Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew and Vishwas R. Gaitonde in conversation

A Map to Mercy

A dream about death saturates Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew with mystical silence. But when the silence leaves, she flounders through Christian contemplative prayer practices, wrangling with antiquated language and hard-to-stomach theology. Much to her surprise, she finds the essence of silence in the concept of mercy. Here is a literary rendering of one seeker's winding path into the great womb of creation.

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew is the author of Swinging on the Garden Gate: A Memoir of Bisexuality & Spirit, now in its second edition; the novel Hannah, Delivered; a collection of personal essays, On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood, and Holiness; and three books on writing: Writing the Sacred Journey: The Art and Practice of Spiritual Memoir; Living Revision: A Writer’s Craft as Spiritual Practice; and The Release: Finding Creativity and Freedom After the Writing is Done. She is a founding member of The Eye of the Heart Center, where she teaches writing as a transformational practice. She is a recipient of two Minnesota State Arts Board artists’ fellowships, The Loft Career Initiative Grant, and is a Minnesota Book Awards finalist. She lives in Minneapolis with her wife, daughter, and two rambunctious cats.

---

On Earth as It is in Heaven

To turn earth into heaven is a tall order, but no matter where they live on this planet, the people in these stories hold out hope that at least a small portion of heaven might brighten their patch of earth. A doctor and his relatives are at loggerheads over whether England will be more of a paradise if a splash of Pakistan is added. A Tamil doctor who flees his homeland torn by civil war struggles to make a new life in the American Midwest. A New Zealander visiting India strikes up an unlikely friendship with a little boy facing hard times. An American mother struggles to live without her son following the Iraq War. A Sri Lankan aboriginal finds (and then loses) her paradise when confronted with visiting researchers several years apart. These vivid characters and more demonstrate what connects us all, no matter where we're from or where we find ourselves.

Vishwas R. Gaitonde's formative years were spent in India. He has lived in Britain and now resides in the United States in Cary, NC. Distinctions include residencies in fiction at The Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (Minnesota), scholarships to the Tin House and Sewanee writers’ conferences, and fellowships to The Summer Literary Seminar (Canada) and Hawthornden Castle Writers Residency (Scotland). His stories have appeared in Bellevue Literary Review, Epiphany, Gargoyle, The Iowa Review, Kweli, The MacGuffin, and Santa Monica Review, among other places.

About Events at M&Q:

These are guidelines only, and if you have questions about the most up to date information, you can always call us at 612-822-4611.

Q: Do I need to register?

A: Please do if at all possible! Use the registration button above. Registering ahead of time helps us with scheduling, book ordering, and other decisions that are made several weeks prior to the event. The more info we have ahead of time, the better.

With a registered list, we can also easily and directly communicate event updates such as postponements or cancellations.

If you are unable to sign up online, please call or visit the bookstore and register with a bookseller.

Walk-ins are always welcome, but seating decisions are made based on registered attendance and seating priority is given to registered attendees first.

Q: Are in store events free?

A: Yes, Magers & Quinn events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Q: Are masks required?

A: Masks are not required to browse in the store or at most events. Some events may come with a request for masking for the health and safety of the author. If so it will be noted here whenever possible.

Q: How should I get there?

A: Please see our Directions & Parking page for the best tips on getting to Magers & Quinn.

https://www.magersandquinn.com/directions

Also check out other Arts events in Minneapolis, Literary Art events in Minneapolis, Workshops in Minneapolis.