Talbit has been in the plumbing business for over 30 years, a Zazen practitioner and Aikidoist, performer and poet, itinerate thinker (when he’s not non-thinking) and founder of a nonviolent conflict resolution org. Many of Talbit’s stories & poems are grounded in the musings and conundrums of being a zenish-poet plumber on the job, dealing with customers and, more to the point, himself in reaction to others—all a practice of mindfulness and art (he hopes).
Talbit didn’t write this brief intro about himself. Talbit may not exist: he could be a fiction or foil; both or neither. Yet, as lives go, he has been around for about 60 years, working to be kind, honest, aware and compassionate—a good Jewish-Buddhist boy who would prefer not to identify with either.
I will tell you this about Talbit, as one who has known him well for many years: He possesses a profound integrity and self-awareness/-understanding; a will to guileless, hard-edged compassion and driven to be as much help to others as he can muster.
Read him, and you will know…