Melvin Dowdy

Night Weavers Melvin Dowdy

In 2015, author Melvin Dowdy's life partner of forty-odd years was paralyzed by a spinal cord stroke. Every function below her waist was negated in some way, and doctors doubted that she would walk again. The two of them were suddenly on a journey that altered every aspect of their lives and offered few promises of recovery.

To deal with this, Dowdy knew he needed a practice that would combine mindfulness with acceptance of his experiences, release from assumptions and old habits of the mind, and daily reclarification of life's meaning and purpose. His writing became the primary source of that practice; he learned to write to stay alive. Night Weavers presents a collection of poetry that offers a sample of what adversity has taught him. Resilience is a way of life, not an end to itself. As we learn the art of being with an adversity, we learn the art of being with life in every present moment.

Chronicling a period of major loss and recovery, this poetry collection celebrates the beauty and the gravity of being fully human, navigating great sorrows, and nourishing the bonds between people.