To provide a more detailed sense of who I am in this work of being human with other human beings in a shared world, I offer the following:
I am by nature, passionate interest, and training—perhaps, affliction—an anthropologically-focused, process theologian; a gender theorist; writer; consultant; educator and participant-learner interested in cofacilitating learning communities. To these endeavors, I come bearing decades of lived experience, training, and a heart for a relational, connective practice, curiosity, honesty, and willingness to stay in conversations—even, if not especially, the hard ones. 

I began my vocational career as an HIV/AIDS case manager, counselor, and educator. After that, I transitioned to serving as a mental health counselor and clinician, educated and trained in psychology, addiction and co-occurring conditions, and trauma recovery. Not surprisingly, in all my employment positions, I was tasked with many duties, including program development, supervision, and staff development-training. I served as a counselor for more a couple of decades before leaving the field for all the reasons most dedicated folks leave, as well as the need to address an emerging health issue. During that time, I fed my spirit and paid my bills working part-time as a landscaper and an electrician’s helper.

In 2012, I made two significant decisions: one, to begin gender identity transition, moving my outward self closer to my inner sense of self; and two, to add to my education by going to seminary. I was ordained in the United Church of Christ and later, resigned my standing, and left ordained ministry to convert to Judaism. Most recently, I served as assistant director at Wildacres Leadership Initiative, where I was engaged in the deeply soulful labor of fostering and holding relational circles committed to courageous curiosity, conversation, and connection.

In my everyday life and personal vocation, I am endlessly seeking evidence the world is, indeed, built on hesed—generally translated as lovingkindness, hesed means so much more: love, covenantal faithfulness, steadfastness, kindness, and even mercy. For me, this searching is a labor of heart-soul-mind, deeply embodied, and embedded in the world, entire—in nature, in human beingness and interactions, the behavior of creatures in the natural world, and the endlessly emerging Torah whispered everywhere: in breeze-blown leaves, birdsong, and the silent spaces in our hearts and our conversations, to name a few potentialities.

I enjoy reading, studying Torah, woodworking, gardening, drawing, and especially spending time with my spouse, Diana, our family, and our friends. When I am not writing, woodworking, studying, or thinking through potential poems, I am usually making or repairing things in the wood shop, tending the gardens, working on Big Blue (our truck), or wandering the natural world in search of interesting minerals, fossils, and other unusual artifacts. Lately, cancer has slowed my ability to engage in my passions, but I continue striving to be hard to kill so I can return to soul-feeding labors of love.

In the meantime and in all times, I am happy to keep growing older and living-on with my spouse and soulmate, Diana, a freelance artist, designer, and publishing professional who (since 2009) shares adventures with me, inspires me to playfulness and laughter. Together, we strive to grow new gardens and the relationships that matter to us, are engaged members of our Jewish community, and take walks with our dog, Dodi, when we can get his lazy self to go with us. Sometimes, we make art together or simply sit on the porch watching the birds or the fireflies.

For a few years, I collaborated on a monthly podcast—the Bible Bash Podcast—with previous co-host and producer, Peterson Toscano, and my final co-host, Don Durham (of blessed memory). After Don took his earthly leave, I just couldn’t bring myself to try to continue with someone else. In some forums, it is still available for listening.