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May 7, 2006
"The heart that breaks open can contain the whole universe." --Joanna Macy
A Book that Rose from the Ashes
Acclaimed poet and novelist Maxine Hong Kingston returned from her father's funeral to find her home in flames. The fire destroyed the manuscript and all backup copies of a newly written book, "The Fourth Book of Peace". Though initially devastated, Kingston moved past her personal loss and began a workshop for those who had lost much more: Vietnam War veterans. In the process of helping them move towards personal healing and global harmony through their writing, Kingston unexpectedly arrived at her own peace. She wrote the experience into her next book, called "The Fifth Book of Peace"; read this excerpt describing the beginning of her journey.