-Dramas, but I need more romance than this detective thriller gave me. And I’m used to the pace of Law & Order or other procedurals that solve entire cases in one episode. This one took 2 seasons to uncover corruption that was obviously present in episode 1. I was also very thrown by the depth of respect required by the patriarchy in this show. Some of the most awkward scenes were entirely preventable if anyone was simply willing to stand up to an elder or a corrupt boss.

I love aspects of South Korean culture that demand care for others, but that obviously does not solve the problems of crimes against women, the underprivileged, and anyone not in the top 1%, just like in the U.S. Their legal system seems just as messed up as ours (at least based on these shows), except for the fact that they have done away with the death penalty in their country. I also struggle with the norm of suicide as an honorable path forward for taking accountability. I know they are trying to change that in Korean culture, but it is still very present in their shows.

The main character Si-mok is a prosecuting attorney tasked with uncovering all the corruption, and the general gist of the hook is that he is more capable of doing so than most because he has had a partial lobotomy. Some in the show suggest that his intense sense of justice and inability to be swayed by bribes is an aspect of his altered brain. I think it is just who he is and the brain stuff just helps him look neutral in crises. His more emotional counterpart is a female detective Yeo-jin, who is equally righteous and is perfectly capable of showing her emotions. She’s my favorite character in the whole show because she stands for honor and integrity in a sea of wavering men. I’m glad I watched it, though it did feel a bit like I was reading through case files in real time with these crime solvers and would have preferred a bit faster pace.

Ahn, Gil-ho; Yoo, Je-won; Park, Hyun-suk. Stranger (also known as Forest of Secrets), Cho, Seung-woo; Bae, Doona. Signal Entertainment Group; IOK Media; Ace Factory. June 10, 2017 – October 4, 2020.

Essays, Writing

Poems & Prayers (Book Review)       

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I had the lovely experience of going to Bass Concert Hall and listening to Matthew McConaughey share poetry, while his good friend John Batiste played piano. They had conversations on stage, shared musings, ideas on faith, doubt, life, and death, and entertained us like we were in their living room with a personal intimacy that is hard to create in crowds that size. Both of those men are very talented and charismatic, so it was a night to remember. With the purchase of the ticket, we were handed a copy of Mr. McConaughey’s book Poems & Prayers. I have been reading it in little bite-size chunks since that evening many months ago.

I am always pleased to support local artists and writers and have always felt that Mr. McConaughey’s southern charm feels comfortable and known. I like that nothing is off limits in his poetry. He is vulnerable, disarming, and honest. He likes to rhyme, isn’t afraid to cuss, talk about sex, drugs, and rock & roll, and tell on himself. There are pithy proverbs, notes on what was happening in his life when he wrote some of the poems, and little life lessons he learned along the way. His middle ground views are just radical enough that leftists could find concepts to love. And they are just conservative enough that people on the right can say, “He’s one of us.” But he refuses to commit to a lane and instead calls on everyone to love, have integrity, and believe in something.

His faith is not too preachy. Here’s an example of his faith poetry:

I believe that
faith is the answer
in the end.

But for now all I
know is that it
helps on the way
there.

Until then. Amen.

I would argue that Mr. McConaughey is a better actor than poet or preacher, but if clever rhymes, simple meter, and faith-filled/recovery poetry sound appealing, this book is worth a read. Poems & Prayers has found a place in my poetry collection on my shelf of local writers.

McConaughey, Matthew Poems & Prayers, Crown Publishing, 2025.

Essays, Writing

Hafiz – Poem 41

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All images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

I am reading Hafiz’s Little Book of Life, poetry by Hafiz-e Shirazi. He is challenging me to become more comfortable with ambiguity. I will share his poem and some of my thoughts on his poem (sometimes with the help of experts when the concepts are too hard for me), followed by a poem and some art inspired by his poem.

Hafiz’s Poem 41:

The sanctuary of the heart is no place
For the company of antagonists

Where a demon departs
An angel arrives

Some thoughts:

This one is lovely. The imagery is that of simply letting go of negativity to make space for the beauty and love that will naturally flow into the vacuum created. We don’t have to do anything special to fill ourselves with goodness. We simply must make room. Remove bitterness and compassion can enter. Release antagonistic thoughts and peace has a place. Let go of prideful arrogance and humility will naturally make a home inside us. Release fear and love can breathe easily. There is no demon to fight, no dragon to slay, no war to be waged. They are simply not invited in, like vampires whose welcome has been rescinded. We would not walk into a sacred temple and spit on the floor. Our hearts deserve as much respect.

What are we allowing to dwell in our inner sanctuaries? Is it time for some hangers-on to be evicted? Our heart is not supposed to house every wound, fear, resentment, and lie we have ever been told. When harm finally leaves, healing can walk in quietly and take up occupancy. Instead of having to vanquish foes, we must merely open a window and allow pain to exit so holiness can enter. Time to do some inner house cleaning.

My Poem 41:

Sweep out the house.
Dirt belongs outside,
not in our hearts.
Throw back the curtains
and open the windows.

The stale air must exit,
so a fresh breeze,
sweet with spring scents,
can fill our space.
Then healing can begin.

Hafiz. Hafiz’s Little Book of Life. Translated by Erfan Mojib and Gary Gach, Hampton Roads Publishing, 2023.

Essays, Writing

Don’t Believe Everything You Think (Book Review)               

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All the rest of these images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

Thinking is the beginning and end of suffering. So says Joseph Nguyen in his book Don’t Believe Everything You Think. His basic philosophy is that we will be happier and more content if we spend more time in the flow state of experience rather than thinking or ruminating endlessly. Accepting reality as it is without judgment and layering of meaning via our perception of reality does not create as many negative feelings that derail us.

Christine Evangelou said, “A crowded mind leaves no space for a peaceful heart.” And Dostoyevsky said something about thinking too much being a disease. I think that is true. Not being able to turn off the mind, enter peace, creativity, flow, and just rest sounds terrible to me. Nguyen’s little book offers practical advice about how to quiet the thinking, stop judging ourselves and others so much, follow our intuition more, and develop unconditional love. He teaches the PAUSE method, which is a mnemonic for Pause with deep breathing, Ask yourself if your thinking is making you feel the way you way, Understand that you have the choice to let go, Say that thinking is the root of suffering, and Experience emotions fully without judgment.

And the back of the book is full of resources, journaling ideas, inner and outer work, practice suggestions, intentions, and reflections. I found the short chapters easy to read, helpful, and very beneficial to my peace of mind.

Nguyen, Joseph. Don’t Believe Everything You Think, Authors Equity, 2024.

Essays, Writing

Hafiz – Poem 40

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All images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

I am reading Hafiz’s Little Book of Life, poetry by Hafiz-e Shirazi. He is challenging me to become more comfortable with ambiguity. I will share his poem and some of my thoughts on his poem (sometimes with the help of experts when the concepts are too hard for me), followed by a poem and some art inspired by his poem.

Hafiz’s Poem 39:

Peace in both realms
Depends on your interpretation
Of these two utterances

“Be merciful with friends”

“Be tolerant of foes”

Some thoughts:

I’m not sure what two realms Hafiz is conceptualizing in this poem. There are so many options including: private life v. public life; religious life v. secular life; inner existence v. outer existence; human/earthly realm v. spiritual/divine realm; etc. I am going to keep it simple and consider the two realms “those who think like us” v. “those who do not think like us” as a simple way of saying “friend” or “foe.” That could apply to a number of different realms and is certainly relevant in current society where so much seems to balance on scales of dichotomy. Liberal v. Conservative; Rich v. Poor; Science v. Religion; Nature v. Progress; etc. We tend to be painted into black and white corners in nearly every conversation we enter.

I think Hafiz is suggesting that true peace depends on the way we perceive the gray areas that are not so easy to navigate. Can we be friends with someone who fails us? Those we love often hurt us the most because we care about their opinions and count on them. Can we be soft and loving to maintain relationships with those closest to us, even during the tough times? They are only human. And with our foes, can we allow for complexity and seek to understand without dehumanizing, othering, and judging too harshly? They are only human.

We will never have peace if we demand our way is the only way and there can be no other. Yes, we should have ideals, but then we must be merciful, tolerant, and gentle in our application of those principles as regards others. Can we hold compassion for those close to us and restraint toward those who oppose us? Will our differences and our interactions expand our hearts or harden them? The way we interpret these concepts holds the key to lasting peace.

My Poem 40:

Loving another means
accepting that they are human,
with all that entails,
including:
lateness, forgetfulness, distraction,
fear, ailments, impatience, frustration,
weakness, faults, arguments, disappointment,
and the list could go on…

The other we love may be friend or foe.
Both are in the same category of human,
with all that entails,
including:
beating heart, breathing lungs, thoughts,
opinions, feet to walk away, mouths that open,
hands that ball up into fists and clasp in prayer,
and the list could go on…

Hafiz. Hafiz’s Little Book of Life. Translated by Erfan Mojib and Gary Gach, Hampton Roads Publishing, 2023.

Essays, Writing

May TBR

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Good readers make better writers. So this is the latest stack of books that I am diving into because of topics I find interesting, writing styles I want to analyze, bookclubs I am in, and in support of authors I know personally. The top half are ones I have been reading for a while now and am doling out in bite-size bits a few pages at a time.

Hafiz’s Little Book of Life by Hafiz
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Do This Before Bed by Oliver Niño
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Poems & Prayers by Matthew McConaughey
The Bible for Gen Z (not pictured – I forgot to put it on the stack)

The bottom half are new ones I am adding to my stack to read through at probably a faster pace.

Where the God Of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
Don’t Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind T. Harv Eker
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
The Brain That Changes Itself by Normal Doidge, M.D.
The Other Side of Shutter by Jade B. Allen
Sand to Snow by Thelma Garnand, R.N.

Essays, Writing

The Birds Don’t Care If You’re Pretty (Book Review)            

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All the rest of these images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

Ava Caldwell’s debut novel The Birds Don’t Care If You’re Pretty is a story of community, friendship, tragedy, and redemption. The fact that the main characters are members of a magical coven in an idyllic setting cranks up the friction and suspense quite a few notches. Teen bullying, romantic rivalries, and risk taking all become tinged with the potential for life and death consequences when dangerous magic is involved.

How far will the characters go to be included, to get their way, to feel love, or to get revenge? Who can be trusted? How does one cope if their magic is taken away from them? And what happens when the reality becomes clear that no one is coming to save them from fate? This story has surprising twists, satisfying character development, and could totally be a movie or tv series. It is a standalone novel, but I would love to read follow up stories or books about the characters because I came to admire some of them and only felt like I was beginning to know their real selves by the end of the book.

I look forward to more from this author if this is only the beginning of her novel-writing career. I’m ready for more!

Caldwell, Ava. The Birds Don’t Care If You’re Pretty, 2024.

Essays, Writing

Blue Mind (Book Review)      

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All the rest of these images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

Blue Mind by Wallace Nichols soothed my soul. I’ve always known water is healing, transformative, magical…but learning some of the science behind those less concrete concepts was extremely affirming. Water is a great equalizer. Some people who are not as mobile as others are buoyed up, gravity no longer a concern. Others who are not comfortable with the vastness of open space can feel protected and enveloped by the extra pressure of water’s embrace. Anxiety and stress can be washed away. Addictions and obsessions can be rinsed off and replaced with water’s allure. And all of us benefit from even a glimpse of an image or painting of water, whether pond, lake, ocean waves, or waterfall.

I’ve always loved the sound of rain and waves. I think most humans’ nervous systems are calmed by those sounds, possibly because they mimic the earliest sounds we heard in our mothers’ wombs. This book delves into nearly any topic you can think of related to our love of water, from surfing, scuba diving, boating, fishing, snorkeling, sightseeing, swimming, and beyond. And even more fascinating, our brains on water can now be studied with advances in technology like fMRI machines. They are learning that spending time in, on, around, or near water enhances our focus, perception, creativity, memory, cognition, connection to others and nature, empathy, health, and mood.

The main thing this book confirmed for me is that I need to take more vacations to the beach, swim in the pool more often, and watch it rain every chance I get. And I probably need to drink more water, too. And science says so!

Nichols, Wallace J. Blue Mind, Little Brown and Company, 2014.

Essays, Writing

A Happy Pocket Full of Money (Book Review)

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Oh my goodness, this book was hard for me to slog through. I’m not exactly sure what was so challenging for me, but I was unable to keep focused for more than a few pages at a time. A Happy Pocket Full of Money by David Cameron Gikandi was chosen as a book club pick for a women’s trading group I’m a part of for Day Trading. I try to play along but this one did not do it for me.

Perhaps I have read too many “Think Yourself Rich” books and have grown weary of the sound bites and platitudes. There must be something to said concepts for so many wealthy people to espouse them. I’m not saying they are false, but perhaps the constant koan-like paradoxes have exhausted me. I don’t know. My brain could not jump from one metaphor to another quote to a different story across a leap of faith required to accept the link between quantum physics and wealth generation. It is probably a failing or weakness on my part, but the threads were too loosely connected for me to follow.

My favorite chapter was the last one, and no, not because it was bringing the ordeal to a close. It was truly the chapter that made the clearest argument that my brain could comprehend. It focuses on money as symbol, only worth the value ascribed by those using it in trade. There is advice about taxes, offshore accounts, investing, energy transfer, ethics, etc., but no practical advice about how to make ends meet when living paycheck to paycheck. It remains a theoretical argument only the rich can claim as proof of success, while pointing to the poor as proof of failure. At some point, those doing all they can to better themselves grow weary of being told if only they believe harder, invest smarter, and intuit better, they too can become rich.

Gikandi, David Cameron. A Happy Pocket Full of Money, Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc., 2008.

The following was repeated no less than 500 times in the book:
“I am wealth. I am abundance. I am joy.”
I decided to use those words with AI to see what kind of images would emerge. These are the result:

These images created by Rebekah Marshall’s prompts using AI on Gencraft.com website.

Essays, Writing

How to Stop Time (Book Review)     

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I can think of few premises more horrible than that of Matt Haig’s novel How to Stop Time. It is a world where some among us age painstakingly slower than average. The protagonist appears to be in his early 40s but has been alive on this earth for over 400 years. From French aristocracy to quaint village life in old England, from the dangerous streets of Shakespeare’s London to the London of the 21st Century, we are swept along with his story almost against our will. If life is a serious of tragedies with bright spots in between, imagine the tragedies of more than 5 lifetimes. The body still has aches and pains, the mind battles ups and downs, depression, anxiety, but with the added fears of being discovered, labeled a witch, a modern miracle, or a danger.

There are networks built to “protect” these long-living humans, but there are also organizations bent on finding and studying them like lab rats to enhance the lifespan of the rest of humanity. Staying hidden from both is nearly impossible, especially as modern technology advances to the point of photography, video, then internet and cell phones, and eventually social media. And how is one to love, to open the heart to vulnerability, knowing you will outlive any partner, child, grandchild, or friend? Oh, living with the pain of loss would be most unbearable for someone like me. I don’t even enjoy pondering this fictional concept any longer than I must.

But Mr. Haig has masterfully pondered these question and more in his tribute to family, humanity, love, and ode to living in the present. If nothing else, this book has made me thankful that my time here is brief in comparison. It is a good reminder to appreciate what we have and take no one we care about for granted. Change and death are inevitable constants that we must learn to accept; the alternative being the illusion of stagnation until the day we die. 

Haig, Matt. How to Stop Time, Penguin Books, 2017.