I got a package from Bruce Weigl in the mail today after sending him an illustration I did of his poem “Him, on the Bicycle” that’s in his book Song of Napalm. I learned about Bruce’s work back when I was doing my PhD. at Western Michigan University, and Song of Napalm was immensely helpful to me as a person and a writer.

I didn’t send him the painting expecting anything, and I think that is what made getting a package seem so incredible. He included with his letter 3 of his books (all signed), and one of them is a book of poems he translated from Vietnamese to English. This is a huge gift because it means I now have something in my house to read that I likely would not have sought on my own.

I do many things not expecting anything in return and believe doing kind things for others without expecting anything in return is a good rule to live by. I also believe that when these kindnesses you do go out into the world they multiply. When a kindness comes back to you, assuming you are so lucky, it’s a good reminder to keep it up.

I’m grateful to Bruce for his response and for the work he’s done as a poet and teacher. The fact that he is also a veteran and he helped cut a path in the world of writing gave me a trail to follow. Although I did not end up teaching, I could’ve done so, (or at least made an honest effort pursuing that aim), and believing such a goal was attainable for a guy like was in no small part the result of Bruce and folks like him who’d done so in the past.

You can buy a copy of Song of Napalm by clicking the link.