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Inner Peace is a Pavo series highlighting a few non-mainstream spiritual centers in Birmingham.  There are many, and though this journey will surely leave some important stones unturned,  for those of us who are not quite right for the mainstream Christian world or who may just need a different world view, there may be peace to be found here in Birmingham, yet.

Hinduism, to Westerners, is about as far away from the mainstream as I think one can get.  Our preconceived notions of Hinduism revolve around the taboos of deity worship, reincarnation, wheels of fire, and the overcrowded, impoverished nation of India.  Read more...

Inner Peace is a Pavo series highlighting a few non-mainstream spiritual centers in Birmingham.  There are many, and though this journey will surely leave some important stones unturned,  for those of us who are not quite right for the mainstream Christian world or who may just need a different world view, there may be peace to be found here in Birmingham, yet. Read more...

As Michelle Bearman-Wolnek, Executive Director of Heart Gallery of Alabama, prepares for her next exhibit in Talladega, she meticulously arranges each installation.  No, she is not displaying Monets, Fredas or other expensive art.  She is crafting an exhibit on which a monetary value cannot be placed.  She is selecting pieces for Heart Gallery Alabama’s monthly exhibit of children in Alabama’s foster care system.  She is attempting to match children with forever families.  For some children, this could be the last opportunity to be adopted.

Michelle's goal is to display thirty photographs.  Each child or sibling group’s photograph is matted and framed.  A brief description of their history, hobbies and desires is laminated and displayed next to their portrait.  Through the exhibit, children are introduced to potential adoptive parents support is built for Heart Gallery Alabama’s efforts.
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As part of the Sanctuaries issue, we thought we'd feature some local poets.  Poetry has long been a source of solace for so many.  Reading poetry is an introspective process -- we read poetry to get a glimpse of the world or live into a situation that goes beyond personal experience, shedding new light on our own lives.  Below is a PDF link to a piece by our first poet...

Jim Murphy teaches creative writing at the University of Montevallo, where he also directs the Montevallo Literary Festival and chairs the Dept. of English & Foreign Languages. His chapbook, The Memphis Sun (Kent State UP), won the Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Award, and his first full-length collection, Heaven Overland, is available from Kennesaw State UP.  His poems have appeared in or are forthcoming from Brooklyn Review, Cimarron Review, Gulf Coast, Painted Bride Quarterly, Puerto del Sol, Southern Poetry Review, The Southern Review, TriQuarterly and other journals.    Read more...

Files: 

Joy Spring Diamond w_ acknowledgement.pdf