<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Jim,<div><br></div><div>There is one more that I know of, a fiction novella from Ali Anthony Bell on his youth, from '64 to '77 "From the Rockies to the Windy City"? It's available in print now at Barnes & Noble. https://books2read.com/b/b5aZj6. Also in e-book from Smash Words.</div><div><br></div><div>Yes, I read both Hey, White Girl! when it first came out in 1969, I was in the New York Religious House that year, and Grits, Green, Beans, and the Holy Ghost, which are both excellent. Susan Gregory comes at it as a North Shore family that interned for one year with the EI/Order on the West Side. In and out fast. Carol Poole approaches it primarily from the Student House perspective in the Kemper Building. She is a contemporary of my younger sister, Teresa, who was also at the Student House. I’ve read parts of From the Rockies to the Windy City, and want to read more.</div><div><br></div><div>Even though I am a published author of several bestsellers (The Book of Myself, The Book of Us, What I Love About You) by big New York houses Penguin Random House and Hachette, had a good literary agent, and worked in the book publishing business for 16 years at Berrett-Koehler Publishers, I couldn’t get any of the mainstream houses to publish IRON BOY. Many had minimum thresholds of 50,000 units sold to break even, and prospective editors said unless the author is already famous or the book “bleeds” such as Jim Jones, David Koresh or murder and mayhem, that memoirs from ordinary people are not profitable. I decided to self-publish in both paperback and e-book with the Kindle Publishing Program even though I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos. This program gives me full control of the design, production, and marketing components.</div><div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Sent from my iPad</div><div>David Marshall</div><div>www.marshallbooks.net</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On May 11, 2025, at 7:41 AM, James Wiegel via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">So, as I count, David, yours will be the third biography?, memoir? <div>There was “Hey, White Girl” by Susan Gregory, and “Grits, Green Beans and the Holy Ghost” by Mary Poole and now yours. There was also a feature article in Chicago(?) magazine by —— Spencer a couple of years ago.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe others?</div><div>Master’s theses— Pat ( was Scott); Brooke Kroeger …</div><div><br></div><div>Shocked me that you are the same age as the new pope … time does march on<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">Jim Wiegel</span><br><div>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“…the long work<br>
of turning their lives<br>
into a celebration<br>
is not easy. Come </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 19pt;">and let us talk</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 19pt;">“. </span></p><p class="p1"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 19pt;">The Sunflowers. Mary Oliver</span></p></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On May 10, 2025, at 12:39 PM, David Marshall via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Order, EI, & ICA former colleagues,</div><div><br></div><div>I recently joined Substack to provide more long-form content for my family communication books, including my upcoming memoir IRON BOY, and posted this 2-page article yesterday. I noticed some of you are on Substack as well, but for those who aren't, I'm providing a copy below. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Title: POPE LEO & IRON BOY: Top-10 Synchronicities</div><div>Subtitle:Bringing Light to World’s “Dark Night”<span></span> <br></div><div><br></div><div><div><image.png></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Growing up ecumenical, I was exposed to a lot more
Catholicism than the average Protestant boy in America, even though my family
was officially Methodist. I studied Saint Teresa, Saint Augustine, and Saint
Francis as a teenager, and attended Catholic mass from different Religious
Houses around the world. Our 30-minute Daily Office service each dawn was full
of Episcopalian liturgy, which has similarities to Catholic services.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">So when Pope Leo was selected by the cardinals in the
Vatican this week, I naturally noticed the parallels between Pope Leo and <i>Iron Boy</i>, including our global debuts
just weeks a part this spring, although mine pales by comparison.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Connections abound:<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>1.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>CHICAGO - Our formative years were both in
Chicago in the 1960s and 1970s, Pope Leo on the South Side, and Iron Boy on the
West Side.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>2.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>ORDERS - We both lived monastic lives, Pope Leo
in an Augustine Order for priests and Iron Boy in an Ecumenical Family Order
(Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and other faiths). We both practiced our own
versions of poverty, chastity, and obedience.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>3.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>CULTS – Some agnostics and atheists say the
Catholic Church is one of the largest cults on the planet. Others say the Order
Ecumenical I grew up in was a cult as well. People must judge for themselves. What
is a “cult” anyway? Cult survivors recount a sense of belonging and intense
community, but also of being taught they are holier than others; believing the
cult leader is “all knowing;” giving up their own freedom to “group think;” forced
to tolerate leader unaccountability for misdeeds; feeling afraid to leave; and
ultimately being ostracized by remaining members after departure. I experienced
many of these feelings as well.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>4.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>REFORM - We are both committed to Christian
renewal, extending the reforms started by Pope Francis in Pope Leo’s case, and
in spreading the good news about demythologized theology in Iron Boy’s case. My
platform is admittedly quite small compared to Pope Leo’s.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>5.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>GLOBALISTS - We have lived on multiple
continents and speak several languages.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>6.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>PERU - We both lived in Peru as adults, arriving
in the 1980s, and had family and missional work in this Latin American country.
After my mom left the Order, she lived in Peru for six years with her second
husband, and they supported the ICA rural development program in Azpitia, Peru.
<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>7.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>AGE - We are contemporaries, at 69 years old.<span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>8.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>ABUSE - Both our respective Orders were accused
of preying on children, and had to make hard decisions about what to do about
it, with not great results. <span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>9.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>LEO - Pope Leo was known as Robert Prevost until
this week, but will go down in history as Pope Leo XIV. The Associated Press
reported this week that “In naming himself Leo, the new pope could also have
wanted to signal a strong line of continuity: Brother Leo was the 13<sup>th</sup>
century friar who was a great companion to St. Francis of Assisi, the late
pope’s namesake.” For Iron Boy, Leo was a mythical figure in a study book <i>Journey to the East</i> by Herman Hesse in
an Order course called “The Odyssey,” which I recount taking in Malaysia in my
upcoming book. <span></span></p>
<p class="gmail-MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span>10.<span style="font:7pt "Times New Roman"">
</span></span></span>SERVANT LEADERSHIP - The “Leo” figure in <i>Journey to the East</i> is often associated
with the more secular Servant Leadership movement led by Robert Greenleaf
starting in the 1970s and in later years by Ken Blanchard and other exemplars.
I had the pleasure of publishing a number of Ken Blanchard’s Servant Leadership
books when I worked at Berrett-Koehler Publishers during the last two decades.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From Google AI on the last two points:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background:white;margin:0in 0in 8pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“In Hermann Hesse's <i>Journey to the East</i>, Leo is initially presented as a simple,
unassuming servant, but his disappearance triggers the group's
disintegration. He is revealed to be the President of the League, a
figure who embodies the essence of servant leadership and the unifying force of
the group. His absence exposes the fragility of the League's ideals and
the lack of true commitment among its members. <span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 7.5pt;line-height:19.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“Here's a more detailed look at Leo's
role:<span></span></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in;margin-bottom:0in" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“<b>Symbol of Servant Leadership</b>: </span><span style="letter-spacing:0.1pt">Leo is
described as a quiet, supportive, and beloved member of the group, readily
helping others and showing a natural affinity with animals. This
aligns with the concept of servant leadership, where leaders prioritize
the needs of their followers. <span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“<b>Unifying Presence</b>: </span><span style="letter-spacing:0.1pt">Leo's
presence, though unassuming, provides a sense of stability and purpose for
the group. His disappearance leads to confusion, anxiety, and
bickering among the members. <span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“<b>Hidden
Leadership:</b> </span><span style="letter-spacing:0.1pt">It's revealed that Leo is not just a servant but the President of
the League. This highlights the paradox that true leadership can
manifest in humility and service. <span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 6pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“<b>Test
of Faithfulness:</b> </span><span style="letter-spacing:0.1pt">Leo's disappearance is a deliberate act, a test of the group's
commitment to the journey's core values. The group's inability to
persevere without him exposes their lack of faith and their internal
struggles. <span></span></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:16.5pt;background:white;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span>“<b>Symbol
of Inner Peace:</b> </span><span style="letter-spacing:0.1pt">The journey to the East, and Leo's role within it, can be
interpreted as a metaphor for the search for inner peace and spiritual
enlightenment. Leo's quiet service and the animals' love for him
suggest a connection to a higher, more natural order.” <span></span></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I wish Pope Leo the best in serving as a bridge to warring
factions in the world and among his own flock, and in holding himself and other
Catholic Church leaders accountable for their past and present failings in not
protecting the children.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">“Peace be with you,” (Pope Leo to world on first day of
papacy) and “Grace and peace,” (Order Ecumenical salutation).</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">***</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">I'm probably going to use some version of this for my Sunday Housechuch Countdown #5 post tomorrow. If you want to see the previous five countdown post as part of my IRON BOY book launch, you can find them on my Marshall Books blog <<a href="https://marshallbooks.wordpress.com/">https://marshallbooks.wordpress.com/</a>>.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">David Marshall, Moraga, California</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span><span> </span></span></p>
<br></div></div>
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