|
Acknowledgements
 |
I was born in Greece, Thrace
in a small farming village called Amaranda in 1965. I lived
with my parents for 19 years working in my father's farm,
and going to school in the village and secondary school
in the nearest town of Komotini. I left home after national
service, and I lived in Rhodes for about four years, where
I finished high school, Venetoklio Lyceé of Rhodes
in 1991. I then moved to Scotland where I graduated with
an MA in Sociology in 96, following this I did an MPhil
in Psychology. In 97 I moved to England and lived in Guildford
for a year, where I spent time working and doing a part
time course at Surrey university. I then moved to London
to do a course in IT. Currently I work in a credit card
company, supporting credit card networks.
In 1994 during my university years, I set
up a personal website, with ages about 'Thrace'
my home community in Greece, and Rumi,
with collections of poems from some of my favourite poets.
I would like to share this website with you, please email
with your contributions, or any other assistance would be
most welcome. This website would have not existed without
your support and encouragement. I would like to thank you
for visiting and sharing Rumi's poetry.
In my spare time
I work on organising events, for the latest events please
see the Events
page. If you would like to receive updates on Rumi events
you can subscribe to Rumi
Events mailing list.
|
Contributors
 |
Sipko den Boer, born in Holland, is a
translator of Rumi's poetry and teachings. He is a student
and representative of Threshold Society, a school for
Sufi studies founded by Mevlevi Sheikh Kabir Helminski.
Among his translations of his Sufi teacher are Jewels
of Remembrance, Daylight, A Daybook of Spiritual Guidance,
and The Knowing Heart, The Sufi Path of Transformation.
Other works he has translated are Tales from the Masnavi
by A.J. Arberry and Words from Paradise, a collection
of lyric poems illustrated with Persian and Islamic Manuscripts.
Sipko is also working on a direct translation of Rumi's
work from the Persian into Dutch, soon to be published
as Love Is The Path: Quatrains from Rumi. Besides his
deep love of mystical poetry, Sipko shares a passion for
music with his wife Saki. For more information on classes
offered in the Netherlands by Sipko, contact Threshold
Society, Postbox 633, 2270 AP Voorburg, or write to
threshold@planet.nl
For CDs and cassettes recorded by Sipko and Saki, write
to .LightSong@compuserve.com
Articles at Rumi
in Dutch
Email:
moehieb@yahoo.com
|
˜
| |
Father Frank Gelli was born in Rome. He
worked there as a freelance journalist and playwright. In
1973 he came to England as a correspondent of the drama
magazine Sipario. After achieving degrees in philosophy,
theology and education from London and Oxford Universities,
in 1986 he was ordained as an Anglican priest. From 1989
to 1991 he was chaplain of the church of St Nicholas, Ankara,
Turkey.
Curate of Kensington until 1999, he has
since devoted his energies to the twin tasks of writing
full-time and commitment to inter-religious dialogue. He
is founder and coordinator of the Arkadash Network, a spiritual
fellowship devoted to Muslim-Christian friendship and reconciliation.
His interests range over literature, poetry, painting, arts,
spirituality and, especially, mysticism. He has just finished
writing a book on the Prophet Muhammad and is currently
working on another book on Jesus.
Articles at Reflections
on Rumi
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/ghazals/
|
˜
 |
I am a 38 year old father of three children
living in Ottawa, Canada. I am a baker of breads, cakes,
cookies and muffins, a musician (guitar, mandolin) and an
advocate for children with special needs. The words of Rumi
are divine inspiration. They act a both as muse to my own
creativity and the calming influence on my soul's growth.
God's
Wine composed and sung by John Lloyd; lyrics
to God's Wine.
Poems of John at Reflections
on Rumi
Email: Please
use the contact page
|
˜
 |
Majid Mohiuddin, grew up in Cherry Hill,
New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia. By accident, he discovered
creative writing in high school and won the NJ Governor's
Award for Literary Arts in 1993 for playwrighting. During
his undergrad at Brown University in Providence, RI, he
continued writing as a Rose Writing Fellow, and began to
study Islamic art/architecture and literature as a side
interest.
His most recent project is a collection of Islamic ghazals
(in English), called "An Audience of One." Majid
is a recent graduate of Brown University Medical School,
and he is in residency in Radiation Oncology at Harvard.
Poems of Majid at Reflections
on Rumi
Website: http://www.freewebs.com/ghazals/
|
˜
| |
Gerald Rhoades, born 1948, is a student
of the world's religions with a special interest in the
mystic poets. He has lived three years in a monastery and
practices meditation and spiritual discipline on a daily
basis. One of his central beliefs is the experience of God
is not something that can be comprehended or captured literally,
religious writing is mostly metaphor, thus the closest expression
of God's nature is found in the writings of the mystic poets.
He is currently living in Los Angeles, California and works
as an artist and writer.
Poems of Gery Rhoades at Reflections
on Rumi
Email: Please
use the contact page
|
˜
| |
My name is Richard. I'm 31 years old.
I spent 18 of those years as an active alcoholic and a
drug addict. To the point where I ended up homeless, jobless
and much more spiritually bankrupt. At the age of 28 I
stopped using drugs and started living ,actually I started
noticing, my spiritual path. Rumi was introduced to me
through a beautiful girl, I thought I was looking to her
for an intimate relationship, and what I got was the best
one with God and myself I ever had.
Poems of Richard at Reflections
on Rumi
Email: Please
use the contact page
|
˜
 |
Gustavo Adrián Salvini was born
in Lomas de Zamora, Argentina, December 18th, 1976. He
is a student of Electronics Engineering in the University
of Buenos Aires (UBA) and also studies English and Italian.
He likes poetry so much, and knew Rumi by the reading
of a book from Erich Fromm.
Gustavo grew up and lives today in Turdera,
a small city near Buenos Aires. He's an enthusiast of
tourism in Patagonia, and loves trekking. He works hosting
so many websites, for example www.turdera.com , www.globalmente.com
, www.ecim.com
Contributions at Rumi
in Spanish
Email: Please use the contact
page
|
˜
 |
On March 11th 1960 in Toledo Ohio my
life began. Raised Catholic and attending Catholic schools.
My father an oil painter and my interest in art followed
his footsteps. Not being the artist I wanted to be, I
took up writing. I learned how to express myself, placing
words on paper, instead of using paint on a canvas.
My 42 years of life have been a battle. In my teen years
I had a hard time adjusting to reality and became rebellious.
It led me to a life of self-destruction and hard times.
I went through a journey of bad marriages, and tragic
experiences. After a miscarriage, a car wreck and a divorce,
I had a nervous breakdown. During this period I stopped
writing and destroyed my journals. Then a devastating
event took place and left me plagued with an anxiety and
panic disorder.
Now in Texas, in 1996 I bought a place in the country
and left my past behind me and started over. Still unhappy
I kept trying new things but nothing brought me peace
of mind. But in the summer of 1999 my brother talked me
into getting a computer. I began writing once more, leading
me to a place of serenity. I have changed my name to ELM
Schindler after my deceased uncle, to protect the anonymity
of my parents. I write from my heart, I hold nothing back
when I write. At times I can be graphic, but to me, this
is my art. I want others to feel my pain, pleasure and
love I use this name so I can have the freedom to write
as I desire. I have been published and have received many
poetry awards. I have been taking writing lessons from
Mark Weston who teaches writing at the Screen Actors Guild
in New York City. He has convinced me I now am a real
writer, placing before me new challenges. After writing
several short stories, with his blessings I am now working
on a couple of novels. I wish all great success with their
writing.
ELM Schindler
Poems at Reflections
on Rumi
Website: http://www.poetickingdom.com
|
˜
 |
I was born in central Anatolia where Mevlana
lived and left so much. My parents rised me up with ashk
and sufism. I learned a lot from both my parents and other
divine lovers who gather for ashk. My poor path has been
crossed into the one of Pir Fakirullah Levend for ten
years. Since then, my presence have been enlightened with
ashk one more time. Since then, I have been traveling
in the way of ashk.
I generate poems in the very same style
of Yunus Emre, Pir Sultan Abdal, Kazak Abdal and many
others. Additionally I paint in a traditional technique
called ebru and miniature. In each work, I try my best
to tell something about ashk.
Poems of Xajbek at Reflections
on Rumi
Email: Please
use the contact page
|
| |
Eliza Tasbihi was born in 1965, in Iran.
She lived most of her life in Tabriz, where she met a
spiritual teacher through whom she was introduced to the
poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi, and of Sheikh Mahmud Shabistari,
two legends of classical Sufi literature. She spent five
years studying Persian classic poetry, and Arabic and
Ottoman languages, while trying to capture the spiritual
essence of Sufi poetry.
More recently, she has been studying Rumi's
poetry through correspondence with scholars, as well work
with spiritual teachers. Her interests are primarily focused
on the teachings and poetry of: Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi,
Hussein ibn Mansour al-Hallaj, Muhyaddin Ibn al-Arabi,
Yunus Emre, and Ein al-Quzat-e Hamadani.
She is affiliated with a Sufi order, and
is working toward a Master's Degree in Urban Planning,
at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Contributions of Eliza Tasbihi are at
Persian
with Rumi
Email: Please use the contact
page
|
˜
|
|
Ruth was born in Lima, Perú,
in 1979. She is a student of Translation and Interpretation
in The Sacred Heart University (UNIFE) and a supportive
member of RAWA. She was brought up in a catholic family,
in a world where almost nothing about Sufism or Rumi is
known. However, Sufism and especially Rumi was introduced
to her through a Dervish she met during her journey to London.
Rumi’s life and poetry has given her a new vision of
Love and Spirituality. Besides, her special love for Afghanistan
has encouraged her to study its culture, history and the
Persian language.
Contributions of Ruth are at Rumi
in Spanish
Email: Please use the contact
page
|
˜
|
|
Paula Timpson, 35 yr old Poetess
in East Hampton ,LI. Interested in Yoga , meditation, nature
, animals... published yet finds deep fulfillment in poetry
ministry.
Poems of Paula Timpson at Reflections
on Rumi
Email:Please use the contact
page
|
˜
Duane
Tucker
 |
After working in Hollywood for years as an
actor and writer, appearing
in over 65 films and TV shows, Duane married a Canadian and
settled in
Ontario, where he's traveling and performing a one-man show
on John
Muir’s battle to preserve Yosemite.
His poetry has been published in over a hundred journals,
among them:
Blue Unicorn, California State Poetry Quarterly, Spillway,
Luminous
Wildflowers (an anthology of California poets), New Thought
Journal,
Chrysalis.
Passanger Magazine (U. of Baltimore) voted him poet of the
year 2002.
Poems of Duane Tucker at Reflections
on Rumi
Web: http://www.poetryofthesoul.com
|
˜
Gary
C. Wilkens
 |
I was born in Charleston, SC, in 1976 and
raised in North Carolina and Arkansas.I spent my entire adolescence
in foster care, and put myself through Hendrix College in
Conway, Arkansas on pure intellect and sheer meanness. While
there I discovered Persian Sufi literature and mysticism and
entheogens, developing my own verse through the poetry underground,
getting a B.A. with Distinction in Philosophy on the side.
Much effort at getting myself into a creative writing program
followed, but it turns out to be easier for a
rich man to get into heaven.I finally wised up in 2001 and
moved to Germany, where I
married and am attempting to become a professional poet. I
trace my silsila back to Alfred North Whitehead through Dr.Jay
McDaniel, and my initiatory shaiyk was the Maulana, through
his poems.Poetry is my dhikr, and I wish my work to be the
continuance of Rumi's living poetic tradition.
Poems of Gary at Reflections
on Rumi
Email:Please use the contact page
|
˜
|