"Marie is the kind of poet whose accomplishments are too many to mention, so I'll keep it short and say that she's the author of four collections of poetry, the recipient of a Guggenheim, and a former poet laureate of New York. While in that role, she made it her mission to make poetry as ubiquitous as a Gap ad, and she succeeded in bringing poetry to the streets and the subways of New York. And she may not know this, but she also succeeded in bringing poetry to me. Like a lot of people, I grew up thinking that poetry was difficult and inaccessible and something that you needed special instruction to be able to decipher and to get right. Then a few years ago, I heard Marie speak at a conference, and she broke poetry open for me. She made it real. She made it accessible. And I was so taken by her that I plucked up the courage to walk up to her after the event and introduce myself." More in this interview between Suleika Jaouad and Marie Howe.

Neil Douglas-Klotz is a renowned teacher, scholar, author, and musician who specializes in the native traditions and ancient Semitic languages of the Middle East. His most recent book, Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus: The Hidden Teachings on Life and Death, is the culmination of his life's work over 40 years. By examining the "heart talks" of Jesus -- the Lord's Prayer and the Beatitudes -- he addresses universal themes and challenges like, How do we respond to the critical state of the world, individually and globally? How do we find renewal and healing amidst challenging times? How do we keep our hearts open? Or more fundamentally, who am I? What is my purpose? Read an excerpt from his new book here.

"Have you ever tried to fix an ongoing lack of energy by getting more sleep -- only to do so and still feel exhausted? If that's you, here's the secret: Sleep and rest are not the same thing, although many of us incorrectly confuse the two. We go through life thinking we've rested because we have gotten enough sleep -- but in reality we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals. We're suffering from a rest deficit because we don't understand the true power of rest. Rest should equal restoration in seven key areas of your life." More in this post.