What is culture? This question has been a provocative one for me as the answer informs my sense of place and relationship with the world. Currently I would define culture as being those shared aspects of human expression which, at their very essences, cannot be bought or sold. You may purchase the container or medium but what brought you there is not a commodity but rather a transmission. In this sense, culture carries the legacy of the soul down through the ages so that human beings can continue to have an abundance of love, beauty, new ideas, and spiritual sustenance. At times, life can be a desert of the heart; especially in this dark age. This is where a healthy culture of art and ideas must thrive and balance the darkness.

For me, nothing awakens my vital energies more than certain books, films, and high-art in general. This was the idea behind the Sparks pages on this site. In this section I offer you a list of some of my favorite arrowheads of the heart. May they inspire you to stop, listen, think, cry your eyes out, sustain your dreams, create beautiful objects, and feel more deeply routed in your original, wakeful self. Feel free to drop me a line about anything in Sparks, including your experience of the works mentioned, as well as any additions you would recommend.