Writing Archives · Steve Tibbetts

Close

“Close is like a dark Rothko painting on fire. The love of life, the losses. Honestly, this album breaks my heart.” — Flowworker.org

My sister had ovarian cancer. I gave her a stem-cell transplant and sent my family daily emails during our time at MD Anderson Medical Center. (Prologue: Photo number 4–from the apheresis series, at the end). Joe says, “Place your attention elsewhere,” while he jams a large-bore catheter in my right arm. Can you see in…

Handing out Diplomas in Nepal

Family email from India and Nepal, 2010. —It’s time to wind this little story up— I moved from the Döndrub hotel up to my friends’ place on Mahankal road. Sukhi and Peter live in Germany for most of the year and kindly offered me the use of their flat.…

Brain Scan

(Here’s the family email I sent after having my head examined.) Hi everyone: I’m in Madison for the brain scan. On the way into town I stopped to get some groceries. The woman taking my credit-card looked at it and said, slowly, “Steve Tibbetts. From Memorial High?” I said, “Yes! Who are you?” She told…

Music and Trance in Bali

After a good three hours in the blazing sun we saw the gates open and villagers in trance being led out to circumambulate the temple. I’ll never forget the look on one young Balinese woman’s face: an incredible mix of astonishment, grief and transcendence.

Olive

Olive, an old friend, asked a group of us to be her caregivers in her last days. She died while I was on my way to Tuscon. I sent this letter to the care team. Team Olive: It’s early Monday evening here in Tucson. I’m sitting out in Olive’s front room. Olive is laid…

Sent Messages With Foxes

Villanova Junction

Villanova Junction, by Jimi Hendrix. Performed by Steve Tibbetts, with best wishes for Dean Magraw.

Organized Some Trips to Tibet

In 2009 a group of us met in Shanghai and took a train to Lhasa. In western Tibet we traveled to Guge, circumambulated Kailash, and walked to Everest Base Camp (the actual Everest Base Camp where expeditions start from is called “ABC”–“Advance Base Camp.) In 2011 some of us re-convened and explored the retreat caves and…

Chö–Minneapolis Star-Tribune 1998

“The lead singer sits at a low table on the garage-studio floor. Wrapped in a purple robe, she sings with her nearly shaved head bowed slightly, eyes closed, hands folded in her lap. Her face shows nothing but calm. Her lips barely move, and at times it’s difficult to tell whether she is singing or it’s a recording that’s being played back.”