Kim Book’s 17-year-old daughter, Nicole, was murdered in 1995. She recalls that a year later, at the trial, she forgave the young man who had killed Nicole, and the act of forgiveness opened the door to peace in her life. Several years later, Kim founded Victims’ Voices Heard, a restorative justice program in Delaware that brings victims and offenders together in an effort to find … Continue reading Kim Book
“A number of years ago I was teaching a seminary course called “Pottery and Proclamation.” One woman had recently lost her partner to cancer and was mourning the loss of someone incredibly important to her.As she learned how to make pots, she decided it would be powerful for her to make a pot to hold her partner’s ashes. There is an understanding in Native American cultures that you’re making pots out of … Continue reading Kelly Connole
Gina Laff was born in Paraguay and at the age of one she was adopted by a couple living on the north side of Chicago. Her father has struggled with health issues since Gina was very young. He holds Gina to a high standard and she describes him as a stubborn old man who worries about her generation. At first, the frustration of this dynamic … Continue reading Gina Laff
I remember the day I took this photograph of my dad’s hands. It was for a story about finding hidden treasure. We found the old box at a prop shop. It was a sort of treasure hunt of its own, crisscrossing the city together…looking for something the right size to fit his hands… the right shape and patina. We stood in the back yard as … Continue reading Dad’s hands
