Christian McEwen

WELCOME to Christian McEwen’s website. You will find excerpts from her published books, as well as an example of her uncollected prose. There is also an excerpt from her short film, Tomboys! co-produced with Julie Akeret.

Last winter, Christian completed her new book, WORLD ENOUGH & TIME: ON CREATIVITY AND SLOWING DOWN. It came out with Bauhan Publishing on 1st September 2011, and is already going into a second edition (available late December 2011).

John de Graaf was an early reader, and commented in the following terms:

WORLD ENOUGH & TIME is, above all, simply one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I read it far too quickly because I suffer from the very disease it illuminates so well, and I am one of those who warn against this disease (hurry sickness) that is everywhere among us.

I want to read this book again (and again) and slowly, savoring the remarkably moving writing -- Christian McEwen's prose is pure poetry; she has a poet's heart! And yet, it is not just her gift with words that makes this so powerful a book. Her stories ring true and put flesh on the solid social criticism and historical insights contained in the work. Her literary erudition shines through, but with an abiding humility. Most of all, this is a book that goes to the core of our current condition and asks us to reclaim our souls. Its message about time could not be more timely. This is not just a good book.

This is a book that should become a classic."

-- John de Graaf, co-author of AFFLUENZA: THE ALL-CONSUMING EPIDEMIC and editor of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME.

More recently, Edward Hirsch has had a chance to read it too. He writes, "WORLD ENOUGH & TIME is a wise book - a quiet feast, a daydreamer's manual, a work of mindfulness, which teaches us to slow down and see the world anew. Read it slowly, and come to your senses."

-- Edward Hirsch, author of HOW TO READ A POEM AND FALL IN LOVE WITH POETRY.

Abby Seixas, author of THE DEEP RIVER WITHIN, praises the book in her DEEP RIVER NEWS, October 2011.

"I recently received a review copy of a beautiful new book by writer and teacher Christian McEwen. It's about creativity and slowing down, themes that resonate deeply with me and the Deep River work. I've been reading it
S-L-O-W-L-Y, savoring it really, and it's most definitely a book to be savored. This is a good one to curl up with as the days get shorter & cooler."

CURRENT READINGS from WORLD ENOUGH & TIME: WINTER-SPRING 2012

3rd February: 6:30pm: Everyone's Books, Brattleboro, VT. Reading & book-signing.

ALSO: WRITING WORKSHOPS: ORDINARY JOY: THE NECESSARY ART OF SLOWING DOWN: Spring 2012

27th-29th January 2012: Rowe Camp and Conference Center, Kings Highway Road, P.O. Box 273, Rowe, MA 01367 tel. (413) 339 4954. Contact retreat@​RoweCenter.org

25th February, 2012: 10:00am-3:00pm Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center, 53 Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085 tel. (413) 562 3627. Contact:donna@​genesiscenter.us

9th-11th March 2012: Zen Mountain Monastery, P.O. Box 156, South Plank Road, Mount Tremper, NY 12457 tel. (845) 688 2228. Contact:mro@​mro.org

9th-10th June 2012: Sky Lake Lodge, 22 Hillcrest Lane, Rosendale, NY 12472 tel. (845)658 8556 Contact director, Katy Bray. A joint drawing/​writing workshop with master artist and calligrapher, Barbara Bash.

28th July-4th August 2012: "World Enough & Time" with artist Jan Kirkpatrick on the Summer Isles, Port Cottage, Tanera Mor, Summer Isles, Achiltibuie, By Ullapool, Ross-shire, IV26 2YN. Contact: jan@​wildtiles.co.uk or lizzie@​summer-isles.com See also www.summer-isles.com

MONEY PLAY:

Christian is currently working on a play about women and money, entitled LEGAL TENDER: WOMEN & THE SECRET LIFE OF MONEY, for which she has interviewed 48 different women, ranging in age from 6 to 94.

She received a 2011 Artist Fellowship in Playwriting from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in support of this project.

SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL:

Christian is continuing to interview visiting poets as they come to read at Smith – a project entitled "SPARKS FROM THE ANVIL.” Poets this spring include Patrick Donnelly, Eavan Boland & Annie Boutelle.

In the last three years, Christian has interviewed some 20 other poets, among them Gwyneth Lewis, Matthew and Michael Dickman, Chase Twichell, Ko Un, Maxine Kumin and Rita Dove.